routines, on the other hand, are really helpful too...

 Street art in Annerley, raffia

Good morning! The artwork in this post is particularly colourful, and I guess its been a colourful week. On Saturday I participated in a workshop facilitated by a dance movement therapist, as well as talking about my own work as an art therapist (with help from my framework quilt), to a group of music therapists. Some great synergy right there. One of the songs we 'danced and moved' to was 'True Colours' by Kasey Chambers. See below.

Three days of separate training about trauma, after two weeks of broken routines and long weekends (which involved less exercise, and more chocolate than usual) have all taken their toll, however. Getting the balance more or less ok is a constant process, and it feels pretty good now, after a more normal weekend, albeit buffered by the bonus of having Friday and Monday off. Yes, another long weekend, but this was different, as it felt quite restorative. 

And this time, the gym was open. Phew, I have missed the spin doctor...

 

crazy quilt #1,2,&3

Yesterday I worked on my crazy quilt, which is gradually taking shape, in a collection of squarish nuclei, (as in the top two photos), spiralling outwards in a rectangular form, until they reach the optimum size. Another one begins, and the challenge is to join them together. This is what leads to the craziness, I suspect.

Tree of Hearts quilt, applique on felt -

Their present from me

I recently made this for my ex-colleagues, to leave a piece of myself there, and also to help me process leaving. Its full of symbolism, with many layers of meaning, and references to shared experiences:  it was very therapeutic to make. They seemed to like it!

True colours: In the ensuing conversation and gift sharing, I heard a bit about what 'my colours' are from my colleagues recently - everyone's version was different, which is fantastic: I can have them all. There is a small wonky rainbow on the quilt, above. And no, it doesn't have all the colours. But that is ok too.

I have noticed how much of my textile work is squarish, and that includes other people's work that I am drawn to. This crochet rug is from the op shop at my previous workplace.

Youth week Street art, Goodna

I suspect I have found the source...

Although this actually don't have many squares, but the design is based on a grid. I may have to try a patchwork version of this...

 detail of one of Dad's untitled paintings

Definitely not a square - crocheted cactus from 'the succulent garden' -

My present from them

Interesting Laughing Lotus yoga class in Mt Gravatt last week, which is usually quite strenuous. This time it was 'Yin Yoga, because its a new moon'. I have no idea what this means, but it involved carefully draping ourselves over bolsters, and having blankets draped over us, for rather long poses. Really relaxing and great for my spine, and overall sense of wellbeing, apart from some persistent pins and needles in the soles of my feet, afterwards. 

Was offered, and accepted, the opportunity to work 5 days a week, just until the end of June. Will definitely need more Yin Yoga, during and afterwards. Shame there is only one new moon a month.

Well I am on a roll today, ticking stuff off my list. What's next, food prep for tomorrow's work foodfest? The main aim of which seems to be - (one of our core values) - compost!!

more later

Sewing and other attachments

bunting banner for 'in stitches' girls' group

We started a sewing group for teenage girls last week at work, called 'In Stitches'. This is the banner, made from an Ikea upholstery remnant and using iron-on vliesofix (?) for the applique of the letters. The individual flags are machine stitched onto wide blue bias binding, which is folded in half and pinned into place, enclosing the top of the flag. It almost forms a circle when the edges are drawn together, this was for the purpose of photographing the banner. I am very excited about this group!

felt collage: 'secure attachment'

felt collage: 'insecure ambivalent/resistant'

felt collage: 'insecure avoidant'

felt collage: 'disorganised/disorientated'

These four collages were created by me a few years ago, in response to reading 'Circles of attachment: Art therapy albums' by Joanna Clyde Findlay, Margarette Erasme Lathan and Noah Hass-Cohen, in Art therapy and clinical neuroscience edited by Noah Hass-Cohen and Richard Carr. Most of the book is heavy-going, but this chapter describes a delightful project in which art therapy students created fabric 'attachment journals' to illustrate the four main attachment styles, and to ultimately explore their understanding of their own attachment style.

Some of the trainee therapists found that their attachments became more secure, as a result of doing the project.

I had to make one as well, since it combined book-making, felting, fabric collage, machine embroidery and of course, Attachment Theory: Bowlby and Ainsworth's framework for understanding early infant-carer relationships. I can remember thinking at the time of making the collages, my attachment style was probably insecure, (either avoidant or ambivalent) although now I am not so sure.

And now I am reading about attachment again, in a prescribed reading for my Social Work Masters, starting next Monday. I found it interesting to learn that Bowlby, once a follower of Melanie Klein, was rejected by the Freudians for emphasising the real environment of the infant (i.e. the primary caregiver) rather than the 'psychic projections' or fantasies of the baby. This gave me some insight into why attachment theory was so unpopular when I was studying art therapy at Goldsmiths in the 1980's, as the theory was based on Klein and the 'object relations' school.

The reason this theory is in a book on neuroscience and art therapy, indicates (I think) that neuroscience is now proving that Bowlby and Ainsworth's attachment theory was right. Sorry Melanie!

I seem to be managing without my laptop, although am writing on a borrowed Mac, which is making this slightly harder than usual. And I know I am about to get much busier...

This is an interesting quiz from Tamsin's blog, which i mentioned recently: find your political compass. Relieved I was in the same quadrant to Gandhi, Dalai Lama and Mandela. Phew.

more later.