By Pam Rosenblatt

A lot has developed for Somerville artist Kelvy Bird since she was interviewed by The Somerville News in May 2006.

In summer 2007, some of her “Pulse” series was published in Salamander Vol. 12, No. 2, a nonprofit literary magazine affiliated with Suffolk University. Her work is on show in the Window Arts Malden project, Malden, through October 7. On the Board of Directors of Somerville Open Studios for 2007 and 2008, Bird helped develop the online registration for SOS 2006 and 2007.

Bird is an abstract painter whose creative art pieces evokes her own inner emotions or outward emotions from her audience. She is a professional graphic facilitator, a career chosen to help make ends meet while she also pursues her artistic career. She is one of about five hundred graphic facilitators in the world. Graphic facilitation is a field she thinks many struggling Somerville artists may like to look into for a profession.

‚ÄúIf more people knew about it, more people could be making a living off it. It might even open some doors for artists. But, who knows?  I think it‚Äôs a way of seeing how your artistic brain can be applied to other areas outside of the arts,‚Äù she said. ‚ÄúI think there are about 500 graphic facilitators in the world. And a lot of us know each other because it‚Äôs pretty particular type of work.‚Äù

She has worked as a graphic facilitator for such organizations as the Girl Scouts of Arizona, Harvard University, and a family foundation who donates money to nonprofit organizations working with women.

There isn’t one set style for a graphic facilitator. “People have different styles,” said Bird. “Mine is a more organic feminine style. Some have a very realistic style.

In general, a graphic facilitator uses a flip chart to foam core to dry erase boards to walls during her or his sessions. Markers are Bird’s choice of writing utensils.

The group communication technique Bird uses is a creative one. “My angle is to create something for reflection if they’re interested in healing themselves. I’m not interested in saying ‘You need healing.” Or ‘You need fixing.’ It’s more like if you want to see things differently, here’s a way to see it differently,” she said.

Bird said the themes she has dealt with at dialogue sessions over the past two years include individuals and organizations understanding their shadows and wanting to see all facets of themselves, so they can act in an intentional and creative way instead of a reactionary way.

An example she used to clarify what she meant was when a person gets angry at another person for continuous talking at a meeting. Bird’s dialogue session tries to help these people figure out constructive alternative to volatile situations at work and she hopes these solutions can be applied to everyday life events.

Bird said she doesn‚Äôt know where she‚Äôs headed with graphic facilitation and her painting, but she think it may consist of a combination of both arts. ‚ÄúIn a year long stand,‚Äù she said. ‚ÄúI really don‚Äôt know because I just try to work and do what feels honest, so I don‚Äôt really have a plan.  I just see what comes. But, I have a feeling that this is going to somehow integrate with my graphic facilitation work because now they‚Äôre both pretty parallel tracks. And I have a feeling that at some point in my future my world will, I hope, weave more closely together.‚Äù

These two ‚Äúarts‚Äù are so distinct, she said, because in graphic facilitation she makes sense for people out of confusion. In her abstract paintings, she tries to say it doesn‚Äôt matter how confusing things are, just look at whatever you want to view and be with it. ‚ÄúLet the world slow down for a little while and so maybe the world becomes more reflective or the tolerance for reflection increases,‚Äù Bird said.   

A major difference between graphic facilitation and abstract art is abstract art does not need a storyline to generate positive feelings but in graphic facilitation, you need to add the storyline to generate that positive feeling.

“I’m hoping in my future that these two worlds come more together where I can be part of making sense in a way that can be really abstract. It’s like making sense in helping making emotional sense maybe,” she said.