Somatic drawing and bilateral drawing are both techniques, but they approach things a little differently:

Somatic Drawing:

• Focuses on connecting with your body's sensations and emotions through the act of drawing.

• Often involves drawing with your eyes closed or partially closed, emphasizing the internal experience.

• Uses lines, shapes, and textures to express what you're feeling inside, not necessarily creating a recognizable image. Can be a way to explore emotions, release tension, and gain self-awareness.

Bilateral Drawing:

• Involves drawing with both hands simultaneously, stimulating both sides of the brain.

• Used for self-regulation and calming the nervous system.

• Can be done with simple shapes, squiggles, or even mirroring each other's hand movements.

• Helps with reducing stress, anxiety, and promoting emotional balance.

Somatic drawing offers a range of benefits for both your mental and emotional well-being. Here are some reasons why you might want to give it a try:

Increased Self-Awareness: By focusing on the connection between your body and your drawing, you can gain a deeper understanding of your emotions and how they manifest physically. This can help you identify triggers, manage stress, and develop healthier coping mechanisms.

Stress and Anxiety Relief: Similar to meditation, the act of focusing on your body and the present moment can be very calming. Somatic drawing can help to quiet your mind, release tension, and promote feelings of peace and relaxation.

Emotional Processing: Expressing yourself creatively can be a powerful tool for processing difficult emotions. Somatic drawing allows you to explore and release bottled-up feelings in a safe and non-judgmental space.

Improved Body Connection: Sometimes we get disconnected from our bodies due to daily pressures. Somatic drawing encourages you to reconnect with your physical sensations, fostering a sense of embodiment and appreciation for your body.

Enhanced Creativity: The process of letting go of control and allowing your intuition to guide the drawing can spark new ideas and ways of thinking. It can be a playful way to tap into your creative wellspring.

No Artistic Skill Needed: This isn't about creating a masterpiece! Somatic drawing is for everyone, regardless of artistic ability. The focus is on the internal experience, not the final product.

If you're curious about exploring your emotions in a new way, managing stress, or simply want to try something creative, somatic drawing could be a valuable tool for you.

It can be! I don’t discriminate, but in my practice, art is a primary form of communication that deals with the felt-sense and how we perceive and observe in the world. Art is simply the evidence of that experience—using your own personal language to interpret it.

Reframing art as a holistic practice examines the underlying principles of ones’ unique capacity and freedom of expression. Art only to exist as an object is conceived in the mind and prioritizes cognitive perception. Using integrated practices such as breath work, movement, journaling, sound, and art stimulates a whole body experience to express through the primal felt sense for expanded metaphor and authenticity.

Of course, I hope to challenge your belief pattern that you aren’t. Offerings are for everyone who would like to deepen their connection with their own practice, whatever level you come in at. We focus on human activities, not specialist activities. These are not technique or skill-based workshops, but integrated creative workshops to inspire you in whatever your field or calling is. To slow, to listen, to connect, and find a path that attunes to your inner self.

A class may consist of “other” prompts as well as art prompts. Gentle movements, breath work, writing improvisation and expressive drawing. These practices prioritize the “uncategorized” self to bring clarity of mind, inner peace and heart to your creative expression, in whatever form it takes.

As long as we are humans in bodies making, we need creative to release and regenerate stuck energy and blockages. Most of living is conducted solely in the mind. Our thoughts circle, retrace, re-track and cycle in patterns of fear, of habit, of known. All bodies need to create and move to find flow. Consider this part of a life practice as a creative way of being, to inspire you on your chosen path

While closing your eyes is the recommended approach, it's completely okay to keep them slightly open if that feels more comfortable for you. In Somatic Drawing, the emphasis is on the act of drawing itself, rather than creating a perfect picture.

With your eyes open, there's a tendency to focus on creating an image instead of the lines and movements that express your inner feelings. That's why most people find it easier to connect with their internal world when their eyes are closed.