75 Your Life Pictures
In this section we are asking you to focus on using different skills and ways of thinking to achieve insights that you might not get to with other ways of exploring. Many people will draw, doodle, or create maps or images whilst they are thinking. Children almost instinctively draw or colour in even without encouragement. They use walls just as happily as they would crayons and paper. Adults can do this to. Something happens in the brain when we start these kinetic activities and we start to make different connections.
Here you are going to create pictures of your life so that you can share with others something about your life story. You are also going to explore your change opportunity using a specific form of drawing we call rich pictures.
Let’s get started.
By the way you may have completed a similar exercise in another unit in Cove +. No matter. Please retrieve your previous version. We asked you to add it to your Reflective Journal. Revisit each section and think about how things might have changed or what you might say to a different group of people. Usually your life today has changed a little and that is always interesting to explore.
Creating your life pictures
Take a large sheet of plain paper, say A3 or larger. Divide it into 4 sections, as shown below.
Here is the process. Using the sections below to guide you, work clockwise from the top-left corner. Click on the marker in each section and then, on your sheet of paper, draw the image described.
You are going to be drawing and then sharing with other stories and images of specific times in your life. This is a wonderful way to quickly get to know the people around you and share things about yourself. It is also an amazing way to build trust with others.
Now, for each section, add some words to your drawing that help describe that time for you. You might use a phrase or word that makes sense; perhaps name a song or experience that has stuck in your mind.
Reflect on your life pictures
Think about these patterns and how they ‘show up’ in your work, in teams, and in how you help to deliver on projects in your workplace. What impact do you think your Life Pictures and patterns have on others, and on your teams?
If you are comfortable, share your Life Pictures with a colleague or close friend.
[HINT: If you prefer not to share, a simple and effective way to do this is to stand in front of a mirror and share your Life Pictures with your reflected self.]
Discuss the patterns in your life. Which ones serve you well? Which ones would you like to change, modify, or get rid of?
Think about these patterns and how they ‘show up’ in your work, in teams, and in how you help to deliver on projects in your workplace. What impact do you think your Life Pictures and patterns have on others, and on your teams?
Overall, what are your insights here?
Look carefully at each section of your Life Pictures. At a quick glance, what you do see? What are the progressions that you notice? What are your reactions and thoughts now as you look at your Life Pictures?
A word of caution
This exercise can cause deep thinking for some, so please only share when you feel comfortable to do so and remember that these are observations of your behaviours at certain moments in time.
Reflection:
This might be an ideal exercise to include in your reflective journal!
Reference
- McFarland, W., & Goldsworthy, S. (2013). Choosing Change: How Leaders and Organizations Drive Results One Person at a Time. McGraw-Hill Education.
