Circle of Women, Creative Rituals, Reflections

Yesterday I had a very moving kind of spiritual day. When I woke up there was this very powerful nudge to invite people over for an afternoon of creative play.  I chattered about what I wanted to do with the husband and with the space I have to do it in...one thing lead to another and I was sending off an email.  Because of guiding the artist way over the years there is a tribe of wonderful women and my book club that I reached out too.

I got the vacuum cleaner going and tended to picking up the house...Received a few emails back which confirmed my intuition for the day. I got as much ready as I could and had to head out to my Friday spiritual meeting.  When I drove up to the meeting place I saw old faces and was awe stuck.  These are my elders, people that I so awesomely respect.  I was so excited to be in that present moment and then I walked in the room and seen more comforting souls and all I could do is say thank you.  It's not about the things these day as much as the way you spend your day and I was witnessing this first hand.

I might have posted this a few days ago or not but I'm keenly aware of the images and what it means.  July / August section of my vision board. I think I need to get a black embroidery hoop...or a hoop and paint it black... then I need to dig through my feather box and attach some feathers...not sure why but going to follow the nudge...and while  I'm at it I might as well get a few more and paint them up for the each direction.  

Something about answering to a creative ritual, that nudged me to call out to the women in my circle and have an art journal day... and you answer to the nudge. 

Only two of my women folk were able to make it...I was so delighted...heck at the last minute you receive an invite...I wasn't sure what would become of it.   I picked a topic of Vulnerability...it was so good and so fitting for us as we got into our creative play. 

Spiritkeeper, part of postcard from the art fest I went to in Chicago a week ago and the carin...I love these.

As we worked in our art journals....one of my woman folks was sharing about the images we pick and how we can ask them question and then use them to more insight for our journaling...I was attracted to the woman in the old photo I found at a resale shop and glued her in... and the rabbit facing outwardly....but turning away..walking away.... not fighting anymore, not trying to play the game, retiring for the day...so many things could be happening by turning away and walking away...Why?  it will be a question I ponder on when I see this each time in my journal.

The papers were made on the right with rusted objects and Hibiscus tea....working with my watercolor pencils and pattern making on the left...the machine stitching I so love.

These are four pages that I'd worked on yesterday.  With all my collage work, teaching and such it's hard to admit that I don't do this as much as I want to...but I'm actually showing up and allowing myself to just do.   I can't look at other's art journaling though because I know in the past it's blocked me from doing what I need to do and express in my own journal..though it's always cool to see what others are doing...I aware of what it does to me.

I love to gather papers, make paper and do thing to the surface of paper...and yes I love to make hand made plant fiber papers too.  So paper is my medium...what I do to it and with it is my love even the smells of paper, excite me. 

The approach of a holistic art making is appealing to me more and more... little did I know I've always come from this process of mind, body and soul work expressed outwardly in many forms.   All I know is I'm grateful for all the elders in my life as I've grown up that the allowed, encouraged and nudged me to do what I do...work with my hands and with paper in so many ways.

I'm reflecting back to my word for the year...Live = Alive

Live- to maintain oneself, to have a life rich in experience, to pass through or spend a duration. Act out, practice. Vigor, Gusto, Enthusiasm.

Alive-a force, alertness, energy and briskness, marked by much life, animation or activity, swarming. Living, Breathing, awake, aware.

And now I revisit these three very important questions and look at my answers to them as a guidance.  From my understand it's really good to stop and reflect on them a few times a year...inner compass for a higher source? I would say so.  I took these three question and really reflected on them and took the good and bad of my personhood, and accept it. 

Who am I?

I am one that has witness change.

I am one that has experience anxiety and fear.

I am one that continues to seek deeper understand of my thoughts and actions.

I am one that loves so deeply and has a hard time showing it.

I am one that see her blessings

I am one that seeks balance through struggle, emotional most of the time. 

I am one that seek eldership

I am one that needs to work with her hands

I am one that likes to make order and hangs on to details

I am one that holds hope for the world always.

I am one that seeks feminine wisdom.

I am one that keeps standing up and stepping forward.

 Why am I here?

I am here to be to inspire

I am here to be with a loved one in union of marriage

I am here to share my view of the world with my art

I am here to guide others on the creative path

I am here to come into my heart of hearts

I am here to walk a spiritual path

I am here to continue to connect with nature as my spiritual path

I am here to be of service in a creative way

I am here to be vulnerable and open

I am here as a woman, daughter, sister, mother and wife

I am here as an artist.

Where am I going?

I am going through life always learning

I am going through my emotional troubles and finding gratitude

I am going into elder years with some fears and some hopes

I am going to continue to be an inspiration and creative person

I am going to be lonely sometimes

I am going to be over excited and a bit out of control at times

I am going to love with a crazy heart

I am going to see life a lot of the time through a very emotional state.

I am going to be slowing down

I am going to be follow my hearts desires more

I am going to let go of others more

I am going to stop thinking I have path or the way to for you….myob...

I am going to work on just taking my own action forward and not thinking I must share it all the time.