At Be the Voice of Girls, we believe in the power of storytelling—not just through words, but through images. Today’s session with Samantha was all about exploring how a single picture can tell an entire story. With just a few pencil strokes, the girls created rich, thought-provoking narratives, demonstrating how visual storytelling can evoke emotions, spark curiosity, and invite interpretation.
More Than Just a Drawing
Samantha started the session by posing a simple but powerful question: What makes a picture tell a story? To guide the discussion, she presented two thought-provoking visual contrasts. First, she showed an image of a girl standing in the rain, looking sad, and asked, Why is she sad? The girls brainstormed possible reasons—was she alone, had she lost something, or was she simply cold? Then, Samantha revealed a second image: the same girl, still in the rain, but now smiling. What changed? she asked. Maybe a passerby had greeted her, maybe she had embraced the rain, or perhaps an unseen event had shifted her perspective.
She then presented another pair of images—one of a turtle on a deserted beach, and another of the same turtle, but with a bustling city in the background. The girls considered how the setting completely altered the meaning of the image. Was the turtle free and at peace in solitude, or was it isolated and alone? Did the city represent opportunity and excitement, or was it encroaching on the turtle’s natural habitat? These examples encouraged the girls to think deeply about how subtle details shape a story within a single image, setting the stage for their own artistic explorations.
Bringing Stories to Life Through Art
With these examples in mind, the girls got to work on their own storytelling sketches. Inspired by Samantha’s examples, they considered how small changes in context could alter a narrative. While no one directly recreated the girl in the rain or the turtle on the beach, the discussion encouraged them to think critically about the details in their own drawings—how expressions, settings, and even background elements could change the meaning of a picture.
The results were deeply personal and insightful. Some experimented with mood and setting, while others played with symbolism to craft their own unique visual stories. One particularly striking piece depicted a single bird in two different settings: first, escaping from a cage, seemingly free to fly anywhere, and then in the next image, colliding with an airplane. This sparked an intense discussion among the group—was the bird simply unlucky, or was it being protected by the cage all along? Perhaps the cage was not just a prison but a safeguard, shielding it from dangers it couldn’t foresee. The drawing invited deep reflection on the nature of freedom, protection, and the risks that come with venturing into the unknown.
The Power of Perspective
One of the most exciting moments came when the girls shared their interpretations of each other’s work. A drawing of a mother bird feeding her chicks sparked different reactions—was it a simple act of nature, or did it symbolize sacrifice and care? A seemingly peaceful figure standing alone in a field made some think of independence, while others saw loneliness.
These discussions underscored the depth of visual storytelling—how a single image can lead to endless interpretations. It also reinforced the importance of perspective, reminding the girls that every viewer brings their own experiences and emotions to the art they see.
Why This Matters
Storytelling is a fundamental part of human connection, and today’s session showed that stories aren’t just told with words—they are drawn, felt, and experienced. By learning how to communicate complex emotions through a single image, the girls strengthened their ability to express themselves creatively and critically.
This session was a reminder that every sketch, every stroke, and every idea carries meaning. Art is more than aesthetics—it is a powerful tool for expression, communication, and understanding. The girls walked away not just as artists, but as storytellers, ready to use their creativity to share their unique perspectives with the world.
Stay tuned for more stories from Be the Voice of Girls, where every drawing speaks volumes!
