Subdrawings

It’s a technique that I developed at the end of last year. The first drawing is dated 27th November 2014. I was inspired by Enrique Enriquez, an artist from New York, featured in the documentary Tarology. He reads tarots and every kind of sign really, in an intuitive way. That made me wonder if I could read my own “signs”. Signs made by my own hand when I draw without consciously thinking of what I am drawing. That way I can tap into my subconscious. They say that we use around 10% of our brain. My drawings are made by the rest 90% of my brain 🙂 I then interpret my own drawings, this time using an analytical approach. 

I want to go a bit deeper with this blog. I want to document the process and the feeling. I want to understand if I can tap into my depth with or without the drawings. 

I have been using Subdrawings when I had doubts about practical things. I want to know my subconscious believes about the matters. This drawing is an example. I always start with a question and keep that in mind while I am drawing. Here the doubt is about my scooter. I had to bring it to the mechanic because it wouldn’t start. Bad news: the damage is worth about $800!! So the question is simple: “How do I feel towards my scooter?”. I would usually ask a more specific question but this time I decided to try a more generic one. This is the drawing:SubD 1

I believe that anyone would see different things. That’s because, unless it’s a clear and recognasable image or sign, we all have different experiences in life and different nuronal connections. So the following is what I see. 

My interpretation:

on the left hand side a bird looking figure. It seems almost at an embryonal stage, it’s body looks like a larva or caterpillar. It has a helmet with the number 46 written on it. I recognise my self in the caterpillar-bird. I am usually in all my drawings. I recognise my self thanks to hints. This time is the helmet (I ride a scooter) and the number 46 (my favourite motobike rider is Valentino Rossi and his number is 46). On the right hand side I see my scooter. It is in a vertical position, like on a wheely. I am holding onto it with my right wing. But at the same time I see my self handing my scooter out. I am wearing the helmet of one of the fastest man on a motorbike in the world. I feel ready to change. The scooter served me well, but it’s time to change (from caterpillar to butterfly). In my left hand side I have a sort of crab claw. Am I ready to grab my new motobike? 

What was my feeling when I was drawing and interpreting?

While I am drawing I am not thinking of anything. I only see the aesthetic of the lines, I am in the present. I am not thinking what I am going to draw. I am not in the past because I am not interpreting what I already drew. I am whatching the line being drawn and that’s all really. The only thing I think of is the question, but it sits on the background.

When I feel that the drawing is finished I put it on a stand. I feel that I have to put some distance between me and the drawing. It is time to be more rational and use the 10% of my brain 🙂 But it’s very important the feeling that I have when I feel that the drawing is complete. How do I know if the drawing is finished? I feel a sense of completion. It’s hard to describe, but afterall it’s the same feeling that you have when you are doing something and then suddednly you realise that is enough. You’ll know it. 

While interpreting, intuition is important too. So I keep an open mind because I am trying to spot as many recognisable signs as I can. They can be obvious (the bird and the scooter) or harder to detect (the claw). Then when I have all the signs in place I try to understand the meaning of it. Remember this is not reading the future. This is a process to understand what your subconscious “thinks” about a certain matter. 

At this point a doubt could arise: there are at least two valid interpretations of this drawing. One is that I am holding onto the scooter. The other is that I am handing it over. One basically means “don’t let it go” and the second “it’s time to change”. So they contraddict each other. How do I know what to choose? 

Again this drawing has been made by your hand and your mind. You know what is the real interpration. You already know but somethimes you don’t want to accept the anwer. I know it’s hard to let my scooter go and spend money on a new or second hand motobike, but I know that that is the message. The look on the bird is not a happy one (it looks like shocked). And I was shocked. But I know that it’s time to let it go.