Kickapoo Creative Writing Fall 2013

Thursday, October 3, 2013

circle{s} of life

I hope you enjoyed the process of coloring the printed mandala designs in class on Thursday and then creating a circle of your own in your journal with elements from your own life that make you feel happy, centered, whole, yourself, etc.  Mandalas are important to a variety of cultures, faiths and schools of thought...

You can create some interesting mandalas at this site.  If you click on the asterisks, there is more information about the different elements.

Leave a brief but thoughtful comment on this post answering one or more of these questions:
  • How or why do you think art could be used as therapy?
  • Can you think of other pieces of or types of art that are connected to certain faiths, disciplines or movements?
  • What elements/symbols did you include in your own mandala?
  • What role does art play in your own life?
  • If you could be any kind of artist, what would you be?  Why?

24 comments:

  1. -I think art is used as therapy because it takes people to a different place, and allows them to escape reality even for a few short moments.
    -In my own life, art is used to express myself, escape myself, and even protect myself sometimes.

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  2. I personally don't believe this art could be used as therapy but other kinds could be because you are do repetitive things or something. The Christine Chapel ceiling is a piece of art made in the renaissances time. I had a snake and a owl because its harry potter related, hehe. Art is kind of important because it helps me come up with new story ideas. If I could be an artist I would be an abstract artist because then I don't have to be good at drawing people.

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  3. I think art can be used for therapy for many different reasons. Art is a way for a person to express themselves when they can't through words with others. Art cab help people get through difficult times in their lives and also soothes the soul.

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  4. I think art is used as a form of therapy because it takes concentration. You can put everything aside and focus on your art. You could also use art to express your emotions. You could paint, draw, or create anything to express whatever you’re feeling at the time. I guess art plays a big role in our life, simply because there’s art in almost everything that we do! If I could be any kind of artist I would be a makeup artist, because I absolutely love makeup and fashion and the like.

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  5. If I could be any kind of artist, it would be a professional cartoonist. The best part about it is that there is no one solid job for cartoonists out there. There's a plethora of opportunities!

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  6. I think art can be a good stress reliever when you need a break from the real world. I'm not that great at drawing but I still enjoy putting music in and just drawing whatever comes to mind. It helps when you're mad to just have time alone to think and art definitely makes you think.

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  7. I think art would be a good reliable form of therapy and would allow patients to freely and accurately. and the good part about the art is no one needs to be in the room to ask questions they just need to see the art.

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  9. If you look at music as a form of art, then it is around me pretty much all the time. When I had to describe myself for the high school program I had to ask my friends because I didn't know what to say. One of them just shoved me her headphones: 'Because I never see you without them'. If music is not a form of art then art has nothing to do with me.

    A music artist, it is constantly around me and it is something I would enjoy doing. Although I am sure others would not enjoy me being a music artist as much, or at all...

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  10. I think art is used in some religions, faiths, and movements because art is really neat. It is the physical way to express emotions in some ways, and can really explain some feelings that cannot be put into words. Also some artworks can create emotions and feelings that can be easily linked to a faith or movement, for rituals and praises like meditation.

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  11. I think art could be used as a form of therapy because it tells you something you don't know. When you draw, you draw what you're feeling at that time. It can open you to show what is really happening in your mind.

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  12. If I could be any kind of artist I would have to do something with the music form of art or graphic art and design. I'm a horrible drawer/ painter, thus my art areas of expertise are very limited.

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  13. In my own mandala I included ice cream, because I love sweets. I included hearts because I think love is the most important thing in life, I included "zzz's" because I love to sleep. And lastly, I included crosses because my faith is very important to me.

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  14. Art has played quite a role in my life. I've been shown countless different forms of art, some creative, others not so much, but they've all taught me one valuable thing. Art has taught me how to be creative. And, looking at other people's art recently, there is no such thing as "bad art." It is either art, or it isn't.

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  15. If I could be any kind of artist, I would either be a collage artist. I’m not very good at drawing, but I think I can take something that is already created and make it into something else. The actual labor of a collage isn’t that hard; anybody can cut and paste. The hardest part of collages is arranging the pieces just right. I do believe that I have a good eye for color. I have tried making some collages in my free time just to feel constructive, but I’ve never really taken them seriously.

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  16. I think art in therapy go hand in hand because its pretty relaxing when you're stressed out to doodle, play an instrument, paint, or whatever. it gets your mind off what you've been stressed about because it gives you an opportunity to focus on something new that could potentially give you the answer to your initial problem.

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  17. I feel that art is used as therapy because the many different aspects, colors, textures, etc. let you imagine things that are peaceful helping you calm down. It is something that helps me relax and it would make sense to use it as a therapy.

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  18. In my mandala I used stuff that makes me happy, or means something to me like, the sun and flowers, even a rainbow. Those are things that make me happy because they are warm and colorful. Music and Coffee are also a couple of things in mine, and those are two things that are in my life daily.

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  19. I honestly think that art can be used as therapy because when YOU sketch or draw something you can always tell how someone is feeling based on what they create. Especially in little kids, they draw what they feel or whats going on in their mind. Music, photography, or simply drawing, when you're listening to music, or taking pictures, or sketching out a little drawing you can just express yourself in any way possible. Listening to music lets me get away from everything and just relax. Taking photos show my creativity and sometimes how I am feeling at the moment.

    And if I could be any kind of artist I would LOVE to be a photographer. Reason being is I really enjoy taking pictures, messing around with different types of pictures, seeing what I can do and what I need to work on. I just really enjoy it.

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  20. Prophetic painting is very common in my cousin's church. Artists and even people who have never picked up a paintbrush in their lives paint whatever comes to mind during worship and usually beautiful pieces are the end result. Its very fascinating.

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  21. I would, as you probably could have guessed, be a song artist. I consider music art, and so art plays an enormous role in my life. I love to sing, write, and listen to music! I wish that I could just do those three things all day, everyday. I swear I would never tire of them!

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  22. I think/ know art can be used as therapy because it helped me get through some hard times. It’s a place where I can go and do what I want. I don’t have to worry that people don’t like it because it’s mine. So for me it’s a place to release.

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  23. think that it could be used to calm the mind because you have to be focused for the piece. I think that sculpting will make you calm and focused also. I included allot of curvy lines to my own piece because they take time to place just right. Art does not play a big part in my life at all, I never have the time to do it. If I could be any artist it would be a cartoonist because they are my favorite, they have allot of freedom with what they do.

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  24. If I could be any kind of artist I'd be a photographer, because I think there is something really fascinating in capturing a single moment in time forever. I really enjoy it.

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