Six Months ago, I embarked on a Quest, the Color of Woman & Intentional Creativity training to be a teacher & coach. While we still have a month & 1/2 to complete our assignments, next week is Graduation!
In one of our first communiques, our Road Woman, Maestra Shiloh Sophia wrote: "Wherever you are on your journey to teach or lead – this CALL has been in you all along and your YES
to joining us is a catalytic action that will start a series of other
actions in the continued fulfillment of your own unique life work. Each
of us has been called together for an adventure in what is possible...
 |
| Tea with our Muses |
"You have been called To TEACH. To DARE. And to call others into
circle. I have called you and now you will call others! Indeed this is a
great adventure and it is such a blessing to be in service to others –
one of my deepest joys.
"You came here for a reason. You were called to the journey. And I am most grateful. Welcome."
In February, I said 'yes' to the call - 'yes' to the teacher training, 'yes' to this adventure. Today one of my friends said 'yes!' to NEXT year's training, & we met for tea & a 'heartstorming' session, planing workshop dates & thinking of venues.
I am finishing up the current segment of the Assignments, & this time next week, I'll be at the Mothership, in Northern Cali, with SiStars from around the world who will gather for our Graduation!! Am I excited? Am I nervous? Yes & Yes!! Shakin' in my boots! Yep!
Deep breath, whew!!
 |
| Red Thread Connection |
I'm taking the train - a first; & travelling on my own, which I haven't done for awhile. My 'lodging mates' come from around the US, from France & New Zealand!
I'll meet a couple of classmates who live about an hour away, and our teachers & guides, who have been holding space & holding the Red Thread for us.
Will you hold space for this part of the journey?
Thank you!! & blessings on your own journey, whatever it may be!
I'm linking to Paint Party Friday
I finished my 'Beloveds' Painting - & what a lovely turn she took! Elen of the Pathways is a horned goddess, whose tales stretch back through time.
 |
| Elen Star-Path |
|
Researcher Caroline Wise writes: "She is the Guardian of the ancient track ways, the Leys, the kundalini
currents in nature, and as the Horned Goddess, she leads us to the first
trackways, the migratory tracks of the reindeer and later, she leads
us to the path of the red deer through the forests. From here she leads
us to the lost Shamanism of the isles of Britain, and we can follow
her across Scandinavia, Russia, Mongolia, Siberia, India and beyond."
It was a fun challenge to paint on a smaller canvas (16 x 20") & develope this painting in a quicker time frame. ...and then
On Sunday, I held my first 13-step painting Playshop' - "Dancing with the Muse!" I had three students, and we had a lovely time! This was my first Intentional Creativity class on canvas & I was a bit nervous, but it went really well.
One, my friend Sepha, has been teaching for years, & is a 'Paint Night' instructor; she offered to share some of her tips & helped me set up! What a blessing.
 |
| At the Canvas |
- A bucket and pitchers for water - we were in a room without a water source, & this was great! You bring water in the bucket (s), fill the water cups, spritz bottle & pitchers, students can dump dirty water in the bucket periodically, & refill their paint jars. At the end of class, you simply dump the bucket(s).
- Microfibre cloths for cleaning up spills - squeeze into the bucket.
- My friend Elisabeth suggested using old T-shirt pieces for paint rags, & for 'burnishing' the canvas after 'glazing.' (I had paper towels at each station as well) With the 'glaze' step, we cover the whole canvas (or part!) with a mix of water and a transparent color, to Integrate the colors & elements of the painting. You can let this dry, or burnish it in.
- Inexpensive plastic tablecloths (Dollar Store) on the tables, & be sure to wipe dry after use, so they don't get musty in storage
- Tabletop easels (we could have painted flat)
- A clock 'just in case' the room doesn't have one (this one didn't)
- I brought several 4' x 5' tarps to have under the tables/chairs (Duck taped to the rug at the corners, to avoid tripping)
- TV table for my paint supplies
- Master's Brush Cleaner for the brushes when we were cleaning up - helps extend the useful life of the brushes
- Square trays (dollar store) for each paint station - I'd purchased these before my 'Soulful Story Card' class, & they are a boon for keeping supplies corralled!
- Totes & a good Dolly for transport (I am still acquiring my tools for this!)
- I got a 12 x 12" three drawer container for the paint & other small supplies
It was a fun class, our ladies are still 'in process ... a couple of the students already paid a visit to the art store, for paint, a new brush, ... while I got a jar of the brush cleaner, & D hooks for the back of my wood panel paintings, which will be in my next show at Walnut City Wine Works.
And this morning, my Muse was whispering in my ear instructions for crafting our next class, 'Medicine Woman' .... stay tuned!
 |
| Harvest Muse - WIP |
Posting to Paint Party Friday - & to Express your Creativity - come join the party!
Some of the questions we have been pondering throughout our Color of Woman Teacher Training - 'who are my beloveds?" - "What is my content, the offerings that light my interest, & meet the needs of my community?" & "What challenges have I overcome to get here?"
One of my challenges was breaking my arm in March (!! - the last time I'd been in a hospital, besides Childbirth, was when I had my tonsils out at 6!!) JUST before our Teacher Training 'Quest' began! That threw me for a loop! I could paint (It was my Left arm, & I'm right handed)
... but ....
I was SO Tired! & I spent the first couple of weeks recouporating at my daughter's home (& my supplies were at my house) I was able to go home around the time our classroom 'opened,' & proceeded with the coursework.
I did considered stopping before I began, but was encouraged to stay in (Including deferring payment till I was working again!). Ah, what an intriguing way to begin, to persevere, and overcome that set-back!
 |
| Who are my Beloveds? |
One of the painting classes we were offered is a one day workshop, doing the same Color of Woman method, but shortening the time allotted for painting & journaling. We have had access to those videos for 5 months, & I began my painting some time ago, 'between' some of the other assignments. With a class scheduled NEXT WEEKEND, I am reviewing that workshop, & continuing with the painting.
She's just waking up, with the features roughly sketched in. It's always fun to see them at different phase, unfinished, but with lots of character!
What will come next??
Linking to Paint Party Friday
In our Intentional Creativity Teacher Trainings, an early assignment was creating a deck of 'Soulful Story Cards'. These area deck of colourful and personal affirmations, tied with a Red Thread.
Over the years, I've worked with Affirmations in a number of ways - in a Loving Yourself class, taught by my friend Joyce Marvel & based in part on the work of Louise Hay, we made Affirmation cards, sprinkled them with glitter, & posted them on our mirrors, carried one in our wallet, & wrote them in our Journals.
A year or so later author Douglas Bloch, author of 'Words that Heal' gave a talk to a women's group, & gave us a practice for bringing the negative voices out, and listening for the negatives, then rewriting the affirmation, back & forth, over & over, till the affirmation became the dominant voice!
 |
| Soulful Story Cards |
In The Artist's Way, Julia Cameron writes: "An affirmation is a positive statement of (positive) belief, and if we can become one-tenth as good at positive self-talk as we are at negative self-talk, we will notice an enormous change." Like Bloch, Julia suggests writing out the affirmation, then the 'blurts' which counter it, & suggests identifying their origin - who told you that?
The Soulful Story Card practice comes at the affirmation by first writing out the 'stories' that hold you back, critic chatter, or negative beliefs on one side of a slip of paper: "I never have enough time!" "I'm too old" (or too young, or too busy) "I'd love to do my art, but I don't want to end up a starving artist" ... and then writing an antidote on the other. These are done on index cards or slips of paper, then the Antidote is transferred to your Watercolour paper & decorated.
When a client or friend 'affirms' a negative belief, I often ask if they wish to reframe that, & affirm something positive instead! I'm offering Soulful Stories as a Red Thread Session this weekend, and will guide a group of Soul SiStars through the process of bringing old beliefs to light, and creating their own Storycard Deck.
 |
| Biz-Muse |
I also finished my Biz-Muse, with her Visionary glimpse into my values, offerings, & whom I'll be working with, my Beloveds!
October is a month of appreciation for this year's harvest. I am grateful for the wonderful teachings & supportive community of Shiloh Sophia and the Red Thread Sisterhood. As I move toward Graduation (in November) & completion of the assignments, this cycle of visioning and claiming who we are & how we wish to show up!
Happy Paint Party Friday!!
