Art Retreat

Love poem #1

I've called myself an artist for nearly 50 years now, but right now my feelings about art are like a vortex of chaos, and it's been painful and frustrating. I'm having a lengthy crisis of inspiration with art-making (an old familiar feeling!) and I'm in deep discernment about my painting. 

It's been months now, I stillI don't have a clear idea of next steps, but I trust that light will dawn if I keep faithful to the process. My starting point is the firm belief that art is a healing force in the world.

My mission haiku this month is:

Love poem #2

Take root, grow skyward,

and create love poems to the earth; 

share them on the wind.

A couple of times this week I took a bucket of supplies (watercolors, brushes, paper, charcoal, pens) to my garden, let nature talk to me, and created love notes. 

Today I'm going to dive in and muck around with art.

Agenda:

1. Read "Healing with the Arts"

2. Weekly lesson

3. Guided meditation

4. Medicine art

1. Read "Healing with the Arts"

I'm reading "Healing with the Arts" by Michael Samuels and Mary R. Lane. This is a "12-week program to heal yourself and your community." The book is meant to be read and practiced a week at a time, starting with "Activating the Artist and Healer Within" and ending with "Your Final Project and Transcendence Ceremony." (I'm a sucker for the week-by-week approach!)

The preface explains that Arts includes visual arts, literary arts, music, and dance, and anything creative, really - including journaling, chanting, ceremonies, cooking, and gardening.

And Healing is for physical, mental, and emotional problems, life crisis, grief, trauma, relationships, and spiritual growth, and is for individuals, families, communities and the earth. "Art adds creativity, spirituality, love, and soul - vital elements in the health of an individual." 

The basic assumption is that everyone is an artist and everyone is a healer and that using art frees your healer to heal. "By releasing tension and fear and opening the mind to passionate creativity and the forces that created us, the inner artist and healer merge as one."

2. Weekly lesson:

The first lesson is "Activating the Artist and Healer Within." The goal is to locate the joyful place within myself, and confidently say, I am an artist, re-embracing the artistry we all have inside. I am instructed to become an artist-in-residence in life, open myself to my creative flow, and make art not to sell, but to heal and "let go," no judgements. (This speaks to my condition.)

"At its core, art is an expression of the spirit, the Divine Creator. ... art heals via this creative life force. The spirit that propels us has the power to heal at the deepest level of our being."

A rock shrine sacred space in my garden

Much of what the authors say I believe to be true; but I can already feel myself getting skeptical, impatient, and guarded. The book starts with far too many woo-woo words and flowery promises before getting to any action. And then the first actions are all preparations. I'm instructed to: 

• Make time; create a routine around each week's lesson and be consistent. "Make this simple act as important as anything else you do in life". 
• Make sacred space; create an altar, and pray to bring in healing energy. 
• Find an Art-Healing journal. "Your journal will become your touchstone for the creative process ... the container for your creative musings..."
• Collect Medicine Art kit supplies. "In the spirit of playfulness, pick out supplies that pop out or resonate with you..."

3. Guided meditation: 

I am instructed to go to my sacred art space; today that's a spot in my front Sanctuary Garden. I've got a bucket of supplies, a lawn chair, and my cup of coffee. I'm looking towards my rocks.

I'm instructed to relax, slow my breathing, sit in silence; then ask a higher power to come to me. Here's my prayer:

I call on the Creator of all life to be with me, and bless me. And I ask Nature to guide me, give me images, and insight, as I seek to heal myself, my community, and the Earth.  

Next, the authors have written two guided meditations to follow. I decided to tape the first, Meeting my Inner Artist, and the audio files are here: 

The second meditation is to Release my Inner Critic, but I didn't think that would work for me so, instead, I will have a chat with her, and explain that the art I'm making now is healing art, not meant to be critiqued, so she can take a vacation.

4. Medicine art:

ThIs week's assignment is to portray what came in the guided meditation, using any materials at hand, or just doodle and explore my favorite media - while embracing my inner artist and keeping my inner critic away.