Emotional and Physical Intelligence - Frogs, Neuron Pathways and EnneaMotionŠ Andrea Isaacs, 1998

"Cancer Odyssey: Poems and Drawings on a Cancer Journey"

Preface From The Book
The work I do with "Physical Intelligence" translates emotional energy into physical energy. It uses meditation and the creative process (writing, drawing and moving) to explore emotions and their impact on the body. After receiving my cancer diagnosis, it naturally evolved that I applied the same theory to the process of my emotional and spiritual healing. I believe the only way to the "other side" of difficult feelings is to go deeply into them.

The handbound book, Cancer Odyssey: Poems and Drawings on a Cancer Journey is a collection that captures different emotional phases of this journey. After each event of writing, drawing and moving, I had the relief of seeing or experiencing my feelings outside of myself which eased their grip on me.

There were several drawings in the "Pain" series. After the initial surgery, the pain was so great that I was driven to draw and draw and draw until the image on paper clearly reflected back to me what I felt. Only then did the pain finally loosen its hold and I had some relief.

"Lust" is part of the "Woman" series and reflects probing questions such as: what makes a woman?, what is sexuality?, what will my relationship with my sexuality be like after losing my breasts and my uterus?, will I be sexually attractive to a man again? Seeing the drawings in this series gave me the reassurance that this part of my life would be okay. It1s also been quite fun to hear other people1s interpretations of the drawings in this sequence.

I was fortunate to be able to participate in two different breast cancer support groups. One was a talking group, and the other did art projects, both healing in different ways. Margaret, the leader of the art group, guided us in a mask making project. We made the masks with plaster of paris directly on our faces and decorated them in a way to reflect our inner healer. You1ll read about this in "I Could Only Lie There," and you1ll see a photo of the mask as well. This was around Halloween time, and wearing my mask to a costume party at a ballroom dance event won me a first place prize of $250 worth of dance lessons!

"Unmasking," the gratitude section, represents a huge shift in how I perceive all my relationships. The kind of love and support I received from family and friends is beyond description, often moving me to tears. These pieces are an attempt to put those feelings into words and a way of letting those people know what their love has meant to me.

My cancer experience has been one of transition in many ways. Externally, my life seems to have stopped, though perhaps paused is a better word. Or rather, poised, as a bird caught gently in the hands of St. Francis of Assisi. The drawing "Poised" captures a sense of my life being held gently between such a pair of hands. Internally, there has been tremendous movement, change and growth. My sense now is that the hands are about to open, and my life is about to change and take off in ways I don1t yet know, thus the sense of flight in the drawing. However, it1s been quite entertaining to hear the phallic and erotic interpretations others have of this drawing.

Finally, I felt able to imagine life after cancer and a time when the whole ordeal wouldn1t even cross my mind for days. Writing and drawing my way through this has healed some wounds older than my cancer, and has helped more than I can say.

Realizing the importance of this process in my own healing journey, from cancer and from the ordinary wounds of life, my teaching has expanded. In addition to programs in "Physical Intelligence," I1ve also been teaching "The Wounded Warrior" and "Creating Through Cancer" programs and have developed a private practice in order to bring this kind of work to others.

I understand it1s not uncommon for cancer survivors to say this: I would never wish for a cancer diagnosis, but having received one, I will say that my life has been forever deepened by it. I hope that the words and images on these pages can touch you in some way and perhaps give you a bit of hope and courage along the way.

Š Andrea Isaacs.




		"Cancer Odyssey: Poems and Drawings on a Cancer Journey" Preface From The Book The work I do with "Physical Intelligence" translates emotional energy into physical energy. It uses meditation and the creative process (writing, drawing and moving) to explore emotions and their impact on the body. After receiving my cancer diagnosis, it naturally evolved that I applied the same theory to the process of my emotional and spiritual healing. I believe the only way to the "other side" of difficult feelings is to go deeply into them. The handbound book, Cancer Odyssey: Poems and Drawings on a Cancer Journey is a collection that captures different emotional phases of this journey. After each event of writing, drawing and moving, I had the relief of seeing or experiencing my feelings outside of myself which eased their grip on me. There were several drawings in the "Pain" series. After the initial surgery, the pain was so great that I was driven to draw and draw and draw until the image on paper clearly reflected back to me what I felt. Only then did the pain finally loosen its hold and I had some relief. "Lust" is part of the "Woman" series and reflects probing questions such as: what makes a woman?, what is sexuality?, what will my relationship with my sexuality be like after losing my breasts and my uterus?, will I be sexually attractive to a man again? Seeing the drawings in this series gave me the reassurance that this part of my life would be okay. It1s also been quite fun to hear other people1s interpretations of the drawings in this sequence. I was fortunate to be able to participate in two different breast cancer support groups. One was a talking group, and the other did art projects, both healing in different ways. Margaret, the leader of the art group, guided us in a mask making project. We made the masks with plaster of paris directly on our faces and decorated them in a way to reflect our inner healer. You1ll read about this in "I Could Only Lie There," and you1ll see a photo of the mask as well. This was around Halloween time, and wearing my mask to a costume party at a ballroom dance event won me a first place prize of $250 worth of dance lessons! "Unmasking," the gratitude section, represents a huge shift in how I perceive all my relationships. The kind of love and support I received from family and friends is beyond description, often moving me to tears. These pieces are an attempt to put those feelings into words and a way of letting those people know what their love has meant to me. My cancer experience has been one of transition in many ways. Externally, my life seems to have stopped, though perhaps paused is a better word. Or rather, poised, as a bird caught gently in the hands of St. Francis of Assisi. The drawing "Poised" captures a sense of my life being held gently between such a pair of hands. Internally, there has been tremendous movement, change and growth. My sense now is that the hands are about to open, and my life is about to change and take off in ways I don1t yet know, thus the sense of flight in the drawing. However, it1s been quite entertaining to hear the phallic and erotic interpretations others have of this drawing. Finally, I felt able to imagine life after cancer and a time when the whole ordeal wouldn1t even cross my mind for days. Writing and drawing my way through this has healed some wounds older than my cancer, and has helped more than I can say. Realizing the importance of this process in my own healing journey, from cancer and from the ordinary wounds of life, my teaching has expanded. In addition to programs in "Physical Intelligence," I1ve also been teaching "The Wounded Warrior" and "Creating Through Cancer" programs and have developed a private practice in order to bring this kind of work to others. I understand it1s not uncommon for cancer survivors to say this: I would never wish for a cancer diagnosis, but having received one, I will say that my life has been forever deepened by it. I hope that the words and images on these pages can touch you in some way and perhaps give you a bit of hope and courage along the way. Š Andrea Isaacs.