Over dit evenement
***This workshop is part of a series of monthly community, interdisciplinary expressive arts experiences cultivated by The Netherlands Expressive Arts Association (NEXAA). Our workshop schedule has been updated since its first publication in January. To learn more about our upcoming events, visit our website at nexaa.org. If you have questions, please don't reply to this post. Instead, contact us directly at info@nexaa.org***
Transforming through Systematic Deconstruction and Reconstruction
Grounded in the insight of C.P. Cavafy, that we only encounter the monsters we carry within our souls, this workshop invites you to confront the internal giants; those burdens of the soul manufactured by personal trauma, systemic oppression, or the exhausting labor of masking your prismatic and porous self.
Our internal monsters are often adaptive coping strategies necessary for survival in abnormal and often oppressive circumstances. By reclaiming our right to define our experience in our own terms, we use iterative cycles of dismantling to break down these giants and transform them from static threats into a dynamic teaching resource.
By meeting these internal Cyclops and Laestrygonians not as enemies to be conquered but as ensouled images with wisdom to share, we step into a practice of discovery, curiously exploring the unfolding seeds our inner knowing.
Using an accessible low skill-high sensitivity approach, we employ multiple artistic languages to reach the parts of the soul that words alone cannot inhabit. The modalities include:
Embodied Movement: Using kinesthetic empathy to find where distress lives in the body and how it wants to move.
Clay Modeling & Painting: Giving physical form to your internal giant using clay and color to make it a reality you can interact with.
Creative Writing: Using a talk back voice to challenge the monster’s narrative and reclaim your unique story.
Come with curiosity, and see what ally awaits to emerge when you finally reclaim the radical right to define your experience in your own terms and create a somatic anchor of your own resilience.
The pricing is structured to invite the possibility for everyone to participate.
In-person 3-hour workshops include all materials, tea, and snacks.
Level 1 Contribution: €15 (for under-resourced individuals)
Level 2 Contribution: €30 (for reasonably well-resourced individuals)
Arrival & Presence
Our workshop is a two-hour experiential journey composed of several time-sensitive layers. To honor the flow of the process and ensure everyone has the space to complete their exploration, I suggest arriving 10–15 minutes early. This extra time allows you to shed the external world, enjoy a cup of tea, and settle into the space so we can begin our journey together exactly on time. I also suggest leaving the hour following our session free of appointments. Shifting from the deep work of the workshop back into daily reality often requires a landing period, and you may find you wish to linger for a moment of connection with your fellow participants.
Comfort & Care
Materials, tea, and light snacks will be provided to keep our bodies nourished.
For your own comfort, please bring:
Layers of Clothing: Wear comfortable clothes that allow for movement. Bringing layers (like a warm sweater or scarf) will help you regulate your body temperature as our energy shifts throughout the various stages.
A Grounding Anchor: I invite you to bring a special item that feels like an anchor to you, a small object that helps you feel centered and connected to yourself should the process become intense.
Your Journal: While we provide paper and pens, bringing your own journal can offer a more personal vessel for your reflections.
About the Facilitators
This workshop is part of a series of monthly community, interdisciplinary expressive arts experiences cultivated by The Netherlands Expressive Arts Association (NEXAA).
This experience is guided by Diana Zuican, held in the steady support of the whole NEXAA team.
Diana Zuican: Art therapist and psychologist in training, gatherer of community whittling circles, and urban forager with synesthesia.
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