After 12 years of talk therapy I felt like I hit a wall. I was stuck. I kept replaying the same story over and over in my head and my life. No matter how I was surviving that was all I was doing. I kept thinking there had to be more. I wanted joy, happiness and not just for a moment every six months.
So I began a 25 year journey of healing. I engaged in energy work, anger work, 12 step work, body work. I traveled the world looking for healers and shamans. I was a work shop junkie. Over the years I have read a 1000 self help books, and for most of them, I answered the questions at the end of each chapter. I had journals everywhere. It helped tremendously to write, but my biggest transformation came from ART.
I finally found a way to ACCESS the pain I felt and had no words for. I could RELEASE the negative voices of shame and guilt I carried in my head and heart. Ultimately I could TRANSFORM the wounds of the past into the gifts of today.
Probably about now you are saying I am not creative. I can’t draw. If you can hold a crayon then you can do ART. It is really simple. Remember when you just spent time coloring in a coloring book, made mud pies or did doodles on the sidewalk with chalk. Allow yourself to remember the sense of play and wonder you once had.
Put on your favorite music. Tape a piece of paper down on the table. Then pick out two crayons. Put one in your non-dominant hand, close your eyes and begin to scribble. Remember you can’t do this wrong. After a couple minutes put down the one color and do it again with the second color. After another minute pick up one crayon in each hand and scribble. Don’t peak! When you are ready, open your eyes and color with any crayon that pleases you. Do this for at least ten minutes and you will notice you are breathing deeper. Your blood pressure will come down and you will feel more relaxed and at peace.
As I said before ART can change your life, maybe even save it.
Rae Luskin is an author, artist, teacher and activist. Known as the “Healed Heart” expert, she nurtures self-worth, resilience, healing and social change through creative expression. She is available for workshops, keynotes, and mentoring. To find out more go to www.raeluskin.net. If you are interested in working with Rae, apply now for a free discovery session under the gifts tab or write me at rae@raeluskin.net
This is such a great idea. I must admit that when my kids color their coloring pages I often join in. There is something soothing about it and it's fun to see what the three of us come up with.
ReplyDeleteNicole
Thanks for sharing your story Rae,your commitment to yourself and your healing journey is so inspiring.
ReplyDeleteOver the years art has also been very healing for me so I understand it as a concept, but I just love that you've turned it into a healing modality. Fabulous!