Creative Path

"This is where the door is opening, will you peek through?  

"The most regretful people on Earth are those who felt the call of creative work, who felt their own creative power restive & uprising, & gave it neither power nor time." 

- Mary Oliver -

My friend Brenda posted this quote several years ago, & went on to write "Sums up my feelings after lots of soul searching earlier this year & the realization that my one regret is that I never went to art school. I looked at schools & prices, and none of it really resonated in my soul. Then I started looking at teachers I admire, classes that inspire, souls I love. ... 

"I realized the classes I love the most are the ones that are intuitive, access the soul, invite inner listening, etc." 

My friend Jeanette wrote "We are all Creative Beings. This is our birthright, regardless of our circumstances, talents or beliefs. The invitation is to discover how your creative gifts will be used to create a reality that is worthy of your Soul's incarnation."  

In 2015, I enrolled in Shiloh Sophia's Color of Woman teacher training, a potent 9 month course that empowered my creativity, and converged with my own healing arts and teaching pathway.

I was the kid who drew in the borders of programs, and drooled over paint by number kits, and got blank canvases to use the leftover paint. In grade school, I was asked to draw a camel for some Christmas art project. Later, I was frustrated in my HS art class during our pottery unit - in 50 minutes, my clay was usually too dry, or too wet! I took a few classes art both in college, and later at our local Community College, and doodle sketched in meetings ....

Since graduating from Color of Woman, as a Teacher and Coach, I've opened the door to creativity for many others, shine wounded by college art trainings; encourage others as they complete the IC training, and as they begin sharing their own offerings. 

I love collaborations with SiStars from our local community, including our bimonthly Red Thread Circles with Linda, and with our international SiStars. 

Wherever you are, there's likely an Intentional Creativity® or other intuitive art teacher near you, or available online.

Sedna - stone Cairn

As we head into 2021, many of us are committing to daily practices, whether on paper or canvas. Most days I with in my journal or on cards. Last spring, I began exploring the NW Inuit Legend of Sedna, in a painting journey with my Austrian SiStar Tania McGinnis, and am stepping through that portal again.

While some in our broader community are moving into a degree program, others of us are on an independent Soul Curriculum path, focusing on both our own offerings, and as Brenda said, exploring classes which pique our curiosity, and are "intuitive, access the soul, and invite inner listening;" and like Jeanette, "discovering how our creative gifts will be used to create a reality that is worthy of your Soul's incarnation."

  
Have you opened the door to your own creative path; will you step through the portal?   

Happy Paint Party Friday!    

Red Thread Circle Time

We began offering Virtual Circles as a pivot from the in person gatherings early in the summer, and one of those early circles was Thinking Cap. 

What comes to mind when you hear the words Thinking Cap? 

Some of us had done the process during a Guild members call, and we chose it for our August virtual Red Thread Circle offering.

We did this one during a Guild members call last year, and this week for our virtual Red Thread Circle. 

• What image comes with the phrase "put on my thinking cap?"
• How do you access information and your intuition - do you have different access channels?
• Are there different caps for different purposes?
• What feels unique? What similar to others?

I love our smaller circles - 15 women joined - from nearby Albany Oregon, to as far away as Florence, Italy! It is always a treat to see how our muses interact, and we inspire each other. We began with a couple of readings from my co-host Linda Allen and then a bit of Metacognative drawing - put pen or market on the paper, and  do a free form doodle, while thinking of the phrase, "___ my thinking cap" (activating, accessing, what's ...) we drew for about a minute, then wrote about what we accessed. 

We went on to sketch/ paint an image of our Thinking Cap for 5-10 minutes - and what a delightful variety of images emerged, and then shared during our Red Thread Circle. Cindy recalled doodling light bulbs in her college notebooks when she had "ah-ha!"' moments!

One lady showed up at the base of a tree, with messages in the roots and leaves - which led to a wonderful discussion of how tree communities support each other, sharing nutrients and connection via the mycorrhizal fungi... 

It is such a joy to share time and creative process with this community, 4 of the gals are in this year's Color of Woman teacher training - 

CoW intern Carol Fairbanks led one of our circles last month -Creating Home with Your Heart as one of her IC events - and last weekend Christy Cozby led her own version - I did the first in my Juju Journal

And the one with Christy on canvas - the prompts led to recalling the cute 50s home my dad painted pink, with dark red trim and a white roof (to reflect the Central Oregon sun) ... And the Blue Door of my piano teacher's little back room Bible Bookstore. 

 

Carol is offering her second IC session this Sunday  in a longer session- Tea Time With the Muse - you're invited to join us! 

Happy Paint Party Friday! - enjoy the artsy blog roll! 

Collaborations

Since my own journey through Color of Woman teacher training, I've had the pleasure of collaborating with several SiStars in our community! 

The very first collaboration was at the beginning of my CoW journey, June, 2015! Graduate Lora Pirtle invited me to join the PNW MeetUp group, and post my offerings there. When I asked about auditing her upcoming 'Mystical Mermaids' class, she replied, "no, teach it with me!"
Here are the class photos - I played harp during the visioning, and she'd prompt me to show them what's next throughout the afternoon. (Yikes!!)

Serena of the 7 Seas

The next collaboration was as I was gearing up to teach my 13 step class, Dancing with the Muse. My friend Sepha, who'd been teaching Paint Nite for several years, gave me tips for teaching in a carpeted room without running water (the chapel at my church!) and then attended! 
She asked great "beginner" questions that helped keep me on track, and helped with set up!! (The link has some of her excellent tips!) That fall, Sepha enrolled in CoW '16, and we co-facilitated many monthly circles and periodic classes over the next several years. 

Sepha, Nadya & Shiloh Sophia - 2016

With this Spring's turn toward offering circles and class virtually, I decided to invite SiStars to co-facilitate my monthly Red Thread circles, and added a second circle each month. It's exciting to team with gals who live over an hour away, and can't easily attend our in-person circles, and to benefit from their different passions and soul work.

In May Linda Allen, who is a graduate of both Red Thread Guide and Color of Woman courses, and is finishing Catt Geller's Cosmic Smashbook course, offered "What's in your Basket?" (during this time). Linda has a strong background in crafts, and we've both woven baskets, so she she suggested a 3-D approach! 

Morning's basket, leather, twine

In April, I teamed with EFT (tapping) practitioner and CoW graduate Sherry Rueger Banaka, with a Metacognative process in resilience and short tapping sequence. Gals from her tapping community joined us from England and British Columbia! Our second June circle will be with Tina Green, who recently moved to Washington State.

One of the benefits of collaboration is that wider reach, connecting with beloveds from afar and from different circles, all connected by the Red Thread. Yesterday, our attendees included 2 other IC graduates, and two students - one in CoW 2020, one in RT Guide! Each is interested in co-facilitating a circle.

Whatever the field, collaborations invite us to think outside the box:

• Who has wisdom and skills that complement yours?
• Might beathwork or movement be a good addition? 
• Can someone help with set up in exchange for attendance?
• Does a friend know a craft or skill you'ld like to learn? 
• And who is responsible for what? (Spreading the word, registration, teachings...)

My circles are currently complimentary, but when charging for events, it's important to be clear about the logistics of how expenses and income from an event will be split.

One of the silver Linings during this time of social distancing is the opportunity for unexpected collaborations!!

Happy Paint Party Friday!