State of Heart

Each February for approximately the past decade, I have created my own “heart” image to try to express the current emotional state of my heart. For years working in community mental health settings, I facilitated a weekly Women’s Art Therapy group. Every year around Valentine’s Day, I invited group members to make an image about their hearts. They could also choose to write about this, perform it, sculpt it… any creative expression that would speak to how or what they truly felt in their hearts at the time. The resulting “products” were to be kept by them, after being processed in the safety of the group (according to participants comfort level) or individually with me. Sometimes, no words were needed. These were not, are not, valentines to be given away. They are personal reflections about a part of oneself that is vulnerable. Check out the gallery to see a few of my heart images*. How’s your heart this Valentine’s Day?

 

*All images property of www.rainacowanarttherapist.com