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! 

Painting with Intention

Intentional Creativity® offers an approach to painting (and other creative projects) where we set our intention at the beginning, and follow our curiosity, using inquiries and letting the brush lead. It is a way to activate Breakthrough, without Breakdown, to attune to  inner guidance and own images. It can also be a powerful mindfulness process. As we paint dots, dashes and other repetitive patterns, we move into a flow state. 
Changes occur in the electromagnetic field around us, when receive from the unmanifest, and bring that information through the portal, into our painting. 

We begin with a theme, often choosing an archetype to provide a framework and images for our painting.

• How do we connect with our Muse of Creativity, or lead a more Legendary Life? 
• What are our Super powers? 
• What gifts sand talents are in our medicine baskets?

While the themes, and archetypes are limitless, we are encouraged to choose one that lights us up, or has us "shaking in our boots!"

Siren Song 

Whether working on our own, or teaching a class, I use a step-by step method designed to foster insights and inner access. Founder Shiloh Sophia writes, "There's something sacred about the container, about the formula holding you, that allows for freedom to emerge. You are going to create an intuitive painting, from the heart of your own self. You'll learn to use your visionary lens for Active Imagination to connect with the light and spaciousness of your own sovereignty."

We usually begin with a visioning, a guided Meditation focused around the archetype it theme of the painting. Everyone has their own paths of access, so while some may receive visual images, another will "hear" something, and yet another may have a more tactile experience, including the hint of a scent. 
There's no "right or wrong" way! Even if you feel you didn't "get" anything, as we spend time with our Journal and canvas, images and symbols emerge. The painting become our visionary Portal.

Juju Journal · One of the keys to the intuitive painting process is moving back and forth between the canvas and our Journal. Using image and inquiry, we follow the thread of the story we are weaving, and access information we didn't know we knew. This practice of asking for information and allowing images to emerge helps is transform old stories, and gives us more bandwidth for good juju.

As we move through the steps, we build upon previous layers. Something you loved may later get lost, to, perhaps, re-emerge later, like a dear friend, well-met after years apart! So we remind ourselves, don't get attached! (And take photos!) 
With our inquiries, we note where something similar happens in daily life, hmm... and may ask, 'how does our guide receive information?' 'What symbols does she have?' 'What are some of the trials and dangers faced?' 'How does she overcome them?' 'What weakness is she ready to transform?'

Student painting - in progress

Partway through, we send our lady into the mist with a risky glaze, spraying the canvas with water, and using a big brush and diluted transparent color to unify the painting, and send her into the Fog! I wrote about glaze options in my last post, and additional glazes adds depth and luminosity. This is a great time for journaling, exploring what is going behind the glaze and getting lost, what is coming through? How does she want to re-emerge?

Step by step, we journey to the heart and soul of our lady, to our own heart and soul! Sometimes we get discouraged - have I lost her?? ... Ah, no, there she is! Lose her, find her, lose her! ... This dance may occur several times, as we move towards completion. Confused about what's next?
Ask her.
Listen. Record ...
Bring in more light, illuminate - we're *cooling sacks of stardust* - the light beams from within! 

At some point - during the Workshop or later, as we feel compete,  we sit back at least 6' and hand her the pen. This is a time of inviting information, her statement, perhaps a poem. There may be a message about the next mission, insight into an old story, a recurring roadblock, codes, secret language, a lexicon of symbols...

And even after we'd done this "final step," ... We may get called back to the canvas (often years later!!) Because she wants something else! ... 
And if we're listening, we come!  

Apothecary 2019

Our painting community is embarking on another journey into the alchemical plan of the Apothecarian, with around 100 from around the globe using the process of inquiry, journaling and paint to transform tragedies into remedies. 

This will be the 5th time Shiloh and Jonathan teach Apothecary, and is the second online version. (You can read about last year's journey here)  Our art journal prompts come from the wonderful Jenafer Joy, and are awesome as usual. The process itself has been put in the crucible, and is being distilled for IC teachers to offer our own versions of Apothecary to local students.

I am one of the gals witnessing and offering support in our online classroom, and am working

Altar holding space

this morning to get my space ready. For more than a year, I've been "in process" with moving my studio from my dinning nook to part of my living room, about time I finished that project, don't you think??!! (Where does the time go?)

Yesterday we opened the Apothecary class with a Zoom session - this is such a great way to connect with community! 
Shiloh invited us to do a couple of "pen and paper" exercises, identifying one old story that was coming up - draw a representation of it, then find and draw an antidote. 

These processes are so accessible, and are one of the tools I use in my coaching practice. Mine was around feeling I need to do it all myself - the antidote is the triple spiral of connection/ interdependence! 

Journal process

Time to get back to the clearing and shifting of the Atelier! 

Happy Paint Party Friday!