After Care and Additional Resources!
Thank you so much for joining me and sharing your art and writing. I was truly moved by each and everyone one.
I hope you continue to play with your creative power to know how gorgeous you are. Blessings on your journey!
Feel free to stay connected with me on InstagramBelow are some links and videos that can help you as you continue on your path of artist & storyteller!
First, a little Self-Care..
A few resources for the heart, negotiating creative blocks as well as modeling using art as a form of drawing journaling.
A Note About Creativity and The Heart
- Originally from The Heart of It children's book course I taught, this recorded essay is a valuable reminder of the power of play and creativity.
Renegotiating Creative Blocks:
- also from The Heart of It children's book course, this 3 page PDF talks about how to reframe and renegotiate "creative blocks"
Paying Attention to the Body as a First Step:
- from Believing is Seeing workbook, this 2 page PDF talks about how to use the body to negotiate strong feelings
Animal Self/Drawing Journaling
Originally from my Body Beauty Full course, this video is done in silence with a simple tone playing. Feel free to explore the project alongside me:
Face the empty page for a moment. If possible, empty your mind. If you had an idea about what you were going to draw, let it go. Begin gently drawing circles, exploring the empty space and see what rises. It may be the same idea you had before, but slightly different. Open to drawing your self as an animal. It may or may not happen. Holding the intention is all that is important. Let it go when you find your direction. You may find that you don’t draw an animal, but that there is something about your drawing that is still somehow related to one.
Children's Books as a Radical (& Queer!) Act...
For those wanting to hone their craft in relation to children's books, check out these materials
Additional Writing Exercises:
- originally from The Heart of It children's book course I taught, this PDF contains some of the writing prompts and exercises to help unearth the stories already living within!
Resources through our Indie Press:
- visit our self-publishing resource page for more about publishing children's books and where to begin, including a video series for kids that can be just as helpful for grown-ups too!
Resources through our School:
- while our online school is currently on hiatus as we focus on other projects, there are lots of helpful course samples available to view and download including materials that go beyond children's books.
AND, if you didn't get a chance before the workshop...
Feel free to download and explore these additional materials and videos!
Read more about My 3 Rules:
#1: Everyone is an Artist
#2: There is Never a Right or Wrong Way to Make Art
#3: Art is Always an Act of Courage
- explore this 5 Page excerpt from my Coloring the Revolution #1 Coloring Book and my Claiming Face Curriculum.
Color the 3 Rules!
- download coloring pages to remind yourself of the 3 Rules!
Originally part of Voice Is a Revolution mini course I taught a few years ago through my School of the Free Mind, these videos help establish a holistic perspective of self and reality. This is at the foundation of everything I teach, including how I teach.
Playing with Embodiment/Soothing the Ancestors
In my imagination, the best thing we can do at all times is to make ourselves as strong as possible. This will support every aspect of our lives as well as help our creative power rise naturally.
In this video, I go into three areas that I use constantly.
- Playing with my imagination to help my body and heart relax down
“I live in a safe universe.” - Playing with my thoughts to help my mind relax down
“Aggressive Self LOVE” - Developing the witness self so I can see and love myself
“Awareness of the internalized bully”
RELATED WORKSHEET: Witness worksheet for the internalized bully
(This worksheet is from my children's book, When a Bully is President: Truth and Creativity for Oppressive Times, to help kids learn to witness themselves if they are bullied. However this worksheet is also a useful tool to witness the internalized bully.)
Coming into Holistic Voice
We expand our understanding of self to include at all times: the body, heart, mind, spirit and unknown.
We see this expanded self impacted by and functioning within context: with family, community, society, history, ancestry and unknown.
From this place we speak out to the child that we were, listen to the elder that we will be and finally firm ourselves in the power of the present moment.
Simple step by step guidance is provided to explore the reality of who you really are and what you bring to your life, experience and voice. This awareness can unleash all the stories already alive within you.
RELATED WORKSHEETS: The Holistic Self, The Self in Context, Self Through Time
