Getting Off at the Next Station
A follow-up to the first piece on Moodaling and the train.
In my earlier Substack, I introduced Moodaling as a way of exploring how our thoughts, feelings, memories, and bodily sensations interact to create and sustain a mood.
I used two images: an inner jukebox playing the music of our moods, and a train carrying us along through our day. Sketch Stretching gives us a way to stop at a station, notice what’s happening, and perhaps discover another train to ride.
That’s just a glimpse of the idea. If you’d like a fuller picture, you can go back and read the earlier piece.
But what if the idea interests you and you aren’t able to sit down with pencil and paper to begin Sketch Stretching?
Where do you start?
You can begin with a simple question:
What is my mood right now?
Give it a name. Happy, restless, irritated, relaxed, curious, discouraged—or whatever describes it.
But I think there’s an even more interesting question:
How do I feel about being in this mood?
Am I enjoying it? Am I uncomfortable? Am I resisting it? Do I wish I felt differently?
There’s a difference between experiencing a mood and noticing how we feel about experiencing it. That second question adds another layer of awareness.
Now take the exploration into your body.
What bodily sensations accompany this experience? Is there tension, warmth, lightness, heaviness, movement, or stillness? What’s happening with your breathing, shoulders, face, or posture?
You don’t have to change anything. Just notice.
For example, I might recognize that I’m irritated. But how do I feel about being irritated? Perhaps I’m enjoying the energy of it. Perhaps I’m annoyed that I’m irritated. Or perhaps I hadn’t realized how much tension I was carrying.
Each answer opens a different door.
And that’s the beginning of Moodaling.
No pencil, no paper, no special place to sit. Just a moment of curiosity about what’s happening inside.
You might discover that the train you’re riding isn’t quite the one you thought you were on.
Before trying to change your mood, take a moment to explore it. Notice how you feel about it, and see what your body has to say.
