"The doll is symbolic homunculi, little life. It is the symbol of what lies buried in humans that is numinous. It is a small and glowing facsimile of the original Self. Superficially, it is just a doll. But inversely, it represents a little piece of soul that carries all the knowledge of the larger soul-Self. In the doll is the voice, in diminutive, of old La Que Sabe, The One Who Knows..In this way the doll represents the inner spirit of us as women; the voice of inner reason, inner knowing and inner consciousness."
Robin Alice, of Robin Alice Creations on Etsy.com, is a natural empath, artist, and dancer who displays her creativity in countless ways. A dance major in college, she darted and twirled her way onstage for many soul-satisfying years. In her mid-20's, though, an unexpected challenge arose with the onset of mental illness, later compounded by breast cancer in 2010. A daily battle to survive has become the impetus for her detailed, gorgeous bead creations, necklaces, totem bags, earrings and dolls.
Her love of movement and freedom poured into each piece, some taking hundreds of hours, some taking years. Her reputation, as both an accomplished bead and Goddess Doll artist, has spread with her growing body of art and is enjoyed by collectors around the world.
Explorations into Primitive dolls, Spirit Dolls, and Goddess Dolls all manifest her love of nature, movement and her strong connection to the creative power of life itself.
She continues to serve as a mentor and source of inspiration in my life and art and I am honored to share a little of her spirit with you. What follows is a love letter which offers a fascinating glimpse into her unique universe from Robin to you.
"I have always felt out of step, literally stumbling through my life. I've never fit in and because of that I've found solace in places many dare not tread. My grandma, mom, sister and myself all have special gifts we were born with. The true aspect manifests for me in how we utilize these gifts and express these treasures."
"At a very young age I loved the art of dance and music. I spent endless hours in the woods, spinning & twirling to the grace of the wind in the trees and the feel of moist rich grass between my toes. Because I'm a square peg in a round hole, I created a world all my own.
Since age 3, I have always known that there was so much more to our lives that we don't gather, harvest or celebrate. Spaces in time and slips of elegance in our universe are hammered out of all of us at such a young age and can cause great suffering to the detriment of all.
Children are great and true friends to this world, they bring grace, tranquility and the joy of discovery. Because you see, it is all within us, not lounging on the outside but waiting deep within our atoms in our own internal universe."
"I began to dance at age four. I couldn't live without it. I could express treasures and discoveries I never dreamed. I think one small story will help explain my nature and tenacity to create through dance my will to live and the foundation for my life and creativity.
At age five in a dance recital, I found myself in the front line, my glorious coral tutu swirling in time with all the dancers. Then...I fell. As I hit the floor, it felt as if a sledge hammer knocked the wind out of me. Everything happened in a split second while at the same time in a slow motion cocoon. As I looked out in the audience, everyone was laughing uproariously.
Mortified, I began to run for the wings offstage. Suddenly I stopped as the deepest, most profound feeling came over me. I heard a voice within say to me, "If you do not go back and finish this dance it will be your loss, not theirs, and you will not learn a great lesson of healing that will guide you throughout your life.
Transfixed, I stopped & turned, running back to my spot on the stage and took up right where I left off, as if I had never stopped. This experience revealed my skill for survival and ignited a quest for continued self-discovery.
We are all given such opportunities as gifts--what makes the difference is if we can recognize these moments as such and incorporate them into our daily lives."
"Dolls are as old as time itself. The gathering of leaves, sticks and tanned hides made wonderful dolls for little girls & boys, thousands of years ago. Many dolls were used in rituals and ceremonies. The Goddess doll originates not only from voodoo dolls, but from the Ancients and their use of dolls in ceremonies.
"I love the timeless, tender feel of the dolls I make. I channel a lot of my spirit into these dolls, resulting in very powerful and protective energies. I intuitively let the work flow through me, rather than me guiding the doll. My hands are only the instrument. The creation of my work with dolls has enabled me to heal and assist in healing others. It's my way of saying, "I love You" to the world."
"To start, I gather some fabric, fibers, buttons, beads, threads and just surrender to the doll. Much of the time as I shift fabric, wrap yarn and embellish I don't know where I'm going. In dance terminology, this is a "trance dance" between the doll and myself.
I took a dance class from a master once and I will never forget how the nature of the ingredients that exist in all life comes through, and flows through and, oftentimes, knocks hard on our door to get our attention.
Everyone is a great creator. One does not have to be a dancer, poet, painter etc. in order to be a creative person."
"All beings thrive in this creative force. Many religions have a name for it. I practice Nichiren Buddhism and it is referred to as 'the Mystic Law of Cause-and-Effect' or "Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo". I think of it as the Divine Force."
"Each person has their own way of divining this life force called creativity. It manifests in how you live your life. Each moment is a creative force that connects us to each other and everything else in the universe and can manifest in both wonder and great suffering. The name we call this force is our own and cannot be taken away by another soul."
I encourage all who may read this little diary to take a walk and breath in the wonderful fresh air. Pay attention to your footsteps with each movement. Notice the sounds and the sights of the gatherings of little creatures and how they, too, dance to their own little rhythms. Be aware of the breath of the wind, the heat from the sun and maybe, just maybe, you will hear the whisper of all the guardians who walk with you and every person, who dances side-by-side with us and all of creation."
Thank you so much, Robin Alice! As always, I'm fascinated by your generous and warm-hearted spirit, abundant wisdom and awe-inspiring, diverse body art!
You can find more of Robin Alice's dolls and jewels at her Etsy store, Robin Alice Creations. Follow her art and inspiration on Pinterest﻿. Become a fan on facebook and drink in more of her process on her wonderful blog.
Every doll I receive in the mail is a gift to myself. Sometimes, I try to save opening the package for later but it's almost impossible to resist the call of a new Spirit!
This one was no different. As I slowly unwrapped the package, I tried to mentally review my choice and remember exactly what she looked like and her name. It seemed to take forever to peel back the layers of tape and paper and bubble wrap. Finally, not one but two packages wrapped in tissue paper popped out. One was labeled SAGE from B.C., a wonderful thank you gift, and the big one was surprisingly heavy.
As the tissue fell away, a Spirit floated up, "Moon Love" from Alder and Birch. I traced her face, smoothed her hair, held her up and reveled in her magnificence and detailed craftsmanship! From her moon-shaped foundation to her lovely blooming hair to her tiny little heart I felt the love radiate from her and the magic. As we grow to know each other over the days and weeks that love grows deeper and my respect for the artists grow, as well. Oftentimes, as with a lot of creative endeavors, making things that look simple entails patience, much creative planning, and a commitment to carrying through a vision to reality.
My very first Spirit Doll was gifted by my dear friend and fellow artist, Brigit Snyder of Brigit's Beauties on Etsy. "Treasures of the Heart" is also another Spirit Doll that looks deceptively simple to make but to achieve her look, the artist had to capture and materialize the Spirit of the unique face and the driftwood stick, then marry the two together seamlessly with fabric, lace, and beads into a fluid whole. I think she achieved that goal beautifully. No one else could create a doll that looks exactly like this one even given the same materials.
All of Brigit's Spirit Dolls convey a sense of effortlessness but hers is a skill and a gift that not all possess. She uses combinations that I would never employ but that 'work' conveying magic and wonder. I would collect every doll Brigit has ever made but then no one else would get to experience her magic...and I'd be broke!
Another of my very favorite doll artists and mentors is Griselda Tello. Though painting is her first love, I consider her dolls to be her greatest masterpieces. Her extremely detailed dolls show off her years of experience as a doll artist and her signature style.
My favorite dolls of hers are ones where the face is nestled cocoon-like with closed eyes, cradle a 2nd little moon face and boast of beautiful bead and wire work. I've been able to purchase two of her dolls for my collection, though I want many more and I still puzzle over her techniques which drives me to keep trying new techniques on my own dolls! The funny thing is that the more I try to copy her dolls, the more my dolls take on their own signature style. Oh! I just noticed that this doll has 'Moon' in the name, too. A coincidence? I think not...
Each Spirit Doll that arrives in the mail, moves in with me and becomes a sort of roommate. She enters my home and my psyche bringing a sense of calm, protection and her own special power. Each one brings out a different aspect of my personality, my dreams and wishes and my creativity. I consider each doll an investment, an ongoing continuing education class, where I learn new techniques and ideas from other artists and then start to incorporate these tactics into my own dolls, as well as, observe how my perceptions of that doll change and grow in tandem with my own growth and change. I highly recommend gifting yourself with a Spirit Doll that moves you because they are a gift that keeps on giving and changing and growing alongside of you in your journeys.
The Goddess Circle refers to the doll-making sessions with artist Brigit Snyder and myself, Lili McGovern. After meeting once a week for a couple of months, we decided to give our sessions a name to encompass what we were doing, what we represent and attract other similar artists. Because we create Goddess and Spirit Dolls, I thought it appropriate to include the name Goddess. Brigit was drawn to the words Sisterhood & circles to represent the history of women gathering in circles to share and find the rejuvenating power of support and compassion. As we brainstormed, the name 'The Goddess Circle' emerged and we both agreed this name contained everything that we were experiencing as we transformed a humble branch found in nature with bits of fabric, yarn and beads to create a Spirit Doll filled with healing energy and the mysterious power to change our lives. There is no judgement in the circle, allowing each woman to be herself, express her creativity and help nurture others.
We'd love to invite other similar-minded artists into the circle who live nearby. Please contact me if you're interested in joining. Visit the Goddess Circle Gallery to see the results of dolls that had their genesis within this sacred feminine circle.
“A circle of women may be the most powerful force known to humanity. If you have one, embrace it. If you need one, seek it. If you find one, for the love of all that is good and holy, Dive in. Hold on. Love it up. Get naked. Let them see you. Let them hold you. Let your reluctant tears fall. Let yourself rise fierce and love great. You will be changed. The very fabric of your Being will be altered by this. If you allow it. Please, Allow it.” Author Unknown