I AM. Collective Sharing.
I recently invited my creative peers to share a piece of art with the prompt ”I Am…”
“The words “I am” are powerful. We are declaring who we are to the universe.”
It can be incredibly meaningful to take a pause to capture our state of being, and at times imperative to remind ourselves of who we are in a particular moment - connecting and reflecting upon the succint yet powerful words of “I Am”…
“The thoughts and feelings in our minds are constantly flowing and surging. It can be exhausting, and sometimes we get swept away. But making art allows us to stand, even for a brief moment, in the middle of that river and see what’s flowing around us.”
Saba shares: “I am only a human who is trying her best. As I get older I realize that life can be difficult sometimes but I am strong enough to get through it. My red lips define me as a strong, independent woman that is working hard to achieve her goals”
Naomi shares a sketch that speaks to the value of connecting with her creative side for self care moments when life is stressful, and acknowledges and honours who she is through this art practice: "...a creative spirit that keeps on trucking...and helps keeps one's friends and colleagues around...even remotely.."
Patricia shares this '“supermacro photograph of a pinch pot formed to the rhythm of the breath (much gratitude for the teachings of Suzanne Thomson)".
Lisa shares: “I created this piece in response to the TATI course on Grief and Sprirituality. It is entitled "I am such stuff as stars are made of" - an adaptation of Prosperos phrase from The Tempest. This art journal piece represents my sense that I belong to something much greater than myself. The black and white image on the left is a photograph taken in the forest at my cottage in winter, and reversed., The drawing on the right side is the same image. I love to wander the forest in winter, it is so still. I follow the foot prints of the deer and wait to see if they will gift me with their presence”.
Olga shared that she revisited an old sketch, and decided to just doodle on it to see what happened. She enjoyed a process here that was more about creating and having fun with less of a focus on a defined end product. And in turn, with this very freeing process she was able to explore colour, designs and patterns just because they were kind of cool and interesting to her in the moment. Olga then found she could reflect what she wanted onto the pictures with this ‘go-with-the-flow’ approach.
Shara shares her exploration of the I Am state of being through the creative process of Kintsugi.
“Poetically translated to “golden joinery,” kintsugi, or Kintsukuroi, is the centuries-old Japanese art of fixing broken pottery. Rather than rejoin ceramic pieces with a camouflaged adhesive, the kintsugi technique employs a special tree sap lacquer dusted with powdered gold, silver, or platinum. Once completed, beautiful seams of gold glint in the conspicuous cracks of ceramic wares, giving a one-of-a-kind appearance to each “repaired” piece.”
Taylor shares: “Emerging from the shell, a pearl, a new woman. A deep rootedness and assuredness in who I am. I feel the connection of all of my female ancestors, carried through the winds of time to meet me here, on the banks of self-discovery and acceptance. I am who I am, because of my past, because of my present, because of my future. Like the stars in the cosmos, each unique in their brilliance dazzling in the night sky I shine a specific beacon guiding my own self both out of and into the shadow, eternally. “
Hannah shares …”Overlapping and showing the folds, the faults, creates more beautiful insides. Even without the gold I am able to emphasize the value of the seeming imperfection and draw the eye to it”
Maggie shares about her drawing: “I Am….power, strength and knowledge. Guiding souls through the story of their lives in all dimensions; carrying the wisdom of the wheel of time. I use my cards to show the wheel of fortune and the realms and possibilities to those around me. And my jewels hold the power of all knowledge. I am an individual and I will always help guide others who need it.”
Thank you to Saba, Naomi, Patricia, Lisa, Olga, Shara, Taylor, Susan, Hannah and Maggie Kat for their powerful and thought provoking creations!!
With continued interest in this reflective prompt (and those wishing to carve out time for this process and unable to contribute for this post), there will be a part 2 of sharing next month.
“What follows two small words has the power to change your life. What are those words? I Am…”
