Hope this isn't an inappropriate place for this. I am an art school student majoring in Metal Arts. My Mother is celebrating her 28th year (half her life) sober and still attends a weekly meeting. I have an assignment in class, basically to make a "bank" to hold a conceptual currency. I want to make something for my mom to keep all her A.A. medallions in and make one out of silver for her as well. I don't want the bank to be very literal, and am having trouble thinking about it symbolically, because I lack the first-hand experience. I think it would help for me to know creative insights into the experience of remaining sober. Metaphorical, Conceptual, Abstract, literary, music lyrics, single words, poems, drawings, paintings, photographs, an object, an imaginary scene, surreal or whatever you feel captures the experience of remaining sober. I also think these might be interesting to see all together, so if I get enough responses I will collect them and put them all on a site were they can be viewed as a whole.
The only thing I can think of to sum up my experience in an artistic fashion is Transformation... Miracle...
A garden of dying weeds becoming a graden of flourishing blooms and gifts.
A photograph of an old house spattered with garbage and in disrepair... then the same house bright and freshly painted, fixed up, with flowers growing everywhere.
It is so hard to physically interpret the word 'change'... I too am an artist and I had found it difficult to represent my recovery through paintings and such.
um...You will hafta keep an open mind...with this idea...some are a bit weller than others...Im workin on it....its a daily thing..:)
Before...and After Pics
You could take a pic of a wrinkled 95 year old lady...and underneath put a caption "This was me at 22..when I drank"
Then beside that pic you could put another pic of a beautiful blonde chick about 30..and underneath it put a caption of "This was me 5 years sober at the age of 65"
Conclusion? "12 step programs work eh"
ok---I'll shut up now....:)
Have a nice day...and good luck with your project...
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"LOVE" devoid of self-gratification, is in essence, the will, to the greatest good...of another.
The mythological Phoenix, or a bird in flight would be strong representation for me personally. Good luck, Chris (aka: Wren. Still scuttling under bushes, LOL)
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"Never argue with an idiot... They'll drag you down to their level and beat you with experience..."
