"Compassion is the keen awareness of the interdependence of all things." -Thomas Merton

Stories are Alive Beings

The moon is my cup.
I drink the stars down.
Night is hot liquid steeped in clouds,
poured from the hands of the planets.
Someone beautiful told me
Stories are alive beings,
little animals who drink from the creek
of my spirit; who scratch at the door;
who invent absurd and curious ways
of being in the world; who
carve indelible maps in the sky
for the rest of us to follow.

– Tiffany Midge, from Sing: Poetry from the indigenous Americas

 

Participants at the mask making workshop at Salishan Resort, August 2019

Harvesting Inspiration

As we enjoy the waning days of summer, it is a wonderful time to cull inspiration from your summer adventures and let that energy propel you towards your creative pursuits this fall. I am excited to continue to develop a series of mixed media pieces that I started at Judy Vogland’s four-day Sitka intensive this summer entitled, Sand, Sun & Saltwater: Exploring Mixed Media Landscape and More! Confluence (shown above) was my first sandpainting, which I created in this workshop. While I was out on the Oregon Coast, I also had the chance to facilitate an intergenerational mask-making workshop for guests at Salishan Resort. Participants ranged in age from five years old to into their eighties, all bringing with them their playful spirits and courage to experiment and try new things. I am looking forward to sharing the energy of these oceanside artistic adventures through my fall program offerings over the coming months.

Looking Ahead to Fall, Upcoming Retreat…

If you are looking for a creative catalyst as the season turns, it is not too late to join us for our upcoming fall women’s art and writing retreat (only two spots left!!!) Our retreat, Self Portrait of the Inner Landscape: Exploring Personal Mythology Through Writing and Mask Making, is offered in collaboration with Dawn Thompson (of Portland Women Writers), Friday, September 20th through Sunday, September 22nd at Alton Collins Retreat Center. Learn more… 

Embark on Your Own Family Heirloom Arts Project…

Fall is a wonderful time to delve in and begin a new life story project. Contact us if you would like to set-up a free one-hour consultation to discuss your project ideas and learning more about Family Heirloom Arts products and services. We are also available for project consulting if you are already working on your own project and need some support to help bring it to fruition.

Life Story Coach Podcast

This August I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Amy Woods Butler for the Life Story Coach Podcast that she hosts. It was fun to be the person being interviewed, and I enjoyed having the chance to share more about my journey of creating Family Heirloom Arts and having the chance to reflect on the work that we do and how it impacts families and our community. I also spoke about my fascination with the intersection between visual art and personal storytelling and how it informs my work. I hope you enjoy listening to our conversation:

Episode 65: Workshops with Lisa Kagan of Family Heirloom Arts
Episode 66: Lisa Kagan of Family Heirloom Arts, Part 2

Oral History Interviews
Writing & Editing
Book Layout & Design