Next week, celebrate AATA's 40th with me in Dallas!

Made this artwork recently as I'm learning to Zentangle, a doodleing process which is very relaxing. This is Zentagleing on top of liquid watercolor. I learned about liquid watercolors as the New Orleans American Art Therapy Association Conference. This year, the conference is in Dallas and is going to be amazing. Rebecca Wilkinson, MA, ATR-BC and I were selected to present on Innovations in Happiness: Positive Psychology and Art Therapy; teaching about what makes people happier, who is happy, why be happy, what is happiness anyhow and how do creative endeavors contribute to happiness. This one day advance pratice course will explore the connection between Positive Psychology and Art Therapy and outline strategies for incorporating the principles of Positive Psychology into our practice to promote happiness in ourselves and our clients.

We were so excited to have our paper, Positive Art Therapy: Envisioning the intersection of Art Therapy and Positive Psychology, published recently in the Australia and New Zealand Journal of Art Therapy, 4 (1) 27-35. Pop me a note if you'd like a copy!

It makes me happy just thinking about it! See you in Dallas!

Journal page from 1-20-2009

I'm reading -or re-reading, really, as it's too dense to read all at once-True Vision: Authentic Art Journaling by L.K. Ludwig. In it, she quotes artist Katie Kendrick:

"...I journal to connect with the dynamic flow of the universe, to try and understand the life force, the energy with my particular fingerprints, that is streaming through me every moment I'm alive. The process of creating, not the outcome, is what takes me to the source, although the end result, like a mirror, does reflect that creative energy."

I thought I'd post a page from my journal..which I do while "watching" my muse Rachel(at 9, on MSNBC) sometimes at night.. often these girls end up looking horrified at what they hear..this one drawn soon after recent US presidential election looks more hopeful & wise...to me, anyway! I'm deliberately trying to hold on to the hope and optimism I felt then, as if anything were possible and the world's story could be re-written. We can beleive and change and grow and things will be better. Yes.

I'm Grateful for the Autumn Vistas

Build your wild self!

http://www.buildyourwildself.com/

I'm grateful for my students!

These are my awesome positive psychology & art therapy students -at our last class that had performance art, altruistic gifts, a justice awareness play, & temperate art making. It was amazing--they are laughing because Rebbecca is doing the very goofy gratitude dance they taught us behind me--

check out "The grateful Dance" here for an idea of what she looked like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9z2ELaBVJYWhat are you grateful for today?

"So, like a forgotten fire, childhood can always flare up again within us" -Gaston Bachelard

Recyled Art

I thought I'd post some of my faverite artwork that makes me happy, as art therapy pratice is so enriched by our work as artists. These are purses and handbags I made from ironing plastic bags to make a new, thicker plastic material, which was then painted and stiched. My sewing machine is still recovering, but I loved how the printmaking turned out on these!