SoulCollage: Community Card, Frida Kahlo

Community Card: Frida

My friend, Sandra, bought me a greeting card with a photo of Frida when she was in Arizona, recently.

I had been meaning to make a Frida card, as one of my community cards, so joined the greeting card

collaged Frida with a part of Frida's painting "The Two Fridas".  You can see this painting on the
Frida Kahlo Foundation's website that includes all 101 of her paintings.

Frida was born on July 6th, 1907 but changed her recognized birthday to July 7th, 1910, to coincide

with the beginning of the Mexican Revolution (and "Modern Mexico").  Coincidentally my birthday

is July 7th, although later--three years before her death at age 47.  Many thanks for most of the facts
related to Frida's life which were gleaned from the Frida Kahlo Fans site. 

Frida is considered by many to be the most famous female painter to have ever lived.  She was the

wife of famous Mexican muralist Diego Rivera (she married him, divorced and married him again).

She is represented as one of my community cards because she is one of the painters who has influenced

me and given me courage to express myself honestly in my work and in my life.  Frida was an

outrageous person who experienced much emotional and physical pain in her life.  She suffered

physically throughout her adult life due to a tragic trolley car accident when she was 18.  She 

attributed much of her emotional suffering to her relationship with Diego.  Frida's paintings are

autobiographical, surrealist seeming and tremendously evocative.

Many women, and many women artists hold Frida as a great woman's hero for her courage to

live her life in a highly original manner.  She was avant garde, creating her own style of art,
fashion and personal expression.  Frida behaved in a manner that could be considered early
feminist by speaking directly and colorfully and behaving in a "modern" way.  In contrast she

adopted and adapted a traditional Mexican Native style of dress.  Frida made the cover of

Mexican Vogue 60 years after her death although she was interviewed in Vogue in 1937.

I Am the One Who Is a Woman Artist

I Am the One Who Paints from the Heart

I Am the One Who has the Courage to Be Myself

I Am the One Who Reveals My Truth

I Am the One Sees Life's Pain and Beauty

I Am the One Who Sees the World

I Am the One Who Honors My Roots

I Am the One Who Tells My Story

   

Soul Collage: I Am the One Who Walks Past False Comforts

I Am The One Who Walks Past False Comforts

This card pictures two monks walking past a cactus couch with watermelon slices and an

elaborate castle made of sand.  They are walking prayerfully with proper attitude and shielded

from the heat of the sun with their umbrellas.  Up above two butterflies rise.  Behind them, in

their path, a desert flower blooms.  In the deep background the vast ocean is glimpsed.

For me this card is about not being distracted on my path by my thoughts that I should have

the apparent comforts that others have who have lived a different life and made different choices

than I have.  

The big house (actually made of sand) and the couch clipped from an architecture magazine 

(which would definitely be uncomfortable) are obvious illusions.  I was stumped at first about

the watermelon but then I thought of how I keep on thinking of the sweet juicy picnic watermelon

of my childhood memories in contrast to the tasteless watermelons (probably of the GMO variety)
that I've purchased at the supermarket in the last years.  Looks beautiful from the outside but not
sweet or satisfying at all.

The blooming cactus and the butterflies were cut from a magazine picture of hand embroidered

pillows.  Certainly pillows are linked to real rest, real comfort.  These also represent the joy

I experience from creating art and craft items with my own hands.  

SoulCollage: I Am the One Who Is the Weight Watcher

I Am the One Who Loves Food

The card above was made in group and at the time I joked that it was "I Am the One Who is on the "See Food" diet.  

That is certainly the space I was in--not having the determination to limit my food choices much, and feeling

like it felt right to eat whatever I wanted to.  Pretty guilt free at the time but not helping my health.  The eyes

focused on the cupcake with green frosting didn't really seem like an image that totally fit because I am not

one to go for a cupcake.  My food passion is more related to that second helping of spaghetti, a nice slice of

whole wheat toast with butter, Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream.  

But I journaled with this card and kept on looking at it.  So last Friday I got back on the Weight Watcher's wagon.

This is a food plan that has worked for me in the past, have just been in the comfort myself with food place until now. But I've had no energy and noticing that it's been harder to breath lately.  Maybe more about getting fatter than getting older?  It was time to set a new goal.

I Am the One Who is the Weight Watcher

I started to look for an image of a fit woman to replace the cupcake.  I found the scale first, then the little

person reaching up and stretching.  Now the jogging woman on the left with her eyes on the prize 

makes more sense than a fit woman with her focus on a cupcake.

I Am the One Who Has My Eyes on the Prize

I Am the One Who Reaches My Goals

I Am the One Who Makes Food Choices Which Are Consistent with My Weight Goals

I Am the One Who Exercises and has More Energy

I Am the One Who Ages Well

I Am the One Who Loves Healthy Food

This card's message for me:

Just keep your eyes on your goals and keep on making choices that are consistent with your weight

and health goals.  Enjoy food and cooking.  You can still have an abundance of yummy things to take

pleasure in eating.  It will be so fun to find new healthy recipes!  It will be so great to feel good about 

your physical health and how you look in your clothes.

This card is going to sit in a place where I can see it on my altar.  Will also print a copy to put on

the fridge door.