Healing with Art

I recently finished my second doll. Having learned a lot the first time through, making another one was fun and I tried some new things. I was determined that this doll would have bangs and even though I didn't have any instructions on making them, I made it work.I had a breakthrough with my sewing machine on this project. The last doll I had stitched by hand and this one I did almost entirely on the machine. This is a big threshold for me because I was totally intimidated by this machine last month, and now we are becoming friends.  This doll has special meaning to me because she is a gift for my sister Carmen who is doing some major healing in her life. I am happy for her and I am scared for her too. I am also learning in my own life what love and support mean to me, and how to strike a healthy balance in loving people, and letting them figure their lives out themselves. I named this doll MALAIKA (ملائكة: an Arabic name meaning Angels.I knew that this doll had a message and was offered as a gift of healing. I took care with the process of making her by being aware of my breath and my thoughts. I prayed as I made her. I also made a little heart out of fabric and inserted it into her chest. I think the remarkable thing about this process is that when I look at her I can see the love that was built in her and will continue to have a life of it's own with my sister and perhaps with people I'll never meet.  Yesterday I shared her with a friend who commented that the doll seemed to be a Life Dancer, because of the joy in her face and the way her arms and legs move, perhaps also that she has a huge tulle tutu. It's funny because I think i'm becoming a Life Dancer too. 

I've posted more pics of her in the photo category of my website under dolls if you want to see more dietails.