Stop the war. There can be no peace until there is peace within.

Its so crazy to me. Honestly, before I took on this project I never thought too much into art therapy as being pictorial of the soul. I didn't even think in depth about what the therapeutic benefits involved with producing art were, except for my knowledge that it made me feel better somehow. I never actually considered all its ramifications, what the piece could reveal beneath the surface of what may look like either an obvious figure, or just plain color. I mean I thought about color, I myself have previously used color to translate my thoughts...but never on such a deep level. Not in the way I see philosophers and artists talk about it (an awareness I have now that is, occuring after the project began). What I am getting to, is that, I chose this particular action to be my project without any influence from what I've read or heard because I actually had not read or heard anything, or perhaps I had never listened closely. But after taking on the project, I discovered its power by way of class discussions, texts I was required to read, and then through my own digging on the web. And presentely, I find myself continuously falling upon more and more individuals who I can completely understand, writers who have written the thoughts of my mind in terms of what I wanted my action project to be. And here I was thinking the project I was taking up probably didn't make sense. I remember in class being unable to explain it well, not knowing how to word what I wanted out of this, and all along there were millions of people doing it for me and writing about it. Its kinda sad in a way, I mean its definitely a lack of knowledge, I was too oblivious to its existence, to the painting of the soul and how to read an art piece. Not to say I wasn't aware of there being a specific way to look at art and that it was to be read with the eye of an artist; I had heard this several times and thought I knew what it meant, but I actually had no idea. This semester has truly taught me the ways of artistry ...the beginning ways to be exact, for I know there is much learning to do ahead of me.

With that said, like a child seeing something for the first time, I was mesmerized and giddy by this little article I found:

This website presents the approach to Painting Therapy of Liane Collot d’Herbois through the laws of Light, Darkness and Color. Founded on a deep understanding of the human being derived from the spiritual scientific principles of Rudolf Steiner, this therapy reveals the direct connection between Light, Darkness and Color and the human being on all levels. It distinguishes itself both from traditional art therapy and anthroposophical artistic therapies, providing a new paradigm for healing that effectively addresses spirit, soul and body.

Working through the “path of incarnation” of the ego (spirit) from above through the path of light in connection with our thinking, in relation to the nerve/sense system, and from below, through the path of darkness connected to our will, in relation to the metabolic system, we create balance and harmony in the middle realm of circulation and breathing, the soul realm of color and feeling. Healing takes place through the activity of the ego (spirit) utilizing the path of consciousness (light) and the path of life (darkness) as the basis for a medical painting therapy for the whole human being, based on universal human principles that work across all cultures.- Pamela Whitman