creative Therapy

Catalyst One Hundred and Thirty-Five

 

As always, thank you to all of our visitors and all the encouraging comments you left for us. For those of you who did, thank you for playing along with us. I wanted to let you know that this will be our last catalyst. I will write a longer, more detailed post at the beginning of October, once we’ve announced the recipient of the last giveaway but I wanted to make sure you knew this is the last catalyst we’re planning on posting.

 

Ok! Here’s catalyst number one hundred and thirty-five:

 

Tell us about a friendship you currently have.

 

We’re so very excited to have Christy Tomlinson as this month’s Guest Artist.

 

Here’s a quickie self-bio for Christy:

 

Christy Tomlinson is mixed media artist who loves mixing paint, paper, canvas, wood.. you name it.. to create art. She believes in art. there are no rules and that everyone is an artist. She loves teaching and currently has three online workshops teaching her mixed media art and techniques. She also travels and teaches around the world to other creative spirits. She and her husband also own Scarlet Lime and Scarlet lime BeadArt, two online stores the sell mixed media a jewelry products to her workshop customers. . Scarlet lime is a mixed Media Shop and Scarlet lime BeadArt offers unique jewelry kits and supplies.. Christy has been in the art industry for over 10 years: first working for a papercrafting manufacturer, and then for Scrapbooks Etc. Better Homes and Garden Magazine as an editor. Christy loves reading, snowboarding, camping, Boating, surfing, and spending time with her family and friends. She is married to her best friend, Ben, for almost 17 years and loves that she gets to work with him every day. They have 6 awesome children.. five boys and one girl; ages ranging from 15 to 6. Christy also loves blogging and uses her blog as a way to share her art , offer tutorials and just her everyday life story. She feels blessed to be able to create art and support her family at the same time.

 

Make sure to check out Christy’s blog.

 

 

 

Here is Christy’s art with this week’s catalyst. You can click on it to see a larger version and a lot more detail.

 

 

 

Christy Says:

 

the word friendship is evolved for me many times throughout my life. I remember my very best friend in Grade School, Suzi Q (that’s what I called her). We did everything together, we dressed alike, we wore each other’s clothes, we had the same teacher, we liked the same boys. We were best friends. Then as I moved, and got into high school, I soon found that I had several “best” friends.. girls that I bonded with, all in different ways, but truly had strong connections with. As I got older and married and our lives grew apart, I came to find that some of my closest friendships were my own family.. my husband, my sisters, my children, my parents. Friendships I didn’t realize were possible when I was a kid and thought my family was pretty much the vain of my existence! lol.. but it’s a wonderful thing to get older and mature and realize how important those people and relationships are in our lives. Over the past several years I have realized that we don’t have to live close to have strong friendships with others either. I was lucky enough to reconnect with an old friend from high school and realize that relationship we had in high school was just as strong if not stronger than ever. I also had the opportunity of finding friendship in an community of creative women.. WITH women who love and adore the same things as I do, but also women who I can share my soul with. It’s a rare find, when you find someone that you can trust yourself with. That you can be totall yourself, you can let them have all your good and all your bad and know. KNOW that they will not judge you for it. I have also realized that it’s important to let them help you be a better person.. that when they tell you things they worry them about you, or see things maybe you don’t see that you are doing to yourself or others.. that it’s only because they love you.. not because they want to bring you down. I was driving in the car once with one of my very closest friends.. and she turned to me and said.. you are my TRUE. .. and in that moment, I knew exactly what she meant. She meant that she could trust me, no matter what. She could give me her bad, her good, she could trust me to love her and always be there for her. Even when she wasn’t making the best decisions. She also knew that when she wasn’t, I would tell her so.. because that is what a true does. That has become a very sacred word for me over the last year.. TRUE. I have a very small handful of people I consider my Trues. Outside of my family, there are only a small few.. but it’s a beautiful things to find and have. I remember my sister once telling me, she was jealous of the friendships I had. When my dad died.. and my trues came and took me on a much needed road trip, I remember when I got back my sister telling me how blessed and lucky I was that I had friends like that in my life. She said, she didn’t.. she only had her family and that I should always remember how rare and special that is..

 

I have to admit that most of my experiences with friendship have COME through the creative community I am apart of. We are so blessed as creative woman to have communities where we can meet and share and get to know each other. We also understand each other and we “get” each other. While we may live miles apart.. or even oceans apart, we create these connections that bond us like nothing I have ever seen. Seriously.. have you? I can’t think of any other hobby that forms more friendships than the creative industry. Friendships, that are true and real and beautiful. Not to say every friendship or person we meet creates that connections.. there are so many different levels of friendships.. but I think we all in one form or another can honestly say we are pretty lucky to have each other in this awesome community we call art. And when I say art, I mean art in all forms.. papercrafting, mixed media, painting, photography, sewing.. cooking.. we are pretty lucky. Actually I like to use the word blessed. I created this piece of artwork, a simple background with the phrase.

 

She found TRUTH in them.. that is how my heart feels right now.. that I have found my trues.. and feel so blessed to continue to create new friendships and form new pockets of love in my life. I hope we all can embrace this wonderful creative thing we are apart of and be grateful for the friendships it has created as well. Friendship is a form of art. It comes in all shapes and sizes and colors and mediums.. it has no limits and no rules.. it constantly evolving and yet have major basic values we go back to again and again. Let’s always be grateful for the friendships we have and never stop looking to create more. It’s what life and art are made of.

 

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Here are some interpretations of the catalyst from members of our team. Since this is our last one, I asked any old team members if they wanted to join in as well so you’ll see some of our older members here, too.

 

Amy:

 

Amy Says:

This drawing represents many levels of an important friendship for me. It embraces the comfort of the friendship, the shared inspiration and trust that underwrites the friendship, and the flow of friendship. Very few people know me well, and with very few people am I able to simply relax and be “me.” This drawing pays quiet tribute to one true friendship.

 

 

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Fran:

 

Fran Says:

It took me until my 40s to actually feel comfortable enough with myself to share who I really am with other women. Oh, I had some friends, but not as true and dear as I do now. They have helped me to flower into a complete person with creative energy and a radiance I shared with few. My friends and I support each other and help each other bloom and grow – like flowers. Together we are a force to be reckoned with! Filled with love, creativity, and support, my friends have grown to being part of my family.

 

 

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Julie:

 

Julie Says:

My Mom is my best friend. Wherever we go, whatever we do, we always have a good time together!

 

 

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Karen:

 

Journaling Reads:

I have many good friends and I know I will have more in my lifetime but none of them will ever measure up to you. you have always been and will always be my very best friend in the whole world. The only person who’s seen me in my ups and downs and still loves me with all of his heart and accepts me for who I am. I am so very grateful that we have found each other. I love you madly.

 

 

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Larissa:

 

Larissa Says:

Friends are special people in our lives. In this scrapbook layout I wanted to tell about one adorable person, Luciana, a friend of mine that was able to change my life with beautiful colors. Unforgettable as all the time I worked for Creative Therapy

 

 

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Opal:

 

Opal Says:

My friend remembers the words to my song when I forget….

 

 

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Rachel:

 

Rachel Says:

For my layout, I chose to celebrate the life of a dear friend who passed away this summer. I know that the prompt is to tell you about a friend who I currently have, and in thinking upon who I wanted to acknowledge and celebrate I couldn’t help but always come back to my friend, Ganai Silverwolfe. I celebrate her today because even though she is physically gone from this earth, I’ve never felt her more with me each day than I do now.

 

Ganai, without ever really knowing it, taught me more about life than anyone I can think of, short of my own mother. She never let me get away with my tendency to be closed off and guarded with other people. She was always genuinely HAPPY to see me, even when I wasn’t happy to be in my own skin. She showed by her example how to live life fully and intently and with absolute clarity, with a song in her heart and nothing but dancing in her steps. She challenged me, she encouraged me and she loved me at the times when I needed it the most. She was a mother, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a mentor, an artist, an activist and an ardent supporter of her community around her.

 

I miss her physical presence every day, but I am grateful to know that she is not gone, because I FEEL her with me everyday. In the laughter and joy in my daughter, in the moments of carefree living room dancing, coffee with good friends, holding the hand of my husband and especially in those quiet times of contemplation and reflection. I am a better person because I’ve known her and still carry her with me. These pictures of her capture her in her purest, most joyful element, dancing to the local music she loved and supported so much… absolutely infecting all of us around her with her passion, her beauty and her joy.

 

 

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Shelley:

 

Shelley Says:

The best friendship I have right now and have always had is my friendship with my daughter. I love everything about this girl. She is true, genuine, kind, smart, empathetic, sweet, and so much more. I love that we can disagree and 2 minutes later it’s like it never happened. I love that we can talk to each other about anything….and we do. I love that we enjoy being around each other. Even at 22 she loves being with me! We both know we would do anything for each other and we do. Her friendship is the most precious to me and I am so blessed to have such a beautiful daughter who is also my best friend.

 

 

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Wendela:

 

Wendela Says:

Tell something about a friendship you currently have….my first thought is..share! Sharing your feelings, I think it’s a good base for friendship.

 

 

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Now it’s your turn: show us your therapeutic art around “Tell us about a friendship you currently have.” I urge you to give it a try. It can be any form of art as long as it speaks to you.

 

Leave us comments with your work so we can share in your creative therapy, too. If you don’t have a community or blog where you upload photos, you can upload them on our flickr group.

 

 

Remember, this is not a competition. If your art makes you feel even a bit better at the end, you’ve won.

 

Until next month, enjoy each and every moment.

 

 

Catalyst One Hundred and Thirty-Four

 

As always, thank you to all of our visitors and all the encouraging comments you left for us. For those of you who did, thank you for playing along with us.

 

Ok! Here’s catalyst number one hundred and thirty-four:

 

What’s a cause you believe in (or a charity you support)? Why?

 

We’re thrilled to have Pixie Campbell as this week’s Guest Artist.

 

Here’s a quickie self-bio for Pixie:

 

My purpose as an artist is to unlearn everything I think I know about art and life, in order to experience it in a raw, truthful way. Armed with a strong drive to explore beyond all of of my safe limits and stories, I enjoy pushing my edge, while improving my practice of self-care. I create to open my heart, heal, stretch, grow, goldmine for insights, share, and connect. I create to model a safe way of expressing that which there are no words for to my young cubs.

 

Pixie teaches an online e-course which just started for the summer but there’s a fall session coming up in a few months. She also has an etsy shop and make sure to check out Pixie’s blog.

 

 

 

Here is Pixie’s art with this week’s catalyst. You can click on it to see a larger version and a lot more detail.

 

 

 

Pixie Says:

 

I have a strong belief that if we protect the most wild of creatures, we will honor the original Wild in ourselves. I’ve spent most of my creative days finding ways to get in touch with the wildest aspects of myself. I have ten years of experience in Native American shamanism, and being native, I’ve come to accept that being at one with nature brings me closer to my authentic expressions. What inevitably comes out when I paint or craft are messages from the animals, from my deep, intuitive Self. The animals that come forward have otherworldly insights which allow me to heal parts of myself and, with hope, speak to the viewer in a similar manner. In this process, by allowing myself to leave my left brain behind, or what appears as a cityscape in much of my work, I can honor and appreciate my messy imperfections, but with trust that I will find my way, as the wild ones do. I often donate proceeds of my work to Defenders of Wildlife or other causes that protect native species such as wolves, grizzly bears and bobcats because urbanization pushes them to be misunderstood and eventually exterminated. The animals have much to teach us just by showing us how they do life without the clutter of modern-day obstacle thinking.

 

Title of piece: Faith, 2011. I used watercolors, masking tape and a book page from Call of the Wild, on maple board to create this piece and tried to allow the work to flow out without a plan, without judgment. I resisted critiquing it or comparing it to my other work.

 

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Here are some interpretations of the catalyst from members of our team.

 

Amy:

 

Amy Says:

There are many causes I support and in which I believe — heavy ones, big ones, philosophical ones, political ones, medical ones. But for this catalyst, I decided to focus on bird awareness, conservation, and preservation. On a large-scale level, supporting an organization like the National Audubon Society helps raise awareness and protect at-risk birds and wildlife. On a personal level, taking time to notice and really “see” the birds and wildlife around us has the power to transform us on the inside. Go on… stop for five minutes today and see what birds you might discover! The birds in this drawing are puffins… an amazing example of the diversity, beauty, and art in different species.

 

 

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Fran:

 

Fran Says:

One of the causes I believe in is that basic health care is a right. Everyone should have access to basic preventative and acute health care services. It’s just the right thing to do.

 

 

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Julie:

 

Julie Says:

I am on a personal mission to pay it forward and spread the mantra of kindness around the world. It’s so easy to let yourself become annoyed or even enraged by those around you — strangers, acquaintances, or those closest to you. I say, be kind and generous because you never know what someone else is going through. Whether it’s something big like a recent death in the family, or something small like their boss yelled at them, what does it hurt to give them the benefit of the doubt and meet a scowl with a smile? You never know, you might change their day!

 

 

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Karen:

 

Karen Says:

There are many causes I feel passionate about but at the very top of the list is education. I believe a high quality education can make all the difference in a person’s life. I think that all kids should have access to and deserve a good education. With that, one can achieve a lot in life and go farther than many others. There is a gap and we need to fix it.

 

 

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Opal:

 

Opal Says:

I support the effort to eat fresh, local, organic, and seasonal foods. I believe by doing this, I am supporting the local farmers in the Skagit Valley.

 

In the fall, there is an event called Farm to Fork. It’s intent is to bring awareness to the goodness of locally produced foods. It is that concept that inspired my piece. I wanted the suggestion of a typical local fruit stand with the screaming colors and voice of beautiful fresh produce and local products.

 

Pieced and raw edged collage, machine and hand quilted, with a few tiny beaded embellishments.

 

 

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Shelley:

 

Shelley Says:

I am a big supporter of several groups: Special Olympics, Best Buddies, and most recently Spread the word to end the word. This is a group dedicated to ending the insensitive use of the “R” word as they put it. That word being retard. I have a son who has been diagnosed with mental retardation and Autism. I am his greatest advocate and these groups allow me to interact with others facing similar diagnoses and celebrate our special kids. The word used in my wall hanging are those used in Spread the Word campaign. Special Olympics has allowed my very athletic son to participate and excel in areas he might not otherwise have had a chance. Best Buddies is an organization through his school that paired him with a “buddy” and gave him access to hanging out with others his age and attending fun school events that he might not otherwise have experienced. I am so grateful to these organizations for helping us parents and special needs individuals be the best they can be and to experience life like everyone else!

 

 

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Wendela:

 

Wendela Says:

This time I made a card, a card for a new born baby boy. It makes me thinking about a Dutch agency for Christian counseling unexpected pregnancies. They believe in the sanctity of life and they believe that life begins at conception. They can listen to the needs of mostly young single women facing an unexpected pregnancy and provide answers to many of the questions they have about adoption, abortion or parenting a child often a little or no costs. It’s for me a good charity to support!

 

 

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Now it’s your turn: show us your therapeutic art around “What’s a cause you believe in (or a charity you support)? Why?” I urge you to give it a try. It can be any form of art as long as it speaks to you.

 

Leave us comments with your work so we can share in your creative therapy, too. If you don’t have a community or blog where you upload photos, you can upload them on our flickr group.

 

 

Remember, this is not a competition. If your art makes you feel even a bit better at the end, you’ve won.

 

Until next month, enjoy each and every moment.

 

 

Catalyst One Hundred and Thirty-Three

 

As always, thank you to all of our visitors and all the encouraging comments you left for us. For those of you who did, thank you for playing along with us.

 

Ok! Here’s catalyst number one hundred and thirty-three:

 

Do you have a favorite or important family recipe?

 

We’re thrilled to have Susy Waters as this week’s Guest Artist.

 

Here’s a quickie self-bio for Susy:

 

My technique is to draw, scan, use photoshop(I am self taught) still only know about 1%. I am 49 .married happily. We are English. I have lived here 23 years and have two children Rosey, 22, and Jasper, 20. I love my type of work. It’s changed a bit with magazines closing. (I used to work for gourmet quite a bit) but now am working for crate and barrel, publishers, textile companies, and along with a Bengali folk tale that will be published in 2013! Right now i am juggling new designs for crate, poster for a company called wild apple and having pillow cases and tea towels printed by my collaborating printer friend Rod Carruthers in Florida.

 

 

 

Make sure to check out Susy’s blog.

 

 

 

Here is Susy’s art with this week’s catalyst. You can click on it to see a larger version and a lot more detail.

 

 

 

Susy’s thoughts in a picture (click to enlarge):

 

 

 

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Here are some interpretations of the catalyst from members of our team.

 

Amy:

 

Amy Says:

This recipe for Beet Soup is not a family recipe that has been handed down, but maybe it will be. This is a recipe I consider important in my collection of recipes “I make” as it is one of the first soups I made. It is also a recipe that showed me that when it comes to soup, it’s okay to vary amounts and ingredients and “experiment.” Soup is forgiving. And, soup is something you can make for yourself, even if no one else eats it. You’ll have food for “you” for several days! That this soup turns a lovely shade of pink when the sour cream is added is also wonderful! (Note: my quantities vary greatly from the recipe on which this soup is based.)

 

 

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Julie:

 

Julie Says:

This is one of the things that I always insist my Mother make when I visit her. Even though I have the recipe, it never tastes as good when I make it as when she makes it! And I associate so many happy childhood memories with eating matzo brie!

 

 

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Karen:

 

Karen Says:

I thought a lot about this catalyst. My first hunch was to make it on mousse chocolat or gateaux salami, both of which my grandmother made for me each time I came to visit. It was her way of showing me how much she loved me and how much she missed me. But as the weeks passed, I decided I wanted to make this one about my family and the recipe of laughter and joy that these family photos have brought to me. I don’t cook so I will not be leaving my two sons any recipes for them to continue to pass down. But if I can pass down the power of laughter and joy as my recipe for a fulfilled and happy life and family, I will consider it a success.

 

 

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Opal:

 

Opal Says:

The one recipe that creates the most discussion with my daughters is my mom’s potato salad recipe. Once I asked her to write down her recipe for us, and she looked at me and said, “Opaljean – you don’t need a recipe for potato salad. All you need are 4 potatoes, 3 hard cooked eggs, 2 sweet pickles, onion, mayo and mustard.” But she did write it down with a bit of attitude. This piece honors my mom’s potato salad. The recipe, in her handwriting, is photocopied on fabric and anchored under a potato. The salt grains are tiny crystals. The polka dots are for mom.

 

 

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Shelley:

 

Shelley Says:

It is our tradition that every Sunday night we have pizza. My family did this and I have passed the tradition down to my kids. Most times we make homemade pizza but if I am too tired we opt for Pappa Murphy’s! 90% of the time we make homemade pizza and this is a little project I made using cds, some plastic cd protectors, and some scrapbooking materials. I recorded the actual instructions on how we make our homemade pizza on the back of each cd with a marker. Homemade pizza is so yummy and we like adding ingredients that we like to it. Most times it’s just cheese but there is nothing like the smell and taste of our Sunday night pizza!

 

 

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Wendela:

 

Wendela Says:

My favorite family recipe is a cookie receipt I got from my mom! So easy with flour, baking soda, and a little milk and butter. You can add chocolate chips if you want or chopped ginger ….yummie!!!!

 

 

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Now it’s your turn: show us your therapeutic art around “Do you have a favorite or important family recipe?” I urge you to give it a try. It can be any form of art as long as it speaks to you.

 

Leave us comments with your work so we can share in your creative therapy, too. If you don’t have a community or blog where you upload photos, you can upload them on our flickr group.

 

 

Remember, this is not a competition. If your art makes you feel even a bit better at the end, you’ve won.

 

Until next month, enjoy each and every moment.

 

 

Catalyst One Hundred and Thirty-Two

 

As always, thank you to all of our visitors and all the encouraging comments you left for us. For those of you who did, thank you for playing along with us.

 

Ok! Here’s catalyst number one hundred and thirty-two:

 

What’s one lesson you would give a married couple? Or if you’re not married, what’s an advice someone gave you?

 

We’re thrilled to have Suzy Plantamura as this week’s Guest Artist.

 

Here’s a quickie self-bio for Suzy:

 

Suzy Plantamura is a scrapbooking and photography addict. She has been on the Creating Keepsakes Dream Team for the past three years which gives her the opportunity to complete lots of challenging assignments, write some articles, and do video tutorials. She also designs for American Crafts and MAMBI. She loves to take photos of her two girls who are 9 and 11 and her cockapoo puppy. Suzy lives close to the beach and spends much of her free time hanging out there with the kids. Her blog is titled LIVING MY DREAM as she is truly living her dream by being a full time mommy and a part time scrapper!

 

Make sure to check out Suzy’s blog.

 

 

 

Here is Suzy’s art with this week’s catalyst. You can click on it to see a larger version and a lot more detail.

 

 

 

Journaling Reads:

“Love” is a DECISION. A marriage counselor told me this while I was married to Thane’s dad and I didn’t believe him. I figured if I was no longer feeling it, the relationship was over – that you couldn’t make yourself love someone. But after two divorces and thirteen years of marriage to Tom, I have learned a few things about the feeling of love! All marriages are going to have happy times and hard times. All men will disappoint you at some point. No one is perfect. And love may ebb and flow. If you are truly committed to your relationship, you will learn to love “the one you’re with”. Because loving someone with all their imperfections in an unconditional way IS a decision.! You have to be 100% committed. You have to embrace and appreciate your differences. You have to work on improving yourself, not your partner. You have to realize love is not a fairy tale and no man is going to be your perfect prince charming. If you are in love at one time, you can usually feel that emotion again if you allow yourself. But you have to decide to and focus on the good in the other – the things you fell in love with. If you want to have one of those wonderful relationships you believe exist in your heart, it takes work. And when you give your heart and let disappointments go and love your spouse for who they are, you will find the “true love” you are looking or. It starts within YOU! And it can last a life time and beyond. Make the decision to love!.

 

Suzy Says:

I wanted to document the things I have learned about love over the past 30 years! As a teenager, I believed that I would meet the perfect man, know he was my soul mate and we would live happily ever after! I had NO idea that relationships were hard and that I would get hurt and disappointed. I ended up going through two divorces by the age of 30! But I turned my mistakes into wisdom and knowledge and vowed I would learn how to have a successful relationship. And I do. Because I have changed. Not because I found the perfect person (although he is pretty close)!!!

 

Technique Highlight:

For my title I wanted the word LOVE to really stand out. I used the biggest chipboard letters I have and outlined them with baker’s twine. I layered paper and stickers along the top and bottom of the layout and stitched some in place to “frame” the page.I used a piece of patterned paper that resembled notebook paper and used a Fiskars border punch along the edge so it appeared to be torn from a notebook. I wanted the journaling to be the focus of the layout, so I kept the photos small.

 

 

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Here are some interpretations of the catalyst from members of our team.

 

Amy:

 

Amy Says:

Make time. Be careful.

 

 

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Carole:

 

Carole Says:

The most important thing I can pass onto my daughter and son would be to trust your future partner, and to love and respect them, for me this is something that is so important to Mike and I in our marriage together, 24 years in October.

 

 

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Fran:

 

Fran Says:

My husband and I have been happily married for 19 years this month. We attribute it to having a true partnership based on friendship and respect. The most important and smartest thing I ever did was to marry my best friend. There is no one in the world I”d rather tell news to, talk to, sit quietly with, and share life experiences with. We encourage each other to reach for our dreams and to be the best we can be.

 

 

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Julie:

 

Julie Says:

My sweet husband and I have been together since 1996 when we met in college. Fourteen years together and I think our relationship is stronger than it has ever been. Someone once told me: Be kinder than you feel. And it has really worked for us!

 

Like any two people we have bad days that follow us home. But being kind and being met with kindness ensures that no bad mood lingers. And even a simple trip to the grocery store can be made sweeter with kindess. For instance, John always carries the heavy grocery bags home and allows me to simply stroll beside him. Or I know that he hates cleaning up after he cooks, so I’ll offer to wash the dishes, even though it’s certainly not my favorite thing either. And in the end, we usually end up doing them together!

 

Every time your partner meets you with kindness, you remember exactly why you fell in love with that person in the first place! It’s so nice to know that someone cares enough about you to take the time to be kind. So that’s my message in a nutshell: be kind.

 

 

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Karen:

 

Karen Says:

Many people I’ve met over the years have given me relationship and marriage advice but I think it too often depends on the dynamics of each couple. The one thing I’ve learned from my personal experience is that it’s never about 50/50. Sometimes one person needs more help or attention and sometimes it’s the other. you go with the flow and always give 100% without keeping score. If each of you do that, it’s a good path for happiness.

 

 

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Opal:

 

Opal Says:

My advice would be to “Bloom where(ever) you are planted” – a quote made famous by Mary Engelbreit. As I shared with others my response to this catalyst, I was amazed at the different interpretations of that quote. And so I leave it open to you …and let my artwork speak for itself. My piece is a tiny quilt, stripped pieced around the unfolding petals of a flower…tendrils of gold loops and swirls twist and turn upwards as the flower is connected, yet free to bloom in its space.

 

 

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Wendela:

 

Wendela Says:

Listen to each other, and you become closer at heart …

 

 

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Now it’s your turn: show us your therapeutic art around “What’s one lesson you would give a married couple? Or if you’re not married, what’s an advice someone gave you?” I urge you to give it a try. It can be any form of art as long as it speaks to you.

 

Leave us comments with your work so we can share in your creative therapy, too. If you don’t have a community or blog where you upload photos, you can upload them on our flickr group.

 

 

Remember, this is not a competition. If your art makes you feel even a bit better at the end, you’ve won.

 

Until next month, enjoy each and every moment.

 

 

Catalyst One Hundred and Thirty-One

 

As always, thank you to all of our visitors and all the encouraging comments you left for us. For those of you who did, thank you for playing along with us.

 

Ok! Here’s catalyst number one hundred and thirty-one:

 

Describe or show yourself at this point in your life.

 

We’re thrilled to have Susannah Conway as this week’s Guest Artist.

 

Here’s a quickie self-bio for Susannah:

 

Susannah Conway is a photographer, writer and the creator of the Unravelling e-courses. A Polaroid addict and very proud aunt, she is currently hard at work on her first book, to be published in the spring of 2012.

 

Make sure to check out Susannah’s blog and her twitter Registration for the most recent Unravelling class was on May 7th and the next one opens in August.

 

 

 

Here is Susannah’s art with this week’s catalyst. You can click on it to see a larger version and a lot more detail.

 

 

 

Susannah Says:

Spring has arrived here in the UK and it’s not a moment too soon. I’ve just spent the last five months writing my first book, and sent the completed manuscript to my editor on April 1st. Even though I have a whole stack of projects that are needing my attention I feel strangely adrift, as if the book anchored me in my days and now it’s gone I have nothing to hold on to.

 

Right now I am existing in the in-between space, like the blue sky between the blossoms I shot on Polaroid three days after my deadline. I’m wide-open and free, yet also expectant and full of nerves. Will my editor like the book? What’s going to happen in the editing process, when we work together to polish the words? Spring is the perfect metaphor for this process — how the blossom is so full of life and promise (the first draft), to be followed by the ripening in the summer sunshine (the editing), then the harvesting in the autumn (the final book). There is so much to play for, so much good stuff to come, I will take my cue from nature and let everything unfold in its own time.

 

 

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Here are some interpretations of the catalyst from members of our team.

 

Amy:

 

Amy Says:

I had my son take a number of photos as I considered this catalyst. I wanted to do something totally different, in fabric, and there is a half-started self-portrait on my design wall with a “pirate’s eye” in place. But, in the end, this drawing summarizes the “now” of me. It’s not a totally relaxed moment. It’s subtle, but the pose captures the waiting, the watching, and the sense of being alert and a bit on the edge. At the same time, I see in it the desire and gradual move toward acceptance, grace, and peace.

 

 

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Anna:

 

Anna Says:

Who am I now? A Woman – wife and daughter in one, someone who (I hope) found her own path and tries to follow it. My parents are surprised by decisions I made and goals I found for myself, but I feel it is right. So here I am: independent spirit, addicted to creating and finding pleasure in expressing hereself in paper art.

 

 

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Fran:

 

Fran Says:

This is a close-up of a silk scarf I painted. It really depicts me as I am right now: brightly colored, cheerful, confident, flexible and loose with my boundaries.

 

 

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Julie:

 

Julie Says:

This is a quilt that I call “Possibilities.” I wove strips of fabric together and added lots of hand stitching and beading to represent the journey I’ve taken so far. The large yellow square represents something new on the horizon — a door or a portal to a new adventure! I am in the midst of making some changes to my life. Lots of changes! And exciting new possibilities lurk on the horizon!

 

 

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Karen:

 

Karen Says:

It might not be sexy but what I feel more than anything at this moment is so very content. I feel like I am full of peace and joy but I also feel calm. I feel my career, my family, my art, and life in general are exactly where I wish them to be at this moment. And I do not take that for granted for a second. I work out daily. I spend time with my kids. I do all my work and fulfill my obligations. But I also know I am so lucky. And things will change. Tougher times will come. So I celebrate this moment of contentment.

 

 

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Larissa:

 

Larissa Says:

I painted a canvas sheet as part of an inspiration journal in which you can see myself locked in the highest tower of the castle I built watching time goes by while not being able to escape. To create it I transferred a my picture onto canvas and painted my background using stencils, glimmer mists and distress ink. After that I aded some embellishments as paper cutouts, bling and flowers.

 

 

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Opal:

 

Opal Says:

It came to me in a giddy moment. I saw myself as a “fish out of water,” looking beyond the familiar to what might be: the who’s, what’s, and where’s…if only in sporadic deep breaths of curiosity and courage. She is dressed in her shiny best, reflecting the light above, with a bit of seaweed wrapped around her body… ‘Fish’ is quilted with gold thread. Her body was created with fused bits of ‘prom’ fabrics from my stash. Torn strips of cotton, aptly named In The Beginning, create the water. Hand and machine quilted. 18″ x 18″

 

 

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Shelley:

 

Shelley Says:

My life right now is consumed with my family, home, and crafting. I love where I am right now in life. I have embraced the ebb and flow of life and it’s ups and downs. I concentrate my energy on my family and my love to create. These things make me happy! I love to use second hand items in my projects. Here I used a vintage frame and removed the glass. I covered the back piece with canvas and then added other second hand items and some lovely scrapbooking items as well. I wanted to combine my love for family and creating in this piece.

 

 

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Wendela:

 

Wendela Says:

How describe myself at this time of my life…: A mommy… A wife…An artist…A teacher…

 

 

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Now it’s your turn: show us your therapeutic art around “Describe or show yourself at this point in your life.” I urge you to give it a try. It can be any form of art as long as it speaks to you.

 

Leave us comments with your work so we can share in your creative therapy, too. If you don’t have a community or blog where you upload photos, you can upload them on our flickr group.

 

 

Remember, this is not a competition. If your art makes you feel even a bit better at the end, you’ve won.

 

Until next month, enjoy each and every moment.