Yuliia's Story

Yuliia Antonova is currently training in my Creative Journal Expressive Arts International Certification Training. She lives in Ukraine with her husband and two young children, and is sharing my methods through workshops and one-on-one consulting. Before taking the training, Yuliia was already a professional artist, but as you will see from this post, which she contributed, using the non-dominant hand has had a positive impact on her artwork.

Yuliia’s Story

At first my dialogues (using both hands) followed the recommendations and exercises in Lucia’s books: The Power of Your Other Hand and The Art of Emotional Healing. But when I felt how easy it was, I let both hands flow. The dialogues grew from short and abrupt to long three-paged conversations. It took me several months to establish a clear dialogue with my Inner Child, but now we are more than friends.

In October of 2018 I received an order from a woman who liked my paintings, which were presented at a small local art exhibition. My previous paintings were all born from my imagination and created for myself. This one was different. She wanted it to be 1 meter x 1 meter in size. This larger size was quite a challenge, huh? Anyway, I accepted the assignment because the woman gave me only a brief concept of what should be portrayed. The rest of the process was left to my vision and imagination.

Of course, at home I started to procrastinate right away. I did everything but the painting. I got mad at myself and that was when I thought of reaching out for a helping hand from my Creative Child.

My Creative Child was the one who kept me tuned in during my pregnancy period—she learned Spanish with me, she drew pictures with me, and more.

This is the dialogue, which evolved between me and my Creative Child back then in October of 2018:

Note: with my non-dominant hand, which is my left, I write in mirror fashion. Lucia describes this option in her book The Power of Your Other Hand.

Me (with dominant hand):

Hello
again
My sweet
Creative Child!
I missed you
Thank you though
For your help
For an inspiration that you gave me…
That made me Rock!
Now I need you again. I am starting this big piece,
Not yet masterpiece, but… R U there?

Creative Child (with non-dominant hand):

Hey, soul sister!
I am happy to hear that.
I told you then to rely on me.
And now you can and should count on me
As well.
Just give me those brushes and paints, and
Give me good music.
This painting requires good mood.
We should fill it with good vibes.
I will paint it for you.
Turn your brain off, when
I will be painting!
It will be our
masterpiece.
Luv u!

Yuliia's journal entry including mirror writing as recommended in
The Power of Your Other Hand

After this brief dialogue the painting was born. Slowly, piece by piece. And each time I was stuck with something, I’d take a brush into my non-dominant hand and let it flow on a canvas. Each time it’d be like a breath of fresh air. Of course, my non-dominant hand couldn’t draw perfect lines, but painting with my left hand would break the wall so that the right hand could continue its journey.

Yuliia's painting with the help of her Creative Child and non-dominant hand

Yuliia Antonova

vitainlumine@gmail.com

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Lucia

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