Quote – Page 6 – © KATARINA THORSEN

Craftivism: Operation Sock Monkey’s Hummingbird Project

Today I worked with a group of Operation Sock Monkey craftivists to create hummingbirds for a very special cause. Over 5 hours, we created 40 little ‪hummingbirds‬ for the Liz Elliot Memorial Ceremony and Potlatch happening on September 11, 2015 ‪at the SFU Centre for ‪Restorative Justice. SFU criminologist Liz Elliott, who was a champion of restorative justice,…

Mindmap Tutorial Week Part 4: Prioritizing, consolidating, connecting

I am diving into a much-needed new mindmap this week, so I thought I’d create a tutorial during my process! Tutorial so far: Introductory blog post- mindmap tutorial week Part 1: What is a mindmap? Part 2: the Big Vision Part 3: Stream of consciousness mapping TODAY: PART 4 OF 7: Prioritizing/consolidating/connecting So once you have…

Mindmap Tutorial Week Part 2 of 7: the Big Vision

I am diving into a much-needed new mindmap this week, so I thought I’d create a tutorial during my process! Tutorial so far: Introductory blog post- mindmap tutorial week Part 1: What is a mindmap? TODAY: PART 2 OF 7: The Big Vision You may recall my journey with mindmaps using: Right-brain entrepreneur Jennifer Lee…

Making a Comeback: rebranding mental health

I first met Allanah Mooney, Lionheart Productions, when she was a guest film professional at Frames Film Project when I was the program coordinator there. I love Allanah’s passion for authentic storytelling and for creating social change through the medium of film. It also turns out we are neighbors! I often run into Allanah walking…

Autopsy and the somewhat autobiographical nature of my graphic novel

I have been on a bit of blog-haitus of late. Just experienced an amazing pull back into the past as a dear friend spent 9 days here visiting from Sweden. We dove deep. Real deep. Drenched in Swedish. Endless necessary exhilarating conversation. Fully open and torn open- finding old wounds long hidden- releasing them. Reflecting…

Lilla My #fanart custom made composition books.

I love customizing composition books. Prepping a new one for today. I am particularly in love with this one so I’m making this version available to you! Lilla My fan art custom made composition books: Ready to contain your hopes, wishes, dreams, ramblings, musings, to-do’s, purges, goals etc. A safe place to vent as you…

10 Tuesdays. 10 Fridas. Frida No.10: Moomin Frida.

I’ve been celebrating my blog with an art event. The event honors the woman who inspires me to keep it going as an artist: Frida Kahlo. — For 10 Tuesdays, I have been creating/posting 10 different portraits of Frida Kahlo (plus some additional posts here and there) in some form/medium or another. It may be a…

Dear future me… Empowering exercise designed by @peterbreeze

I was so honored to take part in a taste-test workshop last Saturday designed and facilitated by Peter Breeze (co-facilitated by Odin in Germany. Participants included Kany, Annalise and Mariel). Very special day! I’ve been developing a workshop for over a year and today I finally shared my ideas and exercises with these special people….

10 Tuesdays. 10 Fridas. Frida No. 9: Frida and the magpie portrait

Pay attention to the birds: Part 6- Starling

Ah, the birds— and their delightful ways— this time of year in particular. I just LOVE watching them! And I love when I feel something extra special in a particular moment that makes me stop and pay attention. The other day, I observed a flock of starlings. I know many people call them rats, greasy…

Frida Kahlo handmade miracle sock doll.

I need a miracle. Don’t we all have that sentence running through our minds at some point? Sometime we need to hold on to SOMETHING. Like a doll. So… what would a miracle doll look like? So… I sew. The result: This Frida Kahlo Tehuana Headdress sock doll becomes a reminder to release and to stay…

10 Tuesdays. 10 Fridas. Frida No. 6: Sock doll in Tehuana headdress

I’m celebrating my blog with an art event. The event honors the woman who inspires me to keep it going as an artist: Frida Kahlo. — For 10 Tuesdays, I am creating/posting 10 different portraits of Frida Kahlo in some form/medium or another. It may be a drawing, an object, a doll, whatever… A surprise. I…

Conversation about art, artists, creativity w. Tharp, Miller, Walker, Petit

I love that I can have a sit down with my heroes on a warm Saturday night and just shoot the shit. Tonight we contemplated creativity, the artist and the why. Here are some highlights: I believe that we all have strands of creative code hard-wired into our imaginations. These strands are as solidly imprinted in us as…

LIFE AS A FREELANCE CREATIVE. #rentcheque

LIFE AS A FREELANCE CREATIVE Holy shit- let’s be honest- being a freelance creative is tough. It’s a bare cupboard lifestyle and yet there it is- that inexplicable drive to keep creating– knowing that you somehow do not have the option to stop. WTF is up with that? You need to create. It’s so fucking…

Home Funeral Practicum July 18, 2015.

Have you ever had a friend or relative die, and wished you could have kept them at home for a day or two, to take care of the body yourself and say your farewells without pressure? In fact, you can. – source I am absolutely delighted to be participating in the following Home Funeral Practicum on…

10 Tuesdays. 10 Fridas. Frida No. 4: Frida and her Magic Cone of Truth

“Crime Scene” creative process #graphicnovel

— “CRIME SCENE” Testing chapter heading visuals for: Molly, my graphic novel. Creating on nickels and dimes. ‪ “… even if I had to paint my pictures with my wet tongue on the dusty floor of my cell.” – Pablo ‪Picasso‬ I can’t stop despite money worries and fatigue-inducing insecurities… Can I pull this off?…

10 Tuesdays. 10 Fridas. Art Blog Event. Frida No. 3: The Chakras

3 part Frida Kahlo interpretation.

At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can. – Frida Kahlo — — Nothing is absolute. Everything changes, everything moves, everything revolves, everything flies and goes away. – Frida Kahlo —

VANCAF reflections Part 2 of 6: @VERWHO and Towerkind on @ConundrumCanada

Fabulous afternoon at VanCaf Day 1- the Vancouver Comic Arts Festival last Saturday! I have broken down some highlights from my visit into 6 blog posts: 1. Julian Lawrence, Drippy the Newsboy, Conundrum Press: BLOG LINK Update: Julian’s book is a FABULOUS READ and VISUAL FEAST! Truly the kind of comic you read lying in the grass under a…

VanCaf reflections Part 1 of 6: Julian Lawrence and Drippy the Newsboy

Fabulous afternoon at VanCaf Day 1- the Vancouver Comic Arts Festival! Such an incredible treat to take it all in- immersed in the work of great artists. I was struck by their insatiable drive to create and share and the realization that I have finally found “my people.” And today really lit fire under my ass…

Little Brown Mouse Journal Ramblings

Little Brown Mouse Journal Ramblings I have been told in the past that I think TOO BIG. But I have come to realize, I may not be dreaming BIG ENOUGH. * why, oh why do I question [everything]? * *so embarrassed * I have been too timid, too small, too local, too shy… I…

Sock sparrow. #recycledcraft

My personal therapy is randomly picking up an old scrap, grabbing needle and thread and seeing what happens. In this case, I was donated a cozy pair of wooly socks and their color just told me- make a sparrow. Recall: Pay attention to the birds: SPARROW “The sparrow reflects self-worth. If a Sparrow totem…

Pay attention to the signs. Badger. #alignment

The image of the badger has been playing in my mind the past few weeks. I really have no idea why. But in the spirit of trusting the signs, I play along. Badger symbolism: (SOURCE) The badger symbolizes aggressiveness, reliance, self-expression, holding ones own, link to the underworld and the magic and…

Pay attention to the birds: Part 5- Sparrow

— Bliss- walking my old dog slowly, oh so slowly, in our West End neighborhood listening to the sweet song of the white-throated sparrow. Miraculous. I walk with a smile on my face. I am filled with self-love for truly the first time in my life. I know my own worth and I can sing…

Self-imposed exile- let it go, let it go.o

Curled up in my chair in self-imposed exile. Wrapped in old knits. Loving less interaction. Loving not working on my to-do’s. Happy to be doing less. Should I worry and fret? Feel guilty? No. Nah. Let it go. Let it all go. So fatigued- let it go. Heavy grief dreams these days- let them go. Dreamt about…

Procrastination embraced. Journal exercise.

If you procrastinate, it has served you in some way. Welcome it! Congratulate yourself. Study its effects in your life, and its gifts – allow yourself to accept and then release your procrastination! – SARK The following journal exercise can take you a few minutes or several weeks- totally up to you! 1. Get a…

North Vancouver teen finds her passion and life purpose through arts-based program

North Vancouver teen finds her passion through arts-based program and launches campaign to raise funds to bring water tank and pipeline to remote village in Nepal: It is such an honor to be facilitating The Inside Out Project at Mountainside Secondary, North Vancouver, with my colleague Ian Powell. Recall posts: INSIDE OUT: YOUTH EMPOWERMENT, PEER TO…

Why receiving a NO from @writehedgebrook was a YES.

December 19, 2014: Dear Katarina, Thank you so much for applying for a 2015 Hedgebrook residency. We received 1,466 applications for 2015 and are able to offer 40 residencies. Though your application did not advance into the final round this year, we want you to know that your work resonated with our reviewers. Sending your work…

Inside Out Project Mountainside Secondary: own your journey

On September 30, 2014, I began my collaboration with Ian Powell at Mountainside Secondary on the INSIDE OUT PROJECT- OWN YOUR JOURNEY, inspired by my hero JR: MOUNTAINSIDE SECONDARY: Inside Out Project: Own Your Journey Youth-run initiative using the vehicle of portrait photography and street art to learn life and transferable skills while developing self-empowerment, peer…