Art as a Type of Forcing?

[Legba]

I'm one of those people who has a really hard time active forcing. Between long work days, anxiety, intrusive thoughts, falling asleep, etc, I'm lucky if I get to have an hour long session every couple days. I was really concerned that, especially as early on in the process as I am, that this would really hinder me. But something a little unexpected has been happening.

 

I draw, and I've been working on either actual portraits of my tulpa, or detail studies of her features, or drawings of domesticated rats since she's a ratfolk, pretty much exclusively since I started working on her. And every time I finish a picture, the next time I visit my wonderland she's made a huge leap in how detailed and concrete her physical form is. Things that I'd struggled to visualize and stubbornly remained amorphous blobs are there and vivid after I draw them.

 

Has anyone else had any experiences with this phenomenon, or have any advice on how to utilize this to it's potential?

[Drakaina]

Yep. I use art as my primary, and most productive, forcing method.

 

I've found going full detail on the first few to help visualize and establish my tulpas form was good, and then shifted gears to less finalized sketches and doodles of her. I'll fill up a whole page of different expressions, poses, and other things she feeds me. Like one of those photo booths at the fair, I get snapshots and then draw them out.

 

As it goes on, I find that after a sketch, Isa may add comments to it, or put words to the face she'd just made at me (that I'd drawn out). Through this we can communicate outside of mental narration, and sometimes it's easier for me to get what she's saying when I do this. I find in general, art takes my tulpamancing out of my headspace (which seems to be covered in perpetual fog) and out in front of my face. Which helps me force and communicate with less distraction.

 

You can always narrate or listen for your tulpa while you draw, too. I've gotten feedback on Isa's design before. "More fluff here. Make my ears bigger." And they can help you shape their form too by doing that.