As I reflect on the past few months, I realize what a range of people I have shared Touch Drawing with; hospice volunteers, doctor of ministry students, alternative high school students, hospital executives, school teachers, a women’s spirituality group, a borderline disorder support group, intermediate school children, graduate students in psychology and expressive art therapists. This list seems to epitomize the range of people for whom Touch Drawing can be relevant - in other words – ANYONE! It is truly gratifying to sense how the process is beginning to find its way into so many facets of our culture.

I consider myself a Touch Drawing ‘generalist’. My calling is to get the process out to as broad a range of people as possible. But I am not able to go deeply into its use in any one specialized field. That is up to YOU, if you feel called. Please keep me posted on how Touch Drawing is working for you!

From March 1st through April 12th, Maine artists and Touch Drawing practitioners Helen Warren, Debra Windy-Horse Holloway and Jennifer Wadsworth along with seven others shared the ways in which Touch Drawing has inspired, nourished and deepened the creative process for each of them. The exhibit included pure Touch Drawings as well as those that had been embellished with pastel, oil, watercolor and collage. It also included etchings and larger paintings that were inspired by or are extensions of the original process.

In addition to the exhibit, the three organizers gave a slide presentation to further expose and excite the public as to this wonderful resource. Helen and Debra also facilitated a full-day workshop at the Maine College of Art as an introduction to the process, which was most exciting. “It is so inspiring to realize that it was only 6 years ago that I first offered a Touch Drawing workshop here in the Portland area. Since then hundreds including my students at Maine College of Art have experienced the magic of Touch Drawing,” says Helen.” We sincerely hope this inspires some of you to launch such a project to give this wonderful process, Deborah and the Center the exposure they deserve!”

Reported by Helen Warren http://creativespiral.net
See some of the art and artists statements to the left in the Touch Drawing Gallery and on page 2.

I am a Certified Childbirth Educator and Rehabilitation Practitioner. I am currently completing my requirements for Midwifery registration in Alberta, Canada through the Midwives College of Utah's BScM program. I have been facilitating childbirth classes for 3 years, and incorporate Touch Drawing within the class to help pregnant women deal with any fears, anxieties or apprehensions surrounding the upcoming labor and birth.

I start with a Talking Circle, and the pregnant women talk about any fears or apprehensions they may have surrounding the impending labor and birth of their babies. They usually talk about horror stories that their community has forced on them. These stories are starting to erode away any confidence the woman may have started out with. I have witnessed, so many times, a horror story coming true for a woman who did not have the time or a safe place to be able to process what was scaring her before she went into labor. We often say in midwifery circles, "Deal with what you are afraid of, or you can walk right into it."

This is where Touch Drawing is so amazing, healing, and helpful. Imagine bringing those fears down into your hands and letting them go onto the paper. We take a moment to breath deeply and relax while I put on meditative music. I encourage the women to just trust what needs to come out. They spend a lot of time rolling the paint out on the board. It becomes meditative and calming in itself. When they are ready, they lay their paper down on the paint and move their hands over the paper, getting lost in the process.

When the women are done, they often need a moment to themselves before going back through their drawings. There are often tears and a lot of emotional release. Invariably, they comment about the pile of paper, and how they had thought that they could never get through it. They are thankful for the pile when it is over, because they usually felt their greatest insights and strongest feelings after page ten or so. Here are a couple of stories:

When Katherine started the exercise, she had no idea if she had any fears. She said that she had not given it any thought until now. Her drawings evolved into a towering tree with a cradle hanging from a branch with her baby in it. She just felt vulnerable and helpless when she saw it. As she spent more time with the picture, she saw her face in the trunk. "My baby is in the cradle in the tree. That old rhyme about 'when the bough breaks' summed up all my fears about pregnancy and childbirth, and then I saw myself as the tree- and the tree is so strong and protective." The swirling leaves reminded her that there is a force outside of her that is taking care of her baby and herself. She felt a tremendous amount of relief.

Stacey was pregnant for the second time, hoping for a homebirth after her first pregnancy ended in a cesarean section. In almost all of her drawings, she had drawn the road to the hospital that she did not want to take this time. She found it so helpful to dump the feelings out of her psyche. She found a giant butterfly in one of the drawings, hovering over the road to the hospital. It represented transformation, beauty and a change for her. She said that she was ready to let go and celebrate her plans to birth at home and finally enjoy this pregnancy.

It is interesting that despite the topic of fear, this is the most popular 'birth art' project that we do. Many women, once labor starts, have taken their strongest image and taped it up on the wall of the birth room. It has also been very helpful for bringing couples together and opening communication between them. They discover issues that had not come up between them yet.







Here is a beautiful Touch Drawing from one of our moms-to-be. She calls it Riding the Waves of Labor.


Ivy Shawl-Song Rehab. Prac. CCBE, Founder/Director Women In Spirituality Edmonton (WISE) www.blessingmoons.com

“Art that arises out of the inner landscape and is connected to our lived experience, illuminates the darkness and heals the Soul.” —Daria Halprin

Introduction - Karen Berg-Smith
We are part of a community of expressive arts therapists working in a hospital-based Activities Therapy Program, at Post-Acute Services, California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC) in San Francisco. During their stay at Post-Acute Services, patients have the opportunity to rest, recuperate, and receive a variety of therapies, including physical, occupational, speech, and expressive arts therapy. We provide individual and group services to a diverse patient population who are encountering a wide array of psychological and physical challenges (e.g. depression, anxiety, loss, trauma, sudden life-change, cancer, end-of-life, and long-term medical issues). We are united in a deep belief in the wisdom of the body, and the power of creative expression to foster psychological, physical and spiritual wellness. For several years now, SoulCards have been steady healing allies in our program. They are always close-at-hand and are integrated in a multitude of ways in individual therapy, group therapy and staff meetings. Most recently, we have begun introducing hospital staff in other department to the SoulCards, to encourage emotional expression, illuminate organizational dynamics, and promote creative problem solving.

We have found that there are particular qualities of SoulCards, which make them highly accessible and effective in a hospital setting. The experience of hospitalization can be very stressful for many patients, and the deep emotions conveyed in the cards often accurately mirrors patients’ feelings. The images offer a bridge to more internal, unconscious processes, and during a time of great distress, can provide a feeling of increased clarity and stability.

Additionally, as many of our patients have physical, verbal and/or cognitive challenges, the cards can assist in helping a patient express their experience, without the need to create a visual image, or in some cases, even speak. Often, an image will arise that stays with a patient throughout their hospitalization, and this image becomes a partner in the healing process, enlivening and nourishing the patient’s own healing imagery.

The cards can either be presented face down and chosen intuitively in a divination process, or presented face up, to encourage reflection and often, in hospitalization, a feeling of more control. The wide range of images, open to any number of interpretations, can speak to each individual differently, allowing the cards to “show up as needed”, for a particular situation. As a way of “stirring the creative soup” of SoulCard applications, we offer some examples:

SoulCards in Individual Therapy

SoulCards in Group Therapy

SoulCards in Staff Development

We have been enjoying the process of bringing to manifestation the multiple of ways the SoulCards have been integrated into our setting. They are truly part of our team!

For more information on our program and/or the integration of SoulCards in a hospital setting, please contact our office at (415-750-6800 x 21548).

I put the paper down and move my fingertips on it, but my marks don’t show up; the paint just covers the paper. What am I doing wrong?

You are probably putting too much paint on the board! This is the single most common problem for people who are trying Touch Drawing on their own. It is a natural impulse to squeeze thick blobs of paint onto the drawing board. It feels great to roll out the squishy paint. Then you put the paper down and the paint is so thick that it soaks into the paper before you touch it. When you touch the paper your movements don’t show because it is already covered with paint!

It is best to put small dabs or flat squishes of paint on the board. When you roll it smooth, you should have enough paint to fully cover the board with a thin – not ‘squishy’ – layer. (It is hard to find language for such a tactile experience!) When you put the paper down on the paint, it should require some pressure from your fingertips to make marks on the underside.

Another important point is how often to add paint – you can usually do several drawings before adding any more. Just roll the paint smooth between drawings. If you add paint too often, you will develop a thick layer of wet paint that eventually gets deep ridges from your fingertips. Often these can’t be rolled out. If this does happen, try sprinkling a tiny bit of water onto the board to make the paint more malleable and roll the paint smooth. (This only works with water mixable paints.)

Of course there is a range of personal taste involved in quantity of paint used. Some people like a wetter look and some like the paint dryer for a finer line quality. Get a feel for the paint quality that appeals to you and GO FOR IT!