April 15
Birds are a recurring theme in my journal, but I wasn't expecting this. I have worked through the journal on the front of the pages, and am now working backwards through the book on the back of the pages. The adjacent page to the above pages is the page below, done exactly a year ago 4-14-2009... (so the pages 4-14-2009, 4-13-2010 and 4-15-2010 all contain the image of a bird).
I have now been at my site for over a year (first as an intern and now as a full-time therapist). Throughout this time, the bird has appeared throughout my journal at least a half a dozen times. A quick search of the internet states that "Birds have long been a symbol of the soul. They represent the soul, flying free of the earth-bound body and seeking the heavens. The birds represent a passage between the physical world and spiritual worlds. Birds in flight can also represent freedom. A bird with a broken wing can represent the loss of freedom or a painful handicap." Most recently I used the image of a black bird which is " for some people, considered a good omen, [while] others believe that the Blackbird brings the lessons learned in meditation." Thinking about these symbolisms, I am now thinking about what could be the meaning of these pages on a deeper more symbolic and even unconscious level. In some of the pages I imagined myself as the bird, while in others the bird has symbolized a particular client. I don't have the answers right now, but it has definitely made me ask myself some new questions. Trust the art!
Thank you for your insights. I am an art therapist too and am now doing a biweekly expressive art journaling class for patients and caregivers. I have had bird themes come up a lot when I was a grad student and last year!
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