Author: María Reyes López, art therapist transpersonal and facilitator of the Prolongar Foundation
We have been more than 130 days since preventive isolation began in Colombia due to the pandemic. 130 days of unexpected changes, adjustments, new scenarios and a greater sense of uncertainty. This has generated, among many other things, that some ask on social networks or in conversations with friends: what are your plans after confinement? or what will you do once we get back to normal? The first thing that strikes me is that both questions allude to a different time than the present; they lead us to think about what is coming or what was, what we would like or what we long for and not necessarily what is happening or what we are experiencing here and now.
The pandemic has brought with it experiences of loss, pain and uneasiness. In turn, the vast majority of us have been confronted by moments of uncertainty and anxiety in our day to day. Many times it seems inevitable to follow the impulse of wanting to distance ourselves from what we perceive as unknown or difficult to travel; and it is just in those moments where I consider it of great value to be able to stop and observe what happens to us. Opening space for what we feel to emerge in an authentic way and making us aware of what we need can be a resource available to all.
I wonder if this will be a memorable collective experience, not only because of the obvious implications in our lives, in our economy, health and in the losses that we are forced to go through, but also because of the impacts it has generated in other areas, sometimes more subtle, such as our mental health and our habits. I recognize in the midst of this experience a great opportunity to stop for a moment and ask ourselves: what is the imprint that the changes that the pandemic brings are leaving on us? And I emphasize the word footprint, because I would like to believe and promote the idea that hopefully, an experience like the current one, which has altered so unexpectedly our habits, our rhythms and forms of relationship, does not go unnoticed.
Exploration: you as the protagonist
I would like to propose, to you, reader, an exploration, where not only your ideas and thoughts about your experiences during the pandemic are present, but also where you invite your hands, your feelings and your creativity to participate. For the following exercise I suggest that you use a navigation map that we use at the Prologar Foundation to approach and understand the different dimensions in which the same situation can affect or resonate in each person: the personal dimension, the relational dimension and the relationship with that wide network of less direct interactions that we could call the collective or community. You can think of it in terms of your relationship with yourself, with your loved ones, and your relationships in your neighborhood or community, for example. Feel free to choose whether you want to focus on any of these areas, or if, on the contrary, you find it useful to create a general map of your present in relation to these three dimensions of your life.
Start by taking some conscious breaths, placing yourself in the present and perceiving the changes you register in your body as you recall your experiences around the pandemic. Record the sensations, emotions, and thoughts that arise. If you dare, and hopefully you will, the invitation is to create a collage* from magazine images; have a few magazines, scissors, paper and a glue on hand. You can imagine that you are taking a picture of its different dimensions; of your inner world, of your relational world and of the place you occupy in your collective or community. From the magazine clippings that catch your attention and that resonate with your feelings, you can create those "photographs". Allow yourself to choose images that appeal to you, enjoy the process, do not try to analyze it too much and trust your intuition. Give your hands the opportunity to choose colors, shapes and words that resonate with your feeling and emotion, to compose a collage or several, as you need.
Once you are done, the invitation is to take a moment to write and initially only describe in the most objective way possible what you see in the image or images you have just created; be curious, really look at the details. Continue to write about what you perceive this image is showing you about yourself, your relationships with other people, and/or your relationship with your environment. And ask yourself again, or if you can, imagine that you ask the image:
How is the experience of the pandemic transforming me?
Let yourself be surprised by what comes up and try not to judge your answers. Take it as an opportunity to see, give shape and color to that which inhabits your interior; this will allow you to understand and find better ways to approach it.
I hope that this invitation has awakened your motivation to inquire about the traces that this experience of the pandemic is leaving on you, that you will be encouraged to explore inside and find your own answers. Although there is so much talk about reinventing yourself, remember that many times it is not about that, because just as there is no normality to return to, you will not be able to reinvent yourself or be different by magic. The only way to access a true transformation is through awareness, to be aware of yourself, your environment and your needs; this becomes possible if you stop to observe what is happening in the present.
* "Collage (from the French coller, which translates "to paste") is called an artistic technique consisting of the construction of plastic works through the agglomeration or conjunction of pieces or cuts of different origin, giving them a unified tone. In other words, it's about putting together a work with bits obtained from other sources." Source: https://concepto.de/collage/#ixzz6SmY4Z0EN