Mapping the Resistance: A Somatic Art Journey
Workshop Structure (10 x 3-minute Segments) Each segment includes: - A prompt (spoken or written) - A suggested gesture or material (adaptable) - The psychological layer being explored 1. Arrival: Settle Into the Page - Prompt: âLet your pencil greet the page. There is nothing to fix, nothing to prove.â - Gesture: Soft loops or spirals, eyes closed optional - Focus: Arrival, grounding, safety 2. Resistance Awakens - Prompt: âDraw the resistance. Let it take shape. Donât analyzeâjust feel it move.â - Gesture: Quick jagged lines or tight scribbles - Focus: Identifying resistance, surfacing blocks 3. Flow Interruptions - Prompt: âInterrupt the marks. Start, stop. Pause. Start again.â - Gesture: Broken line patterns, staccato movements - Focus: Noticing discomfort with stopping/starting 4. Inner Critic Comes to Visit - Prompt: âWhat does your inner critic sound like? Move like it.â - Gesture: Harsh, repetitive marks; write down critical thoughts if they arise - Focus: Externalized inner voice, self-judgment 5. Beneath the Critic: Tenderness - Prompt: âShift nowâdraw the mark that soothes what was just said.â - Gesture: Gentle curves, soft shading, slow rhythm - Focus: Self-compassion, nervous system downshift 6. The Loop Youâre Stuck In - Prompt: âDraw a loop or pattern you canât seem to break. Let it repeat.â - Gesture: Figure 8âs, spirals, literal loops - Focus: Habitual patterns, stuck energy 7. Breaking Pattern - Prompt: âChange direction. Break the loop. Introduce surprise.â - Gesture: Switch tools, switch hands, sudden marks - Focus: Disruption, experimentation, new neural paths 8. Breath and Release - Prompt: âMatch your breath to your line. Inhaleâdraw. Exhaleâdraw.â - Gesture: Wave-like lines, expansive motion - Focus: Regulating through breath, nervous system integration 9. Your Creative Self Emerges - Prompt: âInvite your most playful, curious self to the page. What do they want to create?â - Gesture: Intuitive play, layering color, childlike marks - Focus: Reconnection to creativity, joy