From the author: A photo report on each workshop can be found on the website. The original article on Combining business with pleasure! And this is not only about my trip to Peru, but also about the Conference of psychologists who use expressive arts therapy methods in their work. After studying in Moscow, participation in master classes with luminaries of expressive arts was a real gift for me and a step in professional development. Learning from Western colleagues who masterfully use art in combination with psychology and ritual techniques, being in an atmosphere of truly creative and sensitive people inspires you to great deeds. Healing through art - various combinations of dance, voice, drawing, sculpting - are very powerful and deep techniques, which can gently, subtly and at the same time very effectively allow us to deal with the blocks and weights that hold us back in life. When properly managed, art heals the wounds left in our souls from life’s harsh lessons. More details: Day 1. Morning, August 11, Lima, Peru. Another continent, another world. A land that is shrouded in antiquity, secrets, mysticism and riddles. Undoubtedly, the location of the conference influences the processes taking place there. This is the 9th conference of expressive arts therapists, and people are hugging and cheerfully greeting each other, some after 2 years. Well, it really is an event. About 350 people from 35 countries - and all of them are united by 3 things: 1 - love for art in any of its incarnations, 2 - love for psychology and the desire to help people resolve their life situations, and 3 - a creative approach to business. The beginning of the conference corresponds to the general theme : shamanic sounds from an incredible length of musical instrument, a shaman with a feather, driving away evil spirits, and then a certain ritual in which two men and two women participate. The dancers move to the center of the hall, playing other, no less amazing instruments, similar to communicating vessels. The spectacle is mesmerizing and induces a trance, and you understand that some kind of magic is being prepared. In terms of the number of miracles, this conference clearly differs from other similar events. Official representatives of IEATA* take the floor. Among other words, the following are particularly memorable: “Art opens our lives and our hearts... Art helps us wake up and find energy... Expressive arts therapy helps us hear the language of the soul.” (*International Expressive Arts Therapy Association - International Expressive Arts Therapy Association, a non-profit professional organization founded in 1994. Supports expressive arts therapists and counselors who use an integrative, multimodal approach to personal or group transformation. Expressive arts therapy is a branch of psychology that uses artistic and other visual arts, movement, music, drama, and writing. stories, fairy tales and other creative processes for deep personal and social development. Through art and moving from one modality to another, a person gains access to internal resources of healing, clarity and unleashes his creative potential). Next, Steven Levine, one of the luminaries of this creative trend in psychology, author of the book (together with his wife) Art in Action, takes the floor. He reads us his poems about Peru, which are actually inspired by this country. He talks about art, how it helps to reveal the wisdom of the body and gain inspiration. With the help of art “We remain who we are, but open up to others” After the introductory part and coffee, all participants disperse to the rooms for the selected master classes. The workshops begin, it’s very curious what is hidden under the outlandish names, and I really want to be in 4-5 places at the same time. It turned out to be in one place for a while, which is what I’m sharing. So the first oneMaster Class. Graciela Bottini de Barucca (Argentina). Expressive Arts Therapy in the Development of the Actor's Profession We enter the space where small mirrors show the way and take our seats. The mirror changes reality. Looking in the mirror you see a reflection of yourself and another world. Depending on the viewing angle, the picture changes; people walking on the ceiling or standing next to each other appear very far away. You begin to doubt which reality is ours)). Mirrors can give a new perspective on our difficult situations and mistakes. We try it out in practice and then watch a film about how Argentina expressive arts therapy includes training for actors and allows them to maximize their creativity, as well as relieve stress in healthy ways. I think this is a really great idea, because... a year of training can develop the plasticity and voice that are characteristic of your body. The body, which is essentially a tool for our self-expression, can be tuned into an authentic, genuine way, thanks to which the actor’s performance will be very lively, sensual and sincere. Next workshop: Sara Skowronski (USA). Mosaic in expressive art therapy: From ruined to beautiful. One of the most memorable master classes of the conference. Firstly, it was amazing in its scale: large wooden stands, a lot of multi-colored tiles and various objects for decoration, noise from hammers, active group process. Secondly, Sarah herself makes a special impression, as she managed to simultaneously keep the group together, manage all processes and pay attention to her children, one of whom was at most six months old. Periodically, the baby wandered from dad to mom or to one of the participants. Thirdly, we experienced incredible sensations in this workshop, first from the process of destruction, when we broke tiles with hammers, then from the process of creation. In addition, it was amazing how well everyone worked together, silently, as if they had mentally agreed on everything. The real power of art! And the most incredible thing was this: that the group decision was to create a tree, the trunk of which is in the present, and the roots, respectively, in the past and future. We worked until it began to get dark. Having finished our work, we laid our “tree” on the grass and sat in a circle. And suddenly, a shadow appeared exactly above our tree (it turned out to be a shadow from a real tree that stood in the center of the clearing, formed by the light of a spotlight). In the evening we danced the ritual dance Earth run: Dance of AYNY (Running on the Earth: Ayni Dance), a variation of Planetary dance (planetary dance), which originated from various ancient peoples (Peru, Africa). It is danced for In this performance it belongs to Aini. If I had looked from the outside, I would never have realized that this was a dance. Since running in a circle in different directions and at different paces cannot in any way be called a dance. To begin with, people are given 4 grains each, the personification of the energy of the earth, the harvest and the fact that they are running for their people. Then everyone goes out to the area where there will be a dance. In the center of the site, a group of Indians in folk costumes play drums and musical instruments, and smoke some specific smoke. The dance participants stand in a line or square and begin to shift from foot to foot. At this moment they think about the purpose and for whom they are running. And when they “connected” with this, that is, they felt inside why they needed all this, they throw their hand up and shout something like “I’m running for my people!”, or “I’m running for the health of my mother!” » . One by one people take off and run as fast as they can. Having reached the point from which the run began, they turn around and run more slowly, in the inner circle, and on the next arc, they turn to the center and dance a little. Thus, you get 3 different circles that run around the clearing at different speeds. When about 250 people participate in this ritual, the spectacle is truly impressive! After some time, it seems to me that it lasted an eternity, the circle becomes againthe only one, and we surround the musicians and begin to sing. Unfortunately, I don’t speak the local Indian dialect, but I think it was something very inspiring and something about Great Hope. Slowly the music stops and we sit down in pairs on the ground, back to back. And some kind of grace comes. You feel not only the person sitting next to you, but also everyone around you, your body, a large influx of energy somewhere inside. And you understand that all people around the world have something in common. Something invisible, but very warm. Magical. The day is over. It’s already very late, and very early (in Moscow it’s early morning, after all, there’s a 9-hour difference) Day 2. Morning, August 12, Lima, Peru. Sasha, or Sally Brucker, Sasha Brucker (USA). Beyond the Personal: Creating Cross-Cultural Healing Ceremonies for Trauma Survivors through Expressive Arts. Beyond the Personal: Creating Intercultural Ceremonies for Healing Trauma through the Expressive Arts. Sasha, a professional artist and professor at the University of Washington, has already visited Russia with her workshops and spoke very warmly about our audience. Psychology in isolation from spirituality seems somewhat deprived, and Sasha uses various energy practices in their work. We started with cleansing the aura, since the healing ceremony requires immersion in a different state, different from when you run to your place in the morning, drinking coffee and stuffing a cupcake into yourself. The topic that was raised further was related to examples of , how art can heal the deepest traumas. Various traumatic events make people feel separated from society, and sometimes they do not find the strength to live. One example was an extraordinary documentary about a 25-year-old American girl who was abused (incest) and was able to heal through art, drawing on walls and on bodies (tattoos). Now she is a well-known talented artist in her circles, whose paintings and performances are truly impressive. The second example was the Peruvian film about the girl Faust, Milk of Sorrow. She survived the death of her mother and was healed from an incurable disease by “singing” her condition and thoughts. The voice from the heart heals the soul and body. Sasha believes that “Psychologists who use art in therapy, moving from one modality to another (from drawing to voice, from voice to movement and creating stories), are agents of change. They conduct ceremonies, as a result of which healing occurs on both the macro (social) and micro (individual human) level... Every ceremony has its own tradition, structure, symbols and elements, but the imagination and synergy of the group has a strong influence on the course of events.” Next, we experienced first-hand the “craft and art of ceremony. Everyone worked with their own request, which concerned either a personal request or the healing of family and friends. Something similar to a prayer, which is performed in the form of whimsical music, singing, drawings, collages that are born from the group members. It sounds incredible, but in 1.5 hours of work, incredible depth is achieved, which would seem impossible in therapeutic groups in other areas of psychology. It is quite difficult to go to another master class after this. But curiosity overcomes. Gertrude Lisser & Sylvia Hartowicz (USA). The Art of Now: Creative Grounding through Change and Transformation. The Art of Now: Creative Foundation through Change and Transformation. The workshop combines expressive arts therapy techniques with basic Buddhist theory of the thought-free mind and meditation. Meditation allows you to free your head from unnecessary thoughts and feel your body better. With the help of meditation, freeing the mind from thoughts, we learn to be in the moment, to be here and now, and become closer to our soul. Through meditation, one can learn to see new possibilities, develop a new outlook on life, and understand that “Life is not about waiting for a storm to weather it, but about learning the dance of the mind.” And exactlytherefore, using expressive arts therapy methods after meditation helps to carry out transformations, for example, transforming a current negative state into at least a neutral one. In this case, you don’t even have to name your problem, but simply let your soul “steer” the process. Day 3. August 13, Lima, Peru. Russell Ouellett (USA). Giving Computers Soul: Digital Music Technology and Expressive Arts Therapy. Breathe soul into the computer: Digital music technology and expressive arts therapy. This training is suitable for both teenagers and adults, although the latter behaved no worse than children. Modern devices allow you to immediately hear yourself, which is sometimes very important during therapeutic work. And the game, the opportunity to play your own symphony on all kinds of instruments using one button*, can be used in teamwork.(*The device, similar to an octopus, is a computer, an amplifier and wires coming from it with buttons, when pressed they make different sounds sounds like synthesizer keys) Claire Polansky (USA). Transcending the Spiritual Emergency through Open Studio Art Claire Polyansky (USA).Transformation of difficult mental states through Open Art StudiosOpen studios are a place open to everyone who wants to join art and creativity in general. Artists, people who can and cannot draw, come to the studio once a week for 1.5 - 2 hours, in order to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of cultural exchange, to communicate with other people, to get support in difficult life situations and just to work out creativity. People take various painting workshops and create their own art. Drawing generally does not come from life, but one learns to draw from the heart. The pioneers of open art studios are art therapists Dayna Block, Deborah Gadiel, and Pat Allen, Shaun Mc Niff. After many years of clinical research, they discovered that through workshops, exhibitions and learning art, people reveal their creative potential, live through various life crises, job changes, illnesses, bereavements, etc. more easily and more consciously. Since then, more and more new studios have been opening everywhere, with different specifics: for example, clinical, open studios at schools, organizations, etc. Claire, the host of the master class, believes that open studios can change everything. In Russia, the creative development of adults also has a positive impact on their lives. Let's hope. That open studios will come to us in the near future. Stephanie Heidemann (USA). Authentic Voicework. Working with True Voice Stephanie is a soprano singer and psychologist who helps people discover themselves through their voice. “Your voice is your story. Your body is an instrument, your voice is the sound of an instrument.” Through vocalization, individual and group work, you learn to free your mind from fears, feel your body through your voice, express your feelings with your voice and interact with others without words. “The throat and voice can be affected by fear. Fear of being insulted, fear of attracting too much attention to oneself, or an injury that causes pain limit us, inhibit our development. The workshop allows you to open up this territory, and explores these issues at the level of body, mind and soul. Singing with our authentic voice brings us back to ourselves, allows us to overcome insecurities and “sound” into our own lives. The founder of the Voice Movement, Tharapy Paul Newham, said for true catharsis, there must be an open channel through which psychic energy can be released. And the voice provides such a channel. Vocal catharsis involves allowing a person to vocalize a wide palette of sounds, relieving the body of contained emotions and energy that would otherwise weigh on the participant. As soon as we relax, expand and open our vocal capabilities, energy and freedom come to us through the voice. In other words, we must open into the body in order to open our]