[rainbow8]

My T suggested that I make a collage about my parts and my "self". Last week she asked me to write about my parts, which I did. The only time I did a collage was earlier in therapy and it was about my mother, and I did it in the session. It was okay, but I felt self-conscious and I'm not sure I got that much out of it. Of course there's the collage I gave my T for her birthday, but that was different.

So, yesterday I spontaneously cut out words and pictures from newspaper and magazines I had around the house. I ended up making 3 collages! I surprised myself at how I did it without being indecisive. I just knew what I wanted to do like I was driven to it, the way I write poetry. I'm somewhat artistic but usually I spend a lot of time poring over a drawing. This must have been coming from the part of my brain that feels, not thinks.

They aren't pieces of art, but are therapeutic. I did one about love, one about some of my parts with my "self" in the middle, and one about my idea of what the self is. There is a lot of material for my session and it's in a way clearer than my writing is. I'm a little dazed by what I did!

[ladyjrnlist]

Fabulous! That opened a different part of your mind up, definitely. Keep up the good work!

That is AWESOME, Rainbow! When I did collages, it totally gave me and T a new perspective on some things. It was super healing.

Sometimes I want to do collages, but I have no magazines around! lol

I bet you can't wait to share it with T

[rainbow8]

Oh, tree. How did you guess? I'm in my "what if T cancels mode"! I know I would survive but I am so excited, like a little kid, to show her. It's not going to be all fun, either. I'm embarrassed about part of one collage. i know it's going to be healing, though!! I used a lot of newspaper inserts/ads more than magazines. Do you get those department store ads in the mail?

[SpiritRunner]

wow, your work sounds awesome, rainbow! good for you!

[elliemay]

I just did my first collage this week in therapy. It proved to be a very beneficial exercise.

As with you, the pictures almost placed themselves, and it was in that placement that I learned so much about what was going on in that head of mine. Who was looking at whom, what was going on, what ended up next to what.

I don't know, but maybe there is something to this whole subconscious thing...

I debated over whether to show it to my therapist, but in the end decided that I would share it with him. I think he learned a lot from it as well.

All in all, when I've got something bugging me, but just don't have the words to describe it - this is definitely the approach I'm going to take from here on out.

It worked for me.

[granite1]

glad yopu were able to do it rain

Rainbow, i did a collage once when i was in group. it is amazing what comes out when you are all finished.. i wish t was more artsy with stuff sometimes.. no paper, no paint, no pens, no mags or anything... not even a damn coloring book

you did three of them! Wow, do show T... will you share her reaction?

[elliemay]

I'm just sitting here looking at the collage I made for my last therapy session. I can't tell you the peace, understanding and grace that single little expression of emotion has given me.

Despite some of the stuff on it, I feel such comfort having shared it with my therapist, and now knowing that he knows.

He gave the collage back to me to keep, but in a way I wish he would have kept it. It would have been symbolically like he was keeping me, or at least that part of me there, with him.

I strongly suspect he may ask for it, in the meantime though, it is nice to have it with me for now.

Just rambling I guess.

[cautious hope]

Wow, these sound great! My collage is in the making. I have a fake fur coat from salvation army. I am having friends and therapist each give me a stuffed animal to shred. I cannabalize pieces and incorperate them into the coat. Currently it has centipede legs swinging from the bottom. It represents the friend who gives me the courage to move forward. My husband gave me a sock monkey hat, to remind me to keep my head. Another girlfriend gave me a yodeling soundmaker. She has helped me find my voice. My shrink has given me a skunk. I have attached the tail to the *** of the coat, VERY funny. She has helped me find my own unique strengths and ways to protect myself. The coat so far is shocking, repulsive and funny. Am getting googly eyes for buttons.

[rainbow8]

elliemay: Yes! I understand how you feel about the collage. I keep looking at the ones I made, and I know that I allowed myself to show some of myself that's hard to talk about. It almost seemed like the EMDR, which I say "gets me to where I need to be". Even though I'm open in my writing, there is still something holding me back. When I did the collages, nothing was holding me back! It was liberating.

jbmomg: I did 3, but each was on an 8 x 11 inch paper, not very big, with spaces in between the pictures. I know my T will be happy with them. She wants to start talking more about my "Self", but we're also still working with my parts. I know I will share something about my session on here, as always.

cautious hope: Wow, that's certainly a different kind of art! It sounds very creative and healing for you. Thanks for sharing.

[cautious hope]

Originally Posted by rainbow8

elliemay: Yes! I understand how you feel about the collage. I keep looking at the ones I made, and I know that I allowed myself to show some of myself that's hard to talk about. It almost seemed like the EMDR, which I say "gets me to where I need to be". Even though I'm open in my writing, there is still something holding me back. When I did the collages, nothing was holding me back! It was liberating.

jbmomg: I did 3, but each was on an 8 x 11 inch paper, not very big, with spaces in between the pictures. I know my T will be happy with them. She wants to start talking more about my "Self", but we're also still working with my parts. I know I will share something about my session on here, as always.

cautious hope: Wow, that's certainly a different kind of art! It sounds very creative and healing for you. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks Rainbow, it's called "childhood lost and regained"