A drawing

[knowledge_of_self]

The hair strands were just a tool for visually expressing the wind's momentum. So in response to

The symbolism suggests to me a lack of connection to your emotional life

I'm not really sure if this is accurate because I didn't do it consciously. It was just for adding affect in the drawing.

I think the point is that it might be an unconscious expression of a lack of connection to your emotional life.

Hmm can you elaborate what you mean by "lack of connection to your emotional life" please? As deeply as I'm thinking about, I don't see any unconscious connection, because in my opinion I was drawing it consciously to get the affect I wanted.

 

[henry]

I was quoting what mada85 wrote, so he can clarify what she meant.

I was drawing your attention to the fact that, in art, as everywhere else in our lives, we may not know why we really are doing something. I think you understand that as it applies to your own thinking processes. Its one of the premises of the Work that we may only discover the real motivation for an action after the fact.

It is also possible that art could serve as a means of sending messages to ourselves, and the fact that you drew the hair "cutting off" the head might be open to interpretation. It could be an unconscious message to yourself from your higher self. Maybe it isn't. But it is up to you to see if it is or not. :)

 

[knowledge_of_self]

I was quoting what mada85 wrote, so she can clarify what she meant.

I was drawing your attention to the fact that, in art, as everywhere else in our lives, we may not know why we really are doing something. I think you understand that as it applies to your own thinking processes. Its one of the premises of the Work that we may only discover the real motivation for an action after the fact.

It is also possible that art could serve as a means of sending messages to ourselves, and the fact that you drew the hair "cutting off" the head might be open to interpretation. It could be an unconscious message to yourself from your higher self. Maybe it isn't. But it is up to you to see if it is or not. :)

Ah I see, would it help if you knew that I drew the hair strands as one of the very last steps to completing the drawing? Meaning I didn't draw it on the exact day I was sad and began drawing the figure. It was part of the 'finishing touches. But I understand what you're saying, art can indeed be messages to yourself whether you're aware of it or not so I will take this under consideration.

Also mada85 I'd still love some clarification if possible

Thanks again :)

 

[Gaby]

Symbolic meaning in drawings and dreams can depend on emotions or events in the person's life that may be hidden from "consciousness". Drawings can come from an intuitive part of ourselves.

I remember a psychology project in school where we were supposed to draw a house, a fence, a river, the sun, a tree and a snake. Well, we didn't had any idea what it was all about, but we drew anyway and in the end, when we where finished, the teacher explained to us that our drawings would be a representation of our lives. The house was ourselves, the sun represented our fathers, the river our mothers (if I remember correctly), the fence was like our "defenses", the tree represented culture or knowledge or something among those lines and the snake had to do with sex, I think. The rapport of all the items among each other and whatever we will add to the drawing will also reveal additional information.

Well, I couldn't help to chuckle because at least in my case, it was so darn accurate! I drew the house all teensy and pathetic, with a spiky fence surrounding it, pretty much revealing my self-esteem and my primitive defense mechanisms. The sun was covered by clouds, and as it happens, my father is practically a non existent figure in my life. The river was predominant in the drawing, at that time my mother was having a big influence in me. The tree was quite huge. I wish I would had kept the drawing.

Bernie Siegel, author of "Love, Medicine and Miracles", also uses drawings to know more about his patient's unconscious, he discovered that he could even make accurate prognosis of cancer patients from the things the patients revealed in their drawings. Drawings will "give the unconscious away" even when the person was self-conscious that he might reveal something in a drawing, making him or her extra careful while drawing to not show more than necessary so to speak.

It is as if drawings bypasses our verbal deceptions and get to the universal symbolic language of the unconscious.

Deedlet, I think your drawing is cute and didn't made anything about it other than that. But my feedback has been on my head for some time and I took this discussion opportunity to talk about it. I think that when we are consciously trying to know ourselves and our buffers and when we are committed to the Work, then we, ourselves, become the best interpreters of our dreams and drawings. But that is just my take on it, perhaps this applies more for people who naturally tend to self-question themselves. My dream journal and the "thinking with a hammer" process that it had triggered, have become the best evidence against all my self-denials.

 

[Ca.]

The eyes seem to look to a future decision with the tears letting go of the past ..................just a thought ...and nice colors and good eye, from the soul...! ;)

 

[Adaryn]

Symbolic meaning in drawings and dreams can depend on emotions or events in the person's life that may be hidden from "consciousness". Drawings can come from an intuitive part of ourselves.

I remember a psychology project in school where we were supposed to draw a house, a fence, a river, the sun, a tree and a snake. Well, we didn't had any idea what it was all about, but we drew anyway and in the end, when we where finished, the teacher explained to us that our drawings would be a representation of our lives. The house was ourselves, the sun represented our fathers, the river our mothers (if I remember correctly), the fence was like our "defenses", the tree represented culture or knowledge or something among those lines and the snake had to do with sex, I think. The rapport of all the items among each other and whatever we will add to the drawing will also reveal additional information.

I know this test! I did it over the phone with a friend years ago, just describing how I pictured the scene in my mind. I didn't draw it so I don't know if it has any value. I suppose not. What I envisioned was pretty harmonious, but it doesn't mean that is what would have come out if I had taken a pencil and drawn it.
Yeah the snake is about sexuality, something like if you draw a winding snake it's supposed to be positive ("healthy"), whereas if you draw a straight snake it's considered as negative ("repressed", or something along those lines).

 

[Gaby]

Yeah the snake is about sexuality, something like if you draw a winding snake it's supposed to be positive ("healthy"), whereas if you draw a straight snake it's considered as negative ("repressed", or something along those lines).

Oh goodie, I remember drawing a winding snake :) . Well, actually it was curled up in one of the tree branches. I did this drawing like 15 years ago, again, I wish I will still have it. I still remember how I felt when the project was revealed to us, needless to say, it was not comfortable at all.

 

[ana]

The hair strands were just a tool for visually expressing the wind's momentum. So in response to

The symbolism suggests to me a lack of connection to your emotional life

I'm not really sure if this is accurate because I didn't do it consciously. It was just for adding affect in the drawing.

I think the point is that it might be an unconscious expression of a lack of connection to your emotional life.

Hmm can you elaborate what you mean by "lack of connection to your emotional life" please? As deeply as I'm thinking about, I don't see any unconscious connection, because in my opinion I was drawing it consciously to get the affect I wanted.

There is a contradiccion here :P

About a month ago, one night I was feeling extreme sadness because of some family related news and I decided to draw how I felt. It actually took me a while to draw & color the whole thing... I finished it tonight and I thought I'd get some feedback on what you guys think. I love drawing stuff like this and going to try to draw more and more.

The fact that you start to draw it based on a momentary emotion and latter you go adapting it more to the next emotions you were identified with, maybe, is the reason why others can not see exactly the same thing, because it is subjective and it’s open to subjective interpretations.
Ie I am not able to see extreme sadness in your drawn, I see a beautifull girl, sweet, fragile and exuberant, and of course I don’t know if that was your intention ..?

 

[mada85]

I think the point is that it might be an unconscious expression of a lack of connection to your emotional life.

It is also possible that art could serve as a means of sending messages to ourselves, and the fact that you drew the hair "cutting off" the head might be open to interpretation. It could be an unconscious message to yourself from your higher self. Maybe it isn't. But it is up to you to see if it is or not.

Galahad makes good points and I’ve bolded those that seem particularly relevant.

All art is autobiographical, except in those vanishingly rare cases of objective art, and I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a piece of objective art, even if I could recognise it.

When we’re drawing or making images, we make certain choices. Sometimes we’ve made those choices spontaneously and unconsciously, but they are revealing of our inner life. As Galahad points out, art can be a means of sending messages to ourselves. In the case of your drawing, I think your remark about the process of drawing being a positive dissociation is very suggestive – the act of drawing and your focus on it were like the seed in meditation, which allowed you to send messages to yourself, because your conscious mind was out of the way, so to speak.

The hair strands were just a tool for visually expressing the wind's momentum. So in response to

The symbolism suggests to me a lack of connection to your emotional life

I'm not really sure if this is accurate because I didn't do it consciously. It was just for adding affect in the drawing.

Visual images are a very effective way of communicating symbolically. It’s useful to remember that the higher self, and unconscious mind, speak to us in symbols. This symbolic language is very likely to appear, I think, when we’re making images that have personal meaning. We’re often unaware of the symbolism until after the drawing is finished, or someone else points it out to us.

As Galahad also remarks, symbolism in art is open to interpretation. In this case, Deedlet, you stated that the drawing is truly autobiographical, and so everything in it is about you, and can be considered to have meaning for you. That’s the starting point for a reading of your drawing.

However, just because my interpretation is that the strand of hair blowing in the wind is symbolically cutting off the character’s head, does not necessarily mean that this is the message you were sending yourself. You have to decide on the validity of that for yourself. The placing of the strand is rather suggestive though!

Lauranimal makes a good point:

you see her reaching up to try to remove those few loose strands with her hand; in spite of the wind.

So, to continue my symbolic reading, your character is trying to remove the blockage to full experience of her emotional life.

I think she also looks disappointed and maybe even a little confused.

The mouth looks quite set, as though she is resisting something. If I cover up the mouth, the eyes also look set and there is some hardness in them. Again it looks to me like she is resisting something. You’ve drawn her right hand reaching up to remove the strand of hair that is symbolically separating the head from the body. I think your message to yourself is: remove the blocks that are separating you from your emotional life. This might only be applicable to the issue that the drawing is about, but the fact that you made the drawing over a period of a month suggests to me a wider relevance.

Going further: the character’s dress is pink – the colour of love, but the dress only comes up to the level of her heart. The left shoulder (feminine side) is angular – defensive? The left (emotional) hand is hidden – unavailable – because the emotional life is separated from the mind. Is that why she’s crying? The right shoulder (masculine side) is softer, rounder, more relaxed – secure in itself with no need to defend? You’ve also emphasised the right shoulder with a couple of small curved highlights.

The large flower, being pink, relates to the emotional life as symbolised by the pink dress. The flower is in her mind (she’s wearing it on her head) – perhaps suggesting that she has only a mental reflection of her emotional life. At the same time she’s trying to remove the blockage to full emotional experience with her right hand (the strands of hair across her throat). The flower has been picked - separated from its plant; again suggestive of a disconnection relating to the emotional life.

The background is only air – sky and clouds – there’s no solid ground. In astrology, the air signs relate to the mental life. The small flowers are all floating in the air and they are all like the flower on her head. There are three small flowers on the left sleeve of her pink dress. All this again suggests a strong focus on the mental life, with only an intellectual experience of her emotions. Do you Deedlet, find yourself feeling that your mental life is like a prison? And that you want to more fully open yourself to your emotions?

So, perhaps the confusion in the character’s expression stems from the disconnection between the emotional life and the mental life. She’s resisting her emotions, which is causing her pain, and hence her expression is set and somewhat hard, and this pain is the reason for her tears.

Well, there’s some thoughts about your drawing. I hope you find them interesting and relevant, and a starting point for further investigation of your self :)

 

[knowledge_of_self]

The hair strands were just a tool for visually expressing the wind's momentum. So in response to

The symbolism suggests to me a lack of connection to your emotional life

I'm not really sure if this is accurate because I didn't do it consciously. It was just for adding affect in the drawing.

I think the point is that it might be an unconscious expression of a lack of connection to your emotional life.

Hmm can you elaborate what you mean by "lack of connection to your emotional life" please? As deeply as I'm thinking about, I don't see any unconscious connection, because in my opinion I was drawing it consciously to get the affect I wanted.

There is a contradiccion here :P

Oh let me clarify. what I meant is that I was drawing the hair strand blowing in the wind consciously, as in I was consciously thinking.. ok I want to give more emphasis to the wind. How can I do that? I'll draw some strands of hair blowing in the wind. But I was not consciously thinking I want the drawing to seem as if I'm going to "cut off the head" or the "emotional pathway" or something to that extent. Basically I was not at all thinking deeply about it, and that's why it's unconscious. And I think this was Galahad's point. Unconscious in a deeply spiritual sense, but conscious in the technical sense as in the point of view of creating a realistic expression in the art. Sorry about the confusion .

Well, there’s some thoughts about your drawing. I hope you find them interesting and relevant, and a starting point for further investigation of your self

Oh wow yes I found your thoughts very insightful and interesting. I never thought about how deeply our thoughts go into a drawing.. I mean I was vaguely aware but never thought about it to this extent. I'm thankful that you have shown me a new way of looking at art in general, not just my own. It is a new way of investigating my self and it's a wonderful way because I do love art and psychology, and through this thread I realized how deeply interrelated they are.

One thing that I can think of right now is that I drew this painting as a way of dealing with sad and negative emotions I was experiencing at the time. However that act in itself could have been a symbolic representation of cutting off some emotional feelings.

Your post has provoked a lot of thoughts within me that I want to think and meditate on.
So thanks for sharing :)

 

[Lauranimal]

I'm with you Deedlet... I found that to be a pretty objective analysis, and it changes the way I will look at art as well. Usually when I look at art, I simply tune in to any emotions that arise and if a piece has inspired a strong feeling, I delve deeper and look at the finer details, but it has always been a more-or less unconscious observational process. Reveling in the moment.

Mada85, Nice job... are you as skilled with breaking down dream-interpretation as you are with art? I would think so, as both are about interpreting unconscious symbols. Something I have always struggled with. (literal-minded to a fault, and I often laugh at myself for it)

 

[Steve M.]

Nice drawing, interesting feedback. Two things I noticed, in my own view/perspective were that the girls right ear seems at/near non-existent. Maybe I'm not grasping the angle correctly. In saying that though I'll say I can barely do stick figures, let alone draw using any kind of computer program.

The other thing that stood out for me was the dove. It's I suppose totally subjective to imply this but on the right upper corner there appears, with 5 flowers at/near it, and the larger two touching the wing tips, the image of a dove coming down. In that area of clouds, while I know there are some brighter clouds around her, the extra lit clouds in the upper area are brightest at that dove (shape/outline).

Just an observation, and maybe it's just imagination, but the Dove is often depicted as a religious symbol. Holy Ghost, Peace,.. Quote: "Wise as Serpents, Gentle as Doves."

My question is, was it intentional that, what I'm imagining as an image, was actually a scratching of a thought not to add the dove, so it was sort of blotted out.. lightened out?
Just sharing some thoughts/imagination.

 

[knowledge_of_self]

Nice drawing, interesting feedback. Two things I noticed, in my own view/perspective were that the girls right ear seems at/near non-existent. Maybe I'm not grasping the angle correctly. In saying that though I'll say I can barely do stick figures, let alone draw using any kind of computer program.

Well I admit I'm not the best, and drawing arms is especially a sore spot for me so you picked that up :P I'll just have to practice more

The other thing that stood out for me was the dove. It's I suppose totally subjective to imply this but on the right upper corner there appears, with 5 flowers at/near it, and the larger two touching the wing tips, the image of a dove coming down. In that area of clouds, while I know there are some brighter clouds around her, the extra lit clouds in the upper area are brightest at that dove (shape/outline).

Just an observation, and maybe it's just imagination, but the Dove is often depicted as a religious symbol. Holy Ghost, Peace,.. Quote: "Wise as Serpents, Gentle as Doves."

My question is, was it intentional that, what I'm imagining as an image, was actually a scratching of a thought not to add the dove, so it was sort of blotted out.. lightened out?
Just sharing some thoughts/imagination.

I didn't mean to draw a dove just clouds.

Thanks for your observations Balberon :)

 

[Voyageur]

Wonderful personal expression Deedlet and the comments posted herein.

In your drawing, of particular, is noted the human interaction with falling blossoms that seems to personify the character.

The following is one interpretation of falling blossoms;

Chinese Cherry Blossom

For the Chinese the cherry blossom is a very significant symbol of power. Typically it represent a feminine beauty and sexuality and often holds an idea of power or feminine dominance. Within the language of herbs and herbal lore of the Chinese the cherry blossom is often the symbol of love.

Japanese Cherry Blossom

For the Japanese the cherry blossom holds very different meaning. The cherry blossom is a very delicate flower that blooms for a very short time. For the Japanese this represents the transience of life. This concept ties in very deeply with the fundamental teachings of Buddhism that state all life is suffering and transitory. The Japanese have long held strong to the Buddhist belief of the transitory nature of life and it is very noble to not get too attached to a particular outcome or not become emotional because it will all pass in time.

 

[knowledge_of_self]

Japanese Cherry Blossom

For the Japanese the cherry blossom holds very different meaning. The cherry blossom is a very delicate flower that blooms for a very short time. For the Japanese this represents the transience of life. This concept ties in very deeply with the fundamental teachings of Buddhism that state all life is suffering and transitory. The Japanese have long held strong to the Buddhist belief of the transitory nature of life and it is very noble to not get too attached to a particular outcome or not become emotional because it will all pass in time.

Thank you very much for posting this bit of info. The Japanese meaning for the Sakura (Cherry) blossoms resonates deep within me, especially regarding this picture. It is in this meaning that her tears are flowing in the wind, as is the flowers. Sort of stating, the sadness will pass with time, it will blow away with the wind, just as the blossoms. Again, thank you for sharing this... it helped me look more deeply at the picture I drew.