Inner Journeys with Anne Marie Bennett Integrating the Practice of SoulCollage® into Your Daily Life Too Much of A Good Thing? I first stumbled across the above quotation when I was working in the corporate world. These words of Mae West were worked brightly in cross-stitch, carefully framed, and hanging in my boss's office. She was a sophisticated woman, a bit older than me, and truth be told, I always felt a bit intimidated by her. I was drawn to the quote, although I didn't exactly understand it....but I didn't want to admit it to myself. It seemed to deal with the ideas of excess and abundance, and I was definitely not comfortable thinking about any of that! So I shrugged the quotation off as something that "a woman like her" would believe in. Now I'm looking at the quote again, in the context of SoulCollage, and seeing it in a whole new light. If you've been to one of my workshops, you've probably heard me reference this passage as we approach the table where thousands of images lie spread out, waiting for new homes on new SoulCollagers' cards. I say the words with a lilt in my voice and everyone usually laughs a bit, but I mean it seriously, and I mean it with all my heart. Having TOO MANY SoulCollage images IS indeed a wonderful thing! In fact, I don't think you can ever have "enough." It's taken me a while to get comfortable with this concept, though. When I attended my first workshop, Noelle Remington had hundreds of images and even more magazines spread out over the countertops in the little mobile trailer we were creating in out behind the hotel where the Art and Soul Retreat was taking place. My soul simply soared at the sheer abundance of images present for my choosing. And I distinctly remember her encouraging us to take more of the images and magazines home with us. At first I was feeling a little shy about it; I didn't want to be labeled as "greedy." Of course, I had to fly home the next day, so there was no way I was going to carry 50 magazines home with me on the plane! But there was a part of me who was beginning to embrace the idea of being worthy of abundance....and she won out over the part of me who thought I might be being greedy. I carried as many magazines as my tote bag and arms could hold back to my hotel room with me and spent a deliciously exciting and soul-satisfying evening ripping images out of those magazines. I can only imagine what the housekeeper thought in the morning when she came to clean out my room! And I find that this opening to the idea of having more than enough (of having too much of a good thing) has rippled outwards and spread through my life in other ways besides images for my cards. I find myself more open now to allowing myself to have what I want for myself: a huge cardboard box full of hundreds of crayons, a whole day once a week to explore my art, an hour to sit in a chair and read, an extra serving of homemade pie if I'm still hungry, a boatload of kisses from my stepson's boys. Reflection/Activity of the Week: This week, think about the concept of "too much of a good thing." Meditate on the idea of abundance. In what areas of your life are you opening up and allowing excess to be a good thing? In what areas of your life are you blocking the flow of abundance? Can you get in touch with the parts of your Inner Committee who are blocking it? Make a SoulCollage card to honor one of them this week. Listen to their story. See if they let up a bit and allow you to experience abundance in a new way.

Soul Friends The Voice of a Different Kindred Spirit Each Week Lois Parks DeCastro San Francisco, California I had heard SoulCollage mentioned from time to time in some of my online groups and I was curious. As a dedicated collage and mixed media artist, I was really drawn to the name SoulCollage because I knew that the origin of my work was always very deep within. I didn't look into what SoulCollage actually was, however, until enormous health challenges struck our family and I was needing something "therapeutic" for lack of a better word, from my art. It was indeed odd to me but certainly an important synchronicity that I got such a loud inner message that SoulCollage was something I needed to look into right away. I always follow my instincts and I certainly am glad in this case that I did once again. I believe that SoulCollage is an extremely valuable tool for anyone, but especially those of us that need to express ourselves visually. I find it most useful when I get very caught up in a difficult circumstance or situation or when I am swallowed up by the demands of a problem. It's at those times I most need to hold on to myself, remember all of who I am, be reminded of my strengths and not succumb to the undertow that is the problem. SoulCollage has been instrumental in helping me stay balanced during extremely challenging times. Also, the experience of facilitating SoulCollage has been fantastic. I'm able to connect with people I would never have the opportunity of meeting. I love the way a SoulCollage experience immediately takes people beyond the superficialities that exist and allows us to really know each other, with less pretense and formality. My workshops are just three hours long, and I'm always moved and amazed at what happens within the group in that amount of time. It's magical and really quite miraculous. The SoulCollage discovery process has also strengthened my other art as well -- there is more of me in it. Some suggestions for newcomers: First, keep it simple. One doesn't need to do more to Seena's process to make it powerful. It is truly very simple indeed. Also, I would say that the most profound truths are sometimes the simplest. Second, make it your own. I never step very far outside the process but I appreciate and seem to need the freedom to do so. I've added a few things of my own but I don't bring in any other spiritual practices to distract. Frequently I make cards on 8/12 x 11 paper or card stock so I can work quickly and not worry too much about fitting the card size. Then I reduce it on my scanner/copier, crop it and paste it all as one sheet on the 5"x7" mat board. It seems to remove some of the mechanical problems in card making such as image sizes that don't fit...etc. I also encourage new SoulCollagers to use no more than 3 or 4 images on a card. I often use as few as two. Although I have many cards that are more complex, the examples I'm providing use just two images. This does two things, it enables the artist in me to step back and my non-artist inner voice to dominate the SoulCollage process. At first I couldn't stop focusing on the aesthetics of the card and it seemed to get in the way of things. Simplifying card making enables me to more easily get to a clear message. As one gets more advanced in the process, the images can become more complex with more bits and pieces but to start, I really think simpler is better (unless of course you are compelled to work another way, then you must go with your own flow). In workshops I work directly on my own cards along with my students. I want to give a big thank you to Seena, Kylea, and Anne Marie for sharing your knowledge and talents so freely. I am very grateful to have learned so much. Their candor, talent, generosity and amazing creativity have been a real gift to me. Please visit my website, Afternoon Arts. Here are two of Lois's favorite SoulCollage cards: Fast As I Can Suit: Committee I am one who is peddling as fast as I can. I am one dissatisfied with the status quo and trying hard to advance. Sometimes, I go too fast, take a tumble and crash. I am one who is bruised and scratched. I am one who gets up and keeps right on peddling. The Quiet Observer Suit: Committee I am one who quietly watches, listens and observes. I am one who may sit alone on the sidelines. I am one who is cautious wanting not to offend, but also needing to speak my truth. I am one who is comfortable with my own company and solitude .