December 2011 – © KATARINA THORSEN

Part 33 of 35 daily journal workshop. @SusanAkaSARK’s MICROMOVEMENTS. #arttherapy

Time to take a breather and simplify by using SARK‘s inspiring micromovements! Try some micromovements of your own. Use your journal as your oasis. SARK: SARK is a best-selling author and artist, with sixteen titles in print and well over two million books sold, including the national bestsellers Succulent Wild Woman, Bodacious Book of Succulence,…

Part 32 of 35 daily journal workshop. GRIEF. #arttherapy

LOSS. What does that mean to you? Are you scared of it? Is the fear of losing someone or something preventing you from living now? Have you experienced such profound loss that grief overwhelms you, and indeed, now shapes you? Write it out. Or draw it out. There are no easy answers. There is just…

Part 31 of 35 daily journal workshop. NEWBORN. BRAINSTORM. #arttherapy

Today you are a newborn and you are starting fresh! Draw a baby. Draw brainstorm bubbles above “your “head. Write about what it may be like to start fresh. Releasing anxiety and hesitancy. Brainstorm central themes in your life. Just let it happen. Be willing to be a beginner every single morning. Tomorrow: GRIEF Daily…

The Rubble Gallery, Vancouver BC

Stay tuned for official announcement and blog posts regarding my collaborative art show “ART HEALS” with my Dad, Roar, January 21- Feb 7, 2012 at the Rubble Gallery! Opening (with an interactive art corner) on January 21! We’ll be sharing our dual journals from 2001-2003, fundraising for and sharing sneak peeks of illustrations for our books…

Part 30 daily journal workshop. REVIEW. RESOLVE. #arttherapy

REVIEW 1a : a formal military inspection b : a military ceremony honoring a person or an event 2: revision 1a 3: a general survey (as of the events of a period) 4: an act or the process of reviewing 5: judicial reexamination (as of the proceedings of a lower tribunal by a higher) 6a : a critical evaluation (as of a book or play) b : a magazine devoted chiefly…

Part 29 daily journal workshop. MINDFULNESS. #arttherapy

On Dec 26, I had a powerful conversation with a friend about mindfulness. Mindfulness is a state of active, open attention on the present. When you’re mindful, you observe your thoughts and feelings from a distance, without judging them good or bad. Instead of letting your life pass you by, mindfulness means living in the…

Part 28 daily journal workshop. ANGELS AMONG US. #arttherapy

I dedicate this post to my best friend, Maud. — Angels shine from without because their spirits are lit from within. Take a moment to think about what “an angel” means to you. Draw or write it out. Guest speaker, Liz, truly an angel on earth, bravely faced her abuser this year and is now moving forward…

A huge thank you to our 2011 Kickstarter backers! Love, @annatfabulous and @KatThorsen

Molly: A Graphic Novel

Part 27 daily journal workshop. SHUT YOUR EYES AND SEE. #arttherapy

Shut your eyes and see. – James Joyce What does this quote mean to you? What does this quote mean to me? Stop trying. Let it happen. By letting it go it all gets done. Surrender. Give up control. Close your eyes and draw a self-portrait- imagining your pen running along your facial lines. Growth…

Part 26 daily journal workshop. PERFECTIONISM. #arttherapy

Understanding the difference between healthy striving and perfectionism is critical to laying down the shield and picking up your life. Research shows that perfectionism hampers success. In fact, it’s often the path to depression, anxiety, addiction, and life paralysis. – Brené Brown Struggling with the need to be perfect = my life. How about you?…

Part 25 daily journal workshop. TAKE YOUR JOURNAL OUT. #arttherapy

Now that we are pretty far into this journal [notice how I’m taking you all the way to the end of mine, and we’re half way there], shove your journal in your bag, or thrust it under your arm, grab some pens and get the hell out of the house. Make your journal your best…

Part 24 daily journal workshop. BODY IMAGE. #arttherapy

Write about your thoughts on body image. Just stream of consciousness. Any negative events that affected your views? Positive events? Where are you now? … you should get sick more often, he said. Found this online: Glue an image of a favorite person onto a page (just glue three sides), write a positive message to…

Part 22 daily journal workshop. EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCE #arttherapy

Extraordinary circumstance. What does that mean to you? For me, major life-changing markers come to mind. Events you have to survive in order to move forward. Painful events. Positive chapter changes as well. Write or draw to celebrate how you have come through these life events. How you have grown. Think about it. Then stop…

Part 21 daily journal workshop. SELF-HARM #arttherapy

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor and these pages are not a substitute for professional help. If you are triggered negatively by any of the journal work here, seek support. Self-Harm: There are so many forms of self-harm. I have seen the whole gamut in my work with at-risk youth. I have seen it in…

Part 20 daily journal workshop. WORTH #arttherapy

Let’s take a look at the concept of worth. Write about it. Then draw “ME” over your words. Pull out the words covered by “ME.” Draw an eye. Recall tutorial. Draw tears coming out. Large, bloated tears. Write the ME words in the tears. Find a quote you like about worth, self-worth, self-esteem etc. I…

Part 19 daily journal workshop. CANCER #arttherapy

Today simply draw about your relationship with cancer. Literally, metaphorically, personally, generally. Be quick and simple. It’s been on my mind a lot lately for SO MANY REASONS. In memoriam: Unspoken Truths, Christopher Hitchens Daily Journal Workshop: Part 1 JUST WRITE Part 2 DRAW OUT THE WORDS Part 3 HEART Part 4 SPILL OUT COLLAGE…

Part 18 daily journal workshop. SURVIVOR #arttherapy @Kris_Carr

A survivor is a triumphant person who lives with, after, or in spite of a diagnosis or traumatic event. Survivors refuse to assume the identity of their adversity. They are not imprisoned by the constructs of a label. Instead, survivors use their brush with mortality as a catalyst for creating a better self. We transform…

Part 17 daily journal workshop. ALTER: to make different without changing into something else #arttherapy

Daily Journal Workshop: Part 1 JUST WRITE Part 2 DRAW OUT THE WORDS Part 3 HEART Part 4 SPILL OUT COLLAGE Part 5 NAKED SCREAM Part 6 INVITE ALTER STRETCH EXTEND Part 7 ARISE AROSE IN 3’S Part 8 SELF-PORTRAIT. HUMAN Part 9 WORD CRAZY QUILT Part 10 VINTAGE WORKOUT Part 11 GESTURE DRAWING Part…

Part 16 daily journal workshop. COMICS! Shameless copying. #artschool #arttherapy #LyndaBarry

Part 15 daily journal workshop. GUEST SPEAKER. #arttherapy

Part 14 daily journal workshop. BE THE MAP. #arttherapy

Part 13 daily journal workshop. NEGATIVE – POSITIVE. #arttherapy

Part 12 daily journal workshop. Dear World. Secrets.

Part 11 daily journal workshop. Gesture drawing. Abstractions! #arttherapy

Part 10 daily journal workshop. Vintage workout. People watching. #arttherapy

Recall: Part 1 JUST WRITE Part 2 DRAW OUT THE WORDS Part 3 HEART Part 4 SPILL OUT COLLAGE Part 5 NAKED SCREAM Part 6 INVITE ALTER STRETCH EXTEND Part 7 ARISE AROSE IN 3’S Part 8 SELF-PORTRAIT. HUMAN Part 9 WORD CRAZY QUILT OK, let’s change things up a bit. Today we will utilize…

Part 9 daily journal workshop. WORD CRAZY QUILT . #arttherapy

Recall: Part 1 JUST WRITE Part 2 DRAW OUT THE WORDS Part 3 HEART Part 4 SPILL OUT COLLAGE Part 5 NAKED SCREAM Part 6 INVITE ALTER STRETCH EXTEND Part 7 ARISE AROSE IN 3’S Part 8 SELF-PORTRAIT. HUMAN — Yesterday, you spent a few minutes writing at the end of the self-portrait exercise. Now…

Part 8 daily journal workshop. SELF-PORTRAIT. HUMAN . #arttherapy

Recall: Part 1 JUST WRITE Part 2 DRAW OUT THE WORDS Part 3 HEART Part 4 SPILL OUT COLLAGE Part 5 NAKED SCREAM Part 6 INVITE ALTER STRETCH EXTEND Part 7 ARISE AROSE IN 3’S — We’ve done a lot of good work in the past week, and through our exercises have addressed our pain…

Part 7 daily journal workshop. ARISE A ROSE IN 3’S . #arttherapy

Recall: Part 1 JUST WRITE Part 2 DRAW OUT THE WORDS Part 3 HEART Part 4 SPILL OUT COLLAGE Part 5 NAKED SCREAM Part 6 INVITE ALTER STRETCH EXTEND Recall in Part 6, we spent some minutes at the end writing. Stream of consciousness, filling the page. Now circle every 3rd word. No matter what…

Part 6 daily journal workshop. INVITE ALTER STRETCH EXTEND. #arttherapy

Recall: Part 1 JUST WRITE Part 2 DRAW OUT THE WORDS Part 3 HEART Part 4 SPILL OUT COLLAGE Part 5 NAKED SCREAM Our journals are our private places to process. But allowing the world in can be very liberating. Today I encourage you to invite a friend, a relative, someone in your life to…

Part 5 daily journal workshop. NAKED SCREAM. #arttherapy

Recall: Part 1 JUST WRITE Part 2 DRAW OUT THE WORDS Part 3 HEART Part 4 SPILL OUT COLLAGE Now that we have connected with ourselves in parts 1-3 and let it all out in part 4, it’s time to focus inward to the painful part, sit with it, then scream it out nakedly. Close…