The blank wall.  The blank canvas.  A white sheet of paper. There are endless possibilities.   For some, making art and expressing ones self can be challenging.  As if there were a right way to do it, or an evaluation coming, you can often here a person say “I’m not good at art.”  or “I’m not an artist.”   But this is not true.   Art and creatively expressing one-self is an act of self-care, self-exploration, and liberating self freedom.    Allowing one’s self the freedom to simply let the words, colors, lines, or notes come out, in whatever way feels right….that’s art….and that’s enough.   There is no ‘right or wrong’.  there is no ‘good or bad’.  those are concepts of an education system, of a society rooted in judgement and comparison.  But making art, ie, creative self expression, is not about the cultural norms and educational evaluations, critics and comparisons to that which has been done before.   Expressing ones self is an act of freedom. An act of uncovering and exposing oneself, a brave and courageous step, and it’s a liberating, healing and necessary uplifting of spirit.  Making art, in whatever way one chooses to do so, is an absolutely necessary practice for healthy, well-being and self-care. What has been lost, is that allowance and acceptance that we are all creative beings.  A human being is continually creating and constantly healing. It’s what we do, naturally.   When we make art and creatively express ourselves, we learn.  We grow.  We bring forth the unseen and make it seen (or heard, felt, etc).  When we take the time to attend to the feelings, thoughts, and emotions in a peaceful and present way, delve inward to uncover what is going on, and express it, we liberate that part of ourself into the world.  This crafting and sharing of deeply personal stuff has huge benefits to the mind, the heart, and the well being of the individual, as it grants us the deep freedom to simply share who we are and what we are with the world. Let em have it.  Let em see what’s behind the eyes of your being and experience what you are.   If we release the fear of being ‘bad’ or doing it ‘wrong’ as all too many a teacher or parent has instilled on their child ~ we can access a deep and meaningful freedom that truly brings joy and creates peace.

Here is a mind-map of Create Peace Project.  At the center you will see our Organization (Org. Development) and surrounding the organization the many projects and components of our reach into the world.

We are thrilled to have you here!  We are in full production of our plans for taking the Peace Exchange to India.  We are super thrilled to have included more than 8,000 students across the US in this years project. Here is a bit more about our plans: Currently 40 schools from 14 states, including more than 8,000 students, across the U.S. are involved in the 2010/2011 Peace Exchange. Between February and May, a Create Peace Project team will be hand delivering these 8,000 U.S. peace cards, along with 2,000 cards created in Uganda early 2010, to students in schools across India. While in India, Create Peace Project will work in approximately 25 schools, including nearly 10,000 students in this cross-cultural exchange.  While in India we will partner with Pratham (www.pratham.org) one of the largest education organizations in the world, as well as other organizations, in our efforts to including as diverse a cross section of the India religious, socio-economic, and cultural traditions as possible. Peace Exchange workshops are 3hrs long and can be offered to groups of 100 – 300 students. During workshops students will discuss their vision and understanding of what it means to create peace in our lives, participate in peace practices, enjoy games and group building activities, and then spend time creating art and writing messages in response to the peace cards they have received.

When one is making art, or being creative in a focused and attentive way, the mind moves from an outward orientation to an inward one. Taking the time to explore ones self-expression is an act of being at peace. By activating the willingness to feel into who you are, how you think, and the way you experience being in the human you actually is the start of creating peace. Question is: How does it feel to be you? By making art and exploring the expression of that introspection, one has the ability to find the moment, and occur purely in the present. In this place, there is peace. This practice of being at peace is about being present. Present with yourself. Present with your surroundings. And present to the cycle of breath flowing in and out through your nose.

Peace is not a global phenomenon. Peace is deeply personal and intimate experience that happens within each of us. Peace is a practice that beings with the individual me and you out there walking around. But when you find peace, the me and you disappear, and only we are here. The trick is: you must do it….no one else can create peace for you. When you choose to do such a thing, life becomes the ever-evolving experience of now. This moment. This breath. This magical experience  of what is. In this place, found both through making visual art; painting, drawing, playing music or dance, or doing yoga, meditating, walking through nature, or a variety of other ways, you are expressing yourself and your connection to the divine spirit running through us. In this place, where you and I disappear, there is ease and acceptance with that which is :  life; a joyous, calm, and harmonious place for peaceful co-existence.

The practice of peace is simply the act of being present. But how do you get present? Two ways include; through cultivating breath awareness and making art. As you breathe mindfully, following the flow of inhale ~ expansion, exhale ~ contraction, your consciousness is effortlessly drawn inward. Here is where we begin to discover who we are, how we think, what it’s like to truly feel, and then share those self-held truths with others through an artistic form. In this process of looking, feeling, discovering, expressing, and sharing that expression….everyone learns. We learn about ourselves as we allow others to see more of who we are and how we are as peaceful and loving spirits in this human form. This act of revealing ourself is a unifying, inspiring and kind gesture: an act of peace.

Imagine you were asked the question: who are you?  But rather than communicating your answer with words, you have to express it with art ~ visually, musically, with dance or movement, in picture, or song…what ever form you choose.  What would you do? what if I asked you : what is peace? how would you express your answer to this under the same invitation? Let’s begin by sharing this moment of breath.  Exhale all the rest and be present. In peace.