So much has and hasn't happened. I wish I could say that my last post about COVID was completely irrelevant now, but two years in, we are still dealing with it. Everyone's life has been disrupted in some way, and many of us are trying to figure out how to proceed in a world that is in many instances completely different from what we thought was normal. I don't like the term "new normal," because it sounds both defeatist and maudlin. We are always dealing with a new normal, aren't we? Each day, we wake up and face a day of possibilities, surprises, and occasionally a tragedy. We like to think we have control, but we really don't. And that has to be OK. There are things in our control and things we wish we could control but can't.
I have written through several journals in the past two years. Writing is always my way of making sense of things, of gaining perspective, and I've needed a lot of help with both of those things. I live in a pretty privileged world, and while that protects me from what most of the world struggles with on a daily basis, I still have to venture out and decide where my place is. I've been living in Vermont for about 6.5 years, but next month I am moving to another state with my true love. Yes! How about that? Talk about fortunate. B and I have known each other for several years, but this past summer we ran into each other and decided, quite simply and naturally, to see what might happen if we were a "we." What happened is that I have never been so in love, so appreciated, so in tandem with another person. We are both damaged goods. Lots of pain and loss and trauma for both of us. We could easily have decided it was too hard, that there were too many scars on our hearts. But we took a chance. A big change. And my life has changed immensely. My son is happy to see me happy and to know I'm not going to be alone going into old age. I hope, once we are settled, to have an opportunity to exhale and get back to my writing roots of poetry and writing memoir and...to assist anyone who wants and needs a little guidance on how to use writing and visual art to transform your life. Let me know if I can help! It may take a little while to get back to you, but I will do my best. Be Well. Be Happy. <3
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It's a strange and disconcerting time on the planet. We are dealing with a deadly, highly-contagious virus that has killed thousands of people here and abroad. Many of us have switched to working from home (WFH), and some of us have a lot more free time. With all of the well-meaning exhortations to be uber-productive--learn how to bake bread! sew that quilt you've always wanted!--there is a lot of pressure to DO when maybe all we want to do is BE. Just be in the moment.
I read War and Peace! Seriously. It was something I wanted to cross off my list, and by golly, I slogged through it. I have to say the "peace" parts were way more interesting than the "war" parts, but I'm glad I did it. There were plenty of other projects I could have undertaken...but I just didn't have the bandwidth. With all of the talk about ventilators and masks and herd immunity, there were many days where all I could manage was marathon watching of "The West Wing." And that was enough. Art happens all around us all the time. I have a little journal with what I call my FRUSTRATION page. I basically just scribble and write curse words when there is no other outlet for my emotions, and it helps. It sounds silly, but it helps. Those scribbles didn't hurt anyone; I didn't say anything I would later regret, and it made me feel better. That is art and healing. It's a goofy example, yes, but it's all about the process. Just the making part--it doesn't matter what the finished product looks like--is what can heal us. Grab some cheap craft paint and sturdy paper and have at it! Make marks. Swirl the paintbrush around in circles and plop spatters of bright color on top. You will be amazed at how satisfying putting paint on paper can be. And it's pretty inexpensive. Just make sure to wash any paint out of your clothes or other fabric items because once it dries--and it dries quickly--it is on there for good. Be well. Take good care of yourself. And get your creative on. And if I can help you along the way, you know where to find me. I have zillions of projects we can try together. I recently underwent over 40 hours of training in the well-regarded Amherst Writers and Artists method. It's a specific way of holding writing workshops. The emphasis is on the generation of new work in an environment that is amazingly positive and affirming. There is no critical review of work or even suggestions for "improvement." Focus is on the writing, with each member of the workshop--including me as the leader--writing and reading new work each time we meet. While workshop members are always free to pass on reading their work, they are encouraged and supported by one another and held in the spirit of the creative process and the belief that everyone who writes is a writer. No criticism is allowed, and all of the writing is treated as fiction.
It's really powerful! I was lucky enough to be with 11 other trainees and two amazing teachers for five (rather grueling) days of training, practicing, and writing together. I am so excited to share this method! I've been in many, many writing workshops over the years, including the infamous MFA creative writing workshop. In my experience, workshops can be amazing places to be encouraged and energized by fellow writers, but they can also been quite damaging. I had the experience of attending a workshop with a poet I revered. When he got to my poem, he said, "Well, Robin, I'm not sure what this is, but it isn't a poem!" What?! I had just graduated from my MFA program in Poetry. His words hit me hard, and if it weren't for the experience I had at the Squaw Valley Community of Writers a week later, I fear that his words would have poisoned me enough that I may have stopped writing all together. I can assure you that what happens in our workshops will be positive and encouraging. You will come away feeling energized and inspired to write more. Feeling safe is my primary concern for all members of the workshop. We are all taking the risk of putting down words and sharing those words with one another (with the option, always, to pass on reading). I'm happy to answer any questions or concerns you might have. Just click on the Contact Me tab at the top of the page and write me a message. Let's do this, people! xoxox I'm excited to offer a series of four art journaling workshops. I love art journaling because it combines both visual art and writing...my two favorite methods of exploration. I will provide each participant with a brand-new journal, and I will haul out my big stash of art supplies. Short demos on how to use different mediums will be given, but we are going to spend most of our time together creating art and having fun. No art experience is necessary, just an open heart and mind. This is all about the process, although I bet you will be surprised and pleased with the outcome!
Just use the contact me page if you have any questions or want to put your name on the list. Space is limited so I can give everyone individual assistance and encouragement. I look forward to exploring some powerful word themes and getting messy with you! Traveling Postcards is the brain child of Caroline Lovell, an artist I met while working on my MA in Transformative Arts. It is a part of the Women's Wisdom Initiative, a nonprofit she runs. Traveling Postcards is a healing art workshop that brings women (and men) together to make beautiful, unique postcards for women all over the world. The recipients of the cards are women who have been touched by sexual violence and rape. Did you know that one in three women will be the victims of sexual violence? One in three. That is astounding and disturbing. Traveling Postcards is an attempt to bring awareness to and work towards ending sexual violence.
I am a facilitator and that means I run workshops where we make postcards. Typically, a workshop lasts 90 minutes. We introduce ourselves, watch a short video on Traveling Postcard's web site, and then we set to making cards. Over the years, I have accumulated all kinds of art materials: papers and ephemera of all sorts, pens, pencils, paint, brushes....I bring all of my stuff along. Participants can also bring images that have special meaning for them. After the cards are made, we have a lovely little ritual where each woman places her postcard into a vintage suitcase I have. We then have a little time to talk about what the experience was like. It's very powerful. I usually put on some soft music because the room gets very quiet. Each card is completely different, beautiful, and so touching. After the workshop, I mail the postcards and other questionnaires that participants fill out back to Caroline, and she catalogues and then distributes the cards. You can read more about Traveling Postcards and the Women's Wisdom Initiative on the Traveling Postcards page. I am in southern Vermont and will travel a bit to give a workshop, but if you are in another part of the country (and maybe even the world), I can probably put you in touch with other facilitators...or maybe you want to become a facilitator yourself! This is important work that needs to spread like wildfire. Contact me and I will put you in touch with Caroline. So, I call myself a transformative artist, but what does that mean? I am not an art therapist. I'm not a licensed psychotherapist. I am an artist who believes in the healing power of art. I use the creative process as a vehicle for transformation and healing.
We are all artists, although sometimes we have to search for our creative life under layers of preconceived notions of what being creative means. We often have our artistic natures drummed out of us after years of training and education that told us to "color inside the lines." My clients and I work together to sift through all of that stuff to find the creative being and bring her out of hiding. You will have permission not only to color outside the lines but to create the lines themselves. Reclaiming one's creative soul is an empowering and healing process that we do simply by the act of MAKING ART. We use all sorts of materials and forms to free ourselves from the voices that say, "I am not creative." I bet you are! Together we will work to find, reclaim, and celebrate the artist inside you...and to have fun in the process. Get ready to get dirty! |
AuthorRobin Galguera is a transformative artist and writer. Archives
February 2022
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