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Performance Art:

Dr. Olive B. Luewing

 

Dr. Olive B. Luewing was my "permissioned self" and a social media phenom whom I created in 2015 when I had decided to return to school to become an Expressive Arts Therapist. As a single mother, full-time professor, and soon-to-be full-time

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graduate student, I was concerned I might not be able to maintain my artistic practice with my typical intensity. I also wondered how my growing fascination with psychology and therapy might change the (very public) performance art for which I was best known. In creating Olive, a reclusive scientist, naturalist, and fly-fisher, I gave myself permission to change my approach to art, subject matter, and life.

 

Gradually, with the permission of Olive, I became more private in my art practice and succumbed to my fascination of all things natural. I immersed myself in psychology, dabbled in neurology, and got distracted by botany - ok, I worked in my garden when I was stressed. Occasionally, I would post an event featuring Dr. Luewing on Social Media but if  I was too busy with my studies, Olive gladly canceled. 

 

In between case studies and psychology papers, Olive and I  learned to fly-tie, made important contributions to the field of Natural History, and collected insects.  As I slowly wrote my counseling thesis, Olive & I published book covers without bothering to take the time to write the content. Our last collaboration was on the award-winning book cover,  "Integrating Olive: Six Years and a Few Martinis Later".  

                                                                                           - ch

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