Drawing Down the Collective:
Touch Drawing from a Place of Collective Wisdom
BySuzanne Fageol
It was the day during the Summer Gathering when we were to draw from the collective and to focus on peace. We all went out to the labyrinth to do a Peace Invocation. The intention was to center on the world soul and to draw from that place of collective wisdom with peace as the focus. Following the invocation, much to my surprise, I felt led to return 
to the hall and draw there. As I walked back I reflected on my puzzlement that I would be led to draw away from the group and inside. When I walked into the room, I was attracted to the large drawing board. It can be intimidating for a non-artist to be with the large board. How would I ever fill up that big space? I found myself cutting ten large sheets off the roll of paper, thinking that there would be lots of paper left for others to draw. I might manage two drawings at most on that large board.
I rolled out my ink and took the first sheet of paper. It was the jagged end piece that I had cut off the roll first. I thought I would use it as a throwaway "warm-up" piece. I closed my eyes and allowed my hands to draw. Instantly, I was guided into a deep state of collective flow. When I pulled the paper from the board, the owl was there. Owl has always been an ally of wisdom for me. I knew I was about to receive more guidance. I put another piece of paper on the board. The next thing I knew it was an hour later and I was drawing a circle. I saw it was the end of a series I was barely conscious of drawing.
I expected that in touching into the collective of peace I would touch into the darkness and pain of the earth and our lives. Instead, I was left with a great sense of joy and hope. Hope is defined as a yearning with the expectation of attainment. I knew my sense of joy was a certainty that peace would prevail on earth. I felt with certainty that we can transform violence; that sentient 
beings and the earth itself with survive, indeed, thrive in the future. A heartfelt sense of consolation came upon me as I cried tears of joy to be given such grace on behalf of all of us.
See each of the drawings with Suzanne’s powerful journal writings here.
Finding Beauty Within Grief
by Kathleen Horne Artvisioninc@aol.com
I arrived at the Touch Drawing Gathering, not really thinking that one of the themes I would be encountering would be grief over my mother's passing, eight months earlier. However, as always, when we make space for a deepening and open into the threads that are active in our psyches, what needs to come forth, will.
I could feel, as my TD process deepened, the hovering around of grief. Suddenly, as I put my hands on the paper and began to draw, it was as though I were stroking her face, as she lay in the hospital bed. The tears unleashed, and I continued to draw, drawing after drawing, crying, and in awe, as the series unfolded, taking me to a new place in my grieving process. My head was disengaged, my hands brought forth the wisdom. When I was done, I was done.
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Then this writing came.
Grief appears, with an urgent intensity.
Soft, and insistent.
Grief of the mother. Grief of the daughter.
Both aware that the loving angel of death is announcing its arrival.
A space of timeless time, a space between worlds.
I sit, you lie, in waiting.
Touch: the only means of communication.
The deep lines of life vanish from your countenance in preparation for leaving.
Ultimate perfection.
The cycle of return.
The time draws near.
As you are saying goodbye to the Dance of Life
We gather around you, speaking in tears and moans, laughter and silence.
The last Breath comes.
I let you go.
I have no choice.
I bow down before the eternal flame of Wisdom.
Your body is offered forth
Cradled, and at rest at last.
Love Holds.
Touch Drawing with Parkinsonians and Their Caregivers
By Susan Jackewicz in collaboration with Victoria Domenichello-Anderson VICTORIA_ANDERSON6@msn.com
Along with Kathleen Horne, Victoria started the Art and Healing Certificate program at the Ringling School of Art
This pilot program evolved from a group of Parkinsonians called The Hodgepodge Painters, founded by caregiver Susan Jackewicz for her mother who has lived with the disease for 12 years. The members gathered weekly for painting sessions on canvas board using tempera paints, brushes, sponges, and sometimes, fingers.
After some time the Hodgepodgers scattered. Parkinson’s doesn’t take a vacation, and being acutely aware it is a degenerative disease, Susan started looking for other avenues to bring Art to the Parkinson’s population. She connected with Victoria who suggested trying Touch Drawing.
We weren’t certain the Parkinsonians would take to this unfamiliar technique, but took a leap of faith and gathered 7 Parkinsonians and their caregivers for a 5-week Pilot Program under the auspices of the Ringling School. HealthSouth offered meeting space and volunteer session aides.
At each session we separated into two groups, the Parkinsonians and caregivers in different rooms. Victoria worked with the Parkinsonians and Kathleen Horne worked with the caregivers. All Parkinsonians had lived with the disease between 8 and 20 years. Most were men who had never “done art” before, but were accomplished in their fields of engineering, academia and business. One was a decorated WWII POW. Of the caregivers, all but one were spouses, and had been caring for their loved ones at home. Four of the seven caregivers had previous experience creating art.
The results were remarkable. We found the physical process of Touch Drawing simple, accessible, and engaging across the board – for those who had had previous art experience, or not, for those with higher or lesser motor disabilities, for accomplished adult men who might otherwise look askance at such an “activity”, and for the caregivers, who are all living under varying amounts of acute stress.
For the Parkinsonians, post-trial comments such as “He was so much calmer the rest of the day”, and “Her movements were easier for hours afterwards” pointed to the respite-like effect of the sessions... a very important effect in this disease
which causes constant, uncontrolled movements usually harnessed only by continuous medication. It’s theorized the creative act and its meditative component mimic dopamine’s action causing a reduction or temporary cessation of errant Parkinson’s motor symptoms, and that creativity is not affected by the disease. This was illustrated recently at the World Parkinsons Congress in Washington DC in February 2006 with an extensive exhibit of Parkinsonian art, which can be seen at
www.pdcreativity.org.
For the caregivers, the sessions not only provided much-needed quiet time away from normal responsibilities, but the technique of Touch Drawing was an immediate vehicle to whisk away into focus on their own, rather than their loved one’s, energies. There were many “lightbulb” moments: “I’m not as in touch with my feelings as I thought”, “This is so relaxing, I need to go get massages regularly”, “I miss my sister’s help more than I’d realized”. Quiet tears of stress relief were common, as were joyful expressions of playful abandon.
Everyone, from Parkinsonians and their caregivers, to nursing aides, facilitators and administrators agreed the Pilot was a success. Ringling School and HealthSouth have committed to hosting continuing sessions this fall to a wider group.
Touch Drawing in the Dominican Republic
Aleah Chapin with Deborah Koff-Chapin http://www.sisterislandproject.org/
This summer, my daughter Aleah took a journey to the Dominican Republic to volunteer for Sister Island Project. An artist in her own right, it was requested that she bring art materials to share with the children in the village. I couldn’t resist the opportunity to pack up some Touch Drawing materials along with the usual crayons and craypas. When Aleah returned and told me about her experience, I sensed that she felt the magic of introducing Touch Drawing - the joy that lights up in people as they draw - giving her a better sense of why her mom has been
shlepping materials around the world all these years!
From Aleah:
"These pictures were from a workshop that I participated in that was about bringing art into the curriculum. They brought teachers from the surrounding villages for a day at the Learning Center in Cruz Verde. The teachers asked how they can get Touch Drawing materials for their students. If you would like to make a donation toward materials, please contact the Center for Touch Drawing."
These pictures were from a small workshop that I did with the kids from Cruz Verde.
Authentic Voice, had been completed and I was looking for my next project when a very authentic voice started to burn in my chest. It was this passion about Deborah’s art that seemed to be calling heatedly. I began to nurse this little flame and was encouraged to ask her if I could do a documentary. She indicated she was interested and right there began this incredible journey. We said yes to the calling.
