Creative Practice

This project is part of my art tool kit that I have created for my practicum work at the hospital.  When I meet a patient I offer one of my crafts.  I have found that having a choice of three is good for both the patient and myself as a facilitator.  Having the three options allows me to know I am offering something I can do and allows the patient a easier choice to make rather than asking "what would you like to do."

This craft has been one of my favorites.  I find that the simplicity of the project makes it accessible to multiple communities of people children and elders alike.  I always explain that there is no wrong way, and tell them I am a dancer not an artist.  I have found that allowing myself to take my guard down and be honest about not being a visual artist has allowed both me and the patient to have beautiful explorations.

Dot Painting:

Supplies:

Canvas or thick paper
Acrylic paint
Paint brush
Paper plate


1. Start with a blank canvas or thick paper, paint, paintbrush and plate for mixing.  Include white or cream paint.

2.  Using paint brush or paint bottles make random dots of paint over entire canvas

3.  Using brush begin to mix colors with a swirling technique 

4.  Continue across canvas you can add more paint if needed there is no right or wrong

5.  Enjoy your art work!  

Becuase Who is Perfect?

This week floating around on my social networking  I noticed this link shared a couple of times.  Each time I saw it I was to busy or not able to click on the link.  Finally yesterday I did click on the link and its was amazing.  A great example of arts in medicine in a unique way, using art to explore and education, and also help empower and heal others. 

The idea behind the art work itself is genius, the store mannequins are such a looked over piece.  The idea of a "normal" body seen in a mannequin as we all know is so FAR from normal.  I notice often in store how they have the clothes pinned to fit the mannequins because the mannequins are to small for even the extra small clothes. Just this week I was in the mall and one of the store fronts was changing out the display and I watched as a little boy pointed out the breast of the mannequin and giggled. This made me ponder as I walked through the mall, these mannequins are created to display and show the clothing or accessories that we want to purchase, but they are being put on a un realistic body.

I am not sure what made me think about this as I walked through the mall.  Was it that I had scrolled past this article on my phone earlier, or the boy giggling at the breast but I pondered on the idea.  I didn't actually click on the article until days later.  When I watched the video I was so moved by the braveness of the models and the artist.   This is a great example of art in medicine and sharing it with the world. The models showed healing seeing their bodies recreated.  The people observing the store fronts also seem to experience healing.  Its OK to stare at store mannequins and to appreciate peoples differences. 

My creative practice this week came to be before I even knew I was doing it.  I've spent time reflecting on what I see in front of me daily and what I don't and what I miss.  Do I walk past people or store mannequins and not accept their beauty and uniqueness?  I spent time writing about the question "Because Who is Perfect?" and a self exploration of myself and surroundings.

Please enjoy this article and video I promise it is worth the few short minutes.

http://jezebel.com/people-with-disabilities-react-to-mannequins-created-in-1475812519

What's Your Question?

This week for my creative practice I used Ben Breedlove as my inspiration.

Ben Breedlove 18 made a YouTube video on December 18, 2011 in two parts titled: "This is my story" where he opens up about his heart condition and the impact it has had on his young life.  He shares three near death experiences he had.  Each of his near death experiences he describes seeing a white light, at the end he ask: do you believe in angels or God?  He responds as "I Do"

After seeing this video I decided to make my own version.  I decided to ask a question, much like Ben did.

I think this creative exercise could be used bed side in the hospital.  I can see using this to send someone a good wish, to raise awareness and a place for a patient to speak even if they think they can't.  The simplicity of the video that Ben made speaks so loudly, even without words.


Here is my video:

Week 2/3 Creative Practice

My week 2 creative practice went into week 3 as well.  I began looking at this painting:

Painting Title: Autumn Landscape 1885
Oil on Canvas, 64x89cm - 25x35 inches (approx)
Vincent van Gogh 

About the Autumn Landscape Painting
The Autumn Landscape is one of Vincent van Gogh's earlier works, where he was painting in more of an impressionist manner, with more details and less color than his later works. Van Gogh was pleased with the results of this particular painting which he talks about in a letter to Theo below.

Van Gogh wrote about the Autumn Landscape painting in a letter to his brother Theo van Gogh in 1885, saying 

"I think that I am making progress with my work. Last night something happened to me which I will tell you as minutely as I can. You know those three pollard oaks at the bottom of the garden at home; I have plodded on them for the fourth time. I had been at them for three days with a canvas the size of, lets say, the cottage, and the country church-yard which you have.
The difficulty was the tufts of havana leaves, to model them and give them form, color, tone. Then in the evening I took it to that acquaintance of mine in Eindhoven, who has a rather stylish drawing room, where we put it on the wall (gray paper, furniture black with gold). Well, never before was I so convinced that I shall make things that do well, that I shall succeed in calculating my colors, so that I have it in my power to make the right effect."

This quote really struck me both as a personal artist and as a arts facilitator.  At what moment do we have the "ahaa" moment and realize what we are marking is good and valuable, where is our stylish drawing room.  In what way can I facilitate and create a "drawing room" for the people I work with.

The painting is so stunning, the more you look at it the more you discover.  As my creative practice I challenged myself to draw trees, when I first started it took forever and I wasn't getting any progress because I was so concerned with "the tree" first off I am not a talented drawer so why I thought I would be able to draw a tree was bizarre to me.  I decided to close my eyes and draw that way, I got lost in the paper, when I opened my eyes there was no tree.  But there was such a clear tree in my mimd like I could touch it.

I journaled about this, how once I let my mind let go I could create the tree.  I revisited my free writing a few days later, which I don't normally do.  Often when I free write I don't return to it, but this one I did.  I went through and highlighted some words and phrases that stuck out to me.  After reflecting on this and the quote and painting I did some improv and pieced together this, it is a combination of both improv and choreography.

REFERENCE:
http://www.artquotes.net/masters/vangogh/vangogh_landscape.htm

Personal Creative Practice Wk. 1

As apart of my second class for my masters certificate I am asked to create my own personal creative practice and document it.  I have decided for this seven week journey to explore my connection with art work and movement.  Each week I will select a piece of artwork. With this artwork I will free write about the artwork, sketch/draw the artwork and create a movement phrase in my personal response with the art work.  Each week I will challenge myself to expand and change my approach for all of these.


Week 1

I had the TV on in the background one afternoon when Katie Couric show came on not paying much attention I heard the words arts and healing and I turned my attention to the show.  On the show was Mariam Paré a women was paralyzed by a gun wound, before her injury she was an artist and after her injury she continued her art by paining with her mouth.  Here is a link to the segment of the show I saw

(Please scroll down to "See a woman paint with her mouth")http://katiecouric.com/2013/10/17/molly/  


This story was such an inspiration I decided, I should try it as well.  The task was very difficult see below my painting:



The challenge was so interesting to me, I free wrote about the lose of something but finding other ways to not lose it.  I got lost in thought about control, my mouth with the paint brush was so hard to control.
After my free writing I engaged in a dance improvisation where I explored ideas like I had wrote about, only moving my arms, or my legs, or nothing.  I would continue the task until I was frustrated but once I hit frustration I found that I was moving in such a unique way, ways that I have never though of.


I challenge you to explore an art form you know and love in a way that you don't know.  What if you couldn't sing anymore or sculpt, could you find ways to still do it?


Please see Mariam Pare website for inspiration and to see her artwork.
http://www.mariampare.com
x

Take 4 Words

This week we were asked to create our own personal creative practice.

Mine is called "Take 4 Words"

1. Pick one topic, anything at all such as vacations, pets, walking

2. Free write for 3 minutes about this topic, don't stop to correct or change just write write write, even if you go off topic that is ok.

3. Now pick 4 numbers between 1-100

4. Count your words and circle those 4 numbers

5.  These are your 4 words, you can make them into a phrase or change them around or do whatever you wish with these 4 words.

6.  Create a movement phrase from these 4 words or create a painting, drawing, music anything you wish.

When I did this exercise I wrote about the color purple,  my numbers were 16, 22, 31, 47 and my words were:

Grey
Lost
Upon
Sharpie

With these 4 words I created this movement phrase:

Wk. 7 Health Blog Post

This week on my exploration of blogs and articles I came across this one, which I am blown away with.  This is a short story of women who are sharing a awful time in their life, each going through chemotherapy for cancer.  But some how they have all connected in this hospital and share this fabulous coat.  They have built a friendship and bond over this coat.  This is a perfect example of what this 7 week journey of this class has taken me on.  An example of people using art, imagery and human nature to help heal.

Please take a moment to listen to this fabulous story, and share this happiness they have found.


http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2013/10/01/sisterhood-traveling-coat

Here is a screenshot of the comment I left

REFERENCE:

http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2013/10/01/sisterhood-traveling-coat

Margolin, I., Pierce, J., & Wiley, A. (2011). Wellness Through a Creative Lens: Mediation and Visualization. Journal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought, 30(3), 234-252.