In search of Creative Refuge - - an introduction to me & to my program
Rocca is an Italian word for a geographic stronghold, or hilltop fortress, where people can gather and take refuge in times of trouble. I find it to be an apt metaphor for what I hope to offer the young people I work with: a space to seek refuge from the narrow confines of the way we’re taught to “deal with” life’s challenges; a space where we can come together to safely explore and confront those challenges, and begin to build our own refuge within ourselves, our communities, and our environment.
Rocca is also my last name, passed on to me from my Italian ancestors who immigrated to the United States in the mid-1800’s. As a 6th generation Californian, and the descendent of miners, farmers, and landscape designers, I inherited a great love of the outdoors and an appreciation for its capacity to help us heal and connect. Also a descendent of greeting card designers, bakers, photographers and interior decorators, I inherited a love of creativity as a form of exploration and connection – and for as long as I can remember, art has been my refuge. Drawing, painting, collaging, poetry, humor… artfully curated mixed tapes and mosaics of dried leaves and broken sea shells – these are the things that helped me find strength and meaning through my troubled adolescence. Dancing, cooking… traveling solo without a plan… establishing creative community – these are the things that helped me heal through my young adulthood. And now, in my thirties, integrating mindfulness and everyday ritual into all of the above (in a form that is low-key, real, and authentic to me) has helped me stay grounded through several major life shifts, a career change, and most currently – a global pandemic.
Every element of my creative practice is just that: a PRACTICE. I am a jack of many trades, master of none; focused more on the creative process and the joy and insight it brings than I am on the finished product. Creativity, to me, is not the ability to create something from nothing, but rather the ability to find new meaning in what’s already there. This ability is present in ALL of us – it is inherent to the human spirit, and by learning to re-connect with it, it can help us access new perspectives and ways of approaching life’s challenges. This is the approach to creative process that I bring into my work with young people: an open and evolving exploration of the beauty, sorrow, mystery and divine comedy that exists in each of our lives – through sticks and stones, googlie eyes and super glue, a good pair of headphones and toes in the sand, we find refuge.
Looking forward to sharing this journey with you all,
Lyndsey
