Picture
This piece of art was created by one of the clients at the center where I work.  Collage is a common technique used in expressive arts but I have often thought about it as simplistic and possibly not all that interesting or complex.  When I looked at what this client did I was blown away.  His ability to use images from a variety of resources to create a cohesive and powerful image hit me square between the eyes.  He graciously gave this piece of art to me. 

He explained to me that he is the young figure in the center foreground of this piece and that his guide was behind him and eagle flew above him to help him in his recovery.  He is grounded in nature because that gives him strength and hope. 

I often hear from people that "troubled" kids can't do this kind of work or that they don't care.  It is my experience that they have deeper and richer life  experiences than most people I come in contact with.  They have more to overcome,oftentimes, but once they decide,  they are incredibly strong and determined.  This young man was just that sort of person.  He taught me never to set limits on what can be done within any medium or to limit what people could get out of that work. 

I am amazed each day by the places that this kind of artwork can take us.  I wish deeply that people  see that this process isn't about "art"....that the creativity is the gift that shows us where our work is and where to proceed.  This process takes us into places and shows us insights and connections that we might never be able to make with the use of our mind only.  I invite you to try some of these techniques:  collage, sand tray, sculpture....hold a question in your mind and then let your mind go.  Cut out images that call to you,  shape clay anyway that your hands want it to.  Don't think.  I promise you that there is a gift in it for you.  More to come...
 
 
My stumbling and bumbling can be your gain!  It's been an interesting time for me of late...My art is looking different than it has ever looked before and I could feel the heaviness that I was carrying around with me.  Here is the good news,  no one is alone and there are an abundance of resources out there for all of us.  When I wasn't able to use my processes;  journaling, movement, art, meditation, to shift my energy,  I asked for help.  I called an amazing energy worker, Glen McCarlie, who was able to help me shift my thinking and ultimately, how I felt, in about an hour.  It's important to remember that when we find ourselves in a loop that we can't seem to get out of, ask for help. 
After talking with him it has been amazing to watch and feel how different things are.  I have been able to tackle  projects that have been sitting around for a while.  I have been able to face people that I was struggling with and I feel like myself.
It's interesting...I'm in the process of creating a project for the teen center where I facilitate expressive arts therapy.  The director has asked me to focus on the theme "Recovery Happens".  Apparently, it is recovery month and the entire center is celebrating it.  When I looked up the word origin of the word 'recovery',  it said, " to return to one's original state".  I love this.  It means that we are all in and out of recovery all the time.  And in this case,  I've been needing recovery for the last month.  It feels like being back in my 'original' state and I am incredibly grateful.
Grateful that I know Glen and that I have such a positive working and learning relationship with him and grateful that I know it's okay to ask for help.   Just a gentle hand to hold a mirror up for me and to remind me about who I am.  Thank you Glen!  and Thank you to me for doing whatever it takes  to 'recover'!



 
 
Picture
I've been sick for almost 3 weeks now...It's interesting.  When I was in Scotland there were walls everywhere.  I swear this country spent a great deal of energy taking stones and building these beautiful walls.  What struck me is the way that things grow in these walls...moss, ferns, flowers, ivy...you name it.  I especially love this photo of this tiny delicate fern growing in a wall on the walk up to Wallace Monument. 

Now what does this have to do with my being sick for 3 weeks...well, I believe that what grows in me is largely of my own creation.  I am a match for a sickness or I am not.  I manage to walk through flu and various other illnesses all the time without being touched by them.  There isn't "soil", if you will, for them to grow in.  This time was different.  I have been in a place where not just one illness but a variety of particularly nasty illnesses have taken hold.  It isn't a moral evaluation of my character but an acknowledgment of where I have been in my mind and in my heart.  And as I come out of this sickness, what will I learn from it?  Hence, my question,  "What do you want to grow?"  My mind and my emotions are tremendously powerful and I can work with them and train them towards my betterment or towards my 'victimhood'.  Which do I prefer?

A great Buddhist monk said, "It is our mind, and that alone, that chains us or sets us free."  It is my responsibility to work with my thoughts everyday, deliberately and consciously so that I reach for freedom and joy and consciousness.  I'm not looking for perfection here but rather, for being awake. 
It's a lot like one of my favorite sayings,  "You can't stop the waves from coming but you can learn to surf"  What do you want to grow?
 
 
I've been gone for a few weeks on a grand adventure to Scotland.  I've always wanted to go to Scotland because of the rich mythical tradition and the fascinating history.  The picture below was taken at the base of an amazing and beautiful waterfall near Ben Nevis, the tallest mountain in Scotland. I felt absolutely peaceful as I sat beneath the water giant.  The sound of the rushing water filled my ears and brought tremendous joy.  You can see in the second picture the enormity of this waterfall...can you imagine?
Picture
Picture
One of the things that I learned while in Scotland is how dedicated I am to the idea of self-determination.  I was thunderstruck by a repeated pattern seen in the history of countries  all over the world...the pattern went something like this:  One group (political, religious, ideological) does not approve of another's thinking so they come in to destroy and annihilate that viewpoint and people.  The new ideology lasts until another group gathering and garnishing power repeats these actions taking out another ideology...sound familiar?  It struck me...is it not possible for us to co-exist?  to value and appreciate that this is a place of multiple perspectives and ideologies?  I can think differently than you and still love you and be your friend.  Perhaps, I can learn from your thinking and conversely, you can learn from mine.  As I visited Wallace Monument and multiple castles and Church ruins, the stories were the same.  Have we learned?  Is it possible for people to agree to disagree and leave it at that?  Perhaps in some cases yes and in others no...I can think of lots of examples...but perhaps if we reached for more of coexistence, especially in our personal circles, we take a small step towards learning...I don't know...it's just what I'm thinking about after an amazing visit to Scotland.
Picture