Art is

Art is the act of continually recreating
              sloughing off
              expanding
              building
              creating ourselves
Art as part of spirituality
which is to develop a belief and attitude and approach to life that seeks to help us reach our fullest potential.

Art as recreating - as we are being changed, moved; going through struggle; pain, which only - like a Diamond- hardens and forms a new gem.

It is not that we are working towards what we ought to be... what we want to be... because that defines us with limits.
But
Rather as potential

We are becoming - a reaching forward
etched out
shaped by life situations
but all assisting and moving us in reaching our
potential

In art we work actively at this process of becoming.
of recreating.
making Visual these changes.
processing the acts of being.

Art as a spiritual act
of Being more
with the creator source spirit guiding us.
January 13, 2016

In the Loop & Challenge #250

I feel like I need to stay in the loop. What does that mean? I am an introvert. I will just put it out there. I find being with larger groups of people very tiring. I tend to desire my alone time; drawing, reading, sewing, walking. Those are my refuel times.

But I want to know what everyone is doing. I want to stay current in the latest techniques, and to know what the 'buzz' is about. I just don't need to be the best or do the latest hype - for instance the Zengems. But I've tried them; I just prefer to draw at my own pace, and with the simplest tools. That is why Diva's challenge this week - was - not a challenge? And that was COOL! I read Madam Diva's blog, and thought, Yea, I have lots of tiles that I've been working on lately. But, for the sake of the challenge I created a new one.

And as an art therapist, I felt this tile - even in its small form, shows the loop, and movement of forward and back. Generally, I don't analyse my tiles, but this was pretty straightforward in expressing how I've been feeling. The flow of moving forward at a gentle pace, and yet staying with what I am comfortable with. I want to know about staying current with trends in Zentangle and art therapy. I like to know what the latest is, I just don't need to do the latest. I will just stay in the loop.

So thanks everyone for sharing your Zengems and art. I enjoy your inspiration.

New Year & Diva Challenge 249

Happy New Year!
Toronto had our first cold snap - just a snap. We barely noticed it. Glad we got that over with. The anticipation of extreme circumstances can be difficult to bare. When will it happen? What will happen? How severe will it be? Is it going to happen? Toronto has had such unbelieveably warm temperatures and yet it was inevitable that the cold would come.

Life is like that. Things are going along smooth, and we have no idea when some unknown and difficult event will hit us. We may believe we are doing everything right, and that nothing harsh will come along. And then when it does, we are not sure ... did we cause it? did we deserve it? what could we have done to avoid it?

It is a test and expression of our character of how we handle difficult circumstances. Do we go with the flow? or do we fight against its consequences? Do we make the most of what has happened, and learn some lessons that shape who we are as people?

Winter and cold weather may be a rather mundane example of extreme circumstances eventually affecting us; but it is an example and test to who we are and how we deal with it.

Zentangle has provided a way for many of us to learn to deal with the unexpected. Zentangle creates beauty from the unknown. The abstract and unknown way of shaping the piece of art allows us to be open to newness, change, new possibilities. It removes limits by seeing these unknown  deviations as opportunities and not challenges. The metaphors for life that come from Zentangle reach our subconscious and affect our attitudes and ways of being in the world. Zentangle provides rich experiences which touch us through repetition and beauty. May we watch and wait, so that the next challenge can shape us and let us be reshaped.

Tangle On!