The Healer & Review of Imedlda's workshop

7th Member of the Rainbow Council - The Healer by Caroline
with a Creative Commons License that allows non-commercial use and further remixing provided all attributions are given and a similar license is given on new images.

Images used in this remix include from flickr with appropriate CC licenses:

• Sea at Night by magnusvk
• A Red-spotted Purple by The Horned Jack Lizard

and, from the Hubble Telescope:

• Hubble Refines Distance to the Pleiades Star Cluster by NASA

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On Saturday I went to Imedla's SoulCollage® workshop in Letterkenny, Ireland. (GreenishLady and SoulFragments)

Imelda put on a wonderful workshop - I was very impressed with how she encouraged everyone to get into making cards so easily and also with the cards that everyone else present made. I loved the way Imelda encouraged us to start by choosing an image with which we then did an "I am..." statement as part of our introduction of ourselves to the group - this started the day as she meant it to continue and was very successful. I've never thought of doing this directly with an image without having made it into a card first.

Although I have made many, many cards this was my first experience of making them directly with scissors and glue, also my first experience of making them in a group. I have however used collage often in the past so the experience of using scissors and glue is not in itself new - it was however interesting to revisit it after so much digital work. At first I found myself frustrated by not being able to shrink my images and other limitations of not working digitally. But that was the only real difference for me about the mechanics of the process. What made the major difference for me was working in a group.

I made two cards, and, as these were from magazines I won't be posting them here. (I am too conscious of copyright.) What was only clear to me at the end of the workshop was just how much I'd been influenced, unconsciously, by the women on either side of me. I know that I am an empath and pick up things very easily. I feel that the cards I made, whilst being relevant to me, were also ones that resonated with my place in the circle. It also feels potentially like revealing other people's things to go into that more deeply; but for me the main message of the workshop was to increase my awareness of how I resonate with others.

The atmosphere whilst making the cards was that wonderful intense concentration that I've often loved in art classes - with everyone's creative juices flowing and very little chit chat.

In the afternoon we did a "gallery walk" around the cards which was too slow - that would be my only criticism of the day - it was truly at a snail's pace!

We then split into groups and did some "I am ones" about our cards, not always easy but interesting.

But it was only when we were back in our circle again and we each showed one of our newly made cards and said something about it that I realised how much what I had done reflected where I had been. As a normally solitary maker this was quite a revelation to me. If I were to belong to a group that made cards together I'd be sure to also make cards on my own too.

I felt that Imelda facilitated very well - she also provided an abundance of varied images to choose from and she allowed everyone to make their own cards at their own pace - I think some people made only one, whilst others made five or six.

The room we were working in was a wonderful space for such a workshop too - a very light airy room - so a great choice of venue.

Another great joy was to look through Imelda's lovely cards. Such a privilege!

So all in all an experience I greatly appreciated and enjoyed and one I'd recommend to anyone interested in starting, or continuing, SoulCollage®.