What art student doesn't groan at the hackneyed problems too often assigned in art classes, such as a still life and chianti bottles, old chairs, and large cloths draped over the whole scene? Here, in the first book ever of its kind, is a collection of interesting and original ideas for drawing...
Music is not only fun, but it's also the foolproof way to family harmony and connection—it can soothe a crying baby, engage an active toddler, entertain during long car rides, and help everyone get through daily chores.
"Whenever illness is associated with loss of soul," writes Shaun McNiff, "the arts emerge spontaneously as remedies, soul medicine." The medicine of the artist, like that of the shaman, arises from his or her relationship to "familiars"—the themes, methods, and...
The field of art therapy is discovering that artistic expression can be a powerful means of personal transformation and emotional and spiritual healing. In this book, Shaun McNiff, a leader in expressive arts therapy for more than three decades, reflects on a wide spectrum of activities aimed at...
Art is a spiritual pathnot a religion, but a practice that helps us knit together the ideals and convictions that guide our lives. Creating art can be prayer, ritual, and remembrance of the Divine. And the sharing of this creativity with others in small groups can serve as sanctuary, asylum,...
Making art—giving form to the images that arise in our mind's eye, our dreams, and our everyday lives—is a form of spiritual practice through which knowledge of ourselves can ripen into wisdom. This book offers encouragement for everyone to explore art making in this spirit of self-discovery—...
Feelings either flow naturally, like a river, or get dammed up. If our emotions become blocked, we can become tense, unhappy, anxious, or depressed. This book offers simple techniques for using art to embrace, understand, and release our emotions so that we can experience a greater sense of well-being...
The ancient Chinese regarded the written word as a transformative force able to move heaven and earth and unite the reader with the source of all things, the Tao. The power of writing, especially poetry, is celebrated here in short texts that present both practical instruction and spiritual insight:...
The handmade books presented here offer creative ways for you to explore your personal styles and interests: Create a record of this year's garden with a book made out of seed packets. Collect your favorite recipes under the protective cover of a plastic cutting mat. Make simple memo pads out of...
Psychotherapist David Richo offers a fresh and inspiring approach to personal growth: we can use the process of writing and reading poetry to move toward greater self-understanding and emotional healing. Even if you’ve never written a poem before, you can learn to use poetry to explore your...
The Blank Canvas offers solid advice for everyone who struggles with artist's block or other problems of creative expression, including: drawing subject matter from unexpected sources, mining one's daily visual responses for images, overcoming self-doubt and criticism, making choices when...
Music is, in one sense, merely a series of fleeting vibrations that arise and subside. How could it be that something so insubstantial fills us, and calms us, and makes us weep? Because, says W. A. Mathieu, music bridges mind and heart, self and other, and affirms our place in the world. Everyone uses...
Ruffles, buttons, and lace are the perfect ingredients for little girls’ clothes; add some unfinished hems and plenty of room to run and play, and you have garments full of fanciful charm and practical playfulness. The twenty patterns in this book—from simple dresses with ruffled sleeves...
A complete set of Coloring Mandalas 1, 2,and 3.Buy all three now for the price of two. (Regularly priced at $56.85.)
Creating the circular designs called mandalas is a meditative practice, a healing exercise in times of crisis, and a pleasurable act of creativity. As...
Drawing the traditional circular designs known as mandalas is a meditative practice, a healing exercise in times of crisis, and a pleasurable act of creativity. As a symbol of the Self, the mandala provides a connection to our innermost being. The forty-eight drawings presented here for coloring...