Monster In Me Workshop at Into the HeArt Retreat
I sent in my application to teach at Into the HeArt with a whole lot of doubt and "Oh man this is scary" in my heart. And then I got the email that my workshop proposal had been accepted and I was like, "For reals? No way." I am finding my path and this feels like a big part of fulfilling my life purpose to teach art with a focus on healing and heart opening. I am so excited to be part of this amazing group of artists teaching at and organizing what I know will be in incredible experience.
Into the HeArt is being held in beautiful Harrison Hot Springs May 22-25, 2014. You can find all the details of the reatreat weekend at www.creativefinds.ca and a description of my Monster in Me workshop here.
True North Retreat Weekend
And speaking of retreat weekends, I have been looking forward to this one for a while. I had a vision of gathering a small group of women for an intimate retreat weekend called True North. I wanted us all to have a chance to take a step away from our daily routines for some self-care and reflection. We visited the Perfect Retreat Centre on gorgeous Galiano Island this September, a picturesque waterfront home.
Before the retreat, I asked each woman to bring an object to represent herself at our opening ceremony. We gathered in a circle after a soul-nourishing dinner of vegetarian lasagna prepared by my amazing friend Aly, who fed us lavishly all weekend long. Each woman had a unique cloth bag adorned with the True North logo, sewn by my co-organizer Amber. The bags contained an art journal kit, a print of my artwork and some sweets. On top of each bag I placed a candle and a goddess card. As we opened our circle, I invited each woman to light her candle and add the candle and her chosen symbolic object to our alter area, and to read what her goddess card said. I chose the goddess cards randomly, and yet each woman spoke to how the card she had received had deep meaning for her. As we completed our alter area, we symbolically left behind our everyday worries and responsibilities, leaving us free for quiet moments of reflection, laughter, tears, and creation.
Our time together was filled with amazing food, heartfelt conversations, yoga, wine, art and journaling. Rainstorms came and went, and in a beautiful clearing offered us an incredible sunset that we watched from a hot tub on a cliff overlooking the ocean while an eagle circled overhead. There was time for togetherness and time for precious moments of alone time. Spontaneous jam sessions happened in one room while art journaling took over the kitchen table. Women who didn't see themselves as artists learned the joy of losing yourself in a new form of self expression.
The time went by too quickly, and as we packed up the next morning to return to our families, we all agreed that next time we would have to spend longer here in this magical place. Each woman took something special away from our time together. For me, it was an affirmation of the importance of radical self-care. Not just survival, but building a life that has room for grace, for gentleness. And also a deep feeling of fulfillment, of finding joy in coordinating this event, knowing that it is just the beginning for me, knowing that I have so many more like it waiting to unfold.
Mumfection Interview
I was recently interviewed by the lovely Eschelle Westwood of Mumfection for her blog series Mom of the Week. I talked about motherhood, art and life lessons. You can read the interview here.
And more to come!
I am brewing some exciting stuff behind the scenes here. New art shows, workshops, and a book that has been brewing in the back of my mind for the last few years and needs some dedicated attention to come to fruition. This coming year is going to be a good one. To make room for more creating, I will be blogging here less, but posting more on my Facebook page.
I am brewing some exciting stuff behind the scenes here. New art shows, workshops, and a book that has been brewing in the back of my mind for the last few years and needs some dedicated attention to come to fruition. This coming year is going to be a good one. To make room for more creating, I will be blogging here less, but posting more on my Facebook page.
So that's all the news for now. Thanks for reading, and have a beautiful day!
