Rakefet Hadar is an art therapist, author and artist. She holds a BA and MA in Design from Beckingshire University, England and a MA in Art Therapy from Lesley College.
Over the past 15 years, since her return to Israel, Rakefet has been working as therapist and developed the SoulPages which combines therapy and art in a Visual journal.
In 2015, Rakefet established the “Creative Journeys School”. Today Rakefet trains facilitators in her Art Journaling unique method “SoulPages” all over the world.
120 facilitators have since been certified and work with various groups and individuales.
Rakefet also teaches the ”SoulPages” method in the US,UK, Italy, Greece and other countries worldwide.
Her book “Elements of  Visual Journaling” was published in 2019. It is the first publication to compile all elements of the SoulPages  method.

Rakefet's new book Colour Archetypes, has just been released!!

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Rakefet's Workshop on Art is Magic:☆ The Dreaming Child Within ☆

What does Art is Magic mean to you?

Its an amazing platform that enable people to meet with different art practices and unique artists around the world.

 Why do you create art?

Because I feel this is the only way to express my inner self, it’s a way to understand myself, discover insights, communicate with hidden inner parts of me that want to be discovered. Visual journaling connects me to my core inner child that is happy and curious and full of playfulness.

 Tell us about your journey to become an artist?

I struggle years to connect with my inner artist.As a child I dreamed of becoming an artist, I always painted, built staff, collaged…but when I started college as a theater designer, I lost my passion and it took me 20 years. 2 husbands, 4 children and lots of soul searching until I found the visual journal. In my book I write the full story how I met with my friend from Art therapy school and she showed me this altered book and I just felt so exited, so overwhelmed, I went home and made myself my first visual journal and I never stopped creating since. The visual journal unique language made me regain my passion for art making.

Tell us about your journey to claim the title artist?

I don’t consider myself as a “proper” artist since I create in private journals. I call my art and my method “SoulPages” because the art that I create in the visual journal is a representation of my soul. I could not sell it. This is why I consider myself more a Guide or facilitator- I prefer to help people find this special way to connect with their soul.

What is it about making art that stirs your soul?

I love to connect different elements, materials, ideas and create something new. Create wholeness out of many parts. this is why I love visual journaling, because there is such freedom- you could use any materials, use images from old books, I don’t need to paint if I don’t want to..

What is currently inspiring you?

I’m currently inspired by nature and its powers. I live in a very beautiful place and since the pandemic started, I work from home and I get to travel outside and experience nature in its best.

What does your creative Practice look like?

I’m creating my best art when I’m planning my lessons for my students. I need a purpose to create. These days I’m teaching the 1st International facilitator’s course in “SoulPages” method so I’m very busy with trying to translate all my materials to English.

 How do you keep your creative practice fresh and inspired?

Traveling keep me a live and I need a few journeys every year to inspire and resupinate my inner artist. I always have the best ideas when I travel.

What sort of creative walls do you hit?

I use to create very layered beautiful spreads and since the pandemic started, I feel that my style have change, I don’t want to create only beautiful art, I want it to be more connected to my soul, to my subconscious, more authentic.  I sometimes struggle with my inner critic about it.

 What do you do to move through them?

I try to create in my journal every day, even if it’s for 10 minutes..

 How has your process evolved?

When I started visual journaling I just worked intuitively for days. I created hundreds of spreads in the year after my mother died. In certain point, I’ve tried to understand the building blocks of what I create. I tried to understand what lead to the creation of each spread.
Looking through hundreds of my own and my students’ works, I began to see elements that have repeated themselves in each of the spreads that we call “visual journaling” or “art journaling.” These elements are in fact layers. Each layer adds more meaning to the developing work, and in the end the visual journal spread has as many meanings as there are layers. Intention, magical coincidence, background, images, lines, colors, text…these are the seven elements that make up the visual journal as I create it, and as I teach in the “SoulPages” method.

 What do you wish you had known at the beginning of your creative journey?

That its ok to have ups and downs. When you feel that you lost your passion- remember that there are ways to reconnect with the creating forces within you.
Try to reach out to other artist, look for a new material or technique that will inspire you.
I try to look at the world as a researcher- what else can I discover that will make my inner life thrive?
 
 Do you have a Creative Self Care Practice?

I walk every day for 3—40 minutes in nature
I also try to do mindfulness meditation a few times a week to quiet my mind.

 Do you have any creative rituals?

I have to organize my desk before I can start a new journal spread.

Find Rakefet's book Layered Meaning Here & Colour Archetypes Here