Creative Fairy Godmother

  With the lockdown in 2020, we began offering Virtual Circles as a pivot from the in person gatherings I hosted the previous 5 years, after graduation from Color of Woman . One of those early circles was   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. Thinking Cap 2020 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 circles - over the past 6 years women have joined from Oregon, Washington & California, to Arizona, Wisconsin, Ohio, New Jersey,  ... & Florence, Italy, Ireland, England, Germany, NZ, and even India! It is always a treat to see how our muses interact and inspire each other.  For Thinking Cap , we began with a couple of readi...

 In 2018, Shiloh Sophia revived the medieval practice of gathering those who have developed proficiency in an art or trade into a Guild of Journeywomen for the graduates of the Color of Woman teacher training. We'd had a Graduate group for several years - this was the 'next step.'  With the addition of the Motherboard Coaching program, and Red Thread Guides, the Guild now includes graduates of those programs as well. (The Certifications page has links to the prospectus for each program.) Active Guild benefits include a monthly call, which may include a teaching, and access to a graduate Video library (or Continuing Ed appropriate to the other trainings) including additional classes we can receive a license to teach after completing  (inc: Apothecary, Legend, Diva X...), and volunteer or employment opportunities are offered to guild members first.  S epha, Nadya and Shiloh, 2016 Nearly 20 Guild Gals c urrently live in Or egon and Washington , and several of us met fo...

 I recently sent a note to a graduate who writes beautiful blog posts, and HAS an Instagram page, but hasn't posted much to her page. She just completed her website, so it's a perfect time to add that link to her bio, and begin recycling some of the great content from her blog!  I love to write - and I am  lazy   frugal enough to want to use what I've written different ways! One is between blogs (I confess, I have several!!) I often borrow content from a personal blog, to repost on one of the support blogs, editing to match the audience. I've done the same with my website, and if I want to post something on Instagram or Facebook, it often appears on my blog before or after. Atelier Altar I began my first blog ( Creation Station ) after reading an article about how simple they were, and could be set up in 15 minutes - who could resist?? And it worked!!  Often students and graduates who don't already have a website feel a bit stuck as they consider creating one....

  Wow -  I have 1300 (now nearly 1400!) followers on Instagram!  Canva Thank you Graphic I began posting on Instagram three years ago, after Maestra Shiloh Sophia suggested Guild members use the #intentionalcreativity, and see if we could boost the numbers of posts over a thousand or so tagging our brand! We are now at 19.7K! I love the visual focus of Instagram, which is ideal for our artist selves. Our own Stella Mac posted tips on using Hashtags, which proved invaluable!  (you can use up to 33, about 12-15 are most effective - and be selective!) In those early days, I  wrote ,  "It's been fun playing with my pictures for posts, making little montages (which don't always behave!) And meeting new virtual friends! I love the journal pages @quantummemoir does, and ... I'm @nadyakingartist ❤" Do you already have a page on Instagram? I invite you to begin posting your art and share inspiration!  When you start typing a tag, suggestions will come up - bypa...

The invitation reads: " Your SOULWork Project is a culminating presentation exploring Intentional Creativity as applied to a personal interest. Plan to take 6-8 hours taking your interest to the 'next level.' Document in the way that makes sense: writing, link to a hosted URL, etc." How do we make that connection between a personal interest and IC? A good place to begin is to pull out your journal, your Medicine Basket, and  draw a couple of Story Cards.  Sit with your paintings, and inquire,  What are some of my Personal Interests and how do they dovetail with IC?  How can I serve MY beloveds and my Soul Purpose?  Perhaps do a Metacognitive Drawing around the inquiry.  I originally wrote about my SOULWork from the perspective of being a Grandmother, and using it to support my grandchildren. While that's been a part of work since the beginning, when my 4 year old grandkids added strokes (invited!) to my CoW paintings, I realize that another thread is my off...

  As you've traveled through your CoW Quest, you likely have been filling journals with your process,  progress, and messages from the ladies! I use spiral bound art journals for long paintings (Legend, CODEX), sketches symbols and Metacognative drawings, and have covered and repurposed a bunch of composition books following Catt Geller's lead. And I love making Cards!! As we begin to offer classes, we need to find ways to introduce and include journaling to balance the painting for process, symbols, messages and insights. Often during a first class or circle, a beloved tells me, " I don't really have an art journal, is that ok?"   While  of course  it's ok, ( you can't get this wrong!) ,  it's helpful and satisfying to have a journal (+) dedicated to projects, and to process what's  up  in our life!  For in person classes,  I often provide little journals, and encourage their use throughout the class. I may send a prompt around the...

As we move toward the finish line of any project or quest, it can be tricky to find balance between completing and overwhelm! It can help to dance between the  Easy Wins , and your more challenging tasks, to pace yourself, and - breathe!   You've got this!  I love Jena's lists - checking off what you've finished and submitted is such a good feeling!  It may help to choose one or two of your remaining assignments to focus on next, perhaps a set timer (20-45 minutes) then take a break. Pull out a calendar, and schedule time to spend with your Muse.  While we want to complete, there can be fear around leaving the Nest of this kind, supportive community!  Last winter, I was in a friend's EFT tapping group session on business, and one of our inquiries was around being successful - what fears arose when we thought of having more clients?  We tapped around being busier, and that it's OK- and important - to set boundaries as well as intentions! The le...

At times, writing about our paintings can be a struggle,  and how do we translate their messages for the initiate book? One of my periodic practices is calling council!  Like getting information from an individual lady, I set paintings around me, pour a cuppa, and invite their wisdom. I allow myself time, and am creative in my inquiries! Are there ladies in addition to the 5 from your quest you wish to include in your Council? Perhaps one painted with Shloh or another IC teacher, before you began Color of Woman? While you may not include their stories in your book, they are part of your story and journey! Note :  per a recent inquiry, Jena replied that many graduates share their poems and writings in their Mother tongue, if English is their second language; with just some captions and highlights in English for their Initiate book!  I called my first Council on Summer Solstice 2014, after finishing the second painting in Flora Aube's Art of Allowing online course, Sek...

As Shiloh Sophia said during Talisman,  " This is the time and space in Color of Woman to go further in your own healing journey and practice, to prepare yourself to teach in a very empowered and conscious way. ...   "Be mindful yourself not to try to save anyone else - let them have their process without needing to fix. Just witness. Which is what you will be doing as teachers - witnessing, not fixing."  This is especially true as you near the finish line on your CoW Quest, and consider what's left: The writing!  Teaching that 13-step class.  Feeling The Time Crunch The WRITING!! And Oh My Gosh!  What happens after I finish??  What do I say for my  Artist Statement  and Bio and ...?? How do I write about my paintings? Wherever you are on the quest is exactly right for YOU!!  All of your personal challenges and triumphs, the setbacks and surges; each unaoidable tragedy or glitch!! And - you've got this! ! You've come so far already ...

 As we near completion of any project or quest, we may bog down at times, or see a Shiny Object - (I think we all have a bit of SOS - Shiny Object Syndrome!!) it may be the call of another class or training, wanting to redo an earlier painting, or just that life 'happens,' and we begin to vere off course ...  As recently mentioned in the group, now is a great time to purchase a copy, or download the pdf of the Color of Woman book, for present and future inspiration and tons of wonderful information and gems of wisdom! Blessing Flower This fear of  missing out , and an urge to chase the  Shiny Object  are part of a  Mindset  that can lead to distraction! What would it take to start, and  then  see if we need more information? Can we set a task aside for a wee bit as we gather info, or start on a simpler one? I love Jena's monthly posts outlining the basic 'to dos' which can really help us focus in! It may help to print or write out the a...

  Back in 2014 when I took my first Intentional Creativity® classes with local teachers, one recent graduate, Heidi Sequoiah Moondancer , had begun promoting her classes on MeetUp .  She gave us the link to her group during our September class, and commented that inspiration for her next offering often came during a class, so she'd choose a date and post it right away! I went with my friend Nancy, who encouraged me to take Color of Woman,   "so I won't have to drive to Salem for classes!" I joined Heidi's group, and took another class in the spring, between painting Legend and the beginning of Color of Woman. (I slipped and broke my arm right after that, but that's another story!!) With Heidi at grad 2015 In the spring, I met her SiStar graduate Lora, who lived in Sherwood 45 minutes North of me.  Lora mentioned she was teaching a class to paint your Mermaid - ooo! I asked if I could audit it, and she asked, "why don't you co teach?"  So I d...

 One of the scariest of our painting process with Intentional Creativity is the  "risky glaze,"   where we take our painting into the fog ... During my  first class , our teacher Elizabeth handed us a spray bottle, a big brush and transparent color (Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold) diluted with a bit of water, and a soft cloth (piece of T-shirt). She had us lay our canvases flat, then demonstrated spraying the canvas, brushing on the color, and then burnishing it in, using the cloth! ... And then we went off to lunch!  Yikes and  Wow!!  Used this way, a glaze integrates the colours we've used, and helps unify the picture. It also offers an opportunity to reflect on what is going "into the fog," what concepts are being integrated.  We move back  (5-6 feet away from the canvas) to gain perspective, and spend some time with our journals, exploring inquiries, "what do you want me to know?" ... "What can you help me understand and integrate?" .....

 One of the most important features of our painting is the expression in the eyes! And the way you paint eyes distinguishes your work - we each have our own special touch!  Our Art Doctors often give tips on how to bring in the light, and more expression, especially as we're competing a painting. You'll want to develop how you'll teach this in your own classes.  One of the teaching tools I created early on was painting a background, then a bunch of different eye shapes and angles on a small canvas board - maybe 10×16." Some are looking down, some forward, the pupils may gaze to the right or left; eyes may be more open, or mostly closed ...  I also demonstrate eye shapes on a big paper or whiteboard, inviting questions, and have them practice sketching eyes and other features on paper or in their journals, and develop ones they particularly like. Here is a lovely little video tutorial our IC sistar Emily Grieves created on bringing light to the eyes! Her example is on...