Reflecting on the journey of the last 365 days……..

So it has been almost year, since I embarked on a new chapter, starting my MSW, Masters of Social Work with the University of Waterloo, Renison University College degree….It has been an incredibly powerful journey of 365 days ----  I am but one course away from obtaining this degree…. Can you hear my excitement ?

It has been a year long process, two week-long intensives on campus - the first was last August 2014 and the last one will begin on August 10th, 2015.  And in-between, there has been 6 online courses, all requiring intense participation, online conversations (hours of conversations), papers, assignments, involving research and critical thinking, group process papers (on line - and that was an interesting process), a practicum placement from September to May, requiring 10 mini papers, setting goals for practice work, counselling Renison university students and a great group process using art and altered books, I was so lucky enough to facilitate this program with 6 students.

…The end is near and one of the last projects we have to do is called the "Capstone"…What I love about this project, is that it requires we capture our MSW journey in a creative project.   So totally cool, challenging and a great way to synthesize all that has unfolded over the 12 months; which for me included being a FULL-TIME MSW student, while as the same time working part-time (22.5 hours/week), commuting 12-14 hours for that part-time job, being a mum to a teenager, single parenting when she is with me, and placement hours (15 hrs/week), life chores, still running my art business, teaching and painting when I had any extra time etc….it has been a whirlwind of intensity…but ALL GOOD, even the challenges really pushed my edges…..For which I am grateful.

So I thought I would document my CAPSTONE process a bit….via this blog…there will be several parts that I will post over the course of the next two weeks.

Here is the first part….As I am a mixed media artist, thought I would do something using mixed media as the elements to this project…

As I had to juggle all these various commitments, responsibilities, the many life bits over this year, …the only way I felt I could do it was to keep tonnes and tonnes of post-it notes, colour coding my calendar and writing many lists…..So I thought I would use these post-it lists incorporated into the CAPSTONE art piece.

First step, I tea stained and then stredded them….   As I looked over these post-it notes, I reflected on what was most meaningful to me and journalled key themes, concepts and what it all meant to me… a mind map was helpful in this process too.

On my studio table, my post it notes, all tea stained and ready to be shredded…  Rumi poetry that has provided me endless peace and comfort over the years and was inspiring again in reflecting on this year long journey…the poem the Guest House provided inspiration to this project.

I will post my next steps in a day or so…. it is lovely to be in the studio again, unfolding the stories that came from this year long process.