Contemporary shaman....

When i tell people that Im working with a shamanic practitoner, folks either get a little uh oh space cadet zone, she'll be off her meds next, or say 'thats great' whilst thinking, what the **** does that mean anyways. So I thought id spend some time typing....

For me, one of the prime tools of shamanism, and some forms of witchery, is trance journeying the spine of the world tree to otherworlds. Otherworlds that exist in parallel to our daily consensual reality, some call it the astral. What people use to trigger a trance state varies, for me i have used prerecorded repetitive drumming when flying solo, and now with Odette she guides me some with her voice, which is a pleasure, i have to say. Now this may sound like some kind of escapist fantasy, but the otherworlds are certainly not that, just as we have issues to work on in daily realms so to in the otherly ones. Infact, thats part of the point. Work done in one place effects how we are in the other, theyre linked, we come back to daily reality, grounding in and returning to it. Thats not to say there's no sense of humour or play in the otherworlds, far from it..
 
 When entering the otherworlds, its done via the sanctuary Ive worked with Odette to reestablish, my place of safety. Which requires space clearing maintenance just as any physical sanctuary does and this is the emphasis of the work at the moment solidifying and building safety. I don't mean alarm systems and bars safety, no thanks, but feel it in your gizzards learning how to deal with lost or wayward entities, getting to know your spirit guides, allys and their talents type safety. These are processes by which to navigate and map make your way. Blundering around the other worlds is no more a good idea than blundering around any other place, infact it can have harsher consequences.  Ive done some blundering, and some journeying. Now Ive been lucky enough to get some support and guidance from a shamanic healer who knows some of the local lingo and can read signposts.

 Yes, I do have a diagnosis, schizoaffective disorder (I tried for PhD but this is what i got!) and I am on meds but no that doesnt mean I can't work with a shaman, or that if I do Im losing it. Shamanism is as ancient as it comes and this ancient art has some very contemporary applications for folks who in our current society often do end up with a few extra letters to their names. 


Enough from me, if this is resonating with you, or you're just plain ol curious, here's a link to Odette Nightskys website where you can read some of her wise and gentle spirited writings on such topics.

 http://www.contemporaryshaman.net/

and here's her blog

 http://contemporaryshaman.wordpress.com/about/

Mika's coming along....

After many failed attempts, Ive managed to trim Mika's story down to about 730 words, owch, and have broken the text up into whats on what page. It seems a childrens picture book is from 500 to 1000 words, with the latter pushing it. The time has come to refine the scribble of my storyboards into individual roughs, and insert the more detailed pages Ive done, into a 'dummy' book thats the size it would be if published.

Already this is clarifying where images are flowing and interestingly composed, or a bit constipated or obvious. Im having to create backgrounds, depth and make sure that Mikas character, and the style of it all together, has continuity. That she doesnt age 5 years from one image to the next and is easily recognisable as herself, which has meant leaving some earlier drawings behind.

I'm yet to see the larger drawings Ive done scanned, and then reduced down to the 21.6cm X 21.6cm, and how they look. They're some in the post i hear! All i've seen are the photos Ive taken myself, not great quality thanks to a slight tremor that appears whenever I really want a clear shot. Ive found a printer nearby with an A2 scanner so next week ill take in some of the bigger works, 42cm x 42cm, and see how they turn out reduced. Im hoping the detail of the pencil work will shine through. Also time to invest in one of those multiskilling printer slash scanner slash photocopier thangs. Although writing text by hand does have a certain ambience...

Well, back to the drawing board for me...

Mika's story...

When I wandered onto the path of writing and illustrating a kids book i didnt really know what id stumbled into in terms of the process. The characters and worlds have evolved, seeming to continue too, through the combination of clarifying both text and images. Most childrens books are 32 pages long, so ive done a rough, or three, mapping out of what text, plus visuals, goes on which page. Some images will be double page spreads, others single page focus. The actual point where you turn the page can build suspense or drama, so its another tool.

Simply illustrating the words works sometimes, but there are times when a little mini story can take place in the visuals aswell. Something to be spotted, or a reappearing theme. My pencil marks are getting a little less anal and tight, some fluidity is creeping in, I figure if you're going to make strokes they may as well be fun to do, otherwise the tedium of drafting a full page could quite possibly create insanity! Mika herself is becoming less a babushka doll and more a girl, which is interesting. Im learning the importance of quick gesture and composition sketches to bounce ideas around, rather than launching into detailed drawing....

Im drawing double size, so that in reduction, detail work looks fancier. That means Im working on a square 42cm by 42cm for a full page, or 42cm by 21cm for a smaller image. The goal is to work up a 'dummy' book the actual finished size I would want if its ever published. So once I gather enough illustrations im happy with and the texts refined, I'll scan them and reduce them down, print them up and glue them into a mock up thats 21.6cm square. I decided to go with the square for something a little different.

An excellent side effect of these processes is that i just have to do research in the small peoples section of the library, watching programs on tv and movies aimed at the younger side of humanity. Although hopefully Mika will be enjoyed by grown ups that are reading her tale too. Ive shown the story so far to a several teachers, one who recommended ages 5 and up, but that said she also reads to babies and toddlers. Apparently theres no 'too soon' (or 'too late') when it comes to reading. It can only serve to increase comprehension and language skills.