“Try to praise the mutilated world.
Remember June’s long days,
and wild strawberries, drops of rosé wine.
The nettles that methodically overgrow
the abandoned homesteads of exiles.
You must praise the mutilated world.
You watched the stylish yachts and ships;
one of them had a long trip ahead of it,
while salty oblivion awaited others.
You’ve seen the refugees going nowhere,
you’ve heard the executioners sing joyfully.
You should praise the mutilated world.
Remember the moments when we were together
in a white room and the curtain fluttered.
Return in thought to the concert where music flared.
You gathered acorns in the park in autumn
and leaves eddied over the earth’s scars.
Praise the mutilated world
and the gray feather a thrush lost,
and the gentle light that strays and vanishes
and returns.”
— BY ADAM ZAGAJEWSKI TRANSLATED BY CLARE CAVANAGH

November 8, 2024

10am - Noon

The Wonder Studio

St. Pete , Florida

What are the Expressive Arts?

Expressive Arts are for adults 18 and Up.

Our Expressive Arts classes for adults offer a unique, inter-modal process of coming home to yourself - an authentic, synchronous group and/or individual experience that invites insight, creativity, self-compassion, and connection. 

Our certified Expressive Arts Educator facilitates a safe and supportive, warm and welcoming, inclusive, calm, and enigmatic studio space. It’s a “Come as you are” approach, allowing for any and all ranges of emotions and abilities.  Expressive arts is a spiraling practice that includes some or all of the following modalities of expression: 

  • Meditation

  • Vocal toning

  • Music 

  • Poetry

  • Creative writing 

  • Intuitive movement 

  • Visual art

  • Witnessing

  • Expression through dramatic arts

Our expressive arts classes require no art experience whatsoever. We provide a non-judgement atmosphere and welcome newcomers as well as old friends.

Our participants are guided in creating a visual art, typically with collage, tempera paint, watercolor, oil pastels, chalks, clay, etc… 

The visual art acts as a container, a canvas, or even a “guide” to express and communicate the feelings that emerge through the other modalities. 

Therefore, we encourage art that is completely process based (not product), using intuition to explore making marks on the paper. Seeing what emerges from your expression is respected as wisdom to take with you back into your heart and your life.

Expressive Arts as a Creative Personal Practice

for Well-being, Mental health, and Enjoyment of Life!

Below is a partial menu of some of the offerings possible in an Expressive Arts Class.

    • Comfort Zone

    • Learning Zone

    • Panic Zone

    • Keeping Confidentiality

    • Nature

    • String

    • Rock/Pebble

    • Tarot - Oracle

    • Rattle

    • Movement

    • Gesture - Mirror

    • Pebble

    • Loving Kindness

    • Hand breathing

    • Mindfulness

    • Taking/Sending

    • Compassion Abiding

    • Self-Compassion

    • Mantra, Chanting

    • Focusing (F.O.A.T.)

    • 5 Rhythms waves : Flowing, Staccato, Chaos, Lyrical, Stillness

    • Authentic Movement

    • Melting and Growing

    • Sticks Dance

    • Movement Response to Art

    • Free Movement (Scarf) - Clay

    • Daria Halprin (Expressive Body)

    • Morning Altars (Nature Mandalas)

    • Drawing (pencils, oil pastels, watercolor pencils, gelatos, chalk pastels)

    • Touch Drawing

    • Painting - Watercolor, tempera paint

    • Collage

    • Sculpture - Clay

    • Doodling

    • Mandala, Mandoorla, Flower of Life

    • Life Scripting

    • Goals - Visioning

    • Compass

    • Artist’s Way

    • Visual Journaling

    • Gratitude

    • Grief

    • Stepping Stones

    • Haiku - Poetry

    • Journal to the Self

    • Writing Alone and With Others

  • “When creating together in a group environment, after completing a creative writing, we read our writing aloud, without comment, either by ourselves or anyone else.” (Pat Allen)

    “The witness plays a vital and collaborative role. Simply by the act of paying attention, the witness creates a holding environment that facilitates a sense of being seen and cared for. “ -Daria Halprin  

    Radiant Listening:

    Listen not just with your ears but with your heart. 

    Listening means that we have stabilized our minds so completely that the person who is speaking can actually hear themselves through our stillness. - Andrew Holecek

    Types of Witnessing

    1. Silent witness

    2. Aesthetic response  (responding to an image, with an image or with movement)

    3. Active witnessing (inviting an I am statement, title, asking key questions

    4. Dialogue with image

    1. Grounding

    2. Breathing

    3. Relaxing

    4. Into the body

    5. Become Aware of Images, Sensations, Colors, Feelings

    6. What is my inner wisdom guiding me towards?

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