Roaming my internal plains, allowing my soul to speak through my finger tips
This is how I feel when I am in the flow of creating art, whether that is dancing around my living room, smearing color on a canvas, or braiding strands of leather. I feel free, in touch with my body, listening to the Silence. Mother Earth helps me to feel grounded and reminds me of the cosmic artistry that is woven into my very existence.
“I know who I am in Truth. I know what I am in Truth. I know how I serve in Truth. I am Free, I am Free, I am Free.” - Channeled through Paul Selig
SELF BOX ARTIFACT
Narrative
In making the Self-Box I began with the outside by writing poetry and allowing the words to speak to how I express myself to the world. Voicing events in my life and what I was currently walking through. It was cathartic to read these portions out loud to my class and allow them to see me in this vulnerable place; the pain and the joy I have experienced. The inside of the box is mostly images illuminating how my soul feels and depicting the spiritual encounters I have experienced. The palpable moments I have felt the Divine within and around me. This piece allowed me to be intimate with myself and embody this in front of my classmates. This really taught me about the power of being seen and heard. To be witnessed in this way, opened my heart and I could feel the presence in the room.
Studio Art Project Artifact
Narrative
I created this piece over the span of the quarter and as it shifted, so did I. I never had a plan for how it would look, I allowed it to culminate in whatever way felt natural. Whatever called itself into being on the canvas, I listened. It began with water color, which then transitioned into collage work. One of the days that I was working on the collage pieces, I sat at my desk for nine hours, lost in the flow, allowing my intuition to guide my hands. It felt invigorating, like I didn’t want to step away from it. This inspired me to create more often and re-established the love I have for art-making. I began walking every day in order to take care of myself, and as I did would gather natural materials that I added to my art piece. The PowerPoint I attached is the process of the piece along with the poem I wrote. This piece symbolizes my journey in reclaiming my inner Divine Feminine power by deeply listening to my intuition and following that voice.
Art Therapy Techniques 'Altar of Creation' Artifact
Narrative
There are lights from candle wicks illuminating the works that I created throughout my Art Therapy Techniques course. This altar of my creations encapsulates the explorations I traveled through, learning and gaining knowledge of different ways to assist my future clients. It acclimated my awareness of various needs my client’s may have. By making the art tool I was able to be mindful of client’s who may have limiting or lack of mobility, therefore creating a tool that allows the clients to attach the utensil to their hand or arm depending on their needs. In making the mask I learned that using paper-mache takes much longer to dry than plaster strips, therefore asking the client if they are open to making this outside of session may be better for time management. The mail art was fun to create, and excited anticipation arose within me as I waited for my fellow’s art to arrive. The mandala journal evolved as the quarter went on, my favorite being one where I used water color and wet lavender. It has a soft and soothing scent, relaxing my bones as I took the time to glue each piece. I sewed the binding with needle and thread and in the future I may need to make adjustments with this, as some clients may have limited manual dexterity. In this case I may need to implement hole punches with yarn or other string. These projects opened my eyes to the vast options available in art-making and the ways in which we can communicate our inner world to the external, reflecting the depths that want to be seen.
'Nourishment of the Soul' Zine Artifact
Narrative
When I created this Zine, I was in a low place mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I had just gone through the loss of a meaningful relationship and had found out my grandma was ill with cancer. I remember being in my bedroom for days, and feeling that life was quite lackluster. This is what fueled the idea for this zine. I asked myself what nourishment my soul needed. It made me think of how we as human beings walk through life with different amounts and kinds of suffering. In this dark place I was in, I was able to feel my pain, my anger, my sadness, and pour it into my artwork. It gave me vessel to move the energy through my body, once it was ready to be released. I chose to feel into my depths so that I may gain the medicine that was there for me to receive. In the Zine I illustrated ‘Release’, ‘Connection’, and ‘Nature’. These are the core needs of my soul and the way in which I take care of myself. I was able to invite in curiosity and ask myself what I truly needed. It was in this place that I realized what I needed the most was my own presence. My ability to see myself and hold the parts of myself that I did not want to accept. It was here that I began to shift, heal, and embody that gentle loving that my heart craved. I am the one I am going to be in relationship with for my entire existence. So I decided I was going to find new ways to make love to my life.
Reflection
Before I started at Southwestern, most of my art was created through drawing and painting. As I have walked through this program I have explored many different avenues of creating and expressing myself. These creations speak to all of the spaces I have been within my being; my shadows and my light. My art has given me somewhere safe to go when I feel I need to connect with myself and the Divine. It is through this process that I have realized the richness of acknowledging the parts of myself I hadn’t known before. The parts of me that I was mostly unaware of, and unwilling to sit with and feel into. I have found the deeper I go into my inner reservoir, the further I am propelled into my healing. My ability to sit with these parts of me, builds my tolerance in sitting with the material of my future clients.
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