Organic Line Graph
Art Prompt: Allow the colors to flow and create an organic line graph exploring different areas of your life over the last six months.
Materials: Watercolor paint, watercolor paper, watercolor brushes,
This prompt is obviously up for interpretation: with its organic flow recommending watercolors as the medium (quite difficult to control) and little detail on the area of life to focus on. Us art therapists love giving little direction, in hopes that your imagination and thoughts take over. If you feel that you need to write down some of the areas in your life that you want to focus on, go ahead. This may help you organize your thoughts and identify areas in your life and how consistent or non-consistent they’ve been.
For this prompt, I decided to not organize my thoughts by writing them out and just jump right in. I thought about how I can represent important areas in my life and how consistent they are in my daily routine over the span of six months. I started with an area in my life that has been difficult to find time for and how that lack of involvement into my routine has been hard on my mental wellness. Over the last six months, the involvement with this area has varied and I represented that in the shape of my line. I repeated the same process for other important areas in my life with a new color. I allowed the watercolor to blend and bleed. The organic nature of the medium forced me to reflect on how these areas do bleed into each other in life, and what that means to me. Once I completed my image, I sat back and studied what I created. I thought about the last six months: The areas that need work but also the areas where I have put a lot of my energy. Areas that I am proud of and areas that may have been overshadowed because of another area. This prompt forced me to think about where I was, where I am now and goals that I want to set for myself moving forward.
Journal prompts for further exploration of the directive and/or image:
What areas in your life need more attention and work? What small steps can you take to start improving that area in your life?
What areas have you been focusing on and doing well? Is this an area that you want to spend a lot of your time or is it taking a lot of your time away for other things?
Tips:
I am vague in my description of my image for two reasons: A.) this is an example to help people see the progression and thought behind the process, B.) so that my image and description does not stifle your own creative exploration within this prompt.
Do not overthink the art directive. Jump into creating with your first thought and allow the image to form itself.
Explore the artwork when you’re completed and see what you notice in your colors, method, imagery. Sometimes you’ll have new insights once you’re finished creating.
Materials will be suggested, use whatever you have access to or materials you’d prefer.
Work as little or as long as you’d like.
Don’t create thinking of a product, focus solely on the process. This may not be something you’d like to hang on the wall and that is perfectly fine and often preferred 🙂
You may not always be able to reflect on your image and understand what it means. Sometimes just simply engaging in the art process is therapeutic enough.
While these directives are designed for deeper exploration of self, sometimes they may cause one to feel overwhelmed. These prompts should not replace therapy. If any of these prompts bring up unsafe emotions and you feel you are a danger to yourself or others, please call 911 or go to your nearest hospital.
