Visualizing Gender Dysphoria
The third step with externalization is to visualize what it looks like! Drawing a picture of the gender dysphoria helps to visualize it as separate from you.
Take a moment to close your eyes and picture the gender dysphoria. What is its shape? What colors does it have? Is it big or small? Human like or monstrous? Once you can see what the gender dysphoria looks like, draw it out on paper or however you create art. The point is not to be the best artist, but bonus points if you are. The goal is to think about what gender dysphoria looks like as something separate from yourself.
When you’re done with your drawing, take a photo of it and upload it below. Once you upload the photo, it gets saved in the program, making it easy for you to come back and see it later whenever you’d like.
Then, complete the activity to describe how this picture reflects your gender dysphoria.
We recognize that some folks may feel hesitant about drawing the gender dysphoria because you think you’re not a good artist or are unsure how to get started. You’re not alone in feeling stuck, but we want to encourage you to give it a try anyway! Here’s what others have said about the drawing exercise:
“The drawing exercise seemed silly at first, it forced me to really think about how I picture my dysphoria and why it appears that way. I found it surprisingly helpful.” (white, trans woman)
“While I initially found the drawing portion annoying (mostly because I am not an artist, and feel self-conscious of attempts to create art), it actually ended up being a very powerful component of this exercise.” (Middle Eastern, nonbinary transmasculine individual)
If you find yourself unable to draw the gender dysphoria for any reason, try finding an image that reflects how it feels to you. You can search for pictures that resonate with your experiences, whether it’s something abstract, a photo, or even a symbol that represents your experience. Once you’ve found an image that represents the gender dysphoria, upload it below.