Step Eight: Choose a Stopping Point

There may not be a clear moment when the work feels finished.

Choose a stopping point rather than waiting for certainty.

You might stop after:

• 
  One final mark
  
• 
  One final mosaic piece
  
• 
  Filling a particular section
  
• 
  Completing one repeated line
  
• 
  Working for the length of one song
  
• 
  Reaching the edge of the page
  
• 
  Noticing that your hands are becoming tired
  

Place your materials down.

You do not need to immediately clean everything.

Move anything sharp or unsafe away from you, then let the work remain where it is for a moment.

Look around the room again.

Find one familiar object.

Notice one sound.

Feel the surface underneath you.

Take an ordinary breath.

You have done enough.

When You Cannot Identify What You Feel

You do not need to name an emotion before using this activity.

You can begin with physical descriptions instead.

Choose a colour for something that feels:

• 
  Heavy
  
• 
  Tight
  
• 
  Fast
  
• 
  Foggy
  
• 
  Sharp
  
• 
  Distant
  
• 
  Crowded
  
• 
  Empty
  
• 
  Warm
  
• 
  Cold
  
• 
  Restless
  
• 
  Stuck
  

You are not deciding what the sensation means.

You are translating one small part of the experience into colour.

For example, you might choose a colour that feels heavy and place it repeatedly near the bottom of the page.

You might choose a colour that feels restless and move it quickly across the surface.

You might choose a colour that feels distant and place it far away from everything else.

These are possibilities, not rules.

Use the movement that feels natural to you.

When Choosing Colours Feels Overwhelming

Too many choices can make it harder to begin.

Reduce the options.

Put every colour away except two.

Choose between those two.

If that still feels difficult, use only one.

You could also choose:

• 
  The colour closest to you
  
• 
  The shortest pencil
  
• 
  The largest paper scrap
  
• 
  The first safe object you touch
  
• 
  A neutral colour
  
• 
  A colour chosen with your eyes closed
  

The choice does not need to be meaningful.

Beginning is enough.

When You Feel Numb or Disconnected

You may not feel a strong connection to any colour.

That does not mean the activity has failed.

Start with contrast instead.

Place something dark beside something light.

Place something smooth beside something textured.

Place two completely different colours next to each other.

You can also trace the edge of an object, shade one square or arrange three items in a row.

You are giving yourself a simple point of contact with the present moment.

Nothing more is required.

When the Feeling Is Strong or Restless

Use a larger piece of paper if you have one.

Choose a crayon, pencil or marker that will not break easily.

Make long lines from one side of the page to the other.

You can repeat the movement.

You can press firmly without damaging the surface underneath.

You can change direction whenever you need to.

If large movements feel uncomfortable, make small repeated marks instead.

Try dots, dashes, circles or short lines.

Choose the size of movement that feels manageable.

Do not use sharp mosaic pieces, glass cutters or breakable materials while your movements feel difficult to control. Paper, pencils, fabric and safe objects are enough.

When the Activity Makes You Feel Worse

Stop.

You do not have to push through.

Put the materials down and move sharp or breakable objects away.

Look at the room rather than the artwork.

Name five ordinary things you can see.

Place your hands on a stable surface, such as a table, chair or wall.

You can leave the activity unfinished.

You can cover the work.

You can turn it face down.

You can walk away.

Creative activities are optional. They are not tests of strength, progress or commitment.

Choose something simpler, such as holding a cool drink, sitting near a window or listening to a familiar sound.