Gratitude and Vivid

This week our creativity community is engaged in a week of journaling, painting, and lots of opportunities to connect, led by different constellations of SiStars, in a gathering called VIVID.

Cup of Creativi-tea

I'm distant learning aide for my Grands, so I've been participating sporadically, and poking along with the painting ("there's no behind!") We began Sunday creating new Cosmic Smashbooks with the Creatrix Catt Geller! 

The day culminated with the graduation ceremony for the Color of Woman Class of 2020 - what a year for it!!  I am so proud off this amazing group of women who persevered and completed the quest, and those who took extensions and will be continuing on Muse Time! I am a behind the scenes support for these gals, as they move at their own rate, bringing them hummingbird medicine.

I've also been creating Neurographic doodles, and an engaged in a Gratitude practice. Developed by a Russian psychologist, Pavel Piskerev. I am reminded of our Metacognative drawings, and interested to see how the two will interface.

Neuro noodles

Gratitude practice, Day 1

• This week of Vivid
• Spending time with my Grands
• The return of a couple of bodywork clients

Gratitude #1 + Joy Rebels

Yesterday we had a session with one of my CoW classmates, Katherine Whiteman and her daughter Katie (18) who graduated the next year, and is our youngest EC teacher! They led a wonderful session in finding joy - Joy Rebels!

Day 2

I am grateful for

•  my basically good childhood (50s-60s)with a stay at home, well educated, curious mom
•  a good, hard working, involved dad
•  Lots of time in nature, camping, riding the neighbors' horses, just playing! 

Gratitude 

I look forward to getting back to my painting panel, and meet my MYSTIC legendary lady.

Happy Paint Party Friday!

What's in your Basket?

It's so fun to be collaborating with my Red Thread SiStars on virtual circles! Linda is graduate of both the Red Thread Guide and Color Of Woman, and competing the Cosmic Smashbook certification course! She's also a super craftswoman, and basket maker. 

Our inquiry for yesterday's circle was "What tools do we need in our baskets now?"  With choices on how to create our baskets using simple materials! Linda and I've both made pineneedle baskets, and brought one to share on our call! 

Pineneedle basket

Several women from Oregon joined our call, plus 3 from E Canada! As usual, the finished pieces varied in materials, shape, colors and contents. I tore strips from a privacy envelope, colored with Inktense pencils them wove the strips, and glued then to another envelope to make a pocket. One gal wove silk strips, others added feathers or bark ...

Nadya's basket, Red Thread and vision plan cards

Linda's basket and collage

Our next circles will be June 11 & 25th, at 1 PDT. 
The link will be on the MeetUp announcement. I look forward to more collaborations with my IC SiStars. 

Margie's basket

What tools do you need at this time?

Jana's basket - handpainted silk strips 

Enjoy creating - and happy Paint Party Friday!

Cosmic Smashing

One of my favorite protects is to create Cosmic Smashbooks, and Art Journals! 

When she was in her color of Woman teacher training, my Red Thread SiStar Catt Geller wanted an option suitable for low-income participants. She thought of using simple composition books - and Cosmic Smashbooks were born! I corresponded with Catt, and was granted permission to teach local classes, and love seeing the books that emerge! 

Reiki 2 Good Medicine journals

This year, Catt is launching her Teach the Teachers training, and there are still a few slots open! Contact her if you're interested! 

Here's a lovely little tutorial on making an art journal with watercolor paper. I like making small themed booklets (a even simpler format is the fold out style, no sewing!)

Apothecary jars 

And here are a few art journal page ideas -  let's art journal  
Looking for inspiration? Here's a challenge with monthly themes: Art journal journey

Do you have a favorite format for art journals? 
HåPpÝ Paint Party Friday! 

RT Circle Guide

Since she was a teen growing up in California's Bay Area, Artist Shiloh Sophia has been calling circles, gathering people, often "misfits and outcasts," inviting them to belong. In her art galleries, she often set up a station to create, and invited guests to do a project in art and inquiry. 

After a brief sojourn in art school, and resulting frustration with the focus on realistic painting, and scathing "critiques," she returned to her roots and independent study with her mentor, Master Painter Sue Hoya Sellers. (1936-2014) Sue invited everyone she knew to, "commit art," and Shiloh Sophia has taken that invitation literally.

After almost a decade of offering the Color of Woman Intentional Creativity program, which Hoya Sellers helped establish, Shiloh Sophia launched Red Thread Circle Guide training.  Around 50 women from around the world who are healed enough, and ready to call Red Thread Circles in their own communities are enrolled in the training. I am excited for these SiStars, and the beloveds who will be served. 

A Chinese Legend tells us a Red Thread connects us from before birth with those we're destined to meet. The thread may twist and tangle, but it won't break, and gradually draws us closer. We each have our own piece of the thread, what is ours to cause and create. RT circles help us identify our own piece, and to connect with others in our tribe. 

I have offered RT circles for the past three years, since my enrollment in the IC Color of Woman training, and am honored to be one of those offering support to this first RT Circle Guide training. 
Last night our monthly circle included 7 sisters and two Guides, including my 13 year old granddaughter. KK was my "guinea pig" for my first Red Thread Circle in 2015, helping me practice my first offering, a Cosmic Smashbook cover. 
Our inquiry art circle was what Renewal we are seeking this Imbolc season, what are we Devoted to? What title would we put on our "book?"

We created a small book, using 1/4 sheet of 90# watercolor paper, folded the long way and torn into two strips for a 6 page, single signature booklet. We used watercolors markers, and colored or Inktense pencils to create our covers, and red thread to tie the signatures. 

Inquiries:

•  Cover - what am I devoted to? What's my new Myth? What is my book Title?
• 1/2 - What is the challenge/ old story?
• 3/4 Middle - symbol / words of transformation 
• 5/6 - Renewal, devotion, resolution

 A Nation of Women With Wings 

These little booklets are easy to create, and could hold more signatures - here's a post on making a simple single signature booklet, and one for two or more signatures. This is a great project for any age and topic! Have you made booklets?  Post a link in the comments! 

My IC Guild cohort Sepha used three strips of folded paper for her booklet (for 10 inside pages), and painted a symbol that commonly appears in her art on each page. I love that idea, and am beginning one to contain the symbols I use. Do you have symbols, shapes orcolors you use frequently?

Though Shiloh didn't originally plan to include doing a painting in the Red Thread Circle Guide program, that's so integral to her work, we are working on a canvas "after all!" Here's the beginning of mine, the circle, with symbols for myself in the center.  ... 

HåPpÝ Paint Party Friday

Vesta and Crown

Sunshine Award

The Sunshine Award is an award given to bloggers by other bloggers. It is awarded to writers who are creative, inspiring and bring joy (sunshine!) Into the world! Dia's Creation Station was nominated by Wendy Fairy Art; thank you, Wendy! 

Once nominated, the blogger is requested to wrote a post which includes: thanking the person who nominated them with a link back to their blog, answer the 11 questions, nominate and notify 11 other bloggers who inspire and bring joy and Sunshine, write 11 new questions for them to answer, ...

Let's begin

How frequently do you lifeplan, and what does this look like for you?

Goodness, I don't know that I do! Well, more in little ways than BIG, ...I did a lovely vision planbook for color of Woman a couple of years ago, and am making another one soon. I make lists and plot out monthly overviews at times.... at others, fly by the seat of my pants! 

Vision plan book

How do you keep yourself on track and accountable when you need to?

Lists and those monthly goal pages... (I don't always stay on track, and tire of adulting!)

Where and when do you do most of your writing?

I've kept a journal since I was a pre-teen, and usually have a blank book around for that. I love composition books, and have several themed Smashbook and at journals going, ... I write about creativity and take voluminous notes in those. I write my blog posts on a kindle, and love to "swipe" rather than type! (Though auto correct has its way with my words!) I write anytime, journal most mornings, blog, often in the evening.

What or who truly inspires you the most? 

I'm inspired by Maestra Shiloh Sophia, she has truly influenced thousand of women within our Art community and beyond, and done much to bring Back our awareness of the divine feminine. Ram Dass is a wonderful spiritual way shower, and great man not overly impressed with himself! 
I love reading, all sorts of fantasy and fiction, especially with strong female characters, books on feng shui, my We'Moon calendar, channeled and other inspirational books. I'm entranced by Stars, rivers, mountains, the ocean and the natural beauty of our blue green planet. 

What advice would you give now to your fifteen year old self?

Don't take life too seriously, and don't sweat the small stuff! Heritage Is Important, and Indian sand painting and basket weaving are beautiful intentional practices! (Not a "waste of time" to study!) Keep creating, and keep smiling!

Where in the world feels like home to you?

Oregon, the Pacific Northwest, the mountains/Breitenbush Hot Springs. I'm playing for the forests of the West, in this season of fires, and especially my beloved Breitenbush. May the rains come soon! 

Where would you like to live, no limits? (not necessarily the above)

A cozy house on a lake with lots of Windows and boho style and a serene studio with great light for painting.... a houseboat! A tiny house, caravan, or mountain chalet, an octagon house (I loved in one for a year at Breitenbush) or wooden yurt.

What are your most important personal belongings and why? 

Good Medicine

Mmm, some precious books and journals, my harps, (3) and music, my paintings and art supplies, red Thread, my electronics (kindle), crystals, handthrown pottery cups and bowls, wooden spoons, Oracle decks. Essential oils, flower essences. I like pretty things, most essential are my "Tools" for balance and harmony. 

Do you think your physical "stuff" can hold you back?  - Why (or why not)?

Ah, living in this western society, I have way bunches of "more stuff" than I need, and there's a certain "weight" to knowing that! I'm better at weeding stuff out than actually getting it out, lol! And being a "boomer" a bunch of that is paper, other is inherited.... Like many, I am working on pruning, and I love the concepts of feng shui. But I'm a creative, and love having lots of supplies! 

Name one thing that if you did, would change your life for the better: 

Being More organized with my paper flow and those responsibilities, sigh. This is a subset of a lean toward procrastination in general.

Which of these was the hardest question to answer and why?

#2 ... what's "on track?"

Coming soon...

Part 2 - my nominees and the 11 questions ...

Ooo, and I want to invite YOU to the Nurturing Soul Spa my friend Heidi Sequoia Moondancer is offering! 

It's a FREE online event, from Sept 18-30, so sign up now! I'm one of two dozen guest teachers from around the globe, offering sessions in movement, breath, visualization, and other exercises to spark your creativity and recharge your spirit! 
We'll begin with a Red Thread Circle for quantum connection, led by Maestra Shiloh Sophia. My offering is Qigong and Qi Massage! I'd love you to join us! 

Happy Paint Party Friday!

And thanks again for the Sunshine Award nomination, Wendy! 

Artists for Love

On Friday, I was the Heath Tender for Shiloh and Flora's Power Creatives TV EXPLORE, which was a wonderful offering! Women from around the world joined virtually for café, and then an afternoon of painting! With so many telling in the aftermath of the recent U.S.election, it was a much needed respite. 
Sepha and I set up in her dining room Atelier, and used 16x16" canvases, so we'd both fit at her dining room table!

Paint station

I was so please this morning to see this Journal 52 prompt and tutorial on a spread for standing with community and diversity! 

Art heals! 

Phoenix Rises