In certain spiritual traditions or cultures, spirit animal refers to a spirit which helps guide or protect a person on a journey and whose characteristics that person shares or embodies.
While I have not been an animal person so to say, I have always found animal imagery in my art. I do feel that the imagery of these creatures does serve a specific role. It is very encouraging and supportive and I find that there is a kind of spirit that comes through is one that is guiding and healing. I find that I will draw tigers when I need calm strength, and I will draw cats when I need a friend, and will draw peacocks when I need some attention and you will also find horses when I need to feel grounded. I am not sure what came first, the feeling or the animal but to me, this is yet another type of visual vocabulary I rely on to convey a feeling and express myself and perhaps sooth myself.
It may not come as a surprise that my art and meditation proactive are one in the same and while my art practice is the publicly viewed and appreciated side, there is so much personal growth that happens on the private, quite personal meditative side. It is here that i learned what focus can achieve and it is though my work that i could show those benefits.