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| Dialogos* by Dahlia Guzman dahlia@athinc.org Please e-mail me your feedback! |
*DIALOGOS is Greek for "dialogue," but for the Greeks it was a dynamic, constantly evolving process. I recall a heated discussion with a friend a few years ago. He had asked me what I thought art was exactly. Predictably, I spoke of paintings and sculptures, of collages and prints. My friend insisted however, that sports events could be galleries of living art. A slide into home plate could be as beautiful as say, Michelangelo’s David. My eyes bugged out of my head and I protested, and for a long time I thought my friend was completely wrong. I know now that the true definition of art is far broader than I imagined. What has changed my mind has been the variety of experiences and conversations with artists (in the traditional sense of the word), and “non-artists.” Being artistic myself, I find that each artist’s vision is as different as each artist. Extrapolating from that, the expression of any creative vision can be told in hundreds of thousands of ways. This is precisely why art is so exciting. It is also part of what we hope to tap into at Art That Heals. We want to create a space in which all artists may share their artful vision, as well as focus some of that creative energy towards healing and bringing an end to the AIDS epidemic. I decided that these conversations would be part of what I would share with our readers. To that end, I spoke with artist Victor Alvarez of McAllen. Victor is 18 and a junior at McAllen High School. Victor says "art is what brings joy to your spirit and joy to others around you." For Victor, art is a way of expressing himself without words. Art is not just about painting and sculpting-- art can be expressed by a dancer, skateboarder, hairdresser or caterer. Art can even be found on the baseball diamond-- in that perfectly executed double play or on a football field, in the glorious pass thrown into a pair of waiting hands in the endzone. Ultimately, art is an expression of emotion and, more often than not, it is an expression of love. Art, Victor says, is a need he has to create, to build and to invent. Laughingly, Victor admits to a very short attention span, so while the teacher is talking, his mind wanders and he finds himself creating—a poem, a building, a new language, a story. It could be that just as creating is a necessity to Victor, creativity is no less a necessity for our very survival as a species. I say this as I look out the window to see a groundskeeper (artist?) pruning a bush he has tendered into the image of a teacup. And so this dialogue begins…….. Peace, Dahlia |
| "On Healing" by Judi Bowen jbowen@athinc.org *Judi Bowen has worked in health care all of her life, but regards herself as a co-creater of meaning in the lives of others. She is an artist and a Certified Healing Touch Practitioner. |
| The definition of "to heal" is to make sound or whole - to restore to original purity and integrity. Everyone comes into this world pure and whole, but as we grow we give parts of ourselves away and sometimes become lost. Healing begins inside each of us. It begins when we find what motivates us to live our pure authentic self. Healing can happen within music, writing, dance, and artistic expression of any type. Healing can happen in quietness and solitude. It can happen in nature or in play. The task for us all is to find a small place to begin and hold onto that and nurture it until we find the strength to add another small piece. Healing is the mending of wounds - physical, mental, or spiritual. We are all whole people. |
