Sep 12, 2016

A Busy Life? Try a Rich Picture

I have a tendency to fill my life up to the max. It’s almost like I was born busy. In the last few months I’ve taken on teaching public relations at Griffith University on the Gold Coast, started a Graduate Certificate at QUT Brisbane in Coaching and Mentoring and have become Chair of the Byron Writers Festival. And in just a few weeks, I have my grade six piano exam. This along with trying to get my current WIP finished. Oh, and fitting in those other things like family, exercise and friends.

But I’m not complaining (well not too much). I love a challenge.

One of things we have learned about in the Graduate Certificate is about rich pictures. Rich pictures are a diagrammatic way of relating your own experiences and perceptions to a given problem situation through the identification and linking of a series of concepts. So one of our exercises was drawing a rich picture of our lives.

Not being a particularly visual person and being a terrible drawer, I was skeptical about this exercise, but it was really enjoyable and insightful. Strangely enough, this is how I worked out why I felt like I was always being pulled in lot of different directions…because I am. It was very interesting looking at my life from a pictorial standpoint.


The course has a big theme of reflection. If you need a moment of reflection, have a go at creating a rich picture. It’s a lot of fun and you might just learn something poignant about your life.

18 comments:

  1. Wow, Jen, I read about your life and feel exhausted. You wouldn't happen to have some of those Energizer-Bunny vibes handy to pass my way would you? ;-)

    Your course sounds fascinating...and so does a Rich Picture. Might have to give that a try (just as soon as I find my energy). LOL.

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    1. Doing the rich picture was so much better than I thought it would be, Michelle. Really made me think about my life and had a moment of 'pause' - most unusual for me!

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  2. lol Jen - I could have told you why you felt that :-)
    Good luck with your piano exams!

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    1. Thanks Amy!! Am practicing as much as time will let me.

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  3. Jen, I feel quite exhausted just reading about your action-packed life! The course you're doing sounds fascinating, I hope you'll share more moments from it as you continue.

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    1. I will, Kandy. It is really fabulous. I just spend three days in a residential course and my mind is buzzing with possibilities.

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  4. Oh, my goodness, Jen, what a busy woman you are! I look at your list and I feel woefully inadequate!! Rich pictures sound fascinating- but I am so bad at drawing I'd probably spend all my time trying to make my doodle actually resemble what it's meant to be, I'd be doing it for ever.
    Good luck with the exam!

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    1. Thanks Louisa.

      I'm a terrible drawer too, but it is not the look of the picture, it is what is reveals. Fascinating!!

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  5. Jen, you're an inspiration! Good luck with the piano exam. :)

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  6. Wowza... my only thought in reading the blog post was Woman! When are you even finding writing time?

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  7. Well Lyn - it has proved difficult over the past couple of weeks!!

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  8. Good luck with the exam, Jen! I'm definitely one of those 'full the plate up' people too. There's just so much I want to do in life. But it's good to find a balance. Can't work all the time :)

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    1. Exactly Stefanie. Doing a rich picture allows you to focus on all aspects of your life.

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  9. Jennifer

    WOW you are busy I do hope you make some time for "me time" in amongst all of that and good luck with the exam. I think I am busy enough I am trying very hard to say no a bit more these days :)

    Have Fun
    Helen

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  10. Not much 'me time' at the moment, Helen. But, I'm determined to change that. Saying 'no' is a skill I need to learn more about!!

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  11. Jen, I'd love some of your energy right now! You're a marvel.

    The rich pictures sound fascinating. I'll add that to my gowing 'must try' list. Thanks for the suggestion.

    And good luck with the piano exam!

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    1. Thanks Annie. I did find doing the rich picture fun and revealing. Give it a go when you get some time.

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