Creative Fairy Godmother

  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...

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...

 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?" .....

 Here you are, at the threshold of teaching your first 13 step class - you've painted your Legendary lady, and have morning tea with your Muse. You are engaging with your inner Artist, your Taliswoman.  You've gathered tools for your Medicine Basket, and rewritten some old stories ...  And now... It's time to offer that first 13 step painting class!! Yikes!!  First - Breathe! You've got this!  You have likely been gathering ideas for your theme, and jotting down notes from your CoW SiStars' classes. It's great to have a folder of journal to collect these!  This is a good time to sit with your Muse, journal to refine your ideas and choose the name -  Muse of ___ or Queen of ____  is often a good start. Shiloh often suggests to choose a theme that is juicy for us right now, and perhaps has us shaking in our boots. Gabriella - my first Muse End of the first day - 2014 This usually  isn't  the time for offering your ideal destination retreat...

 Muses each have their own energy and timing, their own interests, inquiries and inspiration. Shiloh Sophia, the founder of our Intentional Creativity® community, has provided a wonderful format for inviting our  Muses to flourish, and encourage us to shine in our own special ways! Since painting my first Muse Gabriella in 2014, I've danced between painting, journaling, creating cards and codxes and being in conversation with my paintings. Sometimes when I'm at a crossroads, or at the turn of a season, I call council with some of my ladies!  You might wish to bring out your Legendary Lady, and Muse, and any other recent paintings, plus your notes about them, and the intention you wrote on the canvases, and call council. Pour a cup of tea and sit with your journal and your ladies.  Put on some music, perhaps what you painted to, or something you currently love. What messages and insights do your ladies carry for you? Do they have suggestions for how to proceed? W...

  Beloveds who are new to our painting community are often a bit nervous  (shakin' in our boots!)  when it's time to do the first glaze! And why not? We're got several layers on the canvas, we may really like what's there -  and now you want me to cover it up??  Ugh! How do we best explain and share the process with these new beloveds? When I took my very first  Muse class  in 2014, I was having a good time with ceremony, visioning, painting and journaling, ... Then Elisabeth told us we were going to paint over our canvas with a  Risky Glaze  - ¿paint over? ¿glaze? Yikes!!  So how do we glaze and why? Applying a glaze, a thin layer of translucent paint, is a great way to integrate what has gone before, and is a key component of our process with Intentional Creativity® It is also a simple way to add  Mothercolour , which brings harmony to the whole painting. APOTHECARY - glaze and biophotons Supplies : Spray bottle, adjusted to mist ...