This week I closed our  Summer Program with a Drumming Circle.  It was the first time for many of the kids.  They drummed for two hours straight!  We were lead by professional facilitator and drummer “Drum Dr.” – Nelson Ing.  The kids played on full-size djembes – all authentic drums from Africa and Indonesia.  It was fun, inspiring and powerful.  Enjoy photos below!

Today I facilitated a Playshop, not workshop : ) at the Oxley Retreat Centre for the AIDS Committee’s annual retreat.  We had a wonder-full time! The goal for the program today was to inspire imagination, play, curiousity, creativity and in-the-moment expression.  I wish I had photos of the crazy faces we made in our “pass the mask” game!  However, what I do have are a few photos of some of the deep, heart-felt and light creations made by a few of the participants.  They were invited to create an art-object that embodied or translated their “healing place” or their “power place.”   

The power place comes from a session they completed earlier in the day where they were to reflect on times they felt powerful and powerless… I invited the group to focus on their power-place and re-create it visually with the art materials.  The healing place is different for everyone; it is usually a place that brings renewal, relaxation, safety, health, inspiration and love.

Check-out this creature the kids made today.  It is totally wild – they say it comes from “Thing-Land.”  The instructions were: create one part of a creature, a head, body, tail, etc. out of clay and crafty materials…and after you’re finished we are going to put all the pieces together. 

I like the sparkly wings and tails…look closely and you will see a mohawked-dragon and a flying caterpiller!  This was done by the kids at Maryvale.

I took photos from different angles – If you look at the first one – an aerial view-  look at the entire shape of the creature…what do you see? I see a horse sticking out his tongue at me!  Look closely – don’t think too much – you might see something else – what did you see?

HI Everyone – This week I borrowed the labyrinth from Hospice so the children at Maryvale could walk it.  The labyrinth is fun! Check out below how the children responded.  Labyrinth is typically used as a tool for healing or personal/spiritual change or transformation.  It is good for enhancing “right brain” activity.  That is the part of the brain where the healer, the artist or child within us all lives! (our culture is mostly left-brained) Labyrinths began in ancient times and can be found all over the world.  The walk is compared to “your walk of life” or “your journey to your centre”…discovering who you are…making changes, etc.  I like to encourage walking the labyrinth your way…

For the kids it was a fun experience for them – they take to it naturally, though some of the kids walked it carefully.  I introduced it on Monday and had it out all week for staff and kids to walk it freely.  Their response was varied and diverse.  Some of the kids were hesitant but mostly open and curious – the adults were more hesitant and analytical!  Some of the kids ran it, jumped it, skipped it and hung-out on it.  I introduced it as a pathway to a centre – not like a maze that is meant to confuse you and test you.  I offered information about the history of the Labyrinth and that there is no “right way” to walk the labyrinth – you are free to walk it your own way.  I wanted them to get the feel of it before offering any organized activities – plus, I wanted to see how they would respond.  One girl walked right to the centre and didn’t even walk the path! Most walked, ran, jumped, skipped to the centre.  Some were careful, others were hurried. Some got lost and started again. Some were confused, others bored.  Most of them were smiling and laughing, a few were serious.  The energy on the labyrinth was playful or careful.  Some of the kids were doing headstands at the centre!  It was incredible to see the life on the labyrinth – most of the time the energy is very quiet as adults are walking – with kids it is alive and playful. 

Walking the Labyrinth

On the second day we walked it again, then I taught them how to draw the labyrinth.  See the photos below. 

On the third day I offered a meditation/visualization before we walked the labyrinth.  The meditation was a relaxation that brought the kids to listen to their heart and to see themselves living their heart’s desires - whether it was to go somewhere, meet someone or see the person they would like to become.   After they got into the centre they had to find a few words, feelings or images that were postive qualities or feelings about themselves.  The last part of the activity was a wax-resist drawing with their name in the middle and all of their positive feelings, qualities or dreams written or drawn all around – check out the photos – they did a wonder-full job! Or they could make the finger labyrinths in clay. Here are a few photos:

“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”  Picasso

I am both excited and nervous to post my first blog-post!  Here we go! I have decided to use the blog to display current artwork, programs and events happening at Art InDeed and with our partners and clients.  It is also to keep you updated with future projects and programs.  It is also for inspiring conversation and of course CREATION and CREATIVITY! The blog is called “Day by Danah – Inspiration Blog” hence the desire to express what is invigorating and moving you or me! Also, we can discover what might be dull, or de-energizing for you - these things are important to explore as well but let’s stick with creativity today.  We’ll see how this blog comes to life – I am looking forward to it.  For today I’d like to share with you the creativity and imagination of children!  See below the photos. I’d like to leave you with a few quotes by the greatest and most prolific creator-artist of all time: Picasso….and a small reflection that I wrote on what it means to me, about being creative or being and artist.

This is what Picasso said: 

“It took me four years to paint like Rapheal but a lifetime to paint like a child.”    Picasso

“Every child is an artist.  The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”  Picasso

Danah’s reflection:  As an artist, I believe being an artist is about being child-like and vulnerable.  It is about creating a space within oneself and outside oneself to feel free.  It is about honesty, authenticity, playfulness and being in-the-moment.   It is about seeing what is real – not what you “think” is real.  It is about imagination and colour and patterns and rhythms. It is about courage, focus and wildness.  It is about instinct – intuition, thought, and inspiration. It is about being open and closed and love and fear and everything in between!! It is an enormous risk.  It is about being a rebel in your own way. 

Art InDeed this Summer:

This summer Art InDeed is partnered with Maryvale and Whole Note Music Therapy.   We are offering services as part of  Maryvale’s ”Summer Recreation Program” and Whole Note Music Therapy’s “Therapy Express.”  The programs are going great.  The kids are having a terrific time creating away! Here are a few photos below. 

This is a photo from The Therapy Express Program.  The kids have created with paints and clay – trying a variety of techniques like printing, sculpting, mask-making and even art with bubbles.  The kids are encouraged to experience the feeling of the new materials, play in the process and feel great about their finished art masterpiece!

 The photos below are artwork created by the kids at Maryvale.  This year “theme” weeks have been organized and art projects and material have been chosen to fit each themed week.  To name a few, nature week, space week, recycle week, multicultural week, water week, time warp week are all part of the creative program.  During art sessions at Maryvale the kids are encouraged to express themselves freely, using imagination and emotion to bring to life original and personal art using a variety of materials.  The first photo is of the ”Talking Sticks,”  the second is nature and clay sculptures, the third and fourth are nature and recyled-item sculptures and the last photo is of paper-mache “Expressive Masks.”  We are moving into the last few weeks of the program.  A Drumming Circle and a Labyrinth Walk will be the special features of next weeks program – stay tuned for more photos and inspiration!