Making space for transformation: a guide to process art & body collage
When she feels like she doesn’t know what to do it’s probably because she’s expecting the answer to come in words, while her soul speaks in symbols.
Connecting with women worldwide, I have come to see that each of us carries an inherent intelligence within—something wise always seeking to guide us along our individual journeys.
Making space for transformation to happen starts by valuing myself enough to listen. Not outwardly, as the age of the guru is over, but inwardly to our soft and subtle inner knowings. Within the pace of life, one of the best and most effective ways I’ve come to this Listening is through process art.
This intentional, therapeutic creativity is how my intuition often breaks through when my thinking mind is too overwhelmed to leave room for possibility.
Process art is is my positivity savior.
Some keys I use that I’d like to share with youNothing brings a smile to my face like stacks of art supplies.
Collect a bunch of magazines and glue, maybe some watercolor paints, crayons, markers or pastels. (In a pinch I’ve made process art out of a recycled grocery bag and some highlighters on vacation.)
As Julia Cameron writes in The Artist’s Way, our inner creative being is like a child and she likes to play… she cares not for neat lines, too-nice-to-use china or otherwise stuffy adult things. Let her run wild.
Remember, this is about the process not the art. Not evaluating your artistic skills. This process of self-expression and reflection is about giving yourself permission to explore and experiment.
Body CollageStep 1
For this process art project, choose to dialogue with a gentle rising question OR a body part/system you’d like to understand more about.
For example, when I was healing from postpartum insomnia and anxiety, I struggled with ongoing digestive issues, so I created art to communicate with my entire GI tract.
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Alternatively, on a particularly peaceful women’s circle night, I offered space to inquire into any “rising questions”—inner promptings or yearnings that come from deep within our bodies when the mind is still (as opposed to those ‘things we have to figure out.’)
Some of the process art born from this women’s group centered on releasing old beliefs, finding one’s voice, and clearing stuck places.
To inquire this way. . . first, take at least 5 minutes to sit calmly noticing the gentle, supple breath, and then turn your awareness to an open space in you for a question to arise. (Please—invite a small question, something your inner self has been hoping to gentle bring to your attention, if you are engaging in this practice on your own without the support of a therapist or group.) As you hear the question, notice also any sensations or places in your body that “light up” in response to your question.
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If you don’t sense any question, another good way in is simply asking which part of the body would like to dialogue with you and seeing “who” volunteers.
Step 2
Next, do an image search for an anatomical drawing of this part or region of the body. Sketch it on a piece of paper and collage over it with images, words, magazine clippings, paint, etc.
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Important! Gift yourself the release of analytical thinking during this process, so you can really move into your creative flow without striving or solving. Who knows what is on the other side, and it may or may not speak to the place you started. The important thing is to enter into the conversation.
Step 3
Step back from your process art. Often I take a walk, make a cup of tea or get some fresh air after completing the inquiry. It may feel like stepping out of a time warp—or like you have been under the influence of a very potent, creative energy. I like to re-approach the work with a curious mind and a journal.
Take your time. The focus now is on your personal experience and what the artwork represents to you.
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What did you notice while creating this piece?
What you notice in the artwork, symbols or patterns that stand out to you?
What emotions or thoughts come up as you reflect on the process?
Did anything surprise you?
What do you think is the most important aspect of this piece?
What are you learning from this piece?
Anything else you’d like to share?
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In process art, the personal expression, emotions and discoveries that arise during the creation process are often considered just as valuable, if not more so, than the finished piece.
As one woman in group said, “the takeaway for me is releasing the past and creating a life I love here in the present.”
For her, this movement from her past to present was not a mental idea but a lived experience.
As for me, I found deep life advice in what would help me on my healing journey and keys to recognize my next steps in the world. I am continually in awe of (and grateful for) the trust and self-reclamation it restores.
She is weaving this human story even as life ebbs and flows around us.
Her intuition speaks from the inside out.
“Poetry often enters through the window of irrelevance.”
A note: The inquiry and self-invitations that arose to birth these process art experiences were alive and spontaneous, so trust your wisdom to approach it in your own way.
Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way, Deb Shapiro Your Body Speaks Your Mind, and Anodea Judith’s Eastern Body Western Mind are a few great classics to explore. Share your creative inspirations and discoveries with me here.
