Living Our Dreams

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. 

Balancing Act

I hit the wall yesterday and right in the middle of a friend helping me with Cash Flow Projections, I burst into tears. It's been WEEKS of crunching numbers, looking at the BIG picture and growing programs. In between all this, there were clients, an online class, studio classes and home life to tend. 

So, what's the first thing that got cut out of the mind-body program? Creativity. Yes, true confession, right smack dab in the middle of our online expedition, I let go of my own creative process. So why am I admitting this embarrassing secret? Because it's important for you to know...it happens to all of us, if we don't make this part of our lives a priority! 

So after my tearful tantrum, I knew what was wrong. I was completely out of balance, from living in a world that does not "feed," my soul. After the tears, I could feel the familiar surge, that was literally ready to boil over.  I hung the Do Not Disturb sign on the studio door, got out my pastels, so I could work quickly and move the energy, and began this piece...upside down-which is actually how I felt. When I began working on it, it was from this angle. It wasn't intentional, just something I saw in my minds eye.

 

She then evolved into the image you see at the top of the post, and I finished the piece "right side," up. I have titled it, "Seeking Comfort," as the yellow figure appeared to embrace and hold her. As with all my expressive arts work, none of this is planned. I allow the work to spill from my soul and evolve. There were times while creating this that I heard, "Oh, you screwed it up but putting that arm around her neck," but I know better after all these years then to let my "Venomous Toad Committee" run the show. As I continued to work, the figure behind appeared and it all made sense to me. 

In the end, how long did this take me? About one half hour, which tells us that we CAN fit this into our life if we keep it simple. Sometimes, these quick "sketches," are just that, places I can return to if I want to develop it into a larger piece or painting. I always hang my images up, so I can look at them for awhile, and let them whisper to me. That's how I know where to go next...
 

The beauty of the expressive arts is allowing the image to unfold. Getting out of our own way, out of our "mind," if you will and letting the muse speak TO us. I have to say, I feel much better today, and ready to go in to the studio and work from both sides of my brain! 

 

Bliss 4-XI Native Gathering of the Americas

A cloud of Eagle Wings over the pasture at 6:30 am this morning, as we gathered for an opening ceremony. I have posted the full album on my FB page, as I have to get back to help at the conference. 

What a blessing to be a part of this amazing experience. 

 A Native American Elder and Medicine Woman from Argentina, light a sacred candle in honor of the sun rising over the mountains. 

In a spontaneous moment, I ran to the studio to get a roll of paper and crayons, to create a mural of the stories we heard this morning. We worked in the back of the room as the elders shared their prayers, songs and stories.

Art knows no boundaries....I am BLISSED!  
 
 

  

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!  

Learning to "See"-Part 1

During our last Soul Sessions class, one of my students who has worked with me for awhile said, "I finally get it, I get what you do, it's CREATIVE RECOVERY." I stood there dumbfounded, as I had never thought of it that way, yet when she said it to the class, and I saw all the nodding heads, I felt like I was finally able to "name," what previously had been intangible. 

As a result, I have been thinking about these last couple of weeks about what it takes to find our own creative voice. Learning styles and techniques from mentors and teachers is a very important step in our creative recovery. It's a safe and playful way to open the door to rediscovery and remembering that art and the creative process belongs to everyone. 

This is Emalie, my friend creative Goddess Linda's grandaughter. The voice narrating is Stephanie, Emalie's mom. This video, will make you weep, if you've forgotten..

At some point it's time to begin to trust the source within. Your source, your innate creative wisdom, the golden gem you were born with. At first this can be VERY scary! No magazines? No photo transfers? A blank sheet? Yep! That's exactly what I'm inviting you to do and I want you to know I experienced those same cold sweats when beginning my own creative recovery so many years ago. Oh the voices...they were VERY VERY LOUD! Remember...I became a photographer, because I was told I could not "draw," and had a deep need to express what was inside me. 

So what's the first step to beginning this journey? All it takes is the willingness to take a risk, to make a mess and the willingness to accept what comes WITHOUT JUDGEMENT! The intention is NOT to make a pretty picture. If you begin there, it's a set up, because you are beginning AT THE END...not at the beginning with the Zen concept of "Beginners Mind."

Soul Session-#1, 1999

This is my very first Soul Session, created in 1999 on newsprint with acrylic paint on a tarp on the floor of my bedroom. What's your first impression? Go on, be honest, you won't hurt my feelings, I promise! I show this painting to all my introductory students in Soul Sessions. It's the first painting I did when I decided to find my own voice. I made an agreement with myself that I would not show the paintings to anyone. I would date and title each piece and when I was done, I would thank whatever showed up, talk to the Venomous Toads and then put them away. It wasn't easy to tame the Toads at first, but eventually I was able to learn to accept what showed up, knowing that the image had something to share with me. 

Art is accessible to EVERYONE, not a select and elite few. Would you like to take a risk today to learn to see? Take some time today and finger paint. Be willing to PLAY...that's all that's required. 

Continue reading as our series continues and leave a comment and let me know how it's going.

Gypsy Spirit Outpost-Abiquiu

©1992 Sheri Gaynor

I leave tomorrow for the Land of Enchantment, for a week long personal retreat with the wonderful, wild Chris Zydel, who I will be teaching with in October. 

 
©1992 Sheri Gaynor

I am heading to Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu, New Mexico, home of MZ. Georgia O'Keefe and although there is much to do before I leave, I am counting the hours until I can splash and spill, and Paint My Heart Out, for an entire week! I can't imagine what will come of this time in Abuiqui, meeting Chris for the first time, meeting new amazing women and giving myself time to Replenish My Well. 

Just to let you know, there is no phone service and apparently limited email, so I am going to take a REALLY BIG JUICY Gypsy Spirit Adventure. 

Before I go, I wanted to give you a small gift. Last week we reached 500 members in our Salon. I am so incredibly blown away and grateful to everyone who has shown up ready to do the work and the members who are actively supporting and encouraging one another to DREAM...CREATE...LEAP and FLY! 

I posted a little Giveaway Goodie..The Rock Star Tutorial featured on pg. 30 in the book for your Milestones Passport. 

Happy Trails to everyone...as I ride off into the New Mexican sunrise....Enjoy...

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!

Shifting Tides

Earth rumbling beneath my feet,  shifting tides reveal tiny grains of sand