Since the beginning of times, art has not only been a method of entertainment and passing of time but also food for the soul and mind. From religious art to impressionism and realism, art has always been part of our lives and is considered a symbol of humanity. Now, more than ever art has become a medicine for the psyche.
WELLBEING EXERCISES
Doodling & Colour
You can download one of the 6 shapes below and fill them in with doodles as you see fit.
What colours are you associating with your feelings?
Human psyche is extremely subjective to unconscious meaning and relations between colours and emotions, or memories. Make a note of the colours you associate with positive emotions and try to eliminate from your life the colours that you associate with negative emotions.
What is your Favourite Colour?
Blue Meaning & Personality
Blue is a calming colour that can increase concentration and creativity. Blue is associated with confidence, conservative, conventionality, intelligence, masculinity, and trust.
Red Meaning & Personality
Red can increase physical energy, and aggression, make us more alert, gain attention and it can have intimidating influences. Red is associated with danger, evil, passion and determination.
Yellow Meaning & Personality
Yellow can be uplifting, increase optimism, general positive emotions, energy and analytical thinking. Yellow is associated with joy, sun, vacations and being social.
Green Meaning & Personality
Green is tranquil, relaxing and makes us want to experience nature. Green is associated with knowledge, balance, health, money, ambition, plant life, envy and greed.
Purple Meaning & Personality
Purple can encourage deep inward thinking and self-reflection. Purple is associated with royalty, intuition, luxury, performance art, spirituality, and mysteriousness.
Orange Meaning & Personality
Orange can increase energy levels, physical and mental and generally positive emotions. Orange is associated with warmth, excitement, cheerfulness, being sociable and spontaneous.
Pink Meaning & Personality
Pink can encourage comforting feelings, empathy and expression of emotions. Pink is associated with nurturing, compassion, playfulness, youth, immaturity and the feminine.
White Meaning & Personality
White symbolises purity and cleanliness, people that prefer the white colour tend to be an open book with nothing to hide mentality, they are well-balanced and able to control their emotions.
Black Meaning & Personality
Black is associated with death, conformity and seriousness. People that prefer black might not be in touch with their inner thoughts and might suppress their feelings, people who love the black colour might also despise authority and be power-hungry.
Make a note of the colours/ patterns around you, the colours and/or patterns of your favourite clothing item, and your favourite colour. Try to choose to wear clothing in your favourite colours, or your favourite item’s colour. And if you haven’t already done it try to surround yourself with the colours you love and associate with positive feelings.
FURTHER READING
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hartman_Personality_Profile
WHAT SHAPE DID YOU CHOSE?
FLOWER
If you chose the flower, you might be a nature lover and admirer of beauty. If you chose the flower shape with the sharp edges you might be an intentional extrovert who prefers to stay away from people away and doesn’t easily trust them. If instead, you chose the round edges flower you might be an extrovert with a kind nature that easily makes friends and tend to be carefree.
BUNNY
If you chose the bunny, you might be an animal lover seeking comfort. If you chose the round ears bunny you might be a carefree individual who loves comfort and sees the world in a positive light. If you chose the sharp ears bunny you might be a more serious individual who prefers order and might have a strict approach to things in life.
TEACUP vs SHAMPAGNE GLASS
If you chose the mug or glass, you might be a social person. If you chose the mug, you might be an introvert that loves people’s company, but not too often. You might also be a lover of comfort and an avoider of conflict.
If you chose the glass, you might be an extrovert that loves spending time out with friends, or even strangers, as long as socialising is involved. But what can be truly insightful about your own self is the forms, colours, and doodles you filled the shapes with.
If you filled all the space on the shape you chose you are a person that likes to see things completed. The level of detail indicates your level of attention and creativity.
DOODLES
What can be truly insightful about your own self is the forms and doodles you filled the shapes with.
Animals
Drawing butterflies, dragonflies and other flying creatures, while they may seem cutesy or romantic their true meaning is really a desire to be free and not tied down. Doodles of flying animals may crop up more if you feel strained by a particularly frustrating project. This is also the case if you find yourself depicting flying angels or angel wings. You might be in need of protection as well as freedom, or you might feel particularly vulnerable or surrounded by negative people or situations.
Details of your personality depend on the animal you draw. For example, if you make a bird, it means you’re looking for hope and freedom. Additionally, if you make a rhino, you’re concerned about your weight. Drawing a fish means you need to move away from where you are and address a pressing issue.
Arrows
Simple to draw and packed with meaning, arrow doodles might be basic signs for direction or Katniss’ favourite weapon. What really matters is where it’s pointing. Upward-facing arrows show ambition, optimism or motivation. Downward-facing arrows show dread, pessimism or worry.
Always pay attention to what is drawn with an arrow. This will show exactly what you’re striving for. An obvious example: arrows drawn with hearts are obvious signs of a desire for love.
Bricks
Tightly packed brick doodles might indicate some obstacle in between you and your goals. Scattered or unconnected bricks indicates a positive association with walls, like planning a new home or the place you met a schoolyard crush.
Circles
If you’re a doodler of circles, it can suggest a need to belong, feel loved and love others. This is the case for any doodles that take on a particularly round form. Circles drawn inside each other means you’re searching for unity.
Coils, spirals or wheels
These signify progress and clarity. Forward moving spirals show that you’re happy with the direction of your life. On the other hand, downward or backward spirals show that you’re confused and need to figure out your life’s goals. Lovers of creativity, variety and progress tend to doodle spirals and coils.
Dots
Drawing dots and spots unconsciously means you’re a great organiser and can handle yourself well. If your dots are linked with lines, it shows that you’re frustrated about something, probably a goal you are unable to achieve.
Eyes
Doodling eyes represents the inner personality of the person drawing them. If you draw large eyes, you might have an outgoing personality. Staring eyes demonstrate the feeling of being watched. Closing eyes might indicate the refusal to look within or the state of ignoring reality due to the inability to accept it.
Faces
In general, beautiful and attractive faces reflect a positive and optimistic outlook. Ugly faces represent a negative or distrustful view. Extra detail on eyes could suggest a desire to be noticed. Or it could mean the artist feels like they’re being watched or their privacy is invaded (what does that say about anime artists?). Lush, voluptuous lips can mean a deep-seated, secret desire.
Face shape and style is also telling. Cartoonish face doodles signify a need for attention. Wide, circular faces mean innocence (think of a smiley-faced sun), and neediness. Even the direction of the face is telling; profiles tend to be popular among introverts.
Flowers
You might think that doodling flowers suggests you’re a garden lover, but it can also reveal a lot about your inner psyche. If your flower has a large circular centre, it shows confidence and the enjoyment of a good social life. On the other hand, more detailed flowers express an obsessive-compulsive personality.
Circular flowers with rounded petals — One of the most positive flower doodles. The more circular a flower is, the more amicable the drawer is.
Circular centre with pointy leaves or thorns — The circular centre represents a kind-hearted individual, but the pointy leaves indicate distrust or defensiveness. This might be the doodle of a scorned lover or those known for pushing others away.
Perky vs. droopy — Perky flowers point to openness and a carefree attitude. Droopy or dying flowers, however, suggest an unwillingness to open up.
Hearts
A lot of people doodle hearts, which signify love and romance. If you are a common doodler of this shape, you are likely to have an affectionate and sentimental personality.
Like flowers, houses are a common motif instilled in us during childhood. These doodles typically represent one’s home life or sense of security, and how they’re drawn indicates the doodler’s feelings about that. For example, a nice, tidy drawing shows a healthy home life, while a messy or asymmetrical one reveals trouble.
Houses
No windows — Indicates unhappiness or feeling trapped
On top of a hill — Loneliness or isolation
Smoke from a chimney — A warm fire inside and a good sign
Bear in mind that there are cultural and architectural variations. Someone who grew up in a city apartment might not identify with the traditional “square house with a triangle roof.”
Names, initials, signatures
Writing your name again and again, or doodling your signature might reveal that you enjoy being the centre of attention.
People
Drawing human figures indicates a successful person: someone with a healthy self-image who connects identity to a complete body. It suggests a person is in control of their emotions and can achieve their goals.
Squares
Scribbling squares suggests a down-to-earth and practical nature. This kind of doodles typically indicates a person who is efficient, analytical, and in control. If you haven’t solved your problem yet, then you’re working through it logically. This is doubly true with a checkerboard, which suggests patience and persistence as the doodler weighs every option. Beware if your boxes form a pile or stack. Then, you may be feeling overwhelmed.
Triangles
Drawing triangles in an absent-minded way reveals a powerful and ambitious personality.
Webs
Always fun to draw, webs suggest a personality skilled at persuading and enticing people.
But of course, oftentimes a doodle is just a doodle and nothing more.
To find out more about what doodles might mean in psychoanalysis. Try the below websites:
To find out more about what doodles might mean in psychoanalysis. Try the below websites:
https://99designs.com/blog/creative-inspiration/meaning-of-doodles/
https://www.countryliving.com/uk/create/craft/news/a3169/what-doodles-reveal-about-personality/
https://www.liveabout.com/doodle-analysis-and-interpretation-1122624
OTHER RESOURCES:
WORKSHOPS DATES & LOCATION
- This is not an art class: self discovery through colour and shape 11 May 2023, 5pm to 6pm @ Headington Library, Oxford.
- Poems for mental health:
14 September, 5pm to 6pm @Headington Library, Oxford.Cancelled
- Test your creativity: 26 October, 5pm to 6pm @Headington Library, Oxford
- Test your imagination: 25 January 2024, 5pm to 6pm @Headington Library, Oxford
- Back to toddlerhood: 25 April 2024, 5pm to 6pm @Headington Library, Oxford
All my workshops are currently free. However, donations are accepted as this would help me save to cover the cost of a master in fine arts.
Micky's Designs 
