Life is a RorschachTest

 

The Rorschach Test, named after the Swiss psychologist Hermann Rorschach, involves a series of ink blot images and has been traditionally used to categorize a person's personality and emotional disposition based on their individual interpretations of the images. This is Hermann. I would vote for Brad Pitt to play him in the film version of Rorschach's life.  Just saying.

And here's an ink blot image that emerged on my paper after I accidentally spilled some India Ink. Interesting, no?

The inkblot design long pre-dates Rorschach. In fact, the German doctor Justinus Kerner published a popular book of poems in 1857 based on inkblot images. And of course, there are others who have been inspired by the mystery and magic of the inkblot.
 
We live in a magical world. We like to watch the clouds drift and change and slowly transform themselves. One minute you see a dragon and the next minute you see an airplane and finally, a puppy dog. Perhaps a frolicking Dachsund.
 
Some people just see dark clouds and thunder ahead. Trouble down the road. But you can also decide to see goodness and grace and yes, puppy dogs. As a creative person, this is your domain. You can see one thing and decide that it is something else entirely. 
 
This is what happens when you make art. You say, I am painting a picture of a butterfly — a big beautiful colorful butterfly. But then, the black ink spills and it gets all over your paper (and your hands!). Your first inclination might be to toss the paper and start over again. (Oh, and the same goes with writing.)
 
I am here to tell you: wait. 
  
Just wait a minute, because that failed butterfly may be morphing into a dragon, or a dragonfly, or perhaps a spider that has grown wings. Maybe it’s actually the pattern for a textile — a table cloth, a napkin, a place mat. Or perhaps, it belongs on a bigger canvas. It's a piece of something. It's still in a state of becoming.

This magic is there for you if you are patient and willing to wait and trust.
 
Your creative prompt for this week is to look at this little inkblot painting and let it become whatever it wants to become. Let it speak to you. Let it be in charge of its own transformation. And then, write a song, a story. Paint a picture. And for extra credit, make your own Rorschach Test.  
 
Oh, and add color, if you'd like! The point is to have fun!
 
Love,
Jamie