Rorschach’s Test

Creatively unlocking our inner worlds

Photo by Nicolas Thomas on Unsplash

We often project into the world what is going on inside. This was why Herman Rorschach (1884-1922) invented his iconic test. Rorschach was a visual artist, from a family of artists, interested in perception and inspired by the work of the psychiatrists Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung who believed that interpreting visual symbols could provide insight into a person's unconscious. 

Writers and artists for centuries have employed a form of projection, using recurring themes and imagery to reveal their characters' inner worlds and drive narratives. By examining recurring themes in our creative endeavors or even in our daily lives, we can begin a journey of self-discovery, much like interpreting a Rorschach inkblot, reading a work of literature, studying a piece of modern abstract art, or mindfully watching films.

Rorschach’s test was a way to probe the mind by presenting participants with a series of ambiguous inkblots and asking them to describe what they saw…