Capture the feeling

Sometimes it’s so hard to explain how you feel — especially to someone who has never felt that way before.

One way to share how you feel is to use your creative brain to compare the feeling to something else, like rocks in your stomach, or bees in your head.

A lot of artists and writers use these kinds of comparisons (metaphors) to express their feelings — which is not only healing for them, but it’s healing for the rest of us too. By sharing their art and writing, they are helping the rest of us to feel just a little less crazy and alone.

You can give that gift to others too, just by sharing how you feel.

Gather your supplies:

Your journal

Paper

A pencil, colored pencils, and markers

Optional: paint or collaging materials

Three or more objects to use for the warm-up worry brainstorm (see step 2): rubberband, ball of string, balloon, tape, glue, or other objects of your own choosing

Now that you’ve had some practice, it’s time to think about what worry feels like to you. When you’re worrying about something, what does it feel like? Do you feel it in your body? In your head? All over?

In your journal, try comparing the feeling to:

1. An object or thing (is it like an alarm clock? A yo-yo? A speeding train?)

2. An animal (Is it like a monkey? A bear? A boa constrictor?)

3. The weather (Is it like storm clouds? A tornado? A hurricane?)

4. A sound (Does it sound like a bear roaring in your brain? An elephant stomping? Plates breaking?)

5. A place or situation (trapped in a box… stuck on a merry-go-round…)

Now, using your list as inspiration, write at least 3 metaphors (comparisons).

Here are a few examples:

My worry is like an alarm clock I can’t turn off.

When I worry it feels like my head is full of bees.
When I worry it sounds like the stomping of a hundred elephants.

Keep writing down ideas until you come to the one that feels just right — the one that makes you say, “Yes! That’s exactly what worrying feels like!”

On a new page in your journal, write down your favorite metaphor from your list.

See if you can add a few more details to really capture the feeling.

For example, if worry feels like my head is full of bees, I could write:

The bees fly around inside my head. The buzzing gets louder and louder. It’s like the longer they’re trapped inside, the angrier they get.

At the end of your list of details, write a little advice to yourself. What can you remember in that moment to help you get through it? See if you can make your advice relate to your comparison.

For example, if I’m writing about bees trapped in my head, I could say:

But I know the bees will eventually fly free.

Here’s another example:

Okay, it’s now time to illustrate your metaphor. First, think about what materials you enjoy working with — colored pencils? Pens? Paint? Or maybe you’d rather clip pictures out of a magazine to make a collage.

Somewhere on your illustration (large or small, or even on the back) write down your metaphor. Include as many details as you want, and be sure to end with your advice to yourself.

It can also be fun to make a Styrofoam print of your illustration. This short video will walk you through the steps.