Hey y'all! My hubby has a new movie coming out that I'm stoked to see.....
(Mr. Murray)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y17Me8uL6mA
6 years ago
Friday, April 30, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
I feel like going home.
He calls me to the ocean
Takes me wandering through the street
A restless imagination
But for now, I move my feet on the ground
'Cause I feel like going home..
Also, this recent story was just brought to my attention about an awesome little boy I babysat with Autism.
"Marilyn said the other day their next door neighbors had a tractor in their back yard and jeffrey was standing on the fence watching it...the next thing marilyn knows, jeffrey has pulled his pants down and is pooping while standing up on the privacy fence bc he doesnt want to get down and miss the tractor drive in circles
hahaha she said their was poop caught in his pants and all she could was laugh because he loved that tractor sooo much!"
OMG. There are no words. Life is great.
Takes me wandering through the street
A restless imagination
But for now, I move my feet on the ground
'Cause I feel like going home..
Also, this recent story was just brought to my attention about an awesome little boy I babysat with Autism.
"Marilyn said the other day their next door neighbors had a tractor in their back yard and jeffrey was standing on the fence watching it...the next thing marilyn knows, jeffrey has pulled his pants down and is pooping while standing up on the privacy fence bc he doesnt want to get down and miss the tractor drive in circles
hahaha she said their was poop caught in his pants and all she could was laugh because he loved that tractor sooo much!"
OMG. There are no words. Life is great.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Art Therapy stuff: Trust/ Intimacy.
So Art Therapy is amazing. Every time I tell someone about my graduate program the common response is, "What is Creative Art Therapy?!"
For starters, we are all creative in our own way. My progressive brain thinks everyone is an artist (feel free to disagree, I often have rebuttal with that statement anyway). ;) How do you vent? What is your escape? At what point are you lost in a state of "flow" (http://www.enlightennext.org/magazine/j21/csiksz.asp)? Could you explain your experience to someone else? What if someone came to you with challenges and they were unsure how to cope with them or how to facilitate healthy alternatives? I'm sure you could empathize with the feeling, probably offer an experience in which you felt similar; perhaps, what you did that helped you feel better.
Well, that's what we do! Kind of! There are tons of different approaches to Art Therapy. Some people take a more psychoanalytic approach, humanistic, etc.
My goals rely a lot on the physical act; the art making (process) as therapy. My scientific and artistic brain automatically focuses on connecting the two. While I think psychoanalytic techniques are necessary in some situations, I'm an advocate of focusing on the present and what will happen next. The physical acts of doing various artwork has a soothing effect on the mind and body-- without getting too technical right now into the biofeedback evidence.
It really bothers me that some people think that they are not artists. You may be one of them. "I'm not an artist. I can't draw." Ummmm. Anyone can pick up a pencil and make a mark on a sheet of paper, unless there is a physical handicap holding you back (in which case there are other ways to express oneself). It isn't your fault if you think that way though, but there is still time to be enlightened. ;) A lot of people are raised thinking they are not artistic; could have stemmed from a misinformed, traditionalist art teacher you had who was also a product of their environment. Some people may be skilled in a particular area but I happen to think anyone can learn.
With all of that said, let me bring you to a specific example. We learn new directives and explore all mediums (being that this is a Creative Art Therapy program); we touch base on all expressive arts. Last night in my Media class we did mask making.
We had the option of either: a. Taking a pre-made plastic mask and molding plaster to that to eventually decorate OR b. Putting the plaster on our own faces to make a more personalized mask.
Most of you who know me, know that getting messy is a favorite activity of mine. I love getting dirty with art materials; anything that makes me feel more like "one" with the medium. I want to submerge myself in the moment as much as I can to try and fully experience it. My good friend Jamie and I wanted to do our own faces no question. The task involved cutting up thin strips of plaster to be placed on our faces (very simple). Each strip needed to be placed in warm water before being placed on the face. Also before putting any plaster on your face, you need to have a thick base of lotion or vaseline to protect your skin. Lather it up around your eyes and more sensitive areas.
In my case, my friend Muen helped me place the strips on my face. She had done the activity before and I hadn't so she asked if she could help me. If you are a tactile person I encourage you even more to try this. These are my personal reactions toward the process, of course other people may not find it as pleasing as myself. I felt:
-amazing
-giving up control and letting someone else do the work for you.
-excited
-relaxed (it felt like I was getting a facial).
Note: Letting someone who you may or may not know well rub lotion all of your face is extremely intimate and then trusting them to be gentle with your skin... Wow. Your face is an important area to practice this on because of your senses. Some people may not like having their eyes covered; for me, it felt nice. I am an extremely visual person so it felt good having my eyes closed for a while. You have to trust that the other person will give you breathing room also through your nose. haha. Muen did a good job. Then you undergo more testing; having to trust who is around you while your face is covered for about 20 minutes. For me, I couldn't just sit there. I signed for pencil and paper that way I could still communicate.
The purpose of us doing this in our class is so we can try to imagine how one of our clients might feel doing the same experiential. We don't just do "arts & crafts" time. There is specific, deep, very emotional reasoning behind all of this.
When we were sharing our feelings at the end of class, I could barely contain myself thinking how wonderful this would be for a couple possibly experiencing some trust issues.
Now, get into this and pay close attention. Really imagine you are doing this. Suppose you and your significant other are sitting in a chair directly across from each other. On the table there is a container with warm water, and several strips of plaster that you two have already cut up. The two of you are staring at each other. Your other dips a piece of material into water and then places it on your face. Now, it's your turn. You place the material in the same spot on their face that your other did to you. You two continue this process until your faces are covered. I know it sounds silly thinking about two people sitting there blinded. Imagine these feelings though. You're trusting each other completely. Then helping each other "remove their mask" (yes, metaphorically speaking as well;)) at the end once it hardens. This is so beyond intimate and digs through so many layers, it makes my brain insanely happy. I realize that I am open and that I am all for exploring the most intimate situations. So this could be a difficult task for some but well worth it.
This idea of "mirroring" one another can be used with other mediums too. Let your mind run wild thinking about the possibilities.
I ranted long enough.
Disclaimer: The Flaming Lips and Josh Ritter were playing simultaneously in the background and may have had some dramatic influence on my thoughts. ;)
For starters, we are all creative in our own way. My progressive brain thinks everyone is an artist (feel free to disagree, I often have rebuttal with that statement anyway). ;) How do you vent? What is your escape? At what point are you lost in a state of "flow" (http://www.enlightennext.org/magazine/j21/csiksz.asp)? Could you explain your experience to someone else? What if someone came to you with challenges and they were unsure how to cope with them or how to facilitate healthy alternatives? I'm sure you could empathize with the feeling, probably offer an experience in which you felt similar; perhaps, what you did that helped you feel better.
Well, that's what we do! Kind of! There are tons of different approaches to Art Therapy. Some people take a more psychoanalytic approach, humanistic, etc.
My goals rely a lot on the physical act; the art making (process) as therapy. My scientific and artistic brain automatically focuses on connecting the two. While I think psychoanalytic techniques are necessary in some situations, I'm an advocate of focusing on the present and what will happen next. The physical acts of doing various artwork has a soothing effect on the mind and body-- without getting too technical right now into the biofeedback evidence.
It really bothers me that some people think that they are not artists. You may be one of them. "I'm not an artist. I can't draw." Ummmm. Anyone can pick up a pencil and make a mark on a sheet of paper, unless there is a physical handicap holding you back (in which case there are other ways to express oneself). It isn't your fault if you think that way though, but there is still time to be enlightened. ;) A lot of people are raised thinking they are not artistic; could have stemmed from a misinformed, traditionalist art teacher you had who was also a product of their environment. Some people may be skilled in a particular area but I happen to think anyone can learn.
With all of that said, let me bring you to a specific example. We learn new directives and explore all mediums (being that this is a Creative Art Therapy program); we touch base on all expressive arts. Last night in my Media class we did mask making.
We had the option of either: a. Taking a pre-made plastic mask and molding plaster to that to eventually decorate OR b. Putting the plaster on our own faces to make a more personalized mask.
Most of you who know me, know that getting messy is a favorite activity of mine. I love getting dirty with art materials; anything that makes me feel more like "one" with the medium. I want to submerge myself in the moment as much as I can to try and fully experience it. My good friend Jamie and I wanted to do our own faces no question. The task involved cutting up thin strips of plaster to be placed on our faces (very simple). Each strip needed to be placed in warm water before being placed on the face. Also before putting any plaster on your face, you need to have a thick base of lotion or vaseline to protect your skin. Lather it up around your eyes and more sensitive areas.
In my case, my friend Muen helped me place the strips on my face. She had done the activity before and I hadn't so she asked if she could help me. If you are a tactile person I encourage you even more to try this. These are my personal reactions toward the process, of course other people may not find it as pleasing as myself. I felt:
-amazing
-giving up control and letting someone else do the work for you.
-excited
-relaxed (it felt like I was getting a facial).
Note: Letting someone who you may or may not know well rub lotion all of your face is extremely intimate and then trusting them to be gentle with your skin... Wow. Your face is an important area to practice this on because of your senses. Some people may not like having their eyes covered; for me, it felt nice. I am an extremely visual person so it felt good having my eyes closed for a while. You have to trust that the other person will give you breathing room also through your nose. haha. Muen did a good job. Then you undergo more testing; having to trust who is around you while your face is covered for about 20 minutes. For me, I couldn't just sit there. I signed for pencil and paper that way I could still communicate.
The purpose of us doing this in our class is so we can try to imagine how one of our clients might feel doing the same experiential. We don't just do "arts & crafts" time. There is specific, deep, very emotional reasoning behind all of this.
When we were sharing our feelings at the end of class, I could barely contain myself thinking how wonderful this would be for a couple possibly experiencing some trust issues.
Now, get into this and pay close attention. Really imagine you are doing this. Suppose you and your significant other are sitting in a chair directly across from each other. On the table there is a container with warm water, and several strips of plaster that you two have already cut up. The two of you are staring at each other. Your other dips a piece of material into water and then places it on your face. Now, it's your turn. You place the material in the same spot on their face that your other did to you. You two continue this process until your faces are covered. I know it sounds silly thinking about two people sitting there blinded. Imagine these feelings though. You're trusting each other completely. Then helping each other "remove their mask" (yes, metaphorically speaking as well;)) at the end once it hardens. This is so beyond intimate and digs through so many layers, it makes my brain insanely happy. I realize that I am open and that I am all for exploring the most intimate situations. So this could be a difficult task for some but well worth it.
This idea of "mirroring" one another can be used with other mediums too. Let your mind run wild thinking about the possibilities.
I ranted long enough.
Disclaimer: The Flaming Lips and Josh Ritter were playing simultaneously in the background and may have had some dramatic influence on my thoughts. ;)
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