How I Unlock My Unconscious Imagination

In this sketchbook video I continue my "Active Imagination" practice, invented by the psychologist Carl Jung. Using this technique, I can tap into my unconscious imagination and generate new and creative ideas.
If you are a creative person, I highly recommend experimenting with a practice like this. I've noticed a huge increase in my creativity since taking it up on a regular basis.
In this video I document the creation of one of my recent sketchbook pages, The Desert Dragons. I also go into detail about some of the story ideas that I came up with while working on the drawing.

[@Psychosomatic_Enlightenment]

Inspiration strikes again! What timing!
I decided to take myself up on the drawing exercise using the Jungian technique. I don't have a place to share photos with you so I hope my explanation will suffice!
I started with two pieces of paper (layered), just in case I needed to restart.
I really struggled with starting. Don't know why but I couldn't put my pencil to the paper, I felt, in any meaningful way. So I closed my eyes and a vertically stretched triangle appeared in the center of the page. A square to the left and, as through rising through the page, a crescent moon rested just above the elongated triangle.
It took me a moment. I sat and looked at the page and wondered what will I find? What mysteries of myself are contained within? None were readily available. I felt lost, as I often do, looking at these irregular shapes I've constructed.
Then I saw it or, better yet, it saw me! An eye! But not a human one. This eye had a triangle shaped pupil and lacked an iris. It was rounder than a human eye and it's shape became the iris for the human eye it was within -- created by the crescent moon shape. A circle appeared around the triangle; containing it within the center of the human eye.
It was odd.
I thought, perhaps there is meaning here. My perception of my perception, foreign, even to myself. I felt what I wanted to draw (please don't ask me to share it looks atrocious lol).
And then, I lifted the paper first paper to expose the second that had been resting behind it. A circular impression was left on the center of the page. I drew an outline around it. It became a circle in the center of a white page. I felt it or craved it, that very centeredness. There it was a wholeness to my creations (alright, you got me, it wasn't that intense, but it was a cool moment of introspection).
Thank you for sharing this technique.

[@EricYoungArt]

That's so awesome! Thank you so much for sharing the story with me, no need to share the image if you don't want to :)
But just based on your description is sounds awesome. Seeing eyes within eyes is definitely symbolic of the inner eye opening to the infinite possibilities that the imagination holds. The circle too, it's a simple but powerful image. It's been a symbol for wholeness since ancient times. A lot of these personal introspections bubble up from the subconscious, I really enjoy that aspect of the practice.
I'm really glad you enjoyed the process, I hope you stick with it.
I really think this technique helps unite the rational/conscious mind to the irrational/unconscious mind in a really unique way. I look forward to hearing more stories like this!

[@FatBehaviorReacts]

You're exceptionally talented, it makes me sick, thanks.

[@EricYoungArt]

lol thanks, it's just daily practice. I'm just lucky that I never stopped drawing in childhood.

[@twiddlinbits]

I have aphantasia, and can't create images in my "mind's eye", but I'm always finding fanciful images in the texture of marble and wood grain, and even the orange peel texture of paint.

[@EricYoungArt]

Wow that's really interesting, thanks for sharing!

[@jamctzv7215]

Men awesome art work and a nice reflection, I though so miself I always have good Ideas but I dont allow me the time to capture them.
I hope this account grows because I fell that the quality of your art (traditional that is always for me more impresive to watch) reach more people love the video man! keep it up

[@EricYoungArt]

Thank you! I'm glad you liked the video so much. I hope you start getting those ideas down, we need all the good ideas we can get!

[@justinsmorningcoffee]

Awesome!

[@EricYoungArt]

Thanks!

[@WavesOfObsession]

Blame the poets! Your pictures are doing all the heavy lifting! This instantly reminded my of Scott Sigler's Dinolition from the Rider: th-cam.com/video/V9g0WnhICeY/w-d-xo.html

[@EricYoungArt]

Thanks for the link! That is a really cool cover.

[@frozzytango9927]

Sounds like how my chinese friend make crap art.

[@EricYoungArt]

How so?

[@frozzytango9927]

@@EricYoungArt He only knows how to copy, if he tries to make something original, he just mish mush everything and it comes out as some really jibber jibbash stuffs that still looks like its copied from somewhere.

[@EricYoungArt]

Copying great art to learn is a good thing, I've done it and so have most artists throughout history. It's only bad when they pretend they didn't copy and want to take full credit.

[@frozzytango9927]

@@EricYoungArt i dont copy, i draw to learn about shape and something but its usually a sketch and its never finished and i never publish it. I build my drawings from mannequins and i build my own style from how i see the world. Theres a lot of people here i know who just copy and draw the most generic art, you look at 20 people's art and they look like they are drawn by the same person.

[@EricYoungArt]

Yeah I agree with that, it's hard to distinguish between 80% of the artists on ArtStation these days.