Womens Wellness Workshop Guidelines #4 - Masks & Stories

There are various ways to use mask in a womens’ wellness workshop. The two most widely used are:
Mask as Story
Mask as Storyteller

Mask as Story (4 levels)...

The blank mask is intended to become the maker’s Story Site. The maker will make their own visual narrative using the classic face shape as a ‘storyscape’. Note: if the maker prefers their story to remain undisclosed, it’s okay (in fact quite creative) for their artistry to be situated on the inner surface of their mask.

1st level – mechanical hands on processes, remembering safety tips regarding sharp blades left uncovered, etc.
2nd level – aesthetic, mindful processes using the symbolic language of the mythic imagination.
3rd level – alchemical, the act of transforming those highly charged symbols into something the maker can comfortably sit with.
4th level – movement towards a resolution or insight. Usually what happens is the ‘feeling tone’ of the work changes in some way. This signals the process has begun of honoring everything that has been brought to the emerging story. It is like a house with the ‘colour’ of having been lived in (ie the colour comes flooding back in or radiates outwards).