LGBTQ+ folx are survivors of various levels of violence, trauma and abuse that attempt to take away our authentic self-identities. Expression through art is healing and restorative.
This gathering is an opportunity to create a piece that shows your authentic self. Using SoulCollage™ you will explore and create a SoulEssence card to represent the original life force that is your birthright. This essential life energy within you is vast and undamaged; no circumstance can take it away. It is the unique facet that you bring to the planet. This is a good part of ourselves to get to know.
FREE! RSVP by FRIDAY SEPT 11, 5pm, by completing a short survey to get the Zoom link.
ASL? Let us know by Thursday Sept 10 if you need ASL interpretation, please.
Prepare: Set up the space and time for our virtual gathering where you have plenty of room to go through images to collage together to create and share your SoulEssence card (if you choose to share).
Supplies Needed: Collect magazines and other sources of images (old books, calendars, prints, online printouts, etc). (If you don’t have magazines, ask your neighbors, family, friends, local businesses with waiting rooms, etc. if you can have a few of their old issues.) Whatever you decide to use will be fine. The process we will use to choose images will be more intuitive than intellectual.
Also collect scissors, glue, tape, markers/mark–making implements, and one piece of stiff paper, cardboard, mat board — you can even re-purpose cereal or cracker boxes for this, since you’ll likely be covering up the images with your own. Or you can paint a background color on them ahead of time. The size is up to you. I’d suggest at least 5×8 inches panel.
Journey: After a brief intro to each other, the subject, and the process, we will do a guided imagery journey together (led by Christina –see below) to explore the elements of your SoulEssence. Then we’ll artmake for about an hour or so (background music will be piped through the screen share, but you can also mute it and go with your own), and we’ll have some time in the end for a Community Witnessing — a time to share our collaged SoulEssence cards — or whatever pieces we’ve pulled together by then — with each other.
Vision: “Art is not about self-expression. It is about self-discovery.” My hope is that folx will be able to un-cover more about who you are, to strengthen yourself in the world. Your SoulEssence card can be an altarpiece to cherish privately if you wish or something to share with those who love you. There is no wrong way to do this piece.
Host/Contact: Christina Cappelletti, LGSW, MSW, MA, DCAVP Therapist/Advocate/Artist, DC Center. Christina is also a certified facilitator of SoulCollage™, an expressive arts technique created by therapist Seena Frost, using collage to explore the elements of authentic self, for healing, resilience and fun. Learn more about Christina.
The DC Anti-Violence Project (DCAVP) is here to support LGBTQ+ survivors of violence, trauma and abuse, to raise awareness about the systems that perpetuate it, and to educate the community on how to be present for LGBTQ+ authentic living. The DCAVP is a program of the DC Center for the LGBT Community, and is funded under 2020-MDCC-01, awarded by the Office of Victim Services and Justice Grants, Executive Office of the Mayor, District of Columbia. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this event are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the Executive Office of the Mayor.