What's your heritage?
Part of embracing and working with the energy of Violet2023 is about owning your personal Sovereignty. Part of that journey is about owning your heritage.
Your heritage is your story, both personal and professional. How did you get to where you are today? Who were the people that encouraged and inspired you?
Brené Brown said, “You either walk inside your story and own it or you stand outside your story and consistently hustle for your worthiness”
My love of story comes from fond memories of my grandmother reading me stories from comic books filled with the most amazing richly coloured images. My love of drama and film is something inherent that I just seem to have been born with. It was activated when at the age of around nine or ten I sat at a school typewriter and wrote a script, complete with set and stage direction, in purple ink. I was more upset that people didn't believe me when I told them I just "knew" how to do it.
The encouragement and the daringness to follow this path comes in part from my Mum, who always told me and my brother, “Do what makes you happy”. When I had doubts about moving to Portugal she said, “If you don’t try it, you will always be left wondering what if.” It was one of the best decisions I ever made.
Heritage is about where you’ve come from and who you are today because of it. We are also heritage in the making, what is your legacy for those yet to come?
Something to celebrate
It is both an honour and humbling feeling to have been awarded the Zerka T. Moreno award from the ASGPP.
In the early 90’s before I knew such a thing as psychodrama existed, I started “playing” with colour, giving it a voice, a story and a shape. It gave me an opportunity to externalise my “overactive imagination” as some of my schoolteachers liked to call it.
Whilst J.L. Moreno is considered the father of psychodrama, Zerka T. Moreno was most definitely the mother of this amazing method. After JL died in 1974, Zerka nourished and helped grow and mature psychodrama into the wise and healing being that it is today.
Zerka brought to life and took psychodrama out to the world. For some, myself included, she brought out the numinous and alchemical aspects of psychodrama and made them accessible and visible for all to benefit from.
In 2003 it was the integration of my work with colour, psychodrama and the inspiration of Zerka’s development and exploration of Surplus Reality that contributed to mine and Filipe De Moura’s creation of the Dynamic Theatre methodology (sometimes referred to as Incognito Auxiliary).
It is an honour to show and share all the possibilities and potential of what psychodrama, sociometry and group work is. It is a privilege for this to be a part of my story, and part of my professional and Soul heritage.
It is for all of these things and many, many more, that make it so very special to receive this specific award.
You can find out more about psychodrama and the ASGPP by visiting www.asgpp.org Here you will information about the annual conference, books, courses, training and much more.
Thank you Zerka, thank you psychodrama, thank you for giving the boy with the overactive imagination a space and a place to play and dream again.
"There is no greater agony than bearing and untold story inside you"
Maya Angelou
Until next time,
Colourfully yours,
Mark