In these last few days of 2012, I’ve been thinking more about this past year’s ready for revo’lution book and the intentions I identified: Authenticity, Creativity, Attention, Sincerity, Re-Connection, Kindness, Perspective, and Joy. I re-read my posts archived for this year’s revo’lution and also spent some reflection with the art. Each intention still resonates with the strong connection and positive energy the pages inspired during their creation last December, manifested in my 2012 life, and the important gifts they each continue to provide.
I hold such amazing appreciation for the places, people, moments, choices, and opportunities that nurtured these eight intentions throughout this year.
The action of making ready or being made ready for use.
Intention: [in·ten·tion]
A course of action that one intends to follow. An aim that guides action; an objective, purpose.
Creation: [cre·a·tion]
The action or process of bringing something into existence.
Transformation: [trans·for·ma·tion]
A marked or thorough change in form.
These intentions and the lighted path they have led me to has also created an important foundation of understanding for my next revo’lution dedicated to Stillness, Honor, Trust, Light, Simplicity, and Servicein 2013.
Throughout this last month of the year, I’ll be spending some time with my annual practice of reflecting on my 2012 revo’lution, as well as starting to create my new revo’lution for twentythirteen:
Here’s an A to Z gratitude list that I’ve made into this year’s Thanksgiving Eve’s wordle o’ thankfulness! Many thanks to everyone who contributed to this list in my twentytwelve life:
A- Art Therapy: The community, my work, and being able to help & serve others with this profession.
B- Breaks: For art-making, resting, & getting grounded.
C- Creative Goodness: To make art for good, foster community & meaningful connection.
D- Distressed Ink: For my art journaling pages, smashbooking, artist trading cards, and more!
E- Energy: Finding & re-discovering positive energy full of good vibes and intention.
F- Friendship & Family: A.maz.ing love, care, and support.
G- Gluebooks: And how they fill up with so much joy, adventure, and creativity!
H- Health: What helps me stay strong and appreciate what really matters in life.
I- Inspiration & Ideas: My favorite blogs, colleagues, friends, artists, organizations, and projects I admire for collective inspiration, idea sharing, and passion that fosters my practice as an art journaler, artist, art therapist, and individual seeking to contribute good and passion into this world.
J- Joy: Moments of simple happiness and good things.
K- Kindness: The receiving and giving of loving kindness.
L- Love & Light: For showing me the way.
M- Music: Especially on Spotify, Pandora, YouTube.
N- Niceness: Comforting smiles, kind words, and welcoming spirit.
O- October: Good times.
P- Paper: For art-making, for paper swapping, for making peace.
Q- Quiet Time: Breathing and relaxation moments during my group work with youth.
R- Random Acts of Creative Kindness: Mail art fun & unexpected notes to give and receive.
S- Strength: To be well, be true, be brave.
T- Trust: The process of letting go.
U- Unconditional Love: To be, offer, share, and grow.
The contents of the pages (as well as for the page’s fun pockets!) are collaged of mostly items I collected on the go which included, but was not limited to: receipts, maps, stickers, stamps, flight stuff (boarding passes, baggage tags, etc.), ticket stubs, business cards, food wrappers, thank you cards, mini art I created, pins, and print materials from local tourist magazines, brochures, or related to the events I was attending.
I also used my SMASH stamp to date most of the pages, distressed ink for some of the page edges, added a little hand stitching, as well as used the wonderful collection of paper and creative goodness I received in the 6 Degrees of Creativity 2 Paper Stash Swap.
Sometimes I took this gluebook with me while I was traveling to work on in the hotel, on the plane, or to stash stuff. I always had a quart size plastic bag (or two!) with me full of goodies and supplies. Other times I worked on the pages when I returned. Working on each page was a great way to process the experience and events.
May: Arts, Military + Healing Conference : Washington DC
I think my favorite gluebooking material for this spread was all the maps I collected from around the Washington DC area featuring the city, landmarks, and public transportation.
In the pockets for this spread, I added mini art that I created at the conference or inspired by the program.
September- Ohio’s Buckeye Art Therapy Association Conference
I started to use some of my paper stash swap goodies I received in September for this spread.
September- Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Just before I left for my visit to SIUE, I received a portion of an Illinois map in another paper stash exchange that fit perfectly for this page!
October- Kansas’ Art Therapy Association Conference
I probably collected the most things while visiting Emporia! My favorite gluebook addition here is probably the fortune cookie wrapper and fortune that I saved from the Chinese Buffet!
Birthday in Vegas
This page is dedicated to the week-end getaway we took to Vegas for my birthday and the various keepsakes I saved from this trip: stuff from our adventure to In and Out Burger, the Pinball Hall of Fame Museum, my filet mignon birthday steak, and fun fortune telling encounters.
October- Florida State University, Tallahassee
This spread pays tribute to FSU’s campus, which was so beautiful!
Gluebooking fun continues in a different form this week: it is the deadline for completed gluebook pages to be received for our exchange @ 6 Degrees of Creativity 2! Stay tuned for photos and more sharing about this soon… go, gluebooking, go!
I just spent the last week in Clinton Township, Michigan attending the National Institute for Trauma and Loss in Children’s 2012 Childhood Trauma Practitioner’s Assembly, Experience Matters.
The above image is a spread from one of my file folder bluebooks I am currently working on to visually document some of my travels and adventures in twentytwelve. This spread includes printed material and paper stuff I collected throughout the week at the conference, some items from the sessions I attended, the hotel I stayed at, a little distressed ink, Staz On ink, as well as using my Smash Stamp and Smash Stick. It was lots of fun to collect stuff, play with laying it out, and glue it all together!
I also created the image below as a creative way to take notes on a session I was attending about implementing a trauma group for adults. The pre-cut figure shape fits really nicely in one of the file folder gluebook pockets!
In the workshop I presented, Finding a Safe Place: Creating Safety for Survivors of Domestic Violence through Art,attendees spent some of the session making a portable safe place in the form of an artist trading card with various collage materials. This special ATC serves as a symbolic safe place or image that can travel, become mobile, or easily be carried as a visual reminder and grounding tool for well being, comfort, and emotional safety. This ATC can also be displayed on a mini-easel, bulletin board, ones workspace, a nightstand, or become part of a journal (or for stashing in a file folder gluebook pocket!).
If you are interested to learning more about the topic I presented on, you can view the SlideShare here:
I’ve also pinned some content inspired by this year’s Assembly and workshops I attended on my Pinterest board about Trauma if you are interested in checking out any additional resources!
I am looking forward to returning back to Michigan next month to present for VCE’s Trauma Learning Series about the benefits of art therapy with traumatized and grieving children & adolescents…
All week I have been in denial that 2011’s 21 SECRETS is closing on December 31, 2011, but today that day is finally here. I still can’t believe it. I’ve sooo enjoyed being part of and teaching in this art journaling community organized by Connie Hozvicka of Dirty Footprints Studio…21 SECRETS has truly been a highlight of my 2011. The creative connections, art journaling ideas, inspiration, and encouragement have been amazingly wonderful and I will really miss this community!
With 21 SECRETS coming to a close, I’ve invited ready for revolution participants to share their 2012 intentions or any of their revolution art in the works:
Janet's 2012 Revolution Intentions
I created this image on my computer to share my Revo’lution words for 2012. The background image is of a Pohutukawa tree flower bud. Here in New Zealand we call them the NZ Christmas tree as they have bright red joyful flowers that are out at Christmas time. This bud is about to burst open and “OPEN” is a big word for me this year. To be authenticially OPEN to vulnerability, love, joy, gentle kindness, compassion, gratitude, connection and belonging, so I can allow my resilient spirit to live whole-heartedly ~Janet
————————————————————–
Janette's 2012 Revolution-Page 1- Inspire
I have started my Revo-lution 2012 book, I’ve only done one page so far but I thought I would share it…The book is a 5″ by 5″ board book stripped back to the board and then gesso’d and I’ve used images that inspire me. The couple on the left are my parents who have loved and inspired me all my life; the sunset at Castara bay in Sunny Tobago (one of my favourite places on earth); a bit of an old map of Ryde which has a fascinating history; Albert Einstein – who was a genius, deep thinker and often a little playful, I would have loved to have met him; Joan Miro is one of my favourite artists and so is Keith Haring. The little image bottom right says Plant a Seed, because that’s what inspiration is – the potential for something great. I’ve included ArchBishop Desmond Tutu because he is another highly intellegent man, deep thinker, has a heart the size of a planet and a ‘wicked’ laugh. I would love to meet him. ~Janette
(See more of Janette’s revolution book making forthcoming on her blog.)
And this great idea from Phoenix was posted yesterday: I’m hoping to spend 12/31 contemplating and creating pages for my revolution journal for 2012. I ran out of time to make one during 21 Secrets, but my goal is to have photos of the pages on my phone or Ipod so I can look at them regularly and remember my priorities for the year. Honestly, thank you so, so much for your class. I’ve always been big on resolutions that vanish within a day or so of real life. I hadn’t realised just how exhausting it all was until I sat and watched your workshop and something inside me seemed to just relax at the idea of visual reminders of the direction I’m heading (not the dress size I’m wanting!!!)
I looooove all these good vibes for ringing in the New Year with revolution art making…. and here’s some more good stuff for art journaling in 2012: A new 21 SECRETS line up has been announced for 2012 and goes on sale January 2. Yay!
I am so grateful that I take time to do this process. I find it so valuable. Identifying my intentions and creating a revolution book each year (this is #4) has helped me take purposeful and meaningful time to reflect on what I want to focus on within myself, as well as invite and attract into my life during the upcoming new year.
This year I also added a “2012 Revolution” Board on Pinterest to help further inspire my intentions. I still need to finish the book’s cover and back, but I look forward to this revolution book serving as a visual reminder, affirmation, and guide throughout 2012 for each of the intentions I’ve chosen:
Attention: Value. Energy. Worth.
Paying attention to one aspect of the environment while ignoring others.
Authenticity: Real. True. Genuine.
A particular way of dealing with the external world, being faithful to internal rather than external ideas.
Creativity: Strength. Connect. Grow.
The ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships to create meaningful new ideas and forms.
Joy: Happiness. Gratitude. Heart.
A state of happiness or felicity, a source or cause of delight.
Perspective: Choice. View. Forward.
Attention to the choices of a context for opinions, beliefs and experiences.
Re-Connection: Strong. Hope. Inside
To link or be linked together again.
Sincerity: Open. Truth. Clarity.
Acting truly about feelings, thoughts, and desires.
Kindness: Choose. Forgiveness. Love.
The practice or quality of being kind.
Sooo..Bring on 2012! Wishing you all happiness, creativity, & goodness for your own revolution making & in the New Year…
——————————————————–
Want to discover what your twentytwelve revolution looks like? Learn more here.
I started working on my 2012 revolution book last night to hold the intentions authenticity, attention, creativity, joy, kindness, perspective, re-connection, and sincerity. This will be my fourth revolution book and engaging in this year-end tradition to create & invite chosen intentions into my life throughout the upcoming new year.
As I worked on each page, the feeling I had about this process and my intentions for 2012 was very powerful and full of so many good vibes. Beginning my work on this book was humbling and provided an emotional connection never experienced before in my past revolution making.
My plan is to still have my new revolution book finished in the next week and ready to go for 2012… I am looking forward to more work on each of my pages and continued connection with my 2012 intentions…my best revolution yet…
A new project and team that I am very excited to be involved with is Peace Paper, founded by Drew Matott and Margaret Mahan to empower bereaved international communities through engagement in collaborative art processes addressing peaceful reconciliation and positive forward thinking. Through paper, writing, book, and printmaking activities, Peace Paper workshop participants transform significant articles of clothing into works of art which broadcast their stories.
Peace Paper announced its 2012 Tour Schedulelast week, which includes a variety of workshops, conferences, teaching, and training across the US (Massachusetts, Michigan, Washington DC, Wisconsin, Ohio, New York , Kansas) as well as international visits in Eskulan, Kosovo, Turkey, India, and more with the project’s amazing creative team.
There are a few art therapy focused offerings for 2012 that Drew, Margaret, and I will be facilitating:
May 14 – 18- Arts and the Military Conference, Washington, D.C.– As part of The Arts and Military Conference hosted by George Mason University, Drew and I will be offering a five-day papermaking workshop for art therapists and survivors of trauma. This workshop will focus on technical training, practical applications, and hands-on demonstrations of papermaking and implementation for trauma intervention.
September 6-8- Buckeye Art Therapy Association Symposium, Dublin, Ohio– Margaret, Drew, and I will be in the Columbus area as part of the 2012 BATA Symposium. This will include a full day pre-conference workshop for a limited audience to provide participants an understanding about how the papermaking process can be beneficial with populations as a form of social action and therapeutic transformation in trauma and loss intervention. During the BATA Symposium, we will present a keynote presentation on the topic of art as social action, focusing on lecture and visual content related to utilizing papermaking and creative expression as a cathartic process to give meaning, create transformation, and provide empowerment through releasing and reforming fibers into new stories and new beginnings. A workshop offering entitled, “Expressions for Peace” will invite Symposium attendees on the following day to create their own reflections and expression for peace on handmade paper flags created from Peace Paper’s recent travels.
October 12 & 13- Kansas Art Therapy Association Conference, Emporia, KS– Margaret, Drew, and I will be conducting a two-day workshop for art therapists, including a lecture highlighting Art as Social Action and Papermaking as Trauma Therapy. This event will also include an exhibit of Peace Paper artworks.
I am so looking forward to teaming up with Margaret and Drew again in 2012 for these events. Save the date(s) and stayed tuned for more details on each of these offerings! You can also stay connected to Peace Paper updates and news on Facebook, on the web, and follow the project’s travels through the Peace Paper blog.
It is that time of year where I begin to eagerly review my revolution created at the beginning of this year, as well as start to think about the revolution and intentions I want to create and welcome for this new year approaching. I can’t wait to share my reflections from 2011’s intentions and what my new revolution looks like soon…
This 10 page full color PDF download provides the step by step process and creative resources to explore, identify, and get started with your own revolution making! No need to create resolutions for the New Year when you can artfully create your very own revolution to invite and welcome into your twentytwelve life! Start 2012 with intentions you want to cultivate, build on, and attract more of in your personal and professional life! Through material and media ideas, journaling prompts, and visual journaling examples, this e-book will guide you to inspire and discover the hopes and aspirations of personal transformation through your art journaling.
The eBook’s contents include four sections:
Preparation: [prep·a·ra·tion]
The action of making ready or being made ready for use.
Learn how to prepare and create your own revolution art journal using a children’s board book.
Intention: [in·ten·tion]
A course of action that one intends to follow. An aim that guides action; an objective, purpose.
Identifying your 2012 intentions
Why are intentions important?
Journaling prompts and inspiration
Creation: [cre·a·tion]
The action or process of bringing something into existence.
Mixed media and collage material ideas
Visual journaling examples of handmade revolutions
Transformation: [trans·for·ma·tion]
A marked or thorough change in form.
Tips to help put your handmade revolution into motion
Also included is the wonderful art journaling examples, inspiration, and reflections from artists Janette Gregson, Kathryn Taiaroa, and Janet McLeod who have participated in their own revolution making with me this year!
Ready for Revolution eBook is only $9.99 (USD) and is available to purchase now here:
This e-book is a PDF file that will be sent to the e-mail you used for your purchase. (Please also monitor your spam/junk folder as well).
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at gretchenmiller@cox.net
creativity in motion 
You must be logged in to post a comment.