Hello Friends,
Thank you for all the delicious questions you've been asking about my SoulCollage® offering. I have another session coming up very soon so I'd like to take a few minutes to talk about this practice; it's a useful tool to have in your nourishment kit.
I don't know about you, but lately I'm feeling the need to ground myself in both humor and grace as I struggle to make sense of the tumultuous world we inhabit. That's what I take from this SoulCollage® practice each time I pause to engage with my cards.
Humor and grace.
First, SoulCollage® is a practice ... and a process. I discovered SoulCollage® about a decade ago while I was still teaching small children. The cards I created were both surprising and insightful. I used them as entry points for journal writing. I had a fairly decent understanding of the "suits" in a SoulCollage® deck, but that wasn't my focus at the time. I simply used my cards to deepen and expand my journal.
Making these little collages appealed to my creative heart.
My SoulCollage® cards took on a much deeper meaning when my dad passed away in June of 2014. I returned to my cards in earnest. They greeted me in my grief. This time I used the process fully ... every nudge and nuance. I discovered the breadth and depth of SoulCollage®.
Because this process has so many layers and entry points, it can be difficult to explain it in words. So, I’d like to take you on picture walk through my process and let the cards speak for themselves.
I ease into my day in the usual way. Stretch. Exercise. Drop into the Facebook 'rabbit hole' to see what my online friends are up to and ... BAM. News of the Orlando massacre crosses my screen. Hello world. Hello violent, crazy, soul-crushing world. It's you again. I find myself going through the motions of my day, feeling overwhelmed by sadness and grief. I text my nephew. I need to hear his voice. I need to know that he's okay, that this homophobic world has not taken him down.
He's reading Anne Lamott.
"She gives me at least a shred of hope to latch onto. Thank goodness for the writers and artists," he texts.
He is handling this tragedy so much better than I.
I turn to the pile of images on my desk to create a new card. It's almost as though they assemble themselves. Another angel appears. That makes three angel cards in one week, just when I need them most. In SoulCollage® we call this synchronicity. I study my card and write the first words that pop into my head.
Today the world feels sliced
and splintered.
I stand on ground that
holds only the lightest
most fleeting forms.
I am one who seeks
Divine Guidance.
Another card assembles itself. I step into the image and I let
it speak. No edits. No analysis. No interpretation at all at this point. I let the words flow. I open the channel to my unconscious mind.
I am one who does not crack
beneath the weight of broken
threads.
Stone cold.
Yet, drawn to the warmth
of the light.
I am visiting a friend at the beach. A few of my cards accompany me but, for the most part, they remain quietly nestled in my suitcase. I'm snapping photos in the early morning light when my SoulCollage® practice makes an appearance. I'm finding 'soul' in the sand. My eyes open a little wider. This is not just my creative heart making art. This is an exercise in opening.
I am one who holds creatures
large and small.
My form changes
to accommodate waves
and wonder.
I am one who weathers storms
and watches water.
Father's Day approaches and with it, the anniversary of my father's death. I miss his laugh, the way he colored every meal we shared with the words, "It's a party!" I think about all the ways he continues to color my life and to nurture me from beyond the veil. I create a SoulCollage® card to honor him and to bring his wisdom into my deck. I am reminded of a quote by Mark Nepo: "This is how the heart makes a duet of wonder and grief."
I guided you gently in life.
I guide you gently in death.
I am one who reminds you that
joy
is your birthright.
Find me in all that you do
and in all that you create.
There is so much more I could tell you about this process but I want to leave you with the lighter side of SoulCollage®. While this can, indeed, be a deeply spiritual practice, there is also much humor and laughter and loving intention. We even create cards for the various parts of our personalities that drive us to distraction. I have a card for my inner critic. I named her Ms. Saboteur. When her voice gets especially strong, I pull her out of my deck and I remove her from the very room in which I'm writing or creating. That gives me sooooooooo much more room to create.
illustration on this card by Amy Meissner, 2001, used with permission
I am your inner critic.
I am one who nudges you
and rattles you
and undermines the very ground
you stand on.
I will turn your world upside down
if you let me.
I’m just trying to keep you safe.
Truly I am.
One last story ... a couple weeks ago I was struggling to use my voice where it needed to be heard. That afternoon, on a visit to my local market, I found myself searching the beer aisle for my hubby's favorite brew. A young woman who works there noticed me staring intently at all the labels "Do you like IPAs?" she asked. Truthfully? I have no idea what kind of beer I like, but I do know my husband generally chooses IPA so I said, "Yes!" She introduced me to a beer called: Raging Bitch. Oh my, talk about synchronicity. I can't wait to create a card for my "Inner Bitch."
Okay, friends, I hope this gives you a little window into my SoulCollage® practice. You can read more about it on my
web page. The next introductory session takes place on Sunday, July 10th via conference call, email, and a private Facebook forum where you can post and practice for five straight days. If you can't make the "live" call, you'll have the MP3 recording to enjoy at your leisure. I hope to see you on the roster!
I believe we're hungry for more meaningful, soulful connections in our lives. That's the container I hope to create for you when you enter my SoulCollage® Circle.
With warmth, abundance, and ease,
Kind Words from the SoulCollage® Circle
"I knew I was meant to take this class. You are such a skilled, compassionate and gentle facilitator, Sue Ann. You envelop people in a conscious, comforting and creative essence. I feel so seen, held and nourished in your presence. Thanks for holding such a wonderful safe space for us. Deep bow to you … and this important work. It seems you were born for this kind of thoughtful reflection, nurturing and gentle guiding. Thank you phenomenal woman!"
—Electra Ariail
"What really has me excited about Soul Collage is that I get to create cards for the various pieces of me: the filmmaker, the caregiver, the artist, the chef. And, cards for the people in my life who carry a particular wisdom, like how my grandmother always had an open door, all welcome. I love how these cards help me tap into a wholeness that I often forget in the busyness of my days. You have a gift for creating safe, sacred spaces for learning. I can't wait to continue this journey with you!"
—Cami Flake
"I am one who - loves SoulCollage®, who could easily find it addictive, who found wisdom and hidden depths and intuitive messages within the collages I created that hold, as yet, untold stories. thank you."
—Mary McConnell
"Beautiful Sue Ann, I just wanted to thank you so much for your ‘Introduction to Soul Collage®’. For me, the experience was both moving and profound. The processes and practices you introduced in this course have opened up new gateways to my own intuitive wisdom. They are also proving to be a delightful and playful source of creative renewal. Your facilitation of the initial call and the Facebook dialogues ensured that our sharings and discussions were enriching and heart-centred. I loved that you introduced us to some broad principles and established ways of working, whilst all the time stressing that there are no hard and fast rules and that the processes are ones that invite us to make them our own. I cannot wait for the deeper dive to begin."
—Karen Littleton
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