Soulful journey in Mexico update: reflections through nature and art

Hola to

the world out there,

The journey continues through art therapy, art and soulful exploration of self and others in places where somehow I was meant to go and experience life as it happens.

Recently I have been spending time pondering in nature through beautiful meditations, pranayama, and yoga at sunrise at the ocean in the Caribbean.While I get to tune in, reattune and breathe I discover more of self and others in the world through energy and the beautiful world of creativity. Art, expressivecreation as the essence of life, unfolds through my own process, connecting with that of others and working with emotions and feelings of people and places.

So much happens daily that often we loose connection with the source, with our special connection with nature and the metaphysical energy that bypasses our little knowledge of quantum physics…I am grateful how this journey of expressive therapies/nature therapies is reconnecting me with my inner being and gently reminds me of the basics and how fundamental they are. So at the end of the end of the day once you practice gratitude and kindness you cannot hold on to negative feelings because everything comes and go and in order to leave in peace you need to learn to let go, to breathe consciously and observe, decide when to engage and remember it is all part of the process of continuous becoming where the only true core is the Self experiencing life.

 

 

Retrospective notes from a special journey: how India changed me

Things have got a little busy and so much happening…LIFE eh:) While trying to handle the present I came across powerful memories…My last journey in India thought me  a lot… so many memories, incredible friends and experiences to treasure and learn from:)

I have traveled so many places in that country, met incredible people and I had some great experiences…Of course, there have been traveling blues, unpleasant situations and all but it is part of the adventure:)

For me, this particular journey has been a real eye-opening  going through ups and downs and the more the days passed by the more I was able to understand what others told me about India…Things like it is a unique place that you either love or hate…. The poverty you experience there is so overwhelming that can make you sick…. It is so strange as everything is going to hit you so hard there…The smells, the flavors, the contrasts all merge and keep coming back again and again…

It is amazing how every single time something is going terribly bad…like touching bottom, the very next moment few seconds away is uplifting and someone randomly comes your way and make things better…this kinda continuous cycle has been happening to me all the time…and you kind of learn to trust the process and let things unfold…

While at times things have been tough traveling as female solo..other times incredible people made me feel home in the middle of the desert, slums, strangers welcomed me within their families…

I have been completely absorbed into those moments that the typical timeline and worries about past and future vanished…Just being present trying to grasp everything around me and keep up with different reality took up all of me!!!Incredible learning curve!!!

I have been collecting so many memories and stories I cherish, not to mention the great people that truly touched my heart…I really feel like some pieces of my heart were left there with them…yet my heart and love are growing and connecting more with everything. It would take forever to tell a story about this journey…maybe at some point I will write about this adventure…

I just would like to thank you everyone…that crossed my path in this special journey no matter the impact, no matter the kind of energy and vibes….just going through the process has been the most important part…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Find Stillness Within :)

Once more I am learning about patience, vulnerability, sickness, struggle and resilience…

In the mist of chaos in surroundings, I was reminded by mindful meditation that I can still find stillness, bringing mindful attention to the here and now and reach deep awareness of body and mind….

Finding a balance and aiming at wellbeing is the mission:)

Great image from Spirit Science! This is a great recipe:)

Have a great week and be mindful!

Namaste,

Lizzie

Ride the waves…

There have been some rough days…but I look around and I can’t help to connect and feel nature around me….Another change of energy is coming: the wind has been blowing like crazy, the swell came in and the waves are just amazing: powerful, rhythmic and beautiful. The water always reminds me of my strengths and weaknesses and how we as humans often lose touch with the essentials of life…As soon as I re-connect to the elements and stop in that place of stillness everything gets a new perspective.

Whenever one can be a little lost there are always good things around…I found this great reminder at a perfect timing:) It is so true…enjoy and ride the waves!

It is so true…and if you adventure in surfing you also got to experience the magic of those moments when you connect with the water and feel its power…Surf is up yay:)

The itinerant Travel Bag of Hope: an art journey connecting 14 creative women

I was thinking of incorporating some random acts of kindness through creative projects into my current surroundings while in the Middle East…Sharing is caring and I find that wherever I go it expands the networks within expressive arts therapies, arts and healing communities…

I feel that this could be a little something celebrating the important values of peace, love, gratitude, respect, hope, acceptance and diversity. I got the idea from an amazing previous project by super inspiring art therapist Gretchen Miller and her project: Random Acts of Art adventure traveling pouch that went global.

The aim of the creative random act is to pass on the “Traveling Bag of Hope” with art materials and a little something made for the receiver. Everyone taking part will receive instructions on what/how/whom to send it. The receiver will send me pictures of arrival, creative present made of things inside the bag, add a little something to the bag, do a page in the bag’s traveling art journal and send it off to the next destination:)

Ultimately local artists, art therapists and their communities will be connected and good creative vibes will be spread:)

So the “Traveling Bag of Hope” (something I made with improvised materials) has already made her way from me to Dana Shaham as the second stop and continue the travels further.

Inside among the creative goodness and artsy vibes, there is also a journal in which everyone will contribute:)

Safe happy travels to “Traveling Bag of Hope” and its encounters:)

The power of emotions: feeling grateful

Lately life has been very hectic and so much is happening this side of the world…

I adventured into the art therapy studies last fall and it has been an incredible journey…After using creative expression, nature and alternative healing for such a long time it is inspiring to study academically, learn different perspectives and in the field work the theory meets the practice.

I try to be mindful daily and focus on the power of positive psychology. Lately I found myself facing many challenges and it has been hard at times, I acknowledge bad experiences and trauma. However,I try to accept these parts, events and feelings as part of the life journey and learn from it. For me  the turning point is living by the heart, keeping positive and focusing on the right now and work through the moment: appreciate life even more. I think we are humans and we can’t help but feel and experience the world. Among the many difficulties and struggle lately I found it very difficult to allow myself to be and feel everything I need to…

I feel grateful for many things as when I take a moment and look around I feel the connection and power of positive emotions. I have met incredible and inspiring people, new special friends who touched my heart, THANK YOU you know who you are:)

Furthermore, there are many ideas and projects (the artist and art therapist within can’t help it) involving communities and different places …so I got to learn more about, people places and tune into nature…And the journey continues:)

 

 

Joining the Chalk Art wave for Brussels and Humanity

It feels the world is going a little darker with the recent news of Brussels and the trauma and strong emotions that first touched Turkey and now back in Europe in Brussels. Maybe because Europe has been my “home” for such a long time, or maybe because in the continent there is a strong sense of democracy, freedom and coexistence of diversity..Maybe it is because acceptance and existentialism have deep roots..I don’t know I just feel that there is something strong turning the world as we know it upside down…It goes beyond the terrible events happening in Brussels, Paris and France and Turkey..It is something that questions humanity…Art comes to the rescue and while I have been using for myself and in art therapy settings in response to reactions and feelings in light of this event…It has been interesting and uplifting to see how people gathered in Brussels and express through art essential ideas and keep positive in spite of everything.

I feel that even from far away I want to join that chalk art wave and contribute to that loud voice that speaks a deep truth. I started with the dark but then colors emerged and life has shades and humanity has hope.

 

#Brussels #bruxelles #belgium #jesuisbrussels #chocolate #beer #love#humanity #bourse #hope #redballoon@welovebrussels

On the Art Therapy path

After many whereabouts, meeting and collaborating with inspiring people and amazing projects with different communities I am finally on the official track for art therapy education and qualifications:)

I feel that my interests, background and holistic approach will grow further.

So yep Lizzie is back in Grad school:) Back to learning not just theory, but also practicing and of course continuing making art as an artist, but also as an art therapist in training. It is in the field training that I love to experience how the pieces of the puzzle get together, how theory meets practice:)

Compassion Games 2014: Team 6Degrees of Creativity creative deeds go global

Inspired by beautiful creative vibes and energy of Gretchen Miller I joined her great initiative to take part in Compassion games 2014 with the Team 6 Degrees of Creativity 🙂

It has been an amazing 10 days adventure creating and connecting to others, oneself and the earth….It is simply beautiful how this global initiative generated awesome secrets agents of compassion to spread the message and make the world we live in  a little brighter with every contribution!!!

So it all started with our daily assignments of creative deeds to make and share:)

The creative deed #1 “Show Us Your Heart!” was the perfect start to connect to the most amazing compassion vibes that connects globally with this initiative!! Gretchen had this fab powerful idea sending in photos of our cutting of a paper heart in team members’ hands. The strong message of utter empathy was right on the starting of the Compassion Games and on the Day of Remonstrance for September 11th…

 

Next creative deed #2 : “Chalk It Up for Compassion!”… How great to create a piece of something outdoors with chalk so the world could stumble upon …so the message can really go a long way 🙂

Creative deed #3 “Compassion WordClouding” was real fun and an introduction into wordart design:)

Creative Deed #4 was a fab “Operation Random Acts of Creative Kindness” so operative got an opportunity to make some creative inspiring messages and spread them around….. so I though to share sockmonkey love and kindness with a take what you need flyer that could bright up the day of people encountering it…

 Creative deed #5…It was about recognizing a Compassion All Star in our life & community with a creative twist!  So that day I nominated a truly special person as Compassion All Star: my mom:)  and my artsy awards for this special nomination for her:) This process was very emotional….Thank you Gretchen!!!

 

Creative deed #6 “Creativity& Compassion Quote Hunt” … So by using free online programs one I created something using  a quote that deeply resonates withme…For me one can feel the endless ways of expressive arts getting to the soul!

 

Creative deed #7 “Compassion Cards of Awesomeness” switched on that beautiful role of  being a Secret Agent of Compassion…Special Secret Agent mission to create anonymous Compassion Cards of Awesomeness to leave randomly  in places… The theme to celebrate in the cards was BEING AWESOME  🙂

So while I was on the train I created some cards to distribute in a hospital…. I really loved to see the positive reactions of some people who discovered them…Of course as a secret agent I tried to keep distance LOL:)

To learn more about the Compassion Game’s Secret Agents of Compassion, to get inspired check out this page: http://compassiongames.org/compassion-games/secret-agent/ or the International Kindness Team (IKT) blog where Secret Agent missions are posted daily throughout the games: http://secretagentofcompassion.org

 

Creative deed #8  “Secret Agent of Compassion- Nature Creative Deed”

Today’s Creative Deed  was again linked to Secret Agent of Compassion mission with the goal of showing compassion to nature & the earth…The intent was “to increase your understanding of the interrelatedness in nature” and for us in particular was to document this perspective with a photo. The SAoC mission posted earlier that week that became our mission for creative deed #8: http://secretagentofcompassion.org/2014/09/15/05-2014/

I was inspired with by grounding and earthing acts that really reconnect us to mature and the earth. In particular recalling a beautiful event back in India with a special friend when we planted spouted fruit seeds in the ground and let the eco magic happen:) So this time I sprouted bean seeds and I planted them honoring the earth:)

Creative deed #9 “Compassion Mandala”

What a great mission to create a mandala with our fav material  expressing what compassion means to us… Well for me, given what I could find as was still travelling I managed to get some paints and lil creative bits together and improvized a painting on a wooden board….It kinds of builds up layers through material, in a way creating the fabric and nuances that are connected with compassion.

Creative Deed # 10: “Compassion Stickie Note Art”

What a great mission to use Post-It/ Stickie Notes to spread around randomly creative messages about compassion!!! So much fun and good energy coming after a nice walk accomplishing this mission in the neighborhood:)

And to celebrate the last  of the Compassion Games: creative deed #11: “International Day of Peace Flag”!!!

We got to create a prayer flay celebrating this special day letting this reminder spreading its message through the wind…

I love making prayer flags as there is something special about the process and the message they carry. This time I have tried to make a paper one using few things from India and Tibet…Great to celebrate peace on the World Peace Day.

Take a moment to check the awesome post :

Wrap Up: Creative Deeds in Action @ the 2014 Compassion Games over at 6 Degrees of Creativity about the all the fab creations and experiences of this adventure!!

Random Acts of Art Adventure: Super-charged from powerful creative buzz from the traveling art pouch

A while back I joined an interesting creative adventure organised by board certified art therapist and certified trauma consultant  Gretchen Miller. The project involves a special Random Acts of ART Pouch touching several destinations globally and connecting creatives…

It was such a surprise to receive it after it traveled such a long way…It reached so many art corners and within its content much art was/is and will be shared!!! Finally the Random Acts of Art Adventure touched based in my creative space last week….super exciting!!! It was incredible to find so much goodness in it…There is the pouch’s fascinating journal/passport and then every single item is so infused with creative spirit that is way too contagious…Is beyond amazing to think about how many artists, places this special art pouch has reached and inspired… Being able to connect to those vibes is incredible!!!

 

Discovering the content of the art pouch and going through its passport is so inspiring… every single bit comes from someone who has been creating before with its content and followed the philosophy of practicing random acts of art..

I received something special that Bernadette in Cambridgeshire did for me….beautiful!!!

I was so super-charged by this contagious energy that I created few things….

….A page in the pouch passport…

Then I made a sort of mandala/art mantra for Michela waiting for the pouch next:)

And while I was making something else…an unfolding love letter/note using cards and other material from the pouch…I came across someone who really needed it…so I took on this idea a little further and now I create some artsy notes to cheer up people who need it most and drop them randomly in community places I know …

And so the random acts of art continue!!!!

 

Thank you Gretchen and everyone on this great inspiring adventure of practicing random acts of art!