An Exploration into the Healing Power of Dollmaking

©Barb Kobe, 2005-2013

• Why the study-Why Dolls• Participants• Theories that support the study• The tools• The Process - Guardian - Scapegoat - Talisman - Inner Healer• The Outcome

• To develop a step by step process to assist people in making a healing doll

• To determine whether dollmaking can produce change and transformation and healing

• To explore the possibility of teaching such a process on line and create a healing community

• I have been using dollmaking in my own healing process and found it powerful.

• Students in my classes were making dolls that was engaging them to dive deep into a process that was offering them insight into a challenging aspect of their life.

• I found a few people in country who were using dollmaking for transformation and healing and I wanted to discover what they knew.

• Dolls have been used in medicine rituals since ancient times.

Creating an art doll with the intention of healing invites and encourages the doll creator to explore

a range of perceptions and emotions and in doing

so reach a deeper level of self understanding.

Making a healing doll can serve as a catalyst that induces the healing process, awaken long lost stories and creates a transformation.

Dollmaking and dolls can serve as healing tools. 

• 30 women signed up, 20 stayed with group• Ages 40 and above• From US, UK and Australia

• Class was facilitated on yahoogroups as healing doll project. • Participants join the group and sent emails of their process, questions, and support and photos to group• Six lessons sent out about every two weeks, with flexible to extend if group needed it.• I facilitated process and coached • Designed as three month process

Mindmapping

Visual Journaling.

Non-Dominant Hand Writing

Meditative Walks

Collage

Sculpture

Trust your intuition Stay open to possibilities Be willing to be in the unknown Play with your imagination Be inquisitive, eager to learn; ask what would happen if? Stand back and question your beliefs Know that creativity involves a process Do not prejudge or anticipate where the imagery will take you Allow yourself to learn and be guided by the experience Remember you are not broken and do not need to be fixed Connect with a safe, supportive other; a person who is a

believing mirror, a witness with whom you can share your doll creations

Healing is often confused with curing. Curing a disease or illness is what medical science attempts to do through external intervention, treatment and medication. Curing cannot always occur. Healing is always possible. 

The broadest definition of healing is to become whole, regardless of any situation or circumstance.  Healing is in its very essence is a process of transformation – from illness to wellness, from dysfunction to integration, from breakdown to wholeness.  The task of healing is:

to strip away layers of physical and emotional numbness; to bring movement to what has become stuck; to respond to rescues from the body mind; to reclaim the riches of the feeling world; to find our deepest level of integrity.

from Visual Journaling - Ganim

ART THERAPYThe fundamental principal of the art therapies is that they provide opportunities to make concrete objects representing feelings and thoughts that are elusive, hidden and mysterious.

EXPRESSIVE ARTS THERAPYThis emphasizes the artistic process as a means of emotional expression and release. The artwork is not used as a diagnostic tool because it is believedthat only the person who created the work knows the meaning inherent in it.

STRESS REDUCTIONArt heals by changing a person's physiology and attitude from one of stress to one of deep relaxation, from one of fear to one of creativity and inspiration.

GATE THEORY OF PAIN MANAGEMENTThe fundamental basis for this theory is the belief that psychological as well as physical factors guide the brain's interpretation of painful sensations and the subsequent response.

 

PSYCHONEUROIMMUNOLOGY The underlying theory of this science is that the body, mind and spirit are interconnected and that one cannot treat one without affecting another. It also suggests that the ultimate healing must come from within the individual; that we all have a mind and a soul that influences and creates who we are - even our illness. IMAGERY AND HEALING The work of the relationship between the body and the imagination.

NARRATIVE PSYCHOLOGY The stories we tell about our lives contain all the clues for what we believe, what afflicts us and how to heal.  

Designate or create a journal to use for this process

Practice mindmapping

Practice writing with your non-dominant hand

Set an intention

Choose a witness and meet with her or him…….

Do the journal activities about symbols and metaphors

Read about feelings and do the feeling face assignments

Make at least ten feeling faces in any medium

 

- Think about what you want to heal. What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about this?

- I want to heal ____________________ 

- Then complete the following sentence. Healing for me will be

______________________   - Consider how you and your world will be different once you reached this goal. How will you and your world look, sound, move, feel like, smell and taste? 

• Examples

- “I intend to heal the fearful child within.”

- “I intend to focus my healing energies toward accepting who I am.”

- “I intend to focus on healing my broken heart.”

- “I intend to heal my self-worth, to focus on healing energy toward accepting my body.”

- “ I intend to let go of the shame and guilt for being the spiritual person I am and not what others want me to be.”

- “I intend to focus healing energy toward claiming my power.” 

• Self esteem, love and acceptance• Depression• Fear• Letting go of shame• Relationships with men and mother• Self image, taking care of self• Illness, disease

Symbols will emerge.

Identify colors, shapes, forms, patterns, and textures

Identify personal story, myth and archetypes 

One of the most important aspect of healing dolls.

Feelings are messengers that deliver essential information about what’s going on inside of you.

Dollmaking helps express and release feelings. Feelings are meant to be felt, understood and explored and then released. The more you try to hide from or ignore a feeling the more persistent it can become. Stuffing them doesn’t make them go away just pushes them into your physical energetic system which could end up in illness or disease.

1. Set an intention

2. GUARDIAN: Make a doll that represents protection

3. SCAPEGOAT: Identify the pain/stress/ wound/ problem that is blocking getting intention

4. Release the block through the dollmaking

5. TALISMAN: Make a doll that represents healing goal

6. INNER HEALER: Make a doll that is the inner healer

- focusing on lessons learned

In 2011 I added a fifth doll – Loving Kindnessto bring in compassion during the process

Represents protection, safety, compassion, hope, possibility and encouragement.

Stands witness and is always present while dollmaker is making the other dolls.

Symbolizes what is getting in the way of the healing goal.

May be the most important doll in the process – opens up the most potential for healing.

Offers an opportunity to create a balance in the story of the pain.

Strong and powerful doll that can pull dollmaker from the past into the present and future.

Symbol of healing intention.

An image that reminds the dollmaker that all healing resources are within.

Reminder that painful experiences can offerinsight, compassion and pathways to the imagination.

My intention to dark to love myself, ultimately to heal the fearful child within.

I intend to focus healing energy towards the expression of my female power, and the creation of the next phase of my life. I believe healing for me will be about learning to trust my intuitive more each day, and to maintain balance on this walk. 

My focus will be on love and compassion and acceptance of myself - especially my  hurt, little girl self.  I don't think I have ever given her very much kindness.  I have treated her just the way my mother did, always disappointed,  thinking that she wasn't good enough

INTENTION: I want to focus my healing energies towards that frightened little girl. Healing will mean that she will be able to come out into the light and not give herself away piece by piece. Healing will mean that she integrate responsibility for her OWN CARE into her life as important and critical and learn to love herself piece by piece

I have been called a fearful person. I have always felt such shame in that. And yet I have come to know that this inner world that our group is entering so deeply, so freely, so courageously is a land that most people, including those who have accused me, absolutely fear to tread. I have come to know that it is ok to accept some fears in myself and reject others as too restrictive. The fears that I can accept have lost a great deal of their power over me. It's not that I no longer fear bears for example, it's that I am no longer shamed by it. The fears that I have deemed too restrictive, that interfere with my life in a way that is not ok with me, I can work on now without shame. The shame factor totally changes the energy of fear into a much bigger, badder thing. A nearly impossible thing to work on. Take away the shame and it is not such a big deal after all.Debi K.

I found the artist in me, and discovered that I could do some things that I never knew that  I could do before.  I found places in me that I didn't know existed--creative places.  My hands became free to explore and discover using materials--fabrics, paints and clays- in ways that I had only admired in others. Working with the materials, especially the clay brought a sense of peace. and comfort.  I learned that I need a strong creative process in my life.  One that allows me to work with my hands--engaging me physically as well as mentally. visually an outlet that becomes a physical representation of my feelings and emotions.  When I'm done, I find I can breathe.

This is a very special place that Barb has created to go deeply and be held by those on a similar journey at the same time. It is amazing what can be done on the Internet!  If you have found this group you are meant to be here".                Lisa Victoria, Australia

"Barb is a fabulous teacher who loves to share her many years of experience making whimsical and soulful "dolls". Her doll sculpting process is a form of creative expression that engages the psyche and brings healing and insight.“ Val Olson, Minneapolis

"She is not only unique, but compassionate, funny and knows exactly how to make learning about yourself  a fun experience!“ "Her work is archetypal and inspiring as artwork for meditation and reflection too.“ "The workshops I took with her were life transforming.“ "She is great at encouraging others to trust and believe in themselves."         

"Her work is accessible, BEAUTIFUL and surprises viewers into their opening up and healing their own selves."I can trace the beginning of my own career as an artist back to the day I spent with Barb in 1994, where her intuition and creativity helped me see all the possibilities within me."

"If you have the opportunity, read through her site, she is a wealth of information and a kind, generous soul, who really helped me learn and love more about ME. “ Sharon 

"Barb is a creative genius who goes out of her way to produce innovative, quality products. I cannot say enough for her skills and her work ethic! Her skills have helped countless people around the world."Kelly Guinanwww.celebratingpeace.com

This is our answer: our language is poetry. Do you understand?Our language is signs, symbols, sacred objects:we are sacred people.We have magical properties.There are many things to be done,people to be healed, houses to be built.It is not a time to be together.It is a time to be separate,to learn what it means to be alone.

We tell you this: we are doing the impossible.We are teaching ourselves to be human.When we are finished,the strands which connect uswill be unbreakable; alreadywe are stronger than we have ever been...

Thus we move: silently, separately;our name is buried in various sacred spots all over the land.We are waiting until it is safe to claim it.Though we move silently, separate,can you hear our joint voices singing,singing our women's songs in ever widening circles?Listen. We are making ready.Hear our music across the dying land...

from Tribes by Martha Courtot, published by Pearlchild Press.