Pat Armitstead
TRANSFORM your relationship to grief, trauma and adversity and live a life of CREATIVITY, JOY & COMPASSION from Australia
What Inspired you to do a Soul Art journey?
I have been joining you for several years but this year there was an urgency I felt to acess my full expression. I am a milliner, dressmaker, film and TV make up artist, speaker and mixed media artist. Grand accomplishments but there was an inner aspect I wanted to reach. I was called top join you again but this time there was an urgency around gaining more access to my creative essence!
How would you describe your creative process?
I felt still some wounding around my life long journey dealing with self doubt. Grief and trauma played a big part in that. I knew it was up to me to set the table and how i did that would govern how others too might dine. it became apparent to me that Doubting Thomas…the caricature of my clown persona when I toured with Patch Adams was actually self expressed across all emotions! And so I tracked the journey with both feet firmly on the ground and arms embracing it all. For me this is spiritual intimacy with the physical being of human form. There is more access i would like to achieve in terms of gaining flow with paint and other media, but I am satisfied I did what I needed to do.
What insight did you receive from your Soul Art?
I had a feeling of something more to complete but simultaneously held that all was in perfection as i was present to it all as it rolled out. I have many awards …. about 30 and about 17 certifications….all of that striving had never been enough and until about 10 years ago I yearned for more. I feel i have finally stepped into OWNING MY GREATNESS and can embrace fully the trauma and doubt that has plagued me. I see great beauty in that ownership and sense my art will take on even greater perspectives. I call my art “Art informed by encounters with humanity” and feel I will demonstrate even further that deep connection.
What is the most important thing you would like to share about your Soul Art experience?
As a society we have honoured sport and academia. Creative intelligence has not been honoured in anyway near the same level. Strategy alone will not see us through now as we work to raise consciousness on the planet. My mother said to me when was 16 and wanted to go to art school….”I think you should find a proper job”. And so I went nursing for 20 years. Then i had my own ad agency for 11 years and now I meld my compassion and creativity to serve humanity. It is we who make meaning of our lives and for me joy is a curious mix of pleasure and pain. My grieving programn is called “Good Grief” and we cast the body part that is storing the individuals pain and make art and meaning of life events. I did share this day with 2 other colleagues but essentially this is a sole journey…. for only you can take it.