Level: Beginner to Advanced Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 7.8 Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease: 67.3 Drawspace Curriculum 5.3.R2-8 Pages and 7 Illustrations Exploring the ART of SELF DISCOVERY Embracing the powers of clarity and choice as instruments for enriching personal growth This resource has three sections: It s All About Choice Clarity on My Life s Purpose The Gift of Presence It s All About Choice Life is about choices. The choices we make determine the events in our life. Think about a choice you made and the outcome of that choice. It s a ripple effect. Sometimes we may not even know how far the ripples reach. In many cultures it is called the law of cause and effect. Have you ever thrown a pebble in the water and watched the ripples it creates? They go on and on. Sometimes we don t give credit to those little tiny pebbles but they often create big ripples. The key to making choices is having the self confi dence to trust in the choices you make. As an Aside Art and I are like best friends, like salt and pepper, or socks. - Primary student As an Aside I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn t say any other way things I had no words for. - Georgia O Keeffe The confi dent person is admired and well respected but unfortunately second guessing ourselves is a common trait among many. Old programs and belief systems that no longer serve us often get in the way of knowing who we are. An important tool in the process of self discovery is solitude.
2 5.3.R2: Exploring the Art of Self Discovery Solitude is something that has been written about by numerous scholars. Thomas Merton said it is in deep solitude that I find the gentleness with which I can truly love my brothers. The more solitary I am, the more affection I have for them. As an Aside Just do art with your heart. - Fourth grader Solitude and silence teach me to love my brothers for what they are, not for what they say. Figure 1 He was so right because it is in the stillness that we find our own personal truth. It is important to learn to get in touch with the silence within and know that everything in this life has a purpose. Lavender Winds Research has confirmed that lavender produces calming, soothing, and sedative effects. No matter what turmoil exists around you if you stay centered and in the flow the lavender winds will never fail to comfort. We need to be willing to let our intuition guide us and then be willing to follow that guidance directly and fearlessly. It is in solitude where the confidence to do so is gained. And it is in solitude where we learn to make the right choice. According to Ralph Waldo Emerson What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think. This rule, equally arduous in actual and intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness. It is the harder, because you will always find those who think they know what your duty is better than you know it. It is easy in the world to live after the world s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great person is one who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude. It is easier to live one s personal truth when we practice moments of solitude. A commitment to watch self constantly with detached observation to see what illumines and ignites you and to see what deadens you, will clarify what you really want for yourself. When you keep the desire of what you want as a constant focus, you will receive what you seek.
5.3.R2: Exploring the Art of Self Discovery 3 The American poet and novelist, May Sarton, said Loneliness is the poverty of self; solitude is the richness of self. If I am not willing to take my mind off the mundane life, my body will be in trauma and my mind in confusion. In order to bring my inner truth into form, I must know what makes me sing, dance, laugh and love. And it is in solitude that I will find those answers and learn to live the divine self. Living the divine self is learning to live with the awareness of my inner power. Often in the game of life we are so busy we give our power away. With so much input around us our thoughts become skewed. When that happens we withdraw into a shell of self pity caring for nothing, not even ourselves. We live in thought patterns that serve as habits that rob us of peace of mind. Native American philosophy teaches us that our thoughts and actions account for our living in a state of conflict. Such a state results in mental restlessness and often illness and can drain our physical energy. When we find self understanding we understand our own personal patterns. That s when we realize what it is that causes us to lose our self confidence and give our power away. Spending time in solitude sharpens our self awareness and frees us from negative thought patterns. This results in a surge of new confidence and strength and the return of our personal power. Solitude is a positive state in which your mind and body are truly free. When the body releases and relaxes is when it truly heals itself. And this is when we find it easy to make a choice. Clarity on My Life s Purpose A question often asked is how do I find my purpose in life or how do I know what my true path is? Challenge! Journal answers to the following questions to help tune into you: Take the time to learn about you just as if you were getting to know a new lover or special friend. What is my favorite color? Why? What do I like about this color? What is my favorite song? Why does this song have meaning for me? What is my earliest memory of something that made my heart sing? When is the last time I felt like that? What do I like the most about myself? Is it hard for me to answer this question? Do I realize the effect my life and actions has on those around me? What do I like the least about myself? Is it easier to answer this question than the previous one? Why or why not? What do I want to do that I ve never done? What have I done that I m the most proud of? Is there an old pattern I want to let go of? If I let go of the old what do I want to replace it with?
4 5.3.R2: Exploring the Art of Self Discovery A lot of people believe that we have to do more in order to be more. Actually it s not like that at all. It s more a matter of subtraction than addition. In truth, we are born as loving human beings. We already are everything we strive to be. The key is to be authentic and to truly be who you are. That s easy to say but harder to do. So much of who we are is hidden in the faces and masks we present to the world because of who we think we should be. Especially as we grow older we lose our true selves because of negative tapes and messages that have been instilled in us since childhood. Part of transforming negative emotions and finding your true path is taking the time to listen to your self and go within, and taking the time to be good to your self. Listening to your intuition and the still small voice within is an important factor in learning about yourself. Rather than just letting your mind rule you, go deep inside and listen to what is most true. That will help you get to the bottom of negative emotions and get to the origins of them. Then have mercy on yourself as you are transforming them. Little things and baby steps are most important. In everyday life the really life bearing moments are the small moments where you can say, All right. I m not going to beat myself up anymore. I m going to do something different, and by doing something different, I m liberating myself. Learning how to transform emotions is part of that development. Figure 2 Being able to make small changes at every step we take is a chance to grow larger and freer. Even the tiniest move in the direction of emotional freedom is impressive. Every choice you make to triumph over negativity, large or small, is about transforming energy. Simple Serenity Just looking at this painting makes me feel peaceful. Respite is so important even if it s only in the mind. It s in that quiet time that I remember the answers usually come when I stop asking the questions. Then the chosen nature of such ongoing transformation makes you stronger, brighter, and in turn acts to illuminate your path.
5.3.R2: Exploring the Art of Self Discovery 5 In order to know what our path in life is we have to come back to looking inside. We cannot really find the path based on what is happening outside. Figure 3 Every single person has their own gifts. The most important thing is for us to start looking at our own unique gifts. The only way you re going to find them is to look inside. Look inside and you will find your own unique strengths. Once you do that, the struggle or unrest changes to peace inside. To reach that sense of conscious awareness and peace, it is important to witness yourself, your emotions, and your body. You need to take some time to just keep watching. It is also important to express your suppressed thoughts and emotions. Two Trees This painting is a mural that I did for a dentist s office. The intent was to help people relax while they waited to be seen. Whether it s viewing, creating, or teaching I think art in any form is food for the soul. Figure 4 Our difficulty is created by all the thoughts, conditions and beliefs that are in our energy and in our body. That s when going within becomes difficult because there are so many programs that are in our body. Sacred Space I created this painting in honor of the Blue Mountains in Jamaica West Indies. It took me fourteen hours to climb the mountain. I walked all night and when I got to the top the sun was rising and there was a beautiful mist everywhere. I raised my hands to the heavens as tears streamed down my face and in that moment I realized that I am never alone.
6 5.3.R2: Exploring the Art of Self Discovery It s not just in our head, because our whole body is like a mind. Basically once you express those thoughts and emotions, that peace, that knowing, that stillness, automatically comes in. Becoming aware is the first step. Allowing your self to express it freely is the second step. It s easier when somebody else sees it, but it is important to get there yourself. It s important that everyone takes responsibility for their own healing. The power is within your self. The fear to own your power has to do with mistrust in yourself. If you trusted yourself, you would act on your power. We become authentic by allowing ourselves to express what we have been suppressing. Basically you have to be authentic first, and by being authentic you will experience your inner strength. The inner witness is where the inner power exists. This is when you will know your path with a surety. The Gift of Presence Socrates said the tragedy of life is not that we die, but rather what dies inside a man when he lives. The regrets, shame, unconscious beliefs from our past that we carry around keep us in a self imposed prison. This prison does not allow true joy and spontaneity because there is always an underlying sadness of what I could have been. And for every moment I spend in the past, I am missing out on the present. For many, unfortunately, the present barely exists because we spend our time in worry about the past or future. Figure 5 Eckhart Tolle teaches us that as long as you are unable to access the power of the now, every emotional pain that you experience leaves behind a residue of pain that lives on in you. It merges with the pain from the past, which was already there, and becomes lodged in your mind and body. He admonishes us to keep ourselves clear by giving ourselves the gift of presence. The Tuscan Fields One day walking along a path in a Tuscan field I realized that wherever I am in the world the beauty of mother earth is right there. And, regardless of which continent I m on the beauty that surrounds me every day is always there. And the beauty of it all is that this magnificent gift never goes away. Even when tarnished by storm, fire, or destruction it always rises again.
5.3.R2: Exploring the Art of Self Discovery 7 Tolle asks the question, Are you so busy getting to the future that the present is reduced to a means of getting there? For some, living in the future takes up a great deal of attention: I will start my diet tomorrow. I m unhappy with my body, but when I lose fifty pounds I will be so happy. I will feel better about myself when I have a significant other. I will be happy when I get that new car. As long as I m living in the future I don t have to face the fact that in order to lose fifty pounds there is some self responsibility involved. Or the fact that it s okay to love myself now just as I am. Tolle goes on to say, Stress is caused by being here but wanting to be there, or being in the present but wanting to be in the future. According to Tolle, you cannot find yourself by going into the past or the future. You find yourself by coming into the present. Figure 6 Tips! Here are a few stress buster tips to help you stay in the present: Make a to don t list these are the things you don t do. Find your own personal quiet space go there whenever you can even if it s in your mind. Keep track for one week of all that you do then look at the list and ask yourself does this bring me joy. Answer the question - what does it feel like to sit in a chair? Russell DiCarlo, in the forward to Tolle s book, states, Our drifting awareness, our tendency to take the path of least resistance by being less than fully awake to the present moment creates a void.. Seldom do we find ourselves resting in the oceanic depth of the here and now. For it is here in the now where we find our True Self, which lies behind our physical body, shifting emotions, and chattering mind. People who are stressed out are just that outside themselves. Think about it. Tuscan Villa In Tuscany the farmhouses are sturdy and old. They ve housed the family for years and they ll continue to do so for years to come. But in truth our home is where our heart is. When our values and life style are in congruence with our core self we will always be at home.
8 5.3.R2: Exploring the Art of Self Discovery To live from the inside out is to live by design not by chance. It is to live in the present moment. But in order to live this way you have to stop and begin by doing nothing. If you don t stop once in a while and turn your attention inward you will be reacting to whatever is being dished out. Then you can end up impersonating yourself and living a life not of your choosing. When you admit you re lost, you ll begin to find your direction. A wise therapist told me once, When you don t know which way to go, stand still. The trees know where you are. And it all goes back to being in the present moment. Figure 7 Challenge! Be Here Now Totally Real, Totally Free, Totally Alive. Take the time to journal the answers to the following questions. At this moment in time: What am I feeling in my body? What are the sounds I hear around me? What are the smells around me? Am I feeling hot, cold, or just right? As an Aside Harvest Moon When I did this painting I had no expectations or plans. I chose the colors randomly and then let them flow freely onto the canvas. For me it was an exercise in letting go (the full moon is often referred to as a time of letting go). I might not like how my painting turns out, but I always love art. - Primary student