“Have you ever read the children’s book, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day? I love this book because I think all of us can relate to Alexander. It seems that nothing is going right for him, and he can only see his circumstances through a negative lens, where he’s the victim to everyone and everything.
He repeatedly tells his friends, family, and teachers that he’s having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, and he thinks he’ll move to Australia. I guess he figures that’s far enough away that none of his problems will follow him there. Then, at the very end of his day, he tell us, “My mother says some days are like that, even in Australia.”
Today, I am not exactly having an Alexander type of day, but I am feeling really down. I honestly feel depressed. And I want to share with you how I’m processing those emotions…and it does not involve moving to the other side of the world.”
“It’s crazy…Even after going through this process of spontaneous artmaking and responsive writing SO MANY times over the years, it never ceases to amaze me how the perfect message always finds a way to emerge from my subconscious brain.”
From my writing in response to the image:
“You’ve done it so many times before. You’ve come out and flourished and today is no different but sit there now and hold her in the pink safe place. It is safe there, you know? It’s safe to sit and feel and come out a little at a time. Like pregnancy, gestation, giving birth. She comes out SO ALIVE. Every time.”
LISTEN to Art That Overcomes podcast, Episode 24. What new thing is being birthed in you now?
Jennifer Kramer Art Therapy 