Thursday, May 21, 2009

By the way

Creative Expression and Healing Art Group

11:30 til 2:30 with potluck lunch

Saturday, May 22nd, in Charlottesville at McGuffey Art Center on 2nd st

Free and open to whomever

(drop me a line for more info)

Another way to recycle


Some people are so cool. Made from old cassette tapes. Credit goes to "Ghost in the Machine"

http://www.flickr.com/photos/iri5/sets/72157611954107572

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Prayer Flags


So far I have 59 and they are hanging in my office. I want 216. The idea was to create images of wellness and display them like so many open hearts. I have worked with people who are struggling with mental illness and those who are not.

They will hang in the entrance to VOCAL's conference in June at JMU. All my friends and anyone who wants to impress me should stop by my office and make one!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Idea #51 of what to put in your altered book


Pictures of the bare backs of men you cannot help but adore.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Everyone is Invited

I am feeling kind and inspired after a three day planning retreat for my job. There is the work of creating community not just for people with psychiatric labels, but the bigger work of making a place for every one of us at the table; the loud, the lewd and the lousy, along with the lovely (Sometimes I am all of these people in the course of the day). It may just come down to being very patient, very cool and for some of us, very maternal.

When I was in Cuba I was visiting a farming co-op, hearing a lecture in Spanish I could not really make out, and in the small audience were American commie tourists, babies, teenagers and real, real old people. And one of these old people was an Abuelo who was shouting out things like, "CIGARS!" and "PENNIES FROM HEAVEN!" and no one shamed him or made him leave. A kid about 10 winked at me and wound his little index finger around his ear, like "cuckoo." And while that sounds condescending, it really wasn't. It was just so that I could understand the way of it. You know, some people shout out.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

more Icarus


I put that post up, but realized that I didn't really explain what makes the Icarus project so enticing. The website has galleries, discussions, resources, member journals and more. They talk about "mad pride". So if you are crazy or your friends or crazy......

The Icarus Project


http://theicarusproject.net/

This site has every idea I'm really getting at. The intersection between madness and brilliance. Jack Kerouac said this: "The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes "Aaaaw!"

Friday, May 1, 2009

B. Tim Groen Collage



http://www.timgroen.com/Web%20art%20portfolio/2.html
Here is some collage that I like/that I would never come up/that you should see.