Living Our Dreams

11.11.11. an Evening of Creative Intention

CANCELLED-Sock Monsters with Lynne Cassidy

Sewing Silly Sock Monsters
 
Lynne Cassidy 
Saturday January 29-CANCELLED
9:30 am - 2 pm
How many of us have somehow lost ONE sock in the dryer. What do you do with that other lonely sock? MAKE A SOCK MONSTER.

Every sock has the potential to become a one-of-a-kind sock creature. Just as Michelangelo looked for an image within the rocks he carved upon, you will look for the little creature that emerges from within your stray socks. Come and have fun turning new or stray old socks in loveable sock monsters. No sewing skills are necessary. Participants are encouraged to bring their own reusable supplies just as their favorite old stray socks (clean), buttons, beads and sewing supplies (colo

 

Labyrinth as Creative Tool by Guest Author: Laura Kirk

 I am on a labyrinth quest, and thus far it has been an amazing journey.  My desk at work is now surrounded by small scaled labyrinths: my coffee mug, my finger labyrinth, a metallic labyrinth sticker which sits at the base of my computer, and a photo of a labyrinth that I built a couple of years ago with two friends.  These mementos are reminders of the incredible sense of peace, joy, and self awareness that I find when I walk the labyrinth, and I have been blessed with the opportunity to walk labyrinths now in many different settings.

 

Most would describe me as quiet and reserved, but get me talking about the labyrinth and watch out, you might just need an hour to listen to my stories as I can barely contain myself. I was skeptical when I first walked; not sure what I was supposed to do, what would happen, how I would feel, but as I allowed myself to open to the experience and remain present, I found that with each walk I discovered a deeper sense of connection to myself, to my surroundings, to others. And now, I can’t stop walking.

Five years ago, I’d never walked a labyrinth and now the labyrinth turns up in my life in all kinds of ways. I’ve been to labyrinth workshops in Denver and Morgantown, Indiana, yep the heartland of America. I’ve walked alone and with 400 others; in an urban setting and by a small mountain creek; on all kinds of labyrinths painted on a canvas, mowed in the grass, made out of pavers or masking tape or bundles of sticks or carefully placed rocks; inside a building and out in the landscape.  I’ve walked with friends and I’ve walked with strangers. I’ve walked to celebrate birthdays or just settle my head. And I can honestly say that there’s no right way to walk; every experience has been fulfilling and enlightening in its own way. I have met so many new and interesting people along the path and I look forward to meeting many more.

In three weeks, Jo Ann Mast will be coming to Carbondale to host a workshop on the labyrinth. Jo Ann is a Master Teacher for Veriditas, which is a California, based not-for-profit dedicated to introducing people to the healing, meditative powers of the labyrinth. Jo Ann was my teacher at a labyrinth facilitator training, and I am so excited that she has agreed to come and share her labyrinth experiences with our community. In addition to her teachings, Jo Ann will be bringing her canvas labyrinth, which we will unfold in the round room of the Third Street Center. For any of you that have ever been in the round room, it’s a fabulous space all on it’s own and I can’t wait to feel the energy hum with the labyrinth canvas centered on the floor.

 

So if you’ve walked before come join us to deepen the experience. And if you’ve never walked, but have been wondering what’s all the buzz, come and walk with us. There’s always something new to learn on the path. And if you don’t know who I am, I’ll be the one dancing through the labyrinth unable to contain my joy as the lights die down.

This Week at The Spark! Sunday Aug 1 - Sunday Aug 8

Another FAB week! Thank you to Mark Noel aka Jerry G., for volunteering yesterday during Open Studio. Mark shared his cool tie dye technique under the tent in the backyard. 

THIS WEEK AT THE SPARK...
Tel: 970-618-0561

Awakening the Painter Within Sold Out! Contact me about the upcoming Fall Class
Monday's
Time: 6 - 9 p
Fee: $120.00 (4 week session)

 

Deepen your Intuitive Painting experience with this small, intimate, facilitated group. Each week, we will begin with a guided meditation and create an intention to Awaken The Painter Within. The group will be kept to 6 participants to allow time for facilitation and group sharing. Prerequisite is at least one attendance in a Soul Session Sunday. Call 

970-618-0561 for our new dates.

Punch Pass Summer Series Classes this week: 

S U N D A Y
Soul Sessions Sunday

Date: Sunday, August 1
Drop In: 9:30 a - 12:30 p  BRING LUNCH
All ages
Fee: $35 or 3 punches on your pass ($10.00 a punch)

Embark on a sacred facilitated journey to rediscover and re-connect with the playful child within through the art of intuitive painting, drumming and movement. 

 

M O N D A Y

Express Yourself: Summer of Imagination
Muse Whisperer: Gerry Michel
 
Monday,  August 2
Drop in: 10 a - noon
Class Fee: $12 per class or $10 per class with punch pass

NOTE: EnVISION DreamTime - POSTPONED until August 9th

Date: August 9
Time: 6 p - 8:30 p
Registration required...
Please RSVP if you plan on attending or call 970-618-0561
Are you looking for a circle of support to help you take some bold steps toward your dreams? Creative Awakenings author, Sheri Gaynor, takes you on a visual journaling adventure, using her EnVision DreamTime Art of Intention Process. Suggested reading: Sheri's book...Creative Awakenings: Envisioning the Life of Your Dreams Through Art

 

Spill it Sister! 101 - The Art of Visual Journaling for Teen Girls
Muse Whisperer: Sheri Gaynor, Author of Creative Awakenings: Envisioning the Life of Your Dreams Through Art

 
6-Week Punch Pass Class
Monday, August 2
On-going 
Drop In: 1 p  - 3 p 
Class Fee: $12 per session or $10 with the Summer Punch Pass

Ages: 8-17 Have you wanted to find a way that no one could read your "secret" thoughts and ideas? Join us for the weekly Spill It Sister - Open Studio Gatherings. Bring your journal, personal photos, and favorite papers and gather with other sisters who are spilling their hopes and dreams to the page. For more information or to register, call 970-618-0561 or email sheri@sherigaynor.com 

T H U R S D A Y 

Express Yourself: Summer of Imagination
Muse Whisperer: Gerry Michel
 
Thursday, August 5
Drop in: 10 a - noon
Class Fee: $12 per class or $10 per class with punch pass

F R I D A Y 

heART Yoga: Hatha Yoga and Creative Expression
Muse Whisperers: Janne Nikolajsen and Sheri Gaynor 
 
On-Going Friday, August 6
Drop In: 8 a - 9:30 a
Class Fee: $12 per class or $10 per class with punch pass
Ages: 15 - Adult 

Open Studio Fridays
 
Every Friday - Excluding First Fridays
NO OPEN STUDIO THIS WEEK...FIRST FRIDAY's
Drop In: 1 p - 3 p
Class Fee: $12 per class or $10 per class with punch pass
All ages welcome: Experience THE SPARK! Take a break from your work week and start your weekend with a boost of creative inspiration. Open studio is pure experiential time. The studio will be open to all ages for wild hearted creative expression. Bring a project you are working on, or come meet other like-minded individuals. There will be lots of materials to choose from or bring your own.

First Friday's Open House Event: Artist Felicia Trevor
Trunk Show

Friday, August 6, 2010
Open House: 5:30p - 8 p
Details to follow...

Yogabeats™ and David Sye coming to Creative Spark Studio!

Transformation Yoga and Fitness and Creative Sparks Studio present . .

YOGABEATS™

Discover Yogabeats

 

Unapologetically sexy, empowering, provocative and exploratory, Yogabeats is more than just Yoga, it is pure fun.  This practice is driven by music and rhythms, leaving you higher than a kite and glowing for the rest of the week.

The magic of yogabeats can never be fully understood in any way other than in its participation, because then the lines between the idea and the experience dissolves into a mind blowing feast of all the senses.

Transformation Yoga and Fitness is proud to bring in David Sye, "England's most adventurous yogi" to lead all of the workshops.

The Spontaneous Dance of Life
From fear to joy, freedom, and health
Saturday June 12th
Third Street Center, Carbondale 
Creative Sparks Studio
10am - 1pm, $45 with live drumming

Chocolate Meditation 
and Chocolate Yoga
Intimate two hour evening candlelight workshop and meditation
Saturday, June 12th
 TYF Studio in Basalt. 
*Contact Kendra Ford Wexler for more information at 970-618-0206 or email kfw721@hotmail.com.

Pure Intelligence with the 
Ability to Play
Dropping egoic control to embrace play and joy along with a practice in Chocolate Meditation
Sunday June 13th
Third Street Center, Carbondale 
Creative Sparks Studio
4pm - 7pm, $45

Contact Kendra Ford Wexler with Transformation Yoga and Fitness atkfw721@hotmail.com to register!
 

Where's Sheri?

My goodness! It's been 10 days since you've heard a peep from me. My life is buzzing faster than a bee makes honey and I fully confess, I'm having a bit of trouble keeping up!

I am getting ready to put together a March update filled with updates and happenings, so make sure you are on our mailing list or check back on Wednesday for all the juicy news!

In the meantime, I am VERY PROUD to announce our latest program Living with Cancer: Visions of Healing and Hope. I will be Co-Facilitating this wonderful series with friend, and breast cancer survivor Diane Kenney. 

Photo Credit: Sue Drinker, Putting a Face On Cancer

Diane is an amazing and talented artist. Following her recent treatment for breast cancer, Diane was determined to find a way to "give back to other women, going through this difficult experience." We are teaming up to create a nurturing, healing and creative experience for cancer survivors. Please visit Diane's site to see some of her beautiful and inspiring ceramic work. 

 

Please join us for our Introductory Gathering, 

Wednesday, March 24, 2010 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm 

at The Mandala Studio (in the Fleisher Company Bldg)

I've uploaded the flyer (Download LWCFlyerfinal). If you know someone who might be interested in attending our Introductory evening, please pass this on, or send them to the Introductory Gathering, web page. We have also created a Facebook Living with Cancer Group page, where women can gather and share their stories.

7If you are interested in becoming an  LWC Angel sponsor or donor, please contact Diane, for more information.  

We hope to see you soon!

Studio Location in the Fleisher Company Bldg (Gateway Plaza): 

View Larger Map

Enter through double doors to the left of Independence Run and Hike. First left down the stairs. Bottom of stairs are the restrooms. Across from the woman's restroom is our studio. 

The Art of Intention

Remember this created October 5, 2009? 

 

It has manifested to this....The Mandala Studio: A Center for Expressive Arts and Transformation! 

EDUCATION.....COLLABORATION....COMMUNITY! 

Opening with a special Soul Sessions: Painting Your Heart Out, Harvest Blessing, Sunday Nov 8th! Join us and Rock Your SUNDAY!  

Sunday Soul Session and DreamTime Monday!

Photo: Clockwise L-R Laura, Sheri, Kat, Flash, Toni, Judy, Heather, Julie (not pictured Randall but I couldn't do it without her!)

It's DreamTIme Monday everyone! Here is a personal story of long held intentions that have started to bear fruit....

Yesterday we had another glorious Sunday Soul Session. The day was filled with paint, passion, movement, journaling, connection and sharing. 

I was blessed to reconnect with Julie a friend who I have not seen in 20 years who attended the Sunday Soul Session. Her sister Carrie was my best friend growing up and we too have reconnected over the last few years, which has brought me so much joy. These women were the "sisters I never had," and their family became a home away from home during the most treasured years of my early life. 

We had a few out of town visitors! Laura invited her wonderful friend Heather, who came from Denver to paint with us, and BIG SURPRISE, Julie came all the way from New York! Julie called and said, "I hear the calling and I need to listen...I have a fantasy of coming to Colorado for Labor Day weekend and I am creating an intention to make it work." Julie answered the call-which I think was actually a HOWL-FIRST for herself, and then corralled her friend Judy from Phoenix to fly in and meet her! WoW ladies...THANK YOU! I am SO grateful you joined us, your energy was contagious. 

Photo: Randall's piece not shown in group photo

Today I had the realization that during our class yesterday, some new seeds were planted for what's to come and some old seeds have borne fruit!! I tell you gals...The Art of Intention really works  and what's important is that it doesn't always happen when WE THINK it should...it happens when the TIMING IS RIGHT! 

Will you join me in creating your EnVIsion Art of Intention for the month of September? If you are ready to answer the call, click below, leave a comment and let us know what your stated intention will be. The more people we have holding that intention, the more charged those intentions become! That's why I call it DREAM SPIRIT! 

If you would like to learn more about DreamTime Monday's, you can read about it in my book or join the discussion in the Creative Awakenings Salon. 

Happy DreamTime!

Craftcast Open House!

Tomorrow! Sheri Live on Craftcast.com Wednesday, August 5th 8:00pm-9:30pm EST Join me Wednesday for an Open House at Craftcast.com. Join host Alison Lee and artists like Seth Saravick, Timothy Adams, Robert Dancik and more, as we talk about upcoming classes and more! Here's the best news...IT"S FREE! Register today

So much GRATITUDE!

Warning.....it's a VENT session...but it has a happy ending.

Some of you may remember that my Art of Intention™ for June was to RECIVE! This has not always been an easy place to go for me, but I am staying with the idea and opening my heart to the possibilities. 

June Art of Intention™: Receive

Yesterday I was given a true gift. I had reached the end of my thread about finding a home to teach my classes, in this absurdly expensive Valley. I was tearful at lunch with a dear friend, talking about this issue and the changing state and values of my beloved community. We love to talk about COMMUNITY here, but really, I see yet another town, going down the glutenous path. Landlords would rather sit with empty storefronts, then reduce their monthly rents. What is the point in that? A tax write off? 

I can share with you that when I have this discussion with "business people," their response to me is, "Raise your rates." This doesn't work for me. I already charge what I consider to be a large fee, but work on a sliding scale for clients in need and each year I chose a pro-bono when a client-generally a woman who is living with cancer. Okay, so maybe that IS my problem, but it's also an inherent value that I have to SERVE not just an elite few, but to SERVE people in need. 

Don't get me wrong, I am VERY lucky, I have a beautiful home, a wonderful studio to work in and share with clients, but it's tough enough financially living in this Valley, and it's not large enough to do my classes and workshops. I gave up my reasonable space, when the building sold and they went to 30-day leases, and the pressure from the landlord that the building could be torn down in the "next six months."  Well, due to the economic meltdown, the building still stands-albeit with the requisite 30 day lease. I am not a gambler, so I left and moved home...shame on me. There are days I feel as if my hands have been shackled behind my back, as my desire to share the work is so strong. I have crammed women into my small space and we have crawled over one another in the spirit of creativity.

I called one place on Monday, but the reception was cool-to say the least-and since my second intention this month is to "GO WHERE THE RIVER FLOWS," -I decided to open a new door, to a new possibility. I called a man who owns a fine art studio on Main St. It's a YUMMY working studio! A big brick space, with a paint splattered floor  studio and huge paintings by the artist hanging everywhere. I took a risk...I reached out and asked..."Would you be willing to let me host some classes here?" His wife was so warm and open..."I think that sounds great, let me talk to Magid." 

Magid, called the next day and said, "Here is the schedule, we would love to have you. You can use the studio any of the times we are not here and we can work out the one night a month." I began crying immediately and told him I could not believe how open and generous he was. Truthfully, I had been thinking of calling him for months, but didn't. I don't know what the resistance was about...fear, possible rejection, lack of "readiness?"  Before we hung us Magid said, "I read your book, it's very good. I like the ideas you have expressed about creativity."  This blew me away again and meant a lot from someone I consider a Fine Artist.  Magid knows color theory! And what's perfect is that he's an artist NIGHT OWL, and I'm and ARTIST EARLY BIRD! Are schedules synched in real time!

And so the VERY HAPPY ending to this story is that Magid and Ruth have allowed me to BELIEVE again. To believe there are others out there looking to make a quick buck off someone else. People who "get" the TRUE meaning of community and what that means at the deepest level. People who understand the concept of SUSTAINABILITY and that things aren't always what they appear when we simply look at things from the OUTSIDE. 

SO for those of you who are in the Valley, Painting Your Heart Out, Soul Sessions and Sunday Morning, Painting Your Prayers begins again in July. If you're in Carbondale, stop by Magid and Ruth's and thank them for their BIG HEARTS, COMMUNITY SPIRIT and LOVING GENEROSITY!

Let's Paint Our Hearts Out, Paint Our Prayers, dance, move and make a HOLY MESS! 

Magid and Ruth...this Soul Session's for you. xxoo

Title: My Cup Runneth Over