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Mailer 02

Soul Songs
Your SoulCollage Newsletter

Enabling us to sing the songs
we were born to sing
through the practice
of SoulCollage®




Issue # 27      September, 2007


Welcome!

Greetings, and welcome to Soul Songs, the official KaleidoSoul Newsletter, and the only monthly newsletter that focuses exclusively on SoulCollage ideas, resources and artists.

Our intention is to fill each issue (and your life) with inspiration, soul-solace and delight.  Whether you are new to SoulCollage, or already immersed in the creation of your deck,
Soul Songs is for you. 

Please feel free to forward this newsletter to any friends, colleagues, or family members who will enjoy it.

View this newsletter as a web page with complete color and graphics.


Soul Singing with Anne Marie

Hi!  I'm Anne Marie, the creator of the KaleidoSoul website, and a SoulCollage®  facilitator in Massachusetts.  If you're just starting to sing your song with SoulCollage, this column is especially for you.


Suggestions for newcomers to SoulCollage:
 
  • Find a SoulCollage Facilitator near you.
  • Download the Getting Started with SoulCollage
    Workshop in a Box
    .
  • Visit KaleidoSoul and click on What is SoulCollage, SoulCollage Deck, and Making the Cards on the left menu.
  • Seena Frost is the one who created SoulCollage®. Visit Seena's website and see what four cards come up for you in the automatic reading, then read some of Seena's articles.
  • Read Seena's book, SoulCollage. 
  • Listen to Seena's CD, Introduction to SoulCollage. 
  • Don't forget to take it easy and always, always trust the process!


    Creating as a New Beginning

    I have always loved this month of September, from the time I was a little girl.  Not so much the cooling weather after a hot summer, and not even the fall leaves in New England beginning to change colors (although I love that too!).

    No, my main reason for loving September has to do with the feeling of a new beginning.  I used to (and still do) passionately love a fresh, clean, brand-new empty notebook.  New notebooks, pens and pencils, crisp sheets of blank white paper, waiting to be filled.

    I love all parts of the process of creativity, no matter what part of my life it is applies to: cooking, baking, jewelry making (a new passion), writing, creating mixed media collages, and of course... SoulCollage.

    BUT... my favorite part of creating anything new (an e-course, an art journal page, a bracelet, a SoulCollage card...) is the first part: the beginning.  Starting with the blank page, the empty shape that is waiting to be filled, the length of beading wire.... and allowing the ideas to fire off of one another like sparklers on the Fourth of July.

    The best recommendation I can give you this month is just to become more aware of your own creative process as the days and weeks go by.  Accept it, no matter what it looks like on the outside. 
    Allow it to take its own course, whatever that is.  Honor it, for it is very precious.

    Here are some books & websites
    that I highly recommend for working with your own creative process:

    Comfort Queen-  Creativity in all its many forms is part of the way we comfort ourselves and take care of ourselves deeply.  This site is home of Jennifer Louden, who has written many books on self-care and creativity.  You'll find it a wonderful resource on your SoulCollage journey as well!

    Art & Fear, by David Bayles.

    Art Heals:How Creativity Cures the Soul, by Shaun McNiff.

    The Creativity Book, by Eric Maisel.


    Anne Marie Bennett is a freelance writer, self-taught artist and SoulCollage® facilitator who trained with Seena Frost.
    Her background is elementary education, computer software training, writing, and mixed media art. She
    lives, laughs, writes, and sings (and makes her own SoulCollage® cards!) in Beverly, MA.  More of Anne Marie's cards/interpretations are available on the official KaleidoSoul blog, Inner Surprises.

    Please read more about
    upcoming workshops/retreats with
    Anne Marie
    .



Soul Symphonies with Karen
My name is Karen Mann and I'm a SoulCollage® facilitator from Melbourne, Australia. This column is for those of you who have already made some cards & are ready to discover the symphony of voices inside of you and around you.


The Oddity Effect

This week, when looking through my cards, I noticed that two had similar symbols..  This similarity led to me making a creative connection between two Neters that I had not seen before.  The related images of fish in these cards led me on a creative journey of discovery.   

The first card is what I had been calling my Fun Killer card (see left).  I am the one lurking in the shadows waiting to ruin things just when you are about to have fun!  I made this card about two years ago and, while I had a slight inkling of what this card was about, I was certainly not sure why there was one lone fish in the corner.  

The second card is The One who Swims Against the Stream (see below).  This person with an unconventional haircut certainly stands out against the school of similar looking fish.  I am the one who is different, does things differently, does not fit in with everyone else. 
 


This card was one of many cards in my deck that represent the part of me that wants to express myself authentically and to be totally individual and unique.  When I made this card, I did not logically understand why I needed yet another card about expressing my individuality in my deck, but I trusted there would be a reason for needing this new card.

After noticing the connection with these cards symbolically, I began to realise that these cards were connected in meaning too.  I did some research into fish swimming in schools, and learnt that fish usually swim in schools that consist of fish similar in appearance to themselves.  There is a phenomenon called the "oddity effect" which says that any school member that stands out in appearance will be preferentially targeted by predators.  This means fish that are alike band together.

This mirrored my experience as a child.  The "predators" (bullies) targeted me because I was different.  In order to combat this, I tried to blend in with everyone else, to avoid the "oddity effect."  I began to realise that the "fun killer" card was actually about the part of me that was bullied as a child.  I am the child who was bullied. I was teased for being myself, for swimming against the school, for not being like everyone else. 

Now, after years of trying to be like everyone else, my soul is crying out to return to its original unique self.  "The One who Swims Against the Stream" represents the desire to be myself, and stop trying to blend in with everyone else. 

Roger von Oech, creativity expert, said "Creative thinking involves imagining familiar things in a new light, digging below the surface to find previously undetected patterns, and finding connections among unrelated phenomena.

This is what I experienced this week with my cards.  By looking at my cards creatively I saw some "previously undetected patterns"  (in this case similar symbols) and found some new "connections" among seemingly "unrelated phenomena" or cards.  This assisted me to gain some new insight into myself.

After this experience, I began grouping other cards with like symbols together, and found some more interesting relationships between Neters.  By viewing my cards creatively and grouping them by symbol rather than by known meaning, my creativity allowed me to access a new layer of understanding about myself and my Neters.


Karen Mann is an artist, art teacher, Lifestyle Coach, yoga and meditation teacher, and SoulCollage® facilitator. Karen has been working with SoulCollage cards for more than two years and facilitates a variety of SoulCollage Groups. She also works with individuals. Karen is based in Melbourne, Australia. For more information, or to contact Karen, please visit her website,
Flying Colours Creativity.




Don't forget to check out CDBaby.com, a great place to buy cd's. Their New Age section is a must for all serious SoulCollagers! Their customer service is unsurpassed and they stock cd's from over 158,000 artists. Great selections, great prices, friendly people, and a good deal on shipping. What more could you want?





  KaleidoSoul Creations
As promised, we are featuring four SoulCollage® cards from our readers in each issue. Please feel free to submit one of your cards for a future issue by sending a reply email to this newsletter.

In keeping with this month's theme, each card below represents one SoulCollager's interpretation of "creativity."

 
Creativity Unleashed
Artist: Rhoda
Location: Washington

I am One Who harbors and channels creative potential. It rises from a place deep in the core of my being.  I invite you to harness this second chakra energy.  If I am blocked by your head, I may explode.


 
Future Dreams-
Professional Artist
Suit: Committee
Artist: Barbara Ann
Location: Oregon

I am the one who is sometimes a student and sometimes a teacher.  I am the one who is learning from others to express my own creativity.  I am the one who can master each task, one at a time.  I am the one who consciously strives to reach my creative goals every day.



Creativity
Suit: Committee
Artist: Kat
Location: California
I am one who loves to create art with my hands.  I work with clay and mosaics to create pieces that are pleasing to the senses.  I love to get messy while working, then I enjoy the satisfaction of making order out of chaos when I'm finished. 
I am one who feels at peace with my creativity.



Creator
Suit: Council
Artist: Jacqui
Location: New South Wales

I am the one who imagines, creates, flows.  I am the one who weaves the fabric of life into the masterpiece it is.  I give you the inspiration to choose which threads to weave into your life.

 
 


 

KaleidoSoul Notes

Noteworthy resources for anyone interested in SoulCollage

 
SoulCollage website- Seena Frost created the process of SoulCollage, and this is her website.
 
KaleidoSoul- Spinning the fragments of your world into wholeness and beauty through SoulCollage.

Kindred Spirits- Join our fast-growing worldwide membership of people who put the "soul" in SoulCollage! Receive a weekly newsletter all about SoulCollage, advance notice of new SoulCollage materials, half- price discounts on all e-courses and e-books in the KaleidoSoul Shop. And more!

Tele-Playshops- These are fun, interactive tele-classes that are easily accessed from anywhere in the world. Topics range from SoulCollage card making to various suits to dreamwork to how to do readings with your cards. There's more information about this month's tele-playshop on this KaleidoSoul page.

Facilitator Trainings- Information about content and dates/locations of upcoming trainings of SoulCollage Facilitators.
 


 
Special SoulCollage Announcements
 
Just Be Connected
Creative Gathering

October 12 - 14 , 2007
 
You don't need to have a blog to attend this exciting event... but there will be lots of creative workshops taught by bloggers (including SoulCollage with Anne Marie). Please visit this page to find out more. Register soon.... there are a limited number of spaces left!


April 10 - 13, 2008

All Things
Bright & Beautiful:

Annual Kaleidosoul SoulCollage Retreat

You asked for it, you got it! A three-night retreat focusing soul-ly on the SoulCollage Animal Companions Suit. If you're longing to bring the wisdom of the Animals into your life in a creative, personal way within the safety of SoulCollage.... please join us!  More details are on this KaleidoSoul page.
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SoulCollage® is a trademarked process created by Seena B. Frost.  For more information about Seena and the origins of SoulCollage, please visit her website.

SoulCollage® cards are made either from one's own art or from images found in materials which have been bought by or given to the SoulCollage card maker. These collaged cards are used only for the cardmaker's own inner exploration. SoulCollage cards are not sold, traded, bartered, or copied (except as a back-up for the cardmakers own use) as is stated in the "Principles of SoulCollage®." Where SoulCollage cards are available to be seen by others, it is for the purposes either of demonstrating the SoulCollage process or of sharing the cardmakers' inner process in the context of community. SoulCollage® is grateful to the artists and photographers who make this deep awakening process possible and in all ways SoulCollage® seeks to be respectful of their rights.

All articles in SOUL SONGS are copyrighted, 2007, 
by Anne Marie Bennett and Karen Mann.
Articles may be reprinted by permission only.