If you’re vaguely familiar with any of the Superman comics, TV Shows or movies, then you’ve heard about the Fortress of Solitude. It’s a frozen fortress in the Arctic, where Superman learns about who he truly is, and where he retreats to think and to connect to himself, far away from civilisation.
Faced with the hustle and bustle, endless chores, pressures and stresses of everyday life, I believe we could all use our own Fortress of Solitude.
In Fight Club it was Edward Norton’s Penguin Cave. Just can also simply call it your Happy Place, or your Safe Space.
It’s a place, either real or in your mind, that you can retreat to, where you can recharge your batteries. Where feel safe, so you can let go of your fears and worries. Where you leave all your stress at the door.
The Activity: Draw your happy place
Choose any medium you like. In fact, your preferred medium is best for this exercise.
Step 1: Find your Happy Place
Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Now imagine you’re in a place of complete serenity and peace. You feel safe and protected. The world could end outside, but you wouldn’t really care because you’re here, and you’re happy.
What is that place? Is it an actual location, or an activity? Maybe it’s just the feeling of sunshine on your skin or the smell of freshly cut grass.
Step 2: Visualise
Make a drawing of your happy place in your favourite medium. While you’re drawing, think of what else you can find there. Are there certain sounds, or smells? Music that goes with it? Are there other people there with you?
Step 3: Retreat
Keep your drawing in a place you can see it. When you feel stressed, retreat to your Fortress of Solitude. Either a short while, by looking at the image and visiting it in your mind. Or for longer, by visiting the actual place if it exists, or doing the activity.
My Example
It’s probably not a surprise that my Fortress of Solitude involves drawing. But I realised it’s a bit more specific than that. It’s drawing Bob-Ross-Style landscapes, in a way that lets me use a bunch of different mediums and be a bit messy in the process.
There also needs to be a copious amount of tea, art supplies and stationery all around me.
Ah, bliss.
How about you, what’s in your Fortress of Solitude?
My fortress of fortitude is divided in two. The first part is a warm cup with tea in it, a fluffy pillow, a cozy blanket, by the window and a block to write in.
The other is just walking under trees. Endlessly walking staring at the canopy and letting thoughts fly around like monkeys.