Therapeutic Sculpting in Hamden

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10418424_10154939442340352_584769673367723567_nI often speak about the cognitive, affective, physical, and spiritual benefits of the sculpting process. Sunday, August 21st, from 5-7 pm, we will be celebrating a therapeutic sculpting night in Hamden, CT. What is the difference between this event and the other sculpting events? In other sculpting events we focus more on techniques for sculpting specific projects. For the therapeutic sculpting, we will be focusing more on the process than the product.

The therapeutic sculpting in Hamden will focus on developing awareness in the connection with ourselves and the clay as a symbol of our connection with our immediate world. As our hands touch the clay, we will explore sensations in our hands, muscles, posture, mood, emotions, and other physical experiences. We will also explore our thoughts in the process. It is the goal of this event to allow us to experience and describe what happens with us and within us as we sculpt in a judgement free environment.

This event is available for only 10 participants in a first come, first serve basis. Individuals interested in this event can get more information here or by emailing questions, and must RSVP to participate. I am sure this is going to be an unforgettable time. Join us!

Spirituality: The Fourth Domain

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FreedomThree domains are commonly accepted in the learning process: cognitive (thinking), affective (feelings and emotions), and psychomotor (physical skills). These domains interact with each other forming the perception of ourselves and our capacities to achieve our goals, directly affecting our behavior in relationship with environmental stimuli. The interrelationship also includes influential interaction between the environment and the domains. These interactions create a battle between what we think, how we feel, and what we are physically capable of, how we perceive and interpret our environment, how we perceive ourselves, and how we behave and react in response. I am entertaining the idea that spirituality is being neglected as a domain in itself and diluted within the cognitive and the affective domain. What if spirituality is, as the other three domains are, a domain in itself? How much or our lives is influenced by spirituality? What if spirituality is neither logic or emotions? What if neglecting spirituality as a domain in itself is like driving a car with three wheels when it should have four?

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Spirituality has been linked to every culture since the beginning of time. Many civilizations based their existence on their spiritual practices. Daily living, politics, laws, art, and architecture are some examples. In modern and contemporary society, even though many claim an absolute separation from spiritual principles, it is possible to observe an awakening of spirituality. It is important to understand and differentiate spirituality from ritualistic practices. On one way or another, the influence of spirituality is as strong as the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains in developing a perception of the self and our capabilities, and how we respond to our environment. Therefore, I propose an inclusion of the spiritual domain as an active component of the interactions between the self and the environment, and an influencer in the learning process.

The plan for my paper is to develop a relationship between the elements comprising this idea. I want to define the characteristics of each one of the domains and how, while different from each other, they are interdependent. It is my intention to differentiate between abstract functions and those that are tangible and measurable. This differentiation includes separating environmental stimuli and how they are perceived. Moreover, I want to use these definitions and relationships to develop understanding how these elements, by themselves and in combination, influence behavior and specifically our attitude and aptitudes towards learning. Understanding will lead to practical and theoretical considerations to develop awareness of our own processes, as well as strategies for modification and balancing of the influences of the domains. It is my expectation that through the exploration of this idea of spirituality as the fourth domain can shed insights in addressing people and their learning processes with a holistic approach.

No Title Yet

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Sunday night I drew a sketch on a canvas. Monday morning I began a painting. Tuesday afternoon it was done. Each part of the process was great. One thing I can’t stretch enough is to maintain awareness of what’s going on in the process of creation and execution, and what goes on inside the mind. That awareness can transform the way an art piece is approached. It can also change the way an art moment is perceived. Such awareness brings also a greater connection with the work and the surroundings.

So, I did. From the time I began drawing I tried to study each moment. I reviewed my technique and provided closed attention to how I wanted to proceed to painting it. At that moment I had a good idea of what I wanted to do. To my surprise, the brush strokes began flowing better than I thought possible while I painted the background. The colors came together nicely. Once the colorful background was complete, I began working with the figure.

549318_10150558024964956_1284033348735649579_nI tried to understand each shadow and each brush stroke leading to the shades I wanted to achieve. I was looking for an almost monochromatic figure and at the end it was accomplished. I wanted to pay close attention to the face and the detail of the eyes and I am very satisfied with the results. I really enjoyed working on this painting. I can’t stop staring at it, specially at the details. There is no title yet for this painting but I am considering working on a new painting following these steps. That is another upside of the awareness I mentioned before: by keeping track of the steps and technique it is possible to reproduce them in a new project. Now that the painting is ready for sale, I am ready to begin a new one.

To Be Aware Is to See

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emerging

I watched a commercial on television that really got my attention because I do the same thing. I’m not sure what the product was or what exactly the narrative was about but I found it very interesting. There is a guy taking a train ride looking at people, their expressions, the silent screen of their eyes, the happiness of the moment, the gestures of the hands, what they are wearing, and how they conduct themselves. As the man observes them he explains how he takes all this untold stories into his music. I believe it was music. Honestly can’t recall. However, this awareness is one of the most important characteristics for artists who want their art to be meaningful to people. If artists can ‘see’ people beyond the presence of a person standing or sitting there, they can take it to their art, and their art in return will take it back to the people. People then can connect with the art, the artist, and back to themselves.

To be aware is to see. Seeing in a meaningful way requires a higher degree of consciousness beyond the image transmitted from the eyes to the brain. To see is to connect to the world outside with watchful discernment. Requires for us to be alert and sensitive to the unspoken messages of the surroundings. That sensitivity comes from personal awareness. Without self-awareness we are disconnected from the outside world and we can distort or misinterpret external messages. Discernment leads to revelation. The revelation that allows us to see beyond what is in front of our eyes that transmitted into our art is capable of touching lives.

An interesting aspect of awareness is knowledge. If we add knowledge to what we see we can make objective interpretations based on facts. I mean objective as objective gets. We all know that a completely objective interpretation of the world around us is completely subjective based on our values, beliefs, and understanding. The sky can be blue for some but others can see it dark. Understanding why others see it differently than us is a result of knowledge which turns a subjective interpretation into an objective interpretation of the attributions behind it. We can be sensitive to that interpretation from someone else without surrendering our interpretation or our personal beliefs.