The Fifth Annual Touch Drawing Gathering, August, 2001

Each year, the Touch Drawing Gathering attracts an inspiring collection of people from all over the continent. This summer, I had a sense that each individual was taking such responsibility for their own inner process. As a collective we opened to a new level of trust, which allowed for powerful transformational work to happen with gentle grace. A new element introduced this year was a strong focus on writing from our drawings. This was facilitated by Vicky Edmonds, who is a passionate poet of the soul. She created writing practices specifically designed to help draw out the essence of our images. She has helped Touch Drawing to find its voice! Chef Tom French added a great loving presence to our mealtimes as he served his delicious regional cuisine. On the last night together, we had an ecstatic dance with the live world-beat music of Sister Monk Harem. Our closing morning brought great energy and commitment to staying connected to one another, and to bringing Touch Drawing out into the world.

I find myself at a loss for words to describe the deeper underlying qualities of our time together. The feeling-tone of this year’s Gathering is best expressed through the portraits of participants holding their mounted drawings. Take some time to gaze into their faces. Their depth and beauty speak more directly than any verbal description.