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Dear Creative Friend, Expressive Arts: Facilitation Skills class was this past week - a 25 hour immersion with 9 amazing
students, I (Kathleen) want to share a little about it with you today, while it is still resonating deeply within me. After each student took a turn facilitating the group in an intermodal expressive arts process, the phrase that kept coming up for me was 'in good hands'. I looked around our zoom room, mentally enumerating how many people and communities these nine women would reach with their passion and skill. I knew that all of those people, and communities are, and will be, 'in good
hands'. Whether in therapy, spiritual direction, education or healthcare, the people coming to the studios or offices of these incredible facilitators are receiving the gifts of presence, congruence, empathy in spaces of sanctuary, acceptance, and artistry. And how desperately we need those spaces! So much of what surrounds us, so much of the container
we live our lives within seems to be filled with intimidating, bullying, and fighting. We need sanctuaries, not to withdraw from the world or bury our heads in the sand, but to be restored, nourished, to remember and immerse ourselves in another way. And to re-enter the world. We need spaces where we can realign with the wisdom of the natural world and the possibilities of the imagination. Our class last week was such a space, and I am better for it. I hold each of the students in my heart, as
they create their own sanctuary spaces in their own environments. They certainly know how! Re-purposed salad bowls are the 'visual arts containers' The term 'free and protected space' came up a lot during the training.
This is a term coined by Dora Kalff, pioneer Sandplay therapist. It speaks (at least in my mind) to the exquisite interaction between containment and freedom, and reminds us that in order to be truly free we need to feel safely held, or lovingly contained in an accepting space or a loving field of energy. What a life lesson this is for living in this world. We are teaching and learning 'facilitation skills" and these skills emanate outward as essential 'life skills'. In our sanctuaries we learn
and practice, and then we embody our learning and take it out into the wider world. This is one of the ways that shifts and transformations happen. I believe this. I believe in our students, I believe in the work, and I believe in the power of imagination to create new realities. Think about it. What is a sanctuary space for you? What do you need to feel
safe, to feel free, to have the courage to be vulnerable and awaken to the possibilities that lie within you? How do you take what you learn into the world? Are you a facilitator of some kind? How do you create these spaces? I encourage you to do some writing, or explore these questions in movement, or make a visual image, or a rhythm. Share it with someone else rather than keep it to yourself. It may seem a bit corny, but one of my Yogi tea bags from this week said: "The world needs your
unique gifts, don't leave with them still inside you" Regardless of the source, I take this to heart. So many beautiful people enter our spheres when we are in this expressive arts field. If you are reading this now, you know this, and you are one of them. Tamara and I are deeply grateful for our partnership, and for our students and alumni, and for our team. Each one is a profound teacher. Renee Bhatia and Heidi Heft LaPorte, two
of our graduate mentors joined us for this week's class, and their presence added to the wisdom, depth and compassion of the
circle. My takeaway from this incredible week: We shaped something beautiful together, a rich swirl of color and insight that still sparkles even as the training ends. May these threads keep weaving through our work, fueling every expressive arts journey ahead. -
Heidi |
We hope you will take time this week for your own arts practice and listen within. If you would you like to share your personal practice images, you can do that in our private Facebook group . It is a sanctuary for witnessing one another. (If you are a new member, please be sure to answer the questions and agree to the rules. That helps us to hold a safe and welcoming space.) With love and gratitude, Kathleen, Tamara, and the Expressive Arts Florida
team
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Take a look at our live online & in person events happening this week! |
Carve out some time for self-care this week and join us for Online Open Studio. This event is by donation and you can drop in or stay for the whole time. Click here to
sign up!
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Mark your calendar for
these upcoming classes & workshops! Registration is open for all events unless otherwise noted. To see a schedule of all upcoming events, courses and workshops visit our calendar of events here. If you have questions about an upcoming course or event, please email us at admin@expressiveartsflorida.com.
March 10th & April 17th (Live Online - Times are different for each one) Expressive Arts Discovery monthly sessions are back! Move through guided meditation, artmaking, writing and witnessing in this
90 minute workhsop. Click here to learn more!
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Join us for this Live Q&A session about our Certificate Training Program. April is the last start date to take the program in its current form. Click here to learn more!
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Join us for In Person Open Studio and work on a creative project! We have basic art supplies, tea and light snacks. 1031 S. Euclid Ave, Sarasota, FL 34237 Room 9 Click here to sign up!
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Join Kathleen and our wonderful online creative community to connect and engage, explore, and witness. Click here to learn more!
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Join Eliana Gil, Kathleen, and Tamara for an integrative training in Sarasota that weaves together the threads of Sand, Play and Expressive Arts therapies into a dynamic intermodal journey that will nourish you and enliven your work. Click here to learn more!
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Join Diane Lampitt live online for this 3 hour SoulCollage® workshop where you'll access your intuition and inner wisdom through the creation of collage cards. No previous SoulCollage® experience necessary! Click here to learn more!
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The final opportunity to begin and complete the Certificate Training Program in its final form will be starting with this course in April. This course can also be taken as a stand alone course. Click here to learn more!
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Mandala: Universal Symbol of Transformation
Interested in learning about mandalas and how you can incorporate them into your expressive arts practice?
Take a look at our recently updated Mandala course! Whether you are brand new to mandalas, or already have lots of experience and knowledge, we expect that you will find something here that touches your heart, engages your spirit, and ignites your art-making. In this self-study course you'll learn the history of mandalas,
how they are used as a personal practice and how to create your own mandalas for personal growth and self-discovery. This course comes with guided meditations, a private sharing group (not Facebook), writing prompts, intermodal invitations, recorded demos and more! |
All Self-Study Courses contain detailed, yet approachable instructions, videos, and meditations facilitated by Kathleen & Tamara. The imagery and
guidance from this work can assist you, whether dipping your toes into expressive arts or seeking a deeper connection. *All courses come with lifetime access so you can refer back to them at any time! *No previous art experience is necessary! |
Tamara is accepting new expressive arts therapy clients seeking support using to heal and grow. Using her expertise in expressive arts and a compassionate approach, she helps clients access their inner strengths and create the change they need in their
lives. To inquire about services, you can go HERE,
call/text 941-444-9585 or email tknappcounseling@gmail.com ~Tamara and Kathleen Tamara Teeter Knapp MA, NCC, LMHC, REACE® Kathleen Horne MA, LMHC(S), REACE®, REAT® www.expressiveartsflorida.com |
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