A beautiful compilation of artwork created by a strong group of LGBTQ+ youth.
This collection was created through an eight week workshop exploring personal narratives through the art making process.
Lavender Springs Visual Reflections … By Annie Liston Walters
Creating a terrarium is a simple activity that can be done at home with a few basic materials
- A glass container (you can find one at Value Village, a thrift store, or even a large old jar will work)
- Potting soil
- Pebbles, small rocks, and smooth rocks for decorating
- Moss
- Succulents or small, hardy plants
- Sharpies or permanent marker to decorate your rocks
- Layer pebbles at the bottom
- Add soil
- Create an area (a small hole) in the soil to place your succulent or other hardy plants
- Add a bit more soil if necessary to cover the roots of your plant
- Add moss and decorative rocks
From where does our fear of creativity arise? A blank canvas can stare back at us like our most vicious opponents. Let us stare back, with curiosity. Let go of the need to create beauty. Allow mistakes to be made. Allow your hands to be free as they were when they were young. A blank page is not a threat to a four-year-old, it is an opportunity. Give yourself permission to be young at heart, and to play. Through play, there is joy.
Exercise: Playful Drawing to Music
Materials: Paper, music, and a drawing tool
Put on music. Whatever music feels right for this moment. Place a drawing tool on the paper and allow your hand to flow with the rhythm of the music. Try not to plan, or think, but to feel. Feel the music guide your hand. Feel the paper under your skin. Feel the air around you. Notice the lines that flow from your pen. Feel the freedom of that flow. Let go of expectations or judgments. Allow yourself to sink into the process.
Grounding is a return to the present. Throughout the day, our minds can race, dragging us back to the past, or forecasting the unknown future. We can settle our minds by connecting to our bodies and embracing the space which surrounds us.
The fastest way to settle your mind is to connect with your body. To do that, I am going to invite you to take a pause. Inhale and exhale. Again, inhale and exhale. On your next inhale place one palm on top of the other and exhale. Begin to notice your hands, without judgment. Your hands are not old, or messy, or fat or thin. They are just hands. Notice the soft parts of your fingertips, feel the strength of the bones within. Notice the temperature of your hands and the air which surrounds them. As your mind settles with each breath, begin to notice your arms up to your shoulders and down your back. Notice any tension. Stretch or breath to remove and settle that tension. Continue to breathe as you move your awareness down your back, through your legs, and settle at your feet. Feel the ground below you. Holding you, supporting you. Take a final deep, cleansing breath and return to your day.
