The role of the unconscious in creation in the paintings of children between 4-9 years old

Children's drawings go beyond mere shapes; they serve as a form of expression laden with profound meanings that articulate the feelings and thoughts of the child. Additionally, drawings offer a unique opportunity to comprehend a child's interests, internal conflicts, experiences, living environments, and unspoken issues. Drawing is not merely a window into the child's individuality; it also, as a mode of communication, symbolically mirrors the child's unconscious. When expressing specific emotions, children tend to depict similar objects or use analogous colors. Consequently, the significance of analyzing drawings created by children becomes evident in deciphering the child's mental language. This underscores the importance of the concept of archetypes, aligning with Carl Jung's identification of symbols associated with shared emotions and perceptions across generations. This study delved into the processes by which children articulate their world through drawings. The objective was to comprehend how the unconscious is interconnected with elements such as content, form, and color in paintings. In this study, document analysis, a qualitative research method, was employed for a thorough examination. The participant selection utilized a purposeful sampling technique, and the gathered data underwent analysis employing the hermeneutic technique. The theoretical framework underpinning this thesis is the Psychoanalytic Theory of Creativity, which centers on the unconscious and the origins of creativity, scrutinizing the motivations that drive creativity. This theory encompasses Sigmund Freud's defense mechanisms and Carl Jung's archetype concepts.The study was grounded in qualitative research methods, encompassing drawings from both the "pre-schema" and "schematic period" of children. These drawings were selected using the purposive sampling technique, and the 15 participants collaborated with relevant experts. The paintings depicted elements such as family, dreams, earthquakes, and characters from digital media. Notably, it was observed that the images in the paintings aligned with Jung's archetypes of individualization, situational contexts, and symbolism. Simultaneously, the written statements accompanying the participants' drawings supported the interpretative analyses conducted by the researcher using the hermeneutic technique. The symbols within the drawings unveiled the adverse experiences encountered by the participants in their living environments, highlighting the influence of both internal and external factors and providing insights into the unconscious impulses of children. The participants' drawings emerge as a significant tool for comprehending the intricate relationship between their psychological states and the images they create. Keywords:Children's Drawings, Unconscious, Creativity, Archetype.