The Tussle of Life & Death

Welcome

Hi there!  I am so glad you are here and I really hope you enjoy my mixed media approach to exploring whatever comes up in you, Intuitively.

Many of you say you don't know where to start or what to do when faced with a blank piece of paper, canvas or board.  I share my Approach with you in the hope that it helps you to begin ...with YOU, Intuitively and in the moment. 

This isn't a 'thinking' or 'planning' activity but more of a going with your gut; your intuition.  It is like allowing your Inner Toddler out to look and touch and notice whatever grabs your interest...  You may get a sensation in your tummy/throat/heart, your gut/instinct says: 'Oooh, I love that image/colour/texture!' and tear it out or pour some onto a palette... 

We don't need to know why we are curious or intrigued by something, just Trust that the 'something' you are grabbed by, perhaps or even probably, 'speaks' for you or some aspect of your Life, right now or back then.

When I began this particular piece of art, I allowed myself to wander through all my stuff (there are many boxes of papers, old books, craft papers, paints, inks, pencils, pens, oil pastels, pastels...  beads, string, wires, all sorts of stuff in my Studio.

I am someone who needs A Lot...  a lot to choose from, a lot to excite and interest me... I do not fare well if I am restricted or restrained, held back, kept small, contained in a particular shape... I need freedom, spaciousness...  
How about YOU?  What do You know about Yourself?  What do YOU need?

Getting Started:  I noticed I wanted to gather up papers and so I did that. 
I didn't ask 'why?' or 'what are you going to do with this stuff?'  I just trusted that what I selected, based on how interested I felt in colours and shapes and imagery, would be needed for my creativity that day.

THIS activity in itself is very therapeutic.  We are TRUSTING ourselves, our Instinct, our Intuition...  we are going against 'conditioning' which is to be analytical, to plan, to know or think in advance.  We are developing our Intuitive Sensing and Trusting in ourselves that whatever we are doing will work out somehow.

I gathered up lots of small pieces of papers from old calendars, my own Tree art prints (you can find these in another course which you can download, print off and use).  I laid everything I had chosen out on a small board along with one of my Trees I had cut out previously.  I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do...

I was Trusting in the Process... 
My only intention is to allow my Body, my Fingers, my Intuition to lead the way...
This, I believe leads to greater confidence and self esteem, a reduction in stress levels and anxiety, it lifts our mood and relaxes our nervous system.

Tuning inward, doing what we want to do, or have an impulse to do, IS very therapeutic, growthful and life enhancing because we are NOT doing the planning/knowing 'thing' that we are conditioned to do in school/at home/in the wider world.  Instead we are trusting in our own Process of enquiry and discovery.

It is in the Critical questionning: "why are you doing this?!" that lowers our confidence and trust in our Process, knocking our self esteem further.

As soon as we begin to 'think' or 'plan' I believe our Inner Critic leaps out with mischief in mind.  It replicates our Family of Origin.  It wants to keep us small and within the bounds of the family system. 

It doesn't want us to grow and expand - possibly because we might bring judgement to ourselves or the family.  We might bring ridicule.  The Family needs us to stick in there with them in case they lose us. 

We all play an important role in the family system in our own unique way.

So these are some of the reasons why I invite you to completely give in to your inner toddler and curiosity and interest in what grabs your attention and not question this.
The only rule I have in my studio is:  "Don't eat the paint!"

This allows a spaciousness that often if not experienced in the World.

I film my whole experience for you so you have something to follow -
loosely or closely - or not...  This is entirely up to you...

Many people are faced with a blank board or sheet of paper and cannot begin.  They are afraid of making a mistake or being criticised...

I invite you to simply DO whatever you wish... I lead you through this in my videos. I want you to Trust in whatever you are drawn towards; colours, materials, textures, images that interest you and to hold space for anything to emerge on your Container.

Your Container could be paper, board, canvas, something else...

This is so exciting!


Whatever you create, even if you follow me very closely...  it will be completely different and unique to you. 

What arises in you because of the papers or images or colours that you select will 'speak' directly to and for you just as mine 'speak' to and for me.  

What arises in my piece of art is my fear of Death, my awareness that my Life is probably half way through if not more, that I have a part of me that is totally unaware, wandering along sniffing the flowers...  (you will see this in the Deer image I chose on video) and another part of me is very aware of Death and keeping an eye out for that Deer (which emerges in the image of a little Fox looking back).

Death is symbolised by the image of a Skull resting against the foot of my Tree which I create in the very beginning with no clue what I am going to create or explore.

All of this and so much more, you will see and hear about in my five videos which captures the whole process.  I will teach you, experientially - through your own creativity - how all this intuitive collage and mixed media 'works'.

If 5,000 Participants creates, using my process in my videos... 5,000 unique pieces of mixed media art will emerge and speak of that individual's Life, Loves, Struggles, Hopes, Dreams, Desires and more.  It is Wonderful and it excites me hugely!

I LOVE and feel Proud of what I have created in my Approach to Therapeutic Art.

As you work your way through this process I invite you to get interested in the images you select which could be torn from an old childrens book, wrapping paper, greetings cards, music paper, stamps, maps.  Listen to yourself as you create...  hear the stories, events and people that arise in you as you create...  as I do/did.

I share all of my process on camera so you can Learn 'how to' as you create.

The more true to your own process and choices, the better this will be.
Even if you cannot make any sense of colours and images...  Even if you do not know what is represented in your work...  TRUST it is 'right' as in it 'speaks' for you.

Lots goes on at a very deep, unconscious level as we work between colour, texture, imagery, symbols and ourselves.  It's like looking in a mirror.  We don't need words or to make sense of things... and we can if we want to make things explicit.

If you are in one of my online groups with me, and you would like to, upload images of whatever you are choosing, how you feel, how it's going, if you have journaled...  Share and Share and Share and tag my name Kas Martin and I will meet you there and answer questions or chat with you in the comments where you have posted.

Please relate to yourself with compassion, kindness, love, empathy, acceptance.

These are important ways of Being that will bring about incredible personal growth for you.  Your Stress and Anxiety will reduce, your mood will Lift, you may experience Joy that you have never experienced before.  Your Health may improve, symptoms may ease (like headaches, pain, fatigue) and you may draw others towards you in ways you never have before.


Although you will not hear directly about Theory in my videos, I am informed by many theories and practices and would like to acknowledge some of these below:

I was trained initially in Client Centred Psychotherapy.  Deep work from the concepts of Carl Rogers.  I am also informed by Carl Jung, Family Constellations from Bert Hellinger shared with me by the wonderful Sheila McCarthy-Dodds. 

I am also informed by Eric Berne's Transactional Analysis but more from the Relational TA concepts than pure TA. 

I hold in mind Trauma & Somatic Experience along with Body Therapy. 

I bring 22+ years of Practice & Training as a Therapist, Coach and Artist to my work and share as much as I can with participants as part of my appreciation towards those who have shared their theories and knowledge with me.  

I truly hope you enjoy and embrace my process and I would absolutely delight and love to see whatever you create through this experience.

You can connect with me in my online group:
Unleash Your Potential & Dream Big:  
https://www.facebook.com/groups/489994494753593/
Here you can upload all your pics of how it begins, through the whole process to the final piece... if you get stuck and want to throw the whole thing out of the window... tag me, I will help you!

I want to SEE Everything HEAR about it all!  I want to know you through your Art.

Or, drop me an email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The five videos are below...  PLEASE Don't rush anything...  Take your time, go slowly, the slower you go and the more true you are to your materials - as in you select what really interests you - the better this will all be.

AND  you can do it all again and again and you will make many different peices of art from this process, as with all my eCourses!

My Approach will gift you the ability to create authentic art that is your Voice for your entire Life and I am Proud of this and LOVE everything I do.

Enjoy and Be Loving with yourself!

with love
Kas


!!  IMPORTANT  !!   Video Password:  ArtKas