Conceptual Journaling: let watsu begin

Warm water is a wonderful way to wellness.  It is relaxing; it is soothing, calming and playful. These are all the words that come to mind when I first had water therapy: flowing, fluid, malleable, buoyant, viscosity, soft and gentle. Nothing can express the experience of water therapy adequately enough but I was so taken by it that I tried to capture my feelings in this series of acrylic ink washes and the poem which I wrote.      If you are interested in this therapy you can learn more here and watsu

Integrate:

a delicate energy

Let the quivering child become whole.

My power and Your emanation

Integrate.

Conceptual Journaling: watsu 2

Smooth satin azure

Water I embrace you

Emotions mingling

Water swirling

Water and I are one.

Soft glow gently rocks

Fetal bliss

Body cradled

Mind stilled

Petal kiss.

Integrate:

a delicate energy

Let the quivering child become whole.

My power and Your emanation

Integrate.

I have a voice

Courage to make a choice

Freeze a frame

Let the adult find

The laughing child

In the end.

Watsu Motion Picture 

17.10.08

Conceptual journaling: memories of 'mermaid playing'.

Sometimes childhood memories remind me of what I use to like doing. What we think of as childish play can be a clue to new inspiration for recreational and creative endeavors; they inspire new ways of creating and being for me. I am sure you can think back to some of the favourite places where you have liked being. One of my favourite places was the sea where the warm Indian Ocean ran. I could stay in the water for hours. A lot of my friends had surfboards. I had a lilo. This did not deter me from enjoying myself. I use to float around on the water pretending I was a mermaid riding a seahorse: 

my wonderful world -

warm fluid water enveloping my being; 

turquoise glass stretching to meet cloud and sky, 

salty translucence magnifying the under-world.

Free Sun-Princes, Acrylic Inks and pen, by Morag Noffke, 29.10.08

Sun-Princess 

I am curious like a cat with night vision for the dark. I have whiskers for intuition; it’s good for the journey on which I embark. Cats are peaceful, content, proud and individual. On my head I wear the Sun-Princess crown and I am free to be me.

My butterfly wings are a sign of transformation; like from pupa to butterfly transmuting, is the psyche from one level to the next. There is a time to bleed and a time to need. Emotions merging like water colours, and emanating like translucent light. My wings carry me in flight to places without traces, like vanishings: once hidden, once appearing at will.

I have a mermaid’s tail, moving, propelling me forward, upward and downward; this way and that, exploring the darker depths with my strong fleshy tail. It is flexible and long; has scales both to protect and delight, a beautiful boundary hidden out of sight.

My tail is not like the pupa’s corset holding the tender, delicate, fragile, vulnerable worm. It is not rigid or cynical, looking on with scorn; keeping the princess in the tower with her insolent glower. Its mythical nature tells of its traveling journeys in joy and in sorrow; collecting wisdom. 

I have my crown, my cat's eyes and whiskers; my butterfly wings and mermaid's tail. I am a curious cat with a muscular tail, willing to fly and merge with the air; willing to swim in the dark and dare. During the day, with delight I stay and in the glorious sun I play.   

Conceptual Journaling: water

Photo by Morag, 2007

Water has many symbols, there are too many to elaborate in one post.

 The next series of drawings and poems are extracts from a conceptual journal 

I created in 2006.

Water carries many symbols.

Drawings by Morag Noffke, chalk pastel & poems collated onto one page.
It has an translucent overlay on  which  I wrote the poems, 2006.

Water
trickles
cleanses
splashes
gushes
carries
and overwhelms.


Spray
glistens
reflects
refreshes
and quenches.

The next poem speaks of my origins, the way my parents came together; 

the way life unfolds and opens up, enlarging as it goes.

One single droplet of rain

is the source of where I originate.

One single droplet of rain

and the action consummated.

They come pelting down

each colliding together.

They come pelting down

making my river bigger.

I am the droplet, I am the river, chalk pastel by Morag Noffke, 2006. 

Water
I thirst.

Water

I drink.

Dew

drops
peacefully,
sending out ripples.

Ripple effect

in my life.
comes crashing,
splashing and splitting -
making changes.

Dew drops ripple

ripple effect changes,
changes my life:
I thirst, I drink and I am satisfied.

Changes, chalk pastel by Morag Noffke, 2006

After these drawing, many changes occurred in my life. 

It could be that the writing and drawing helped me process what was going on; 

that by expressing the issues my insight and quiet conviction grew.

This gave me strength to grow through the changes.

Conceptual Journaling: working with dreams

2010 Journal entry, Geese: Pen, highlighter and pencil crayon, by Morag Noffke.

Dreams are important to me. I like allowing the symbolism of dreams to 'speak' to me. Once after dreaming of geese I did some research to find out about geese. I identified with many of their characteristics which I then illustrated in drawing and writing. This is an example of one of many journal entries which I made during the time of pondering the topic of geese.

In the same year I also dreamed of a golden nest which I found to be both inspiring and encouraging; helping me to be expectant of new things. I work through things, such as dreams, by painting, drawing and writing about them.

2010 Journal entry, The Golden Nest: water colour, acrylics, oil pastel gold glitter glue and gold ink, by Morag Noffke.

Conceptual Journaling: swans

Size 12 X 12 cm , Chalk pastel, by Morag Noffke 18.03.09

I have a fondness for swans. It reminds me of my father. He drew swans. He grew up in Scotland where he came into contact with them. So swans also remind me of love, the love a father has for his daughter: the love that encompasses unconditional positive regard, empathy, compassion, care, grace and mercy. It reminds me of the stillness of being seen by a father for who I really am. It’s the love which understands the privilege of seeing his daughter grow up.

Swans

Unconditional

Positive regard

Empathy

Compassion and care

Grace and mercy

The stillness of being seen

The privilege of seeing

Conceptual Journaling: geese

Size 30 X 24 cm, Oil Pastel,  by Morag Noffke 03.03.09

When I think of the human spirit I often draw, paint or fashion 3D birds: geese, swans, robins, and finches to name a few. In this drawing I have tried to symbolise the nurturing relationship which is often found in the healthy parent-child bond of children growing up, inter-dependent friendships and counsellor-counselee relationships where one comes alongside another. This image of a parent goose swimming with the gosling is a personal reminder of the rarity and worth of such a relationship.

Conceptual Journaling

Invitation in...

You may be wondering what ‘Conceptual journaling’ is.  It is my term for conceptualizing my ideas, my processing of experiences, thoughts and feelings, through art, prose and poetry.  ‘Conceptual journaling’ is visual journaling and poetry journaling combined. I often use metaphors and symbols.

My processing and conceptualizing includes psycho-spiritual elements. While the word ‘conceptual’ refers to ideas and logic, psycho-spiritual refers to: the emotional, thoughts & behaviours, conscious & subconscious (psycho); and meaning, subjective, intuitive & supernatural (spiritual).  

Spiritual beliefs are personal. I hope my personal beliefs won’t overshadow the manner in which I present my conceptual journaling or get in the way of potential viewing and dialogue. Many of my symbols are both personal and universal so I think it could appeal to a wide audience.

I find this process is a personal and meaningful approach. It is most often a solitary journey and it appeals to me as I like spending time on my own. My motivation for showing you my journaling is that sometimes I would like to share who I am to others. I choose carefully what I share with you as some topics are private and not to be shown to anyone therefore I will either display whole books or sections thereof which I will then link together in categories.

I invite you into my world of conceptual journaling...