Okay, maybe not into a bar, but in this case they -do- find themselves in the same collage.  That's one of the very best parts about collage, is the ability for seemingly disparate images and characters finding themselves together in the same setting.  It then becomes a natural jump to ask yourselves, to contemplate, well ... how -would- they interact?  This is a great way to take a deep look inside your inside your own mind, and the stories, the Achetypes, and their lesser cousins - the stereotypes and the things we could learn from them if we just offered them a place of dialogue.  Which is precisely the exercise I assigned my 21-Day Journaling from Collage class.  What WOULD the Gypsy, the Bride and the Nun have to say to each other?  What questions might they ask each other?

The beauty of these three women is how very different and distinct they are, each with her own type of clothes, posture, energy and archetype. (Oh, and in case you're wondering, the Arabic word on the bottles, عين is "aiyn" which means "eye." ) 

​The first thing I did was have my students NAME the three woman.  For me, it was easy to name the two as Young Bride, and Nun.  It took -forever- for me to find a title for what I now see as the Gypsy, but who went through name incarnations such as "Wild Woman," "Mendhi Artist" and even "Jezebel." What's interesting here is that I most identify with the image that I couldn't find a name for.  Which reminds me of the period in my life, in my early 30's when I was dealing with a pretty severe case of panic disorder, and I could not, for the life of me, come up with a word that was the opposite of panic, so as to tap into the opposite of this debilitating energy.  Now, I can see easily that they word was "calm," but at the time, it just wouldn't come.  Which makes me wonder - what in me is fighting the "Gypsy" in me?  Hmmmm .... ;)


Next, I had my students give their newly named Characters a one-word attribute, what they felt the essence of that Archetype was.  What do you see as the attributes or essences of the three women?  Mine were:

I then asked my students to imagine those three essences, as a spectrum, asking them in what order would they go,  and then to place themselves on that spectrum, asking

1.)  Where they were now on the spectrum, 
2.)  Where they'd -like- to be, and 
3.)  What steps or actions would it take to get there?

My own answers (and yes, I -always- do my own exercises during the classes!) surprised me (as they often do) as it was the Nun who had the most to share with me.  My spectrum was:

Naivete >> Cloistered >> Free Spirit

As I worked the exercise, it got me to thinking about being "cloistered." In 2012 I had emergency open heart surgery for a torn aorta, which was followed by three strokes - a result of being on the heart/lung machine during the surgery. Coming out of big illness, or health crisis is a type of coming out of a cloister. Physically, mentally, emotionally, certainly spiritually. And due to the nurturing nature of relationship, that can be a type of cloister as well.

Two and a half years later, I'm beginning to stretch my physical and emotional wings a bit more, each day yearning a little more for the Free Spirited, Gypsy me I once knew and was.  There are changes, big changes, that I'm going to need to make, actions to be taken.  New worlds to step into.

Seeing the parallel, I pictured in my mind, what it would look like if that Nun were to leave the convent, her cloister. I can picture her, eyes blinking in the bright light, just outside the convent doors, shifting and uncomfortable in her new "street clothes," every bit as nervous as our New Bride entering a new life. What feelings would she be having? What would it take for her to step -into- this new life? 

As I placed myself in her shoes, I realized it would take energy. It would take time. It would take patience for her to get her bearings in this Brave New World. At first, I'm sure she would feel like she'd made a mistake, like she couldn't possibly make it in the "real world," that there was no place for her, that she didn't have the stuff it took to "make it."

She would need to be patient, go slow, take it one step at a time. She would need to remember the stories of who she was, and how strong she was in the past, and use those stories, those memories to anchor her. She would need to make friends, build community.  She would need to have a workable plan.

And she would need to be very, very kind to herself in the process, celebrating each and every tenuous, delicious step and success along the path, along the way.

She would need to hold a sacred curiosity about her story, her journey, her life.

She would need,  as I will need, to be her/my own best friend.

See?  This is just one way a collage can give you pointers, tips and breadcrumbs in your life.  With every story you see in a piece, you are seeing a piece of your own story. My story is about moving from a cloistered state, through naivete back into my free spirit self.  

Want to see what messages are waiting for you? Then join me for the next
21-Day Journaling with Collage course using my collages, or a 7-Day Journaling with Collage course using your own.  Next 21-Day course begins on May 1st.  The 7-Day course date is set by you.  I look forward to spending creative time and energy with you!

In Light and Love - 
Dante

Did you feel it last Friday?  All that oompa Big Energy of not just the New Moon, but a full Solar Eclipse AND Equinox as well?  It was a GREAT time to gather energy, and scissors and glue sticks, to put together a New Moon visioning board.  

the yellow "curves ahead" caution sign.  I like how in both images, it seems to spring out of a 'Y' sort of image, seen in the fish's tail as well as the penguins' heads pointing in different directions.  Does this somehow signify a choice that needs to be made?  One to use "caution" when making?  But the most, most, MOST fun repeat image of all would have to be ...

the sexy legs coming poking up from out of a box.  Yep, and that's a REPEAT image.  I'll let -you- play with the symbolism of THAT one all by yourself.  ;)

But again, the thing that makes my visioning board process unique from my collage process IS the use of words.  The way I use them though, is very much collage-like in nature.  I spend an hour or two a few days before the vision boarding just cutting out words that inspire me or move me in some way.  Then on the day of assembly I let those words collage themselves into phrases, with often wild and wonderful results, like:  "Let's partake in wacky chaos" (yes! yes! let's!) and the phrase that seemed to come from deep within that bid me: "Resurrect a Big Dream NOW."  But my favorite of all, for this board would have to be ..

"Humbled by Dangerous Art."  Which I am indeed.  And it's power to move and direct us.  One of the ways I let art, and visioning boards in particular is to copy the phrases onto index cards and use them as morning mantras and affirmations for the month ahead.  It's a great way to keep the messages from your Internal Self fresh and alive.  It's the perfect way to say, "I'm listening." For, as I've discovered, the more we listen, the more our Internal Selves will speak. And speak.  And SPEAK.  

So, do yourself a huge favor, and start a conversation with yourSelf with a New Moon vision board (next new moon is April 18) or just a regular collage.  If you'd like some help with getting started, you can take my online 21-Day Journaling from Collage Challenges from the collages I supply (next challenge begins on May 1st) or you can go deep with the 7-Day Journaling from Collage Private Course from one of your own.

If you're in the Santa Fe area, you can take my next live workshop on April 25. I'd love to help you find the magic of Collage in your life!  And don't forget - next new moon is April 18.  Let's see what fun figures and phrases are waiting for YOU to unearth them.  

"Building Altars" is a great exercise for letting you get a sense of what is sacred in your life, as well as the often unconscious things and ways you might be praying for something that is missing.  

Last week, I was working on creating an exercise for the virtual 21-Day Journaling with Collage class.  It being Friday the 13th, I felt the need to try to find something either superstitious or spooky, so I dug through my Archives until I found the perfect collage - one with a black cat.  

As I studied the collage for possible prompts, I noticed how very much the bottom portion of the piece resembled an altar of sorts.  So, the subsequent prompt was easy to conceive.  I asked my students to do a writing detailing:

1.) Who built the altar.
2.)  What was it built to invoke, celebrate or request, and 
3.)  Why specifically each of the items on it were used.

What with being one of those "transparent" sort of teachers, I felt obliged, as I do in all my classes to answer the questions myself.  Here's what "came out":

"It’s clear to me that the giant blue-eyed bird built the altar, because someone has stolen her voice and locked it in an ancient suitcase. The suitcase presented here is actually a clue, as she realizes that she is expected to circumnavigate the Globe, in order to win the right to have it back.

The five cobalt blue petals on the altar symbolize the 5th chakra, the throat chakra, the color of which is associated with cobalt blue. The throat chakra, of course, rules the Voice.

The 21 candles symbolize adulthood, and the idea that she needs to stop behaving like a child and finally -claim- her own life. The “stealing” of her voice wasn’t actually meant to be a punishment, as (is so often in life) it’s the Journey itself that will bring her voice back to her. Only through the finding, and telling, of stories, hundreds and hundreds of glorious stories will she fully earn the right to claim Her Voice.

The oranges, which are –almost- on the altar, are to remind her to partake of the sweetness of life, which is still something of a “thing” for her, so they haven’t quite made it up on the table yet.

Her current God, in the form of the Sacred Cow, is quickly disseminating in a cloud of smoke and is soon to make its way (with a final farewell glance backward) –out- the nearest window. Without her Sacred Cows to guide and direct her, she’s going to have to take life’s mystery and alchemy into her own hands. She’s going to have to decide for herself what is holy and how to let it guide her Life.

The tiny Bedouin people know the ways of the Wilderness and are happy and willing to guide her through the trickier parts of her Journey.

She’s more than just a wee bit terrified, as seen by the look of abject look of panic in her blue, blue eyes, but she knows its Time. She’s gone long enough without a Voice. It’s time, it’s SO, so time to get it BACK."

The first writing is just -that- of course, the FIRST writing.  If this were a student's or client's writing, I would ask all manner of follow-on questions, like:  

1.)  Where in your life do you feel you've lost your "voice"?
2.)  Where in your life is it time for you to "grow up"?
3.)  What "sweetness" in your life is begging to be experienced? (and why might you have held it back?)
4.)  What Sacred Cows are asking to be "disseminated"?
5.)  What "wilderness" do you need help navigating?

See how the answers can lead to even more and deeper questions?  That's the beauty of Contemplative Collage.  Come join the fun at the next 21-Day Journaling with Collage challenge beginning May 1st.  OR give yourself the gift of a Private Session.  There's sooooo much magic to be unearthed in all of us. Let me help you with that shovel ... 

with heaps of Love and Light!
Dante

What does a Primitive Bird carrying a Silver Teapot have to do with Hidden Treasures you can find in a collage?  Plenty.

Last week in the virtual 21-Day Journaling with Collage Course we used the "Hidden Treasure" exercise as a journaling prompt to move deeply into what inner treasures are waiting in our Subconscious, waiting to be discovered.

For the exercise, I had students, meander about the collage, "Jubilee" asking themselves, then journaling:
1.) where the hidden treasure is hidden in the piece, 
2.) who hid it, 
3.) who will find, and 
4.) how will their life change when they do?

This particular collage is ripe with potential hiding spots, and thus, ripe with potential stories.  It could be hidden in the empty cave.  (Which makes me think of Resurrection stories.)

It could be hidden in the luminescent egg, which the Sitting Man doesn't even seem to be aware he's sitting on.  (Sitting on a gold mine? Unaware of the good that is right beneath you?)

The treasure could even be somewhere off the page.  (Not currently in our life, but definitely, delightfully within sight?)

After they'd completed the assignment, I had my students go back and reflect on how their "made up" stories paralleled their current lives.  For me, it was clear that I had some fire-tending to do - and I do.  And I will.  With the help of a giant, primitive bird with a teakettle full of Sacred Embers.

Perhaps YOU'd like to join in on the fun, and see what "hidden treasures" are waiting for you in an online 21-Day Journaling with Collage Course. The next class begins May 1st.  You can sign up in advance by clicking here.

Every February, I participate in the online Spark project in which artists and writers are paired together, each sending an "inspiration" piece to the other, something written to the artist, a piece of art for the writer, which they then over the course of ten days, create a "response" piece from.  My partner sent me the poem, "Behind the Eight Ball," which reads:

Behind the Eight Ball
 
It’s time to break
The saw toothed stick that helps you aim is ready
The cue, placed behind the rack and the break is on
Balls lunge and dance, skip and sort and it’s gaming time
The eight ball lurks a result of an unclear shot
Hard to see harder to manipulate
Like space and time
Completing tasks and getting on to dreams
Fulfilling oneself and keeping oneself afloat
Behind the eight ball stress bruises the sky and blinds the sun
Everything is made difficult
Eager to run the table one is left
With attempts, and failures, misdirections and miscues
Fighting for life and looking to tomorrow for respite.
 
Kathleen Finn Jordan

Reading through the poem, I chose the phrases that most moved me, and copied them onto index cards.  The ones I especially liked were:  "moving onto dreams" and "keeping myself afloat" (I personalized oneself for myself) After the project the card will go into my Affirmation Card deck to be used during my morning meditations.  Next, it was time to find some images.

Next, I slipped the index cards under my working surface and started to create.  And this is what came through.  It's first title was "Almost Artemis" (as I see the branch coming out of the girl's shoulder as an attempt at deer horns) but it's since been renamed (and will most likely go through -several- more) "Unleashed" as the puppy at the bottom of the page seems to have broken free of his leash.

The piece, while constructed intuitively, surprisingly contained ALL of the elements of the phrases I was working from.  While there aren't any boats, or water, being an avid hiker the concept of "keeping myself afloat" is conveyed nicely by the girl standing on the line of boots.  The line of boots in turn remind me of the rows of boots one would see outside of refugios on the Camino de Santiago - a trek which I've completed 2/3 of and am planning on returning to finish out the final 120 miles this fall.

The walking woman seems to be counting off those boots and at the same time is being pulled by a mysterious white thread off the page.  This, to me represents a "completion of tasks" and "moving on to dreams."  Dreams that aren't yet revealing themselves, but which I hope and trust will "fulfill" me.