Book Launch, Interview & Film

Today is the book launch for the first Sankalpa publication, a bilingual book which includes stories written by Edayanchavadi village children about hand-sewn affirmation dolls they created in art therapy sessions between December 2010 and May 2011. Please send inquiries for available copies to krupa.jhaveri@gmail.com and continue to follow updates on Sankalpa on the website and Facebook page.

This summer, Persephone magazine interviewed me on my journey into Art Therapy and visions for the future. Special thanks to Coco Papy. Preview an excerpt below and read the whole interview here.

"Krupa Jhaveri is a woman who believes in the Anne Turner saying that all art takes courage. As the creator and founder of Sankalpa, an art therapy organization, Krupa’s work has brought the benefits and healing power of art therapy to those who often have the least access to it...Saying she is dedicated to her work would be an understatement and one often has to look hard for the exact words to describe all the ways in which she is reaching out to touch people with her work."

I am also honored that art therapy pioneer Judith Rubin included my work in her recent film on International Art Therapy: A Universal Language for Healing. Some photos from my 2009 survey of India and Nepal can be seen in the clip on Expressive Media.

Journal Entry for Levi's & TED India

For those who still enjoy reading that which is written by hand and from the heart, please dive into this collage journal entry I created for a collaboration between Levi's and TED India. The physical pages are part of a book which was recently displayed at the TED Global conference in Edinburgh, Scotland, and a digital version is available for download within the online mentorship community, Shape What's To Come.

       

     

     

     

"The inspiring, personal narrative of Krupa Jhaveri, one of the many amazing young women of Shape What's To Come, supported by Levi's."

Sankalpa in action!

After months of preparation and intention, I have returned to India. I am grateful for all of the support and following of Sankalpa: Art Journeys. The image below shows a sample of some art supplies bought with generous donations. While working in India, I am using technology to update those interested, hoping to encourage investment in the vision as it unfolds.


One of the 80+ stops in my previous travel survey was Auroville, an international township dedicated to the realization of human unity. Auroville is located near Pondicherry in the southeastern state of Tamil Nadu. A utopian living experiment established in the 1960s, it is a fascinating and stimulating microcosm of our global reality. In everyday life here, I eat locally grown and organic food prepared in a communal solar-powered kitchen. I drive a converted electric moped, which I simply charge overnight in a standard electric socket. Available each week are a variety of activities including yoga, meditation, dance, music, cooking, movies, exhibitions, lectures and workshops. In many ways this enriching atmosphere contributes to my personal evolution, by providing access to people and information from around the world. And am currently living behind a local family home while working in the nearby villages.

In these first weeks, I have connected with a variety of individuals and groups receptive to art therapy. As planned, I am working at Thamarai community center, located in the nearby Edayanchavadi village. The children attend an after school program including arts and handicrafts (1st to 3rd standard), and I am starting a regular weekend group specifically centered on art therapy. I have also been referred for a Child Protection Services case to assist with a family conflict through art therapy (as part of a team). I will soon be introducing art therapy to adolescent girls receiving life skills and support at the Life Education Center, as well as the staff of Village Action, which has outreach to 80 surrounding villages (both women and men). Outside of village work, I am also joining forces with a compassionate living community within Auroville to offer art therapy as part of a nonviolent communication retreat. The variety and scope of experience being offered here is very exciting for an emerging international art therapist!

Sankalpa: Art Journeys!

My dreams are becoming more real everyday, and you are part of them. I have had a compelling vision to share Art Therapy in India, with the extended family of my heritage (though we are all connected as part of a larger whole). This blog has been the space for me to explore and articulate this vision, and will continue as a more personal account of this journey.

After a very challenging and humbling seven months of travel in India and Nepal surveying locations last year, I returned to the US to process and collect resources before returning to a village community center this November. Any donations for sustainable art supplies are greatly appreciated and can be made via PayPal here: http://www.sankalpajourneys.com/donate.html

As this vision builds, please be sure to join, follow updates, and find more information through these links:

Website: http://www.sankalpajourneys.com/

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sankalpa-Art-Journeys/146425478702745

Facebook cause: http://www.causes.com/causes/518393

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/krupa-jhaveri/24/405/a49

The logo is a map for collaboration and integration and I invite any of you to contact me with your ideas for expanding or deepening this vision. I am currently looking for assistance in sorting hundreds of travel photos, and those with expertise in establishing a non-profit status.

Gratitude!