"Art does not reproduce the visible, but makes visible."  Paul Klee

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While studying art at the University of California at Santa Cruz I almost failed a painting class. I was so blocked. I was stuck trying to bring something from my head onto the canvas. It was urgently necessary that I discover a new way of painting or I would fail the class. What I discovered had to do with letting go of how I thought it should be. At that time, it was important for me to learn to paint more from my heart than from my head, to follow a shadow of an idea, to pick up a brush and start. And then to take the next step, and the next, to respond to what was happening, again and again; To experience a process unfolding. This was an important lesson and helped me slowly let go of extensive control in my life. Absolute control is an illusion anyway. In all of this, I went through the kind of transformation that can come through creativity. Even then I was interested in art therapy, but did not have access to a program. Now, many years later, I am a certified art therapist. The threads in my life have come together. In the years between then and now, I continued my own art making practice, consisting of a lot of playing and experimenting. I have often taken classes with artists to learn from them. Below are a few links in case anyone needs some inspiration!

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