Athletes in their “art era”

One of my favorite things to tell athletes is to ‘get creative’. That can mean a lot of things so let me paint a clearer picture (lol). Try this activity and see how you feel afterwards (15 minutes).

Get a pencil, get some paper, and start drawing lines. I don’t care how straight they are. Just draw. Nothing in mind. Just draw. Notice your breath and regulate. Optional: neutral music like jazz or lofi.

After a minute (set a timer if you like), pause and think of the emotion “sad” and draw lines. If you have access to different color pencils then go for it! Set a timer for 30 seconds. Next, think of “anger” and draw with a new color for another 30 seconds. Repeat for “excitement”, “upset”, “disappointed”, “surprised”. Pick your own from this link.

What trends do you notice? Does anything change from one color/emotion to another? Did you every want to switch before the 30 seconds or stay on one emotion longer?

Take a step back from your work and admire it. Are there any images, letters, symbols that pop out to you? Do any intersections create meaning? Events, timelines, people, etc?

For some this activity is deeply meaningful and even emotional. For others, it passes the time and creates distance from other responsibilities or obligations. Both are helpful. Both are necessary for self reflection to actually work.

Similar to my last post, trying something new also expands the brain. Combining these into a new creative outlet will enhance your ability to perform and overcome challenges and mistakes. Try it out and let me know how you like it!