tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73893464092398911552024-02-21T06:46:27.530+11:00Chronically Whimsical Tales Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03507125730536409878noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389346409239891155.post-26171473510048676532016-02-11T17:48:00.000+11:002016-02-11T17:48:38.143+11:00Monthly favourites, January 2016<div dir="ltr" style="font-size: 16px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Flare ups. They happen. They did happen. This is late. My apologies, but let's move on. </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">In keeping with my efforts to do more this year I'm adding more elements to Chronically Whimsical Tales. Including more personal projects and experiences with art therapy but not forgetting the inhabitants of the Woodland. So first off I thought I'd share my top 5 favourite things that I used for art therapy during January. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Derwent Graphite Soft Pencils:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was given a set of these for Christmas which was excellent timing. I've always used Progresso solid graphites, well if you consider always since about year 9 and I'm now more than 10 years out of high school, then always. Having had the same set for many years some of them are running rather low and looking pretty sad. They're also quite heavy when you have a lot of numbness and pain in your hands so I'd been considering buying a set of these graphite pencils as a replacement. I'm happy to report that they produce very similar results to my old Progressos. I've really enjoyed their lightness and the fact they're much easier to sharpen. Most of all I'm really happy that these things mean I can use them more often.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Derwent soft graphics, Helena Lucey, 2016<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Top Tips:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-Practice makes perfect when trying new art tools.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-Start with casual sketches before using new tools on special pieces.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Clover Amour crochet hook set:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I love to crochet but it's a pass time that can leave my hands feeling like they've been trodden on by a brontosaurus. Luckily I found these amazing crochet hooks with a rubberized coating on the handle that help you hold onto them without having to grip with any pressure. Does that make sense? I'm going to hope that made sense. Anyway using less pressure to hold the hooks causes less pain and lets me work a little longer. I've been working on a special gift this last month and these have made it possible for me to keep working. A happy crafter is a safe crafter. Those, I promise are words to live by. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crochet supplies, Helena Lucey, 2016</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Top Tips:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-Try searching online on sites like eBay or Amazon for more affordable crochet supplies.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Nail Polish:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Nail polish is one of my absolute favourite things to play with when I'm unwell or well. Somewhat of an obsession if I'm honest. All the colours of the rainbow and almost as many finishes; creme, pearl, shimmer, glitter, jelly, crelly, holo and matte. All beautiful and full of endless potential. Let's not forget nail art, when I have a surplus of spoons I love to do nail art. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What I love most is that for the next few days or so I'm reminded of what I made each time I look at my hands. They simply are something fun or pretty just for the sake of it, with a fresh canvas waiting underneath for the next time. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Indie polishes aka my obsession, Helena Lucey, 2015</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Top tips:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-Get yourself a good face mask and open a window, particularly if you're sensitive to smell.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-Plan first and get everything you need ready before you start to save yourself extra trips looking for supplies. Polish, base and top coat, nail polish remover, cotton wool and manicure tools.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-Collect inspiration from sites like Pinterest.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Glitter:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yes glitter can be a ridiculous mess that taunts you weeks after you've had your sparkly fun but isn't it worth it after all is said and done. It add such life to craft projects and artworks when done right. I for one have enjoyed the glittery good stuff a lot lately on drawings and cards, in nail polish (see slight obsession) and especially in December when making Christmas decorations to send to friends. Glitter is fun, just be careful.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perils of glitter, Helena Lucey, 2016<br /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-Don't spill it</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-Please</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Watercolour pencils:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In spite of my promenant artistic side I've never been a painter but I always love to learn. A couple of months ago I was given a set of these to play around with by my always thoughtful Mum. I put them away when I was trying to organise my supplies and forgot I had them but rediscovered them in January and began to play around. I haven't gotten the hang if these yet but I really love the range in depth of colour these can achieve and the fact that they help me mimick water colour painting. You will definitely be seeing them on here in the future.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watercolour pencil set, Helena Lucey, 2016<br /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Top Tips:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-YouTube is a great resource for learning how to use new materials. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thank you for stopping by Chronically Whimsical Tales. I hope you enjoyed this little list of recommendations I put together inspired by last months artistic shenanigans. As always </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">leave any special requests that you have in the comments below and let me know what your favourites have been this month. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Talk soon woodlanders,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Helena xo</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03507125730536409878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389346409239891155.post-1273716527176249232016-02-01T00:22:00.001+11:002016-02-01T00:22:05.803+11:00Pick Up Your Pencils <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You all know I'm on board when it comes using art to deal with the day to day "fun" that is chronic illness but sometimes you just don't know what to do. Or you know what you want to do but you're not able to for one or one hundred reasons. Luckily art therapy comes in many forms so when your body decides it would rather act more bananas than functional human being there is always something to do. So let's do this.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Last week I treated myself to a couple of makeup items I had wanted for a very, very long time, thanks to a gift from a friend. Of course they would arrive the day after I was recovering from a flare up of one of my conditions so I couldn't test them out. I didn't possess the skill of holding ones hands up to ones face for several minutes at a time that day, a prerequisite for applying makeup. But by the evening I could hold a pencil for a short time so instead of putting makeup on I drew makeup. After a few hours working on an off I had drawn this elaborate nail polish bottle in graphite pencil. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYdA1MQy4qfS6aAUFiGpwQR15SGyDiaw4EaWFce4r9-36eolnPVXuwWRBuAcjT7hvAnKhZWNvrM0CnnvOFwI23janSWZD9elTECt4b0BqbZcCvbzG8n7etffScYwTI_YrQfXOgsD2p8Cg/s1600/20160129_022652_wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYdA1MQy4qfS6aAUFiGpwQR15SGyDiaw4EaWFce4r9-36eolnPVXuwWRBuAcjT7hvAnKhZWNvrM0CnnvOFwI23janSWZD9elTECt4b0BqbZcCvbzG8n7etffScYwTI_YrQfXOgsD2p8Cg/s400/20160129_022652_wm.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cosmetic Cluster in progress, graphite pencil on paper, 28/01/16</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial", "helvetica", sans-serif;">I was much stronger the next day so was able to finish the drawing while I rested. Sketching was a great distraction to the pain and my disappointment at not being able to enjoy the new makeup I had ordered for myself. Here is what I came up with.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Using art as therapy can work in many different situations. Though this past week was very difficult and disappointing that a treat would come at such an unfortunate time, I still found something to do to pass time, distract myself and it had a practical outcome. For me producing something always helps me cope during hard time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I always encourage you to pic up a pencil or your makeup brushes or your knitting needles and make a little something. Make something out of a bad day. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Incidentally when I did get to try my makeup it worked beautifully </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and I couldn't be happier with it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until next time, take care woodlanders,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Helena xo</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03507125730536409878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389346409239891155.post-60002101803227842642016-01-30T02:10:00.003+11:002016-01-30T02:10:38.650+11:00Welcome Back...me<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It has been roughly 6 months since we last spoke or took a casual jaunt through the woodland. Spoonie life is hard. Keeping up with your whole life: appointments, various therapies and treatments, family and friends and your own interests is hard. In short I'm very far behind and completely neglected this particular interest as a result. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm very sorry for this. </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Sorry for my dear woodlanders who had enjoyed my blog in the past and so kindly wished me well while I planned to take a short break. A break that turned out to be very far past short. But I am also sorry for myself, for letting go of this endeavour that I had enjoyed so much and had helped me with my brain training and my artistic development. Irregardless of my sorrow I cannot be sure that this won't happen again because as I said spoonie life is hard and life in general will always happen and all any of us can do is our best. So let's try this again shall we?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">While I was absent from the blogosphere, (do we still say that?) I continued to work on many of my artistic and crafty pursuits. Although this was mainly as a distraction technique and not in a research capacity, so I have little more to report on formal art therapy at this stage. But let's see where 2016 takes us and what we can make together. Until we next speak I'd like you to enjoy this copic sketch of a lemur I drew for a friend late last year. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ring tailed lemur devouring delicious watermelon, copic marker and multiliner on bleedproof paper, 15/10/15</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial", "helvetica", sans-serif;">Welcome back. Here is to a bigger and better year, because sometimes you need a good cliche. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial", "helvetica", sans-serif;">Until next time lovely readers,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial", "helvetica", sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial", "helvetica", sans-serif;">Helena xo</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03507125730536409878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389346409239891155.post-13853670003178462902015-07-18T20:38:00.002+10:002015-07-18T20:38:46.214+10:00Wading Through the Backlog<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am back, and only one week after my last post. I can hardly believe it myself but I promise it is me. While keeping up with research and writing has been living in the "too hard" basket for the last few months I have still been working on special requests that I had received before going on my unplanned hiatus. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I have a backlog of artwork to share with you, I have had a stern chat with my brain about this writing business and we have mutually agreed to compromise and share some drawings with a short explanation of what they are and where they have come from. So without any further chit chat lets get to it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some time ago a lovely follower on Instagram asked me to add an owl to the menagerie in Whimsical Woodland. I was going through a soft pastel phase at that time so I made the first few using charcoal pencils and soft pastels. </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9eSxQBxNSa9uQ27jHQ8TKI1sxrOSWAiWje9pPwIVuEM9VqrlIvHzmCIvkiszjAX-UvXQVge8CPBdmnwsZFM4XPdZV3OeiJXMfP963RDVb9WdKHSKBjPGcZXX95iqsOuc_nlUKPlcZ0EA/s1600/iw-293201523831285_wm%257E2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9eSxQBxNSa9uQ27jHQ8TKI1sxrOSWAiWje9pPwIVuEM9VqrlIvHzmCIvkiszjAX-UvXQVge8CPBdmnwsZFM4XPdZV3OeiJXMfP963RDVb9WdKHSKBjPGcZXX95iqsOuc_nlUKPlcZ0EA/s400/iw-293201523831285_wm%257E2.jpg" width="291" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Owl studies, soft pastel and charcoal on tan toned paper, 2015</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAJlh5BvzBGQT45Fj1ltdRClSzMellK6th-Rmeen_BAkqb5pugjT9GQQmbD_9ejwiMc3fv_YFQ_mbR8FKs5jTOxD2fF1eEo3zzIrMPMYgIzaMBnYcjrHRxHqY9c2-RygAkIzgbFJOhQrk/s1600/20150718_200851%257E2_wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAJlh5BvzBGQT45Fj1ltdRClSzMellK6th-Rmeen_BAkqb5pugjT9GQQmbD_9ejwiMc3fv_YFQ_mbR8FKs5jTOxD2fF1eEo3zzIrMPMYgIzaMBnYcjrHRxHqY9c2-RygAkIzgbFJOhQrk/s400/20150718_200851%257E2_wm.jpg" width="272" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Owl taking flight, soft pastel on tan toned paper, 2015</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJlhipuOxhzZudXWfd130cwS6NIYYgB65xom1W7bte-AEWUa_1yk5wR84Wte9rlB0aeFkjQu6hQmKtne7Xr2nEplMDSiJ8xhgrCOHK0eW2LRkGkr1RfZB2z18AM65hvsKrTzF7MK9OaE/s1600/20150718_200824%257E2_wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJlhipuOxhzZudXWfd130cwS6NIYYgB65xom1W7bte-AEWUa_1yk5wR84Wte9rlB0aeFkjQu6hQmKtne7Xr2nEplMDSiJ8xhgrCOHK0eW2LRkGkr1RfZB2z18AM65hvsKrTzF7MK9OaE/s400/20150718_200824%257E2_wm.jpg" width="275" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bust of owl, soft pastel and charcoal on tan toned paper, 2015</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then I decided to try working in Copic marker, I hadn't used them for feathers yet and as they say there is not better time than the present. Unless you mean sharing blog posts on time; then I can make no such claims about running to any kind of respectable schedule. Never the less I gave it a go and I am very pleased with how this little fellow turned out. I like the cut of his jib, he looks cheeky. Too many cliches? I did warm you that brain fog was making writing difficult. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha1_dGVqaMyynCHvbXBQU-GE07lDuNIyEhNI0M8jss_SUMG-5NIubCNYkGeBjtcKeDtnLTy_MOTYWcJWuy_Z1Paem4aLIIFSnOSHSp736DvkGYCehZ3bp6-dmBSd-5Pem10KYBw4QIBXk/s1600/20150218_204254%257E2_wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha1_dGVqaMyynCHvbXBQU-GE07lDuNIyEhNI0M8jss_SUMG-5NIubCNYkGeBjtcKeDtnLTy_MOTYWcJWuy_Z1Paem4aLIIFSnOSHSp736DvkGYCehZ3bp6-dmBSd-5Pem10KYBw4QIBXk/s400/20150218_204254%257E2_wm.jpg" width="291" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Owl in tree, Copic marker on bleedproof paper, 2015<br /></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He doesn't have a name yet and he definitely needs one. If you have any suggestions leave them in the comments below. Think regal, yet understated. Traditional with a contemporary edge. As always lovely readers please leave any special requests in the comments or over on Instagram and stay arty.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until next time,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Helena</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03507125730536409878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389346409239891155.post-25923077872975140392015-07-12T01:19:00.002+10:002015-07-12T17:52:52.973+10:00Blogger's Guilt<div dir="ltr">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blogger's guilt is alive and well in the Whimsical Woodland. It has been quite some time since we took a virtual stroll through the woods together. In my last post from way back I talked about my health struggles that were forcing a little blogging hiatus, but hoped I would be on the up and back to writing and art making soon.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This decline hasn't yet found its upswing. More of a steep rocky path down which to tumble at speed. Reading is hard, so research into art therapy is hard. Writing therefore is pretty much a very painful and confusing activity to partake in.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But that is okay. This is how my body and my brain is at this time so I will find a new way to share my adventures through the Whimiscal Woodland and art therapy with you. For the time being posts will be less about writing and more about sharing my art with you. More show and tell, less fantasy literary essay. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lately drawing has been difficult for a few reasons but a big one being constant jerks and tremors that make keeping my hand still a rather fanciful idea. So I've been practicing zentangles. They are a great mindfulness meditation tool for art therapy.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just focus on the the line you're drawing then when its done just add another one next to it. It doesnt matter what it is, just draw lines and circles and focus on nothing else but the shapes and lines as they turn into patterns.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDzMMeZuk3NAq-A_ie4ErnRxqR1ft197uzfJoq9sHelrjplC1vkWNtHFzSZBCK1Oj-l14ZZ-0VuNzTZ1thaNR6m0xEA1DPmzTzVdBE64DQZY2P4Y0Vhu6cuBKBHZzUO5PWj3xm5oCDmH0/s1600/20150709_205954_wm%257E2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDzMMeZuk3NAq-A_ie4ErnRxqR1ft197uzfJoq9sHelrjplC1vkWNtHFzSZBCK1Oj-l14ZZ-0VuNzTZ1thaNR6m0xEA1DPmzTzVdBE64DQZY2P4Y0Vhu6cuBKBHZzUO5PWj3xm5oCDmH0/s400/20150709_205954_wm%257E2.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Horse head Zentangle, copic multiliner on art :paper, 09/07/15</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This works well for me because its an easy distraction from pain without to much thinking required. Also when a tremor or jerk makes me ruin a line I can just make it thicker or colour in a small shape after the tremor has stopped. Its works into the pattern, becoming part of the story.</span></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheEop387VU70Zbe3NbgtKFELK8jl-vovmxlpqQu95OsVP1jAUKvGmIyfrutGlbMb-YfxK3ohc25mwJvdBM9FSbYmWZl0C8mlbJ2difngLAEH6U47dO9edr9FVTxpYoDUeLWGLdlRclDKE/s1600/20150605_131032%257E2_wm%257E2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheEop387VU70Zbe3NbgtKFELK8jl-vovmxlpqQu95OsVP1jAUKvGmIyfrutGlbMb-YfxK3ohc25mwJvdBM9FSbYmWZl0C8mlbJ2difngLAEH6U47dO9edr9FVTxpYoDUeLWGLdlRclDKE/s400/20150605_131032%257E2_wm%257E2.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Flawed zentangle, many crooked lines and large black spaces reveal severe tremors </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">but this </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">does not invalidate the piece. In fact persevering through such a strong flare helped <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">me cope </span></span></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">with my pain and find a sense of calm that I hope was passed onto the recipient of this card.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've been making many of these small zentangles over the last few weeks and turning them into cards I then send to spoonie friend. They are very relaxing to make so hopefully some of those vibes go with these cards I've sent to my friends.</span></div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGT8H5C8B43ICbZO_rislp5tbwam43ZQDhR0v5hv7FOqptckscmdizyNleXHAH5RVlrAEFGuc6fe77vKyq6oPLUolqSdgAqzH-0F5IgjvY0kJ6cUiaed8JvAT-qw4ow0FzTeJ65nmR8Pk/s1600/IMG_20150530_161208_wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGT8H5C8B43ICbZO_rislp5tbwam43ZQDhR0v5hv7FOqptckscmdizyNleXHAH5RVlrAEFGuc6fe77vKyq6oPLUolqSdgAqzH-0F5IgjvY0kJ6cUiaed8JvAT-qw4ow0FzTeJ65nmR8Pk/s400/IMG_20150530_161208_wm.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finished cards, zentangles in copic multiliner a on art paper, origami paper and coloured card.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghzIOzF2YdIqb_-xPvGgF332tR4QN-T53hQ9aUS9Enclc9J8uCb5bxxNTvTL-W75qIASdGL5uiaWudARyqR-IhD3dZE7v78jul3451QrenMzO-0gBkr_4IUDi7oOYgV5QszxGuk9NEkOQ/s1600/20150605_194946%257E2_wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghzIOzF2YdIqb_-xPvGgF332tR4QN-T53hQ9aUS9Enclc9J8uCb5bxxNTvTL-W75qIASdGL5uiaWudARyqR-IhD3dZE7v78jul3451QrenMzO-0gBkr_4IUDi7oOYgV5QszxGuk9NEkOQ/s400/20150605_194946%257E2_wm.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More finished cards, zentangles in copic multiliner on art paper, origami paper and coloured card.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So that has been this week's Show and Tell. Realistically I cannot promise that I will be back posting every week as before but hopefully this new format will make it easier to try.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stay arty lovely readers and lets talk again soon.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Edit: this post took me about a week and a half to write, my progress is slow. I received a new diagnosis, that particular condition got worse and I spent almost a week in hospital and then needed to take some time to recover from that. So this post has come to you later than planned. But hey that's the spoonie life and you have to push in and make the most of it. I am already working on a series of posts to keep you up to date on the types of art I am using as therapy. Since I am less abled then I have previously been, I am going to be branching out a bit, things might get crazy but let's take this journey together and see where art therapy's wild ride takes us. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03507125730536409878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389346409239891155.post-16588854599051381222015-03-29T23:22:00.002+11:002015-03-29T23:23:17.215+11:00Hiatus<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Due to health issues Chronically Whimsical Tales has been on hiatus. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lovely readers I am sorry for the long absence I have missed you and the animals of the Woodland. Hopefully things will be returning to normal as soon as possible, though as I am sure you understand sometimes we need to make ourselves the number one priority when it comes to our health. My own health has been quite tumultuous of late and it has not been possible to keep up my writing and art though I have done my best to keep up my own art therapy and it has helped me very much. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Life as a spoonie isn't easy but it is possible and I will be talking more about my recent experiences relating to this in my next post. In </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the meantime please enjoy a couple of preparatory sketches I have been working in for some special requests.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht3DDtBYsXVEYdnXeZ0VZMYAGRvyemrONjnLp4gZfbY65pyshLFpDXFnBhDgY4Mbose2RmmvwzUe0SDlxucRQaHTLYeU94EN2StJ5583KA1RcKoq_Zc57xVb67nqx4oLwSVQ1TWC_r2k0/s1600/iw-173201520351177.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht3DDtBYsXVEYdnXeZ0VZMYAGRvyemrONjnLp4gZfbY65pyshLFpDXFnBhDgY4Mbose2RmmvwzUe0SDlxucRQaHTLYeU94EN2StJ5583KA1RcKoq_Zc57xVb67nqx4oLwSVQ1TWC_r2k0/s1600/iw-173201520351177.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Echidna, charcoal on tan toned paper</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6OQnEB93lb7sJ8tcxJETPEK1PkT3uw0Fr4kja5qMp2KFQsr5_Bt41KporEd_exDbkHeDPDqsrvdxbC1HgQQngUGsQXoemJqTvIalUyCKhKqbHbJHGqbnvcblNIIRlwiUQWNQ5dBBw2hQ/s1600/20150329_230228~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6OQnEB93lb7sJ8tcxJETPEK1PkT3uw0Fr4kja5qMp2KFQsr5_Bt41KporEd_exDbkHeDPDqsrvdxbC1HgQQngUGsQXoemJqTvIalUyCKhKqbHbJHGqbnvcblNIIRlwiUQWNQ5dBBw2hQ/s1600/20150329_230228~2.jpg" height="400" width="272" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Owls, soft pastel and charcoal on tan toned paper</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until next time and I hope that it will be soon, keep on creating. </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03507125730536409878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389346409239891155.post-19010170759747862432015-02-08T12:32:00.004+11:002015-02-08T19:12:33.468+11:00Special Request<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I prepared a special request this week I began to think about how art therapy functions. In particular what it needs to function. Does it need to occur in a clinical setting to be valid? Does it need to be performed by the person looking for the outcome or can you practice art therapy by looking at and acquiring art?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I really appreciate the value of therapy and would love to try formal art therapy but like many other spoonies it is both geographically and financially unavailable. But that doesn't mean that I cannot participate and experience real benefits by working on my own at home. I am already gaining new insights from the first chapter of <i>The Art Therapy Sourcebook</i> into how formal art therapy can help me and many others with chronic pain and illness.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If working on a drawing or craft project when I am in extra pain, fatigued or emotionally </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">exhausted </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">makes me feel validated as a person, then I believe that self administered art therapy is an effective tool for pain management. Whether that pain is physical or emotional. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last week I wrote for <a href="http://thewolfandme.com/chronic-pain/helenas-story-journey-art-crps/" target="_blank">The Wolf and Me</a>, where I spoke about my favourite kind of project and that is what I have for you today. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'd like you to meet Rose. She used to belong to a friend who had to give her up because of their illness. Loss is a part of everyone's life but it becomes more prominent in the lives of </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">those of us with chronic illness.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This project has helped me look more honestly at the things that I have lost due to CRPS </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and evaluate those things that I still need to learn to accept. There are many. Some I was </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">aware of and understand but many new things I wasn't acquainted with before embarking </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">on this request. What this really demonstrates for me is</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> that art therapy can occur successfully outside of a clinical setting. I had no idea that any of this would crop up for me, I thought I was going to draw a horse and do a nice thing for a friend, but instead my brain woke up and I found old parts of myself that I hadn't realised were lost to me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I am now faced with the task of working through these new ideas and I will share these along with the insights I have gained so far from reading <i>The Art Therapy Sourcebook </i></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">over the next few posts. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rose<br />soft pastels and charcoal on tan toned paper, 148 x 210mm, 2015</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope that it also helps Rose's owner who I'm sure must miss her very much. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I truly believe </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">that art has great potential for healing. Whether that means making it yourself, enjoying some art appreciation in a book or at a gallery or requesting a personal and meaningful commission from an artist. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Art therapy is a complicated and long process and of course formal art therapy would be advantageous, but if self administered art therapy is all you got, then get in there. Take out your pencils, open a book and just go for it, as I found out this week, you never really know what you'll find out about yourself. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until next time lovely readers, stay creative and leave your requests below xo. </span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03507125730536409878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389346409239891155.post-59548405912457442732015-02-04T04:27:00.003+11:002015-02-04T04:36:03.929+11:00The Wolf and Me<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: start;">This week I wrote a guest post for </span><a href="http://thewolfandme.com/" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: start;" target="_blank">The Wolf and Me</a><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: start;"> where I shared my experience living with CRPS. I also talked about how I use my art practice as art therapy as a pain management technique. You can read the post <a href="http://thewolfandme.com/chronic-pain/helenas-story-journey-art-crps/" target="_blank">here</a>. I hope you enjoy reading my story and that you find something within that you can apply to your own journey.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://thewolfandme.com/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">The Wolf and Me</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> is a fantastic blog about living with Lupus and other chronic illnesses. The author Cass generously shares her everyday experiences with chronic illness. Her thoughts and tips are so insightful. Please read her other posts, I cannot recommend this blog highly enough. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until next time lovely readers, make sure you take some time each day to be creative.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Helena xo</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03507125730536409878noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389346409239891155.post-86630437499218772342015-01-26T00:01:00.001+11:002015-01-27T17:33:48.377+11:00The Hedgehogs moves into the Whimsical Woodland<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The past week has been tough, health wise, so I made the decision to practice self care and produce a post for myself. No studying, nothing complicated, just drawing and story telling. Chronically Whimsical Tales would like to welcome you to the first tale of the year, I hope you enjoy it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>The Hedgehogs move into the Whimsical Woodland.</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Moving day is usually a stressful day, but when you are moving into the Whimsical Woodland it's hard to feel anything but happiness. Mr and Mrs Hedgehog have their shiny red wagon neatly packed high with boxes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Behind them, scurrying excitedly, their three tiny babies talk excitedly about the first thing they are each going to do in their new home. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a long journey through the Whimsical Woodland the Hedgehogs finally arrived at the big hollow log that Mr and Mrs Hedgehog had chosen as their home. Sometime later after boxes had been unpacked, pictures hung, clothes and toys and books put away, the Hedgehogs settled in for the night with a bedtime story. Tomorrow would be their first day in </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chronically Whimsical Tales has received some requests lately which I will be sharing with you over the coming weeks. If you have any animals you would like me to draw or subjects you would like me research just leave me a message in the comments below.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until next time look after yourselves and go an find your creative side. Sometimes being selfish is the best way to look after yourself and everyone else in the long run. </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03507125730536409878noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389346409239891155.post-86679691031360987342015-01-17T12:56:00.000+11:002015-01-27T11:30:02.960+11:00Let's get serious<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before we begin let's talk about what art therapy actually is and what it is useful for. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am not an art therapist but an artist who found that returning to drawing really helped me to cope with my chronic illnesses, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and Fibromyalgia. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Art Therapy or Art Psychotherapy uses the creative processes of art making, dance and drama to explore emotional, psychological and physical issues. It is both diagnostically and therapeutically in conjunction with </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">traditional <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">psychoanalytic or psychodynamic principles. Patients can find that working through a creative framework helps them to build self esteem, explore and clarify emotions that are difficult to verbalise, learn better ways to communicate, strengthen fine motor skills and develop coping skills and confidence. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That is all pretty technical so why don't I show you what I do. Living day to day with chronic illness brings with it constant fluctuating pain, fatigue and insomnia and with all these often comes a loss of self worth. I've have relished in drawing and making things for as long as I can remember so throwing myself into art again when my health began to deteriorate further seemed like a reasonable idea. A year on I count it as one of the smartest ideas I've ever had. Despite this being one of the hardest years health wise, since my diagnosis in 2009, it has also been my happiest. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />The first thing I want to draw when I feel the creative itch or want to distract myself is always animals and the first animal is always a rabbit. I am always drawn to their gentle nature and sweet faces. I recently received a set of Copic Markers for Christmas after lusting for them for months and months. Of course my first experiment was an inquisitive baby rabbit.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are times that working on detailed portraits is too much for my eyes or hands or both so I fill sketch pages with quick studies of a new animal I like to learn to draw like these powerful lions I was learning for a friend who wanted a piece of Chronically Whimsical Tales for their home.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mandalas are a very popular art therapy exercise and also tie in very well with mindfulness meditation, which I have been practicing diligently for several months for my chronic pain. I couldn't recommend it highly enough. Although mindfulness takes many months and years </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">to learn it is well worth it for the sense of calm it teach you to induce at a </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">moments notice. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When it's too much to work on animals, mandalas are easy and enjoyable. Their simplicity, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">repetitive patterns and playful colours soothe brain fog and distract from physical and </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">emotional pain.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Mandala in coloured pencil</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Zentangles are new to me, they're all the rage on Pinterest, Instagram and every other form of social media you could thing of. They're like freestyle mandalas but have a lot of more </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">structure at the same time in that they are composed of smaller and more detailed patterns. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have found that they are good for working my brain rather than soothing it. Sometimes it is </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">nice to wake up and work hard and the results become more beautiful the more you </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">practice.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1fcIcT7VNgEN3BAEwfpFr2W8QofL0RSMKQ9CU6TR53c3OxiP_ygp4wWr9aLZbMsq0826vBVqXcW8SwI-Ex-oTIewB0-RRrulD8U6wPJJMHWIBRJ4od8piVAImaeS1oCxDoeoFenCF4b0/s1600/iw-171201512273631.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1fcIcT7VNgEN3BAEwfpFr2W8QofL0RSMKQ9CU6TR53c3OxiP_ygp4wWr9aLZbMsq0826vBVqXcW8SwI-Ex-oTIewB0-RRrulD8U6wPJJMHWIBRJ4od8piVAImaeS1oCxDoeoFenCF4b0/s1600/iw-171201512273631.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Zentangle in graphite</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When friends and family have a birthday or special occasion I like to make them a card </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">instead of buying one. Sometimes I use a drawing I have already done but I often do custom pieces specially for them, usually of their favourite animal, because when I am feeling at my </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">best I love to work on detailed animal portraits. This gives me the greatest sense of productivity and the happiness on my loved ones faces fills me with happiness too. Some cycles are are sweet and kind and should be practiced as much as possible to keep away the vicious ones. I drew this baby fawn for a friend's birthday last year.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Birthday card, baby fawn resting in the grass in coloured pencil</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This year I'd like to learn about formal art therapy so I've invested it<b> </b><i><b>The Art Therapy </b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>Soucebook</b> </i>by Cathy A Malchiodi, ATR, LPCC. Over the course of the next year I am going to be going through this book working on the various exercises so that I can develop a deeper understanding of how art therapy works and how it could help manage chronic pain. As I work through the book I will share my progress with you so you can all learn along with me. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let's get serious, self imposed study</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you would like to learn more about art therapy see the Australian and New Zealand Arts Therapy Association website <a href="https://www.anzata.org/about-arts-therapy/" target="_blank">ANZATA</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until next time lovely readers pick up your pencils and create something and don't forget to leave any requests in the comments below or on my Instagram page xo.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03507125730536409878noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389346409239891155.post-57095515056217413432015-01-06T01:21:00.002+11:002015-01-06T01:21:32.351+11:00Evolution: Art Therapy in the Whimsical Woodland <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last year I introduced you to the first residents of the Whimsical Woodland, a place that came into being through self imposed art therapy. As is the custom at the start of the year I resolved to return to art making and as my health "evolved" I found that drawing helped me scoop up all the little parts of me that we're floating away. All this scooping eventually turned into the Whimsical Woodland, partly in an attempt to draw something other than bunnies but mostly to practice storytelling through pictures while sharing my experience as an artist living with chronic pain. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the spirit of living the January life it is time to renew my resolutions and refresh Chronically Whimsical Tales in the hope that my experience will be beneficial to others living with chronic pain, invisible illness and mental illness. This year I have resolved to treat my art therapy more formally, through self imposed study so that I can share my experience with you in a more practical way and in turn expand the stories of the Woodland. In my last post I spoke about letting go when you need to rest, which I still hold to be true but I think it is incredibly important to continue to make make plans and expand your work as much as possible. Just keep in mind that bumps otherwise known as flares will inevitably slow you down and excepting this slower pace is usually the fastest way through in the long run. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So this year expect to see a greater division between posts about art and living with chronic pain and the stories of the Whimsical Woodland. However do not expect an absence of bunnies, they are the first thing I go to draw whenever I hold a pencil in my hand, this first thing I think of when my nervous system throws a hissy fit and quite frankly so deeply ingrained in my heart that there really is no hope.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Please enjoy the first official bunny of 2015 with love from Chronically Whimsical Tales.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until next time my friends, pick up a pencil and draw something. Don't forget to leave a photo for me in the comments down below. </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03507125730536409878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389346409239891155.post-55924620500937124652014-12-23T10:36:00.000+11:002014-12-24T20:46:14.284+11:00Push and Shove: learning when to let go<div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a spoonie there are days and even weeks when you have to make the call between pushing through and giving in to you need to rest. These last couple of weeks my migraines have flaring so drawing has been out of the question and I have missed you and all of the creatures of the Whimsical Woodland terribly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Living with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is a complicated business. There is a reason that particular c-word in in the title. I've learnt more in the last 5 years than I thought was humanly possible but most of all CRPS has taught me that balancing my plans against my obligations means that sometimes I have to let extra things Go. This dear reader is known as the practice of pacing. This past few of weeks it has been my art that has been set aside but that does not mean that I have let go of the Woodland all together. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Instead of drawing character studies I have been writing down my ideas because if you don't jot down your ideas once you feel better you'll find their hazy threads difficult to pin down. A hard lesson I learnt at Art School when I stubbornly insisted on working on my photographic pieces without first working through my ideas. By my second year I discovered the splendid practice of proposal writing and it helped me to work through my ideas. This has meant that this last couple of weeks I've simply switched up my creativity and used it to cope with my flare up in a different way. There is always a way so keep on keeping on lovely readers. Don't forget to leave any requests in the comments below or on my Instagram account where you can follow my spoonie journey.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you or someone you know lives with a chronic or mental illness of any kind and you would like to learn about pacing please go to <a href="http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/">www.butyoudontlooksick.com</a> to read <u>The Spoon Theory</u> by Christine Miserandino. It is by far the most honest, affirming and helpful explanation of how we live with chronic illness day to day.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LfhigPi46tY/VJkrxGf6RvI/AAAAAAAACGk/Z9h74jgg2os/s1600/2014%2B-%2B1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LfhigPi46tY/VJkrxGf6RvI/AAAAAAAACGk/Z9h74jgg2os/s1600/2014%2B-%2B1" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The creatures of the Whimsical Woodland decorate their tree for Christmas.<br />The Rabbits and Mr Hedgehog hang baubles but it looks like Freddie the <br />Fox kit isn't quite up to the task of hanging the lights. </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope to be back with you in the Whimsical Woodland very soon and I hope this quick sketch makes up for my recent absence. Wishing you all a safe and happy holiday season and I look forward to introducing you to more members of the Whimsical Woodland in 2015. </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03507125730536409878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389346409239891155.post-29288120496671985282014-12-06T22:07:00.000+11:002014-12-06T22:07:07.928+11:00Special Request<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A new friend has come to live in the Whimsical Woodland, this chubby little red fox kit.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As you know I love to draw and the most common advice you hear from successful artists is to make what you love. I love animals so for the most part that is what I draw. This week I have had a special request from a friend on Instagram to draw a baby red fox. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have had a problem with foxes since I was a child and when I first started this request I found it extremely hard and wanted to give up. I have spoken to you a lot already about using creativity to cope with chronic illness. To find a sense of purpose, distract yourself from and simply enjoy yourself, so I thought this week I could use this opportunity to talk to you about how others areas in which you can use art to heal and move on. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You've all noticed that I absolutely love rabbits. I have had a pet rabbit for most of my life. When I was about 10 years old my rabbit Snowy, who happened to be the first pet rabbit I ever had, was taken by a fox. I got him from Santa the Christmas before I started kindergarten, I was 4. I was completely heartbroken when it happened and to this day I am still filled with sadness and anger each time I see a fox. This is unfortunate because they are everywhere at the moment, on just about every dress, t-shirt, handbag, mug and every other trinket you could imagine. More importantly they are an animal just as important as any other, so as an animal lover having such feelings towards any animal doesn't sit comfortably with me. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A chubby little red fox has moved into the woodland, I <br />hope his mum, dad and siblings are close behind him.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's safe to say that I have a problem with foxes but now that we have gotten the angry sads out of the way let us think about how I could take my own advice and draw through it even if it has nothing dealing with pain, fatigue or frustration. This year particularly, I have found that drawing animals I haven't drawn before (which aside form rabbits is most of them) stimulates my brain in a similar way to my brain training. So I decided to use this to work through these feelings I have and try to move on from this trauma I experienced so long ago. Let's face it, it is about time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I sketched a lot of foxes in graphite, my favourite medium. After a while I started to see the arrangement of shapes that made up the fox. A series of triangles, set up in the right way made a great fox. I then started to focus on the colours, the golden shades of orange interspersed with black and white. Mr Fox really was shaping up as a dapper fellow and I </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">began to see that there was a cute side, just. Their bright eyes and coy expressions really captured my attention and I started to think about where they would fit in in the Whimsical Woodland.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Art gets</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> us through so many things. The process of art making helps us </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">make sense of those wispy notions that swirl around our minds when we are quiet and pensive. Simply materialising these thoughts is even helping me change my attitude. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wouldn't say I was cured yet but it is safe to assume that more foxes will be moving in to live with the rabbits in the Whimsical Woodland.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03507125730536409878noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389346409239891155.post-15041349958435524492014-11-25T23:01:00.000+11:002014-11-25T23:20:25.611+11:00Follow your own advice, you were probably onto something<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It happens so often, we give advice to a friend who is sad, sick or overtired but we don't hear the genuine advice that is coming out of our own mouths. You tell them to be kind to themselves. Take some time to do what they love. Talk to someone. Recharge and do something different. It may help you turn that corner you're stuck on and get back on track. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These are are all cliches but cliches can exist for a reason, they come from lived experience. A shared experience that we all need to be reminded of sometimes, myself included.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This past week has been a difficult one with many peaks and troughs, which is why you missed out on meeting this charming man last week. Despite some progress my pain took over and I ground to a halt. I reverted to a routine of appointments, physiotherapy and a lot of lying down. It may sound like I basically kept it together but really this was just surviving. I am an artist, I need to be creative and make things. Despite the pain I was bored, but fortunately I remembered what I'd said to people in my life so many times before and to you dear reader not so long ago and jumped back into it. I finished some small crochet projects and started some sketches and this week got right back on track. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In that fashion I'd like to introduce you to Mr Hedgehog, a potential neighbour for the Rabbits, he is looking for a new home for Mrs Hedgehog and their new bundles of needly babies. I think he will find the Whimsical Woodland a safe and happy place for his new family. There are, after all very few forests with a tiger guarding them.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mr Hedgehog has just had a litter of babies with Mrs Hedgehog<br />And they're looking for a safe place to build a little to nest. <br />It looks like he likes the look of the Whimsical Woodland.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next week we will meet more new friends and perhaps Mr Hedgehog will bring his family to live with the rabbits. Until then keep on creating while following your routine, it's makes travelling around those sharp, unexpected corners smoother.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03507125730536409878noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389346409239891155.post-11393517738765614822014-11-12T14:58:00.001+11:002014-11-25T23:05:19.134+11:00Productivity Through Creativity<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some days symptoms flare and plans you had meticulously arranged so that everything was correctly paced fly at great speed out of the window. On these days I push my body to crochet, stitch or draw something, no matter how insignificant, because making something out of nothing is never a waste of time. It fulfils hours and brings meaning to my day. Creating is medicine for the soul and medicine for the soul is medicine for the body. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The rabbits of the Whimsical Woodland are entering a Sculpture Prize. They were hoping <br />getting into character would help them to sculpt the perfect likeness of themselves. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even rabbits are <br />artists, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">this little bunny is hoping method acting will inspire him, though it isn't as easy as he thought. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Always keep going the little rabbits in the woodland and you won't go wrong.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When my day is put to rest by flaring symptoms that pull me down nothing revives me like creating does. There is always a better day coming where plans can be rearranged and life brought back on track. It's a time to take it easy and enjoy the gentleness that comes from accepting your limits and your body.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next week we will see who else we can find living in the woodland. The rabbits a looking for some new friends and I have heard that there are some new creatures looking for a place to live.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03507125730536409878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389346409239891155.post-55682646570958427792014-11-03T20:46:00.002+11:002014-11-25T23:10:57.042+11:00Colour the World Orange for CRPS<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today is <span style="color: orange;">Colour the World Orange for CRPS Day</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. It aims to raise awareness about Complex Regional Pain Syndrome also known called Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy. A chronic nerve condition where misfiring nerve signals send constant pain signals to the brain. It usually begins after an injury to an arm or leg or after surgery but can develop spontaneously as it did in my case. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The main symptom is intense burning pain which is why CRPS is represented by the colour orange. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Reduced mobility and isolation are the biggest problems faced by those with CRPS but there are a variety of other issues such as extreme fatigue, insomnia and sensitivity to touch. It</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> is very difficult to treat and not very well understood which is why it is so important to spread awareness and push for further research. There is no definitive cure at the moment, only a range of treatments such as physiotherapy and medications that can help manage the disease. Each patient responds so differently and some have more success with these treatments than others. To find out more about Complex Regional Pain Syndrome the websites of major hospitals and universities such as the Mayo Clinic are the best place to start.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This beautiful tiger wanders into the Whimsical Woodland sporting orange for CRPS awareness</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This condition has taken my life down an entirely different path to what I had planned but I guess that is what plans do. They hit roadblocks and evolve as we learn to move over, under or around these blockages. While this is the hardest thing I have ever had to learn to deal with it am determined to continue to work hard to improve my mobility and enjoy life to it's fullest.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let's hope our feline friend doesn't see any of our woodland inhabitants as a tasty treat. The Whimsical Woodland sure is a strange a surreal place...lions and tigers and bears oh my.</span></span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03507125730536409878noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389346409239891155.post-35906092372878709212014-10-30T21:28:00.000+11:002014-11-25T23:06:18.239+11:00Putting pencil to paper<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One random day a few months ago I suddenly felt that sketching and uploading my drawings to my Instagram was no longer enough so I googled 'illustration' and found </span><a href="http://illustrationfriday.com/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Illustration Friday</a>.<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> An illustration blog from Illustration Age featuring professional illustrators portfolios and tips as well as a weekly competition of sorts where readers submit illustrations based on a weekly theme. It seemed as good a reason as any to get serious about this drawing caper so I have been submitting as often as I can for the last couple of months. The challenge of thinking outside your own ideas makes drawing more engaging. It forces you to look at your favoured subjects in a different way as well as looking at subjects you might not have drawn before. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are some examples of my entries</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNQ60-HSiFpe26Gq1ELuNGdZXA75etNarpX9F3nvo0T_tjL0BWXXm9C-xJ2yecfKueZqMjnwIeZm08L9jfB2n8Q9o0_zRbpWRFITv_z9p75mIQUX5aupWBPHgBvPoECobraDZRyKEPN0Y/s1600/iw-3010201420345943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNQ60-HSiFpe26Gq1ELuNGdZXA75etNarpX9F3nvo0T_tjL0BWXXm9C-xJ2yecfKueZqMjnwIeZm08L9jfB2n8Q9o0_zRbpWRFITv_z9p75mIQUX5aupWBPHgBvPoECobraDZRyKEPN0Y/s1600/iw-3010201420345943.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Theme 'Octopus'</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhem3KB1uiAK6QVmZJsySHK1pEuWzYbfLwvPVpZ8cYME0yiybDvdhgGjchNrNnfdlQkBvaM0sOaLVcLaUEIRlnjxorkXkZQBlSh0o5059n_5OyYlCBw87Edn3TE0lPj-PopitHC50S4Hsg/s1600/iw-3010201420532484.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhem3KB1uiAK6QVmZJsySHK1pEuWzYbfLwvPVpZ8cYME0yiybDvdhgGjchNrNnfdlQkBvaM0sOaLVcLaUEIRlnjxorkXkZQBlSh0o5059n_5OyYlCBw87Edn3TE0lPj-PopitHC50S4Hsg/s1600/iw-3010201420532484.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Theme 'Metamorphosis'</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNk6J1GLqW0nU84NdKgDD3xXinEy4wMhELoFgUsOW8lSKRSbybhoLXRIvlajGfikWHt5zC41v1O9D2RK84mYpxeTd1V2QYhYCg4XIGRKYu2CFjakA5c_cQewr9WHslqXraekSbkhnk_DM/s1600/iw-30102014203719646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNk6J1GLqW0nU84NdKgDD3xXinEy4wMhELoFgUsOW8lSKRSbybhoLXRIvlajGfikWHt5zC41v1O9D2RK84mYpxeTd1V2QYhYCg4XIGRKYu2CFjakA5c_cQewr9WHslqXraekSbkhnk_DM/s1600/iw-30102014203719646.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Theme 'King'</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn0rnZzneL1nPlGYNrORwoFjL9RQN5X_hO89JaTYHW8CtbAOJyGl5Bh0y7Il4ULRo7dgBUcRqK6GIGo-IRyWVUkUMVjC_9kmin0mHfB0OXInKlwW3MHxjVVWTs7WyK9TC9sAf1dWzMjTM/s1600/https:%2F%2Flh6.googleusercontent.com%2FqHwUNpL1k_qXEjZ2miWz8F_47F2aLqvXmunPDR7D7ZI=s0-d" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn0rnZzneL1nPlGYNrORwoFjL9RQN5X_hO89JaTYHW8CtbAOJyGl5Bh0y7Il4ULRo7dgBUcRqK6GIGo-IRyWVUkUMVjC_9kmin0mHfB0OXInKlwW3MHxjVVWTs7WyK9TC9sAf1dWzMjTM/s1600/https%253A%252F%252Flh6.googleusercontent.com%252FqHwUNpL1k_qXEjZ2miWz8F_47F2aLqvXmunPDR7D7ZI%253Ds0-d" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Theme 'Puppet'</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now I do realise that there is an overriding theme of my own on display here but I promise you that this is extending my practice. Instead of drawing rabbits in all their fluffy glory I'm finding new ways to draw them and I am starting to practice other animals too, the baby birds featured in week 2 are an Illustration Friday entry as well. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am thoroughly enjoying my time with Illustration Friday. If you are looking for a way to challenge yourself or grow your creativity then I couldn't recommend this kind of platform more. The weekly timetable provides just the right amount of pressure without the stress of competition or judging. Whether you are chronically ill or not art and craft make ones life happier and healthier so pick up a pencil or some knitting needles and get making.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next week we will return to the Whimsical Woodland where you never know who you'll meet.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03507125730536409878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389346409239891155.post-2937293643447027342014-10-20T17:20:00.002+11:002014-11-25T23:06:49.168+11:00Special request<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This weeks post is a special request from a friend who shared with me her immeasurable knowledge on museums, photography and writing when I did an internship with her a couple of years ago. Although I am not putting these skills into practice in the way I had originally envisioned I am finding new ways to curate a life full of creativity. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In that spirit Chronically Whimsical Tales presents to you lovely reader and to my friend a new bunny friend for Mamma Rabbit and her sweet babies. After a long day running through the leafy trees and flowers Bunny must make sure his fur is immaculate before he goes to meet his new friends for dinner. Perhaps they will find some juicy wild herbs to eat.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Ly6gqNNNWgRFVlw75BtZZ5wDpRdy4BoXq7xTcyXwvm49ftqA1EDeeyzwr08lc7vOAXBXS3HjHuEmd5h1gZZoZqbBkKHzZwVatDF-7eNPu-biFd5xE-MfB4-GnQL5Bh4KTpFEktt4FKc/s1600/iw-20102014103943430~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Ly6gqNNNWgRFVlw75BtZZ5wDpRdy4BoXq7xTcyXwvm49ftqA1EDeeyzwr08lc7vOAXBXS3HjHuEmd5h1gZZoZqbBkKHzZwVatDF-7eNPu-biFd5xE-MfB4-GnQL5Bh4KTpFEktt4FKc/s1600/iw-20102014103943430~2.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bunny makes sure each ear is squeaky clean after a long day <br />hopping and </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">binkying through the Whimsical Woodland. </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you have a special request please leave a comment below. There are many more creatures in the woodland just waiting to meet you all. Until next week enjoy your wanderings through the woodland.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">[<u><b>Please note </b></u>that it is never safe to submerge your pet rabbit in water. Rabbits are very good at cleaning themselves and rarely need help. If they ever need extra help use a damn cloth with only 1cm of water in a small dish. Never get your rabbits face or ears wet or leave them alone. Make sure they are dried immediately, they are highly susceptible to pneumonia.] </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03507125730536409878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389346409239891155.post-68501941559803399062014-10-15T18:10:00.002+11:002014-11-25T23:07:18.915+11:00Make do and mend<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The thing I love the most about drawing or creating of any kind is the feeling I get from taking a blank piece of paper and creating this</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">This fluffy little chic leaps out of the nest for their first flight through the Whimsical Woodland.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a writer a blank page is a terrifying menace but as an artist it is like being handed a key to somewhere fantastical, a place I never get tired of visiting. Creating has an effect on the mind that is immeasurable, both in it's healing power and it's entertainment value but being chronically ill has an effect that can be more destructive than constructive. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the most difficult parts of living with a chronic illness is the sense of loss. Mobility, brain function, sleep and independence are just some of the things that are negatively effected when you have a chronic illness. Add to this the extreme pain and isolation and the </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">task of living day to day begins to feel insurmountable. The degree of loss varies for each </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">person, starting with where they were in their life when the illness began and fluctuating as the illness either improves or progresses. Your identity is forcibly rewired when you find yourself constantly recovering instead of working or studying towards your goals. It is enough to break a person. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I draw and crochet and sew and cross stitch and bake and write, what I can when I can because it has a positive and healing effect on my life. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is how I use art and creativity as medicine. I literally fill the negative with positive. A blank page becomes a vibrant drawing that I turn into a birthday card. My time spent resting after physiotherapy etcetera is filled by the creation of a physical object that is passed on to someone special, transforming my otherwise unproductive recovery time into something that also makes someone else happy. Suddenly there are a lot of constructive things happenings everyday, little things, but little things are big too in their own way. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So go on make something and start mending. </span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03507125730536409878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389346409239891155.post-40634116462846910392014-10-07T15:43:00.001+11:002014-11-25T23:07:49.328+11:00Welcome to the Whimsical Woodland<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Almost everyone has a list of favourite animals. Sometimes that list exists as a menagerie of creatures that frolic about in no particular order, others meticulously rank their favoured animals by degrees of cuteness, type or power. The majority of us however recognise a supreme number one. An animal that conjures up so much love, joy, strength and general awesomeness that it very often turns into an obsession fuelled/enabled by our loved ones who both love and loathe said animal. My spirit animal through no fault of my own always has and will always be the rabbit. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some of the people in my life, possibly all of them, consider my rabbit appreciation to sit firmly on the obsession side of the fence. In the nicest way I am sure. My enthusiasm for rabbits was </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">decided by a small yellow bath toy chosen for me by two of my brothers before I was born, so, I feel that I own very little of the responsibility and should therefore be left to my rabbit loving devices. A quick stocktake of my house quickly reveals just how much my loved ones enable me and this makes me very happy indeed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But lovely reader before I delve further into that I should introduce myself to you and to Chronically whimsical tales. I make art, I love photography and I make craft. For as long as I can remember I have loved to draw and make animals. It is what makes me happy and at this point in my life that is a very important thing. I am living with chronic illness so creating brings me pleasure and it gives me a sense of productivity, it is a distraction from the pain and a positive addition that fills in some of the things that chronic illness has subtracted from my life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Whimsical Woodland is full of tales of sweetness, strength and creativity. I hope this will be a place where I can share my love of whimsy with you and perhaps increase awareness about living with chronic illness too. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let us begin our journey at the very beginning on the edge of the Whimsical Woodland where mamma rabbit and her precious little ones are on the hunt for something sweet to eat and something fun to do. This woodland is a safe place for the bunnies to live, perhaps that is why mamma rabbit looks so strong and contented as she leads her babies forward into their new home.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); color: black; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFviglApyL1Pu6qY-qXsqGJ8IoSlNcIr8ZM5DIAkX2Jqpw7N5Io8OwfFWnROKezvLoYQ5PgXAkH7-u9TCPo9nY6xfMxwTIqyHPsij6a-nnO76Usfh0flRDYes_FiOV9RG2mdxfnOlYhi0/s1600/IMG_20141007_155215.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFviglApyL1Pu6qY-qXsqGJ8IoSlNcIr8ZM5DIAkX2Jqpw7N5Io8OwfFWnROKezvLoYQ5PgXAkH7-u9TCPo9nY6xfMxwTIqyHPsij6a-nnO76Usfh0flRDYes_FiOV9RG2mdxfnOlYhi0/s1600/IMG_20141007_155215.jpg" height="320" width="298" /></a></span></div>
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Mamma rabbit and her babies set off into the woodland in search of sweet flowers to eat.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until the next chapter lovely readers have a safe and happy journey. </span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03507125730536409878noreply@blogger.com0