Contact us Monday through Friday 8:00am CST to 4:00pm CST at 715-327-4402

A message from Ethan

Day 2 at Corcavado National Park.

Today we went off hiking at 3:45am! We hiked through the jungle, down to the ocean and watched the sun come up. The temperature is sweltering here, but when I was watching the sun come up and shine down on the ocean I was overwhelmed with the scene of peace and tranquility. Here it is care free and “enjoy everything as it comes,” not wishing that anything will change. This ecosystem is self-sustaining and so diverse – it is incredible. There is layer and layer of life all intertwined by the tiniest details; but if one of those tiny details is altered it could have a catastrophic ripple effect in the environment. This entire ecosystem is in perfect balance, which is something that I feel is almost non-existent these days. And surprisingly, human beings are part of that balance. It is all hanging together by individual threads, but together these threads are extremely strong. I personally am just stunned by the quality of life here and the joy and kindness that this amazing ecosystem bestows on all.

-Ethan


As of Friday evening, our intrepid explorers have photographed almost 100 species of animals:

    1. Great Tinamou
    2. Great Curassow
    3. Crested Guan
    4. Spotted Sandpiper
    5. Common Black Hawk
    6. Yellow Headed Caracara
    7. White Collared Swift
    8. Charming hummingbird
    9. White tipped dove
    10. Black throated trogan
    11. Slatey tailed trogan
    12. Blue crowned motmot
    13. White whiskered puffbird
    14. Rufous tailed jacamar
    15. Pale billed woodpecker
    16. Black striped woodcreeper
    17. Chestnut backed antbird
    18. Rufous piha
    19. Tawney crowned greenlet
    20. Chestnut sided warbler
    21. Cherries tanager
    22. Alfaros’s pygmy squirrel
    23. Leaf praying mantis
    24. White nosed coati
    25. Collared peccarys
    26. Three toes sloth
    27. Golden orb spider
    28. Common rain frog
    29. Spider monkey
    30. Squirrel monkey
    31. Spectacled cayman
    32. Stingless bees
    33. Agouti
    34. Boa coinstrictor
    35. Fer de lance
    36. Jumping anole
    37. Jesus christ lizard
    38. June bug
    39. Striped whip tail lizard
    40. Red snapper
    41. Puffer fish
    42. Army ants
    43. Eciton hamatum
    44. Poisonous caterpillars
    45. leaf cutter ants
    46. Tapir
    47. Crocodile
    48. Eyelash pit viper
    49. Tailles scorpion
    50. Howler monkey
    51. Ruddy tern
    52. Magnificent frigate bird
    53. Red eyed tree frog
    54. Laughing gull
    55. White ibis
    56. Least sandpiper
    57. Spotted sandpiper
    58. Osprey
    59. Red tailed squirrel
    60. Tamandua anteater
    61. Two toed sloth
    62. Whip tailed scorpion
    63. Yellow winged damnselfly
    64. Spiney tailed iguana
    65. Black iguana
    66. Bare throated
    67. Smokey jungle frog
    68. Double toothed kite
    69. Blue butterfly
    70. Sucke footed ba
    71. White tailed deer
    72. Hermit crabs
    73. Puffer fish
    74. Crested caraca
    75. Red winged grasshopper
    76. Paraque
    77. Brown hooded parrot
    78. Black mandible toucan
    79. Black hooded ant shrike
    80. Dot winged ant wren
    81. Tiger snake
    82. Cat eye snake
    83. Eye ringed flatbilled fly catcher
    84. Bright rumped antilla
    85. Red capped manequin (Michael Jackson bird)
    86. Riverside wren
    87. Green kingfisher
    88. Ringed kingfisher
    89. Scarlet rumped cacique
    90. Baird sandpiper
    91. Red brocked deer
    92. Cane toad
    93. Green anoli
    94. Tent making bat
    95. House gecko

Fall Collection: Continuing In a New Light Photography at CAC

Hi! My name is Amanda Xiong, and I am the Expressive Arts Intern for the Child and Adolescent Center (CAC). At CAC, Northwest Passage’s clinical assessment center, I’ve had the great opportunity of mentoring and teaching photography with students ranging from ages 6-17. I graduated with a degree in Anthropology and a minor in Studio Arts from St. Catherine University. This allowed me to combine both of my passions: youth development and photography. My hope for this internship is to help youth build self-confidence by creating self-expression through photography. Students are placed in CAC for 30 days as a part of their treatment. During their time here, students are able to develop their photographic style and apply general photography techniques such as lighting, subjects, and the rule of thirds. Most importantly, they are allowed to capture a moment expressing their time in assessment and reflect on their journey or a memory, using photography and nature. Each student is unique and creative. They come from different backgrounds with different stories and are able to capture the beauty of Northwestern Wisconsin within their 30 days. Here are a few photographs from our fall collection. horizontalline

The Rusted Root

The Rusted Root, Daniel

The root is the boot of Wisconsin’s past
It’s what feeds that grass nutrients and helps produce cheese
So, please listen hear and don’t forget to breathe
It’s what helps develop a leaf
From chloroplast to chlorophyll
And when fall arrives the roots stand still
It is the season of death, the forests filled with the dead handing from their branches, and a time for second chances
I am here at the Northwest Passage with a head full of dangling ideas that illustrate the new beginning
I sit in my room waiting for Monday’s to come… while skimming through my life
And I realize regret is my one of my many wifes
So I ponder on and reassemble the events that lead me here
It was one peer who came about and revived my soul from an empty hole
I recognize their traits and develop the time to recollect
So, I sit
I am angry!
The room is full of exasperating pain
Therefore, I stain my fingers with the dust from the keyboard
While I hoard these racing thoughts in my head
I then purchase a ticket to heaven to get away from hell
The thought of life is dull and my heart doesn’t even skip the sound of church bells
The hope is gone and so I am
On the greyhound
Seattle bound
I am in the middle of my ride
Then my faith begins to slide
When the cops arrive
My thought of heaven is met with seclusion
Of, a cold prison cell of the back of the cop car
My head is spinning
I am full of embarrassment and full of worry
The anxiety ridden thoughts are met with a two week stay in a confined room
This place is full of patients from troubled souls to physiologically damage brains
My journey there is fill of empty hearted phone calls
I can’t even shower in my own private stall
Then one day I am rescued
My doc lets me free
And my hunger for love is comforted by Chicago deep dish
From there on out I swim in and out of reality like a fish
Then, I end up at my uncle’s and I stay there for a week or two
My heart now has turned from blue to red with a sliver of hope
I am going to Wisconsin the place of cheese, the Green Bay Packers, and land of many lakes
But, most importantly Northwest Passage where I make time to heal

IMG_0042

The Barren Grass, Daniel

I picked this picture because of the landscape of the photograph. In this photo there is concrete and long grass with the sun brightening the picture. This reflects the mood I was feeling at the time which was happy and calm. It also reflects the weather during the day which was great! It was sunny, breezy, cool, and autumn like.  The photograph represents the barren landscape of Northern Wisconsin with the harsh weather conditions too. The concrete mainly illustrates this because of the rough feel and the lack of physical features to block the wind. The grass exhibits the rich fertile soil of Wisconsin. The soil is famous for growing nutrients and supporting life to develop the famous Wisconsin cheese!!! Therefore, the picture contradicts itself by having a barren landscape feel while containing the ability to have the grass in the photograph which gives the picture a happy mood. It also gives it an earthy feel too!

The Mushroom

The Mushroom, Jackson

I took this photo because the gills in the mushroom remind me how everything has hidden beauty that isn’t always visible on the surface, just like I had to look under this mushroom to find the beauty in the gills. This mushroom wouldn’t look like much from a top view as you walk by, but if you take a look underneath, the beauty of nature is revealed.

The Scarlet Trio

The Scarlet Trio, Jackson

These small little leaves, although seemingly insignificant, are quite beautiful. A lot of people in this world never stop to notice the small things in life. I think that it is these small things that are most important, for without all the little things in life, not so different from this little group of leaves, you can’t make the big picture. I chose this picture because I feel that people need to stop and admire the little things in life more often.

Half and Half

Half and Half, Marcus

This picture is cool to me because I like how half of the rocks are in the sunlight and half are not in the sunlight. I took this picture with my class at Northwest Passage. I like the different color of rocks and the different shapes of them. This picture reminds of a dark day and a light day because of the dark side and the light side the dark side would be a bad day and the light side would be a good day.

The Sunlight Behind the Leaves

The Sunlight Behind the Leaves, Marcus

The reason I picked this picture is because it is cool and I like how the sun comes in from the back and hits the leaves. The sun reminds me of a happy day because the sun is shining down upon us. That day was a happy day for me until I found out that I wasn’t going home so then it became a cloudy day to me. I took this picture when our class went taking pictures on grounds at Northwest Passage. I picked this background because of the orange colored leaves so these oranges reminded me of the leaves. The leaves are almost the same color as a pumpkin. I like how where the sun hits the leaves it makes the leaves look darker and where the sun doesn’t hit it is a lighter shade of orange.

The Lone Berry

The Lone Berry, Kylie

This Picture stood out to me only because it reminds me of myself. The way it hangs there, it’s almost like its saying, “I’m all alone, and I really don’t care. Because I believe that I am strong, stronger than if I weren’t alone.” The berry is alone, because it feels like no one in this world wants it. Like no matter how hard he tried not to fall off the branch, to actually be somebody, he was and has always been nobody. And if he tried to do the good things that people asked of him, then maybe, just maybe he could finally be somebody. But, it seems like when he tries to not fall off of the branch, when he tries to be good, the bad comes back twice as hard and fast. But, in the midst of his loneliness, He knows that somewhere in this gigantic world, somebody loves him. Somebody out there cares. That He’s finally, not alone. And he’s not! The branch, its supporting him. He was never alone. All this time he’s been crying and focusing on him being alone, he never really was. He’s always had someone, somewhere that has always had his back, has always cared for him. And now, he can be happy.

Untitled 1 Clay

Untitled, Clay

I picked this picture that I took of a beautiful Black Eyed Suzann. The reason why I took this picture is because it looked like it wanted to be known; I had noticed that the flower has curls on the leaves.

Sadness is bad…Happiness is good…but I’ve got both inside me…deep down inside my feelings are protected…protected by my heart which cannot be corrected by the badness around me…

Rust and Decay

Rust and Decay, Gavan

I chose this picture because I just found myself infatuated by the sight of it. The rawness of it is beautiful in an ugly sort of way.
It’s almost a graveyard where things that once brought joy to people come to die and rust away.
It’s sad really.
The way something that was used to bring pleasure and relaxation could just be thrown away.

Moss is fuzzy

Moss is Fuzzy, Moss is Soft, Trey

I like this picture because it shows me what moss actually looks like. I never knew it was like a bunch of little of vines. What else does it hold? Does it have a bunch of little bugs that run away when they see humans? Does it move every time you come near? Is it as sharp as needles when the wind blows and as soft as silk when you touch it? I think moss is cool because it can grow almost anywhere as long as it has water.  It kind of looks like it is an underwater picture because the moss looks like sea weed. Maybe the little bugs are not bugs at all…

 

Red

Red, Elizabeth

Red is a rose
With deep scarlet petals-
The flower of desire.

Red is a ruby
A raging fire
Out of control.

Blood is red
The color of pain
The scent of war.

Red is a shout
Red is adrenaline
Anger, victory, power.

The roar of a lion
Loud and bold:
It screams to be noticed.

Red is passion
An intense flame inside
Hard to control.

Red is the color of power and love.

Untitled 1 Skylar

Untitled, Skylar

The reason why I like this picture is because I liked the way it looks. I like how it was by itself in the grass. Lonely forever. Although, the flower only lasts for a short period of time, I absolutely love the purple and pink of the absolutely beautiful wild flower. The green leaves are very pretty too. As you can see, some of the pedals on this magnificent wild flower are gone. Probably dry and crumpled on the ground. Death is kissing the flower.

The Broken Antler

The Broken Antler, James

When I saw the buck I decided to chase after him to get this picture. I was the first one to see him. The buck might be missing an antler but it didn’t seem to bother him. He could have been bullied by other bucks because he has one good antler and one broken antler. Looking through his eyes, it was something I will never forget because I felt a connection with him. Like he lost a fight and he won’t let it bother him and I’m the same way. He doesn’t care what people think of him. If other bucks like him he’s ok with it and if they don’t like him he’ll just brush it off. That’s the way I am too.

It’s Magical, but it’s not Magic: Equine Assisted Interventions

Angela Frederickson, LCSW

by Angela Fredrickson, LCSW  |  Clinical Director

I have been inexplicably fascinated by horses for as long as I can remember. By the age of 13, I had pestered my parents (who did not have much of their own experience with horses) enough that they purchased me my very own horse. This has lead to a life in which I have always been in the presence of horses. My horses have helped to lift me out of despair and have been the source of great joy for me. They have been with me at every turn and they have inspired my career path.

I first witnessed horses helping humans in a planned and deliberate manner when I was 16 years old. I had the opportunity to observe a therapeutic riding session in which a tiny, vulnerable looking little girl was lifted from her wheelchair and onto the back of a horse. (more…)

The Northwoods Wildlife Safari Continues at Passage I

The winter of 2014 has gone into the record books, and our collective memory, as one of the coldest, snowiest and most indomitable in our  history. The young men at Northwest Passage 1 braved their way through many cold days to be rewarded with a vibrant and rich spring and summer full of stunning subjects and captivating light. Moreover,  they found inspirational moments  and opportunities for reflection. We hope you enjoy this insight into their experiences.

Little Manitou Falls at Pattison State Park during spring runoff. Photograph By: RJ

My Turtle Shell By D’Angelo

My walls are up, no one can hurt me
My shell is protection from those who desert me
If I am bothered I tend to snap at others
Otherwise, I am cool as night in summer
I mind my own business walking and swimming slowly
My shell at the ready if any danger is showing.

Hi, my name is D’Angelo and I am 17 years old. I am from Jim Falls, Wisconsin. Photography was an extremely helpful coping skill for me. It was a way to express my emotions in a positive way.

IMG_0302                                                                By: RJ                                                                                                                   

IMG_3752                                                              By: Dylan

 SCARED, By RJ.
Hi, my name is RJ. I am from Rochester Minnesota. I am 12 years old. When I came to Northwest Passage I was very timid and scared like this deer. Photography has helped me with my confidence to overcome my fears and succeed in life.

IMG_7069By: Brandon

IMG_7065By: Brandon

Something DeliciousSomething Delicious, By: Jamie

My name is Jamie and I am 16 years old. I am from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Photography helped me a lot with my anxiety and anger by being in a calm, quiet place in the woods. It also helped me with my depression by appreciating the little things in life.

Dylan 111    By: Dylan

IMG_2380Alone, By: Dakota K.

Hi, my name is Dakota K. and I am 16 years old. I am from Grantsburg, Wisconsin. Photography has been a time for me to capture the beautiful scenery around me and share it with others.I took this duck picture because it was alone by itself, The duck is kind of like me because I like to be alone.

DAngelo 331By: D’Angelo

Fire in the Sky, By: Brandon

 Hi, my name is Brandon. I am 14 years old and am from Wausau, Wisconsin. To me, Photography has been a chance to be out in the woods, away from my troubles. My favorite thing to take pictures of are animals and birds. When I saw this bird, it reminded me of a fire in the night sky.

 

IMG_9053By: Austin

EYES FROM THE FOREST, By Austin G.

Hi, my name is Austin G and I am 16 years old. I am from New Auburn Wisconsin. Photography has helped me learn how to focus and got me outside to see and learn about new things.
When I took this picture it was as if the deer was posing for the camera. This will always remind me of the experience I had as a nature photographer.

baby geese_edited-1

By: Austin G.

IMG_5556By: Dakota K.

IMG_4244By: D’Angelo

IMG_7971

By: Brandon

IMG_6150By: D’Angelo

ANother ChanceANOTHER CHANCE

Hi, my name is Dylan and I am from Lacrosse, Wisconsin. I am 17 years old. Nature photography has opened my eyes to things I have never seen or experienced such as bears.
“No matter where you go in life, there will always be something for you.”

 

Beginning In a New Light: Photography at CAC

by Caroline Wood, Expressive Arts Intern

This summer, I’ve had the privilege of working with the kids at CAC, Northwest Passage’s assessment center. Their ages range from 6-17, and they stay for a month in a residential assessment setting. As one of the Expressive Arts Interns, I go on photography expeditions with the kids twice a week and help them edit their photos. It’s been wonderful to get to know them as artists and people, and to see the ways that photography can impact their lives. In this post, I’m going to share some photos by the younger kids. I’m so inspired by their enthusiasm and originality.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

This photo is by Christian. I can tell he loves taking photos–he is always seeking out interesting things hidden under tree branches or behind bushes, and he captures things with such a unique perspective.

100_0139

Ernie found a green tomato in the garden and took a wonderful picture of it. When we were going through his photos, he said that he loved this photo but he wished that the tomato could be red…so I taught him how to use Photoshop to create a red tomato. He loved being able to edit the color of a specific part of the photo, and he was so proud of his “red” tomato.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThis photo is by Hunter. While we were exploring the Gandy Dancer Trail the other day, he found a cave next to the trail and snapped some photos of it. He was so excited about this photo, and loved telling me about his “bear cave” and “pond” that he found.

leafThis photo is by Joshua, who has a good eye and a vivid imagination. While we were editing this one, he wanted it to be really dark–he said that the raindrops looked like stars. I love how he can find something interesting in something so ordinary as a leaf.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThis photo is by Keyanna, who has a lot of enthusiasm. She loves making things, whether it’s photographs or drawings or origami. Instead of pointing her camera at the ground and capturing flowers and leaves, she chose instead to point it at the sky. She loved this photo most of all. I admire her originality and I love the ambiguity of this photo.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThis photo is by Molly, who has a knack for capturing the interesting things that often go unnoticed. She’s always looking at things from different perspectives and getting unique photos.

 

New Light under the Surface

Since In a New Light’s inception several years ago, the young men and women of Northwest Passage have spent literally thousands of hours exploring the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, the watery wilderness we’re so lucky to call our backyard. On foot and with paddles, the photographers have captured countless stunning images of the riverway’s landscape and wildlife, they’ve revealed this land’s ever changing textures, and they’ve helped us all understand our place within it.  Hundreds of thousands have seen their photos and read their reflections in exhibitions all around the country. Yet, an enormous piece of the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway’s story has remained untold. An essential dimension of its character has been hidden. Until now.

Through a National Park Service Youth Partnership Program grant, the artists of In a New Light are now heading underwater in Northwest Passage’s newest program, New Light under the Surface. Armed with waterproof cameras, high-powered lights, wetsuits, snorkel gear, and more than a little grit, the young men of Northwest Passage II have spent the last few weeks trailblazing a new realm experienced by incredibly few.

Initially delayed almost a month by spring’s unusually high, cold water, the young men are now making up for lost time, and are producing a flurry of astonishing images.

We’re thrilled to partner with Dr. Toben LaFrancois from Northland College for this project. Seemingly part fish himself, Toben is instrumental in coordinating all ecology, snorkeling skills, and water safety aspects of the program. He also bakes darn good chocolate chip cookies. Other staff on the team are Pete Ducos, Rodney Felt, and intern Corey Gipperich, who is producing a short film about the project.  We’re proud to once again partner with the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, and look forward to working with their dive team in coming weeks.

Enjoy a little sample the New Light under the Surface’s early images below. Many more to come throughout the summer as we explore the depths of more than just a river.

Ben Thwaits, project coordinator

"Mussel Siphoning" by Jaden

“Mussel Siphoning” by Jaden

"Luminescence" by Jacob

“Luminescence” by Jacob

"Glowing Algae" by Tyrone

“Glowing Algae” by Tyrone

"Softness" by Tony

“Soft” by Tony

"Dancing Damselflies" by Dan

“Dancing Damselflies” by Dan (we can’t resist sticking the cameras above the surface when an amazing shot presents itself)

"Hiding" by Jaden

“Hiding” by Jaden

"Bluegill" by Jason

“Bluegill” by Jason

Tyrone cruises the shallows.

Tyrone cruises the shallows.

Toben, Isiah, and Pete inspect a mussel shell.

Toben, Isaiah, and Pete inspect a mussel shell.

Tony at the very edge of the Namekagon Headwaters

Tony at the very edge of the Namekagon Headwaters

Felipe and Jacob

Felipe and Jacob

Jaden sums up the experience:  “During underwater photography it feels like I’m in a whole different world than above the water. There are so many things under the surface that we normally don’t see. It’s really peaceful under the water and all you have to worry about is taking it all in. All the worries I have go away when I’m underwater.  It makes me feel at peace.”

Pictures into Words: The Girls of PIII Write Reflections

Foreheads scrunched, heads bent intently toward screens, eyes narrowed with determination, the girls of Northwest Passage III scrolled through hundreds of pictures taken during their photo excursion to Interstate Park in St. Croix Falls. As I walked among the girls, they pointed with pride at their favorite pictures and navigated photo shop with ease, working with the other expressive arts interns, Caroline and Marit, to crop and enhance their photos. I had been set the task of facilitating reflection writing. Each girl was to choose a photo that made her particularly proud and write the story of that photo—How did she feel when she caught sight of that colorful burst of flowers or of the vivid red cardinal against solemn piney branches? What was she feeling when she finally captured the perfect shot? What did the photo remind her of, in particular? Did she see some of herself in her subject?

Never having worked one-on-one with the girls before, I was somewhat apprehensive. Writing, many students feel, is tedious, even daunting, work. A question that Ben Thwaits, creator of the In a New Light photography program, poses over and over to the his interns is “How do we unleash the expressive power of a medium?” He wants us to find ways to “demystify” different forms of creative communication. This includes writing. As I prepared to sit down with each girl to facilitate reflection writing, I turned over this thought in my mind—how could I try to make writing seem less scary?

My apprehension dissolved as I sat down with my first resident, and we began simply by having a casual conversation about her photo. She was a little unsure about how to start, so I asked her to relate the story of her photo, which depicted a vivid spray of pine branches on a gray, snowy background. What I heard was insightful and honest. She told me that she and the other girls had been traipsing around in deep snow toward the end of this year’s marathon winter, feeling tired and down, when she happened upon the scene of her photograph. She described how she felt as she looked at the bright springy branches of that pine tree. Her laptop screen showed that she’d written the word “breath” in yellow across the top of her photo. As I listened to her explanation, it seemed that in a word, her photo depicted hope. “Perfect,” I told her, and we worked together to write it down.

The next girl caught me off-guard. She was an independent writer—after a short conversation about how she related to the spindly black spider in her photo and what we might learn from it, she sat writing intently for the next fifteen minutes. The result was beautiful. In reading her prose, I saw a perspective that was compelling and wise. I stared with blurred eyes at the words she had written with such conviction that they were carved into the next 20 pages of my notepad, faint carbon copies of her insight. She couldn’t keep the smile off of her face when she saw how emotional her words had made me. I loved seeing her be proud of herself.

That was the most rewarding moment of the morning. A girl that faces great challenges in her life caught a glimpse of her great capacity to create something beautiful, something moving. From what I’ve seen in my first couple weeks here at Northwest Passage, that’s what the In a New Light Program does. It allows youth to see their capability to do something constructive, to put something good into the world. Many kids in the program are all too used to feeling like they don’t have something positive to contribute—especially when the some of the only feedback they get from their communities comes as a result of negative or destructive action. This program, however, proves to both kids and their communities their capacity to do great things—to make people smile, feel hopeful, and even, sometimes, to make them cry.

A sampling of the girls’ reflections:

Spider vs. Fly

“Take a Deeper Look”

by Deszii

Normally people take one look at spiders and instantly freak out and try to kill them. But what people don’t understand is that they’re a lot like us—in the most common ways. There is so much detail in them that you wouldn’t see if you look at them as a threat. Just think about it—spiders are just like us! They fight to stay alive, just like we fight for love. They create webs to live in, just like we build our houses to live in. If you honestly just take a moment to see their true beauty…you just might be surprised!

“Back to Life”

“Back to Life”

by Ana

When I took this picture, there was still snow on the ground. I felt winter was never going to end and spring was never going to come. There I was, surrounded by knee-deep mucky snow, fixated on this breathing tree that was calling for my attention and a reminder to remain positive.

That’s when I concentrated and looked beyond the imperfections of my life. I was delighted to overcome this miserable winter. Therefore, I had hope and felt like I was coming back to life.

"Grass"

“Grass”

“Grass”

by Stephanie

Little droplet being gently held up by a graceful blade of grass as sharp as a sword
The water magnifying the victories in my life
Around the sharp blade is where I have messed up and made me get some sharp edges
In the end we all focus on water droplets in our life and in my picture
That’s where we should all look at in our life.

"Shadows of Me"

“Shadows of Me”

“Shadows of Me”

by Lauryn

I’m searching,
for what I know not yet.
The sun shines brightly over me,
even though I am not happy.
I bask in the sun anyways,
looking at the shadows,
eerie, small ones
shadows of what haunts me.
I turn away from them,
and cast different shadows,
beautiful tall ones,
shadows of me.

Overcoming the Fear of Failure

By Marit Aaseng, Expressive Arts Intern

This quote in the newly decorated intern office at the In a New Light gallery perfectly sums up one of the biggest challenges that artists face: the fear of failure. The arts involve breaking outside of what is expected, unleashing one’s imagination, and expressing deep emotion. Displaying your artistic work for the world to see puts yourself on display and invites criticism. What if the world doesn’t like what they see? What then?

This question stops most people from reaching their full creative potential. They do what they think is expected in order to avoid judgement and failure. They keep their imaginations bottled up inside and they become their own harshest critics. They procrastinate. They convince themselves that they have no talent, that they are worthless, and that their ideas are stupid, unoriginal, or embarrassing. This internal fear of failure grows within people of all ages, backgrounds, and experiences. The girls of Northwest Passage III are no exception.

I have worked with the young ladies at Passage over the last two months, and I have been awestruck by the talent within each of them. During their time in treatment, they develop unique styles of capturing natural beauty, mastering the tools of light, subject, and composition. They create emotionally compelling narratives behind their work, and add deep layers meaning to their art. Yet, like all emerging artists, these photographers are overcoming their fears of failure. For many of them, failure feels like a defining feature of life. They have been shunned by society time and again, and have struggled to measure up to the strict standards of our perfectionistic culture. Depression, low-self esteem, and unstable relationships can often intensify universal fears of judgement, vulnerability, and abandonment. Instead of letting these things stop them, these girls fearlessly fight. Over time, they discover that their past can be used for inspiration, not to denigration. They realize that their creativity is something to be proud of, and not hidden. Most importantly, they discover that other people are not there to criticize, but to encourage. It has been such a pleasure to be one of those encouragers along the way.

Here are some of my favorite examples of the girls of Northwest Passage III not only overcoming a fear of failure, but triumphing.

Confliction by Zana

Confliction

by Zana

This is my photo just like this is my life. I am surrounded by conflicting feelings and thoughts. I feel people see what they want to. That is fine I guess but I don’t feel anything with this photo. I feel as though it is a mistake. At first glance it may be pretty. I want you to look closer and see all the faults with it. I do not find it beautiful or even interesting. To me it is ugly and I know people will see it for what they want to see it as. It is kind of like taking a person at face value, they may seem great until you peel back the layers. So I ask you, peel away the layers. Feel what ever emotion rawly and intensely that this photo brings you. If you are going to feel it don’t bury it, feel it. You obviously like this for a reason. Let it speak to you, let it whisper in your ear. Tell me what you hear.

Distorting Reflections By Lauryn

Distorting Reflections

By Lauryn

What do you see when

you look at yourself?

What do you see when

you look at someone else?

Some tend to first see their own imperfections,

and jealousy soon grows,

followed by self-destruction.

Next time you see yourself,

look closer,

look deeper,

look, look, look,

and you just might see someone else,

another version of you.

The true you, not something distorted by magazines, models, and make up.

I love that you,

and I know some day you can too.

Black and White by Ana

Black and White

by Ana

We rather choose beauty because we are afraid to take a risk because we fear that others will judge us. Why do we crave the need to be accepted and fear the result of other declining our choices? Do you ever realize the amount of decisions you are able to make but choose to make the one that others want you to choose even if you don’t completely agree?

 

Intern Invasion: Introducing In a New Light’s First-ever Expressive Arts Interns

This summer, the In a New Light program is wading into some completely new territory. For the first time, Northwest Passage is playing host to four expressive arts interns from across the Midwest who are looking to be part of Northwest Passage’s inspiring project to promote hope and healing through nature photography. I am one of those interns. Over the course of the summer, we will be using the In a New Light blog to chronicle our experiences here at Northwest Passage. As young people completely new to the therapeutic arts field, we are uniquely positioned to share what we learn from this one-of-a-kind program, its participants, and the people who make it happen. Visit the In a New Light blog often to keep up to date on the In a New Light project and to see photos and writings from the kids themselves. Keep reading to learn a bit about each of the interns that will be writing this summer.

Caroline Wood Expressive Arts Intern

Caroline Wood
Expressive Arts Intern

“Hi, I’m Caroline! I am from Chicago, and I’ve spent the last four years in Northfield, Minnesota as a student at St. Olaf College. I majored in History and Studio Art, studied Russian, traveled to Italy and St. Petersburg, pursued my passion for photography, and discovered new interests in bookmaking, design, and teaching.

My mission in life is to create art and explore new places, to share my passion for art with others through teaching and facilitating creative communities, to generate new ideas and pursue new possibilities, and to ultimately have a positive impact on people’s lives and on society. This summer, I hope to learn ways to advocate for mental health awareness and ways to end the societal stigma against mental health issues. I hope to develop my skills as a teacher and mentor, and I hope to gain experience that will enable me to implement expressive arts therapy in a variety of communities.”

Marit Aaseng Expressive Arts Intern

Marit Aaseng
Expressive Arts Intern

“Hello! I’m Marit Aaseng, an aspiring psychologist and artist originally from Alexandria, Minnesota. In May, I graduated from St. Olaf College where I studied Psychology and Studio Art, dabbled in music, volunteered in social justice student organizations, and worked in Residence Life. Thanks to my interests in art, culture, and the humanities, I have been given several opportunities to travel the world. Some of my most formative experiences occurred during a summer studying peace and justice in Norway, and a semester immersed in Renaissance Art in Italy.

The mission of Northwest Passage, and especially the In a New Light program, flows seamlessly with my own personal mission to work on behalf of underprivileged children in our society and their families. Central to this purpose is a belief in the positive potential within each and every individual, regardless of his or her circumstances. There are many ways to reveal this potential, including education, therapy, and mentoring. Above all, art has the power to transform people’s perceptions of themselves and the world around them. Art has the ability to communicate emotions that words cannot do justice. When this expressive tool is given to adolescents with mental health issues, the results are often stunning. Throughout the summer I hope to use photography as a medium to connect with the kids of Northwest Passage, and connect them to the beauty of this world we live in. Ultimately, I hope that this will lead to an end to stigma and a new age of acceptance of mental illness.”

Laura Proescholdt Expressive Arts Intern

Laura Proescholdt
Expressive Arts Intern

“Hi! My name is Laura. I recently completed my sophomore year at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa where I am working to complete an Environmental Studies major. My interest in the connection between environmental sustainability and mental health is what ultimately brought me to Northwest Passage. To me, environmental problems stem from deeply ingrained sociological and psychological suffering and intense longing for community support, love, and creative expression. Northwest Passage promotes healing in all three of these areas—especially through its expressive arts programming. I am excited to learn about the programming and to interact with and learn from those involved in the programs—both the kids and their mentors. I also have a passion for writing, and I hope this summer to better my skills through tutoring, blogging, grant writing, and trying my hand at a query letter or two. My personal mission is to be compassionate and to spread compassion. Only through compassion can we create a better world.”

Corey Gipperich Film and Video Intern

Corey Gipperich
Film and Video Intern

“My name is Corey Gipperich and I’m a Film and Video intern at Northwest Passage. I’m originally from Lake Orion, Michigan and attended college at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan (on the coast of Lake Michigan near Grand Rapids). I knew I had to move somewhere immediately after graduating to officially kick off the rest of my life, and I didn’t care where it was. I saw this opportunity to help people at Northwest Passage as a challenge, but with the possibility of a huge reward. Now being over a month in, I’m already feeling the benefits. Seeing young kids here that have been through so much has taught me that I cannot afford to let my life go to waste. They inspire me to succeed each and every day and if I weren’t trying to do it for myself, then I’d be doing it for them. I hope this internship helps form my overall perspective of the world—which is kind of my motto. I believe we’re the sum of our opinions of the world and that any problem can be solved if you just look at it in a new light. I also hope to hone my skills in videography, photography, and filmmaking, and to make friends that will last a lifetime.

I am a storyteller through and through. Storytelling is something that has always mystified me, and I plan to dedicate my life to sharing tales that would otherwise go unheard. It’s the oldest art form, is certainly wired into us as a species, and it resonates within me quite strongly. My only goal in this life is to expose others to ideas and sentiments they’ve never contemplated before. I want to challenge people’s views and beliefs in efforts to sway their opinions to be more progressive in nature. If I can get through life and have others speak of how moved, or inspired, or awestruck they were because of the stories I told, then I will certainly be a happy man.”

An Exciting Race and an Inspirational Role Model

Torch

Barb Klippel shares with P3 residents the Olympic Torch she carried.

For the second year in a row Northwest Passage 3 volunteered at and documented the largest cross country ski race in North America. The 41st annual American Birkebeiner and its affiliated events drew over 10,000 hearty souls to the 50 kilometer long remote ski trail between Cable and Hayward Wisconsin. P3 was at the 32 km mark handing out much needed refreshments to the racers. They offered water, energy drinks, bananas, cookies, and more importantly shouts of encouragement and smiling faces to the beleaguered racers. I, as one of those beleaguered racers, was relieved to see familiar faces as I passed through the feed station. Their cheers and accolades were the incentive that I and thousands of others needed to complete what was arguably one of the most difficult “Birkies” in recent memory.

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Through the course of the day P3 witnessed world class athletes- men and women alike- from around the globe push themselves to chase their dreams of winning the Birkie. They also were there for the thousands of citizen racers like myself out to achieve their own individual objectives of racing in their first, fifth, or even 25th Birkie.

Courtney graciously enjoy hospitality and words of wisdom from Barb

Barb talks and laughs with P3 residents in her home

Barb

 Barb Klippel, the oldest woman to complete 20 American Birkebeiners, bestowed wisdom, inspiration, and joy to a group of P3 residents who visited her in her home recently.

P3 was later able to meet another such racer who persevered through myriad challenges that shaped her life. A few weeks after the race, Barb Klippel invited us into her home on the banks of the Nemakagon River to share her story and words of wisdom. She spoke of the importance of goals, fortitude, and not giving up in the face of overwhelming obstacles. She reminded us all that what is most important in life is not being the fastest or the strongest or the smartest; but being the one who sets goals and remains on their own true path that matters in the end.

Barb shared tales of growing up in northern Minnesota, being a school teacher, overcoming cancer, and completing her 20th Birkebeiner.

utopia

Courtney graciously enjoying Barb’s hospitality and company

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