closerwalking
Take a pad of paper and pen and either look out of the nearest window or look around the room you are in. Let your eyes rest on something that stands out-don't change what your eyes have fallen on even it seems silly or inappropriate! Write down in the center of your piece of paper what the item/image is and now spend at least 3 minutes thinking and brainstorming about it.
What does it look like? what color is it? what shape?
Does it remind you of something else in your life?
Does it remind you of a person?
Does it remind you of a story you may have heard as a child?
Does it evoke a particular feeling?
Does it make you think of another item/image?
Now look at your brainstorm? Does anything in particular stand out? The things you have written down are what we call the "meaning" of the symbol. Even if you brainstormed your dog, you may have given him a "meaning of love, loyalty, or companionship-because of the way he interacts with you and the attention he gives you.
Obviously this means that your meaning for the dog and my meaning may be quite different. I may have chased by dogs as a child, and therefore associate them with fear and aggression. This is the nature of symbolism: it does not exist on its own, but only through the eyes of the observer and interpreter. Thus it is entirely subjective.
end of exercise
I thought this might be fun to play with as we go into the new year! and everyone is welcome whether they have the book or not. The book has a lot more info in it, but the exercises are the real gems.
What does it look like? what color is it? what shape?
Does it remind you of something else in your life?
Does it remind you of a person?
Does it remind you of a story you may have heard as a child?
Does it evoke a particular feeling?
Does it make you think of another item/image?
Now look at your brainstorm? Does anything in particular stand out? The things you have written down are what we call the "meaning" of the symbol. Even if you brainstormed your dog, you may have given him a "meaning of love, loyalty, or companionship-because of the way he interacts with you and the attention he gives you.
Obviously this means that your meaning for the dog and my meaning may be quite different. I may have chased by dogs as a child, and therefore associate them with fear and aggression. This is the nature of symbolism: it does not exist on its own, but only through the eyes of the observer and interpreter. Thus it is entirely subjective.
end of exercise
I thought this might be fun to play with as we go into the new year! and everyone is welcome whether they have the book or not. The book has a lot more info in it, but the exercises are the real gems.