Imagination Arts was presented as an evening program for Shadybrook. Review at title link.
Imagination Arts & Nature with Kristen S. Boyesen
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
reviewed by Donna Tiroly
How delightful! Such fun! Pure joy! So relaxing!
We began by listening to a very lovely short story in a little book from another century. It was chock-full of deliciously wonderful and descriptive words and phrases that conjured up picture upon picture. They created a simply fantastic and beautiful movie in my mind. My mind was happy! My body was happy! What a delightful way to relax!
Then we were gently led into our first fun art experience – drawing seashells without looking at the pen or paper: just keep looking at the shell! Meanwhile, beautiful music soothed away any anxiety. This activity was all about getting one’s right side of the brain in gear -- not about making an accurate drawing. “Try your non-dominant hand,” Kristen suggested. “You’ll see that the drawings won’t look any different.” She skillfully helped us quiet that judgmental critic that resides in the brain’s left side.
A second beautifully descriptive reading brought us back into the theater of mind pictures, relaxation, & fun. Then, on to drawing the mystery shapes hidden in bags. We just felt the object inside the bag while another relaxing music selection accompanied our experience. “Imaginative doodling,” Kristen called this activity. Her directions gave us complete freedom as she told us, “It doesn’t matter … no one will know what it really was anyway.” This freedom enabled everyone to allow the images in their minds to just flow out onto the paper. Pure fun!
A third reading of a very descriptive poem preceded the last activity, “Drawing Nature Shapes.” Flowers and leaves of all kinds awaited us on the tables. Once again, the directions and the music, along with Kristen’s gently supportive style, facilitated the right brain’s easy flow of creative activity.
Later, I remember a potato chip commercial that claimed: “You can’t eat just one.” On a healthier path for mind, body, spirit, I think, “WOW! You can’t DO just one -- be it sea shell or mystery bag or gentle touch drawing of nature shapes – you’ll want to do another and another.” It was truly an excellent program for revitalization in today’s seemingly crazy world.
To book an Imagination Arts program email Kristen:
wildernessartist (at) sbcglobal.net
(Copy and paste then replace middle section with @)
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