Friday, November 28, 2014
Ending Expression (Journal 11)
Transitional Thoughts (Journal 10)
Transitional Thoughts
From here to there. From there back to here.
I like being here, but being there is different.
Being there is challenging, being there is new.
I like familiar here though.
Make new friends and keep the old, one is silver and the other
gold….can that be applied to places? Can I be in both spaces? My heart can be.
Pockets of my heart everywhere. It’s about the people in
places.
Some people are just
there in the transition. Transitional
friends.
Others are here to stay.
Others are there to stay.
Its people who help make somewhere stable.
From here to there to where, in my words, I can say “I am
here,” and know where I am.
I always take a picture of the loved people from there to
here.
Here I keep them.
They’re with me always.
The people here I
see in person. I take them to there
and yonder with me as well.
Each place has
something special, something that helps the transition be exciting.
If I didn’t have
transitions I may get bored. But it’s the going from here to there, not the
landing, that is difficult.
In the middle of the journey, before my bags are unpacked.
That can be exciting for a brief time, then it is
uncomfortable, and I’m ready to settle. Settle in the new or settle in the old,
but have some settling.
Actual friends instead of acquaintances.
Having photographs of familiar faces brings the transition
to a close.
As I see them in print and paper form, I know these ones
aren’t with me, but they’re settled in my heart in the new place.
Familiar sounds also
help with the transition.
Music, songs of the past being brought into the “now.”
The ocean. It remains where it is, but it seems to travel
with me. Each place I’ve lived, it doesn’t let me go. I’m so grateful.
Myself
transitions, but I still stay me.
Each place must have tea, tea makes everything better…for me
anyways.
Phones, in this digital age, the connection, the sound of
guiding voices through transition comforts, encourages. I can’t image traveling
distances, moving from family and friends and not having their voices right
there at my disposal. They were strong back then!
Plane tickets get me from here to there and from there to
here, but my heart and mind don’t always travel as quickly at the jet.
So I have my pictures, my tea, my Bible, knowledge of
myself, my phone, my smiles to strangers, my guitar, the Holy Spirit.
Journal 9 -- Thoughts on Adolescents
I don’t think there’s so much of a difference between the
needs of adolescents and the general public. Sure, sure, we can get into the
details and there are many specific needs that do need addressing and a special
focus. But I’m talking about the needs of the heart and spirit. The basic need
for love, affection, acceptance, protection, independence. We don’t see that
these needs aren’t there in children, nor do we see them disappear in
adulthood. If we looked at a scale, some would pop up stronger in different age
groups than others, and that is what we’re honing in on, but it doesn’t mean we
have to come up with totally new approaches to needs that are met by the same
principals for us all.
Adolescents can get caught in a stream of conformity and
expectation as they are trying to own who they are. Following the stream is
easy and not always negative. Individually should be praised. Communal building
based on the strengths and weakness of individuals should be addressed. Humans
are made for connection with each other. We need each other. Adolescents need
to learn to be in the stream of fishes while not feeling lost or like they’ve
disappeared.
When I think of working with adolescents I get excited
because I see so much creativity in them that sometimes, sadly, is on the brink
of being snuffed out by systems and conformity. Giving adolescents a wide
variety of art materials to work with, with no rules about combining materials,
etc, can be empowering for them.
I’ve worked with adolescents on a drama team before. Acting
out emotions and scenes that deal with heavy issues can be a good introspective
activity for adolescents. Providing reflective time after drama play is
important.
When Jesus called the disciples we sometimes have this view
they were adult men in their 30s, but very likely they were younger lads. And
the women who followed Jesus were also probably of varying ages. Mary, Jesus’
mother on earth really went against the stream at a young age. What gave her
and the disciples the courage to abandon a “status quo” life and live for
Jesus? They were compelled by the love and security in that love that God
brings. Humans are compelled by love, we are draw to love. Adolescents need to
know that they are loved, that circumstances may not turn into rosie rainbows
and cupcakes, but they can be secure in love by the true love-giver-God. This message can be “told” to adolescents in
many creative ways, through dramas, dances, music, and combinations of it all! I
would love to have a “workshop” day with adolescents where they are free to
question and explore, using creative reflection after music and dance
performances. As Jesus called to the disciples to “come and see,” we can call
adolescents to come and see there is hope to be found.
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Home (Journal 6)
When thinking about home I got to thinking of how I created home in every place I've lived. What helps me abide in a place are some of the elements in this video-they come with with me every place I go and whether they are in different forms, I still have: light, candles, culture, Jesus, art, family, pictures, tea, my Bible, music, Javed (my guitar), access to nature, beauty as I perceive it, freedom to express and move, books, windows. I don't need a lot of stuff to make me feel at home. I need care. People I love and who love me. And I need God's spirit to abide with me in that place. To feel safe. To feel enclosed by goodness and love. The song encompasses more of this feeling of home, as it's by one of my favorite artists, Josh Garrels, and is one of my favorite songs by him. "Pilot Me." Wherever I am, in order to feel home, I need to feel that God is piloting me-he's being the wind in my sails. All I truly need is that. God is my House of Grace.
Sunday, October 5, 2014
2nd Response to Art 21 Video: Ecology
Response to Art 21 Video: Ecology
Sometimes people give voice to thoughts I have often "felt" or perceived in my mind but hadn't found language for. Other times I do find the language and I write it down before I forget what I was thinking. ;o) Here are some words that have spoken to me and captured my emotions, even just for the brief time I heard them....
"Edward Thomas said 'Trees and people are imperfect friends,' citing the imperfect nature of humans and the silence of trees. There are however times of harmony. With Lombardy Poplars, for instance, whose thirst and fragility might tempt us to cut them down, but whose beauty gives us pause, they seem to say with us what we could not say perfectly by ourselves, 'I will praise you Oh Lord with my whole heart.'" ~ Robert Adams (Photographer)
"Almost every book begins with a gift. A picture you weren't expecting. Surprise is a part of photography. It's one of the great, enlivening blessings of the medium. At your best it teaches you to try to remain open to new experiences, because the gifts sometimes are really exciting." ~ Robert Adams
"Photography and poetry both center on metaphor." ~Robert Adams
"We have difficulty replicating what nature can do" ~Mark Dion (In creating a space for a fallen tree in the city)
"Anger has been a motivating source...I'm grateful to my anger"~Ursula von Rydingsvard
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ursula von Rydingsvard found chaos to be more interesting than order. This hit me uncomfortably, as I love order. Learning how to deal with chaos is essential in life however, because man creates chaos. God can bring order. We can practice bringing order through awareness in our bodies and minds, to ourselves. If a person feels chaotic inside, it is hard to unite or commitment with or to anything. Chaos in the artistic process can be beautiful and remain so. Chaos in life is harder to reconcile. It leaves things uncompleted...and we are all searching for wholeness. Chaotic art can help lead someone to awareness, to identification even, and then to wholeness. The art may not be whole, but the person can be.
I love the sound of glass.
The photographer Robert Adams identified what was glorious and at the same time what was disturbing and needed correction in the photographs he took. This is how I see the earth most of the time. The earth is God's footstool. It is also a beautiful crown for Him. The earth declares the glory of God. The beauty that helps give life meaning. Yet it displays ugliness, but from Man's doing, not from the Creation itself. Recognizing this can be the first steps to healing--circumstances that invade and bring hopelessness come from unrighteousness and the world's "fallen" state. But hope is always present. God's headlines are always hopeful. Healing can be found in the glorious, as you journey towards correcting the disturbing. On this earth, they come together. When we die, it's a different story.
Does my art "make sense" to the viewer? How much of art is done for the artist himself and how much for the viewer? Each artist gets to decide. It your art a message, an expression, a battle cry? Purpose. In expressive arts therapy, a lot of emphasis is put on the fact your art doesn't have to "make sense" or "be" anything concrete. The act of creating itself is healing. This is one approach to healing. There is also the approach of creating with more of a focus, or creating in response to another's creation. There's also taking in another's work and finding meaning in it for yourself. However, being engaged in the creative process for yourself works areas in you for full engagement. It helps to stop self-denial.
Brief summary:
I enjoyed watching this film very much. It looked at 4 different artists, and mainly involved: sculpture, photography, installation, and film. Each artist had a different purpose in his or her work, much of it was very personal and there was emotional connection in each case. Art is so versatile, as was shown through this video. Each artist had some relationship to nature in their artwork. Some found meaning and inspiration from nature itself, and some went about their creation process by thinking of the ideas nature brings to life (last section with Mark Dion was more like this). Nature gives us shapes and sounds and this was used in detail by Indigo Manglano-Ovalle, who created sculptures based on the shape of nature's storms. Robert Adams choose to portray life-lessons and meaning as well as have his art hopefully speak out about the deforestation of trees. Each artist had skill and nuance is a certain craft, and each worked with their hands in some way. Robert Adams found comfort in working with wood, something he did as a little boy with his dad.
k;ak
"Edward Thomas said 'Trees and people are imperfect friends,' citing the imperfect nature of humans and the silence of trees. There are however times of harmony. With Lombardy Poplars, for instance, whose thirst and fragility might tempt us to cut them down, but whose beauty gives us pause, they seem to say with us what we could not say perfectly by ourselves, 'I will praise you Oh Lord with my whole heart.'" ~ Robert Adams (Photographer)
"Almost every book begins with a gift. A picture you weren't expecting. Surprise is a part of photography. It's one of the great, enlivening blessings of the medium. At your best it teaches you to try to remain open to new experiences, because the gifts sometimes are really exciting." ~ Robert Adams
"Photography and poetry both center on metaphor." ~Robert Adams
"We have difficulty replicating what nature can do" ~Mark Dion (In creating a space for a fallen tree in the city)
"Anger has been a motivating source...I'm grateful to my anger"~Ursula von Rydingsvard
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ursula von Rydingsvard found chaos to be more interesting than order. This hit me uncomfortably, as I love order. Learning how to deal with chaos is essential in life however, because man creates chaos. God can bring order. We can practice bringing order through awareness in our bodies and minds, to ourselves. If a person feels chaotic inside, it is hard to unite or commitment with or to anything. Chaos in the artistic process can be beautiful and remain so. Chaos in life is harder to reconcile. It leaves things uncompleted...and we are all searching for wholeness. Chaotic art can help lead someone to awareness, to identification even, and then to wholeness. The art may not be whole, but the person can be.
I love the sound of glass.
The photographer Robert Adams identified what was glorious and at the same time what was disturbing and needed correction in the photographs he took. This is how I see the earth most of the time. The earth is God's footstool. It is also a beautiful crown for Him. The earth declares the glory of God. The beauty that helps give life meaning. Yet it displays ugliness, but from Man's doing, not from the Creation itself. Recognizing this can be the first steps to healing--circumstances that invade and bring hopelessness come from unrighteousness and the world's "fallen" state. But hope is always present. God's headlines are always hopeful. Healing can be found in the glorious, as you journey towards correcting the disturbing. On this earth, they come together. When we die, it's a different story.
Does my art "make sense" to the viewer? How much of art is done for the artist himself and how much for the viewer? Each artist gets to decide. It your art a message, an expression, a battle cry? Purpose. In expressive arts therapy, a lot of emphasis is put on the fact your art doesn't have to "make sense" or "be" anything concrete. The act of creating itself is healing. This is one approach to healing. There is also the approach of creating with more of a focus, or creating in response to another's creation. There's also taking in another's work and finding meaning in it for yourself. However, being engaged in the creative process for yourself works areas in you for full engagement. It helps to stop self-denial.
Brief summary:
I enjoyed watching this film very much. It looked at 4 different artists, and mainly involved: sculpture, photography, installation, and film. Each artist had a different purpose in his or her work, much of it was very personal and there was emotional connection in each case. Art is so versatile, as was shown through this video. Each artist had some relationship to nature in their artwork. Some found meaning and inspiration from nature itself, and some went about their creation process by thinking of the ideas nature brings to life (last section with Mark Dion was more like this). Nature gives us shapes and sounds and this was used in detail by Indigo Manglano-Ovalle, who created sculptures based on the shape of nature's storms. Robert Adams choose to portray life-lessons and meaning as well as have his art hopefully speak out about the deforestation of trees. Each artist had skill and nuance is a certain craft, and each worked with their hands in some way. Robert Adams found comfort in working with wood, something he did as a little boy with his dad.
k;ak
Thursday, October 2, 2014
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