This exercise is worth 20 points. To turn in your work you will need t
This exercise is designed to explore the effects of engaging the right hemisphere of the brain through a creative and relaxing activity, specifically an inverted drawing exercise. Participants are required to reflect on their personal experiences with the exercise, focusing on their emotional and cognitive states before, during, and after the activity. The task involves describing how they felt prior to starting the exercise, their mental and emotional state during the activity, and their feelings once it was completed. Additionally, they should evaluate the exercise's effectiveness in promoting creativity and relaxation, as well as their personal experience of drawing upside down and how it influenced their perception and emotional well-being. Participants are also asked to contemplate the neurological basis of the exercise, referencing theories about brain hemispheric functions. According to Kalat (2008), the left hemisphere predominantly handles verbal, logical, and analytical tasks, whereas the right hemisphere is associated with spatial, visual, and imaginative processes. These functions support the premise that engaging the right brain can induce relaxation and enhance creative thinking, as supported by Davis, Eshelman, and McKay (2000). The exercise is adapted from The Relaxation & Stress Reduction Workbook (pg 58) and builds on Betty Edwards’ method of encouraging students to shift from verbal to visual thinking by drawing upside down, thereby stimulating the right brain and fostering a state of relaxed alertness.
Paper For Above instruction
My experience with the inverted drawing exercise was both enlightening and calming. Before initiating the activity, I felt somewhat anxious and skeptical about my ability to produce a meaningful drawing upside down. My mind was preoccupied with concerns about doing the exercise correctly and whether I would be able to access the right hemisphere of my brain effectively. This initial state was marked by a logical, analytical mindset, typical of the left hemisphere, which tends to dominate my usual approach to tasks. I noticed my thoughts were structured, and I was preoccupied with labels and expectations about what I should produce.
Once I began the exercise, I shifted into a different mental state. The act of drawing an image upside down forced me to abandon my typical interpretative approach, which is heavily reliant on verbal and rational processing. Instead, I engaged more with spatial awareness and visual intuition, which felt less demanding and more freeing. During the activity, I experienced a sense of flow and noticed that my mind let go of rigid expectations. The activity temporarily muted my inner critic, allowing me to focus on the shapes and
forms I was creating without judgment. This sensory immersion contributed to feelings of relaxation, calmness, and a heightened state of alertness, as described by Betty Edwards in her insights into the value of shifting brain activity.
After completing the drawing, I felt a sense of accomplishment mixed with relief. The experience left me more relaxed than I had anticipated, and I was surprised by the creative ideas that emerged during the process. I recognized my brain was engaged in a different mode—more intuitive and less analytical—which facilitated a mental reset. Reflecting on the exercise’s value, I believe that consciously activating the right hemisphere through such creative activities can be an effective stress reduction technique. It helped me detach from the usual rational chatter and allowed a more playful, imaginative engagement with the task. Overall, the exercise demonstrated the importance of engaging right-brain processes for relaxation and creative insight, aligning with the theories I studied about hemispheric specialization in the brain.
References
Kalat, J. W. (2008).
Introduction to Psychology (9th ed.). Thomson/Wadsworth.
Davis, M., Eshelman, E. R., & McKay, M. (2000).
The Relaxation & Stress Reduction Workbook
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Edwards, B. (1979).
Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain . TarcherPerigee.
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