Fun Monday Challenge #44 - "We must create what we most need to find..."

"Grow what you need" collage by Lani textures by FlyPaper.

I love Sabrina Ward Harrison's idea that "we must create what we most need to find."  It's so empowering and freeing.  We don't have to wait for someone else to tell us it's OK to wear a tutu when we run a marathon (If you have missed the whole tutu vs. Self magazine brouhaha, do have a look at this very heartening story here).  We don't need to wait for someone else to give us what we need in life.  The  amazing thing is we really can create the things we need, like friendship, love, kindness, fun and of course art. 
So look around your life today, what do you need?  Do you feel like it's snowed and sleeted just one too many times?  Perhaps you may need some spring color, and some fun (see above).   What ever it is you need, find a way to grow it in your fun Monday art piece.  As always, feel free to share your work or play on Instagram by adding #14SecretsChallenge to your description, or by adding your photo to our Flickr pool. 

Fun Monday Challenge #43 - Create a medal for yourself or a friend

"Take Courage" collage by Lani textures by FlyPaper.

I was having a little conversation with another art therapist the other day, and the Cowardly Lion came up, or his desire for bravery, and how he was given a medal so that he could feel his own courage.  Nice, right?

The Cowardly Lion's medal.

So here's today's challenge, create a medal for someone (and it could be yourself) so that they can feel their own goodness, or strength, or courage, or wisdom, or what ever you choose to represent with the medal.  As always, feel free to share your work or play on Instagram by adding #14SecretsChallenge to your description, or by adding your photo to our Flickr pool.  

"Take courage.  The way is not always easy.  Your heart will tell you the path to follow."

Fun Monday Challenge #42 - Life review in three found words

"I have been curious, wild, and brave" collage by Lani textures by FlyPaper.

One of the more interesting aspects of FaceBook is seeing how friends' lives have unfolded.  As a part of the Returned Peace Corps Volunteer community, I have been seriously impressed by our stories of resilience and curiosity.  That seems to me to be a common thread in most of our amazing life stories.  And then looking at various artists' groups, art therapists and old school buddies and I notice the same thing over and over again.  It seems that if we get to live long enough, we all get to experience the most amazing stories of strengths and fortitude.  (God bless us all.)

So here's the challenge.  Create an art piece that reflects your amazing story of strength and fortitude.  If you can, add found words to describe the story or yourself.  You could also try this same challenge using a person you admire.  As always, feel free to share your work or play on Instagram by adding #14SecretsChallenge to your description, or by adding your photo to our Flickr pool.  

Fun Monday Challenge #41 - Four Word Self Help

"We Need Play Time" collage by Lani textures by FlyPaper.

 Today's fun Monday challenge comes from Patti Digh's simple, lovely book "four word self help".  In it, she has created the simplest "self help" chapters, each based on four words and some art.  Really simple, really lovely.  And towards the end of the book, she says, "Though there are commonalities that make us all fully human and interconnected, each of us is living a different complexity, aren't we?  And so the most important four word self-help messages for you will come from you."  Of course she's right.  So here's the experiment:

Think of your own four word self-help message and create some art around it!  Want some inspiration?  Here's Patti's blog.

As always, feel free to share your work or play on Instagram by adding #14SecretsChallenge to your description, or by adding your photo to our Flickr pool.  

Fun Monday Challenge #40 - The Wishing Stone

"Wish" collage by Lani textures by FlyPaper.

In art therapy classes, Edith Kramer used to suggest we eliminate the idea of goals in our work. She felt that was a bit unrealistic and perhaps self important, that we could know what was best for the folks we worked with.  And goals don't take into account happy accidents or life events. Edith felt that wishes were a better thing to hold in mind for someone else, and I think wishes might be a good thing to hold in mind for ourselves.

Try this:
At the end of my puppet-making workshops, my storyteller puppet comes out and passes around a meteorite, a piece of fallen star. Everyone gets to make a wish. So right now, pretend I have just passed you a piece of a fallen star and you get to make a wish. What would it be? May your imagination run free!

Create an art piece that best embodies that wish and as always feel free to share your work or play on Instagram by adding #14SecretsChallenge to your description, or by adding your photo to our Flickr pool.