Somatic Healing with
Therapeutic Arts
It’s about coming alive. It’s about waking up to the grace inherent in every moment.
It’s about unconditional friendliness and infinite kindness to [all aspects] of yourself. It’s about making it safe, finally safe for all of those unloved, un-met, unseen waves of the ocean of yourself to crawl out of the depths, out of the darkness, out of the corners and holes and crevices of experience and come into the light, blinking and full of wonder.
It’s about giving birth to yourself, so that all thoughts are finally allowed to flood in, all sensations, all feelings, all sounds, all those waves that we used to label ‘dark’, or ‘evil’, or ‘negative’, or ‘dangerous’, or ‘sinful’ – fear, anger, boredom, doubt, confusion, frustration, helplessness…
… are finally allowed to come to rest, to breathe, to be fully themselves in the space that you are.
They are not separate entities or enemies, they are intimate appearances of you, and so they cannot hurt you, even if they hurt, and this is what we forget sometimes in our rush to ‘fix’ or at least ‘normalise’ ourselves.
Yes, all of those swirling, pulsating energies of that which we call ‘life’ are welcome in the unlimited room that you are, the vast Living Room in which all of creation sings and dances and paints itself into the ever-changing picture of this extraordinary moment…
– Jeff Foster
It’s about unconditional friendliness and infinite kindness to [all aspects] of yourself. It’s about making it safe, finally safe for all of those unloved, un-met, unseen waves of the ocean of yourself to crawl out of the depths, out of the darkness, out of the corners and holes and crevices of experience and come into the light, blinking and full of wonder.
It’s about giving birth to yourself, so that all thoughts are finally allowed to flood in, all sensations, all feelings, all sounds, all those waves that we used to label ‘dark’, or ‘evil’, or ‘negative’, or ‘dangerous’, or ‘sinful’ – fear, anger, boredom, doubt, confusion, frustration, helplessness…
… are finally allowed to come to rest, to breathe, to be fully themselves in the space that you are.
They are not separate entities or enemies, they are intimate appearances of you, and so they cannot hurt you, even if they hurt, and this is what we forget sometimes in our rush to ‘fix’ or at least ‘normalise’ ourselves.
Yes, all of those swirling, pulsating energies of that which we call ‘life’ are welcome in the unlimited room that you are, the vast Living Room in which all of creation sings and dances and paints itself into the ever-changing picture of this extraordinary moment…
– Jeff Foster
Who is Therapeutic Art-Making Helpful for?
Anyone who feels overwhelmed or pressured by the busy and sometimes overwhelming world we live in could benefit from therapeutic art-making.. Creating art in a therapeutic setting will provide opportunities to slow down and explore any challenges you may be experiencing in your body, your relationships, your personal life, your spiritual life., etc. Therapeutic art-making has the ability to greatly improve the mental health and well-being of people who are dealing with anxiety, grief and loss, depression, physical illness, PTSD, trauma, relationship issues, spiritual crises and much more.
Since the focus of this work is on the process itself and not the finished piece, therapeutic art-making is not about learning to be a great artist. It's about understanding more of who you are and how you relate to the world around you. It's about finding deeper meaning and connection in your life. All you need for it is a willingness to experiment.
In this practice, we use a wide variety of (provided) art-making media, from paint to clay, rocks, crafts, movement, poetry, story-telling and dramatic expression. This is a hands-on, tactile and experiential process done either one-on-one with me or in small groups of up to 7. Sessions are held at my home art studio on 5 acres, in the hills of Santa Fe, New Mexico. It's a non-traditional art studio setting, where we have natural light, utter solitude, access to the outdoors, the ability to explore the land itself for natural elements to use in art projects and wide open space to sit quietly in contemplation.
Therapeutic Art-Making and Expanded States...
A somatic practice utilizing therapeutic art-making is a powerful companion to expanded states work and the integration of both expanded states and spiritually transformative experiences. I often brings art-making into my expanded states sessions / ceremonies with individuals and groups as a way to slow down and invite the quieter, less-known or unknown parts of the self to the surface with this gentle invitation for participation.
Do I need to be a "creative" person?
This work is absolutely for everyone! If you consider yourself to not have an ounce of creativity inside of you, this work is recommended even more. This is an opportunity to explore parts of yourself you aren't even aware exist within you. It may be a hidden part that, once welcomed by you and ultimately integrated, will bring a much greater sense of wholeness to your life. All are genuinely welcome here.
[Please note: Although the video above references that I am working with women, this work is open to all adults- those who identify as women, men, and non-binary.]
Anyone who feels overwhelmed or pressured by the busy and sometimes overwhelming world we live in could benefit from therapeutic art-making.. Creating art in a therapeutic setting will provide opportunities to slow down and explore any challenges you may be experiencing in your body, your relationships, your personal life, your spiritual life., etc. Therapeutic art-making has the ability to greatly improve the mental health and well-being of people who are dealing with anxiety, grief and loss, depression, physical illness, PTSD, trauma, relationship issues, spiritual crises and much more.
Since the focus of this work is on the process itself and not the finished piece, therapeutic art-making is not about learning to be a great artist. It's about understanding more of who you are and how you relate to the world around you. It's about finding deeper meaning and connection in your life. All you need for it is a willingness to experiment.
In this practice, we use a wide variety of (provided) art-making media, from paint to clay, rocks, crafts, movement, poetry, story-telling and dramatic expression. This is a hands-on, tactile and experiential process done either one-on-one with me or in small groups of up to 7. Sessions are held at my home art studio on 5 acres, in the hills of Santa Fe, New Mexico. It's a non-traditional art studio setting, where we have natural light, utter solitude, access to the outdoors, the ability to explore the land itself for natural elements to use in art projects and wide open space to sit quietly in contemplation.
Therapeutic Art-Making and Expanded States...
A somatic practice utilizing therapeutic art-making is a powerful companion to expanded states work and the integration of both expanded states and spiritually transformative experiences. I often brings art-making into my expanded states sessions / ceremonies with individuals and groups as a way to slow down and invite the quieter, less-known or unknown parts of the self to the surface with this gentle invitation for participation.
Do I need to be a "creative" person?
This work is absolutely for everyone! If you consider yourself to not have an ounce of creativity inside of you, this work is recommended even more. This is an opportunity to explore parts of yourself you aren't even aware exist within you. It may be a hidden part that, once welcomed by you and ultimately integrated, will bring a much greater sense of wholeness to your life. All are genuinely welcome here.
[Please note: Although the video above references that I am working with women, this work is open to all adults- those who identify as women, men, and non-binary.]
"Getting started is simply about moving. The visual arts are movement arts. They have a kinetic basis, they're all about the expression of energy, the body, moving in space on a particular surface. Marks build upon one another. Colors build upon and interact with one another, and things begin to take shape. One thing emerges from another thing and it's always a process of going to unexpected places."
- Shaun McNiff
- Shaun McNiff