Pause Picture Pack

Watercolour cards for reflection and conversation

Use these cards with the open-ended questions provided to gently open space to explore meaningful topics and make connections. 

The cards allow the participant to lead, choosing the pace, depth and content of the encounter.

The cards and questions have been trialled in a wide variety of situations with adults children and young people, with groups and individuals, including hospital patients, families and staff. 

How to use the cards

Lay out a selection of 10–16 cards in front of your participant or group. 

Slowly ask the questions below, leaving plenty of space for them to reflect and chat if they want to.

Finish by leaving them with a gift of the card which they chose for question 7.

Each pack has 48 cards, enough for at least 30 encounters. Top up packs are available from BeechPublishing.com

The cards have been developed for use within the healthcare chaplaincy, assuming that the facilitator brings skills including active and multisensory listening, compassionate, non-judgemental attitude, and the desire to be participant led.

Questions to use with the cards

Opening questions 1, 2 and 3 to empower the participant with a choice whether to join in, whether to reflect or chat as well, as well as offering a taster of the activity (choosing different pictures).

These are followed by Core Questions 4, 5 and 6 which can vary depending on how well you know the participant and the purpose of the encounter. You can find more ideas for these on page 7.

The goal is to allow the participant to choose the pace, depth and content of the reflection, and whether they want to share their thoughts or reflect in silence.

The encounter ends with Closing question 7 to give participants a moment to choose what they would like to take away.

Opening questions

1 Would you like to see my pictures?

2 Which of these pictures do you like best? Put those pictures in front of you.

3 Would you like to share what you like about these pictures

Core Questions

4 Choose a picture which represents how you feel today.

5 Choose a picture which represents how you’d like to feel.

6 Choose a picture which represents something which is helping you.

Closing Question

7 If you could keep one picture, which picture would you choose?

Alternative Core Questions

Please use these questions as inspiration to create your own gentle, open-ended questions tailored to your participants. 

• Choose a picture which represents your best day since arriving in hospital.
• Choose a picture which represents your best day since arriving in hospital.
• Choose a picture which represents something you hope for.
• Choose a picture to represent a current challenge.

For more details on the evidence base for using art in chaplaincy, how this resource was created and how it can be used as an assessment and intervention tool for spiritual care, read this article which Victoria wrote as part of her Post Grad. Certificate in Maternal and Paediatric Chaplaincy.

This resource was created by Victoria Beech, and she retains all rights to the artwork and questions. No part of this resource can be replicated in any way without permission.

If you'd like to translate the booklet into your own language, please get in touch with Victoria at victoria@beechpublishing.com