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One day I was working on some collage stuff and literally whipped this out in a few minutes.  I was recently reviewing one of my art journals.  Looking through it, reflecting on what it might have to teach me...that kind of thing...and I came across this page.  It made me smile and laugh.  I love this bird stretched out in the grass, hanging on for dear life and yet looking so balanced and poised.  The playful line, "Look what we found" reminds me of what happens when I create.  It often feels like, "Wow, I had no idea that was there."  It is playful, a little hairy and soulful all at the same time. 

I love coming across this stuff months after I create it.  In the moment, it may not seem very important but it sits and waits for me.  When I return to it and am ready, BAM, I get the gift and for today, that was the reminder of how much I love this work and how it takes me to places I might not otherwise go.  It teaches me and stretches me and helps me to grow.  Amazing!!!!
 
 
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When you allow the art to just flow amazing things can happen.  I created this piece of art during a particularly turbulent time,  I was drawn to this angel and spent a great deal of time cutting her out and just admiring her.  When I found the child on the stepping stones, the words, "no point in worrying",  fell in my lap.  What I love about the piece is that it is a great source of comfort and a reminder that there really is no point in worrying. 

I was having a conversation wtih someone, I'm sorry I can't remember who, and they were sharing wtih me a story about worry.  It went something like this.  They were listening to a speaker who was discussing worry with them.  He told them that worry is an absolute waste of our energy.  For if you are worrying about something over which you have no control...well, what's the point of worrying.  You have no control over it anyway.  If you are worrying about something over which you do have control then...what's the point of worry...do something about it.  I LOVE this story and the way it came right on the heels of creating this art.  This is what I mean by the act of creativity will take you places.  Like a bottle one might find on the shoreline, open it and there is a message inside.
 
Inner Work 07/22/2009
 

One of the greatest gifts of working with the 'tools' of expressive arts is opening  the door to consciousness.  People wonder how it is that doing a piece of art or looking at your dreams or writing can do this.  The truth is that the expressive arts is a path into the unconscious and that it speaks in the same language as the unconscious; that is, the language of symbol and metaphor.  Think about a time that you had a really vivid dream.  You awoke with that feeling of 'wow'.  Notice the kinds of images and symbols that filled the dreams, the way that images moved with fluidity and that time and space were not limiting factors.  This is very much the way it is when working in the various modalities of expressive art. 

I find that many of us want to have quick theoretical answers and yet we feel so dissatisfied as we move back into our lives.  Why is this so?  Well, I read something yesterday that really answered this question for me...take a look:

" In the world of the psyche, it is your work, rather than your theoretical ideas, that builds consciousness.  If we go to our own dreams and sincerely work with the symbols that we find there, we generally learn most of what we need to know about ourselves and the meaning of our lives, regardless of how much we know of the psychological theories involved.  The point of inner work is to build consciousness.  By learning to do your own own inner work, you gain insight into the conflicts and challenges that your life presents.  You are able to search the hidden depths of your own unconscious to find the strengths and resources that wait to be discovered there." 
~Robert A. Johnson in Inner Work, page 13

A good place to start is to get a notebook and begin to write down your dreams.  Set your intention to awake and jot down the images.  It can be really interesting to see where your dreams will take you and, better yet, what they are trying to teach you!

 
 

When we let go of our battles and open our hearts to things as they are, then we come to rest in the present moment.  This is the beginning and the end of spiritual practice.     ~Jack Kornfield

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This piece of artwork captures what this quote feels like to me.  When we are able to "ride the waves" so to speak, then we have arrived home. 
 
 
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Journaling is a great tool for connecting with your day to day experiences and for going deeper in your writing (for all my writers out there).  Take a picture, like the one above, and dive into it.  What images or thoughts come to your mind?  What body response is triggered when you look at the image above?  If you could dialog with any part of the picture what would it say to you?  Adopt the first person and give that part a voice. 

It can be very surprising where this type of exercise takes you.  You don't need this picture, you can randomly open up a magazine and look at the first picture you find or even go out into your back yard or visit a park and dive into an object in nature.  The important thing is to allow your imagination to flow, limiting nothing and giving your subconscious a chance to speak its response. 

Try it and see where it takes you.

 
 
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Altered Text is one of my favorite expressive arts forms.  I find that when I have a day that is overwhelming or filled with stress I can walk up to the studio, grab any piece of text, begin scanning it for words and phrases that call to me and within several minutes receive a message that is exactly what I need.  This piece surprised me and was profound in helping me make connections that were missing.  I love its simplicity and its color.  Working with altered text, like many of the expressive arts forms,  takes me to another layer of understanding that I would not have known if I stayed in my mind. 

I wonder...where does your mind keep you?  Is it some place that you want to be?