20 Creative Quotes on Courage, Hope, & Possibility

Here are 20 quotes about creativity, courage, hope, & possibility that I have been collecting- some are favorites, some are new discoveries, but each affirming & inspiring:

We have no hope of solving our problems without harnessing the diversity, the energy, and the creativity of all our people. – Roger Wilkins

The most authentic thing about us is our capacity to create, to overcome, to endure, to transform, to love and to be greater than our suffering.  -Ben Okri

Almost always, the creative dedicated minority has made the world better. – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Another word for creativity is courage.  – George Prince

Nature is infinitely creative. It is always producing the possibility of new beginnings. – Marianne Williamson

Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will. ― George Bernard Shaw

Creativity is a great motivator because it makes people interested in what they are doing. Creativity gives hope that there can be a worthwhile idea. Creativity gives the possibility of some sort of achievement to everyone. Creativity makes life more fun and more interesting. ~Edward de Bono

Creativity is a continual surprise. ― Ray Bradbury

Art has something to do with beauty. The act of creating beauty pulls the portion of your soul to the surface that is true to the way you were created. ― Timothy Simpson

The discipline of creation, be it to paint, compose, write, is an effort towards wholeness. ― Madeleine L’Engle

Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness. – Martin Luther King, Jr.

What keeps life fascinating is the constant creativity of the soul. ― Deepak Chopra

When dreams come true creativity becomes art.  ― Martin Schuster

Art is a personal act of courage, something one human does that creates change in another. ― Seth Godin

We are the facilitators of our own creative evolution. –Bill Hicks

Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way. – Edward de Bono

Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties. – Erich Fromm

Art is the overflow of emotion into action.  ― Brian Raif

You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have. ― Maya Angelou

When all else seems lost and steeped in hopelessness, the magic of creativity can still keep you going.  – Jyoti Arora

What are some your favorite creativity quotes that inspire courage, hope, & possibility?

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Ribbons of HOPE: Community Art Project Comes Together for Ferguson, Missouri

“At the end of the day, we must go forward with hope….” ~Jesse Jackson

There’s a collaborative community art project mobilizing for Ferguson, Missouri and the project’s organizers are inviting anyone who would like to contribute, to send Ribbons of HOPE.

From the project’s description:

“Ribbons of HOPE will be displayed and tied on to fences at two sites in Ferguson, with hopes of spreading to additional sites. The Ribbons of HOPE sites will provide a safe space for people to reflect, connect, commune and exchange dialogue.”  The project organizers “hope and wish that Ribbons of HOPE will be unifying, to help nurture and strengthen community spirit and build bridges towards the future of Ferguson. “

On my Ribbon of HOPE, I artfully infused it with positive intentions & support to send. To create my contribution, I used fabric ribbon, nylon cord, sharpie & paint markers, glitter glue, some small cardboard tags, and covered everything with Outdoor Mod Podge.

Ribbons of HOPE is a partnership of the Adolescent Resource Center (a program of Queen of Peace Center), the Northern Arts Council, Ferguson Youth Initiative, Provident Counseling, and the Missouri Art Therapy Association.

To learn how to contribute your Ribbon of HOPE, visit the Missouri Art Therapy Association blog.

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Survival, Hope, & Art: Inocente to Debut on MTV

Back in March I blogged about the documentary INOCENTE and how excited I was that this film was part of the 2012 Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF).  It was absolutely amazing! Since this screening, INOCENTE has continued to be shown not only across the US, but also in Canada, Australia, and recently funded a $50,000+ Kickstarter to increase the film’s promotion, showings, and to  create a free online art-based educational curriculum.  It is great to see this film doing so well and creating more awareness about important issues such as chronic family homelessness, immigration, and the arts role in coping and providing hope through difficult times.

Next week on August 17th, INOCENTE will be making its TV broadcast debut on MTV, which is more great exposure to tell Inocente’s story and continue to spread the word about her experience as a survivor.  In celebration of this premiere, I am having a viewing party with some art therapy friends to watch it together!  There are also fundraising viewing parties being thrown to benefit A Reason to Survive (ARTS), the San Diego arts organization that Inocente  received support, advocacy, and services from, as seen in  the film.  “ARTS is dedicated to creating, supporting, and advocating for creative arts programs that heal, inspire, and empower at-risk youth” (artsurvive.org) and was one of the film’s co-creators with Fine Films and Shine Global. Check out the ARTS website to learn more and to donate to the program’s important efforts, as well as a list of upcoming screenings and news!

Inocente-MTV Premiere: August 17

Continued best wishes and success for Inocente, the filmmakers, ARTS, & the film’s powerful message about the possibilities and potential the arts create to transform youth’s lives.  I look forward to showing the DVD of the film (coming in September) to the adolescents I work with in shelter, as well as my community based Latino youth art therapy group of pre-teens and teens impacted by family violence.

Enjoy the MTV showing next Friday night!

BATA Silent Art Auction to Benefit SB 205 | Legislation to License Ohio Art Therapists

I just finished a mini painting to be donated for the Buckeye Art Therapy Association’s Silent Art Auction during the organization’s 30th Annual Symposium,  Resiliency & Empathy: The Art of Healing Trauma being held this week on September 30th and October 1, 2011.

All proceeds from this fundraiser will benefit BATA’s Legislative Fund and efforts associated with Senate Bill 205, legislation to license art therapists and the practice of art therapy in the State of Ohio.   Check out this article to learn more about the bill and how to help here.

I can’t wait to see what other art is donated this year for this important event!  If you are attending, don’t forget to bring something to help out the cause!

When the world says, “Give up,”  Hope whispers, “Try it one more time.”  ~Author Unknown

Art as a Voice: Art Therapy with Survivors of Domestic Violence

I am putting some finishing touches on my paper presentation for the annual Buckeye Art Therapy Association (BATA) Symposium about art therapy with survivors of domestic violence, which includes my current work with women and children in a shelter setting.  I am looking forward to sharing how art therapy provides an important voice and facilitate support around key issues such as creating safety, the cycle of violence, facilitating trauma intervention as well as offers an opportunity towards understanding, coping, and hope.

Attendees will:

• learn trauma informed considerations, common treatment goals, and art interventions to consider when working with this population;

•  learn about the impact of domestic violence and three ways art therapy empowers survivors feel safe and tell their story;

• be able to identify three treatment goals to utilize in art therapy when working with survivors of domestic violence;

•  be introduced to art interventions that help address issues around safety, support, the cycle of violence, and crisis intervention.

The paper will also highlight some content forthcoming in a new chapter about art therapy and domestic violence in the Second Edition of the Handbook of Art Therapy to be published in November.  It is a sincere honor to be a co-author of this chapter and wonderful that Guildford Press wanted to include a chapter dedicated to the use of art therapy with domestic violence survivors in this new edition.

This presentation also takes place on the eve of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which is great timing to bring additional awareness to the issue, its impact, and resources to help survivors.

I look forward to seeing friends and colleagues from across Ohio and beyond come together soon for this year’s Symposium!

Prayer Flag Making Begins

In my Saturday morning supervision group which currently includes five art therapists working towards obtaining their Art Therapist Registration (ATR), we started working on a group Prayer Flag Project, as a means to engage in more art making and explore  implementing this idea and intervention with various populations and settings.

Something about prayer flags have always fascinated me– perhaps because it is intention based, perhaps because the intention/mantra of the flag created is also connected to mutual sharing with others, or perhaps because it is an extension and symbol of hope.  Perhaps all three and then some.

Several years ago, I did an art therapy workshop for The Center for Therapy through Art (now The Art Therapy Studio) about The Art of Prayer Flags.  As a quick introduction to the purpose and some of the symbols behind prayer flag making I thought sharing this presentation from the workshop would be helpful:

The prayer flag format for our group’s project was inspired by a workshop I attended last year at the Buckeye Art Therapy Association’s Annual Symposium facilitated by Emily Johnson and Cathy Malchiodi about creating intention based mini-message flags for exchanging.   As presented in this particular workshop, the art technique included using a square styrofoam plate to create a design connected to a wish or intention, followed by printing a series of fabric squares with ink.

In today’s group, we used the styrofoam carving/printing concept with acrylic paint on roughly 6 x 6 inch cotton fabric squares.  Instead of attempting to design words backwards on the styrofoam, rubber stamping letters and ink were available to use for  highlighting the intention of the flag.   Throughout this project we will each create six flags, then exchange our flags with one another to create a string of intentions, wishes, and hopes inspired by members of the group.

My prayer flag making: Beginnings

I also recently discovered The Prayer Flag Project,  a collective project started in June 2011 to spread peace, good will and kindness, one flag at a time through contributing artists and the project’s blog.   The project had some good tips listed under their tutorial section, including dating your flag, adding bits of  printed text from books related to your intention, and to make journaling/writing about your flag part of the process.

It will be fun to see this project and process develop over the next few weeks and I hope to share the final results when we are all done!

Become an Ambassador of Peace: Priority Boxes Project on Kickstarter

Back in March I posted about receiving my box of hope (above) from Franck de las Mercedes’ Priority Box Project.  This global community arts project dedicated to spreading hope, peace, and change through painted mail art boxes celebrates its 5th anniversary this week, having mailed 9500+ boxes all around the world during this time.

The Priority Boxes is currently being featured on the creative funding platform Kickstarter to help support this self-funded initiative. Funding will go toward getting boxes currently on the project’s wait list out and help financially support the project for another year with shipping and supply costs.

This week Franck posted a short film that I remember watching when I first discovered the project last year and requested my box.  It reminds me again why I love this project and why I find it important:

As of this writing, over $3,300 has been pledged via Kickstarter, but for the project to receive any funding, the $5,000 pledge goal must be met.  There’s still time!  You can be an Ambassador of Peace through becoming a Kickstarter backer today and also help spread the word to others during this final week of pledging.  Pledging ends June 2, 2011 at 8:58 P.M. EST.

Special Delivery-The Priority Boxes Art Project

Yesterday I received a very special delivery from artist Franck de las Merecedes: an abstract painted cardboard box containing hope. This box was created as part of Franck’s inspiring community mail art series The Priority Boxes Art Project.  Franck paints, makes, and mails boxes of peace, love, hope, and more ” to anyone who asks him, anywhere in the world, for free” to challenge our thinking about  our role in creating change and our ability to take action.  You can learn more about The Priority Boxes in this March 2011 article from the Christian Science Monitor or this NJN Public Television news clip:

On Franck’s website, he encourages that “the recipient consider what the box suggests it contains, to realize the fragility of what they are holding, and as a result become aware or activate their ability to take action and influence change. Reflecting on my arrival flooded me with so many welcomed good thoughts.  My box serves as a visual reminder to not only keep holding a vision of hope, but also the encouragement to keep engaging in and put my energy towards game changing initiatives that can make a difference.

Thank you to Franck for the beautiful box and message of hope!    To receive your box, you can make a request here.