One of the amusing things about being a writer is thinking in verse, chapter, paragraph and exclamation point. Interestingly I participated in a frivolous project: seven days of photographs, each day presenting the photo with no words, no explanation, no people involved in the picture and each day name someone to take this black and white photo challenge.
I loved this little challenge and it make me look at my world, and others participant's worlds, differently. I realized that I often felt the need to explain: the why, the what and the how I'd done the photo. When all of that was optionally taken away I really wanted to show, to demonstrate, and to allow the viewer to have their own experience, no interference. I so enjoyed doing this and especially appreciated all the beautiful work others had done with this challenge.
Several years ago a friend and I took a course in art appreciation. One divine take away from our excellent teacher was, "when you first view a picture---stop. Take it in and let the whole of the picture be present in your view. Only then after you have a feeling one way or another, ['I like it' or 'I don't like it', 'does it have meaning for me or not?'] then approach the picture and see who painted the piece, when it was done and then read it's title." I found this very useful advice when going to an art museum and with this little project.
Personally speaking this b & w photo challenge was very different for me because usually I go for the most vibrant colors in a photo, and b & w was certainly not my style. "Good one" I thought, "shake it up, try something new". I took shots of my life that were either striking or meaningful to me.
In my years as a therapist there are similarities and differences in exploring ways that were either colorful or starkly b & w with clients. Some times, most times it was to shake them into new ways of thinking and behaving. In quite the opposite of colorful thoughts and behavior some of the people I worked with got caught in negative patterns in their lives. This rigidity is called 'black and white thinking'. Their narrow mindedness prevents them from trying something new, seeking new solutions. Rigidity almost always involves fear. By way of example, Tigger*, was firmly convinced that he had to take Ritalin because his wife said "it's made a huge difference in my dealings with you". Tigger was uncomfortable with the drug, it made him edgy and he wanted to discontinue using it but was afraid of her displeasure to stop. I told him I'd read about a possible solution and an interesting alternative. In Scandinavian countries they rarely use stimulant drugs and instead, they give a cup of coffee to children who are hyperactive. This proved as effective as the stimulants at a tenth of the cost. [Supposedly there is no addiction potential with the stimulant drug Ritalin. If that's true why are the kids on Ritalin repeatedly pressured by their peers to sell them some of their drugs? I certainly don't see this behavior with coffee.] I was fine using coffee as a trial to wean Tigger off the other stimulant and see how well it worked. It worked beautifully. Case of one, not statistically significant I realize...
Caffeine can lead to addiction but it is only in excessive amounts, like eleven cups of coffee a day. Ritalin and the like does seem to be a slight precursor to problems with addiction later in life for the kids who've been on the stimulants since they were little children. How often are the studies that prove otherwise funded by the drug manufacturers?
The clients that I saw who were caught up in black and white thinking couldn't embrace their world as colorful. I wanted them to enrich their live and see, not only shades of grey, but also the full spectrum of color. Often they would head for the same old thought process. What I tried to do was break them away from the: "either this/or that" thinking and on to new thoughts including: "both this/and that" or "and this and then this" etc. Good therapy offers a way to bounce around new ideas for different ways of behaving in your life. This can lead to a more colorful life, broadening your vision with more ways of looking at a thing/problem. I find it is essential for some to enjoy a bigger perspective.
Let me end here by contradicting myself yet again. Sometimes the subtleties of a b & w picture can be illuminating and striking, so deeply that you would've never noticed the richness before you if you had the distraction of color. To the Leonardo de Vinci before you, I rest my case.
susansmagicfeather copyright 2017 Susan R. Grout all rights reserved
Tomorrow, or soon, what to do when the perspective is too broad and screaming color
*a pseudonym of course
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