Regular art classes never worked for me. I don’t bloom in instructional settings.
It was when I first experienced painting in a sacred context, in a place of personal intimacy and depth that I opened up and found my inner painter alive and well.
Actually, I was completely shocked by how much energy I had to express and how good it felt to not know what I was doing but to do it anyway. Big brush, big canvas, big voice—it all came together.
I was lucky. I had someone who saw my unleashing and told me to keep painting. And I listened to her. I kept painting.
It is now my passion and a substantial part of my life’s work to help others experience their own freedom when picking up a paintbrush. One way I do this is by creating painting experiences that are steeped in sacred space and playful possibilities.
There is magic in the room
- We gather in a sacred circle, candle lit, and begin the morning with a few minutes of quiet time. You will be guided in each painting session with a short meditation and some body movement to help you begin with ease.
- You will never hear that someone likes or doesn’t like your painting in the experience. This is my cardinal rule. No one will come up to you in the middle of your painting and begin a conversation or tell you how much they like what you are doing or how good it is. Nothing shuts down safe space more than hearing positive or negative judgment concerning your painting process.
- No two people paint alike. Some people will paint images, some will paint color and texture, and some will paint words… I invite in a range of painting experiences from healing/therapeutic process paintings to spontaneous creative expressions without “meaning”.
- You will have anonymity in that we agree at the beginning of the day not to identify anyone individually when sharing experiences of the workshop once it’s finished. No need to feel self-conscious!
- The materials are very nontechnical. We use liquid acrylic paints, paper plates as pallets, and industrial black paper as our canvas. Crude and simple, these materials will help you feel free to experiment and explore. No white canvas “Oh my god! How do I start?” moments.
- Inspired poetry and background music help fuel your creative fire and focus your spontaneous play.
- You are off the hook for making a painting! Process is queen. You can have an incredibly fulfilling workshop experience without liking your painting.
- You have dedicated painting time to paint with or without individual conversations with me. Some people flourish on their own, in silence, while others need time and/or a conversation with me to help them get unstuck or expand in some way.
There are a million ways to paint, to write, to dance. No one way of approaching art making is possible or desirable. This, however, for me is true: Sacred space is essential to all my work as a creativity-based coach and an intuitive painter. I see people without any painting experience bloom in this intimate, conducive environment.
If regular art classes aren’t for you, but you’d like to paint and express your self heart-fully and passionately, I urge you to give yourself the gift of a workshop experience to paint in.
It might just be the soul elixir your creative spirit has been waiting for.