Intentional Abstract - Paint Date
Hey Beautiful Soul,
how are you feeling in these unprecedented times?
Do you feel anxious, upset or isolated? Are your emotions and thoughts running wild? Going through all the ups and downs, without pausing to take a breath?
Filled with a desire to fill the time that opened up in your schedule with a meaningful practice to (re-)connect with your creativity and playfulness, allowing your inner wild child to team up with your wisdom?
I feel you. None of of us have experienced this before and it is bringing to the forefront a lot of anxieties that we escaped from before, amplifying all the misalignments in our lives that have been begging for our attention for so long, desires that we have been putting off.
I’m here to invite you to s l o w d o w n and connect with the yourself as a creator.
Engaging intentionally with expressive art and movement practices helps you to surrender your mind. It allow you to create the S P A C E for your own wisdom to offer you guidance in these challenging times.
Imagine:
- a comfortable, relaxing container to ease you back into self-trust and welcome you back home to your body and your deeper knowing
- a peaceful place where you can align with yourself so that even in times of tumult you feel grounded.
- a safe space to (re-)ignite your joy and playfulness so that it can lead the way to your wisdom
☆ Do you feel that you are "not creative" and can’t paint, but wish you could?
☆ Do you wish you had a consistent creative practice yet find yourself constantly struggling with lack of consistency, follow-through & support?
☆ Do you often feel restless and stuck in your thoughts?
☆ Do you feel overwhelmed and confused, struggling with your inner critic?
How would it feel for you
☆ to surrender your mind and get in touch with your intuition.
☆ to process your swirling emotions,
☆ set up/anchor and manifest your intentions,
☆ get answers and guidance from within
through a playful and hands-on process of creating art?
Are you ready to surrender your mind and express yourself with intention?
An Intentional Abstract Live Session offers you the opportunity to slow down, explore your very own creative expression and be in gentle inquiry and refelction with yourself.
In this intimate live class, you are guided through a creative activation using breath work and movement to root you deeply in your body and breath, so that you can feel free to create and express yourself from a place of embodiment and receptivity. We explore expressing ourselves through abstract painting and weaving in our intentions, emotions and intuitions. Throughout the 2 hour process, I am there painting along with you and sharing my process so that I can guide you to your own answers and make sure that you are supported, encouraged, and inspired.
We will come together live in a small virtual group of no more than 8 people, connected through video.
The whys, whats and hows...
Why is each step important?
Why breath?
Breathing is the beginning of EVERYTHING. You literally cannot be without it. In the physical - obviously - but also in the spiritual sense. Breathing consciously is the fastest and most effective way to switch into BEING-mode (vs doing). Drop from your head into your body and soul space, so that your inspiration can kick in, your muse can meet you don’t have to try so hard. From this place you can enter the awareness that art is being created though you.
Why movement?
I get my best ideas and inspirations in yoga class. (This copy is literally written on yoga mat.) When I feel stuck or out of tune with a paintings I’m working on, I put on some music and dance with the painting - allowing myself to get out of my head and into my body, loosening up and clearing the channel so that inspiration to come through. Think of it as dancing with your muse - inviting her in to move with and through you.
Why intention?
Think of intention as a red threat that is leading you to where you want to go in a labyrinth of choices and distractions. It’s what is keeping you on track through all the ups and downs to keep moving in the directions of your desire - in the artistic process as well as in life. The thing that you know you want deep down in your heart
Imagine infusing your art with your intentions and let it become your declaration of your desire, a witness and a sign post for what you are calling in, processing and opening so that you you can receive.
Why play?
There is nothing more potent and creative than playfulness. Think of a child that encounters life with curiosity and without attachment to the outcome. In a playful mindset, you are guided by your excitement and the joy of the experience that allows you to let go of expectations and be open for insights.
Why are YOU teaching this?
I used to feel that I wasn't good at drawing or dancing. I loved doing both because they would still my mind and my swirling emotions, but I kept being frustrated with the result I was producing. It felt like I could never express myself fully to my satisfaction.
It was when I disovered through yoga the feeling of conscious movement, of feeling deeply into your body and being lead by your breath that I felt like the channel for my expression was opening fully. When I started to apply this principles to free form dancing and consciously moving my body as well as my paintings, I finally achieved a break through in my artistic expression. I could finally surrender and receive the magic and messages that were through through my art.
Today, I am a Creative Guide - when not quarantined, teaching in person art classes and Aerial Yoga.
What if I don't have any experience or art skills?
Perfect. This guided experience is not about creating the perfect painting, but about exploring your own innate creativity. And there is nothing like a beginner’s mind to do so. So enjoy the feeling of starting with a blank canvas (couldn’t resist ;) ) and just be curious for the experience that you are about to encounter.
How does this benefit the rest of my life?
☆ You are getting in the practice of creating intentionally from a place of alignment.
☆ You are cultivating a way of communicating with the wisdom of your intuition, learning to trust it.
☆ You are practising holding space for yourself to be open to listen in, be with what is coming up for you as well express and release
☆ You are getting into the habit of a creative, playful mindset -being led by your excitement, encountering experiences with curiosity and joy
What do I need?
space to move and dance as well as paint, preferably a set-up that lets you do all of this in the same place
art supplies
I love to work with acrylic paint on canvas or paper the most, especially for creating abstract painting and so this is what you will see me do in this class.
If you want to give that a try - wonderful. In any case, these sessions are about opening a door and rooting you in your own creative practice and expression, so if you feel more comfortable with other mediums or they are simply easier accessible for you right now, give that a go. Don’t let your supplies limit your curiosity - get creative with what you have!
That being said, here are my go-to art supplies
for working on canvas or acrylic paper
- canvas or acrylic paper
- blue, magenta & yellow (all transparent), titanium white
- 2 -3 different, favourite brushes
- paint markers and/or oil pastels for mark making
for working in an art journal
- 130 gsm or more paper art journal
- acrylic paints
- paint markers in white and black plus any colour of your choice
- flat brush