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02 June 2014

Blog Hop Around the World!


Claudia over at http://creativeupcycling.blogspot.com/ invited me to participate in a blog hop!  Of course I said yes!!    

What am I working on? 
What am I not working on?  That's the real question.  I still have 2 months left of graduate school so recently a lot of my time has been devoted to working n my thesis! On the art front I have my WIPs - I'm doing the Documented Life Project, I keep an art journal, I do a monthly & yearly right brain planner, I keep a fitness art journal, I participate in the Happy Art Swap and I have a painting that I am working on.  Also, ICAD started yesterday!!  Here is my first card:



How does my work differ from others of its genre?
I am not sure if my personal work differs from others.  I do art because it makes me feel good and helps me de-stress.  I do art to heal myself!  

On the art therapy front, I do think my work my differ from others!  I bring my own personal style into my work with my clients.  I like to use recycled materials.  Also, while I do have some art training (enough to go to school to become an art therapist), I am not as trained in art as many other people in my field.  A lot of my style and work/material preference has developed via experimentation on my own.  

This is a picture of a community painting we did at first Friday - we recycled one of my old canvases for this!  You can see a video of this painting being made at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_4jU7l8quA

Why do I create what I do?
As previously stated, I do art to feel better. I had surgery on my hip back in 2009.  It still gives me trouble and causes me pain.  I also struggle with depression - its definitely a chemical thing for me and hormonally linked.  In addition to my personal issues, I am in graduate school which means tons of stress!  A lot of my art has to do with motivating myself, thinking positively and feeling better.  I ALWAYS feel better when I allow myself some time to get involved in the creative process.  

I do art therapy because I feel that if art can help me then it can help others too!  I certainly want to work with veterans because I understand military culture and I know the challenges that veterans face.  I really hope that I am able to teach others how to use the creative process to improve their quality of life.


How does your creating process work?
I suppose my process depends on what I am trying to do.  Typically with an art journal page I start by selecting 3-5 colors (sometimes monochromatic, sometimes not).  I scrape them onto the paper with an old credit card or old insurance card.  Then sometimes I print other designs on them with different colors - sometimes not.  Sometimes I use washi tape and/or collage of different colored paper.  Then I select an image from my stash of images.  After I pick the image I go through my box of cut out words/phrases.  Unless I am making art for a specific purpose (for instance postcard swaps where I try to make cards about art making) I just pick whichever words "speak" to me.  


Part of the blog hop is that I get to direct all of you lovely readers over to three more people who will be participate in the hop!!  So, here they are:

Trece blogs at http://simplytrece.wordpress.com/  - This wonderful woman was the first of my online friends!  We have never met in person but we talk online and we have sent mailart to each other many times!  She has been super supportive and I am so glad I "met" her.

Sarah blogs at http://rainbowgeckogal.blogspot.com/ - I also met Sarah online and she has been a wonderful mailart friend.  She lives is Australia!!  She has sent me lots of goodies that have ended up in my art journal!  

Last, but not least, is Teresa and she blogs at http://www.rightbrainplanner.com/ - Like my previous two buddies, I met Teresa online too!  I have been doing Teresa's monthly Right Brain Planner since October!  Following her work has given me the opportunity to find news ways of journaling and planning.  

So, go visit my wonderful friends - they will positing the answers to the above questions on their own blogs next week, June 9th.  

Thanks for stopping by today!!  Have a great Monday.  

3 comments:

  1. Thanks for talking about your work -- art as therapy is a fascinating topic. Maybe sometime you can write about how you help others get over their perfectionism when they're creating art. I know some people (kids too) who get frustrated as soon as they pick up a pencil or brush. I'm guessing you've learned how to help people through that.

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  2. Now I can ponder this and let it stew! Also have a better grip on who I can ask!!

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  3. Trece sent me. Nice to meet you, Rachel.

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