Your Original Creative Self

This is Kat Kirby, an artist and art therapist who lives in San Diego. You can see some of her beautiful work (pottery! mosaic! collage! painting!) at http://www.2katstudios.com/ or at http://www.kat4clay.blogspot.com/.

I asked Kat to share a favorite moment of creative inspiration:

"I feel faith in my ability as a creative person, and have felt it most strongly ever since I was first introduced to a process called "SoulCollage®. "It all started when I was at a luncheon for professionals working in the field of eating disorders (that in itself paints a strange word picture for me!), and the people at my table were sharing business cards and information. Being that I am an Art Therapist, my card is colorful and original, and someone asked me if I had ever done "SoulCollage®." I had not ever heard of it, so when I got home I googled it, and sure enough, I found instant inspiration! I immediately signed up for the "facilitator training" to allow me to learn the skills necessary to offer it to groups and individuals, as well as do the work myself.

When I started making my own cards, I soon found that the process is very engaging and easy and intuitive and fun. I believe that art is healing, and that whatever people create is fine, that there is no right or wrong with artmaking. As an art therapist, it is extremely important to remember this: people want to be creative, people want to express themselves, but many of them have lost their confidence in their innate creativity. I find myself working more as a guide, to help them recover the sense of play and fun that they had in kindergarten, that might have gotten knocked out of them by a strict art teacher or by hearing that "you can't have a blue cat" or "that doesn't look like an apple tree."

So inspiration comes to me from others....their yearning to return to their original creative selves. I love to help them find their way back."