An exercise in empathy/shared experience (How my brain is working right now)

Part One:

1. Set a timer for 5 minutes and another for 1 minute.

2. Pick a project that is of importance to you. This can be anything new or in progress; a drawing, painting, assignment, etc. Sit down at your workstation, start the 5 minute timer, and begin working. Stop at the end of the timer and leave everything as is.

3. Move to a different room and find something to organize/clean. Preferably something too long to finish in 1 minute. Start the 1 minute timer and begin. Try to move quickly and do your best to finish the task. When the timer ends, again leave everything as is and repeat step 3 two more times.

4. Sit down at your workstation once again, and set a timer for 1 minute once more. At this point you might be feeling a bit stressed, take some time to relax; watch a video, browse the web, eat a snack, etc. Ignore the timer, return to the original project and move on to part two once you feel ready.

Part Two:

1. Take a moment to reflect on what the exercise felt like before, during, and after. Did it feel frustrating, familiar, pointless? You can take as much or as little time as you want.

2. Create an art piece that expresses those feelings. It can be a drawing, poem, video, or whatever other medium you prefer.