Recovering Artists Hit the Street
Two active artists in recent protests tell of mixing painting with addiction recovery. For years, Cybin was deep into heroin and coke. He felt all their effects. On a wintry day, he was on the verge of suicide. He imagined his body slamming onto the ice below the Lake Street bridge. Eventually Cybin got clean, …
To Love Than be Loved
When I was ten years old, my mother gave birth to my youngest sister. Afterwards, she was dead for about eight minutes until the doctors brought her back to life. I was there for my sister’s birth and there afterwards, through all the pain and frantic decisions my parents made following that day. When I …
Songwriting for Recovery
My name is Katy. I’m a singer songwriter, a ukulele player, a mother, a wife, a dual citizen of the US and UK and I’m an alcoholic. In my Twitter bio I say I’m a ‘Singer of sad songs on a happy instrument.’ It took me a while to even realize what that meant to …
Ask the Expert: Jes Reyes of Avivo ArtWorks
Q: How does creating art help with the overall healing and recovery process? Art is healing because it can be a powerful tool for engagement with one’s self. Not only are you creating something when making art, but you are also building a sense of presence and space for yourself. Art can bring you into …
Practicing the Pause: Writing and Publishing With Spiritual Intention
Chances are, if you’re a writer with spiritual inclinations, you’ll recognize this quote from Thomas Merton’s New Seeds of Contemplation: “If you write for God you will reach many men and bring them joy. If you write for men—you may make some money and you may give someone a little joy and you may make …
What Can We Learn From All This?
“Those who don’t learn from history are condemned to repeat it.” — Carlos Santayana (1863-1952) Like it or not, we’re living in a historic era with all its suffering and promise. And what an era we’re living in! Most of us have feelings of unreality, worry, sadness and disbelief about what is happening, and uncertainty …
The Art of Feeling
“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way–things I had no words for.” Georgia O’Keeffe How are you? How do you feel? How do I feel? I am not sure. I come from a long line of people who avoided feelings–or at least conversations about feelings. My grandfather would answer those questions …
Resilience: Needed More Than Ever Today
As we live through these very challenging times, I can’t imagine anyone arguing about the need for developing resilience. This is especially true for those of us in recovery from addictions, whatever be our addiction or addictions. In this article, I’d like to suggest four practices that I have found helpful in developing resilience. The …
How Minnesota Treatment Providers and People in Recovery Have Been Impacted by COVID-19 (And How They Believe Things Will Be Different)
We reached out to Minnesota substance disorder providers, treatment centers and mental health professions—as well as people in recovery to hear how COVID-19 has affected them and how it will affect them after the virus has passed. Below are their response with minor edits from our team. We want to thank them for their responses. …
Where the Heck Can I Go On Retreat This Year?
With virus-related restrictions in place, you may not have access to a resort or retreat center for a quiet time of self-reflection this year. But closer to home are some pristine, tucked-away woodlands that invite relaxation, gently adventurous discoveries, and communion with self and nature. Waking up in Crystal MAC Wildlife Management Area The northwest …