Resources:
- 5.3.R2 Exploring the Art of Self Discovery
- 5.3.R30 Finding Courage to Just Be Me
- 5.3.A8 Voyage of Discovery
Supplies: cardboard or heavy paper, pencil, markers, acrylic medium or white glue, paper napkins with designs/pictures, personal journal
This activity has four sections:
- Introduction
- Draw a Consciousness Flower
- Create a Consciousness Collage
- Journal Questions
ArtSpeak
Consciousness: Sentience, awareness, subjectivity, the ability to experience or to feel, wakefulness, having a sense of selfhood, and the executive control system of the mind.
Acrylic Medium: (also known as Acrylic Gel Medium) Colorless acrylic paints. Acrylic mediums come in gloss (which dries clear) and matte (which dries mostly clear.) Acrylic medium works well as an adhesive for collage.
Collage: (from the French verb coller, meaning to glue) The artistic process of gluing and assembling various materials to a surface.
As an Aside
Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse and Romare Bearden each used collage as a more modern approach to making art. By cutting and pasting, they deconstructed the subject they were depicting.
They could then reassemble and glue their subject back together in an entirely new way.
Introduction
Change comes from conscious power. Most people don't understand who they truly are.
Personal power lies within your conscious self. We are often so caught up in our busy lives that we become unconscious of our consciousness.
A professor once told me, "Judith, you know what you know that you don't know." I didn't know what she was talking about, but my consciousness totally understood her.
I now say the same thing to you: as you get to know yourself, you will become aware of your own special authentic self; and in the process, your life will change.
It's called "taking your power back."
As an Aside
I recently created a painting that I titled: She kept her life so colorful she couldn't find her face (Figure 2). And the sad thing is everyone around her thinks she is happy.
Have you ever been in a situation where you don't know what you want?
Sometimes we lose ourselves in the pursuit of making others happy. Rather than rock the boat, we assume it's easier to put our own feelings aside and do what we think the other person wants.
In her book, "Women Who Love Too Much", Robin Norwood describes loving too much as a pattern of thoughts and behavior that develop from childhood issues.
Valid as her theories are, I think we all have a story of loving too much - regardless of what our childhood was like. As humans, most of us have compassion, empathy and concern for others.
Sometimes, whether we are male or female, we have more concern for others than we do for ourselves.
We often hear "you can't help another until you help yourself."
But how can we help ourselves until we know ourselves?
Who are you? What makes your heart sing? Have you found your path with a heart?
Tip!
Digital software (such as Photoshop) can be used to draw the circles and add the text (in the next section).
You also have the option of adding color with either digital or traditional media.
Draw a Consciousness Flower
1.Use a marker, pencil, or digital software to draw a circle in the middle of a sheet of drawing paper (Figure 3).
2.Draw another circle that surrounds the first circle (Figure 4).
3.Add a third circle surrounding both circles (Figure 5).
You now have three circles - kind of looks like a bull's eye!
4.Write the words: "I am myself" in the center of the first circle (Figure 6).
5.Write the words: "willful chooser" in the second circle.
6.Write the words: "conscious awareness" in the third circle (Figure 6).
7.Draw eight petals around the largest circle (Figure 7).
8.Label the petals as shown in Figure 7.
Use the following words:
- Intuition
- Sensations
- Beliefs
- Emotions
- Desires
- Imagination
- Body
- Behavior
As an Aside
Each petal is a different aspect of me.
Knowing that we come from our center, we learn not to judge.
I can't change anything that I judge.
It is my job to see it, take responsibility and know my choices.
By recognizing, accepting and coordinating my different petals, I will be able to integrate them.
- Judith Campanaro
Create a Consciousness Collage
In this section, you create a collage onto which you can adhere your flower drawing. Naturally, the collage needs to be larger than your drawing.
Tip!
Let your imagination and spirit soar.
There is no right or wrong way to complete this assignment.
The key is to have fun.
9.Use any medium to paint/color a background.
10.Tear designs from a paper napkin.
Be sure to discard the white backing layer of the napkin - you only want to use the part with the design.
11.Use acrylic medium or white glue to adhere the napkin designs to your heavy paper or cardboard (Figures 8 and 9).
12.Continue adding designs until your heavy paper is covered (Figure 9).
13.Color the consciousness flower you made in the previous section with bright colors (Figure 10).
14.Cut it out and glue it to your collage (Figure 11).
Tip!
Writing often reveals a totally new perspective and solutions that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Putting something on paper is a great way to clear out cobwebs and mind fog.
Journal Questions
Choose two or three of the following questions and answer them in your journal.
- What do I like about my life right now?
- What don't I like about my life right now?
- Am I doing what I love?
- How would my life be different if I could do anything I want?
- Who am I?
- Where do I belong?
- What do I care about?
- What is my life purpose?
- How present am I in the moment?
- How much time do I take for solitude, reflection, and prayer?
- Which petal on my flower needs the most work or attracts me the least?
- Which petal attracts me the most?