I have been starting to take in and review everything from Lani Gerity’s6 Easy Lesson’s for a Happy Artist’s Life adventure in 6 Degrees of Creativity and now up to working on Lesson 5. I am already very interested in one of this lesson’s concepts of walking through all the previous lessons to make observations and insights about my journey so far. Here’s a little of my initial art journaling I have been working on:
My Happy Artist's Life Collage Map
This page above is a collage map of sorts through my first four lessons. I have been reflecting about how much growth and awareness the lessons, Lani’s inspiration, and the Happy Artist’s Life community on 6 Degrees of Creativity have offered throughout the last few months around all the content being offered in this workshop. I am still working on my lesson review, but so far I’ve already noticed image themes connected to happiness & my exploration of this in relationship to personal growth, time, direction, and sustaining a strong message of hope.
My next art journal page: My Creative Compass of Hope is dedicated to the lessons and concepts that have navigated me throughout all of Lani’s lessons exploring themes of kindness, goodness, resilience, and strengths.
I can’t wait to share more of my art journal from this workshop, as I finish up this lesson and more of my reflections.
If you’re interested in learning more about Lani’s Lessons check out Lani’s 14 Secrets Blog and on Facebook (14 Secrets for a Happy Artist’s Life) to keep connected to her wonderful community of inspiration and creativity!
This past week, I’ve started to upload preview photos for the art therapy photo documentary project Spaces & Places: Where We Create. It has been very inspiring to see and learn about the creative spaces of the project’s endorsers who are offering a sneak peek into their work, spaces, and favorite tools of the trade. I am looking forward to learning even more from future submissions when Spaces & Places: Where We Create officially launches to the art therapy community on February 13.
I’ve been working on getting my photos together for the project, both my own personal art-making space and favorite materials, as well as the different spaces and such that I use as an art therapist. Here are some initial pics that I have taken:
My Own Creative Space
These series of photos (above) show my creative space and office used for my own art-making, art therapy supervision, and small group art meet ups with friends & colleagues. The space is packed with my favorite art supplies (for collage, art journaling, altered art & bookmaking, painting, & drawing), inspiring photos, art, notes, toys, books, and more.
Some of my favorite materials to use in my own art
Art Therapy Spaces, Paper House Making, & Art Journaling
Part of my work at DVCAC includes providing community based art therapy to youth exposed to domestic violence through individual or support group services. I also offer individual and group art therapy to youth and women who come to shelter to escape domestic violence. As seen in previous posts here, I often use Paper House Making to explore and address safety planning, safe places, and to help contain overwhelming feelings associated with the worry, fear, and terror that children and adolescents from violent homes experience. Another photo I included is a material pic connected an art journaling group I recently started for women in shelter as a non-threatening space and means to manage traumatic stress and strengthen coping.
In a couple of weeks, the 6 Degrees of Creativity Artist Trading Card (ATC) exchange will be underway and I’ve just finished creating a batch of ATCs to include as an extra ATC for each participant. As the facilitator of this ATC workshop and organizer of the exchange, I wanted to make an ATC for each individual participating in the swap:
When creating my ATCs I reflected on the 6 Degrees of Creativity community as a whole, from each of the wonderful workshops being offered and instructors, the inspiring photos of art, comments, discussions, and overall community, connection, and spirit of creativity.
I chose a series of words to describe this experience and included six dots on each ATC to represent the concept of 6 Degrees and how we are all connected through our creativity, as well as having the opportunity to spread this energy and inspiration among ourselves and to others in our personal and professional lives. The words highlighted on each of my ATC cards express my collective response I’ve witnessed.
I recently re-read the post Creating with an Open Heart, Creating a Movement on one of my favorite creativity blogs, A Big Creative Yes which reminded me about my intention behind bringing together 6 Degrees of Creativity. Dan Goodwin writes about the experience, importance, and sharing of creating with “an open heart” and how this practice inspires others to also create:
“By your example of creating, they then muster enough courage to try it for themselves. Then maybe this same thing happens with a couple of other people over a few months, and they too come out in public with their journals, their camera, their sketchbooks, because of your example. Maybe then each of these people you’ve directly inspired are then seen by three others, and they are encouraged to create more. In a short space of time, your act of creating with an open heart has lead to nine others doing the same. A month or two later, each of them are seen, and inspire three others, meaning now 27 people are openly creating, all as a direct result of your initial courage to do so… By creating with an open heart, you’ve created a movement.”
It’s been a pleasure to actively engage with so many excited about creating, sharing, and experiencing this joy within this creative community. Creating with an open heart happens at 6 Degrees of Creativity everyday and that is awesome. Lots and lots of creative goodness spreading everywhere… to our friends, colleagues, family, clients and more….And very soon, the sending out of our ATC mail art exchange will create a little more- I can’t wait!
I look forward to sharing how the ATC exchange went in a couple of weeks so stay connected for more!
It’s exciting to announce a new art collaboration coming in February being organized by The Art Therapy Alliance! Spaces & Places: Where We Createwill be an art therapy community photo documentary project developed by me and Magdalena Karlick, ATR, LPAT, LPCC inviting participants to submit a photo of their creative work space and favorite tools of the trade.
Through social media and digital photo sharing with Flickr & Instagram, this collaborative project aims to provide education, awareness, inspiration, and understanding about the spaces & places, settings, populations, and materials that art therapists, art therapy students, expressive arts therapists, and art organizations work in and use for their practice.
Photos (or video!) that this project will be looking for include:
Images of your creative space: Where you work, intern, or your own personal art-making space
Commonly used art supplies and media in your art therapy work or internship with clients
Favorite technique: An art intervention or technique approach with individuals or in groups
If your creative space has changed: Before and after photos
Submission guidelines and more details to be announced when the project officially launches next month! Information will be posted to the Spaces & Places: Where We Create project page February 13.
We are also looking for organizations, programs, and blogs interested in becoming an endorser of this project. Feel free to contact me via info@arttherapyalliance.org for more information.
With all the hot temperatures and heat, my mind has been wandering to cooler times ahead this fall, including some of the events and happenings on my radar screen that I’ll be involved with or looking forward to attending:
21 SECRETS- This on-line art journaling workshop is still going strong with hundreds participating from all over the world to learn new techniques and approaches to art journaling from a group of (now) 22 instructors! There’s been a bonus secret added! Beginning August 1, Andrea Schroeder of ABCcreativity will be joining the art journal playground with her creative magic and class Dream Spark. If you’re interested in learning more, check out all the 21 SECRETS classes, including my workshop ready for revolutionand how to register at: http://bit.ly/gY9WFs. Registration will be open until October 1.
Buckeye Art Therapy Association Symposium- On September 30 and October 1 I will be attending Ohio’s Buckeye Art Therapy Association Symposium, Resiliency & Empathy: The Art of Healing Trauma in Dublin, OH and offering a paper presentation on Art as a Voice: Art Therapy with Survivors of Domestic Violence on Friday afternoon. This paper will present an overview of art therapy with survivors of domestic violence and address trauma informed considerations, common treatment goals, and art interventions to consider when working with this population.
Canadian & Ontario Art Therapy Association Conference- On November 3, I’ll be presenting my work about the global postcard art collaboration I organized last fall for Art Therapy Without Borders‘ International Postcard Art Exchange with a paper at the joint Canadian and Ontario Art Therapy Association Conference November 3-6 in Niagara Falls. This presentation will present the project, its impact, and the role of art and social networking to connect the art therapy community worldwide.
Handbook of Art Therapy- Second Edition- I am looking forward to the November release of the Handbook of Art Therapy- Second Edition, edited by Cathy Malchiodi and published by Guilford Press. It is an honor to be included in this new edition with a chapter on Adolescent Art Therapy and co-authoring another chapter with Cathy on Art Therapy & Domestic Violence. As described on the publisher’s website, the second edition includes an update about current art therapy methods and approaches, and new chapters about materials & media, art therapy & the military, art therapy with grieving children, as well as more information to existing content related to research, ethics, and more.
And…after much visioning and inspiration, I am very excited that I’ll be launching another interactive & art-making collaboration from The Art Therapy Alliance this fall. I have wanted to create, organize, and offer an opportunity like this for quite some time. I can’t wait to share this news soon– look for an announcement about this new project coming later this week!
In celebration of last week’s news from Dirty Footprints Studio about 21 SECRETS‘ registration being extended until October 1 and that this art journaling playground will now be open until January 1, 2012, I had some fun updating the trailer for my workshop ready for revo’lution. Check it out and enjoy!
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21 SECRETS is an ONLINE, self guided, art journaling workshop where participants will receive the opportunity to learn different techniques, methods, and approaches to art journaling from a group of 21 artists through January 1, 2012. Registration is open until October 1, 2011.
My workshop ready for revo’lution will empower you to use art journaling to explore concepts of transformation, creating change, and invite intentions of new possibilities through the power of collage, mixed media, journaling prompts & more. Embrace your revo’lutionary spirit to imagine, create or reclaim your ideas into action!
21 SECRETScontinues to keep going strong! Almost 600 participants have signed up from all over the world since its opening in March to learn new ideas and concepts related to art journaling- so awesome! It seems like yesterday that I was prepping and getting everything in order for ready for revo’lution and anxiously awaiting for the opening of the playground- and now June is almost here!
I’ve been so honored to be a part of this experience, teach among such an amazing group of women, witness the art, transformation & sharing taking place, as well as be part of the 21 SECRETS creative community, including the friends and connection I’ve already made during this time. Another big shout of gratitude to Connie Hozvicka for bringing us all together! The first three months have been great and I am looking forward to more…
The last day to register for 21 SECRETS has been quickly approaching this month and the playground set to close on July 31. I’m very excited to reveal that this group of 21 SECRETS classes will now be open for the rest of this year- closing on January 1, 2012! Woo hoo- A 21 SECRETS Extension! 5 month bonus! Lots more time for the art journaling fun, sharing, and connecting….
I am also looking for art therapists or art therapy students to interview and feature for the Art Therapy Alliance’s posterous about their 21 SECRETS experience. Interviews will also be shared with the Alliance’s Materials & Media in Art Therapy subgroup on LinkedIn and in the fall issue of FUSION, an e-zine for Planet Art Therapy. E-mail me at info@arttherapyalliance.org if you are interested or want more information!
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21 SECRETS is an ONLINE, self guided, art journaling workshop where participants will receive the opportunity to learn different techniques, methods, and approaches to art journaling from a group of 21 artists through January 1, 2012.
My workshop ready for revo’lution will empower you to use art journaling to explore concepts of transformation, creating change, and invite intentions of new possibilities through the power of collage, mixed media, journaling prompts & more. Embrace your revo’lutionary spirit to imagine, create or reclaim your ideas into action!
I continue to enjoy, be inspired, and loving the art, creativity, and community happening over at 21 SECRETS! Wow! If you haven’t already joined this global playground of online workshops dedicated to art journaling, registration continues to be open and…there’s a special 21 SECRETS reveal coming June 1 that I am gearing up to share with much excitement- I can’t wait!
21 art journaling workshops for only $59!
21 SECRETS is an ONLINE, self guided, art journaling workshop where participants will receive the opportunity to learn different techniques, methods, and approaches to art journaling from this group of 21 artists. Learn more about each workshop and how to register here.
21 SECRETS colleague and mixed media artist Debra Cooper recently introduced me the wonderful world of Pinterest, a social catalog site and community of virtual bulletin boards where you can organize and “pin” digital images of places, objects, people, and things you love and have interest in. You can also follow boards and collections created by others who have styles and interests you like, as well “re-pin” images posted by community members on your own boards. I’m already addicted!
Some of my boards
My first board was for a collection of Words. I gathered quotes, phrases, and images through the site’s keyword search, as well as checked out what the Pinterest community and people I was following had pinned and re-pinned on some of their boards. I also added the “Pin It” grabber to my toolbar to make it easy to get images anywhere on-line that I also wanted to collect.
As I began to create more boards, I started to notice how many of the images and objects I was pinning and curating into collections were associated with people, places, memories, and activities that make me really happy. Lots of good stuff, good times, and good vibes. Containing all these things together in one place started to spark some kind of visual happiness.
I have also enjoyed the joyful curiousity and inspiration from looking at others’ boards and pins. It’s been so much fun to follow Lani Gerity‘s pins and the cool finds she is collecting: art, portraits, dolls, places, and lots of chocolate! I’ve also been keeping an eye on Debra’s boards which are full of color, design, artsy ideas, and textures. Check them out!
Lani's Board: Art Love
Debra's Board: For Painted Papers
At this time, to join Pinterest you need to receive an invite. You can go to the Pinterest site to request an invite, but I am not sure if this involves some kind of wait list or what the turnaround time is to receive one. Pinterest community members can also send out a limited number of invites as well. If anyone is interested in receiving one of my invites (while supplies last!), feel free to let me know in the comment/reply section of this post.
21 SECRETS is an ONLINE, self guided, art journaling workshop where participants will receive the opportunity to learn different techniques, methods, and approaches to art journaling from a group of 21 artists through July 31, 2011.
My workshop ready for revo’lution will empower you to use art journaling to explore concepts of transformation, creating change, and invite intentions of new possibilities through the power of collage, mixed media, journaling prompts & more. Embrace your revo’lutionary spirit to imagine, create or reclaim your ideas into action!
