I just attended Art & Creativity for Healing HeARTS for Healing Women’s Guild meeting. Art & Creativity for Healing is a non-profit organization I volunteered for as a facilitator in the early years of my being diagnosed with fibromyalgia.
Laurie Zagon is a working artist, art teacher and the founder of Art and Creativity for Healing. I credit Laurie for helping me process the physical, emotional and spiritual upheaval I was experiencing and reconnect with my creativity.
However, I can’t give Laurie all the credit. She has to share it with the local throw-away Penny Saver paper.
Laurie had put an insert ad in the Penny Saver (the first and last time she ever did that) announcing community Art & Creativity Workshops.
I was tossing junk mail out and her insert fell out of the pile, catching my attention. (the first and last time I ever read a Penny Saver insert) I was VERY skeptical that this was a legitimate organization that really provided free art workshops to help others. Who would advertise such an organization in a PENNY SAVER, on cheap grainy, low resolution paper no less?
I called mostly out of curiosity. Laurie’s enthusiasm convinced me to give one of her community classes a try. The rest is history: I became enthralled, impressed and grateful for the process and program Laurie created; Much of the art work processing my relationship with fibromyalgia I created during that time was done under Laurie’s encouraging and loving guidance.
This picture is one I painted at Art & Creativity for Healing. It is the only one I ever did that is a figure. I painted it very quickly — maybe 15 minutes — and the figure emerged just as the second head is emerging from her shoulder. I didn’t consciously know it at the time but this painting reflected my own emergence from suffering. The pain was still there but I no longer asked “Why me?”. I began to focus on what I was capable of instead of what I no longer could or should do.
This painting hung in my office as a reminder for me that whatever my afflictions and limitations we are all capable of creating a better and more meaningful life for ourselves and others.
I probably should take out a “Thank You” ad in the Penny Saver. Until then, this will have to suffice:
“Thank you, Laurie!”
Like all non-profit organizations it relies on contributions and community grants. 100% of the money earned through community workshops goes to providing Creativity for Healing workshops for children and adults suffering from abuse, illness, grief or stress on-site, and at military bases, hospitals and non-profit agencies.
Since 2000, more than 30,000 children and adults throughout Southern California have participated in classes and workshops. The Zagon Method of Art4Healing® was originally developed by Laurie in New York City in 1987, as a workshop designed to help busy Wall Street executives deal with stress.
There are also community workshops and opportunities to be trained to work as a facilitator. Check it out!
Thanks for reminding me how much I loved being a part of Art for Healing. I have not participated for several years. Perhaps it is time to “play with paint” again as I could use a bit of healing too.
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Your talent shows to the max. Thank you for healing and sharing. Huggggs 🙂
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I so believe in this! As you know.
I love the painting you did! How emotional, and …oh, I’m at a loss for the right word…I’ll think of it…and let you know. : )
I wish there was a program like this close to me. I would love to get involved.
(on a side note, I was able to work in my studio today for a few hours. did a couple of pages in my BOD…the first pages actually…but it’s started! I also have finally been able to work on my mask some more. The inside, is finished…I think. It’s a collage of very contradictory emotions…and thoughts….all parts of the inner me. I’m having trouble with the outside. To many I let people see me how I am, in pain…ect… I tell people how it is….but often I do put on the face…I think I’ll show the face I try to show people who don’t know I’m ill. Or to my doctors…so funny how I dress up to see my doctor, unless I’m really just can’t. I’ll post it all soon. Thank you again for giving me this outlet.)
love and hugs,
wendy
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Wendy,
You are THINKING, THINKING, THINKING, “having trouble” with the outside of the mask — What else (besides what your wrote about) does this reflect in your life?
I would suggest you just let go and spontaneously and intuitively do the outside – no preconceived way you want to express – and let’s see what happens.
j
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I still wanna take one of these courses with you. wanna, wanna, wanna. love, Laurie F.
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