When I was seeing my first therapist many years ago, she encouraged me to draw at home and bring the pictures to her. She said, "Just doodle. Draw anything that comes to mind." So I did.The pictures I drew were full of unsettling images, some of various body parts, which I won't share with you! (actually, I think I finally threw away the body part ones :-). They were also filled with images of sadness, loneliness, anger, and isolation. You can see some of them here.
The pictures I drew showed how I was feeling, and they helped me get in touch with how I saw myself. These were helpful pictures, but they weren't really healing pictures. I think that most people dealing with a traumatic past will go through this phase of discovery and expression.
Drawing My Story many years later was quite a different experience. As I was drawing each panel, I thought about what I had felt, seen, said, and thought. I was driven to tell it all, show it all, eyes wide open, as honestly as I could. This was possible in part because I had a good doctor who had earned my trust. But I think we were both surprised by the outcome.
Check out this lady who expresses herself beautifully with poetry.
