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| Art Work by Sooz Weissberg |
I like using art in my life coaching practice. Using color, words, and images can help
clients facilitate self-discovery and move forward in their goals. I often hear “I’m not an artist”, “I can’t
write”, “I’m not creative” and while I can acknowledge those inner thoughts I
know that everyone is an artist, can write and is creative. We all drew like crazy when we were
younger….it’s when we older and learn about judgement that we forget what is
deep inside of us. Doing these art
coaching activities is just for your exploration and there is no judgement!
We can communicate deeper with ourselves and others through
images and color. A picture really is
worth a thousand words! We live in
color. Marketing professionals
understand the language of color and use it to sell you stuff. If someone says “Jane is a little green
around the ears” most of us understand that they are still growing or she is going to throw up. Ha! Here is a very basic list of colors and what they mean.
BLACK The
absence of all color; represents sophistication, mourning, evil, anger, and
strength.
BLUE Represents
calm, peace, quiet, truth, wisdom, loyalty, and the spirit.
RED Represents physical
energy, mischief, love, passion, valor, fire, and wrath.
GREEN Represents
healing, learning, growth, life, hope, and brilliance.
ORANGE Represents energy, endurance, and
physical strength.
PURPLE Represents royalty the inner
royalty of each of us and the outer royalty of the divine.
YELLOW Represents
the mind, joy, purity, clarity, and happiness.
I ask clients to keep a coaching journal as they go through
the process of creating their plans. But
these coaching journals are not just written words. To add deeper meaning and connection I ask
them to add color and images. For
example, if your goal is to eat healthy foods then an image of fresh fruits,
vegetables and the color green can help you connect to your goal.
Goal posters are also a powerful tool in connecting with
your goal. It is a simple project where
the client selects images, words, and colors that connect them to their goal
and then create a collage on a poster board.
This is a very powerful exercise because it helps the client envision
what it is they want.Another poster is the road block poster. It’s important to create awareness of what is keeping your form obtaining your goals. Common road blocks include TV, the internet, Facebook and other social networks, and playing internet games. These activities are not “bad” but they can steal your time and sabotage your goals.
Another tool that I developed that create self-awareness is
Kaleido Journaling. This type of journal
is very much like the coaching journal; however, it works with different issues
outside of your coaching goals. By the
way, you can get you free Kaleido Journal by signing up for my mailing list.
Other art projects that I use in life coaching to help
clients have insights include: worry
dolls, mask, altered books, dream boards, permission slips, ordinary day,
self-portraits, gratitude spiral, mantra art, and the body compass. You can see
examples of this work in the Creative Play Art Gallery.
