Art,
Self-Expression & the Creative Process
"What
we see as humans is just the surface of a vast invisible ocean."
- Caroline W. Casey
We
all embody the conscious and the unconscious, the visible and the
hidden. These active dynamic forces dance within each of us and
connect us to all of life. To become self-possessed you must find
your own rhythm and connect to your own passionate self-expression,
finding ways to honor all parts of your psyche. What if
"time to create" is not simply a luxury, but a necessity?
What if the melodrama you live out in your daily life is
a symptom of the lack of attention your personal creative self-expression?
If you are having a problem considerdance about it, sing it, paint
it, draw it, act it, cook it - RITUALIZE IT or you'll live it. To
find you path you must dance with the wild forces, learn the art
of surrender, get comfortable with not-knowing, step into dreams,
create your own mythology, and learn to celebrate life's transitions.
This is the essence of ritual. As Caroline Casey says, "whatever
is not invited to the mainstream party is what we MOST need to invite."
"If
you find yourself falling - DIVE!" - Joseph Campbell
As
you will soon discover, in the world of process painting Nothing
is Off-limits. Painting is a physical act of the body.
Images are the language of the soul and the unconscious. By painting,
one is giving physical expression to the soul - releasing stuck
energy. Your don't interpret your work or others, during or after.
You simply pay attention to what you are feeling in the moment and
focus on the present. The experience happens in the process
of painting. Sometimes a whole painting is for one moment, one realization,
one insight, one feeling or one taste. Begin to tap into your own
unexplored world of mystery and feeling. As you being to paint energy
will start to move and become available to you in your daily life.
Process-painting, or any other process-based expressive work is
about being where you are in that particular moment, feeling what
you feel and learning to play again and be spontaneous. At some
point, you knew how to paint. It's about reconnecting to that -
and bringing it back into your life.
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From
a First Time Painter:
Hi
Heather!
Just wanted to say I loved the painting class today! I'm so
excited about the uh...creation that emerged in front of my
eyes :) I was just staring at it and the words "you can't
make this shit up" popped into my head & I thought
of you. Anyway, thanks again.
+ MM, monster lover.
p.s. "are those severed fingertips?" "why yes,
they are." |
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