The healing effects of teaching puppet-making

There is so much in my head that I like to share with you. Thoughts about healing, recovery, miraculous recovery, challenges, health, or not as the case may be, but somehow all roads lead to the beauty of sharing the art of making puppets.

... do I know you? ...
(Pascale De Coninck with puppet-head by Louise Clark)

Longing

I so long to be well enough to get up in the morning with ease, go to my studio, or to my desk and sculpt, sew, write, share, teach. Or to be out in the garden and get rid of the weeds- but leave anything which insects and birds might like to nibble on over the winter.

The other night after another trip to hospital -this time for a planned appointment, not an unplanned trip in an ambulance - I was too tired to have a good night sleep. One of peculiarities of M.E.(ME/CFS). There is a fine balance between being tired enough to go to sleep, and being too tired. Anyway. At some point I got up again to get something to drink, and I picked up my notebook. I wrote:  " ... All I have left in me are tears. I so want to just get on with my life.  A miraculous recovery overnight is VERY WELCOME. Whatever way it comes.  Thank you."

The intriguing roads to recovery

There has been so much in the news about ME lately, about very dodgy suggestions that recovery is possible, as long as you follow some weird science. Well, I am absolutely delighted if people find ways to beat illness, in whatever way, as long as people are not being exploited by quacks along the way.

I always felt that I would recover in my own time, in my own way. Through a positive mindset, understanding nature's wisdom, and be involved in creativity in all its ways. My mantra for years was "I write myself into wellbeing". And writing most definitely had a huge impact on learning to live well with illness.

I certainly have improved much from the early years, see Hatched- a creative Journey Through M.E. (1998-2006), but I am not as good as I was a decade ago. I am hopeful though, that my current adventures with all things puppet will eventually bring me closer to a level of wellbeing. Again. I am hopeful. And almost convinced.

The puppet-related adventures definitely bring me joy, and energy, 

which is not exactly a physical energy, but energy at a different level.

even the start of making feet are already showing the
different characters they are going to be

So, ... teaching puppet making in my studio

As you might know I have started to teach in my studio. One and half hours a week. Anne's Japanese Dancer (see link below under image) was the first puppet/doll. The second course with three students started almost two weeks ago. And what fun! And, I am getting better at setting my personal limits, and devising ways so my students can work further on their puppets in my studio, in their own time (or at home).

Sharing all I have learned about making puppets over that past 4 decades is enjoyable. But what intrigues me most of all is what puppet making does to the maker.  In my classes I am not overly concerned with the perfect face, but what character emerges from a block of clay. From the hands of the maker. From the inner thoughts of the maker. 

It is a truly wondrous journey.

Jackie O'Flynn working on her puppet-head

Teaching via post and cyberspace.

Greg Crowhurt's Johnny Toes-
 to be made as puppet

During a communication with Linda and Greg Crowhurst a seed was planted in my head to see how I can help Greg to bring his Johnny Toes character into puppet form. Some amazingly powerful moments have occurred. Of finding ways to teach Greg via email, photos, images, written instructions. To find ways to not expose Linda to the dangers of chemical smells of glue, or to sounds from skype conversations.
The experience the heartbreak of the limitations of living with severe ME put on just the person living with this, but also the carer. My heart goes out to them and to anyone living with the incredibly challenging circumstance.

The beauty of helping Greg to fulfill on his dream, is also how many others are getting involved. Offers of fabric for the clothing, and the weaving of the strap for his guitar.  To making suggestions to limit the challenges which undoubtedly will occur along the way.
I put a box together with all that is required to bring Johnny Toes into being. See a wonderfully excited Greg when the box of goodies arrived at his house. (see link below).

Teaching, and sharing, the art of puppet making, might not be my miraculous recovery, but it surely is bringing a different kind of energy into my life. A goosebumps kind of energy. 

Who knows where it will lead.

Anne stopped by to show us Mia's kimono

My own 'girls' are starting to take shape
and seem to be having a chat...

Further reading and links

• Follow Greg and Johnny Toes's adventures , including how others are getting involved, when The Box arrived
• Interested in doing a course, either in my studio or online/post? Please contact me
• The Dance of Puppetry and disability

A wonderful life, a life full of wonder

A post I wrote a good few weeks ago, but never saw the light of day.

So, here it is...

Sometimes life it just wonderful.
Wonder-ful.
Full of wonder.

Facebook
Many of you know that I was never much of a fan of Facebook, but I was 'tricked' back into this strange world to fundraiser for Into the Light just over two years ago. The page wage was managed for me. I just suggested what could be written on it. I stayed away from this scary place for a god while. But, alas, eventually I wrote a few words myself, and added pictures, and then even wrote on my personal page, not just my Art page ... I know...

But, as life moves on, I have moments when I actually like facebook...

Being part of that world, has brought me in contact with many other creative, I would not have met otherwise. I don't get out into the real world all that often.
It led to giving puppet making classes.
It led to some amazing (many private) conversations, about birds, and books, and art.
About healing, and illness, about challenges and gratitude.

Goldcrest

Birds and books

A photo of a little bird which had flown against my kitchen window. The photos of the bird brought a discussion about what kind of bird it was, many got involved.  It also led to a conversation with a fellow nature lover, also living with M.E. Selina is currently in Scotland, and we "visited" each other's gardens, through sharing images, taken from our homes.
I loved that!

Also, recently I was contacted by a lady who's drawings I had posted in a post last year about Severe M.E. Linda had come across  a version of this post on the Disability Arts Online blog. Linda and her husband Greg, then found themselves exploring my website, and made contact with me on facebook.  We are both creatives, like to write, love the birds, identified in such similar ways in terms of the experience of illness. Linda's symptoms are much more severe. Being grateful to have seen some light in my journey, I decided to post a copy of Into the Light to her. Just felt right.  As Hatched  is about my first eight years of illness, when I was still pretty shook, they downloaded the book from my website: Linda:"I really am moved by the words and pictures and they touch my own experience."

When Into the Light arrived at their doorstep, we were all catapulted into a place of wonder and excitement.  Linda was awake during the night and felt compelled to write her thoughts on the book. Greg got inspired to create a beautiful page on their Stonebird Website. I felt overwhelmed by their kindness, and what the creation I had made, made such an impact on people I will most likely never meet in person.

“What we love about this in essence deconstructed and elegantly transformed book, is how it brings accessibility, where an ordinary book is too heavy, too complex and often too many pages and too many words to manage. 

The imagery and photography convey so much to me personally – they elicit a recognition and deep resonance in my heart of my own experience, yet bring hope. They seem to bring a multi dimensional aspect because it resonates so deeply with what I know myself also from my own very severe illness and helps me recognises a bond of knowing between us, carried through the messages, words, imagery, beyond what is physically seen – the gift of not aloneness, the comprehension of pain, the need to surrender to the experience yet not to give in, the triumph, the resilience of the human heart and spirit despite intense physical suffering.” (Linda Crowhurst - See more at the Stonebird website)

What can I say.
It has been an amazing week.

... And to top it all, at the very moment I was writing this I heard a motorbike stop outside my gate. Followed by a knock on the door. The driver has seen one of my prints I have displayed on the wall...

'Into the Light print:
'The blessing for which we hunger are not to be found
in other places or people.' John O'Donohue  - Anan Cara

We had a lovely chat and he went away with a copy of Into the Light .

So, Facebook can be full of wonder, 

but having this unexpected visitor equates to a wonderful life.