林彤優

自從我上一年入讀香港浸會大學視覺藝術院碩士課程學習以來，從導師的啟發到研究和開發這《易圖思靜觀著色畫冊》項目，學習的一年很快過去。在設計領域工作了20多年的我，往日的日常工作和生活需求一直是繁忙和緊張的，能夠回到校園已經是很幸運，是我個人一種平靜心態練習，讓我有時間思考未來工作的方向。看到身邊的朋友在工作和家庭生活、孩子們在學校遇到各方面學習和考試困難下感到不同的壓力，藝術項目的主題是希望和別人分享「靜觀」的益處。

除了想要了解甚麼是當代藝術之外，哲學和心理學也是我的興趣所在。作為一個主要專注視學美術設計的人，我在研究中從閱讀吸收不同的知識。我原本不知道現代藝術項目對內容來源的要求是那麼高和認真，使作品充實和可持續的要訣。從台灣雙年展 2018學習之旅中，我看到很多藝術項目以各種有趣的方式吸引觀眾來提高題目的主旨認知，推使我在藝術項目中用類似方式傳達信息的意念。簡而言之，這就是我想出的著色畫冊概念藍圖。除了希望提高朋友注意自己和家人的心理健康意識，對個人和團體進行輕鬆的「靜觀」練習，對智障人士心理和康復後的社會共融概念，這是放下繁雜煩惱最簡單的冥想類型，有如長時間使用電話或電腦後需要定期重啟，讓我們放鬆心情，就像瑜伽練習對我們身心舒緩，順帶介紹適用於日常生活之易經哲理是這項目的主要目的。

根據我自己隨機挑選的易卦第十七卦 -「隨」卦 ，「隨和眾人，順其自然」，我從卦義提供的智慧來調節自己的心情面對和處理各種項目遇到的問題，因為我曾經在工作中過於緊張和謹慎令我不適，這正是我需要心靈平衡的哲理指引，啟發我學會了接受事與物帶來各種的「變」易。我開始向貢獻者推銷項目主旨和意念，重複說解一百次有多，幸運地邀請到70名參加者給予畫作貢獻而得以完成《易圖思靜觀著色畫冊》。我可能是一個主導促進者，但我卻認為自己只是一個快樂協調員，因為《易經》哲理主體正念觀給我很大啟發，學會用平常心接受拒絕也是一種有益的心理學習。它不斷提醒我們，當一個人遇到任何困難，懷著有正確的價值觀理念和付出努力，相對的效果會比預期過程是會帶來愉快和有益的經驗。

我很幸運能夠與些項目的眾多貢獻者（合共70人）帶著共同意念共同完成這本著色畫冊。首先，我要感謝來自香港浸會大學的項目顧問導師伍詠瑜女士Elaine W. Ng，她也是我們的貢獻發行商，即使她最初對《易經》不太了解，也給了我很多鼓勵和支持。

作為香港社會服務聯會主席，陳智思先生是第一位支持項目的畫作貢獻者，他十分支持范德穎醫生在香港為自閉症病患者推廣工作超過8年，以及他曾與之合作過的許多非政府組織聯盟和促進社會「共融」觀念。范醫生長期以來一直倡導以視覺藝術作智障和心理病患者的治療，我感激他在過程中給予我很多寶貴建議和支持。

范醫生還統籌協助向不同相關促進身心靈健康和復康的9間非牟利機構介紹項目邀請參與。獻畫作者有心理康復者、親友和藝術治療社會工作者。他們的畫作絶對跟其他獻畫者各顯特色。

陳麗雲教授她所倡議「身心靈全人健康模式」，在香港社會工作健康學領域貢獻超過20多年不止於在香港大學新一代社會工作及社會行政學系教育，她在香港領導等的大量工作不單給我留下了深刻的印象，她亦介紹了行為健康中心總監何天虹教授為畫冊撰寫「甚麼是靜觀?」。「靜觀」這主題正何教授一直提倡，由她撰寫實在恰切。

梁卓偉醫生是我不常遇見過的最具多才多藝的臨床醫生，而且他還是公共衛生機構先驅。他在政府服務以及學術研究和教學的卓越成就是有目共睹，我無法用一、兩行字來形容。他的畫作給大家解釋了一些甚具意義的靈感和啟發，讓我明白工作和做人，處事態度是需要彈性和忍耐，使項目可按照最佳方法進行。

最後的一個障礙是找一個《易經》哲理學術專家作最佳的通識哲理卦義，經一番努力才找到謝世杰博士給予寶貴學術知識，將《易經》哲理簡易化和現代人生哲學諮詢互相結合，讓閱讀者明白它的本義受惠廣傳和相對普及應用，我和他深信大多數人並沒有甚麼精神疾病，而是在各種生活遇到的「變」易中失去平衡，只需尋找解決方案來面對人生障礙。最後是盧傑雄博士，他是中文大學哲學系教授，是謝博士親切地推薦他的恩師，易學專家的專家給我，撰寫「易經是甚麼?」，一個不容易在一頁中概括 (三千年中國文化/群經之首) 的任務。

感謝63位獻畫者用創意各自理解卦義而畫出圖象，一項不易的任務，他們還寫出繪畫後的感想，各式其式的創意表達使著色畫冊內容不單止豐富和人性化，還令著色畫冊具有審美和文化價值。多位獻畫者都是藝術和設計相關領域各有成就的專業人士，有些還是眾所周知的慈善家，他們以超出金錢禮物的方式為社會作出貢獻可是難能可貴，感動。我能夠完成為眾獻畫者編譯任務是多麼幸運，因為有位前出版商曾告訴我能夠集合這麼多的獻畫者是多麼困難，他們不但沒有執著排位，大家各自其位支持，一切共同參與都是平等的，已經超越「共融」概念; 8至76歲、知名的藝術家、學者、醫生、社會工作者或是智障作畫者等。我希望你們會喜歡這本著色畫冊，這本畫冊充滿了計劃所有貢獻者的關愛和珍貴善意！

我在此 祝願所有《易圖思靜觀著色畫冊》獻圖和相關支持者及非牟利機構參加者身心靈健康，常樂！

Project Design and Facilitator’s Letter

Lissa Lam

Since I entered the Master degree program at the Academy of Visual Arts at the Hong Kong Baptist University last year, from research to development of the “I Ching Mindfulness Coloring Book" project, another year passed by quickly.  I have been working in the design field for nearly 30 years, daily work and life in the past have always been busy and tense.  It is my good fortune being able to return to school.  It is a sabbatical for my own mindfulness practice which gives me time to think about future work.  Seeing many friends with different pressures from work and family life, children encounter difficulties in learning and exams at school, the theme of the art project is to share the benefits of mindfulness practice.

Choosing art as a major is a long time wish to study what contemporary art is, philosophy and psychology are also of my interests.  My major focus in visual art, lots learned from readings in my research.  I didn’t know that requirements for modern art projects are so high and serious that made artworks meaningful and sustainable.  From the 2018 study tour of the Taiwan Biennale, I saw many art projects shown in all different interesting ways and engage viewers on their topics inspired me to convey my message in similar way.  In short, this is the blueprint of the coloring book concept that I came up with.  In addition to hoping to raise awareness of mental health for friends and family, it is meant to be a simple “mind yoga” bonding exercise for individuals and groups.  It is meant to  reboot our minds like we do for our mobile phones or computers.  We need to restart it regularly, mind rest and relax, like physical yoga exercises help us to relax our body.   Re-introduction of I Ching philosophy in modern language for our daily life application is also one main purpose of this project.

According to my own random selection of the hexagram 17 FOLLOW「随」, the philosophical explanation helped me to maintain a balanced mindset for the project.  It inspired me to learn to accept things with various “unexpected changes”.  I began to pitch the project‘s main objectives to the contributors, repeating the explanations more than a hundred times.  Fortunately, I had completed invitation of 70 participants to contribute to their drawings and writings for the “易圖思 mInd CHangING” coloring book.   I may be a facilitator, though I am merely a happy co-ordinator, because the philosophy behind hexagram 17 FOLLOW has inspired me lots, learning to accept rejections with grace is a wisdom not to be missed.  I Ching’s philosophy constantly reminds me that relative effect will bring pleasant and beneficial experience when we carry correct values​​, attitudes and efforts. 

I am fortunate to be able to work with many of the project’s contributors (70 people in total) to complete this coloring book.  First of all, I would like to thank Ms. Elaine W. Ng, the project’s advisor from Hong Kong Baptist University, she is also our contributing publisher. Even though she did not know much about I Ching initially, she gave me lots of encouragement and support.

As the Chairman of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service, Mr. Bernard Chan is the first contributor of this project.  He is very supportive of Dr. William Fan’s promotion of Autism Awareness in Hong Kong for more than 8 years and many of the NGOs he has worked with.  Dr. Fan also promotes the concept of “social inclusion" in society, and a long advocate of visual arts as a treatment for mentally handicapped and ill patients.  I am grateful for his many valuable suggestions and support in the pitching process.

Dr. Fan helped co-ordinate invitations to non-profit organizations (NGOs) related to physical and mental health and rehabilitation.  Therefore some of our contributors include mentally-rehabilitated, social workers/teachers, relatives and friends, social workers of those patients.   Social inclusion is one of the objective of our collaboration.

Professor Cecilia Chan is a world leader in health and social work.  She is editor and author of over 30 books, author of over 300 articles and book chapters in health and mental health in social work, eastern integrative empowerment intervention and outcome research, health, mental health and integrative social work besides her innovative Body-Mind-Spirit (I-BMS) interventions.  Spending over 20 years in the field of social work and health in Hong Kong, teaching new generation of social work and social administration in the University of Hong Kong.  I am deeply impressed and grateful to her valuable advice and support throughout.  She also introduced Professor Rainbow Ho, Director of the Behavioral Health Center, to write “What is Mindfulness?" for the book which is most appropriate; a theme highly advocated by Professor Ho.

Dr. Gabriel Leung is the most talented clinician I have ever met, he is also a pioneer in public health agencies. He is in government service as well as academic research and teaching.  Excellent achievements are obvious to many, I am unable to list them all out in one or two lines.  His drawing gives meaningful inspirations, necessity of flexibility and patience in attitude towards work and life.

The last obstacle is to find an academic expert in I Ching (the Book of Changes) philosophical translation to modern language.  After some efforts, I found Dr. Alfred Tse to give his valuable academic knowledge, simplifying the philosophy of I Ching applicable to daily life.  Consulting and mutual integration, let readers understand its original meaning and benefits from application.  Both of us are convinced that most people do not have any mental illness, most are simply out of balance in the “changes” encountered in life.  Many only need to find some philosophical wisdoms to face many life’s obstacles.  Finally, Dr. Tse kindly recommended Dr. Alex Lo, he is a professor at the philosophy department of the Chinese University, an I Ching expert to help us  write “What is I Ching?”, a task that is not easy to summarize in one page (lastly and most grateful to three thousand years wisdom Chinese / the first of the hundred classics).

I would like to thank the 63 contributors for drawings in their own interpretation of the meaning of the random picked hexagrams, they also wrote reflections on corresponding drawing.  Various creative expressions make contents of the coloring book not only aesthetically pleasing with function, it is also culturally rich.  Many of the contributors are accomplished professionals in the field of art and design, social work, health and teaching fields.  Some are well-known philanthropists, they contribute to society in a way beyond monetary;  commendable and moving.  I am so lucky to be able to complete the task of compiling for them, because a former publisher once told me how difficult it is to gather so many contributors in one book.  They dedicate without asking any return, everyone is “Equal” and hence transcends the true concept of “social inclusiveness”; 8 to 76 years old, well-known artists, social workers/teachers or mentally handicapped.  I hope that you like this “易圖思 mInd CHangING” mindfulness coloring book, which is full of  love and goodwill all our contributors!

I would like to wish all who supports the “易圖思 mInd CHangING” mindfulness coloring book project, blessed with happiness and good health always!

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