Inner child dolls for healing ~ in the press10.10.2020
The Argus, Brighton UK Hove woman on how making dolls helped heal childhood trauma >> Read full article online #MentalHealthAwareness I am a holistic therapist, coach and teacher of Self-Love and am very interested in the concept of the inner child and healing the heart. Due to my tumultuous life I have had to find every technique, therapy and method to feel better and improve my mental state.
By making dolls over the years I have discovered tremendous healing and comfort. For me this is the most rewarding and healing thing I've ever done, and believe me I have tried most of them! I tend to make dolls when I am REALLY HAPPY. So the energy that I transmit when I make is of real love and celebration. That's why my dolls (and animals) always look cute and have a cheeky glint in their eye... If you would like to explore how to heal with inner child dolls, how to use, make or create dolls for personal wellness contact me below and we can set something up. |
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Why do I make dolls? How did it all begin?
Hello! My name is Maria Adriana Contreras and I just love making dolls...
It all started when a friend bought over a TOYMAKING book to our regular Craft Club sessions at my place and we made a very cute bunny each.
I was delighted and over the moon as I remember my mum once made me a rabbit soft toy when I was a little girl and I remember how much she struggled making him! And I received it with so much love - the love it was made with.
So making soft toys I discovered was a gesture of great love in every way!
I wondered... I didn't put ears on the rabbit and instead made some kind of hair out of fabric and made a face - might that make a doll?
YES! It did indeed and there was my first ever doll! She is called Maria Ballerina and I gave it to a very special little girl who loves her very much!
Then I looked online for patterns and went to the local libraries and found the most amazing selection of make your own cloth doll books. So I went on to make them all and learn the technques! There are so many to learn and some are not as easy as they say - you have been warned.
Now I'm a good stitcher! I am a fashion graduate and was in the year just after Stella McCartney went to Saint Martins school of art - the trendiest art and fashion school ever especially since the song about it!
And so I was able to bring all my fashion knowledge into my dollmaking. What I discovered is that by making dolls its a fab blank canvas to bring all manner of ideas, techniques, crafts all together in one project! That for me is the ultimate winner!
It all started when a friend bought over a TOYMAKING book to our regular Craft Club sessions at my place and we made a very cute bunny each.
I was delighted and over the moon as I remember my mum once made me a rabbit soft toy when I was a little girl and I remember how much she struggled making him! And I received it with so much love - the love it was made with.
So making soft toys I discovered was a gesture of great love in every way!
I wondered... I didn't put ears on the rabbit and instead made some kind of hair out of fabric and made a face - might that make a doll?
YES! It did indeed and there was my first ever doll! She is called Maria Ballerina and I gave it to a very special little girl who loves her very much!
Then I looked online for patterns and went to the local libraries and found the most amazing selection of make your own cloth doll books. So I went on to make them all and learn the technques! There are so many to learn and some are not as easy as they say - you have been warned.
Now I'm a good stitcher! I am a fashion graduate and was in the year just after Stella McCartney went to Saint Martins school of art - the trendiest art and fashion school ever especially since the song about it!
And so I was able to bring all my fashion knowledge into my dollmaking. What I discovered is that by making dolls its a fab blank canvas to bring all manner of ideas, techniques, crafts all together in one project! That for me is the ultimate winner!
Maria's other work includes Authentic Marketing, Leadership Training & Music
As a video journalist, I am an authentic marketing specialist who showcases the person behind the service, because that is after all what people are buying. I am the lightworkers PR because I am an energy sensitive heart-centred person who is here in service to humanity.
I promote and celebrate other business owners in an authentic connecting humanist way. >> Find out more: Celebrating You PR |
Body Intelligence is a body-centred, physical learning and training system created by me, Maria Adriana Contreras. I am a high performance team’s trainer. I work with executive teams and sports teams specializing in predominantly male teams since 2008.
Used predominately by elite leadership training courses in Europe with clients; Telefonica, Heineken, Toyota, BCD, ISS, O2, HSBC Bank, Deloitte, Repsol, INDITEX, Caixa Bank, Gas Natural, Santander Bank, Barcelo Group, Sussex University, Manpower, Shire >> Find out more: Body Intelligence |
"The power of your performance comes from your authenticity, your passion, your emotion, your connection to the song that is made by your whole being - your body, your mind and soul comes shining through. It delightfully includes your tender vulnerability too, which is unbelievably endearing and a gift for those that get to experience your performance. It's such a rarity and I love it. And I think that that is why you will always attract an audience and bind them in a spell. Oh how we all want to be that congruent, that close to our true selves. You are such a shining example of that in your performance and it is simply beautiful." ~ Shirah Mustardé
>> Find out more: Maria Monroe |