Susie's Art Journals
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Coming Out Story art journals
In 2019 I came out of the closet after almost 30 years in a straight marriage and about 22 years of questioning my sexuality. It was something that I’d been exploring in my art journals from the very first year, in secret, and without being able to fully accept it even myself. But, in 2019 something happened that catapulted me into the next chapter of my life. I immediately began to explore and express myself in this exquisitely painful and exciting moment of my life. Today, almost four years later, I am into my eighth art journal about my coming out late in life journey. Below are some of the pages from those first five journals.
Body Passion Project art journals
The Body Passion Project was a critical element in my evolution as an expressive arts facilitator. I started the program after my students saw my Body Passion Triptych at my solo exhibition at Pie Eyed Studio in 2015. In that I explored my own body story, body shame, and evolution to passion from compassion. I then developed and opened the Body Passion Project as a 6 week deep dive program at Unfold Studio. The class sold out quickly. The first night a group of 9 tender-hearted and somewhat trepidatious women sat in a circle in the studio. I asked them “What brought you here?,” my typical first night question in the studio. Of course, women called to work on their body image with creativity had some dark stories. There were many tears that night. I felt as if I’d invited all of these trusting souls to come skip down to the River Hades with me! And, I realized it was time for me to get more training. It was imperative to me to hold the circle with integrity and that the work I was meant to do was this: deep work, transformative work, healing work. This led me to investigate expressive arts training programs. I ended up beginning my professional training a month after the BPP course ended and two years later was a certified Person Centered Expressive Arts Facilitator. Since then, I’ve taught the Body Passion Project in the studio as an 8 week course, a weekend long retreat, and a 10 week online course. It’s my most popular program from Unfold Studio.
First art journals
I began art journaling in 2013 as a way to process my emotions with art supplies as my language. I didn’t want to talk any more about what was churning around inside of me. I wanted relief with creativity. I started with simple materials and a simple imperative: Get out of my head, into my heart and onto the page. This remains my most important mantra for my beginning students. The best part of art journaling is that it is not about the product. It is about what happens between the first moment of creation and the last. The final page is a bonus (and often something incredible to see), but it’s not the main goal. I found soon after I started art journaling that I felt called back and back again to my journal to process the events and feelings of my days. And my art journal journey began.
