Art, literature, and music invite participation and reflection. The impact is not created by the artist alone but also by what the audience (viewer, reader, listener) brings: how a person responds to and talks about the piece, what a person chooses to take away from it, what a person sees or doesn’t see. Talking about what you notice is a wonderful way to learn about and explore yourself—on your own or with friends.
Consider writing about an image on three different days. Before writing about the image, include the date and a line or two about events of the day and generally how your are feeling. After you’ve finished all three days of writing, go back and review what you wrote. What do you notice?
Paths to Ponder
- What do I see first?
- What do I return to again and again?
- How does my body feel when I consider what I am looking at? Where in my body do I feel it?
- Does anything change in me over time? For example, do I feel more settled the longer I look or do I get more uncomfortable?
- Does the piece remind me of anything? If so, what?
- Do I see or hear a story? Or, what story can I tell?
- Do I notice any patterns in my responses to the work?
Solace 