Projective Technique

A surprisingly effective strategy for revealing hidden thoughts is to set yourself a time limit, start the timer and then write continually commencing with, “Once upon a time….”

The power of starting with the traditional fairy story opening is that it can free you from normal constraint.  I once watched this activity completed by 25 adults in a “Building Better Self-Esteem” program.  The stories were amazing and revealed highly pertinent information about the authors.  Information they could then use to get better success in their futures.

Here’s an example:

Once upon a time…

Once upon a time star fell from the heavens and onto the side of a creek.  It landed in mud and lay listening to the noises of the night.  In space everything is silent, but on Earth there was clicking, chirping, sighs.  So many unfamiliar sounds.  The star was frightened.  It didn’t know how to deal with this environment.  What was it to do?

As the star lay there in the mud, a tadpole wiggled past.  The tadpole looked at the star.  “What are you doing here?”

The star looked sad and said, “I fell from the sky.”

“What were you doing up there?” asked the tadpole.

“It’s what I do,” replied the star.  “Stars are in the sky.  We shine.”

“Yes, but what you do you DO?” asked the tadpole.

“We don’t do anything,” replied the star.  “We shine.”

“Doesn’t that get boring?” asked the tadpole.

“Well, yes.”  replied the star

“So how did you end up down here?” asked the tadpole.

“I fell,” replied the star.

“Yes, but how did you fall?” asked the tadpole

“I was fidgeting,” replied the star

The tadpole laughed.  “You were fidgeting?”

“Yes”, replied star, looking shamefaced.

“That’s okay,” said the tadpole.  “I often fidget which is why I like being a tadpole.  I have this tail and I can swim around in the water and in the mud.  Soon things will get even better.  I’m going to become a frog.  Then I’ll be able to do even more.  I’ll be able to jump, chase insects, make great noises.  I will be able to swim like I can now AND I’ll be able to go on land.  I will be so much more than I am now.”

“This sounds interesting.  How do you do that?” the star asked.

“Easy,” laughed the tadpole.  “I’ll change.  That all you need to do to be more.  CHANGE!”

The star looked thoughtful.  “I would like to do that.  I ‘d like to be more.”

“Well, you can,” replied the tadpole.  “You just need to change.”

“How do I do that?”asked the star.

“Well, it’s no good just hanging around in the sky looking pretty.  You need to DO something.  You need to come down here in the water and in the mud and DO things.  Change isn’t always pretty, and it isn’t always neat or tidy.  It requires effort, action, mistakes, getting muddy, lost and even frightened.  But it is fun!  It’s living.”

The star looked up at the night sky where he could see other stars shining.  “They look very far away,” he said.

“Yes,” replied the tadpole.  “They’re also pretty.”

“But…,” said the star.

“But?” asked the tadpole.

“We don’t do much.  That’s why I was fidgeting.  I was dissatisfied…bored.”

“There you go,” said the tadpole.  “You’ve answered your own question.”

“What question was that?” asked the star.

“Why the question of whether you want to keep doing what you were doing.  You don’t.  You were bored and getting uncomfortable.  Ready for a change.  I can hardly imagine that you would be able to fall out of the sky if you weren’t ready for something different,” said the tadpole.

“Well, what should I be?’ asked the star.

“What do you want to be?” asked the frog back.

“I don’t know,” said the star sadly.

“Why sad?” asked the frog.

“Because I don’t know what to be,” replied the star.

The frog laughed.  “No, my friend.  That’s the best bit.  It’s all an adventure.  Just hop into the water and start swimming.  Who knows where you might end up?”

“But that’s frightening,” said the star.

“No!” said the frog.  “That’s exciting.”

The star looked at the frog.  “But you were a tadpole a minute ago.”

The frog laughed.  “Yes, I changed!”

 

 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT!