I'm Kat Kirby, Art Therapist and SoulCollage® Facilitator and Trainer from Prescott, AZ. I work with people in recovery from addictions and eating disorders, and share my passion for SoulCollage® wherever and whenever I can. I am excited to be writing for Soul Songs, and hope you find that my words inspire you to create a new card or two!


Time

To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time for every purpose, under heaven.

A time to build up, a time to break down
A time to dance, a time to mourn
A time to cast away stones,
a time to gather stones together.


--- Words adapted from the bible, book of Ecclesiastes --- Music by Pete Seeger

I love the subject of time. And I also really, really dislike it. It's something that is always on our minds, and probably always has been. When I was younger, time moved so slowly it was painful. I remember school finishing in June, and the thought of having to wait until September to see my friends and find out who was in my new class was almost too much to bear.

We spend a lot of time wasting time, and yet we know how precious this commodity is. I am often amazed at some people who seem to get about a week's work done in a day, are able to work full time, raise a family, enjoy hobbies, as well as get to the gym...etc. "Superhuman" maybe, but many many folks aspire to this.

Time fascinates me. Time travel is one topic I never get tired of, and movies with this element keep my attention over and over. I like the idea of getting a "do-over", such as in the movie Sliding Doors, or Run Lola Run, The Lake House, or the eerie Donnie Darko. And then there are songs about time. Some of my favorites are Time is on My Side (Stones), Time in a Bottle (Jim Croce), Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is (Chicago), Time Passages (Rod Stewart), The Times They Are A Changin' (Bob Dylan) and Time of the Season (Zombies). Evidently lots of other folks out there are also mesmerized by the subject of time!

So, you might ask, how does this relate to SoulCollage®? One of my earliest cards that had to be made was all about "My Overscheduled Self." I Am One Who is climbing the corporate ladder, and needs to keep going. I have many different hats, and none of them look very good on me when I'm rushing all the time. I Am One Who believes I can do it all!

Well, that's what I used to tell myself, when I was a new mom, living in England, working for the family business, and trying to be Super Woman. It didn't work very well but I didn't want to acknowledge the signs that things were not in balance. Time has a way of letting you know that you're not really in charge.

Then another card sort of "made itself" on the subject of time. It shows an exploded view of a time piece, and a woman not looking very happy. And an Archetype card of mine, which is the Prostitute, shows a woman in a business suit, in a beautiful house, trying to tie her child's shoe while on an important business call. She has sold out, and isn't doing any of it very well.

Finally, to bring some balance into my life regarding the subject of time, I made a card showing two young girls reading side by side. My friend Linda and I used to do this all the time, just hanging out together, each one absorbed in our own book. We didn't need to talk or "do" anything. We enjoyed being together, enjoyed whatever time we had for our mutual love of reading, and never felt like we were "wasting time."

How do you deal with time? Do you set your clock three minutes ahead? Are you compulsive about getting somewhere on time, only to arrive too early (whatever became of "fashionably late")? Are you chronically running late? I would love to hear from you and see your cards about "TIME"! Thank you!



Kat Kirby is a Registered Art Therapist, SoulCollage® Facilitator and Trainer. She leads creative workshops and retreats throughout the US and abroad. Kat has been working with SoulCollage® since 2006 and believes strongly in the healing power of the arts. For more information about Kat's SoulCollage® workshops, trainings, and retreats, please visit her website, 2 Kat Studios.