Symbolic Self-Portrait
Prompt: Use art materials to create a symbolic self-portrait.
Potential Benefits: Boost self-esteem. Feeling connected to your core values. Mental and emotional harmony. Enhanced self-awareness. Practicing resilience.
Making Your Symbolic Self-Portrait
Unlike a representational self-portrait, where the artist draws a replication of themselves, this prompt invites you to venture beyond that definition. A symbolic self-portrait can be just as meaningful, if not more. You can use words, colors, found images from magazines, and mark-making to express who you are, your essence. Essence is the intrinsic nature or indispensable quality of something. As humans we are complex, and a symbolic self-portrait gives you the opportunity to expand the (somewhat limited) linguistic descriptions we hold as truths about ourselves (i.e.: I am funny, I am messy, I am friendly). You can mix art mediums, utilize metaphor, or create something entirely abstract that feels true to you and how you see yourself.
Some people like to be didactic about the process, before they make any art, they think about their qualities and then find ways to express that artistically. The artist has an idea of where the art will end visually, and they spend their time working towards that end. In this kind of art journey, there are plenty of moments (triumphs and pitfalls) to draw personal insight from. Others (and I would fall into this category) prefer to start and just create until the end result is found, or more aptly, stumbled upon. The artist must surrender to the process and trust that something meaningful will be discovered in the end. And some people incorporate a little bit of both in their art-making process. Whichever feels more comfortable to you is where you will start, what matters more is that you’re willing to pay attention to yourself with curiosity and compassion along the way.
Begin with Appreciation
Before you start your self-portrait, I invite you to take a moment to appreciate yourself. This looks different for different people. One option is to place both feet on the ground, bring your hands to your heart, and take 3 slow, deep breaths. Another option is to recite an affirmation to yourself in the mirror. And another is to journal about what matters most to you. Whatever you choose (no matter how small or seemingly silly) appreciating yourself in a way that is authentic to you is already a great start!
Ideas for Creating Your Symbolic Self-Portrait:
colored circles (or any shape) each color representing a part of you (with a color key)
words and phrases found in magazines, put together to describe you
an abstract painting
found images that resonate with you, put together in a collage
any combination of these and more
When You Feel Like You’re Being Boxed In
This may only be relevant to some of you but it’s worth a mention. Defining ourselves in any way (even in symbolic and abstract artistic ways) can make some of us feel confined, caged-in, and just generally icky. If that tends to be you, and you would still like to engage the prompt, try doing a symbolic self-portrait of the moment. Your portrait will aim towards representing yourself as you are in the present moment. Whether you’re representing your present mood, interests, or circumstances, the pressure to capture all of who you are as you’ve ever been and ever will be is lifted and you can freely create in the knowledge that change and living outside the box is available to you.
When You’re Feeling Low On Self-Esteem
Creating a symbolic self-portrait can be a way for you to come back to your center, and sometimes that is a difficult experience when you’re already feeling quite low or distressed. If this is you, I feel you. Life can be painful, and you’re not alone. Lots of us may need an extra intentional moment for self-appreciation. Here’s an option: before you start making art, write down 3-5 of your favorite characteristics/qualities about yourself. If you can’t think of anything, write down 3-5 feeling states you would like to feel. Focus on those qualities and/or desired feelings as guides for the art-making process. Your symbolic self-portrait will capture those things and serve as a tangible reminder of your strengths and hopes. An extra step is to share your self-portrait with a trusted and safe individual in your life.
& This Is How It Went For Me: A Reflection
I chose to make a collage because it’s my favorite way to express myself. I love the discovery—searching and finding images that speak to me, and curating— combining and putting the images together in a satisfying and meaningful way. I am drawn towards moody visuals, so I knew I would use a photograph I found of windows with blinds and light seeping through them, flooding onto the floor. That’s what I started with. I cut the journal paper to create interconnected layers. Red is one of my favorite colors to play with so I looked for ways to incorporate it. Little by little, vertical and horizontal lines kept popping up and finding their way into the piece. And what I like most is that despite being full of straight lines ordered together, on the whole, it still feels chaotic. I tried different colors and images, placing them until it just felt right to me. When I followed what felt right, I knew I was being true to my self-portrait.
The truth is before I did any of that I took a photo of my side profile and traced it onto paper, cutting it out to make a silhouette of myself. This took a good 10-15 minutes. When it was done I laid it on the paper and … hated it of course. It just didn’t work like I was hoping it would. Part of art-making means letting go of what at first seemed like a good thing but ended up being unhelpful and not useful. Sure I was bummed and a little annoyed, but instead of seeing it only as a failure and a waste of time, I could also see it as an opportunity to practice releasing what doesn’t work.
Pay attention to the ways making a symbolic self-portrait challenges you to make decisions and move through potential disappointments. It’s your art journal and nobody else’s, so use this prompt as an introduction to listening to your artistic voice, saying yes to the decisions that convey your style, and appreciating all of the unique features that make you, you!
