Joan Stanford featured in Zoe Yudice’s article for The Mendocino Beacon …
Owner of the Stanford Inn and long-time art therapist, Joan Stanford, has recently published a book, ‘The Art of Play: Ignite Your Imagination to Unlock Insight, Healing, and Joy,’ which details the healing powers of art therapy and her journey of discovering its benefits in her own life.
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Here it is! The book in my hands at last after an incredible journey! What generosity I met when writing to people for permissions or endorsements back at the beginning. It was not easy to send out a preliminary copy to respected writers that I had only met through their books. I had to trust that they would be honest and if their reviews were non-supportive that I could continue and not be shattered. Happily the first person I heard from, Jan Phillips, gave a wonderful blurb. Buoyed by this, the task became easier for me. We all need that confirmation when we step out of our small world. Especially for those first steps.
I doodled this while listening to an online recording on creativity (and the birds tweeting outside.) She discussed managing our energy vs. time management. If I recall now, I believe she was encouraging us to say “yes” to our dreams and to recognize and accept that that may mean saying “no” to something else. She pointed out that not only is time in a day limited but our energy is also. When we are constantly doing we are depleting our reserves.
Wanted to share this image of a hand hooked rug that my long time friend –since kindergarten – Nancy Hall made. (newmorningfarm.ca) The story behind “Hey, it worked for Yoko Ono” is one of my favorites. Apparently John Lennon wandered into a gallery in New York, and climbed a ladder that was part of the art installation, only to find the word “yes” written on the ceiling. He HAD to meet the artist and the rest is history as they say.
Continuing the theme of excitement, another collage about the book.
I had seen this ad in many magazines and always loved the bicyclist flying off the mountain. While I have had dreams/nightmares with a similar theme I just now related to the thrill of taking a leap of faith buoyed by euphoria-a great word. I am so pleased that I actually pushed through all the insecurities and doubts along the way and completed the book. However now that the writing is complete I have to consider post publication promotions, events, and move into more areas that evoke new insecurities and doubts. So this is about excitement and apprehension, the tension before the leap; holding back or moving forward.
Welcome to my first blog. I want to share the exuberance and joy that completing my book gave me. I did this collage with my art group in December after receiving some wonderful endorsements for the book. I felt so validated. After making this image I wrote, a la Soul Collage process, (if you don’t know about soul collage do google it and Seena Frost who has written two books on it) “I am the one who leaps for joy, does cartwheels of celebration. I am the one who emerges from a cage made of paper carrying my own gold star.”
Joan Stanford quoted in Amanda Enyati’s article …
“With art therapy, you are trying to get people back into their bodies and feelings by engaging them with materials and in the process of using those materials,” observes board-certified art therapist Joan Stanford, author of the upcoming book The Art of Play: Ignite Your Imagination to Unlock Insight, Healing and Joy.
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Sid Garza-Hillman, Author of Approaching the Natural: A Health Manifesto and of the Approaching the Natural Podcast, sits down with Joan Stanford to discuss the role of art and creativity in human health and happiness. Continue reading
