life is a process, health is a process, art is a process. part of this process is listening to yourself in body and spirit. often the mind tempts us with a voice that offers doubt and insecurity. it is often hard for us to listen to our true self and set aside the critical voice that arises alongside the positive feelings.
for me, the sensation of trusting intuition is like a wave. i experience the self-judgment and identify it. then i choose to let it go, and enjoy the experience of listening to myself.
do you identify with this? if so, how? and what’s your experience?
this week i have been diving into my thesis work and trying to keep myself from feeling utterly overwhelmed. one of the ways i have been managing my stress is a lovely little ritual I created ( with my coach!)- putting on relaxing music, pulling angel cards, sitting for a 20 min meditation, and follow it up with water color painting in my mini moleskin watercolor journal.
unknown image source. found in cathy malchiodi’s brain image collection on pintrest
i have found myself having to live in the world of academia and keep the mindset of an artist. it’s difficult balancing the creative expansiveness needed to conceptualize new programs in a relatively new field with the narrow focus needed to construct a well-organized thesis. i found a bit of hope and excitement in one article i am reading that explains some of the different functions of the left and right side of the brain and how they work best when used together.
let me explain a bit more….
the left side of the brain is responsible for convergent thinking which is a linear logic way of seeing the world. in convergent thinking the brain examines previous experiences and aims to solve a problem as a yes or a no. a right or wrong view of the solution.
in contrast the right side of the brain is responsible for divergent thinking. this type of thinking is non linear, and sees many possibilities to a solution. divergent thinking does not focus on a particular starting point or ending point but sees multiple outcomes.
each side of the brain needs the other side to work at its best though and i particularly love one example given in the article. one can have so many wonderful creative outrageous ideas but to distinguish which idea is best we need logical thought. through this we come to see that creativity works best when combined with some parameters. the opposite is also true, for logical linear thought. logic is important, but without creativity no new ideas would come into being.
for me, this was an important message to myself! i need to be doing both these types of investigation and enjoy doing both. BOTH logic and creative thought are important!
the applications of this are more far reaching than my thesis. this can help in many situations. anytime one of us faces a challenge big or small perhaps we can take a step back and say “what do i really need to help solve this problem?”. this type of solution gathering can be especially helpful in establishing new health habits as well. really dig in, find some creative ways of accomplishing what you want and maybe even reach out to those that love you for support.
maybe you have other examples of how you can see this being helpful in your life? please share!
citations
Kraft, U. (2005). Unleashing creativity. Scientific American Mind, 16(1), 16-23.
photos found on Cathy Malchiodi‘s pintrest page. lovely aren’t they?
while searching for brain images after writing this i found this article in an online publication stating a similar thing just with an overly sensational title.
http://bigthink.com/ideafeed/debunking-the-right-brain-creativity-myth
this past week i have still been trying to kick my own butt into gear. luckily i am getting a bit of the creativity going. part of this practice is just doodling whatever is in my head when i am feeling stuck or frustrated. here are a few cuties….
these little drawings are made with a multi colored japanese gel pen that i got in the airport for my travel and school bag. i love having all the colors at my finger tips!
last year i made a great list (if i may say so myself) of love songs to celebrate V day.
this year seems to be the year of celebrating valentines day in a different way. or at least that’s what NPR is doing. for example, All Songs Considered comes out with a Valentines play list every year. this year they created a play list of all time greatest break up songs. this reminded me of my favorite episodes of This American Life, a very old one, about breakups. at one point or another, we all have our heart broken and then need to dust ourselves off and get up. this is often the time that we remember to give ourselves a little extra love.
valentines day isn’t a holiday that i put a lot of stock into but, spending valentines day alone, or without a deep love can also be really challenging as well as disappointing for many people. whatever relationship (or sans relationship) phase you are in, you can choose this day to open up some space and hone in on loving yourself. no need to go through a messy break up or diss a date to remember to give yourself some love. rather, value this extra opportunity to recognize your ability and desire to share love- take it!
so in honor of this year’s unusual twist on V day… i want to share with you some ways to show yourself some sweet love.
1. make yourself a list of love songs, or favorite songs that you can listen to whenever you need to remind yourself how fabulous you actually are.
2. let me count the ways… make a list of things you love about your life and yourself. maybe even use this as an opportunity to check in with yourself on your goals!
3. get creative… give yourself a handmade valentines day card. write a poem, draw a picture, make a craft to give to yourself.
4. take yourself out….. to a class you’ve always wanted to try, a brunch, a coffee, or grab yourself a spot at a sushi bar.
5. nature calls…. go for a long stroll (maybe you’ll even hold your own hand), watch the sunset, put your toes in the sand, sit in the park reading on your favorite blanket.
6. listen to your heart… what is it calling out for? and then listen to it! no one has a better idea of what you need than you.
please share any ways you give yourself some lovin’ and remember to spread this out beyond today and through the rest of your year! happy valentines day! <3
i always want to write about the creative process and how to get unstuck from a block in creative action. creative action and processing is a topic i find extremely fascinating and a place i want to grow in my work with others. this week though- i myself have been stuck, blocked, spinning my wheels and drowning in desire to move forward in my personal and school projects. i have been wanting to create motion so badly i think that the opposite has happened. i have become more stuck. like an old school Chinese finger trap toy.
the funniest part of this whole thing is, all of my tricks and tools i want to share with others about getting unstuck have escaped me. i cant think of them, i cant find my notes or anything i have commented on with the info!
so let me tell you all the things i have been doing to try to get unstuck (albeit some healthier than others)….
going to yoga
repotting house plants
thinking, thinking and more thinking
avoiding the subject entirely
getting angry with myself
staring blankly at my art work, blog, homework, empty word doc
the truth is, all of these things are part of breaking through this place of creative in-action. once i get some momentum i will share with you (and my future stuck self) everything i know about moving through the creative process. and you know what? i think writing this blog is another step in the right direction…
happy sunday everyone!
i welcome you to share anything that this stirs inside you!
there is something undeniably satisfying about the feeling, sound and sensation of a collage. the sound of many papers colliding. bending and twisting with different tensile strength. the crackle, the whisper. the one corner that always comes unglued.
david cho, postcard from japan and the arc of settling waves
my old journals are full of found images and scraps that i glued into the pages. when i look back at the old journals it reminds me of places and experiences, and secretly stashing magazine clippings or items i found on the ground. now i have instagram to capture images of odd experiences. here is a photo i took of a butterfly sticker stuck on a pole.
kid version of street art
recently, while sitting with a student and a pile of magazines i pulled out my own images for a collage failing to stick them down in the moment. i got home and didnt want to throw them away or save them so i decided to put them into my journal filling up a few pages.
do you notice a theme?
once pasted in, i noticed something they all had in common…. the arch of wood ceiling, the arched ancient passageway, a world of arched undersea walls and the waves hitting sand in an arch shape. do you see it?
i then had to wonder, what does an archway mean to me right now? why was i drawn to all of these images? why was i choosing this arch or arc shape?
i dont think this was coincidental as i was choosing images resonated with me and pondered starting 2013 and my last semester of gradschool. i am not going to elaborate too much here about the symbolism behind the arc shape. but i want to recognize and share with you that i believe it’s connected to me entering my last semester of graduate school as well as the independent study i created called “The Use of Expressive Arts in Health & Wellness Coaching and Programming”.
which brings me to the next topic….
as part of this independent study i will be posting weekly about my self exploration of the correlation between the arts and health. i look forward to sharing my explorations with you and as always, would love your feed back or comments.
hello blog-o-sphere, friends and family,
this month marks a full year of avenues of artistry. it’s so cliche to say that you can’t believe a year has gone by….. but i am saying it. i can’t believe it’s been a whole year since i started blogging. thank you to all of you who have supported me in this endeavor. i hope you have been enjoying the info and ideas i have been sharing with you all!
in honor of this event i thought i would make a list of some of my personal fave posts of the last year.
- for love or succulents some basic “how to’s” of making a mini succulent garden.
- it hard to choose a recipe to highlight but i finally settled on the recipe for this pink drink. perfect for all of you who are fighting the nasty cold going around!
- do’s and don’t for celebrating feb. 29 – also good to use on any day other of the year
- make your own inspiration cards– my version of Angel Cards
- confessions of a bicycle baby– a look at the art of bicycles and the adventures of learning how to ride a bike.
- when art music and emotion combine one of the best things i’ve done in this last year was teach a really cool class about music, emotion and art (hence the title). i included a lot of the artwork of the kids and the youtube videos of the songs we listened to.
- during my internship i was writing blog pieces for another blog…. and i really loved writing the health specific posts. below are links to two posts. they are both somewhat summer centered but they both can be applicable this time of year as well.
to find out about local produce, csa’s and farmers markets near you check out the post 5 W’s of Local Produce
this green fettuccine recipe is full of summery flavors but can be modified for winter. skip the tomatoes and basil (summer foods) and add some wintery roasted root veggies and pepitas, which are roasted pumpkin and squash seeds. maybe i just need to post a new recipe for a wintery version of this one……
rainbow of photos and the magic of apps
any favorites of yours i’ve missed?
thanks again everyone!
xo,
alice
i hope everyone’s new year has started off on the right foot. i was so ready to start the new year by reorganizing the things that have gotten messy in the hub-bub between Thanksgiving and New Years celebrations.
one of my favorite things to do at home is drink tea with loved ones. my tea stash has a tendency to get a bit unorganized though. over thanksgiving i saw my sister’s tea storage box from The Container Store. (shown below)
i was really coveting one of these when i realized i could just make on myself! as i was making this
i thought, lots of folks have empty boxes laying around, especially after all the gift giving and receiving so i thought this would be a great diy project to share with you all.
what you need for this project is :
a box (small enough to fit in your cabinet but large enough to hold a few tea boxes)
your tea boxes
a scissors, a pen and a little tape.
1. find a good size box for your tea organizer w my box isnt deep but if yours is thats ok. if you need to trim it a little to make it less deep do that.
2. decide which tea boxes go where in your bigger box. neatly cut off all the box tops of the tea boxes saving them to used as dividers.
3. my bigger box didnt hold all of the tea boxes so i combined the teas in the smaller boxes using the box tops as the dividers. (stick the tops into the boxes the long direction). write the names of the tea on the dividers.
4. cut up any extra boxes to make extra dividers to save for later.
5. use bits of folded tape stuck onto the bottom of the tea boxes to hold them into place in the bigger box.
6. the Celestial Seasonings teas i had posed a bit of a problem because their philosophy is to have less packaging. so i took out the individual waxed bags and put them all together in one box. labeling each one with their box top.
7. i added the little tins of tea i got myself as a souvenir at an amazing tea and spice store in Grand Central Station on a family trip over Thanksgiving
8. taaa-dah!
you can go a step further and decorate the box and the dividers. talk about cute storage.
i want to decorate the Celestial Seasonings box so the person selecting the tea knows there are different kinds inside. i’ll update you when i do!
happy new year everyone! looking forward to a new year with you all 
first off, i would like to tell you how much i enjoy spelling faire with an “e” on the end. it makes it so much more festive!
i got a notification from wordpress telling me that it had been a year since i started blogging about art and health. how appropriate that my first craft faire coincided with my blogiversary!
being at the craft faire was fun and rewarding. i loved watching people try on my creations and get excited about my products.
here are some photos of the event for those of you who haven’t seen them on facebook or instagram. i spent a lot of time working in retail, and i LOVE telling people about products. the first day my bath tea sold soooo fast! i am hoping to sell some more at another craft faire soon.
i am also in the process of setting up my etsy sight! in the meantime- i do have some items left so, there is anything you see that your interested you can let me know at alice AT avenuesofartistry DOT com.
looking forward to doing some recapping of the last year and goal setting for the coming year.
thanks y’all for a great year.
me at the craft faire, day 1
close up of table. check out all the bath teas!
day 2, bath tea almost all gone!
my friend Sarah just introduced me to the art work of Maya Hayuk through this Design Milk article. Wow. i am loving imagining myself in a room filled with her colorful work!
while searching for some images to share with you i found a ton of info on her work as a designer, a muralist, an artist…. her titles could really be endless. i also found a great video * interview with her at Upper Playground preparing for her art show.
there is so much good stuff to talk about in this video & about Upper Playground as well. hadn’t really budgeted time this morning for a blog post, let alone a lengthy one. But I just had to share this!
probably the main take away for me in the video and reading about her is how lucky we are to live in a time that art is a part of collective culture, art exists that belongs to all. there are so many opportunities to see art whether in the form of public murals, images on the internet, art on the tshirts we wear or even on the bottom of our shoes. take the time to notice! take the time to make your own voice be heard through your art and your self expression!
Also, I would LOVE to teach a class for adults or youth based on this artists work! know anyone in the bay area who would want to take my class? lemme know!
let the images brighten up your monday! enjoy!
*disclaimer! fyi some of the aspects of this video may not be acceptable or suited to some people’s tastes due to language, political views, or images.