The Intrusive Chatter Brain Our most intrusive constant companion is our chatter brain. Whether drawing or painting, it finds its way between our hands and our creative source. It quotes past voices, makes us doubt ourselves, puts us on guard without reason and far too often, makes us believe it's right because it came out of our heads. And we actually believe it without question!
We Don't Have To Be a Slave to It The most freeing thing we can do to release the creativity that is our birthright is to notice that chatter rather than just obey it. The second thing is to call it out for what it is rather than be a slave to it. Think about it: a belief is not necessarily a truth-it's just something that's been repeated so often, it poses as a
truth. With my students here, there's an exercise I've used that drives them batty, but does amazing stuff when they quit resisting it and allow it to work.
Before giving it to you, know this: your brain has two hemispheres.
The left hemisphere is where the chatter brain lives and the right hemisphere is where your visual response lives. Your right hemisphere does not need the verbal content of the left hemisphere in order to draw or paint. All it needs is for your hand to follow what your eye is seeing WITHOUT COMMENT FROM THE LEFT SIDE. Your right hemisphere has NO JUDGEMENT. (If you don't
believe this, read Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor's My Stroke of Insight.) Okay, that was a lot of verbal stuff. Try this: - Get pencil and paper. Any
kind will do.
- Look at any simple object within your view.
- Locate on the object a starting point, then place your pencil on the paper, That is your starting point for this drawing exercise.
- Begin to either sing your favorite song or
recite your favorite poem OUT LOUD. While you're singing or reciting, allow your eyes to focus on your chosen object and allow the pencil to flow over its edges on the paper. DON'T STOP SINGING/RECITING. DON'T STOP DRAWING.
- Continue both simultaneously until the pencil has touched every edge, inside and out, on the object.
- Repeat the exercise several times until you are no longer resisting.
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