art therapy

"draw your current mood state in this mandala", "draw/use clay to represent your support system using only lines, shapes and colours", "draw your current problem/obstacle/soultion", "using collage, create 3 wishes that you have for yourself, your family, the wold". i can issue these directives by rote, the participants are then able to pretty much self generate their process.

i have neglected my own process. my oil paint is dry, the caps cemented to the tubes, the pastel boxes are covered in dust, and i cant even find my sketchbook.

i recently started to reacquaint myself with my own internal, visual dialogue- and i like it. i remember why i chose this field in the first place. it is easy to forget the catharsis that comes from smearing colour around a surface, especially when you have been busy putting out fires of crisis with abused and neglected children. recurring themes are beginning to appear on paper, not solutions, but at least understanding.