Ravens, butterflies, trees, feathers, circles,…. these are images that continue to show up in my artwork. They are a connection to the land, the winged ones, the four legged and they bring teachings and medicines to me.
What symbols or imagery are you drawn to? Maybe you are unsure or haven’t really noticed. Do you have cultural symbols from your ancestry that you connect with?
Symbols are a part of your creative expression and style. It is a part of your creative vocabulary used to express a story or emotion. When I look back over my artwork from the beginning when I could only draw stick figures… I see the same symbols and images appearing over the years.
I hear women say a lot that they don’t have their own style or they wish for their own artistic style. Symbols are a part of it and you are already doing it! You are already expressing yourself in this way. Even the stencils you choose are a part of our style.
I have some journal prompts for you, so you can explore your relationship to symbols in your art:
Have a look at your last 10-20 paintings/journal pages---- what imagery shows up in your artwork and write them down
Circle the ones that mean the most to you
Pick one and write the story of this symbol in your own words
Pick another one and write the emotion that the symbol conveys to you
What hobbies or interests do you have that may have associated imagery? i.e. gardening, yoga….
Flip through a magazine and cut out 10-20 images—what themes do you notice?
Share your discoveries below
Join my community where we share our struggles and successes, latest artworks and encourage each other along the way. Imagination, story and play help us reconnect with ourselves.
Melanie Rivers Art Community