Lecture
The formation of the personality of a performer and an artist is linked to mastering
those methods of activity by means of which an artistic image is created. Therefore, those who wish to become servants of the muses will have to work
long and persistently on perfecting their talent. Special knowledge, abilities and skills in each art form do not by themselves
create an artistic masterpiece, but they are necessary in order to come closer to the possibility of creating one. In order to master these knowledge, abilities and skills to a sufficient degree, one must simultaneously develop the sense organs and those mental cognitive processes that
develop on their basis. The perfection of all the senses — hearing, sight, touch, smell, taste — and the development, on their basis, of sensations, perceptions, thinking, memory and imagination — is the preliminary condition without which no Artist can come into being.
Unfortunately, in today's training programs at institutes of
culture and the arts for future performers of various specializations, there are no special psychological methods aimed at developing their mental and psychotechnical abilities. Therefore, the exercises given in this section are intended mainly for the independent work of future masters of various arts.
Mental cognitive processes represent the sequential reflection in a person's consciousness of the objects and phenomena of the objective world. In Russian psychology, three levels of cognition of surrounding reality are distinguished: the elementary level (sensation and perception), the intermediate level (representation and imagination), and the highest level
(thinking). The solving of cognitive tasks at the elementary and intermediate levels is provided by the processes of attention and memory, while at the highest level it is provided by
speech.
The level of development of a person's mental cognitive processes,
which include sensations, perception, thinking, memory and imagination, has the most direct influence on a person's capacity for creative action. The better developed all of the listed cognitive
processes are, the greater the likelihood that the product of the creativity will
have some value. This is why, in the psychology and pedagogy of any form of
creativity, great importance is attached to the development of cognitive processes.
Exercises for developing attention
Training for the development of attention may include the following
exercises
4 V.I. Petrushin, Psychology and Pedagogy of Artistic Creativity (pp. 233-
234).
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1. Look ahead of you with a «photographic» gaze, close your eyes and list the objects you saw.
2. Close your eyes and try to hear all the sounds and overtones
reaching your hearing.
3. With your eyes closed, pay attention to your body, to the presence in it
of muscular clamps, and eliminate them.
4. Examine various objects (a watch, a pencil, a book).
Find distinctive features in them and say these differences out loud.
5. Write, as if along a ruled line, a piece of text in beautiful, even handwriting, with your eyes closed.
6. Perform complex actions under various kinds of interference:
for example, play a piece of music with the aim of playing it flawlessly while the radio or television is on, or repeat the text
of a role while traveling on public transport.
7. While listening to a piece of music, mentally try to sing along with its main melody.
8. While listening to a singer, silently repeat the words of the song or
aria after them.
9. After listening to a news report on the radio or television, reproduce
its main ideas and thoughts.
10. Before falling asleep, to fall asleep quickly, learn to concentrate
attention on your breathing, counting the inhalations and exhalations. Then concentrate attention on different parts of the body, evoking in them sensations of warmth and
pleasant heaviness, i.e. carry out autogenic training.
11. Write, mixed together, in a 10-by-10 cm square, Arabic and Roman numerals from 1 to 24. Practice with a stopwatch quickly finding the one and the other numerals in forward and reverse order.
12. Draw with both hands at once. One hand draws a circle, the other a triangle. Then do the same – with a foot and a hand.
13. Hang posters with slogans in your room, reminding you
to pay attention to the need to solve self-education tasks: «Don't
slouch!», «Do it in advance!», «Relax your clenched muscles!».
Exercises in pairs.
1. «What am I writing?» Use a finger to write letters and words on the back of your partner's hand or on their back.
2. «Find the differences». The first partner looks at the second and memorizes what their hairstyle and clothing look like. Then the first partner turns away
for one minute, while the second changes elements of their clothing and
hairstyle. The first partner turns back around and looks for the changes made
by the second.
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3. «Mirror». The first partner performs various movements, the second copies them, first in the same order, and then in reverse order.
4. «Blind man and guide». The first partner has their eyes covered, the second
must guide them through the room using verbal commands, so that the first partner
does not bump into the tables and chairs in the room.
5. «Sculpture». The first partner holds an intricate pose for 2-3 seconds. The second tries to reproduce it exactly.
Exercises in a group
1. «Typewriter». If there are 12-15 people in the group, then, taking turns saying the letters of the alphabet, each person receives two or three letters. After this the leader sets some poem, and it is read silently by all the members of the group. Whoever's letter is due to be spoken claps their hands; when a word ends, everyone stands up or claps their hands two
times. The pace should at first be slow. This exercise excellently develops the ability to act mentally and the ability to hold a whole picture of the action in memory.
2. The one who is «it» memorizes, over five seconds, who is sitting where. Then they turn away, and at that moment the members of the group change seats and swap places among themselves. After five seconds the one who is «it» must seat everyone back in their
original places. Both attention and memory are developed at the same time.
3. The group thinks up a phrase from a well-known poem. Each member of the group says one word from it. When the one who is «it» comes in, the group says the phrase in chorus. The one who is «it» must guess it.
4. A variant of the exercise – two, three or four people sing a song at the same time, and one must distinguish each person by their voice.
5. «Rhythm on the knees». The members of the group sit in a circle and place their hands on their own knees. On the leader's command «Ap!», the participants begin
to clap their own knees, maintaining a rhythmic evenness of claps. In
a second variant, the hands are placed on the neighbors' knees. The whole group ends up with crossed arms. The same exercise is performed. On the leader's signal
the direction of the claps' movement is reversed.
6. «Fast crayfish». Several objects are placed on the floor,
and a group of 5-6 people, moving in single file but backward,
must quickly go around them without touching them. The group that manages to complete the task faster than the others wins.
7. «Sit, stand, and crouch». The leader performs one
action, but names another while doing so. The group must do what
the leader says, not what they do. Later one can add: «arms to the
side, together, up»
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The development of attention in yoga
Interesting methods for developing attention were worked out in the practice of yoga. It is known that K. S. Stanislavski, when developing his
system, made wide use of yogic exercises to develop focused attention skills in his students.
The «Yoga Sutra» is a work by the ancient Indian sage named Patanjali, who wrote it in the second century BCE. The book describes
the path to achieving a harmonious and enlightened state of the soul, consisting of eight steps. The sixth step of this path consists of exercises in focus and concentration of attention – Dharana, and
exercises in contemplation and meditation – Dhyana.
The tasks of Dharana include acquiring the skill of holding one's thoughts
on a single object, real or imagined. To do this, one must
achieve calmness of the body, breath, and consciousness. Attention should be concentrated not on the outer form of the object, but on its inner essence. This stage is considered achieved if one manages to hold attention on the chosen object for at least 12 seconds. In doing so, not a single extraneous thought, nor a single signal from external sense organs or internal organs, should arise.
Dhyana involves prolonged contemplation of the object. Dharana, that
is, simple concentration, turns into Dhyana, that is, meditation, if one manages to hold attention for 12 Dharanas, that is, 144 seconds.
The principles of developing and managing attention proposed in Indian yoga later found wide application in the system of autogenic training proposed by the German physician Johannes Schultz,
for the prevention and treatment of various kinds of neuroses.
Autogenic training (AT), developed by J. Schultz in the 1930s, consists of two stages. At the first stage, a person masters and
develops the skill of voluntarily evoking in themselves sensations of warmth, heaviness in the limbs, changes in the rhythm of the heartbeat, a sensation
of coolness in the area of the forehead, thanks to which they immerse themselves in a pleasant state of muscular relaxation. In this state one can rest effectively and engage in self-education.
The second stage of AT, aimed at the spiritual development of the personality and
the development of creative potential, includes several psychophysical exercises based on the concentration of attention.
1. Voluntarily picturing on the screen of the inner eye various colors – blue, red, yellow, green.
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2. Linking the imagined color with certain sensations. Thus, red and yellow colors evoke a sensation of warmth, blue –
of coolness in the area of the forehead, purple – a sensation of mystery and enigma, brown – of anxiety and depression.
3. Conjuring in the mind images of various objects and holding these images for as long as needed.
4. Concentrating attention on abstract concepts, such as
«freedom», «happiness», «slavery». The first concept may become linked with such
associations and images as flight, soaring, an uplift of spiritual strength. The last – with such things as a cave and being crushed under a heap of stones.
5. Concentrating attention on sensations of the highest fullness of life, similar to those which the American psychologist A. Maslow spoke of as peak experiences. One can imagine oneself on a ship battling a storm, or on a mountain peak after a difficult ascent, or as if experiencing rapture at the perception of a beautiful work of art. In ordinary life people experience
such experiences rarely, by chance, and spontaneously. Meanwhile the practice
of such meditative training makes it possible to do this consciously and regularly.
6. Concentrating attention on the images of other people. At first
this is done in relation to people who are not of great emotional significance for the person practicing. Then images of
emotionally significant people are evoked. In a state of meditation it is possible to understand them better,
to foresee their actions, and to work out the most correct way of behaving toward
them.
7. Awakening within oneself one's own inner sage, of whom one can ask: «How would it be best for me to act in this situation?» or
«What is the meaning of my life?».
In Eastern philosophy it is believed that in this state a person
can connect to the information field of Humanity (the noosphere,
according to Vernadsky) and receive from it all the information necessary about how
to act in one situation or another. A more realistic explanation
is connected with drawing on the experience of intuitive thinking.
8. Evoking the experience of the merging of one's Self with the entire surrounding
world, achieving a sensation of psychophysical unity and an unbreakable connection with the Cosmos.
From everything said above we can conclude that the focused development of one's attention is an important task for every person
who has decided to devote their life to artistic creativity.
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Exercises for developing sensations
As simple everyday observations show, every person's sensations
are developed to a different degree. In the practice of neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), it was found that people are divided into:
visualists, in whom visual sensations are the most strongly developed. Such people prefer
visual perception of the world, saying, when solving some problem, that
«this needs to be looked at from different angles», or «I see this goal quite dimly»;
auditory types, in whom auditory sensations are the most strongly developed. They
perceive the world «by ear», saying in various situations: «this sounds somehow strange», or «there is a false note to be heard in this matter»;
kinesthetic types, who perceive the world on the basis of sensations. In
their speech such words and expressions often sound, as «this problem
weighs on me» and «there is a lot of roughness in this solution».
Every performer and artist needs to know well their own natural
leading sensory system, to develop it first and foremost, and to
specialize in it. It follows from this that a visualist should become a painter, and an auditory type — a musician. If the chosen specialization turns out not to correspond to the person's natural type, then certain difficulties may arise in acquiring the profession.
To determine the leading sensory system, the practice of NLP involves studying eye movement when a person is asked to recall some situation from childhood. In visualists the eyes will move upward, in
auditory types – from side to side, in kinesthetic types they will move downward.
Possessing a well-developed capacity for a variety of sensations is
a very important professional quality, one that greatly helps in the creative process. Any abilities, including the ability for subtle
sensations, as has been conclusively proven by modern psychology, can be developed through the corresponding activity. Engagement in the corresponding activity is present in every kind of professional
artistic training.
Thus, musicians, in order to develop auditory sensations, use such
techniques for developing hearing as:
- writing musical dictations;
- solfège, i.e. singing a melody from notes while naming them;
- identifying individual groups of instruments within the sound of an orchestra;
— picking out a melody by ear on a musical instrument along with accompaniment for it.
To develop musical synesthesia one can apply
exercises such as describing individual notes, intervals and chords in words
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used to describe taste, tactile, and olfactory
sensations. For example, «a sour sound», or «a rough harmony», or a chord that is «fragrant with the aroma of roses».
For artists, to develop the subtlety of visual sensations, one can
use such techniques as:
— breaking down a single color into several components that form a gradual transition, for example, from dark blue to light blue. 25 — 30 shades of one and the same color are a good result;
— determining the proportions of the constituent simple colors in complex color mixtures;
— comparing several lines, circles and ovals differing in length,
whose parameters differ from one another by ever-smaller amounts.
For dancers, movement and muscular sensations can be developed through the following exercises:
— in the process of static stretching and arching exercises;
— in creating «sculptural compositions» that express a particular mood, and fixing attention on the muscular
sensations needed for this;
— in the process of subordinating one's movements to the rhythm of the music;
— in the process of choreographically expressing the emotional content of musical and poetic works, as well as of paintings;
— in the process of improvising a dance on a given image or musical theme;
— in the process of performing the «Stop» exercise and fixing the muscle groups involved in creating the pose.
An exercise for developing sensations
This exercise is taken from the practice of gestalt therapy, which is based
on a clear awareness of one's sensations.
Prepare in advance:
• several aromatic substances – flowers or perfume.
• pieces of apples, strawberries, peaches, or any other fruit.
1. Look around you and pay attention to all the things and
objects that are within your field of vision. Begin examining them and naming them (here are shelves with books, here are photographs, here is a
music system, here are curtains, and so on). Then stop at some
object, for example a pen, and begin simply looking at it, not
naming it, but simply contemplating it.
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2. Now close your eyes and listen to the sounds that you can hear. What do you hear in them — the hum of passing cars, echoes of conversations, someone's footsteps, something else? Next move your attention to the sounds coming from your body. Can you hear the beating of your
heart? Your breathing, or the rumbling of your stomach?
3. Now, again closing your eyes, concentrate on your sense of smell and the scents that you inhale. What does the air you breathe smell of? Is it fresh enough? What do your hands, your skin, smell of? Is there a smell
of dust or some other smell to the books you are reading?
Try to imagine the scent of your favorite flowers or perfume.
Immerse yourself in it with a feeling of enjoyment and peace.
4. Now move on to taste sensations. What sensations
are there in your mouth right now? Put a piece of apple or a little jam in your mouth.
What sensations do you experience? What did you feel when you began to swallow the food? What new sensations appeared in your stomach afterward?
5. Next move on to the sensations connected with breathing. Are you
breathing evenly right now? Or are there some pauses in your breathing? Are you breathing with your stomach or your chest? Or perhaps
you are breathing only using clavicular breathing? Which phase is longer — the inhale or the exhale? Do you exhale fully when you exhale? How do your shoulders behave on the inhale — are they at rest,
or do they rise a little?
6. Now let us turn to tactile sensations. Again close your eyes and bring your palms together. What do they feel like? Dry or moist? Warm
or cold? 7. With your right hand run it along the left side of your body,
feeling it. How is it perceived — light or dark? Masculine or feminine? Rational or emotional?
8. With your left hand run it along the right side of your body and ask yourself the
same questions. Compare the sensations from the right and left sides of your
body.
9. Finally, move on to an awareness of bodily sensations. Take a comfortable pose (sitting or lying down). Observe your breathing. It
should become completely calm. Repeat to yourself: «I am breathing in and
breathing out, I am breathing in and breathing out».
10. Do you feel how the air enters through your nostrils and exits? Are your cheeks cool or warm right now? Are your lips pressed together or slightly open? Are the muscles around your eyes free, or are you squinting? How do your cheekbones behave? Are they tensed or relaxed?
11. Now listen to your heart, feel the rhythms of its beating. In
what places in your body can they still be felt echoing?
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12. Next, mentally travel through your body. Start with your hands. What
do you feel now in your right hand? Is it tense or relaxed? What
position is it in? Is it comfortable or not? Do the same
with your left hand.
13. Move your attention to your neck and head. Are they in a comfortable position?
Your shoulders. What do you feel in them? Tension or calm? Relax
them if there is tension in them.
14. Move your attention to your chest and stomach. Are they pleasant and comfortable? Is everything calm inside your stomach? Mentally descend into the area of the pelvis. How are the sphincters behaving? Tense or calm?
15. Move your attention to your spine. Mentally stroke and
massage it with your hands. Feel how a warm energy flows through it.
Feel it spreading down your legs — your thighs, calves, feet.
16. Now feel your body as a single whole. Greet it, say to it: «This is me (say your name). I live here». Tell your body that you love it and will take care of it.
17. Now rest, and recall which sensations you worked with
gave you the greatest pleasure? How do you most like to
perceive the surrounding world — by sight, by hearing, or by bodily sensations?
18. Remember your sensations, open your eyes and look around. What
has changed after doing this exercise?
A few comments on the exercise given above.
According to research by American psychologists, right-handed people perceive the left side of their body as feminine, dark, and intuitive, and the right side — as clear, masculine, and rational.
One's favorite way of connecting with the surrounding world through a specific sense organ is at the same time the most psychotherapeutic. Therefore for a visualist the most suitable means of improving well-being will be drawing and painting lessons, for an auditory type — engaging with music,
for a kinesthetic type — movement and static exercises,
as well as dancing
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