What I Believe with a Capital B

taken with my iPhone

Play, creativity, and self-expression in all its forms:

poetry, prose, storytelling, visual arts, drama, music, photography, dance, humor, and physical touch are the antidote to all the ills of the world.

Why?
They make us feel alive.  We are valuable.
They remind us there is beauty and goodness in this life.

It takes courage to play, be creative, and express oneself as an adult. 
We might be criticized.
We might be rejected.

But it's still very important indeed.

my daughter's doodle

Picture the Holidays -- Days 6 and 7

Theme for Day 6 was Every Little Thing.

On a table in my office at work are these two Hallmark ornaments.  They are miniature versions of the classic Fisher-Price toys that I remember playing with as a child.  The clock has a knob on the back that can actually turn so one can hear the familiar tune.  The school has a tiny bell at the top that one can ring.  Cute little reminders of play.

Theme for Day 7 was Express Yourself. 

Many who are doing Picture the Holidays right along with me have chosen to do a self-portrait for this prompt, but I just wasn't feeling up to it.  So I got the idea for this photo yesterday when this sweet book of poetry arrived in the mail.  The poems were written by Tara Sophia Mohr.  (You may recall that I joined in her Girl Effect blogging campaign last October with these two posts.)

Also, in the photo above is this original painting seen here by Danielle Daniel, of Her Painted Word.  She is called Hazel--she write one poem a day.  For now she sits right by my bedside as a reminder to not forget to express myself through writing.

(All photos taken with my iPhone and uploaded to Instagram.)

An Autumn Kentucky "Poem Note"

I was introduced to the concept of a "poem note" by Liz Lamoreux during the Midwest Inner Excavation Retreat this past May.  Over the weekend I taught my Creative Play Therapy Interventions course in Prestonsburg, Kentucky, again.  (Four hours from home.  A beautiful drive to eastern Kentucky and listening to podcasts on my phone = not so bad.)  This was the first time I ever did this activity with a class, and I couldn't help but participate.  Using a shadow self-portrait I took while we went on a walking meditation and photo walk, I present you my little poem note.

Retreating, Journeying, and Starting

I've been away this week at our annual faculty retreat at Lake Cumberland State Resort Park.  I blogged about it last year.  A highlight for me was spotting 5 deer who were eating the grass along a frisbee golf course.  I was able to get pretty close but unfortunately, it was near dark and I only had my iPhone with me so I don't have any good pictures to share.  But it's a moment I won't soon forget.

While there I went on a very brief walk and took a few photos.  I wanted to walk longer or go on another work but a) there just wasn't time, b) it rained while we were there, and c) I was too tired from sitting through a long day of meetings.  Yes, I'm complaining.  I know.  This retreat was nothing like the kind of retreat I prefer to be on, what something you readers may have been on like a spiritual or art retreat.  This retreat, though, was an opportunity to get away from the college campus and interact with colleagues in a beautiful setting and for that I am grateful.

The retreat began on Tuesday with my friend and colleague, Brenda, sharing a video of a presentation that poet David Whyte gave a few years ago at the Psychotherapy Networker Symposium.  (By the way, I highly recommend the Psychotherapy Networker, a magazine for mental health professionals.)  With a quick google search I found this youtube video of a small part of the presentation we watched.  I was first introduced to him by Liz Lamoreux who read much of his poetry to us during the art retreat I attended this past May.  I could just listen to his poems all day.



One of the poems he shared is the following.  It is resonating with me as I take steps along my own journey.

START CLOSE IN

by David Whyte

Start close in,
don't take the second step
or the third,
start with the first
thing
close in,
the step
you don't want to take.

Start with
the ground
you know,
the pale ground
beneath your feet,
your own
way of starting
the conversation.

Start with your own
question,
give up on other
people's questions,
don't let them
smother something
simple.

To find
another's voice,
follow
your own voice,
wait until
that voice
becomes a
private ear
listening
to another.

Start right now
take a small step
you can call your own
don't follow
someone else's
heroics, be humble
and focused,
start close in,
don't mistake
that other
for your own.

Start close in,
don't take
the second step
or the third,
start with the first
thing
close in,
the step
you don't want to take.

I'm reminded that on this journey we sometimes need to retreat, take a step back, relax, reflect, and focus.  Yet, you can spend too much time retreating.  Eventually you have to start, whatever your task may be.  And starting can be the hardest part.  It's much easier knowing you're not the only one.  You are not alone.  There are others with you along the way.

Make a Wish

"Between the wish and the thing life lies waiting."

wishing well at Birmingham Botanical Gardens

First day back from vacation and I'm easing back into "normal" life. But then, it's all life.

Looking up quotes about wishes and wishing, many of them were like these two:

A goal without a plan is just a wish. ~~Larry Elder

It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan. ~~Eleanor Roosevelt

I get their point but sometimes you've got to start with a wish.

wish-->dream-->goal-->plan--> and then do

wish wall at The Hangout

Meredith adds her wish

And sometimes a wish is like a little prayer.

Make a wish

Throw it gently into the universe

It catches on the first star

And the energy from a child's birthday candles.

A wish for you, your family, a friend

A wish for a stranger

A wish for the world

A wishing well

May we all be well indeed!

What do you wish for?  Shhh, don't tell me or it won't come true.  

Blue

Over at Creative Every Day, the theme for July is blue.
I decoupaged the paper mache heart you see above and below with scrapbook papers.  I can't remember if I've ever done this before.  Perhaps as I child.  An easy and not very time consuming project.

I sat outside on the fourth of July and wrote these words.

Blue

I am blue. 

A roller-coaster of emotion.

I look up into the expanse of the sky. 

A gentle breeze against soft skin as the clouds.

Down below the water of the land, deep and churning.

Unsure of what I can’t see.

Easy and hard tears flow, cleansing my heart, soul, and mind.

Turquoise and teal.  Blue is joyful.

They swim and splash and run and play.

I smile.

Blue as the rain ruins carefully, constructed plans.

I wait.  And wait.

A couch, a soft blanket.

Journal and pen, a book.

A cup of comfort.

Nap. Rest from what my blue eyes have seen.

A cracked robin’s egg in my hand, remnants of a Spring beginning.

One can fly if the choice is made.

Home



Home
made my me
on the last day of my sister's visit

Home is...

a welcoming porch,

a feast for guests,

a source of calm for my tired feet.

Home is the place where I naturally feel safe

Gathering so much light I need sunglasses at my disposal.

A process for hiding from the outside world.

Home is where I feel strong.

The symbol of all that I value.

(A poem note written from a word list compiled by myself, daughter, son, and an "old" friend.)

Home is these three.

A Walking Meditation



Last weekend was Memorial Day, my 16th anniversary, and I taught a course I created called Creative Play Therapy Interventions.  My goal for this course has always been for the time together to feel like a retreat where the students can experience the techniques and philosophy before applying them to their own clients.  (It was also so very nice to share some things I learned from my art retreat with Liz Lamoreux.)

On Saturday, my class experienced walking meditation as we traveled a couple of blocks from the downtown square of Scottsville KY to a small grassy area where they played with their cameras.  It was a joy to watch these students' stress melt away in the sunshine.  I took the following photos. 

the building on the right houses Lindsey Wilson College at Scottsville

One of the wonderful things about photos is they can immediately take us back to another time.

A time to remember.

A time to play.

A time to wonder.

A time to be yourself.

A time to take your time.

A time to breathe.

This girl, she is...

self-portrait of a tired, emotional girl

A poem note I wrote using a word list I created on the first day of the Midwest Inner Excavation retreat based on the prompt, This girl, she is.

This girl, she is carefree yet tailored and refined.

Illuminated with beauty.

All aglow with a sparkling sweep of confidence.

She is celebrating that which is emerging, transforming.

Ripe with possibility.

Embracing a cherished blossom.

In a cozy safe space.

Framed by a picture window into her soul.

window in the administration building of Culver Academies



What Young Children Can Teach Us

the tulips that I had planted last fall

"A child’s world is fresh and new and beautiful, full of wonder and excitement.

It is our misfortune that for most of us that clear-eyed vision,

that true instinct for what is beautiful,

is dimmed and even lost before we reach adulthood."

~~Rachel Carson

Young children can teach us

To slow down and

Notice the beauty of the world all around us.

So much to learn if we just stop

And allow ourselves to be curious.

It helps to have a 6-year-old that notices the little things like worms, slugs, and caterpillars.

Who gets excited when a bird builds a nest inside our uncovered grill.

Who could spend the entire day playing outside.

May I continue to be open to learning from him.

Children Crossing and Jellyfish

Children crossing...

Watch for us.  Do not overlook us.  We need your attention.
Adults can be seem too busy for us, all rushing on your way.

We're off to learn and grow and play.
We don't like being rushed around from place to place.
And given no choice.
We'd rather stay where we are.  We like to live in the moment.
Won't you join us?
You just might learn something if you'd stop and stay awhile.

The little poem above was inspired by the yellow flag I purchased from Toys of the Trade as well as these sandtray items to the left.  A few were in goodie bags that each attendee received at the Kentucky Association for Play Therapy annual conference.  Even adults can like goodie bags!  The fire colored "stones" have been calling to me.  Miles saw them right away and wanted to keep them.  Of course, I let him play with them, but they'll soon join the rest of my sandtray toys in my office.

The toy on the far left is a jelly fish.  Such beautiful creatures but beware of their sting, the way they protect themselves.  I went searching for pics of jellyfish and found these two.  The one on the left was taken on the Texas coast at Rockport Beach in June 2009 and the blue one is of Meredith from Oct. 2009 when we visited the Georgia Aquarium when I took them with me to Atlanta for the international Association for Play Therapy conference.  It's as if the jellyfish are floating along without a care in the world.  Kinda like young children can be when they become enveloped in their play.

In a Funk

I've been in a bit of a funk lately.  Have felt a little blah and unmotivated and haven't felt like blogging--at all.  I'm sure there are several possible reasons for this, one of which is that it has been raining a lot off and on and we've even been under a few tornado warnings.  (In fact, one morning I was awoken at 6 a.m. to the sirens going off after I had been up late the night before finishing a novel.) 

Last Saturday, it was actually sunny so I bribed Miles to go for a walk with me despite the chilly temperature and wind outside.  I thought that being out in the sunshine might help with my funk.  Yes, I admit I bribed him with, "we can even go walk up to the gas station and get some candy," because he was enveloped with his computer and cars play at the time.  As we were walking along, holding hands, talking and enjoying our time together, out of the blue Miles said, "Mommy, I love you!"  Oh, my heart swooned.  Note to self: Must do this more often.

Here's what I know about being in a funk:

Sometimes you will be in a funk.
Even if you are a professor or a counselor or even a play therapist.
Even if you are a creative type.
It just means you gotta be extra kind to yourself.
It means you gotta make sure you get enough sleep.
It means you gotta do some of the little things that make you happy.
It means you gotta be patient with yourself.
It means you gotta work extra hard to do the stuff that must be done and forget the rest for awhile.
It means you are imperfect.

It doesn't mean you're crazy.
It doesn't mean you still can't be helpful to others.
It doesn't mean it's gonna last a very long time.

It just means you are normal.

A Play Therapy Friend

I wanted to introduce you to my friend, Dr. David Crenshaw.  I first met him a number of years ago when he was our speaker for the Kentucky Association for Play Therapy annual conference.  I have such respect for his decades of clinical experience as a play therapist and psychologist.  He has written numerous articles and book chapters and is the author or editor of many books.  You can read more about him here.

He is such a down-to-earth guy with a keen sense of humor.  One of the things I love best about him is the reverence he holds for children, especially the ones who have been abused or neglected or are hurting in some way.  He has a creative side to him as can be seen in his poetry.  The following poem you can find translated in 5 languages on his website:

The Multicultural Language of Healing a Child

©David A. Crenshaw, all rights reserved, 2010 

Listening attentively with the heart to what the child can’t say but deeply feels,

Sometimes enabling the child to shed a long overdue tear

Goes a long way towards helping a wounded child heal

The child is no longer alone or the pain too much to bear. 

I don’t want to know how many degrees you’ve been awarded,

What you know matters less to a child than how much you care.

In the thick textbooks on therapy it is rarely recorded

Sometimes a child just needs us to be there. 

Across cultures and the great oceans

The language of healing is wholehearted caring.

Perhaps more potent than any of the pharmaceutical potions,

The healing elements are sensitive attunement, empathic listening, and heartfelt sharing.   

I hope he will inspire you as he does me.  I will continue to share with you from time to time, some of the "big wigs" in the play therapy field as I affectionately call them.

Here's hoping you have a playful weekend.

Play is Long

Sweet childish days, that were as long
As twenty days are now.
~William Wordsworth

The picture above was taken by my dad when he, my mom, and sister were in town for a visit in August 2009.  On this particular day we visited Paint'n Place.  I remember that we had so much fun that day.  My sister painted a cat to look like her real cat named Zach.  Mer painted an ice cream cone and Miles filled a car with yellow color, his favorite.  It was hot that day and their air conditioning wasn't working as seen in our sweaty faces and big drink cups.

On that day I made this plaque thing seen below.

taken with iphone

That plaque now hangs at work along with other art I am collecting about PLAY.

Today I am feeling cranky.  I stayed up too late on the computer, was awoken by my husband on his way to work to tell me that the kids have ANOTHER snow day so I could turn off my alarm and go back to sleep.  But, of course, I couldn't.  My mind started swirling about how a snow day changes all my plans for the day.  For one, I was going to treat myself to a pedicure at a salon.  Hard thing to do with a 5-year-old around so I'll save that for another day.

For some reason I then remembered the quote above.  I use it in my Lifespan Development class when we cover Socioemotional Development in Early Childhood.  A big part of a preschooler's development is facilitated by play.  The quote above reminds me of those days when I was little and would just play, and play, and play, and play.  Those days seemed to go on forever.  Can you tell I'm missing those days?  I could use a day like that.

Hmmm... perhaps I'll take the kids on a little field trip to paint today.

Here's hoping you have memories where play is long.  I think it's harder for us as adults to capture that feeling.  But we sure can try.

By the way, that quote is part of the poem below.

"To A Butterfly" (1801)

By Williams Wordworth (1770-1850).

I've watched you now a full half-hour;
Self-poised upon that yellow flower
And, little Butterfly! indeed
I know not if you sleep or feed.
How motionless!--not frozen seas
More motionless! and then
What joy awaits you, when the breeze
Hath found you out among the trees,
And calls you forth again!

This plot of orchard-ground is ours;
My trees they are, my Sister's flowers;
Here rest your wings when they are weary;
Here lodge as in a sanctuary!
Come often to us, fear no wrong;
Sit near us on the bough!
We'll talk of sunshine and of song,
And summer days, when we were young;
Sweet childish days, that were as long
As twenty days are now.

Stay near me--do not take thy flight!
A little longer stay in sight!
Much converse do I find in thee,
Historian of my infancy!
Float near me; do not yet depart!
Dead times revive in thee:
Thou bring'st, gay creature as thou art!
A solemn image to my heart,
My father's family!

Oh! pleasant, pleasant were the days,
The time, when, in our childish plays,
My sister Emmeline and I
Together chased the butterfly!
A very hunter did I rush
Upon the prey:--with leaps and springs
I followed on from brake to bush;
But she, God love her, feared to brush
The dust from off its wings.

As always your comments are welcome and very much appreciated!

How I Miss You

Miles at a water park July 2010

yours truly July 4, 2010

Oh summer how I miss you!

The warm weather

Sunshine

Water play

Sidewalk chalk

Reading outside

I must be patient

You'll come again.

P.S. The book I was reading on July 4 is The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.  Very recommended as well as her blog.

Empty Bowls Project

Many came on a cold and sunny November afternoon.

With soup, bread, drink, and dessert to feed us

In beautiful handmade bowls from a potter's hands.

Because too many are hungry

Who happen to even be in our own community.

What wonderful things can happen

When we all work together.

Each doing our small part.

the man in the middle is the potter who made most of the bowls

homemade vegetable beef, pinto bean, potato, & chicken & rice soup

homemade bread

a family affair for us Cranes

working together

the old and the young

To learn more: the Empty Bowls Project