Van Waffle
Freelance Journalist, Naturalist, Artist from Canada
What Inspired you to do a Soul Art journey?
I learned about the event from Antje Howard. I have been using artmaking a lot recently for healing and personal development. Soul Art seemed like a good event to explore doing so in community with other artists.
How would you describe your creative process?
I’m primarily a professional writer who has also made visual art all my life, especially drawing and photography. I take inspiration from nature and places where people connect with it. I like to draw abstractly, intuitively, and whimsically using vivid colours.
What insight did you receive from your Soul Art?
During the morning exercises I chose health as my intention or theme for the day. The image of a window arose. During the day I made two drawings incorporating windows. Our bodies are windows into wisdom. We can draw on it using art to read what is happening in the body.
What is the most important thing you would like to share about your Soul Art experience?
Nearly every day for several months I had practiced Neurographica, a highly structured art method for personal reflection and self-coaching. Stepping away from it for Soul Art Day, I was surprised how free and spontaneous my technique had become without my awareness, like bread dough rising in a corner. Constraints can provide many benefits to creativity. The structure of Neurographica helped my use of colours and lines become more intuitive. I felt joy to explore this development in the context of the event.