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Quotation of the Week To live each day as if it were your last, you would be trying to remedy all the mistakes you had made, all the regrets, all the things unsaid. If you live each day as if it were your first, you are freed from all obligations, all guilt, all regret. - - - Breathing Space: Twelve Lessons for the Modern Woman by Katrina Repka and Alan Finger   Soul
FriendsThe Voice of a Different Kindred Spirit Each Week Lee Prouten Winnipeg, Canada My name is Lee Prouten, and I live in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, where I work as a clinical social worker in a community counseling centre. I am a relative newcomer to SoulCollage®, having been drawn to Seena Frost's website sometime in August of 2007. However, I have been creating digital collages on my computer for a number of years, and believe that I have been soul collaging since I first acquired a digital camera. I was first drawn to SoulCollage through a curious instance of synchronicity. A lot of my clinical work involves working with teenagers who are wards of Child and Family Services, and are living in foster homes. Many of these youngsters internalize their emotions, and when they come to me for therapy, they really "don't wanna talk about feelings." As a result, I like to introduce them to creative ways of expressing themselves - and I am always searching Amazon for new books on creative arts therapies. I regularly receive emails from that company making recommendations for books I might appreciate, based on my purchasing history. One day, Seena Frost's book SoulCollage was recommended, and I was intrigued. When I googled Seena's name, I found myself at her wonderful website, which I spent several hours exploring. What I saw there resonated strongly with me, and I decided to order the book. As I mentioned earlier, I have been creating digital collages for a number of years, but I had not thought to enter into a dialogue with them. I already knew that for me, digital photography is a sort of "walking meditation", wherein my focus narrows and intensifies, and allows me to see many things around me that I am not normally aware of. When I started working with the resulting images on my computer- cutting, rearranging, blending, and layering - I realized that the resulting collages were "chiarascuro snapshots" of my own internal life. Using Seena's "I am the one who..." exercise has allowed me to glean a deeper understanding of the contrasts, complexities, and contradictions that comprise my real self. Today, I use SoulCollage in my personal life to explore my relationships - with my selves, with others, and with The Source of all that is. In my professional life, I use SoulCollage to help others to de- and then re-construct their own personal stories of relationship - with their selves, the others in their lives and hopefully, through the process, helping them connect with The Source of their own understanding. Here are two of Lee's current favorite SoulCollage cards:  Saraswati's
SongA Council Card I am the one who plays the music you hear as waves lap the shore of a lake... I am the one who sings to you in dreamtimes. I bring you the gifts of music, art, and knowledge I am the one who reminds you to follow your spirit wherever it flows, as you travel from from darkness to light... I bid you to spend time in quiet contemplation. Remember me whenever you hear the sound of waves, whenever you cross a river, or whenever you seek to speak from your artist's soul. About the images used... Only one of the images in this card was one "captured" by me - and that is the one of the Goddess Saraswati. The two other images were borrowed, with great appreciation, from the work of other photographic artists, whose names I do not know. The three images were then melded into one using a computer program that is used by many photographers.  Night
Madonnas of Albert StreetA Committee Card I am the one who stands outside - on the edges of society - all the while dreaming of a better life. I am the one who finds community in dark places. I am the one who wishes to move into the light - and to become a person of substance, rather than a shadowy wraith who hides my true self. I want you to care about me, and remember that I could have been your child. I want you to hear my story with every fiber of your being. Think of me when you encounter a young person with 'tude - when you walk down the street late at night - when someone asks if you can spare some change - and remember that you can make a difference in that young person's life. About the images used... This card is comprised of four separate images, all collected by me, all within a five minute walk from my apartment. Once again, I have melded the images together, using my favourite piece of computer software...  SoulCollage
ExpressionsIdeas and Challenges to Spice Up Your SoulCollage Practice Challenge of the Week Create a Community Suit card for a teacher who was important to you, or a teacher who is important to you now.  Kindred
Spirits Member NewsMaking the Most of Your KaleidoSoul Membership It's really easy to get to your Members' Home Page: 1. Go to KaleidoSoul.com and click on the "Members Log In Here" Logo on the left, under the lavender menu buttons. 2. Type in your Member's Password and press the Enter Key. 3. If you've forgotten your Members' Password, please send a reply to this email and request that we re-send it to you. 4. Voila! You're on your Kindred Spirits Home Page! From here, you can access the Discount Shop, The Audio Library, all back issues of Soul Treasures and everything else.
Upcoming Tele-Classes and Presenters: February 2009 - How To Lead a SoulCollage Group if You're Not a Facilitator, with Imelda Maguire, SoulCollage Facilitator in Ireland. Looking for ideas on how to lead a SoulCollage group, whether or not you're a trained Facilitator? Imelda will share her years of experience leading SoulCollage. Please join us and share your own ideas too, or just hang out and listen. March 2009 - The Voices of Our Addictions: Transformation Through SoulCollage, with Kat Kirby, SoulCollage Facilitator and Art Therapist in San Diego. Shopping, food, Internet use, other people, drugs, alcohol... These are all things that serve us for a time, take away our pain, but no longer work for us. We'll use this hour together to talk about ways we can use SoulCollage to remind us of our authentic self, thereby freeing ourselves of our addictions and finding our way back to health.  Kindred
Spirits SoulCollage RetreatCome As You Are: Nurturing Self-Acceptance with SoulCollage, A Weekend Retreat June 25-28, 2009 Rolling Ridge Retreat Center Andover, Massachusetts There are only 5 spaces left.... is one of them for you? Note: As a special Holiday Gift to all of you, we're leaving the Early Bird prices in place for just a little while longer. Sign up now and save $100... also pay in several smaller monthly payments, so it's affordable for one and all!! Everything you need to know is on this KaleidoSoul page. New England SoulCollage Facilitator Training April17-19, 2009 in Litchfield, Connecticut. If you've been longing to take your SoulCollage practice out into the world by becoming an "official" Facilitator, then please join us for a beautiful spring weekend at Wisdom House. There's more information on this KaleidoSoul page. | |||||||
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by Medwyn Goodall. Beautiful and serene music that incorporates dolphin
sounds and laughter.
