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Art As Therapy

Use Art to Get Over Life's Hurdles

I received this nice note from Christina Angeloni at Art Therapy Healing.com. She found the free verse “Threads They Said” which I wrote about 12 years ago.

"I loved your poem. It felt like you were talking to me. I have put it up under the creativity link on ArtTherapyHealing.com.

You have great ideas for business too."

Christina

I checked out Christina’s website. I hope you will too. Without even realizing it, I naturally put some of her theories into practice way back then.

Writing poetry was my art therapy. It helped me sort out what was really important to me and to choose a new direction for my life.

Art therapy can help you mourn a loss. It can help you forgive someone who has hurt you, even if they haven’t asked your forgiveness. It can help you recover from physical injury. It can help you find what is missing in your life.

Sharing your art therapy can help you connect with like-minded people. It can help you reach people you care about and let them see you in a whole new way.

When I wrote “Threads They Said” I was going through a difficult period in my finance career. Art in the form of poetry did become my therapy and it brought me down a whole new path which lead to The Artful Crafter.

Now my art therapy is this website. It has connected me to many fascinating, talented and caring people like webmaster, cinematographer, graphic designer Christina Angeloni, eclectic crafter " Shaaron Chambers, decoupage artist Kay Davies, ceramic artist Paulette Gasser, mixed media artist Cyndi Lavin and Scrap Girls digital artist Angie Briggs.

Each one of these women has helped me in some way and holds a special place in my heart.

I’m still amazed when I re-read “Threads They Said”. The contrast between where I was then and where I am now is like that between night and day.

“Threads They Said” was one of the first things to go up on The Artful Crafter when we launched. Having traveled this life-changing path myself, I chose the motto “The Artful Crafter – Helping Crafters to be”.

I wanted to help others, as the (real life) characters in my poem had helped me to find the artist within. It’s letters like Christina’s which let me know I’ve achieved that goal to some extent. I’m living proof of the words I wrote after the poem.

“I believe anyone with a creative eye can be an artist. If you know what you like when you see it, you can be an artist. If you know what someone else will like, you can be a commercial artist. You only have to find your medium or craft."

My Personal Art Therapy Journey

I had been an extremely practical and analytical person. My first two careers, as a teacher and then a portfolio manager, required those qualities. I guess that part of me is still there; but now there’s this whole other me – the artist.

There were a lot of supportive people that guided me onto this path. They were (mostly) women who stood by me in some difficult times, threw out suggestions, helped me to see alternatives and wouldn’t let me throw a “pity party”.

Maybe that’s why I love doing The Artful Crafter website so much. Hopefully I am providing the same kind of encouragement to some of our readers. This poem was dedicated to the women who helped me find the way to a more creative and fulfilling life.

A Seed in My Garden

She plants a seed in my garden
And nurtures it with care.
Thank you, but beg your pardon,
I didn’t want it there.

My garden is filled with useful things.
I planned it row by row.
Potatoes, tomatoes, beans along strings –
No room for a rose to grow.

It reaches. It twines. It aims for the sun,
And its buds begin to swell.
Never before was there such a one
With so much promise to tell.

My useful things now hold less allure
As I watch the rose unfold.
In a life short of meaning, could this be the cure?
For a rose is food for the soul.

This one has a bit of double entendre regarding faith. Let’s see if you catch it.

I Pray

Something’s missing from my life.
I lost it on the way.
Career woman, mother, sister, wife …
Why do I feel far astray?

Once I was happy; now I’m not.
Life can be funny that way.
I’ll retrace my steps, reconsider my lot
Until I remember the day …

I took the wrong path and suddenly lost
The sunshine, the light, the way.
It’s back there I know and whatever the cost
No one can make me stay …

Unhappy, oppressed, unworthy, depressed.
Somehow I must find the ray
Of sunshine to bring the warmth to my breast.
I’ll get there. I promise. I pray.

When I wrote the next poem, I hadn’t even decided what I might do next, though art and crafting were coming into my head more frequently.

Are You a Boomer Too?

I’m a Boomer, how ‘bout you?
Maybe you’re a Boomer too.

Heading for the Big five-O,
Watching your investments go.

Will I have a job tomorrow?
Will I have to beg and borrow?

Tired of rat race corporate speak,
Fear of lay-off makes me weak.

Land of opportunity?
Not for Baby Boomer me.

Look at me. I’m out the door!
My dreams aren’t mainstream anymore!

Looking back, it sure was a risky move and big lifestyle adjustments were required. My DH was tired of his business too, so we were “on the same page” in wanting more control over our lives.

We sold our large home and a lot of our furniture and corporate clothes. I turned in my leased luxury car.

My husband sold his small business. We moved to a warmer climate and bought a smaller house with a lake view. It was quite an adventure, though there have been some bumps in the road.

We really enjoy working from home and setting our own hours. We have our four dogs with us all day. When the weather is warm, we can sit in the garden with our laptops and be inspired by the beauty around us.

I go to my little store, Eileen’s Gifts, sixteen hours a week – just enough to keep in touch with customers to take and deliver their orders.

December 2009 Update:

Obviously mine is an evolving story, as is everyone's life story. It is now almost three years later. In the interim, I closed my little shop in order to work exclusively from home on The Artful Crafter website. I've lost touch with a couple of the artists I mentioned above.

Kay Davies has passed away. Her generous spirit, wit and talent are sorely missed. Paulette Gasser and her husband joined us for Thanksgiving dinner just two weeks ago. Shaaron Chambers has contributed many more special projects to our pages and our friendship has blossomed. We plan to see Shaaron and Craig over Christmas week.

If I were writing the article above today, I wouldn't know where to begin or end the list of wonderful fellow crafters and artists who have a special place in my heart.

There are

• The ones I've taken classes from - like Karl Barnhart, Scrap Girls' Katherine Weaver, Lauri Jensen, ... ;
• The ones I trade blog links with - Tammy Powley, Creative Dreamer June Crawford, ... ;
• The ones who write to The Artful Crafter or leave comments on my blog and end up becoming dear friends - Carolyn Sondermann, Vicki Holdwick, ... ;
• The growing number of crafters who've joined The Artful Crafter Community ...

I love you all.

The blessings continue ...

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