by C.A. Bryson
Spirit stones, as explained by artist Gisèle Granier (artplace.ca), is a type of art that conveys love and peace. I am sharing this soothing activity with you because creative art offers contact with our ‘anima’, which is the feminine source of nurturance. And when we are caregivers, we give and give and sometimes forget to nurture ourselves, thus, one fun way we can give ourselves that vital nurturance is through art. And we don’t need to be gifted artists to do art, since in a way, we are all of us artists, or at least, we have that potentiality within us. Therefore, begin that journey today by exploring the inner artist in you.
To my mind, spirit stones echo the famous ‘runes’ (painted stones made by pagan peoples) of long ago.
You have your choice of designs, like flowers:
See: ‘How to Create Spirit Stones By Painting on Rocks’
Or, if you prefer, you can paint iconic images of animals, each animal symbolizing a particular quality (i.e.the frog equals happiness; the whale equals power, the deer equals wisdom). This is a little more challenging, but if you can draw, have a go (but use a very small paint brush like 20/0). Once you’ve made the outlines of your animal, you can add colour, finish with varnish.
Finally, you can just stick on evocative words using a label machine. (You can find the rocks for $5 a bag at Home Depot, or also try dollar stores or Michael’s is a good bet.)
Here is a list of words you might consider (with a few of my own), taken from Catherine Pratt’s
‘Confidence Activities-How To Make Your Own Spirit Stones’
https://www.life-with-confidence.com/confidenceactivities-spiritstones.html
confidence serenity luck
happiness wisdom health
laughter courage passion
joy hope strength
peace believe trust
magic success forgiveness
love harmony ‘Home Sweet Home’
(Tip: If you’re using black text, it works better on lighter coloured stones.)
For me personally, I use a block of Sculpey (clay for crafts, also DAS is good), in black or grey (ochre for DAS. DAS is made in Italy and is available in craft stores, online, or even at Wal-Mart) and bake and paint them. This means I create my own shapes. The other advantage is that they’re nice and smooth—no bumps. Also, if you want, you can experiment with metallic paints, to get a different look.
You can see some of the ones I’ve made from the image, from time to time I add more animals. The animal part evokes the natural world and therefore they have the power to heal the weary urban spirit.
Here’s a suggestion: get some clear plastic gift bags and some ribbon and make yourself some original gifts for friends and family. Even better, practice ‘Art Abandonment’ and just drop them off at some random location for a stranger to enjoy.
Happy crafting (it’s a really relaxing activity by the way.)
North Van Caregivers 