You need at least one piece of paper and some sort of writing utensil; I suggest using a pen because you really shouldn't erase. Write what you feel, as you feel it. Focus on sensory details and how each description you give makes you feel; be as detailed as possible. If it helps, you may also want to draw a picture.
You are in a desert alone. Describe the setting and how the setting makes you feel, mentally and physically.
A cube appears. What color is the cube? How big is the cube? In relation to the desert's size, how big is the cube? Can you see through the cube? What is the cube made out of? How far is the cube from you; where is it in relation to your setting?
A ladder appears. Where is the ladder in relation to the cube? Does the ladder lean on the cube; is it free standing? What color is the ladder? What is the ladder made out of? How many rungs are on the ladder?
A horse appears. In relation to the cube and ladder, where is the horse? Describe the appearance and demeanor of the horse. How does it react to the ladder and cube; does it notice them at all? Is the horse tied up, or is it free standing. If it is tied, what is it tied to? Does the horse wear a saddle? Describe the saddle.
Flowers grow. How many flowers are there? Where are the flowers in relation to everything else? Describe the flowers. How do the flowers make you feel?
A storm erupts. Is the storm near you, near the items? If it is near the items, what items is it near? Where is the storm? Is the storm passing through, or here to stay? Describe the severity of the storm.
Find closure to your descriptive story.
Now, here are my answers to the Cube Test, as I wrote them in my class journal (with some editing). If you answered differently, you're not wrong. There is no right or wrong to this test. It's about personality.
The desert is sprawling, entirely made of sand. Dunes and hills are sprawled out around the massive desert. There are no clouds in the sky, only the bright, huge sun. I can feel the heat from the ground in my feet. The sand blows around with the wind. It is like an oven of scorching light. There is a little sand colored cube with curved edges maybe eight inches on each side sitting on the ground before me.
Right behind the cube, a silver colored metal ladder is standing at angle as if it were leaning on something, but there is nothing there for it to be leaning on. It has about eight or nine flat rungs.
A horse appears, tied by it's reins to the ladder about halfway up the rungs. The horse seems unhappy, focusing on it's confinement to the ladder, but doesn't try to escape, it seems patient. The horse is sweating profusely. It is brown with white furred hooves and a white spot above his nose. It looks desperate for relief from the squelching heat. It seems to beg me to care for it.
Flowers emerge spontaneously before the horse and next to the cube, forming a square shape between the four, like what is seen to the left. The flowers are tiny and pink with green oval leaves circling the open petals. There are about two hundred of them. They appear completely cared for, without even the want of water. They seem grossly out of place in the desert setting. They remain unaffected by the terrible heat.From nowhere, a thunderstorm appears to my right in the distance. I hope it will come to me to cool me off. I see dark clouds and rain and hear the monstrous roar of thunder in the distance. I pray desperately that the storm comes to relieve me. The horse is spooked by the thunder and tries to run away, but the ladder holds strong. I am overcome by the smell of rain, the darkening sky, and the hope it brings. I pass out, cooled from the rain. Everything goes black and its over; I am happy.
And now for the interpretation tools:
The Desert, the world around you
If your desert is sprawling, without a visible end, you are well aware of the vastness of the world. You realize that there are lots of people, spreading far and wide. You are likely to think that there is too much to explore in a lifetime. And you could be overwhelmed by the world around you. If your desert has visible borders, you are aware of the world directly around you, but do not pay much attention to the world at large. You are probably mostly grounded in your community and home life. If your desert is oppressive, the world around you has a lot of affect on you, not necessarily negatively. If you don't pay much attention to the physical feel of the desert, then you are mostly unaffected by the world (at large) around you.
The Cube, yourself
If the cube is made out of stone, or something solid, you are very determined in your thoughts and actions. You do what you think is right for yourself. If your cube is made of glass or a delicate material that can easily break or fall apart, you are very sensitive and can easily become upset or emotional. Likewise, you can almost fall apart when overjoyed. If your cube is small in relation to the desert, you don't have a large ego. Then, if your cube is large in relation to the desert, you have a large ego. If your cube (by actual size, excluding the desert) is relatively small, you may be more introverted or not one hundred percent confident - for example, my cube would be considered just under medium size; it's not minuscule, but definitely not large. If your cube is large, then you are very confident and feel in the spotlight when in a group of people (even if you aren't actually the center of attention). If the cube is see-through, you feel that people can easily read you. If, like mine, it is either the color of the background or barely visible, then you feel as if you're a chameleon. You can blend into the background in a group, or make yourself known. You have the ability to adapt to your surroundings. If your cube is black or dark, you are likely to be either very secretive or feel as if people are unable to read or understand you. You also may be hiding something. If the cube is near you, then you feel you know yourself pretty well. If the cube is far away from you, you feel that you haven't quite found yourself yet.
The Ladder, friendships
If the ladder leans on the cube, then you feel that your friends are very reliant on you. If the ladder supports the cube, then you rely a lot on your friends. If your ladder is made out of strong material, like metal, then your friendships are strong. Also, if the ladder is securely grounded, you are therefore secure in your bonds of friendship; your friends are always there for you. If your ladder is laying on the ground, you don't give much value to friendship in your life. If the ladder is close to you, then your friends are always there for you. If the ladder is close to the cube, you feel your friends understand you on a deeper level. If the ladder is far away from you/the cube, then you often feel distanced from your friends. If you feel okay in your story regarding the distance between you and the ladder (if the ladder is far away), then you have chosen to distance yourself. If you aren't okay with the distance, then you feel ostracized by your "friends".
The Horse, your lover
If the horse travels towards the ladder, then your lover (or prospective lover) was friends with either you or your friends before your relationship grew. If the horse travels towards you, then your lover follows you blindly, with absolute devotion and trust. If the horse travels to the cube, it is likely your lover is indeed in love with you and prefers you over anything else. If the horse is traveling away from you or the cube, well... However, if the horse is traveling away from you but you seem okay with it, then either you're neutrally parting ways or your lover is just very social and you're okay with that. If the horse is tied up to something, you are possessive of your lover - in my case, since it is tied to the ladder, my friends would be the ones to keep a grip on him, if that were applicable. If the horse is saddled, you like to control your lover. If your horse seems upset, notice where it directs its disgruntlement, that is where your lover is likely to be discontented in the relationship. Notice obvious behaviors, like in my case, the horse needs me to care for it, so I would be caring for my lover; and the horse is being patient, so he is allowing my friends to keep a grip on him while he waits for my attention and care.
The Flowers, your children
The way your flowers appear may describe how your children came into the world (or how they will come into the world). If you individualize your flowers, then you are likely to devote a lot of time to your individual children. If there are lots of flowers, you probably have lots of children. If they are flourishing, that's good for them. If the flowers are wilting or are dead, well don't lose hope. Notice how the attention you give to the flowers, and interpret obviously.
The Storm, your life obstacle(s)
If your storm is near you, or directly effecting you, then you are controlled and driven by your obstacles. If your storm hovers over the cube only, then you feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders. You are unaware of other people having their own obstacles and feel your's the greatest. If the storm surrounds the whole area, then you feel like the world as a whole is affected by your personal obstacles. If the storm effects the individual objects, then I'm sure you can figure out the obvious.
How you end your story can be interesting for the individual to interpret as well. Using the tools from above, I'm sure you can figure out a well thought-out interpretation.
No comments:
Post a Comment