Real People - True Stories - Living Inspiring Lives - Creative Feature

Lynne Bernay-Roman: Artist, Photographer, Psychotherapist, and Divine Being

Meet Lynne, a beautiful human expression of the healing we bring to the world when we allow our gifts to become our work in the world, and we follow our heart's calling to create new vessels of transformation for ourselves and for the people we touch.

"My stories are in my art. When I begin I don't begin with much of an idea. I just start. The color speaks loudest to me and I let it take the lead until some sense of design begins to form. Then the relationship between the elements begins to form, and that is when the story takes over. What surprises me is how people translate what they see and feel via my art.  

My photography is about focus and light. It allows me to stare and ogle and zoom in and out of life's wonders, artistically involved and engaged in life's stories.

My paintings are about color and relationships. The relationship of me to all the elements of art and how we tell the story. Relating inspires me; relating with my family, the people around me, nature, animals, with myself, my work and my art. 

I love to travel, in the world, in my inner scapes and through my art.

As in my life, so in my art, things appear a wee bit strange, vibrant, magical and definitely divine, with lots of rough prickly edges to add rich texture."

- Lynne Bernay-Roman : Artist, Photographer, and Psychotherapist

I met Lynne in a spiritual group where we were exploring our beliefs around wealth consciousness and life purpose. As I got to know more about Lynne's work in the world I felt she is a beautiful living example of how our many natural born talents, gifts, inclinations, and creative desires can come together in a beautifully orchestrated way that brings not only beauty but also healing to the world in our own uniquely individual way that only You can.

You = a unique expression of humanity 

Your life = a unique expression of the human experience

Your purpose = to allow your gifts to come into the world in such a unique way that only you can express, only you can design, in the way that only you can

In 2000, Lynne created a program for at risk kids called "Finding Focus through Photography". A program of self discovery, beyond the boundaries of traditional talk therapy, Lynne wanted to touch the hearts of at risk children through photography and exploration of self. 

"We use art as a metaphor for life. There is the background, we look at the patterns, we see the foreground, the background, and the total picture. My only encouragement is 'To find what lights you up.' They have permission to fail, the goal is to investigate.  And through the process we're able to reframe criticism and critique.

When we started the program the kids were at risk of dropping out, and they put my class as the last class on Friday, but it didn't take long before I had great attendance.  

In the beginning the kids couldn't find anything to be excited about. At the end of the program, everything was a [photograph]. Everything had something they could get excited about, every moment, every element. A crack in the sidewalk, a basketball.

At first its just photography, but it takes just a little bit of nudging to get them to go into the the depths and put words to their different perspectives.  They get to talk about their feelings, they bond over their experiences, and see things in different ways because of the difference in perspectives through the camera lens."

Check out some of the students art work here : http://www.visualvoicesunlimited.com/  Where a blade of grass inspires "Surviving the Cracks" and a football becomes "The balls are waiting for a challenge, like me". A photograph of a school hallway becomes a way to express a difficult emotion "A Lonely Walk.... into the unknown"  and a homework assignment becomes an outlet to communicate "I feel trapped in my life sometimes".

You can learn more about Lynne's "Finding Focus through Photography" program including purchase the Teachers Manual here: http://www.visualvoicesunlimited.com/manual.html

THE TEACHER’S MANUAL presents all the rich details needed to conduct a dynamic and creative class. It’s all structured for you: outlines, homework, topics for discussion, in-class exercises. The companion CD contains the manual in pdf format supplemented with many added photo examples. It also contains an in-depth, step-by-step guide and slide presentation for each class. Both manual and CD overflow with tools to inspire and stimulate creativity in a totally non-intimidating way. No previous art or photography experience is necessary for either the students or the teacher.

Lynne is a multifaceted, multitalented, beautiful expression of unique creation energy : Painting to psychotherapy; photography to storytelling; disconnect to self discovery; the full human experience through full self expression.

Repeat after me:

"I AM ONE-OF-A-KIND, UNREPEATABLE, AND HAVE COME INTO EXISTENCE AT THIS INTERSECTION OF TIME, SPACE, AND PHYSICAL REALITY TO FULFILL THAT WHICH ONLY I CAN FULFILL. I SWEAR THAT I WILL NEVER ADOPT ANOTHER'S STANDARD FOR LIFE AND PERSONAL EXPRESSION, AS I DEFINE MY OWN STANDARD OF SUCCESS, AND LIVE LIFE ON MY OWN TERMS, AS THE UNIQUE EXPRESSION THAT I AM. "

See more of Lynne's artwork here : https://www.flickr.com/photos/l-bernay-roman/. Please like and share this article with friends, spread the love, spread the healing!