Visual Media Exercises

Okay folks - before you read one line further - get out a pen or two and four sheets of blank paper.

Yep.

Really - go get them.  I was pretty serious (said like Kip from ND).  Then come back.

.....

Okay.  Now we can continue.

Paper # 1.  Close your eyes and fantasize about a chasm.  Design a way of crossing that chasm, imagining that you have every means known (or unknown as yet) at your disposal.  Then open your eyes and draw your solution.

Paper # 2.  Fold a large piece of paper into quarters.  Silently draw in the first quarter a symbolic representation of "Where do I come from?"  After a few moments, draw a symbolic representation on the second quarter, "Where do I want to go?"  Next, draw a representation of "What is in my way?"  Finally draw one of "How am I going to overcome my obstacles?"
Look inside yourself and be very honest with each of these questions.  The results are always best when one is honest with oneself.

Paper #3.  Take a fantasy trip with closed eyes.  Walking along a country road with a fishing pole over your shoulder, you come upon a stream.  Cast the line into the water and, after a few moments, reel in what you have caught in your fantasy.  With your eyes open draw what you have caught.  Now write a story about the object at the end of the line (it doesn't have to be long).

Paper #4.  Create two animals on one piece of paper.  They don't have to look like anything you have ever seen.  Take about 10 minutes to do the drawing.  Describe the animals you have drawn.  Write down three adjectives that describe them.  Note the animals' expression.  Can you make up something that the animals might want to say to each other?  Can you write a free verse or fantasy about what the animals say or do?

Okay - now that you have filled all four sheet with the appropriate task - save these.  I will address each of these papers in my next blog so you can see why I asked you to do these exercises.  I did them myself and was pretty intrigued, which is why I am sharing them with you now.  SO - if you were too lazy or just didn't care to do the exercises, now is the time to go get your pen and four sheets of paper!



*For copyright purposes, etc - these exercises were outline by Eric Maisel, PhD