Capturing every thought.
Not as easy as it sounds.
Another helpful art lesson is also one of my student’s overall favorites.
Puppets help us recognize our state of mind. It all comes back to the Law of Attraction.
We draw to us what we continually think of. Good or bad.
Directive #3:
I had my students make two felt puppets, one for their own positive thoughts, and one for their negative thoughts. They went all out and created symbols that were quite outstanding:
Rainbow & raincloud
Butterfly & black cat
Meadow & cave
Light bulb & time bomb
…and of course, Angel & devil
When the puppets were finished I had the students come up with a situation that recently created a conflict in their mind. It could be something like lying to their parents or stealing from the store or cheating on a test… anytime they faced a choice with consequences. Being able to recognize each voice was often difficult, since the negative voice usually screams, and the positive may be a slight whisper, sometimes just a gut feeling with no real voice at all. This is the thought they needed to search for. I spent a lot of time on gut feelings and nudges, since this is the subtle yet important voice necessary to hear and understand.
Once the students recognized both sides of the situation, each puppet argued their side of the battle in the puppets own words and voice inflection. This is where the puppets came alive. It was always amazing to me how the students already knew right from wrong (the gift of discernment). After the puppet confrontation, each student became the all-important judge who decides which side is right. We discussed the consequences and rewards for each side. It helped the students understand that their choices have power and ramifications. We discussed how negative thinking can lead to bad circumstances, “Like begets like”. When they know that, with practice, they can monitor their thoughts and dictate their state of mind, then their lives will change for the better and manifest new opportunity for themselves. Each symbol was a visual image, so even when they didn’t have the puppets close by, they would continue to see the characters in their minds when another choice was to be made. It’s like putting your hands on the steering wheel of your life.
This creative project works with all ages and has turned out to be one of my best art classes, one that has long-reaching implications. Here are some examples of symbols when I did a similar puppet class with veterans. This time we used paper plates.
So with vets, as well as teens, this all-important lesson TO CAPTURE EVERY THOUGHT and turn it to positive, becomes even more embedded in their mind with their own unique symbols.
Now, I’m challenging YOU.
What would YOUR puppets look like?
What would they be saying to you?
