Therapeutic Art Enrichment Group Program uses any type of ART as a medium and tool for self-discovery and healing.
An inspiring account of a painful and enlightening journey.
Life is hard… it has always been.
What is success to you? Whatever it is, it is OK. But be honest with yourself and keep on asking yourself this question.
Decide who you want to be and be brave enough not to japeries who you are!
The first step is who you are NOT, not who you are!
You are the author of the book of your life!
Katerina Gregos is convinced that contemporary art has an important role to play in society, as one of the last frontiers of free expression …
All art is quite useless – Oscar Wilde
Art is an unnecessary necessity! Think about that!
As an example, let’s have a look at the Russian avant-garde – a large, influential wave of avant-garde modern art that flourished in the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union, approximately from 1890 to 1930.
An account of a 17 year old girl’s recovery from depression and mental healthy with the help of ART.
When I was a university student, I was going through a lot of challenges and difficulties. Among many, I had to learn to study and to retain information; I had to sustain myself so I had a full time job along with my full-time school schedule; I had a boyfriend who was engaged to somebody else; and my family was too dysfunctional to give me any support. I was under immense amount of stress and I could hardly keep my head above water. I was in love with a married man and I was depressed. Any familiar?
I was under immense amount of stress
There is an increasing amount of scientific evidence that proves art enhances brain function. Art can change a person’s outlook and the way they experience the world.
Quite simply, the arts are invaluable to our proper functioning individually and as a society.
“The arts are a critical component of healthcare. Expressive art is a tool to explore, develop and practice creativity as a means to wellness.” ~ Wellarts Association
This sweet age-old video of a famous Hungarian Circus Artist, Mr Gábor Eötvös, reminds me that challenging life-situations could as well be filled with fun and creativity. It is not a requirement to gloom and doom! 🙂
These days Life seems to have gone completely haywire. Day after day, we are faced with another item having been taken away from us that we do not have control over. It is admittedly scary. Each day, I could get upset (it is rather easy for me to do! 🙂 at the nonsensical reactions of both Governments and citizens to the Pandemic! I feel that I have less and less freedom and choice.
At the same time it is somehow invigorating. The more challenging it is, the more it calls for creativity and resourcefulness! I feel the urge to come up with new ideas in order to replace the choices I once had.
And so, I am following the wise Jester’s lead: No, I am not not willing to disrepair! I am going to have fun with this! 🙂
And you see, I’ve got another one … and another … and anotheeeeer …!
***
A Leleményesség Hatalama
Ez a bájos régi Eötvös Gábor Zene-bohóc mutatvány arra döbbentett rá, hogy egy kihivásokkal teli élethelyzet lehet akár humoros és kreativitással teli is. Nem feltétlenül kell búslakodnunk.
Az Élet úgy tűnik teljesen megbolondult. Nap nap után szemben találjuk magunkat egy újabb dologgal, amitől megfoszt bennünket az élet. És mi csak tehetetlenül állunk.
Minden egyes nap akár dühönghetnék is (nem nehéz nekem!) az emberek abszúrd reakcióin. Úgy érzem mintha egyre kevesebb szabadságom és választási lehetőségem lenne! Néha ez ilyesztőnek tűnik!
Ugyanakkor, valahogy pezsditően is hat rám! A helyzet kreativitást és leleményességet kiván! 🙂 Egyre erőssebben érzem, úgy, hogy újabb és újabb alternativákkal kell előálljak, annak érdekében hogy befoltozzam az elveszitett választási lehetőségeim helyét.
Igy aztán követem az öreg bohóc útmutatását: Nem vagyok hajlnadó búsulni! Örömöt lelek a káoszban!
És igen, van mááááááááásik! 🙂
(Originally written in April 2020)
(Watch this video before you read the text below!)
AUDIO VERSION OF THE TEXT BELOW
We have become so clever! We have read numerous books on ‘how to’. You understand the concept of ‘living in the moment’ or ’what you focus on is what you get. It still does not seem to make the shift. Today, though you are full of valuable knowledge, you live exactly the same way you lived two months ago or even two years ago.
So, what’s wrong? Why is it that you don’t seem to be able to make that essential change that would make your life look the way you want it to be?
Well, the answer is somewhat complicated because your are a complex being. 🙂 However, there is a short answer.
It is because you do not act upon your newly found knowledge. Just like in the video, you may not ever have tried to ACT upon the wise advise you found in these books, or workshops, seminars, webinars or conferences. You are still sitting at home contemplating those ideas rather than LIVING them.
The only way to make lasting change is to DO LIFE DIFFERENTLY.
Doing it differently requires you to INVESTIGATE what does not work and what may work for you, then LET GO of what does not work, and finally PRACTISE the newly found way of doing and being.
I am CREATIVE. I dare say that I am an expert in doing IT differently. Apart from having lived in a number of different countries over the years, I made it my quest in life to constantly ‘uncover and change’. What I ‘know’, I did not learn from books, I have discovered it along the way on my journey of Life.
Are you ready to dive right in and ACT? Then, I invite you to join me …
When I was a child, I was told that I was odd because I had ‘strange’ ideas that nobody could seemingly understand. Plus, I lived in a rather gray environment called socialistic communism or something similar. Colourlessness was the norm and you were expected to conform.
I was not one who easily left a question unanswered, though. So, I decided early on that if the world around me is too scared to answer my bold questions I would go and find my answers myself. And so I was off. I left my home, I left my city, finally, I left my country in search of answers.
The most surprising discovery I have made over the years was that our answers to any existential question are answered from within. I spent much time reading clever books and looking for someone to answer my queries until I realized that the only question I was truly searching an answer for was ‘who am I?’ Finding the answer to this very basic question opened up the whole world to me. It is sometimes too big to bear! Knowing myself, my true values, inherent abilities and what I stand for as a human being gave me complete freedom in choosing my experiences.
I do not live a perfect life. I do not believe it exists, anyway. I live a life of insights and discoveries. It is a magical world both inside and out. I am still a girl in progress. 🙂 My main focus in life is to find the most fulfilling ways to express my multifaceted being. One such layer is my caring nature that wants me to support others to gain insights into their own extraordinary being.
Nina Brown has written an amazing book called the Children of the Self-Absorbed. If you feel that you lack self- efficacy, self-esteem, and/or self- confidence I suggest you have a look at this video below and if you can read the book. The book is full of exercises that can support you gain awareness of your life choices in terms of your relationship with your parent(s).
It is often that we feel unworthy of having a magnificent and joy-filled life . Where does that sense of unworthiness stem from? Nina Brown invites you to have a look at your relationship with your family of origin ad investigate the narcissistic behavioural patterns resent there.
Today, I was contemplating on my ideal clients. Who could they be?
Well, honestly, they are the kids!
Kids tend to be honest. When they are not sincere in their endeavours of getting what they want it is often because they, sadly, think they can only obtain it in the way than the way they see their environment get it.
Adults fight change and try to be clever about it. They explain why it is silly what you suggest or simply ignore you. Whereas children are excited and curious about the new. They may be afraid of trying something but if you can promise them to be there for them when the fear shows up, they will happily launch themselves into experimenting with anything.
During our Edu-Coaching sessions that were run for 9-13 year old kids in different countries, I quickly learnt how deep kids are willing to dive into in order to find their hidden treasures.
So inspiring!
Young@Hearts, welcome!
Image is borrowed from FB, unknown artist.
