Associative maps of metaphorical transformations “Meta-art”

Associative maps of metaphorical transformations “Meta-art” is a new psychological tool for introspection and work with a client in order to structure a person’s inner space. This is a selection of 36 abstract drawings for the work of a psychologist, psychoconsultant, psychotherapist with images, fantasies, symbols, changes and ontogenetic transformations of mental states and phenomena. Each drawing has a symbolic pair, which for the client can be either the beginning of the story or its continuation. All drawings are selected in accordance with the basic archetypal transformations with the help of primary symbols. Each card does not have a specific name and does not have a specific meaning, and any interpretation is “correct”, any name will be a personal symbol for a metaphor. Each of us sees something of our own in the same image: a field, a geographical map, a path, mother’s hair, or maybe our own portrait is a METAPHOR, the beginning of a new own story of a dream or fantasy, and possibly memories.

Each card is a colored portal for our own imagination, in which all the answers to all questions are hidden. Our ideas and associations are not limited by any framework, and it is possible to check this when using Meta-art cards. The rules for using metaphorical associative cards are as flexible as possible.

1. Free improvisation of stories and descriptions of cards.

2. Everything that we can see in the image is a hint for ourselves in the current needs of life.

3. The right image does not exist … any image in the cards is part of the whole

4. Searching for metaphors is about feeling yourself through the image.

They serve as a guide to create the desired context in which each of us accesses our creative, creative being. These cards can be used not only in professional activities, but also for creative games and entertainment.

A set of metaphorical pictures for forming your own metaphors “META – art” is a unique tool that will provide you with a constant dialogue with an internal adviser who will give only your unique answer to your request.

How to find the answer in the cards

Method one: Focus on the issue that is bothering you and try to find one or more images that contain a hidden solution. Look carefully at the image and see what comes to your mind and will be the answer to your question.

Second method: Lay out all the cards and choose different combinations of images that you think will reveal the answer to your question.

Third method: Lay out as many random cards as you need in a chain in order to solve your question. Find in each card an image or other clue (perhaps it will be a color or just a part of the image, a certain detail) which will be a symbolic step to solve the issue

The fourth way: Draw out any cards as many as you need to answer the question, carefully look at the pictures and think over a word for each picture, put the words together and form a clear meaning, this will become for you the answer that you hid from yourself.

Fifth way: Find two or three similar cards, carefully consider the differences and fix them on a piece of paper, then analyze what you see with the question you were looking for the answer to.

Sixth way: Find a card that is a mirror of the question the answer to which you are looking for and the second card that is the answer, explain the difference to yourself.

Method 7: Focus on the emotional feelings your question is about and find an image in the abstract noise that makes you feel better, explain to yourself why.

How to train creativity and imagination

First method: For any card, find as many images as possible, what this card looks like

The second way: take two cards and determine the maximum number of differences and commonalities

The third way: Pick up similar cards, but they are in the set and trace the changes that happened to them in the thoughts of the artist and why he changed them like that.

Fourth way: Choose a few cards and try to tell a story or put a fairy tale on the cards

Fifth method: carefully select a card and within one minute name what they definitely do not look like

Sixth method: Look for hidden images in the picture that are partially shown on the map and tell us what it is

Seventh way: with the help of other cards, complete the image in such a way as to get a complete picture, because all images are one story of metaphors.

Meta-art cards can be used as entertainment and a tool for introspection and development of creativity, in work with couples and groups.

More exercises and techniques with maps can be found in the book “Metaphor Image Psychology”

For questions about ordering associative maps of metaphorical transformations “Meta-art” and organization of training, please contact psiart.rivne@gmail.com