“I would love the inspiration and energy boost that comes with increased Flow, but I’m no artist. Even my stick figures look weird.”
Does that sound familiar? Are you thinking it? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. I hear this nearly every time I talk about my flow-boosting wellness program that involves making line art. Let’s explore how and why this style of art making improves creative flow, and why it’s so much fun. You’ll learn that you are an artist, after all!
Your Line Art is Worth 1,000 Words
We all know the saying, and it’s true: a picture is worth a thousand words. Line art is an abstract drawing technique that offers a unique way to express yourself, while also sorting complex ideas (or emotions) that are difficult to articulate.
To start, you select one or two colors that represent what you’re thinking (or feeling). Then, you make lines and shapes. You might choose to add a few words to further clarify the drawing. It’s OK to make scribbles, stick figures, or graphs.
Line Art Gives You Voice
Here are three ways that line art gives you voice:
- Line art helps you sort out, identify, and articulate your most confusing ideas and emotions. When you have conflicted, mixed or very strong feelings, your drawings help you move them out of your head and onto paper, where they feel less intense and are much easier to talk about. The same thing holds true if you do line art about an evolving business or project idea.
- Your drawings help you strengthen your gut instincts. Whether you call it intuition, that ‘gut feeling’, or your Little Inner Voice, expressive art making (especially when combined with gentle yoga) helps you connect with it. Line art gives this Voice expression without judgment or over-thinking. With practice, you learn to TRUST and FOLLOW that Inner Voice.
- The image is a portal to your deep inner wisdom. Once you’ve created an artwork, I show you how to use special journaling techniques called processing to explore the symbolism, metaphor, and deeper meaning within the image. People often report that processing helps them get out of their head while gaining insight and clarity: they feel connected to a soothing, authentic, and wise part of themselves.
Line Art Increases Flow
Line art is EASY and FUN. There is no right or wrong way to draw, and there is no competition for best artwork. Even if you’re feeling bad, it feels good to have your emotions witnessed as you see them on the paper. The “Inner Voice” wisdom piece that you connect with as you journal is typically reassuring, and with regular use it can even support your personal transformation.
Increased Creative Flow: Seeing is Believing
I love to ask people to create line art before and after a brief gentle yoga practice. The result? Most people are surprised to see the emotional and physical shifts that occur through even the simplest and shortest of relaxation techniques. It really is empowering when you literally, on paper, see how much a little bit of yoga makes a difference. It’s one thing to tell yourself that taking a pause to breathe and stretch is good for you. It’s quite another to see for yourself how it increases your Creative Flow!
This article was originally published at JodiRoseStudio.com