Keeping up with Ashley - an attempt.

Visiting Ashley's blog I loved all the photography challenges she was joining. I made a comment about loving the idea but not being a photographer. She invited me to play along anyway.

From this past week's You Capture. Theme: Flowers. Just in time for pretty much all my flowers to be dead or dying. But not this flower. This flower is the start of a cucumber, and because she is inside, she is still cozy and warm despite the cool weather we have been having. But she looks so forlorn looking out the window at the sunny outside. For more photos: click on the button to link over to You Capture.

The Paper Mama challenge Ashley participated in had the theme "fingerprints". In my 365 photos sometimes I'm not sure what to take a picture of, particularly on the days when I stay home sick... so I told myself to smile and made myself a little bit of company to remind me. For more fingerprints, visit 

Last week's Perceptive Perspective's theme was "Feet". This was from Christmas 2006 when I painted "mini me"'s toes and mine. We had a lazy pajama girly day. I miss my mini me. I also miss having access to photoshop. This picture would actually look really nice with just a touch of editing to make the background B&W.  The link to this challenge: 

And finally, the Paper Heart Challenge, theme "everyday beauty."  This nest has stayed in the tree in front of my house for almost a year. It is well sheltered and despite rain, snow, and hot weather it is still just as it was. Since it's residents no longer need it, I think I might take it down and put a candle in the middle for a nice relaxing display in my counseling office. For more everyday beauty:






Well. I'm definitely no photographer, but I had fun taking/finding photos to keep up with busy Ashley. I won't be joining in most of these challenges again. But there is a Scavenger Hunt that sounds fun, and I like You Capture because it specifically invites anyone and everyone regardless of their photography skills to join. 

Hanging my personalities up...

So the fabulous Fritzi Marie invited her readers to make "hanger art" to describe themselves with. Well, I often joke about having multiple personalities and being a bit of a chameleon who gets to choose just which person she will be at the moment. Perhaps it is from trying for years to fit into a family that is not quite me. Perhaps it is from always having friends from different social circles. However all these personalities developed, I truly enjoy the uniqueness of them all.

My hanger: I'm not exactly happy with it, it was a rushed job done while watching a movie. I just worked with what I had easily available v. putting time and effort into it. I would have added something to do with bunnies, marriage, family, my dad in particular, art, and school. But with paper writing and the piles of work I have to do over the weekend, this was the best I could do in time to participate...

 Let me break down the personalities for you.

I'm a bit of a rocker chic. I like being edgy, tough, and confrontational. I enjoy the punk and emo looks but listen to heavier music.... my friends always laugh at the IronMaiden concert I thought was such an exciting way to spend a wedding anniversary.  My mom actually agrees with me that I look good with blue hair. Or purple. or whatever...

Then there is a totally other side of me. I enjoy being dressed up, classy, and elegant. (I also have a love of birds and so the feathers are a bit overdone on this side). I can pull of diamonds and fur better then most snobby preps I know. I love black and white movies, the opera, the theater, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, fine dining, and expensive champagne. All these things can make be proud as a peacock and I enjoy strutting my stuff in dresses and gowns.  I think this side also goes into my Bri Vandecamp personality of the perfect wife and hostess... I'm all for heals, aprons, and pearls and really do bake goods for my neighbors and friends.

But there is also a side that is very down to earth, woodsy, and free spirited. I enjoy camping and hiking. I'm fine "roughing it" and find that it is the best way to relax and refocus. I love nature and enjoy being outside. As a kid I would climb trees and stay up there for hours studying birds. One of the first "when I grow up" jobs I thought I might have was a naturalist who would study plants and animals... much like Darwin.

I think my strongest personality that is present in all the others is the spiritual, motherly, "helper" side of me that really does believe that it is my job to save the world. My friends all know they have my "mama bear" that is willing to protect and comfort them at the first sign of distress. That role might require that I be soft and cuddly or brave and ready to attack... and I'm always ready to do either. And while I'm not religious, I am spiritual and do believe in transpersonal interactions. A believe that I am here to make a difference, that I am here to do good, and that my life is meant to be one of service.


All these personalities can be a bit much to handle. And I'm a bit of an odd bird. I think my friend Chelsea named it best when she jokingly wrote a description of me as,


" tattooed beeyotch badass...both in her ability to tell it like it is and host a mean dinner party while simultaneously baking a blueberry pie and crafting her own gold corset tutu.  She has the brains of Einstein and the spirit of Mother Theresa in Ed Hardy hightops, an irresistible combination "

Creativity Notes

On my flight from my Grandparent's in August, I picked up the July issue of Newsweek. Inside an article "The Creativity Crisis" by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman caught my attention. While there are many interesting points in the article, these are the ones I thought I'd share.

• American creativity scores are falling each year since 1990 (based on the Torrance's creativity index)
• The test has shown that kids with higher creativity grow up to be more accomplished adults
• The correlation to lifetime creative accomplishment was more than three times stronger for childhood creativity than childhood IQ.
• "The argument that we can't teach creativity because kids already have too much to learn is a false tradeoff. Creativity isn't about freedom from concrete facts. Rather, fact finding and deep research are vital stages of the creative process. Scholars argue that current curriculum standards can still be met, if taught in a different way."
• "Creativity requires constant shifting, blender pulses of both divergent thinking and convergent thinking, to combine new information with old and forgotten ideas. Highly creative people are very good at marshaling their brains into bilateral mode, and the more creative they are, the more they dual-activate."
• Those who practice creative activities learn to recruit their brain's creative networks quicker and better. Therefore creativity can be taught and strengthened.
• Telling someone to "be creative" leads to them just freezing. Instead, suggest that they do something only you would come up with - that none of your friends or family would think of.
• Becoming aware of other cultures increases creativity.

And Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, one of my all time favorite researchers, was sited in the article too. I highly suggest reading any of his work. He has a unique perspective about finding happiness in everyday events, such as work. 

And also some photos from the trip that I never did share: 

Happy Friday #8: Happy TV Premier Week

So I don't have TV, but I still keep up with all my shows on the internet.  Thanks, internet!

And this week Bones, House, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, Modern Family, and more all returning to my life! Last night on Hulu (which I actually call Hulahu, just FYI... couldn't remember the sitename before I started watching my shows on there and my hubby thought it was funny and so it became its "name" that we now use Hulahu habitual without even realizing it) I watched the pilot of Raising Hope. Ha. I think I will highly enjoy this show.

And I especially like Fridays because I can stay up late to catch up on all the week's shows that I'm usually too busy or tired to get around to. ahhhh.... downtime!

Happy Friday!

So begins my internship.

I've been making response art around my internship working with "at-risk" youth. I thought I'd bring you along on the journey with me and show you how I've been feeling. These pieces are from the start, in August.

This first piece was actually made when I started my practicum in the psych ward at Children's Hospital last year. But I'm adding it to the altered book I'm keeping as a journal for my internship experience.

When I first started to just hang with the kids at the end of August, I didn't have the grown-up role I usually have. I wasn't running any art therapy groups or counseling sessions, I was just hanging out in the after school safe zone building rapport with the kids. The first day, I felt like such a big dork. Wow those insecurities from middle-school came back so quickly.

Thankfully, after that first day I felt much more comfortable and a lot less dorky.

Now, I feel like I have my "ticket in" with the kids and I am enjoying our art making times together, the groups I run, and my individual/family counseling sessions. I can't wait to see what the year ahead will bring me. And I'm so pleased to share my visual journey of the process with you!

Wee Bit Wednesday

The lovely Leigh Ashley has done it again. If you too would like to play along, please visit her blog and link up!
{one} what is your happiest childhood memory?one Christmas everyone was home, the power was cut-off during a huge snow and ice storm. it remained off for a week or so, maybe even two. it was miserably cold, but we were all together and played scrabble in front of the fire and cooked over the fire.
{two} what is your middle name?the very typical Marie
{three} what’s the habit you’re most proud of breaking?hmmm. I haven't had to break too many habits (the ones I should like gossip, self-pity, and procrastination all still rear their ugly heads from time to time). But I was never a smoker, a nail biter, or anything like that.
{four} what do you order when you order chinese food?wonton soup
{five} what’s the best bargain you’ve ever found at a garage sale or thrift store? Maybe all the work clothes I've gotten from thrift stores. I had a suit that still had a several hundred dollar price tag on it that only cost me $10 or so.
{six} what’s the best costume you’ve ever worn?I was a disco ball one year. That was kinda funny. I get really tired of all the whore-wear around Halloween and try to come up with some outfits that don't make me look like I'm walking to the corner for a payraise.I'm all about flaunting what your mama gave you - but darling, please do it in style!
{seven} who’s your favorite game show host?I've never enjoyed game shows.
{eight} what’s your favorite breakfast food?The lattes hubby makes me! (okay, so thats a drink but my breakfast is usually boring and healthy)
{nine} what’s your least favorite word?defeat/failure
{ten} describe something that happened to you for which you have no explanation.there have been plenty, but many are personal and still too sacred for me to offer just yet.
okay, your turn!

Guest Posting at Marta Writes Today!

Happy Tuesday, lovies!

I'm very honored to be guest posting over at Marta Writes. She has a "How-to" series that I am excited to participate in. Please hop on over to her blog!

Color lessons

As a form of self-care throughout the school year, I often engaged in "rip & tear," or pulling out images from magazines as you might otherwise know it. Usually I rip & tear for images that will be used later in collage. Occasionally, I find whole articles that I tear out for later use. This week I found several. One is from the July, 1999 National Geographic. The article is "The Quest for Color" by Cary Wolinsky.

I love learning information like this, and thought I would share some interesting facts:

• Ultramarine, extracted from lapis lazuli, was reserved in Renaissance art for painting the robes of the Virgin Mary.
• Color photography started in 1907 when the French Lumiere brothers covered a film plate with minute grains of dyed potato starch.

• In many species, including humans, red quickens the heart rate and causes the release of adrenaline. Men respond most strongly to reds with a yellow base. Women prefer reds with a blue base.
• The dye magenta was named in honor of Napoleon's victory over Austria at the Lombard town of Magenta, Italy.

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• Fleas were common in the French courts and drove everyone nuts. One day the King was teasing Marie Antoinette and said she looked like a flea in the color she was wearing. The name, Puce, stuck. Dyers soon offered hues called belly of flea, thigh of flea, and blushing flea.
• Popular with European painters for 3 centuries, mummy was a rich brown pigment made by grinding the remains of Egyptian mummies.

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• Inmates are calmer when held in cells painted a particular shade of pink. That same shade suppresses the appetite. Orange stimulates the appetite.
• Yellow surroundings may improve the performance in academic settings.

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• The color orange did not have a name in European languages until the orange fruit arrived from Asia.
• In some countries, people prefer the candy they eat to stain their tongue as a sign of disposable income.

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• Most animals and plants get their color from pigment, but the blue in Morpho rhetenor butterflies comes from light reflected by the microscopic texture variations on colorless wing scales.
• While I knew that pigments often came from a variety of sources, I did not know that carmine came from chocineal insects that fed on particular cactus. The insects are harvested, dried, and crushed to extract the colorant from the cactus. This production continues to this day.
• Plants "see" far-red, a color that is beyond the human vision, as a signal to increase shoot growth. Using plastic mulch that reflects far-red plants grow bigger and ripen fruit earlier.
• Colored lenses can assist individuals with certain forms of Irlen syndrome, dyslexia, or autism.

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• Harris tweed was made as camouflage, not fashion. From a distance tweeds blend with the patterns created by the lichen-covered stone, grasses, and standing water in Scotland, making it difficult for deer to see their human hunters. Each estate has its own tweed dyed to blend the local vegetation.
• Sumi, the black ink sticks used by Japanese calligraphers has been around for at least two millennia. One family, that has been making Sumi for 15 generations, produces 1/4 of all of Japan's Sumi.
• Oyster shells are aged for at least 20 years before made into gofun, a white pigment.

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• To Hindus each color is symbolic of a force in life. And I've always wanted to be in India for Holi.

What are some things that catch your attention when flipping through magazines?

Happy Friday: #7 Cloud Quotations

Snapping pictures of the sky and filling them with inspirational, encouraging, favorite quotations makes me happy. It makes me happy to share them with you, too.

What is making you happy this Friday?

Life is unlimited.

My life right now is a stream of never ending busyness. To my busy schedule of classes and internship I have added volunteer work and open studio time to help those who have been affected by the multiple wild fires that have broke out this month in and around my county of Colorado.

Currently, I am also battling severe symptoms of my chronic illnesses. Pain and fatigue don't mix well with the intense energy and time that I feel called to provide others right now. I'm trying to keep my chin up and do all the necessary measures that might help these symptoms from accelerating into a full-out bed-ridden flare.

While my time feels limited, I'd like to share a quotation that reminds me of how unlimited it really is!

The photo is from my trip to take care of my grandparents. I miss the beach.

I also miss my blog friends. Please apologize my absence in comments. While I am helping the response to the wild fires, it means I don't even have the weekends to catch up. I'm trying my best to visit your pages.

Post Secret Sunday

I need a little, just a little

There are many things to be happy and excited about right now. But honestly, I am also facing some tough emotions, situations, and a sense of overwhelm and some sorrow. My body is having a hard time adjusting to the new schedule and demands - so I'm sure a huge component of the feelings of overwhelm, doubt, and slightly crazed is due to a week immune system and shot adrenals. But anyways, I'm a bit down despite the weekend. Sometimes that makes me blast the overly uppy music to dance to and sometimes I tend to go more for the tunes that are true to how I feel. Right now it is more of the second.

And so I'm listening to Dark Hotel by K.S. Rhoads

My voice is broken, got a broken string,

A broken wing, and everything makes me wanna cry

My only love is gone away to stay

I can't even look forward to the end of the day to come home to her at night

Oh Lord, give me peace

Put my sorry, singin' sad ol' soul at ease

Bring me hope, I need a little, just a little

Give me strength, I need a little, just a little

An offering of faith, I need a little, just a little

Bring me hope, I need a little

So i can hold on

Dreamer dying in a dark hotel

Like a silver coin drowning at the bottom of a well

The bluebird's back, singing in the willow

Washing his wings in the water on my pillow

So wake me up in autumn leaves

To the part of me that still believes

There's beauty on the other side of the river

Oh Lord, give me peace

Put my sorry, singin' sad ol' soul at ease

Bring me hope, I need a little, just a little

Give me strength, I need a little, just a little

An offering of faith, i need a little, just a little

Bring me hope, I need a little

So i can hold on

Get me out of this wishing well

Dreamer dying in a dark hotel

Break me out of this prison cell

Only love can save me now

Get me out of this wishing well

Dreamer dying in a dark hotel

Break me out of this prison cell

Only love can save me now

Wild Fire and Art Therapy

Original post found at http://naropaarttherapy.blogspot.com

A fire broke out Monday outside of Boulder and spread over roughly 6,300 acres. It has since become one of the most destructive fires in Colorado, destroying more homes than any other blaze in state history. According to a recent Huffington Post article, about 3,500 people have been out of their homes for four days and fire managers said as many as 700 firefighters and support personnel and seven air tankers were assigned to fight the fire, considered the nation's top firefighting priority.

We are quickly brainstorming ideas to aid fire evacuees in the area. As students and professionals in the art therapy community we are joining forces to help in whatever way that we can. First off,

The Naropa Community Art Studio at the Nalanda Campus on 63rd and Arapahoe in Boulder will be open each Sunday from 09/12 until 10/31 from 10am-1pm for persons affected by the fire. It is an open studio with the intention of creating individual and community art in order to express and witness the experiences, emotions, and stories of people impacted by this tragic event. All who are feeling the impact of this fire are invited to participate.

Feedback and ideas for projects are welcome and encouraged.

For the latest news on the fire and resources available in the community, check out this link:

http://twitter.com/YahooNews/boulderfire

or visit http://www.boulderfire.com/

Happy Friday: #6 Work as an act of love.

Happy Friday, lovies!

My internship really makes me happy. It has its moments of frustration, difficulty, and heartbreak, but over all, I consider myself really lucky to be in the position I am. I am interning as a counselor and art therapist for a city run youth center.

All services are free, which I think is particularly important when assisting under served populations - paying money when in need of counseling should not be the added stress that it usually is. And the services are a plenty. The youth center runs primarily on a systematic approach - so we are working with the kids, their families, the community, the schools, the police and the justice system, and the social services. Counseling is available for groups of kids, for individual kids, for individual families or groups of families, and for couples who have a kid also receiving some sort of service. There are also psychoeducational groups run at the schools. There are gang intervention groups and prevention groups. There are sports groups, music groups, theater groups, and now... art groups! There is the "Safe Zone" which is just an open space the kids can come and go out of everyday after school - it is AMAZING and offers TVs, pool tables, pinball machines, and video games. There is also a music studio with a recording booth. There is a lot of involvement in these kids lives. My role is not simply counselor/art therapist but also tutor, mentor, advocate, teacher, and even switching roles in some instances and being their student.

It makes me so happy to be able to feel like my work is an act of love and to love my work (this is particularly important since I don't get paid)!!! I am also excited and pleased to know that each day is different. I hate feeling stagnant or bored at work. I love the freedom I have to integrate ideas I think are important. I love being involved with individuals, families, and community members - it feels like change is a more achievable here than in my previous institutionalized settings. I feel actively engaged and incredibly happy and lucky to be at this site with these kids. I'm sure the rest of the year will be an crazy ride. I'll be interested in what I have to say about my internship once it is done.

What makes you happy about your job? Why do you do what you do?

Happy Friday!

Delish Quinoa

So this week has been busy despite not officially starting until Tuesday thanks to Labor Day.

Over the weekend I helped some friends move into their new apartment (Bry and I went to undergrad in Virginia together. Now he and his fiance are living in the town next door to me in Colorado! Crazy!) I wasn't of much help due to the physical limitations of my illnesses, but wanting to be helpful and so I made dinner to bring to them tonight. This was a great opportunity to give love to someone who really deserves it.

(this is one of their many engagement photos taken with them in a tree. Rissa and Bry sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G. So cute!)

Bry has been a really supportive friend for years - and has been there more than most of the girls I've known. When my Chronic Fatigue was really severe during undergrad, he was the one that would make sure I was awake to go to class. He was also the one who overlooked the fact that I was falling asleep when he came over to hang out (I once was so tired that while he cooked a meal for me, I fell asleep on the kitchen floor). If we had a big wedding party he would have been a bridesmen. I adore Bry and he has been a fabulous friend to me. Rissa is a lucky girl and I can't wait to get to know her better!

(Photo of Daniel, me, and Bry. Crazy fun fact: Daniel also was a part of our psychology study group in undergrad in VA and he also moved to my part of CO! )

Plus, I remember moving and eating lots of take out for the first week since I couldn't find all my kitchen supplies- ugh, I felt so sick by the end of it! This is one of my favorite easy recipes that makes for a great left-over for lunch. Plus, Rissa (Bry's fiance) is a vegan... and this is both tasty and vegan friendly. No worries for you nonvegans. I am not a vegan. I'm not even vegetarian. If I could afford it I would eat steak at least once a week. However, this is damn good and tasty. So vegan or not, you should give it a go.

err. it is also gluten free. and healthy. and low in fat. and high in fiber. BUT I SWEAR- It really is amazingly good. You would think it wouldn't be... but it is so good. Hubby is incredibly picky and hates any food that taste like a substitute for high-fat, carnivorous, sweet and sugary, and loaded with gluten foods thinks this is really good. So yea, I think you will too!

Serves 4

• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 medium garlic clove, minced or pressed
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups quinoa, thoroughly rinsed and drained (about 4 Cups cooked)
• 2 ears corn, kernels cut from cob
• 1 medium red pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
• 1 large cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and diced
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• Sea salt
• 1 medium head red-leaf lettuce, leaves separated, washed and dried, small inner leaves reserved for future use
• 2 ripe medium tomatoes, cored and cut in thin wedges
• 1 ripe avocado, pitted and thinly sliced
• 1 lime, cut in wedges
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted

Directions

1. Bring 2 3/4 cups water to boil in a small saucepan and stir in the quinoa and some salt. Return to boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Turn off heat, place corn kernels on top of quinoa, cover pan, and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir corn into quinoa, remove from pan, and spread out on baking sheet to cool for about 20 minutes.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, cumin, chili powder, garlic, oil, and salt to taste; set aside.
3. Place cooled quinoa and corn, red pepper, cucumber, scallions, jalapeno, and cilantro in large bowl. Add 1/2 cup dressing (or more to taste) and salt to taste; mix until combined.
4. Place large lettuce leaves side by side in a circle around a large serving platter so the curly tops extend just beyond the platter rim. Mound quinoa salad in center.
5. Arrange tomato, avocado, and lime around quinoa on top of leaves. Sprinkle pumpkin seeds over salad. Serve immediately or hold briefly at room temperature. Per serving: 643 calories; 17 g protein; 34 g fat; 76 g carb; 13 g fiber.

Read more at Wholeliving.com: Quinoa and Corn Salad with Pumpkin Seeds

Oh yum!