(upcoming book)
Like me, many people learn by second grade that art is for those talented people (and I am not one of them). But, the creative life is actually for everyone!!! Arts and Spirituality for the Artist and the Non-Artist provides a blueprint for activities ranging personal morning spiritual practices to leading activities that last from an hour to a week-long retreat to term-long classes in using art as a spiritual practice and accessing the creative within, connecting to the deeper Self – using art as meditation/prayer. Techniques are simple; products made with specific outcomes in mind are not the focus; outcomes are left to that which is bigger than ones’ self. Quotes, poetry and the author’s own art create an uplifting sanctuary for gaining soul’s wisdom and venturing out into new creative endeavors. The reader will be shown how to create a retreat with a theme and follow up with that theme for a successful event. Vignettes using the voices of participants will be used to enhance the messages.
The chapters will provide insight into:
- Using art as a spiritual practice when I can’t draw a straight line
- Sitting with my paintings and see what they have to tell me; meditation in the mystical
- Honoring everything that comes; I can’t throw it away; are you kidding?
- Art as metaphor for life; Framing my art is like framing my life experiences
- I love to make things but this is different
- New rules for interacting with paint, paper and each other
- Overcoming the creativity killers; relating as a cultural creative
- Using movement to welcome the muses
- Beginnings and closings to events
- The nitty gritty of planning activities and related them to the spiritual wisdom of life
- Developing themes for the program