I love going through something and finding an old note or card.   Thats how I felt when I opened this blog back up.  No it isn't that old, but it was a nice reflection to see what I've done and how I've grown.  I'm so excited to be back to this blog for my class Arts in Human Development.  As I was reflecting on my past year in the masters program and how I wanted to introduce myself to this second year I only found it fitting to dance.  I decided to use a list of words to create a short movement phrase.  The words I used to introduce myself and reflection of the last year were: 

Happy

Searching 

Fun 

Wrapped

Embraced

Learning 

Reaching 

Purple 

Grasp

Write

Explore 

These words I feel not only describe me personally but also me as I'm on the adventure of the masters program.  I made a dance phrase using these words as inspiration for the movement. 

So this is my friendly hello to old friends and introduction to the new ones! 

P.S. Sorry the sound is kind of low 

http://vimeo.com/110177650

A closing thats only the beginning

Throughout the past year this blog has been the collection of different creative practices I have engaged in.  As I come to the end of my certificate work I feel that I'm not ending only opening a new door into a new journey.  This dance is a collection of multiple thoughts, phrases and drawings I have had over my year in a journal I kept.  This journal has been a very personal collection of thoughts not a place for notes about course work but a place for thoughts both positive and negative about my life.  My life encompasses and intertwined in school, work and relationships.  I've overcome many challenges within my certificate work, challenges in embracing visual arts.  This blog has been a place for me to post my work, which when I first did a visual art project I was so nervous to do so.  This blog has been a place to express and explore and know while no one really looks at it, it can be found.  Its forever on the internet--which while scary is also so cool.  This dance was composed with inspiration by drawings, words and phrases in my personal journey. Enjoy

The Seven's

Trisha Brown is an iconic modern choreographer.   Her work encompasses multidisciplinary practices and is so beautiful.   Her book "SO THAT THE AUDIENCE DOES NOT KNOW WHETHER I HAVE STOPPED DANCING" served as my inspiration for my creative practice.

The book is a collection of some of her thoughts and inspirations for her dances.  In 1969 she created a work called "Skymap" for this work she used sketches she had drawn to create her floor patterns and movement for the dance.  I was so intrigued by this, I decided to try it myself.  This week I focused on the sketches.  Trisha Brown discusses that she would draw many different sketches before picking just one.  I noticed in her sketches she seemed to follow a pattern of type, but never discussed it.  Some of the sketches only have 5 lines repeated and others only having a circle.  

For my creative practice I did "The Seven's"

I challenged myself to create 7 drawings created of 7 lines.  This is my 4th sketch I am including.  It was such a inspiring practice, I really enjoyed it.  I found myself turning the paper and looking at it different ways.

I am planning on using this sketch to create a dance, much like Trisha Brown has done.

Gratitude Phrase One

I'm so thankful everyday for so many people and so much in my life.  I had an idea to create dance phrases in gratitude.  I have started compiling a list of things, experiences and people that I am grateful for.  With this list over time I plan to create short dance phrases and hopefully string them together into a much larger work!

As an artist dance is my form of expression, being able to show people my gratitude with movement is such a sweet idea in my mind.  Also the idea that to people unknowing the movement may have different context or meaning to them.  This is a project I am not putting any timeline on.

My first dance phrases is actually to myself, I made this phrases to thank my body, my mind and my soul for all that is has done so far.  I'm focusing on working from the inside out, if I'm happy I will radiate happiness and be able to provide happiness as I'm facilitating my art.

Dance is such a dynamic journey for me and I'm really happy with this phrases and can't wait to build on and add onto the idea of gratitude!

Letting it go

Sometimes you need to let things go...........

This week I reflected on things I need to let go both good and bad. I spent time reflecting on thoughts I wanted to let go.

While reflecting on thoughts I wanted to let go, I also was reflecting on amazing thoughts and memories I wanted to send off as well.

I decided to write these message on card stock and attach them to balloons and literally "let them go."

My Balloons

My Messages

Holding the Balloons

Letting it go 

 The whole experience was so satisfying and rewarding.  Being in the sunshine and watching those thoughts go up far far away!

This is a practice that I really think I will continue as part of my healing and recovery  I loved sending good and negative thoughts up into the sky!

Blackout

This week for my creative practice I visited a technique from Austin Kleon

http://newspaperblackout.com

Austin is a artist who created poem by blackout words of newspapers to create his poems.  I decided to make my own version of Blackout

BLACKOUT
Supplies needed:

Magazine, Book or Newspaper
Sharpie

Step One:
I selected a fashion magazine

Step Two: 

Choose Article

** I choose this article really just by flipping to a page and tearing it out**

Step Three: 

Choose Article 

**I choose the one at the bottom the title caught my eye**

Step Four: 

Use Sharpie to blackout words

** I just started drawing lines and choosing words not worrying about phrases or anything**

Step Five: 

Complete your poem 

Here is my completed poem: 

Still Need 

I never became?

he said my boyfriend didn't want to the right thing?

I've questioned become involved. 

Because I had me 

I am and you

Who's been some to go to call cautiously

But we all know what 

Reflection: 

This was a really great project for me, I would love to continue with this process to create a collection using different mediums of words from newspapers, books, journals pamphlets ect. I think the act of using someone else words to create your own is very exciting and fulfilling. I'm interested in creating more blackout poems and then exploring movement and art with the influence of the poems created! 

Creative Practice 2

This was one of my favorite projects to do bedside at the hospital.   The supplies needed are magazine clippings (which I made small bags for each patient so not to have cross contamination) Mod Podge, paintbrush and small item to decorate.

This project really opens a window for conversation about what you want to put in the box after or what words you want to use ect.

This is also great because it works with many different settings children to elders can do this project.  A great keepsake