🌄 Day 280/365
Processing a lot of emotions these last few days. I think my Art Therapy project (on Patreon) is working even better than I imagined. “Better” doesn’t always mean fun though — doing the intense, emotional work of facing yourself is deeply healing, but can sting a bit (or a lot) in the meantime. My first Art Therapy topic has been Shock. It seemed fitting for what I was currently going through. I’m about halfway through my work on this topic (the 2nd of four parts will be posted on Wednesday) and it’s really unlocked a bunch of subsequent emotions I wasn’t expecting. (Which is good, it’ll lead straight into next month’s project.) Firstly, I’ve written through my experiences in recent months that brought this shock on. I wrote it all down, got it all out there. I took the scary, shocking elements out of my head and got them down on paper (well… in an internet post.) Afterwards, I began preparation for making the associated art. I sat quietly in nature, I meditated, I let the feeling wash over me. Then I started working out how to process these feelings through art. I’m ready now for the next two steps — gathering appropriate ingredients for creating something and the finale — making the art itself!
Already, this weekend, I could feel the shock wearing off, morphing into something else. I wasn’t expecting this art-medicine to work so fast. The first two segments of each four-part series is where the real emotional alchemy happens, I guess. Making the art is simply the culmination of all that heavy work.
I’m just kind of shocked it’s working so well.
(I would love to share my Art Therapy sessions free with the whole world, but I have to keep certain things private for my paying Patrons — it’s one of the ways I keep myself afloat as an artist! And my Patrons are very special to me, it’s a close-knit community of friends and supporters and this work is for sharing with them exclusively. Fortunately it only costs $2 a month to participate in this important work. I have well over a year’s worth of topics planned, so if you would like to join us in processing emotions through art and therapy — we would be honored to have you! patreon.com/shaylamaddox )
This sunrise was captured in Kihei, Maui at 6:17am on the 3rd of April, 2023.
Printed on lustre photo paper. Three sizes available, including a commemorative 16x20 inch print! All images, big or small, can be printed with or without the date and time. Just ask!
Shipping included. Can be printed even larger on request.Â