Why We Feel Empty After Big Wins (And How Art Helps)

We live in a culture that teaches us to chase the “Scroll”—the certificate, the promotion, the milestone. We are told that once we hold that scroll in our hands, we will feel complete.

But often, when the applause fades and the stage lights dim, we are left with a strange quietness. This is a phenomenon known in psychology as the “arrival fallacy”—the illusion that once we reach a goal, we will reach lasting happiness. Instead, our dopamine drops, and we are often left asking, “What now?”

Recently, I reached a significant professional milestone. It was a moment of pride, represented by a certificate I recieved. But my instinct wasn’t to throw a party. My instinct was to go to a quiet café, buy a sunflower, and open a blank journal.
     I realized I didn’t want to document the event. I wanted to document the feeling.

The Psychology of Savoring

In positive psychology, Savoring is the act of stepping out of your experience to review it and appreciate it. It is the mental equivalent of swishing wine in your mouth to taste every note.
When we rush from one achievement to the next, we skip the savoring. We starve our nervous system of the satisfaction it worked so hard for.

Art Journaling acts as a container for savoring.
When you paint a moment, you are forcing your brain to slow down. You are engaging your senses (touch, sight, smell of the paper) to lock that memory into your long-term storage, not just as a fact, but as a felt experience.

The Metaphor: The Scroll vs. The Flower

For my entry, I didn’t draw a realistic picture of the award ceremony. Realism often triggers our inner critic (“That doesn’t look like a hand!”). Instead, I used Metaphor.

The Scroll (Blue): I painted a blue scroll in the center. Blue is often associated with the Throat Chakra (Vishuddha)—the center of truth and expression. This represented the work, the research, and the achievement.

The Sunflower (Yellow): I painted the scroll nestled inside a giant, blooming sunflower. Yellow connects to the Solar Plexus (Manipura)—the seat of confidence, joy, and vitality.

The Insight

As I painted, the lesson became clear: The Achievement (Scroll) is just the seed. The Life (Flower) is the bloom.
The scroll is static. It is rolled up. It is done.
The flower is living. It needs water (coffee), light (rest), and care.

If we only focus on collecting scrolls, we end up with a dry archive. But if we focus on the flower, the scroll becomes just one part of a beautiful, living garden.

Try This

A Journaling Prompt for You
You don’t need to be an artist to do this. You just need to be willing to play with metaphor.
Prompt: What are you holding?

Draw Your “Scroll”: Think of something you are chasing right now or something you recently achieved. Pick a shape and color that represents it. Is it a heavy rock? A shiny star? A rolled-up paper? Draw it in the center of your page.

Draw Your “Bloom”: Now, ask yourself: What makes this achievement worth it? Or, What brings me joy outside of this achievement? Draw that growing around the center object. Is it soft leaves? Bright flames? Calm water?

The Reflection: Write one sentence at the bottom: “The [Object] is what I do. The [Surrounding] is who I am.”

Join the Practice

Did you try this prompt? I’d love to see your metaphors. Tag me on Instagram using #indiannonclinicalarttherapy or #incat oe #hemalikoringa so we can celebrate the quiet wins together. Feel free to email me your story on incatinfo@gmail.com

Hemali Koringa
Non-Clinical Art Therapist & Educator

IncAT