Making art, according to Cathy Malchiodi, may be as important to your physical and spiritual health as balanced nutrition, regular exercise, or meditation. Expressing yourself creatively—through drawing, painting, sculpture, photography—allows you to tap into a source of inner wisdom that provides guidance, soothes emotional pain, and revitalizes your being.
The Soul's Palette reveals art's transformative powers. Exercises include working with materials for drawing, painting, sculpting, and collage; simple drawing and journal projects; self-guided meditations and affirmations; ideas for cultivating intuition, inspiration, and spontaneity; exploring personal symbols; and making art a spiritual practice.
"Cathy Malchiodi is masterful in gathering and arranging the best of art's healing qualities. Carry The Soul's Palette with you each day like a Persian saddle book and awaken to worlds inside and out, reflections on the nature of art, and irresistible invitations to practice."—Shaun McNiff, author of Art as Medicine and Trust the Process
"Cathy Malchiodi is a modern-day medicine woman who knows the cure is within. The Soul's Palette is like an eye-opening journey to the Grand Canyon of creativity and healing in the company of a seasoned guide."—Jan Phillips, author of Marry Your Muse, God Is at Eye Level, and Making Peace
Cathy Malchiodi, PhD (www.cathymalchiodi.com) is an art therapy maven, leading international expert, independent scholar, and author in the fields of art therapy and art in healthcare. Cathy is a research psychologist, mental health counselor, and licensed and board certified art therapist. She is a co-founder of Art Therapy Without Borders, Inc, an world-wide group dedicated to providing art therapy information, educational programs, and service, and the founder of the global networking group, International Art Therapy Organization. A popular speaker, Cathy has given over 300 invited keynotes, workshops, and courses throughout the United States, Canada, and around the world. She has been an Adjunct Professor at Lesley University's Expressive Therapies Department for over 20 years and has been a visiting professor at numerous universities throughout the US and Europe.
Cathy is a recognized advocate, visionary, change-agent, and innovator of art therapy programs for children, adolescents, adults, and families, particularly with survivors of trauma. Cathy is a Board Certified and Licensed Professional Art Therapist, Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, and Certified Trauma Specialist, Level III. She has been involved in a wide variety of community, national, and international agencies, including the National Institute for Trauma and Loss in Children, Issues Deliberation America/Australia, American Art Therapy Association, and Save the Children Foundation, helping to create a global art therapy initiative for children in need in the West Bank and Africa. Cathy has also served on the boards of American Counseling Association (ACA), serving as the first Representative from the Association for Creativity in Counseling (ACC); Association for Humanistic Counseling (President); American Art Therapy Association (AATA); and on numerous national and international boards in mental health, counseling, arts, and public service. In honor of her clinical and academic contributions, Cathy is the only person to have received all three of the American Art Therapy Association's highest honors: Distinguished Service Award, Clinician Award, and Honorary Life Member Award. She has also received national honors from the Kennedy Center and Very Special Arts (VSA). She is an active participant in the Society for the Arts in Healthcare, serving on their ethics and research committees and as Special Interest Group Leader for Medical Art Therapy.
Cathy is regularly interviewed by the news media in publications such as Prevention, Better Homes & Garden, Family Circle, Cosmopolitan, Psychology Today, Congressional Quarterly, Alternative & Complementary Therapies, Boston Globe, New York Times, US News & World Report, and in other print and internet sources.
This review is from: The Soul's Palette: Drawing on Art's Transformative Powers (Paperback)
This is a great book for tapping into that inner voice, taking some time to be quiet with ourselves and just plain have some artsy-craftsy fun. The book sarts with some intro chapters that provide short stories/examples of the healing power of art through the ages - from Buddah to present day folks. From there it talks about "being mindful" - here there's discussion of drawing things from your dreams, using your imagination, etc. I love the section that talks about the difference between "curing" (where you remove all evidence of the disease) and "healing" (a more spiritual transformation of repairing and connecting, gaining a peace.) Again, there are lots of stories andexamples within the text which makes it interesting reading. The next few chapters go into getting in touch with your soul's palette - rediscovering what you see as "art", remembering your own personal history as an artist,paying attention to symbols. Next there's a whole chapter on different mediums to play around with (water color, clay, pen & ink, chalk, etc. Then she gets into playing around with art, being creative, letting ourselves free to create. There are short exercises throughout to help get you rolling and there are great discussions on things like howe to talk to your images/embrace them and create meaning around them. Then there's the healing aspect - one excerise is "paint or draw your emotional response to illness" another is "use color to sooth your symptom." There's also a section that talks about keeping a journal. Overall a really excellent book that I've enjoyed. Its fun, and there are so many interesting ideas/information woven in. Symbols have always been of interest to me and there's some interesting info on that in here too.
The chapters in the book are as follows:
- Rediscovering the Soul's Palette - Creativity as a Healing force - Knowing materials and creating space - Visual symbols as messengers, guides and friends - Letting your images tell their stories - Images as a path to physical well-being - Art as reparation and restoration - Nuturing the sacred - Sharing the Artist within
I definitely recommend this book for someone looking to open up/get in touch with that quiet voice. I have a clay cup that has a saying written on it - "When in doubt, listen quietly to yourself." This book helps you listen to that quiet voice.
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This review is from: The Soul's Palette: Drawing on Art's Transformative Powers (Paperback)
This book is an inspiration! On every page, in every section there is something to draw on to expand one's spiritual and artistic expression. The mandala information is very good. The pocket shrines are also wonderful to make with or for children. They really respond to them. I was encouraged, uplifted, and inspired to create more art, and as a result learned more about me in 40 days, than I have in 10 years. If there was one art/spirituality book (that wasn't a single technique) that everyone needs for their bookshelf...it is this one. Don't miss it!
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This review is from: The Soul's Palette: Drawing on Art's Transformative Powers (Paperback)
I loved this book! It's a fast read, but rich - full of great advice and suggestions for art activities that tap into the inner self. The author tells of her Catholic upbringing, but shares information on a variety of faiths and how they explore self through art. I'm teaching art to adults, and found it a very relevant resource. I also recommend it to anyone seeking to explore art in a playful, low-pressure way.
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