'Find your Inner Compass with SoulCollage®' at Womenspace 2nd Sept

SoulCollage® card: Jo Knights. NOTE: SoulCollage® cards may be reproduced only for the personal use of the maker of the cards or for use as examples to illustrate the SoulCollage® process. It is a principle of SoulCollage® that SoulCollage® cards are not for sale, trade, or barter.

It was a profound and life-changing experience for me when I made and dialogued with my first SouCollage® card at a one-off workshop at Womenspace in 2008 (that's it above). Since then I've made well over 100 SoulCollage® cards and trained as a facilitator (in 2010), so I'm delighted to have been invited to make a 90 minute presentation about SoulCollage® at Womenspace on Wednesday 2nd September at their monthly Wise Women's Circle. 

If you haven't yet discovered the magic of SoulCollage®, this is a wonderful opportunity to experience a taste of it amongst a group of like-minded women, without having to pay for a full workshop.  No artistic “talent” or experience is necessary - SoulCollage® is simple, fun, creative and profound. 

We will be making a collaged card using images only (no words) from magazines and other sources, and then using the specific SoulCollage® dialoguing process to by-pass our logical minds, directly accessing the wisdom of our subconscious. 

Note that this event is being held at Grange Library (not the Womenspace premises) and you will need to book with Susannah at Womenspace on coordinator@womenspace.org.au   

Venue:  Grange Library, 79 Evelyn Street, Grange  QLD  4051

Date:     Wed 2nd September, 2015  7.15pm for 7.30 start - 9.30pm

Cost:      $15 ($12 for Womenspace members) includes supper

You can find out more about Womenspace and the wonderful programmes they are offering at www.womenspace.org.au  They are also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WomenspaceAust

My workshops are currently on hold while my daughter and her family are here with me from Berlin for 4 months (until mid-May). The studio is currently more-or-less unrecognisable as a children's playroom and living area, and delightful chaos reigns. I'm so loving having them with me, and especially spending time with my two grandchildren, who are so precious. They're really enjoying the freedom of a back garden (like most children in Berlin, they live in an apartment) and they're all revelling in the warm summer weather instead of enduring a cold Berlin winter.  No coats, boots and all the other paraphernalia to put on before you go out here! 

We dug for pirate treasure in the garden.
 And yes, (oh, the excitement!) we found a sparkly chest full of treasure buried there!

We're loving exchanging the cold Berlin winter for sunny Queensland, and investigating the fascinating inhabitants of granny's garden - especially lizards, possums, parrots, kookaburras, ants, and a special favourite, " 'piders".

At the end of last year, before my family arrived, I made several new cards while participating in SoulCollage® facilitator, life coach and artist Cat Caracelo's powerful Mythos Journey online course (highly recommended!).

     

  

        

                 
I'll be returning to workshops and card-making groups after May so if you aren't already on my email list and would like to be notified of any   upcoming  events, please email me at inner_artist at yahoo dot com.

Australian SoulCollage® Facilitator's Retreat/Facilitator Training

I'm off to Sydney for the Australian SoulCollage® facilitator's retreat this weekend. So looking forward to it!

And don't forget, if you want to be eligible to participate in future facilitator get-togethers, the next facilitator training will be held in Melbourne from 2nd to 4th October. The venue is a retreat centre in Gembrook in the beautiful Dandenong Mountains on the eastern side of Melbourne. I will be doing a refresher and at least one other person from Brisbane is booked to train as a facilitator, so why not join us? Early Bird discount is only available until 5th September, so get in quick if you want to take advantage of that because, as well as a cheaper training fee, you also receive Early Bird bonuses worth $342!   For full details, go here.

Please contact Karen Mann on 0410 657 823 or on training@soulcollage.com.au

Last weekend we had to move inside for our Studio card-making session as it was too wet to be outside. Very happy with the rain, though - the garden really needed it. And being forced to move inside created a different energy within the group - lovely and cosy, especially with 8 of us around tables down the middle of my small living room.  Thank you to all the special women who brought their lovely energy into the space, not to mention the yummy food they brought to share. As one of those women wrote to me in an email afterwards, "..these days are very nourishing to the soul - I always come away with my pockets full of gems. A beautiful space on a cold winter's day with lots of warm food and conversations..."

Family love, and MeCards4Kids™

These are two of my favourite photos of my Berlin granddaughter, the Divine Miss Zizi Matilda, then aged three and a half, taken when we were all in Albuquerque, New Mexico USA, in late 2012, for my daughter's teaching work in the dance department of the University of New Mexico. I was there in my favourite role as Granny/Nanny.  Zizi's now five and a half and will be coming with her parents and baby brother for four months to Brisbane in January next year. Guess who's a happy granny?

And guess who's a very modern, high-tech fairy, 
with her pretend mobile phone!

SoulCollage® have now published a book about making SoulCollage® cards with kids, entitled, 'How to Make MeCards4Kids™: Creative Expression for Children and the Grownups in their Lives' by Nancy Weiss and Jane Raphael.  

MeCards4Kids™ allows the inner life of the child to become more visible. Through their collages and accompanying poems, children develop a greater sense of belonging to themselves. They find greater self-awareness, self-acceptance, and real joy at being seen.                                                                                                ~~from How to Make MeCards4Kids™

I'm so looking forward to making some more 'MeCards' with Zizi Matilda while she's here and helping her dialogue with them using the kid-friendly techniques outlined in the book. She made some with me while I was in Berlin at the end of last year and absolutely loved it. She especially loved that the cards were just about her. 

I'm so happy and proud of my beautiful MeCards! 
They're all about ME!

Here is a video of co-author, Nancy Weiss, explaining the process to a group of children: 

I've ordered some copies of the book from the USA to sell through the Shop page of my blog, so if you're interested, please email me and I will let you know when they arrive.  

For more information about MeCards4Kids™ 

Visit the MeCards4Kids website.

MeCards4Kids™ are highly recommended for all the beautiful little souls in your life!

Like a Russian doll

Yesterday, we had a lovely SoulCollage® Studio card-making day in my garden, in the beautiful Brisbane winter sunshine. 

Last week I'd come across this lovely poem by Mark Nepo:

At Fifty-Seven.

I feel like I stumbled

down a hill of years, only

to land in a pile of my books.

Along the way I cracked

like a Russian doll, finding

something smaller and more

essential inside every version

I've known as me.

And now, when all I know

bursts into flame each time 

I try to give it away, I'm asked

what matters.

There's something perfect

in how we're worn; like sculptures

left for Spirit and wind to finish, the

film taken from our eye just as

our heart is exposed, one

crumbling into the other.

I was reminded of an image of Russian matryoshka dolls I had amongst my clippings, and yesterday I made this card:

If you'd like to find out how to discover more about yourself through making SoulCollage® cards, book in for my one-day 'Introduction to SoulCollage®' workshop next Saturday 12th. The Early Bird discount expires tomorrow night (Monday 7th).

All the details are here.

Upcoming 2014 SoulCollage® Events

Hi everyone!

I'm back from my latest trip to Berlin to meet my gorgeous new grandbaby (a little boy, now eight months old), and to spend precious time with his proud big sister and parents.  Being around my Berlin family (both parents are contemporary dancer/choreographers and my five-year-old granddaughter loves her ballet and flamenco) must have inspired my Inner Dancer, because yesterday I intuitively made this happy card:

Inner Dancer

As usual, it's been very hard settling back into my 'other' life back here, especially coming from snowy Berlin in early February to a very hot and humid Brisbane, but I'm now back on track and planning some SoulCollage® activities over the coming months:

•  A SoulCollage® Studio card-making day on Saturday 5th July for those who've been to a workshop or who have otherwise already been making cards (i.e this is not a tuition session).

• An 'Introduction to SoulCollage®' one-day workshop on Saturday 12th July, 2014.

For details of these two events, please click on the two links under the 'SOULCOLLAGE® WORKSHOPS 2014' heading in the upper right hand column here.

SoulCollage® workshop coming up

Hello again. 
My next Introduction to SoulCollage® workshop will be held in Brisbane on Saturday 27th July from 9am to 5pm.  For full details, go here. 

Please contact me on inner_artist at yahoo dot com if you would like to attend the July workshop, or if you would like to be notified when details are available for future workshops. 

I'm intrigued that I seem to have several cards in my deck featuring leopards, yet I don't have a leopard as one of my Companion animals. While I've gained a lot of insight from dialoguing with these cards individually, I subsequently reflected on what the repeated presence of this motif in my deck means in my inner life and afterwards I did a quick Google search for the symbolic meaning of leopard. This was among what I found: "Silent, inconspicuous, strong intuitive abilities. Aids in overall sensitivities, communication abilities and movement in dream world and the unconscious realms. Leopard teaches the nuance of hearing your heart and intuitions and when and how to react.  Are you listening carefully to the world within and around you?"  That last question -  a timely reminder! 

Try looking through your deck to see if there are any motifs occurring regularly amongst your cards (e.g. a certain animal, hands, hearts etc). Read back over your original dialoguing, and any you might have from drawing these cards in a subsequent reading, and reflect on the meaning of this motif in your life. You could also pose a question around this and do another reading from these cards. Ask them how these parts of you might be related to each other. You may very likely be surprised at what you learn as you go deeper into your inner Self through your SoulCollage®.

Getting creative at Fibre Arts Ballarat 'Reliquaries & Shrines' workshop

I've just arrived back from Melbourne (LOVE Melbourne!) where I spent a wonderful week with my sister, Lynne, after attending a five-day art workshop at Fibre Arts Ballarat, convened by Fibre Arts Australia.  The experience of being back at boarding school again was a bit surreal (it was a live-in forum at the Ballarat Grammar School) but fortunately boarding school is 200% better than when I attended boarding school in Armidale NSW more years ago than I care to remember!

The workshop I attended, 'Reliquaries & Shrines for Pleasure' was taught by the wonderful and very talented Christine Atkins from Western Australia. Visit Chris's website to be inspired by her beautiful, numinous artworks.

I needed to take a whole extra case of checked-through baggage on the plane, loaded with tools and other paraphernalia, including an electric drill, a router (or laminate trimmer), large clamps and various other items usually found only in hardware stores or the backyard sheds of 'blokes'. I can now router, drill and hammer with the best of them!

Suffice to say that I haven't worked so hard for a long time and it took me a few days to recover under the tender ministrations of my sister in Melbourne later!

However, what FUN it was, and so satisfying and inspiring, and I learnt so many new techniques. I'm now excited to be the proud owner of my own beautiful hand-made shrine, although unlike the other participants, I didn't quite finish mine (I didn't get time to assemble and put in my treasures) so you will have to wait for a picture of the completely finished shrine, which began as a block of virgin wood. Meanwhile, here it is below at the exhibition on the last night where all participants in the 12 or so workshops were able to show off their inspiring creations. I'd love to show you everyone else's shrines but feel I shouldn't post pictures without getting their permission first.

I LOVED the routering!

Demonstration for making the doors.

More-or-less finished  (both the shrine and me!)

Yes, those are rusty nails around the edge and I rusted them myself (I love rusty stuff!). We also cut and etched the copper around the doors. I can't wait to see what else I can conjure up in my studio in the future using the techniques I've learnt. 

To see the Ballarat workshop programme for 2014, go here.

You'll notice that some workshops are already full so if you're interested to attend, I suggest you book in soon. 

There are also forums in Ballarat and other cities between now and then. I can highly recommend the experience!

SoulCollage® Institute online courses coming up.

The SoulCollage® Institute in the USA has been set up to provide online courses as further training for SoulCollage® facilitators but is now offering some courses known as 'Salon' courses, to anyone in the SoulCollage® community interested to further their knowledge of this amazing process. These interactive courses are very easy to access using Skype.  If you're unable to be online at the time the session is running, recordings are available for purchase afterwards. Please note the information about needing to register by a few days beforehand at the links below for each course. If you would like to talk to me about these courses, either about the content or the technicalities of the hook-up, please email me on inner_artist at yahoo dot com with your phone number and I will call you. I've done some of these courses before so I'm familiar with how they work.

Coming up in 2013 are:

'How We Are Using SoulCollage® in Spiritual Settings'


Date: Monday, 29th April, 2013, 6am to 7.30am (Brisbane time)


Cost: US$22 (similar in Aust dollars, depending on the exchange rate at the time you book)

Presenter:  Audrey Chowdhury, M.S., ATR-BC, art therapist and SoulCollage® Facilitator/Trainer, and author of the CD: Using SoulCollage® in Spiritual Settings 

Through the practice of creating and speaking from SoulCollage® cards, one ignites that “spark of the holy” that resides in each part of our many faceted Selves. Many of us are using, or thinking about using, SoulCollage® as a tool for Spiritual guidance and reflection for ourselves and others in many different spiritual and religious settings. Join this SoulCollage® Institute Salon for an informal and lively discussion and share or discover how your unique style and gifts inspire you to develop your own special approach to the spiritual nature of this process. 

Click here for more information and to book for the course above.

'SoulCollage® and Art Therapy' 


Date: Monday, 29th July, 2013
, 6am to 7.30am (Brisbane time)

Cost: US$22

Presenters: Kat Kirby and Audrey Chowdhury

Description: Two art therapists, the authors of SoulCollage® and Art Therapy, will host this Salon, which will be open to the public. SoulCollage® Institute invites art therapists who are not yet Facilitators and those who are already SoulCollage® Facilitators to join a lively discussion about using SoulCollage® in art therapy settings. Some time in this Salon will be devoted to small group discussions about this application of SoulCollage®. Participants will be able to address questions to the hosts and address comments to the whole group.

Click here for more information and to book for the art therapy  course.

SoulCollage® workshop in May

My next 'Introduction to SoulCollage®' one-day workshop will be held on 

Sunday 19th May, from 9am to 5pm in

Red Hill, Brisbane.

Find full details here.

Next Workshop

'Introduction to SoulCollage® one-day workshop

Next Saturday 9th March, 2013

Red Hill, Brisbane

9am to 5pm. 

Find full details here.

Home again!

Hello and Happy New Year to all! I hope you've had a very special festive season. I've just arrived home after my wonderful four-month trip to Vancouver, Canada; New Mexico and New York, USA; and Berlin, Germany, and now trying to deal with jetlag, combined with the awful heatwave affecting Australia at the moment (up to 49+ degrees C in some parts).  My thoughts are with those who've been affected by the bushfires which are covering much of eastern Australia. I didn't manage to post anything here while I was away as it was a very busy family time but hopefully I'll be back to normal soon.  

VICTORIA, British Columbia, CANADA. Sept. 2012

Accompanying text: 

This mask, carved from red cedar, represents Raven on the outside. Bak’was, the wild man of the woods, appears within. The transformation mask is one of the most dramatic carvings of the Kwakwaka’wakw peoples. It depicts the inner and outer being. The dancer emerges from behind a dance screen with the mask in the closed position. As the dance proceeds, the dancer whirls about and the mask snaps open to reveal the inner being. 

Artist: Stan Warniss is from Gwa’yee, Kingcome Inlet (Tsawataineuk peoples on the central coast of British Columbia). Stan states that, “Raven knows Bak’was the best because he sees him all the time in the forest.”

               SANTA FE (also ALBUQUERQUE), New Mexico, USA.
                                       Sept/Oct/Nov 2012 

Shop window display featuring one of the iconic motifs from the area (animal skull) covered with turquoise gemstones.

NEW YORK CITY, NY, USA. Nov 2012

Sunday artist in Central Park

BERLIN, GERMANY. Nov/Dec 2012/Jan 2013

WeinachtsMarkt (Christmas market) at Gendarmenmarkt, with the Konzerthaus in the background. On opposite ends of this historic square are the lovely Deutscher Dom (German cathedral, now a German history museum) and Französischer Dom (French cathedral - although not actually a cathedral, a church - built by the Huguenots). The square dates from the 17th century and was almost totally destroyed at the end of WW2, but has been beautifully restored since German reunification in the early 1990s. The Christmas market is on the square bordered on 3 sides by these lovely buildings.

Blogging on the run!

I've just set up my new smart phone for blogging on the run while I'm overseas from early September until January. I'm sending this from my phone to test it out!  I'll be with family in Canada, the US and then Europe, so this SoulCollage® blog may be somewhat inactive during that time, but I'll hopefully have some news if I can manage to meet up with other facilitators in the northern hemisphere, which is what I'm trying to organise now, and if I can find the time and resources while travelling to make some cards.

Meanwhile, I still have one last workshop for the year, on 4th August, and 2 more studio sessions, so click on the links at right for information about those. I'm looking forward to catching up with some of you at one or more of those events before I go.

Here's a card I made a little while ago. While it may look dark in colour, to me it's actually extremely positive and filled with light. While many SoulCollagers are very open about posting their personal dialoguing online, I've always felt quite reticent about this as I feel my cards are an intimate reflection of me, and are relevant for me only, and it doesn't feel natural or right to expose myself to strangers in such an intimate way. I even find it quite hard to have someone scribe for me while I'm dialoguing with a card. However, I'm trying to allow myself to show my vulnerability a little more by posting a snippet of the dialoguing from now on in the hope that it might encourage some of you to fully engage with your cards and to get on friendly terms with all of them as a means of better understanding yourself.  I believe it's important that we celebrate ALL the parts of ourselves, both light and shadow.  This card came together very easily, and I absolutely love it!

I am the one who is mysterious, ancient and electric. I am intuition and intelligence. I crack through ignorance and I am a catalyst for change. I can work things out quickly and I instinctively  know what to do.  I am the one who brings Wisdom from the Spirit world. 

Digital SoulCollage® card

The Artist

Although I know that some people who are very competent with Photoshop and other similar programmes sometimes make their SoulCollage® cards digitally, I've always thought that making them that way wouldn't suit me as I don't have sufficient technical skills to be able to do it without staying in my left brain. SoulCollage® works with the right, intuitive brain. However, I made this digital collage a while ago while fiddling around with Photoshop and she's been nagging away at me ever since to be printed out and made into a SoulCollage® card.  So, I am going to go with my intuition and grant her wish!  The background is a photo of a partly-finished intuitive painting I did at one of my friend Denise Dillon-Bolland's wonderful workshops a few years ago, which was still taped to the board, and the other two images were cut from magazines and then scanned.  Very happy with her!

NB: SoulCollage® cards are made from images published in magazines, calendars, books, cards and on the internet, and from personal materials (e.g. photos, artworks). SoulCollage® cards may be reproduced only for the personal use of the maker of the cards or for use as examples to illustrate the SoulCollage® process. It is a principle of SoulCollage® that SoulCollage® cards are not for sale, trade, or barter.