Creating a Comforting Scent from Childhood
The ability to self-sooth is necessary for anyone going into the field of psychology. Partnering with an individual on the journey of emotional healing and spiritual reconciliation is taxing for both the patient and the therapist. After a day of giving proper focus to a client, a therapist can feel drained and psychically exhausted. It is important for any therapist to find healthy and fulfilling ways to center and re-energize. For those entering the field of art therapy, creativity is central in this process.
A group of Masters and Doctorate students in the Art Therapy program at Antioch University Seattle gathered for an experiential which focused on the concept of self-soothing. The directives were to create a comforting perfume that was reminiscent of childhood then compose a poem or piece of short prose about the experience. Using perfume-making supplies donated by Bramble Berry, Inc., seventeen students joyfully set out to self-sooth.
We were thrilled to be asked to participate in such a fun creative course. Since we work primarily with fragrances and soap supplies, none of us had ever heard of this type of art therapy and were intrigued by it all.
The following are some examples of the perfumes created and their accompanying poems.
Perfume Name:Sierra Madre Courtship
Scents used:Moonlight Pomegranate, Cold Water, Kentish Rain
O deep brown eyes
Makes my heart go pitter pat
He’s such a privilege
Perfume Name:Willow Fields
Scents used:Nag Champa, Patchouli
Romping through the weeping willows,
Waving to me in the wind,
I am at home with the Earth,
Romping through the weeping willows.
Perfume Name:Compilation/Moth Balls
Scents used:Patchouli, Honeysuckle, Spearmint
Old Scarves
Hyperaware
Birds drink/suckle
Eating flowers
Dirt
Garlic, sweat
Car oil
Perfume Name:Default Setting
Scents used:Moonlight Pomegranate, Orange Peel Cybilla
I kind of like lilies
But it didn’t smell like lilies
I kind of like lavender
But it didn’t smell like lavender
So I made a smell like Christmas
Perfume Name:Honey Bunch
Scents used:Oatmeal Milk and Honey, vanilla Select, Almond Cybilla, Kentish Rain
Sugary Sweet
Honey suckle
Fresh garden
Candy fun
Perfume Name:Treefort
Scents used:Peppermint,ChristmasForest
I played in a tree fort at a family cottage with my sister & cousins.
Lots of cedar, spruce, & white pine around.
I made a zip line & then flipped off it
& landed on my head when I was 11
Perfume Name:Baby Ava
Scents used:Vanilla Baby Powder Surplus, Oatmeal, Milk & Honey, Moonlight Pomegranate, Vanilla Select
You came so unexpected,
A true gift for the world.
So sweet and pure and innocent.
My brand new baby girl.
I wish that I could wrap you up to protect you from all harm.
I know you will live & learn,
And grow up to be strong.
But for now you are my little girl,
And I will keep you close and warm.
Perfume Name:Mom’s Christmas Cake
Scents used:Nag Champa, Almond Cybilla, Lilac, Lavender, Jasmine Dreams, Honeysuckle, Orange Peel Cybilla, Oatmeal Milk and Honey, Moondlight Pomegranate, Green Garden Cybilla
The early morning anticipation of the candied fruit & the almond oil. Using all my strength to mix the batter, round & round. Getting antsy, I just can’t wait for the time to come when we pour the batter into the pans & I am left with the best part: the spoon & bowl.
Hi Nana,
Thanks for being a fan of the blog and soapmaking. You make great soaps =)
Annie-Marie,
No problem! Let us discuss soap making only.
Thanks for your kind support.
Nana,
Of course I want to help you out with your missing fragrance. You wrote on a weekend. Bramble Berry is closed on the weekends. Also, emailing us at info (at) brambleberry (dot) com is faster than trying to communicate via the blog since I’m the one that works on the blog and there is a whole team at our normal email address =)
I am showing that the Coconut, Cybilla should have been in your box. To confirm, you did not receive the Coconut, Cybilla fragrance and need a refund for that of $18.50.
I am sorry that we overcharged you for the Exotic Passionfruit Papaya. I will have a refund for the SP12 and the Coconut Cybilla processed through for you today and you should see it on your card.
=) Happy soaping! I hope you love everything you got.
Annie-Marie,
Please understand I don’t want to bother you.
If you don’t want to solve the missing fo, it’s ok.
I found a wrong price in invoice #56429, price of ITEM CODE SP12 is US$28.80 not US$57.60. Please refund me. Thank U.
Hi, Annie-Marie,
Thanks for your kindly support!
I received all the items SAFELY except 16oz COCONUT fo.
I don’t see this one, did you miss it?
Hi Nana,
Yes, we did ship out your order as promised and we sent you an email with the tracking numbers and an extra copy of the invoice. It sounds like you aren’t receiving our emails so you may want to check your ‘junk’ or ‘spam’ folders and add Bramble Berry to your address book.
But in the meantime, your FedEx tracking numbers are 920089183824, 920089183835, 920089183846, 920089183857
Hi, Annie-Marie,
I remembered that you arranged to ship out on Sep 24, right?
Unfortunately until today, I don’t receive any e-mail or get any delivery message from FedEx?
Could you kindly check again for me? Sorry for bother you!
Many thanks.
Annie-Marie,
Yes, please ship out as your schedule. tks!
Hi Nana –
Thanks for your note.
I’m sorry the shipping frustrates you. The high shipping costs make me angry too. =) I wish it was less money for you. I know it makes it hard for you.
So, should I ship the order then? I will send your invoice to the email for customs and plan to ship the order out tomorrow.
I’m very sorry that you are frusterated.
Anne-Marie
Annie-Marie,
Regarding Mr. Norman’s information, I thought the freight charge is between US$203.71 to US$227.59. I don’t think the total weight of addition items + 359729 over 50lbs.
I don’t have any choice! I feel angry that you denied everything. Please make sure what you say before sending to your customers.
Please send invoice and packing list (customs purpose only) to my e-mail: [email protected].
Nana,
Your order is fully pulled and packed up.
The quote that you copied for me is for only one of the three orders. We have combined everything, as requested, and the total weight and # of boxes came to $450 in shipping.
Please let me know if you have any other questions.
I plan on shipping your order tomorrow, Tuesday, unless I hear otherwise.
If you would like to change and thus unpack and repack your order, there will be a small additional labor charge of 15%.
Hi Nana,
I will check in the morning. I suspect that the quote you’re looking from is either for only one order, or one order plus the additions or both orders without the additions – one of the three =)
I’ll let you know tomorrow morning.
Annie-Marie,
I don’t agree the freight charge. BMr. Norman told me the freight charge is between US$203.71 to US$227.59. Please see as following e-mail. Tks~
Nana
————————
Nana,
Thanks for this order. Shipping on this order will be $227.59 via FedEx
Economy. But, you could actually add 50lbs of weight (like a box or two of
soap, an other butter) and the shipping would be LESS. It would be $203.71
to ship this order if it was heavier. I could just ship 50lbs of water, but
I wanted to give you the chance to add any items you might need to the
order.
Thanks,
Norman
Nana,
Your shipping is $450.55.
The Almond Butter Expiration is approximately 6 months from now. If you put it in the fridge, you should be able to get another 12 months out of it.
Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Hi Annie-Marie,
ok, I got it.
Thank you so much to solve my problem and let me know the condititon.
By the way, can you check the expiration date of ALMOND BUTTER for me?
Have a nice dream!
Hi Nana,
Thank you *so* much for your super quick response.
I think Norman had suggested that you add at least 50 pounds worth of product if you wanted to get the bulk overseas shipping rate – perhaps that is where the confusion happened?
We do have all of your original orders so I will cancel the addition items from Sept. 18 and ship out orders 354159 & 359729 & the additions prior to the September 18th order.
I'll have the order entry start tomorrow morning, the order will be pulled tomorrow afternoon. Then, we'll put the paperwork in for Customs Clearance on Monday or Tuesday and once it clears Customs on our end, we'll ship – so probably early next week.
I will confirm receipt of your email tomorrow and shipping schedule.
I am so happy that we can work this out together this way. =)
A-M
By the way, I will list all my outstandings and send to BrambleBerry e-mail box. Please give me a shipping schedule!
If there is any further query, please let me know.
Thank you.
Hi, Annie-Marie,
Thanks for your response.
I’m so surprise you told me so. Actual, Mr. Norman wanted me to add some items, if not, he will add some bottles of water. That’s why I added some additional items after I placed order#354159.
But it’s not enough for the weight.
Until Jul 1, I placed some special to full the weight(#359729). Then, I just wait-ask-wait-ask.
In this period of time, NOBODY responded me. So I wait-wait-wait…
From my last order-Jul 01 until Sep 17, I didn’t add any items!!
60 days is long enough to re-order my additional order, right??? Or you just hold my orders?
I truly hope you can understand all the situtations.
This is why I complained.
Please cancel the addition items on Sep 18, and ship out order354159 + add items + 359729.
Thanks a lot and sorry to bother you.
Dear Nana,
I have two open orders, 16 additional emails from you, each one adding things.
Every time you add, it causes a delay. Every time you write, you change your order, make an addition or deletion, that causes a delay. We need to re-do the order, repack the boxes and get you new shipping quotes.
This delays things very much. If you make ONE order, we will send those out within a week. However, you have not responded to our last three shipping quotes with anything but additions which causes further delays.
If you make ONE order and do not change it, your order will ship out within a week so long as you approve the customized shipping quote.
I hope this helps.
Anne-Marie
Hi, My name is Nana, from Taiwan.
I would like to seek for your assistance becuase I don’t have any idea to solve the problems of holding orders.
I placed 2 orders before 3 months ago. I left the message many times and I don’t have any update information from BrambleBerry.
Because of the delay, I would like to ask you to offer the special price of ALMOND BUTTER that I have ordered.
If BrambleBerry couldn’t offer the special price of shipping or other reasons, at least, please let me know!
I had bad memories from BrambleBerry, damage and delay. Where is your service????
Sorry I have to do so, and sorry to bother you!
Sassy,
Tell me more about what sort of tutorial you’d like. We have the fabulous Bath Bomb Cupcake tutorial and I image we could modify it to make you a great Bath Cookie Fizzy tutorial =)
Fascinating project! I have read before that scent and sound are the two senses that can most powerfully bring back a memory. I wish I were taking that class. 🙂 How sweet of you to supply the scents!
What a really neat idea! I might borrow the idea for my 7th grader….I certainly have enough fragrances…
Jeannie
What an awesome project!! I love the idea, and it must have been so much fun to be part of these “experiences”! Very neat.
Hey there-
Found your blog- love it. Do you by chance have any tutorials on cookie bath bombs?
Thanks!
Really great read. Sometimes things (like fragrances) are so close, so familiar that it’s striking to see the subject formulated in words. Thanks for blogging about the experience.
This project was something we hadn’t ever considered for scent use and it makes complete sense – and not just from a straight EO/aromatherapeutic standpoint.
I know there certainly are scents that make me think of my parents and my childhood home that help to calm me.
(I can’t sign in right now since I’m at free WiFi in airport = not secure)
This is why, whenever we find potted Lebanese mint, we snag it for our yard.
It makes Mom think of her grandmother….and now it makes me think of Mom. 🙂
Those are all so beautiful! It’s a moving reminder how strong our senses can contribute to our emotions.
Now can you make a fragrance that smells like my mom’s lasagna? 🙂