So what do you do at work???

3.31.14: 3

total: 66

I offered to stay after school today for some students to have extra time for a test (I know, who else does that?!?) and in the process lost count of how many passes I wrote, yet come 4:00 PM I was the only breathing soul in my room.  I specify because sitting on top of my print are three stuffed animal "souls" that some students have given to me over the year.  But I digress...I did some work: called some parents, followed up with documentation, sent some emails, worked on some more paperwork.  But I also ate a lot of chocolate and I'm wondering just how many mini snickers equal a full size bar.  Let's pretend it doesn't add up to the king size version. And then I realized instead of eating my stress I needed to fold it....

I pulled a piece of graph paper from the top of my filing cabinet and cut out a 6 inch square to fold.  

I <3 MATH

These are my first official mini cranes! There's something special to me about working on a small scale.  Something about precision and patience and tenderness, as though the miniature version makes it more fragile. 

I think this picture says a lot about how I was feeling at the end of the day. Sometimes I feel like I am just barely hanging on, I just hope they don't notice. 

 I'll drive into that sweet box any day!

On another note, I was asked about contributions.  This wonderful person had a want to contribute to my growing cranes family, but also wondered if that was best.  I am so very touched that something I am doing would move someone else to be creative! I love when art brings people together-it's one of the beautiful qualities of "making special" according to Ellen Dissanayake (or at least what I took away from her writings over five years ago).  For this particular project, I think what's best for me now is to make each bird myself.  I need to feel a sense of ownership.  Having said that, if you happen to have an extra piece of paper you would like to part with, I would be more than happy to fold it into a new family member!

1000 Cranes

When I was working as an art therapist, one of my colleagues (and occupational mother) told me that she once made 1000 origami cranes.   As memory serves me, she made them, over the course of a summer, as a gift for a foreign exchange student that stayed with her family.  At first I didn't really believe her. However, the more I got to know her and saw the determination and gumption she possessed I realized this woman folded 1000 paper cranes! One thousand. And then gave them away. (If that's not selflessness, then the concept has disappeared!)

I kept thinking about those cranes. The idea became more alluring the longer it stayed on my brain-to the extent that I knew I didn't have the control anymore to say no. What can I say, I'm a sucker for a challenge. And I'm selfish. Japanese legend promises any individual that folds one thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish by a crane. Cranes are viewed as a sacred animal and live for 1000 years. So, in a way, the crane will grant you a wish for its life. (Thank you Wikipedia. And no, I did not use Wikipedia as a source in Grad school.)

I know this will take a while. I'm sure some days I may make a small mountain of cranes and others I may make just one, but each day will bring me closer to that magic number. And so the counting begins....

My cranes kept me comfy on the couch for a few days.

3/25/14: 2
3/26/14: 23
3/27/14: 18
3/28/14: 9
3/29/14: 8

So at this point I have a total of 60.  Most of them are very traditional, but two of them were folded out of the paper with instructions on folding.  A little ironic maybe?  I hope so. I certainly don't know how long this process will take, but I can guarantee with each fold, my birdies will be get have a bigger piece of me.  And I swear, there will be more pictures once I get the hang of this whole bloggging thing!!! Pinkie swear.

3/30/14: 3
TOTAL: 63

The orange and peach birds where folded on my break sitting in my car.  It may sound pathetic, especially since it's a Sunday and this is my second job, but sometimes you do what you got to do when you need to experience a slice of beauty.  The yellow bird with writing I made later hanging out at my brother's place.  

I think deciding how to photograph to cranes for each day may be a process in itself.  

Warning: things may get a little silly in the future.

Time to dive in.......

Ok.  So.  (fingers tapping, heart RACING) I have a confession.  I have no idea what I'm doing. I don't even know what to write.  I've typed ten sentences and erased them at this point.  Ok.  Stream of consciousness?  Here goes...

Art.  My art saves me.  It makes me whole. And important. And something different from everyone else; it's just mine.  But I need to challenge myself.  I need to be brave.  I want my art to be something more-as selfish as that may be.  And so I want to share my art. 

When I was in grad school for art therapy, one of my instructor gave our class an assignment to make a piece of art for 7 days in a row. (And of course write a paper about the experience.)About two years later, I was thinking about that project and decided to take it to the next level.  I made art for 30 consecutive days.  I uploaded the photos to Facebook and allowed my friends to comment and ask questions.  A few months later I did it again.  I loved it.  I hated it.  It was kind of amazing and empowering.  

I have a number in my head (and my heart) of how long I would like this process to take and for now I think I will keep it there.  I'm not ready to start this again, but that may be exactly why I'm doing this.