Your creative wisdom is present, always, and a potential source of power in your life.
What if?
You can create space for this wisdom to emerge, as part of your daily life.
What if?
You can develop a simple, enjoyable arts practice that increases mindful self-awareness and more authentic living.
I would like to help you get started!
by Kathleen Horne, Expressive Arts Florida Institute
Here are 3 images I created spontaneously over the past few weeks.
As I reviewed them, and re-read their messages, I became aware of an unfolding theme that is currently present in my life. Watch and listen.
As a long-time expressive arts facilitator and therapist, I am fully engaged in a wide and exciting variety of arts practices, including movement, sound, visual art, rhythm, writing, ceremony and more.
And, when I distill my practice down to its essence, it consists of these steps:
Get quiet and tune inward.
Make an image – spontaneously.
Give the image a voice and let it speak.
Write down what it says.
Look and listen, with your eyes, your heart, and your body.
Trust the wisdom that arrives, and weave it into your life.
Are you ready to get started?
You don’t need a lot of time.
Whether you spend 15 minutes or 2 hours, you will access your own creative wisdom.
You don’t need a lot of supplies.
Just a piece of paper, and some markers or crayons will do just fine.
Here you go!
Gather the materials you have.
Set aside 15 minutes or so of uninterrupted time.
Listen to the “in this moment” guided meditation.
Allow a spontaneous image to arrive on the page.
Look at your image, with curiosity. Turn it around, and look from different orientations.
Notice what you see, and what you feel, in your body.
Imagine your image has a voice.
Write the words, “I am……..” and, imagining that your image is speaking, write down what it says.
Re-read your writing. Be open. Be curious. Let go of the question: “What does it mean?”
Notice, over the next few days, how the message of your image begins to “make sense” in the context of your life.
Read how I discovered myself through Expressive Arts here.
Expressive Arts embraces visual art, movement, drama, music, writing, rhythm, and other creative process to create personal growth, community development, and social change.
In a pristine and abundant natural setting, visual art, movement, writing, rhythm, voice, guided meditation, and ceremony are woven together to create a meaningful re-connection with deep inner wisdom.
Tamara Teeter Knapp and Kathleen Horne at Hollyhock, B.C.
Kathleen and Tamara, our wonderful facilitators/teachers/guides, created a welcoming, safe, and inclusive atmosphere for this amazing workshop. I quickly shed any reservations I had about participating in the various forms of creative, expressive activities that enriched our time as a group. The moments we shared in their presence provided opportunities for learning, creating, and reflecting that I found to be transformational. This program surpassed my expectations and I feel so fortunate to have been a participant. Carolyn S., 2017 Hollyhock Workshop participant
