Various flowers

Aren't they interesting, all these flowers: of various shapes, sizes, colors, ages…? It's hard to find exactly the same flowers, and that's fascinates me and inspires me. So, where does it say that we have to compare with each other if we are not the same??

The flowers should be a great example to us… Aren't all lovely, special, interesting, different…??

Flowers on the trees:

Stop on time (for the holidays)

At the University of Art Education we had a professor who remind us a lot that, when painting we also have to be able to stop. Finish. End something. And really, Life is full of such moments that call for conclusions and new beginnings.

Stop on time when you enjoy the festive goodies.
Stop on time when you leave on vacation.
Stop on time when you create.
Stop on time when you criticize or praise someone.
Stop on time when you sigh about the unhappy or happy days.
Stop on time when you do the shopping.
Stop on time when you watch TV.
Stop... on time... Look at the Nature, which teaches us just that: to create, grow and complete = stop on time.

Wishing you great holidays! – the right ones!

PS: Thanks for the beautiful and warm thoughts in comments under my previous posts.

Favorite activity?

And how do you spend your 'we'-time?

source

Carpe Diem!

That's how it is...

...if you really, really help!

Ok, here are some details:

No more talk about 'who do you think you are' and 'I admit' (I hope). It is a 'past tense', so no need to talk about it anymore...

The flow goes on.

Because of you, the flow carries me with it in a high speed. Yes, that's how it is if you make effort to help me to make my dreams come true... Then the following happens:

• After my daily 'busy-wizi' matters, I spend every free moment for you-know-which project
• I'm running out of time to publish posts on my blog (reports from Zagreb and Slovenske Konjice are still on the waiting list)
• I am running out of time to comment on your blogs. I do read them, but don't comment them!

So if you miss my comments on your blog, I would like to tell you that I do read your news, just am not able to comment your posts at the moment. Sorry! - Not a nice 'thank you' for your wonderful help for my phototherapy project, eh?
And on top of that you will now be informed about the project so often, that you will eventually have a full head of phototherapy! ;) Yeah, that's how it is if you do your best to make my dreams come true!

I tell you: it's all because of you! You made it happen!!

Thank you for visiting my blog, thank you for your time, thank you for your comments. I appreciate it! I'm thinking of you and wishing you much inspiration, a lot of good will, and a lot of creative drive! We can be creative in several ways and in several areas, so, have fun!


*
And here are some news about the phototherapy project if you're interested to hear about it:

• confirmed mentor (from Slovenia) for the project
• approved school, where the (first) project will be implemented
• project will start in March (yeeeees!)
• intensive studying of researches and literature about this field (ah, in English, again, so I'm slow)
• translated some literature on phototherapy

What awaits me in the following days:

* Verifying the ethical issues and the protection of personal data relating to children who will participate in the project - because I intend to organize an exhibition of their works

• Documentation for the school
• Documentation for the selected (proposed) children
• Documentation for their parents
• My 'statement' for children and their parents
• Meeting with the participants and their parents and arrangements for implementation
• Literature, literature, literature
• Searching for sponsors and/or government 'calls' to obtain funding for a project

I can't wait!

Who do you think you are…

…or mind your own business.

First I thought to not write 'provocative' posts anymore like I did with 'I admit'. Because some felt threatened, rather than to feel encouraged to create, which was my intention…
I thought I would shut my mouth and swallow the comments that came to me to my ears, saying that I am jealous of online teachers that I am unable to do something like that myself so I put my frustrations on the others, that I do that to make others miserable etc. And some of the others no longer want to show their works on the Internet because they are afraid of such (unconstructive?) criticism…
However, I've also got some very personal e-mails where people requested and asked for advice and help, so I think the post was worth it, although there were some bad things said about me.

We can look at the things from a wider or narrower point of view. You can see everything or only one thing. You can see the others or only yourself.
In art therapy we look at the situations from several perspectives:

• I (as a therapist in relationship with others)
• I as a client (where I look at the situation from client's perspective)
• I as an external, uninvolved observer (the so-called helicopter perspective).

In such situations, the therapists don't look at the situation from one perspective only, but we need to put ourselves into all. Imagine that we would only look at it from our perspective only! How would we see the World?

Mind your own business. That was a comment that I heard most often after my post 'I admit’. Let them do what they want, create how they want, etc…

Well, let's look at everything from a broader perspective.
Due to the working field that I cover I regularly read professional articles and researches in the field of education, psychology, art therapy, creative process, etc… I recently read some interesting articles that made me think a lot. One was talking about a rape in the middle of the street when the victim, who was calling for help, did not get any help in two hours. Two hours! Mind your own business?!
The second article talked about that it is easier to buy a weapon, rather than get the proper professional help (of psychologist, social worker…) - immediately and now. Mind your own business!
The third article was talking about addiction. What do you do when you meet an addict? Do you mind your own business!?

Why don't my posts on education rise so much noise as it did about creative process and copy-cats in my post ‘I admit’? Or the posts about the victims of crime? Or when I write about how it would be good to help addicts or children, or…? Why no one jumps into the air and write to me and say: mind my own business?
Are addicted happy that we mind our own business? Of course they are, as no one disturbs them, so they may continue to sink deeper and deeper into addiction. But do we want that? Do we really not care? And then these addicts, because of their need for drugs, will attack a person with a broken bottle and cut a person just to steal/get money for drugs!
Now transfer this thinking to the field of creativity. Is this field really different from other fields?
The easiest way is to say mind your own business. The easiest way is to shout: who do you think you are!

When you talk to a person who is trimmed, bruised, raped, and with damaged head because of the brutal rape (I did), you learn that no one ever deserves to hear words like: who do you think you are. When you see the sexually abused child, you don't dare to say mind your own business… We are all humans, we are the World, we all live together. And this is important in every area/field of our lives.

Therefore, look at the creating from a broader perspective. I am willing to help the others with my creative knowledge (the one I have). But I can also say I don't care… I can need help or advice or criticism, but can also close myself and tell the others: mind your own business (I think 'mind your own business' is a very popular sentence in this era, and competing too).

So I'll ask two questions to give you something to think about:
a)
You managed to create the best art work ever. You are extremely proud of it, and soooo happy. Then after a week, you find out that someone has painted a nearly identical piece of art. It turns out that your work was his inspiration and that he painted the image, as precisely as he could to make a copy of your art work. How do you feel? Oh, great, you say, because you find it flattering that someone has painted one of your creations. Ok, really, he did make a copy of your work, but he chose your art work, so you feel great because you have become important and you are an example to someone (or a teacher or a muse)… Well, over a time your work is copied 10, 20, 30 times… Is that still a pleasure for you? Are you feeling important, a star? I doubt it. Would you like that your art work inspires the others, but not like that: that people make copies of your art works?... When it will happen to you, you will understand what I'm trying to say in my post 'I admit'. I do understand the difference between learning the technique and copying. And my purpose and hope is that no one is caught in the circle of copying, which has nothing to do with creating. But I will not point my finger at you and say 'see, I told you!' if this happens to you. We carry our consequences alone, and therefore there's no need to say it out loud (Montessori pedagogic calls that: control points).
Do the addicts know that they fell into the circle of addiction? Do they admit they’re addicted? Do those who copy know that they fell into a circle of copying? Do they recognize it that copying is wrong? What if they manage to sell a thousand copies of ‘your’ art work, and you can't? What if people start to say that you copied his works?...
The answer of one of the persons who copies, was: but I didn't copy a photograph of the art work (copy-paste), I made it myself and put it on my 'blog' (identical to the original art work of another author). Until you will experience this with your own art works, until you will put yourself in the shoes of the author of original, you probably will not understand what I mean…
Some have even snapped at my education. As the art teacher I therefore have no rights 'to be smart'? What is your profession? What if I say something not nice about your expertise, your profession? I don’t claim to be an artist. You see: I am not a painter, I am not a sculptor, I'm not graphic designer, but I am art teacher. I am a person who helps the others to create, which is not the same as if I create art works myself. For many academic painters, sculptors... it was known that they were lousy teachers and vice versa. I am not an artist, but I am art teacher and art therapist, with experiences. I'm not ashamed to say it out loud. And I do know I'm not the best, I am not the one and only. I know where my limits are and I know that I will learn to be better and to create all my life.

(Creatissimo Art therapy Workshop)

b)
What do you do when you see someone who is trapped and makes the same mistake over and over again? Whenever he takes a glass in his hands, the glass falls to the floor. Whenever he writes, he forgets to put a question mark at the end of the question. Always, when you are at the dentist, the dentist forgets a tampon in your mouth. What do you do? Are you quiet? Do you make fun of his awkwardness? Are you angry, because he makes the same mistakes a thousand times and doesn't learn from them?
And what would you do if you see that someone has the same problems over and over again as he creates? He always gets stuck in the same place, always ruins his art work with the same 'mistake'... What would you do?

In art therapy, we have a principle that the client should see (and test) a sample(s) of behavior 'patterns', with which he would be able to replace the old (bad) behavior pattern. How about in creating? Which ‘bad’ pattern prevents you from going through?
Art Education is, therefore, not there to teach you to draw perfect eyes, fantastic realistic drawings, etc… As I wrote then, realism and abstraction have nothing to do with my point about which I talked about in ‘I admit’. Art Education (or any other good teacher or mentor or…) serves as a support and a place to show you the patterns from which you choose one that suits you to go your own way… Your way!

When I was abroad I had no problem with ‘criticism’ like I see it here, in my country. Wherever I went (U.S.A, Denmark, the Netherlands, Austria, Italy, Bosnia…), people were open and wanted to know more. Therefore I ask you, what would you say if I was from abroad and would be a participant of an Internet e-course? Would you accept my ‘critique’? And how would you accept my criticism, knowing that I am an art teacher from Slovenia? I noticed the difference. I see that we are open to persons who are ‘at a safe distance’, so that we do not feel any competition and a threat. But when there are people from our country, everything is different. Hiding information, no comments to help somebody to move forward, lack of confidence… I’m sorry but that’s how I see it. I wish we would see that life is too short to not live it fully.

There is a support and a technical support. We need both. We all need support, and I am sorry that some focus all of their energy into defense, rather than focusing their energy for exceeding the limits.

I give you the opportunity to tell me that I am wrong. Here, now, 'face to face'. To prove to me that there is a different point of view. I will not argue about it. I will try it and determine whether this pattern will work for me. I want to believe that I’m wrong.
I see the World as a beautiful place. Because I believe in the collective consciousness and because I believe we should be positive, creative, energetic, I don’t mind my own business only. I care! I am nothing and nobody if I don’t care, if there’s no 'you' near me...



*
Thanks for the lovely birthday wishes and words of support. I saved them in my heart and I carry them with me all the time as precious diamonds now. :)

And I have another happy news to tell: I received a confirmation from Finland that I’ll have two great mentors for my phototherapy project. You bet I jumped up high from happiness again! :)

Wrong and Right

Teachers note and I have noticed at my workshops that many children hold pencils incorrectly:

1. they hold thumbs over pens
2. they press the middle finger on the pen instead of supporting the pen with the finger
3. even when they rest their hands for a while, you can see who is holding a pen incorrectly
4. who can write or draw anything precisely, if he/she holds the pen with squashed fingers?...

I can barely find those who hold a pen properly: with a pipette grip (thumb and forefinger hold the pen in place, the middle finger supports the pen).

I do not know how many today's kindergartens and schools devote time to this issue... Maybe I will be unfair if I say: too little. If it was enough, we would not see so many children who write incorrectly. When I was in The States years ago, experts in kindergarten regularly monitored the children and checked their abilities, which I loved. Because, in my opinion we should start this in child's early age, not when he/she is in 5th grade...

Sometimes I wonder where are the experts to talk about it? Are we aware of the implications of poor motor skills, poor concentration, poor coordination of eye and hand?
We should help the children before it's not too late!

PS: If you or your kids have problems with holding the pens, you can buy a special 'adapter' for the correct posture of a pencil (here in Slovenia we buy them in a special pharmacy shop) or buy 'triangular' pens. Of course, you still have to take care to properly hold a pen and train yourself in graphomotor skills, but this tool is a good start to improve the problem.

Good luck!

I admit...

...I have a professional deformation too...

Yesterday I read one of the many articles about plagiarism and copying. The article in humorous way shows the differences between the original and plagirism, and explains where and how the person made mistakes and made a bad copy of the original.

And so it is, we, the art teachers can easily see (= we have an eye for that so to say):
- who is an amateur and who is a trained artist
- who copied and who did not
- who made a drawing or painting after observation and who made it up (from his mind or imagination)
- who does so, as someone told him or taught him, and followed his feelings
- who didn't use his style
- ...

(Ivana Kobilca is my inspiration, from her works I learn a lot!)

When I see the various courses over the Internet, I can tell which participants attended which There is not enough encouraging to find their own way of expression. If the course would be held by a pro, then he would encourage the artistic mode of observation and explorations of their own expressive style. Then there would not be such, basic mistakes as: a black bordered mouth, eyes, which are typically drawn by school children in 3.grade, the background, which is not in harmony with the figure (because usually it is painted or treated separately)...
And so we have this huge amount of art works that resemble to one another, that they were not made in relaxed, spontaneous feelings, and they don't reflect the true feelings of the creator. This is something that is characteristic for the copied products. Realism or abstraction do not have any role here. Both have to have the same goal: to be expressed in their own way.
What we want to say with a product, what feelings we want to bring up?
Of course, the courses teach techniques to create, but it does not mean that we should generate almost identical things. You can look at the famous artists who sometimes gathered together and painted the same motif (Van Gogh and Gaugain, etc..) to see the approach. Did they really all used the same technique, same gestures, same colors, same light? No, each of them created their own work their own way and that's why we also recognize them as true artists even today.

But don't get me wrong - I have nothing against the Internet and other art courses (on the contrary, I think this is something great that came along with the tech growth), but I suggest that we choose the course that will actually teach us to express ourselves, rather than producing products reminiscent of copies and without any soul. Once you fall into the routine creating, it is very difficult to get out of this vicious circle, so we better move on before we fall into it!

(the same artist, the same style, but are these two works really 'the same'??)

And another thing to think about: creativity is not static, it is not 'punching' one thing after another until you drop dead, it is not copying every single dot. This is called 'Crafts' (even if this would be a rather lousy Crafts too), not creativity. And so, it's easy for us to recognize the copy, the picture that emerged after photography, naive 'art'... How wrong are those who think that the thing they've copied from a 'Japanese' web site will not be seen and recognized as a copy if they are from Slovenia! This is really naive thinking! (Boomerang will always return).

...And I admit, if you have a professional deformation, it is not easy as well. If you give a praise to such 'artistical' products, you encourage a person that he continues to create in that vicious circle. If you tell the truth, you can hurt the person to completely lose creative enthusiasm... How many times I have had to bite the tongue, so that there would be no resentment, to not look 'smart' or 'better'. In doing so, I don't do it to hurt somebody, I just want to help, but how to say that, hot to explain?

So far I found this way to resolve this for those who want to create in their own style and want to learn along the way: I prepare Creative Meetings, where people are open to criticism, debate about their works, praise, learn and grow. At the Meetings we learn to listen to our inner selves... I hope the Meetings will help them to get off the vicious circle in which they might have been caught...

So, I wish for you to find the art course that will teach you creativity, not 'craft', and I wish you many creative days and enjoyment in expressing yourselves, esp. in these upcoming festive days!
Good luck!

Colors and kids

The question in one of the comments has been on the use of color among children. What if the child is using a specific color?... So I said to write a few words on this topic.

Colors impact on humans a lot, although we are consciously unaware of that. Their vibrations irritate our eyes, which send stimuli to the brain, etc. Simple logics. Then there is the psychological effect of colors too, which can be summarized in one sentence: the colors are important!
Today I see many people manipulate with the others with the colors. Advertisments, painted rooms, packaging, fashion. But there are also those who use colors just ike that, without thinking, and unwittingly do damage to themselves or others.
It is popular to have a colorful apartment, and even more 'screaming' facade, purple hair, red sports car... The result are the people who respond to those colors accordingly.
I know a school that has classroom walls painted with red paint. Completely wrong. But I also know another school (Waldorf), who has painted the walls of classes with exactly chosen colors, based on research. They also use red, but the color is different and how the walls are painted is also important because their effect is totally different from the above-mentioned school.
But I could write a book about this, so let's get back on the track and talk about color and children now.

Research has shown that children choose the colors the way they feel it (their emotions, emotional mood), so we should not say to them that the Sun on their drawing should not be red. Children, before they enter the school or. approximately before the age 6, don't draw a realistic world through observation and with realistic colors (green grass...). Some will test all crayons (they are more interested in the traces the crayons leave on paper rather than the color of that trace), the youngest children tend to choose only two colors.
Upon entering the school, most children enter a new level - a realistic portrayal of the world, including with the colors. Whether or not the child during this period depicts objects in realistic colors, that is something that the experts (art teachers, psychologists, psychiatrists) don't agree yet. Some believe that it is not necessary, others see in unrealism pathological signs.

My opinion is that the child should not be 'judged' only from his choice of colors. It is necessary to consider the drawings, his behavior, speech skills, his development..., that we'd understand his personality as a whole.

However, the most "problematic" colors when used by younger children are: black, purple and bright red. These are signs of suffering, aggression, hidden anger. But he might just have a period of his favorite color, so we should be careful with our conclusions.

(hm, which would be her favorite color, huh?)

It bothers me that the various 'experts' quickly put the children into a 'box' according to some quick conclusions without checking if their findings are right.
At art therapy, I first analyse the client, to learn more about him and his problems. However, this result does not end there. After several meetings, I give the client an additional task on the basis to re-analyze the previous results and determine whether I really set the correct 'diagnosis' (I compare first and second analysis). When I am in doubt, I give the client more such exercises, where I can get more useful information for working with the client. Playing with people, especially the weak persons, I find it highly inappropriate.

Therefore, I would say as follows: Observe what color you choose, and why your child choose exactly 'that' color. Do not judge it just on general and superficial basis, and do not paint the bedroom in purple, because purple is a hit this year or because you like it this month. Be careful with colors and chose them with your own feelings, and that's when your health and mood will look like a big, bright rainbow!

Now, get yourself on the feet and explore your place to find the color that will give you a new, creative energy! Go, go, go!

PS - Have you ever wondered:
Why is the most popular Ferrari red and not white or in any other color?
Why are witches depicted in black and purple (+ orange for fire)?
Why are life jackets orange or yellow?
Why you never notice people on the streets, dressed in brown clothes?
...

Celtic tradition

Halloween - a celebration which has its roots in Celtic culture reminded me of the Celtic knots. And Celtic knots reminded me of Waldorf pedagogics.

(a picture from website: Celtic Cross stitch)

Form drawing, used by Waldorf pedagogics, is good for practicing coordination between eye and hand, pre-practice for handwriting, for better concentration (and calming down) and for balancing the left and right brain hemispheres.

Try it if you haven't tried it yet. It works!

You can see some form drawings on a website: Waldorf Teachers.com

Divergent, creative, school...

...are the themes that my business Creatissimo is focused on. You can read something about that on my web site under the title Creative process.

But you can see and hear more about that in this fantastic video - a must to watch! About school, ADHD, creativity... (a lecture by: Sir Ken Robinson, animated by: Cognitive Media).

So, what do you say?

A real story

(this picture is not a coincidence)

At the Post Office.
An old lady walks in: "Hello".
The staff member: "Hello."
The lady is waiting in a long line.
Finally, it's her turn.
"I would like to buy these and these stamps."
"Hm, but we do not have these."
"Not?"
"They ran out."
"What if I come tomorrow, will you have them?"
"Well, probably not."
"Hey, what kind of Post Office is this?"
"Well, ma'am, even the grocery shop sometimes runs out of the bread..."
Sneaky laughter of the stuff and other people waiting. Of course, a lady who wanted to buy the stamps at the Post Office has become a victim of laughingstock (plus she didn't get the stamps).
With her head bowed she went away.
...

Me still waiting in the line. Thinking.

Remembering a friend who once told me a real story.
In his town, everybody went to buy 'things' just across the border. The cause was not in smuggling, cheaper stuff or other "suspicious" transactions. The cause was elsewhere.
In that shop there was a nice man selling and he was the cause of these mass visits.

In the shop:
Buyer: "Good Day".
Seller: "Oh, hello, hello. Go ahead, go ahead. What would you like to buy today? "
"I need such and such screws."
"Ok." The seller finds out that he has no such and such screws. "Unfortunately they ran out. But no worries. You can wait here until I get them or you can do some shopping elsewhere and take the screws on the way back? "
'No, no, it's not necessary, I'll come some other time."
'Oh, they will be here soon, I'll just call another shop and I'll get them in an hour or so. Really."
'Well, if it so, I'll come again on the way back. "
Seller calls another shop. No screws there. He calls the third shop. They don't have them either. He calls another shop. They do have such and such screws. They agree to deliver. Within an hour the screws are in the shop of the seller...

What have I learned from these two stories?
If I was an employee at the Post, I would:
- call the other Post Office, if they have these and these stamps in stock.
- ask the lady (who, among other things, was not-so-young, and certainly hasn't come to the Post Office every day to annoy employees) if she could wait a bit.
- not let the lady wait in line to tell her that we run out of these and these stamps.
- throw out all that trashy stuff, and ugly toys, and candles, and plastic glasses, and things like that which don't belong into the Post Office and replaced them with these and these stamps, cards, letters, stationery of all colors and forms, packaging kits and other things that certainly belong into the Post Office. Yes, and I would make sure that the Post Office, where the first task is receiving and sending mail, doesn't run out of stamps. N-ever!

Almost School

Are you ready for the first day of school?

If you don't have labels for the notebooks, you can find free prints on the website Dom in Stil, when you click on the picture:

And if you're missing an eco (washable) bag, you can find simple instructions how to make one on the same website - click on the picture to jump there:

And if you're interested how it was in school back then, read my last year's blog post here:

Don't mess with school!

I'm wishing you a good start of a new school year!

Awards

Beautiful summer, isn't it?
And to get a nice reward in a beautiful summer..., well, there's nothing to complain about, right?...

The aword: Outstanding Blogger Award was given to me by Nataša.

The rules are:
1. Say thanks to the person who gave me this award.
2. Share 7 things about myself.
3. Pass the award along to 15 bloggers who I have recently discovered and think are fantastic!

ad 1: to receive this award at such a wonderful blog as Leptir, is a tremendous honor. Because the blog is so illustrative, educational, wonderful Montessori blog I've never found before! All of you interested in Montessori, you have to see it! All activities are recorded in step by step 'tutorial' - with photos and text, so you can learn about the working methods of the Montessori kindergarten. I also like the blog because Nataša used items from our everyday surroundings, but keeps an eye on the aesthetics and colors of objects, which I believe are important. Today, there are many objects with gaudy colors which bring up aggression in children, rather than emotional satisfaction...
I use some of Montessori methods in my own work.
Every now and then I get some comments that I mix the approaches to each other instead of working only in Montessori or Waldorf or x method. But I look at this differently. Depending on the needs of the child, I use the method which is the best for a child. Somebody responds better to this method, someone to a different one. I am trying to approach to the child from his perspective and from his needs, so I choose the method that helps him. In art therapy we have: music therapy, art, expressive, integrative therapy etc, etc.. For someone they are all useful, but for someone else there will be only one ... It is important to identify at least one, so that a person has something to help himself/herself to get back the inner balance.
So even if you're not interested in the Montessori method, this does not mean that you will not find in it something useful for yourself, your children or your work.
I wrote about Montessori here as well.

ad2:
- I like photographing (have you noticed?)
- I am interested in too many things and then I can not decide what to explore first
- I love hikes in Austria (why? I'll tell you some other time)
- I adore the smell of pine trees
- I love details (have you noticed?)
- I admire older people or people who find it difficult to move, to have energy for daily recreation
- Currently, I would like to learn more about animated movies

ad3:
I would like to give this award to all my new FlyingLessons friends! There are around 600 of you! :) . You are all my new friends, so I can't just pick 15. You are all welcome here!

The second award 'Sweet Blog Award' was given to me by Hrandica and Funchi.

The rules are:
1. Give this award to 10 sweet bloggers.
2. Make a post about the award including the picture and mention the person who gave it to you.
3. Put the award on your blog.
4. Let your nominated 10 know you’ve awarded them by leaving a comment on their blog.

I will change the rules a bit and give this award to all my 'Followers of my blog' - I thank you for all your visits, your comments, your emails and your posts about me on your blogs. You are great!! Thank you!

And I wish you a nice summer!

Workshop invitation

From time to time I get questions about Art Therapy and my work with people with special needs... For all of you, interested in this topics, we organize
'Art Therapy kampus' in Ptuj (26. in 27.7.2010).




My workshop has a title: What I (don't) see, what I (don't) hear, what I (don't) say - art-therapy glance onto mutual relationships. I think the title says it all...

If you're interested and want more information about this Art Therapy kampus, write me an e-mail and I'll send you all the required info.

Come, you won't be sorry!

Back to work

A short break, a sunshine and good moods were a good medicine for my body and soul.
Pictures from my trips will follow soon...

Of course, I was not 'just sitting around'.

Here are some fresh news:

On Ringaraja.net you will find my article about eco workshops.
On Dom in Stil you will see our 'action' shooting in nature (I was one of the photographers and assistants):
behind the scenes
how we do it
orange wedding
And today you will find me in Bled, where I'll have a workshop for the animators.
How fun is that?

Create a good day for yourselves as well!

Messy

What is messy for you?

I get very different answers to this question. The parents' answer is different from childrens', teachers' different from pupils'… Some don't like to be messy at all, some tolerate it.
But being messy can be very useful for some people, so I think we should do it more often - at home, in the schools, on holidays, at the workshops...

At the art therapy, when we learn about our klient (how he solves problems, what are his/her problems, what he/she likes...), we try to figure it out, if being messy would help the klient to go over his/her blockades. Being messy is useful for the people who handle their problems physically. They have a need to express theirselves with their body, with the movement.

We can be messy with the paint or clay. Clay is useful for the people who have too much energy or for the hyperactive people.

Some people have problems to touch the mess. They don't touch it with their hands, but they use one finger only. And some people don't want to make an 'ugly' picture...

This month I have an art therapy with a schoolgirl who was worried about making an ugly picture. We talked about what is ugly and what not a lot. Only after our conversation she became more relaxed and enjoyed being messy with the paint. That was a progress for us...

After some time, this mess (when this need will be satisfied) will organise itself in order, and then the art works will express the girl's inner self.

In our schools and kindergartens there is not enough awareness that the children have to express themselves in their own way and should not be creative just because they have to get a good grade. Children should explore different materials and test them not to get good grades, but to see which material will help them the most to express their inner self the way they want it. This is their need.

But, of course, for the 'messy' project we need the right equipment. We have to cover the creative space with protective covers, dress the klient and us into the clothes that can be dirty, choose the materials that will handle all the messy process...
And then: off we go and put our hands in the mess! :)

How about you - have you been messy lately?

Montessori kindergarten

I would like to go to the Montessori kindergarten...

...because of the wonderful wooden materials:

...to finally learn 'math':

...or to explore other areas:

...to love nature:

...to prepare food for myself:

...and to have my own place in the group...

And who wouldn't love

washing hands in the colourful bathroom...

...or cleaning the floor with colourful tools?!

New-s

Hello, friends! Here are some new things from Creatissimo.
First: Creatissimo web site is finally open, but I'm sorry, it's in Slovene language only. I'm sure, some day in the future it will be in English as well. But you can check it out anyway. Just click on the picture:

You will see everything what Creatissimo offers:

Under No.6 (Prodaja ustvarjenih del), you can see some art works that are on sale at the moment. If you are interested in any of these products, please, contact me via e-mail. Thanks!

Second: Here are some pictures of the beautiful autumn which was here just two days ago. But now, some parts of Slovenia are covered with snow!! (Not here, at my place, unfortunately)…

Third: A new thought for you… A sound makes vibes. Here you can see a pattern, made by my voice, and a photo of almost identical pattern from the nature.

(photos, taken in Avstria)

And here is a thought: what kind of vibes we allow around us? What kind of voices we send out to our friends, family, etc.? At music therapy we focus on this issue a lot, because we believe that the voice is very important in a healing process and in the life in general as well.
I hope that your choices are good choices – sounds in harmony, a pleasant melody maybe?… Vibes that create nice patters, not a chaos.
Anyway, I wish you the ‘good vibes’ every day! :)

Art teachers, eh?!

Art teachers don't have much to do. It's a piece of cake to be an art teacher.

But then:
there's a school event and scenography, costumes, posters, invitations are needed…
and there's a school project and a design for it is needed…
and there's a field trip and working-sheets are needed…
and there's a holiday and beautiful (cheap) greeting cards are needed…
and there's a birthday and a beautiful (cheap) BD gift is needed…
and there are boring classrooms and halls and exhibitions are needed…
etc., etc.

Who will do all that work?
Art teachers, of course, as they don't really have much to do!

My memories (illustrating and designing a workbook for a field project) of my life as an art teacher – the workbook was not made over the night (I still remember that!).

Yes, dear art teachers, I know very well how it is to 'not have' any work!

Don't mess with school!!

I could write a book or two about my teaching career, but let's leave the long stories for some other time… That's in the past; some memories are good, some not so good, but here I am - alive!!

Instead, let's travel further into the past and explore how it was in school back then. I have some 'fresh' pictures from my Austrian trip to share with you, and first day of school (in Slovenia) is a perfect day to show you pictures of an old Austrian school (pictures taken in ethno museum) and doing some research what has changed over the years…
In what kind of school would you rather be/learn/teach: this one on the pictures or the one we have today? Eh??

A nice welcome to the school...:

...and a teacher, little blackboards, a tired classroom and the walls, full of interesting learning materials, waiting for you:

...you hang your stuff here:

...and the lesson begins:

(isn't this a practical math 'helper', eh?!)

...it's very easy to learn about numbers, because you learn from the every-day life and nature:

...and that's the answer to our big problem of our times - how to use your pen correctly.

(that's a really big problem in our schools lately. Children don't learn it and hold their pens the wrong way a lot!)

...and now, the best part! Rules, discipline, order! Something to think about! It's not about 'just anything', it's about respect, ethics, relationships. Isn't this the biggest problem of our time?? For example: what are hyperactive kids? They are the kids without limits, they don't know/feel the border lines, they go over them. So, who will teach them how to create their own limits, if not we, the adults?? Ok, ok, this is not a topic for today. We'll talk about that some other time in the future, some day, on a nice school-day, ok?

So, what do you say - is this a school of your dreams? ; )