When put together end-to-end-to-end, three straight lines form a triangle shape. Triangles can represent the union of body, mind, and spirit. In Christianity, the triangle depicts the triune God. For session one of our Three Straight Lines project, participants selected three words that represented different aspects of their lives. Next, each person painted a visual representation of their words on a triangle-shaped panel. The creative exercise provided a way for individuals to explore and share their experiences.
In the second workshop, participants shared their artwork and told their stories. Everyone had the freedom to choose how to narrate their story. The flexibility allowed them to focus on the most meaningful aspect of their lives, whether it related to their work, family, heritage, or any other topic. The sharing fostered open and honest conversations.
Participant Feedback:
“I liked that the workshops allowed those of us who are not so great expressing ourselves with words an opportunity to use art and paint and colour to express our hurts and life journey on canvas. It would take a whole essay to sum up everything I benefited from this workshop. But creating something using a medium I am not accustomed to was very powerful for me.”
The Three Straight Lines project encouraged creativity, self-expression, and storytelling in a safe and supportive environment. The exercise encouraged diverse narratives and fostered a sense of connection, empathy, and understanding. It allowed participants to communicate their life stories through visual and symbolic representation, and then gave them the opportunity to share and reflect.
Overall, the Three Straight Lines workshops seem to be a valuable tool for personal growth, self-reflection, and building connections. This Healing in Arts partnership with Resonate Global Mission offered a unique and unconventional way to explore and share life stories, making it a memorable and potentially transformative experience. By combining the smaller canvases into one large collage, Three Straight Lines forms a sacred triangle that bonds our stories from beginning to end.
