Announcing Spring Offerings

wood block print by Silky Hart

I’m excited to announce several brand new groups and workshops.

Registration is now OPEN!

GROUPS
Fully Deeply Alive
Co-facilitated with Cathy Woodyard, LPC
This group experience will take you on a quest to explore your intuition and creativity in a significant and meaningful way.
For more details and to register, click HERE.

My Body, My Creation
Co-facilitated with Cathy Woodyard, LPC
This experiential group will guide you in moving your body from a source of resentment, rejection and shame to a source of creation, intimacy, appreciation and acceptance. For all of the scoop, click HERE.

WORKSHOPS
Paint and Pamper
One Saturday a month, let yourself indulge in a few hours of creative inspiration while enjoying a pampering treat. Each session includes a fun art project and a surprise that will engage your senses. For all of the details and to register, click HERE.

From Love that Hurts to Love that’s Real
Facilitated by my mom, Sylvia Ogden Peterson.
Most of us have experienced the agonies and ecstasies of love. But for many the agony becomes a dominant, recurring theme. In this workshop, lean specific ways to recognize self-defeating thoughts and behaviors that lead to repeated failed relationships. Step-by-step methods of making positive life changes are presented. For more information and to register, click HERE.

Intuitive Painting Summer Workshops
Intuitive Painting is a painting experience focused on the creative process. We all need time to reconnect, rejuvenate and be inspired. Four summer workshops are scheduled. For more information and to register, click HERE.

You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have. –MAYA ANGELOU

Blooming True in San Miguel de Allende

Although I’ve been home for nearly two weeks, I feel as though I’ve been floating through the pages of a magical realism novel — the kind Isabelle Allende or Gabriel García Márquez might write. I believe that Isabelle and Gabriel would agree that anything having to do with giving expression to your soul’s longing is, well, magical.

Greeting me upon my arrival to this week-long painting workshop with Flora Bowley was a beautiful flower name tag made by Rebecca Brooks who was the organizer for this enchanting adventure.

The first morning beckoned us to allow the magic of color to usher us through a portal to the land of Bloom True.

The circle is calling us.

The circle begins.

Flora demonstrating.

The blank canvas awaits.

Let’s start this painting party.

Day by day, layer by layer, color by color our paintings unfold.

Eyes closed — how liberating.

Let your fingers do the painting.

The lovely Flora.

We love watching Flora paint.

As I quickly used up my paint from my palette at the end of one day, I realized how much better it all flowed when I wasn’t trying to make something happen. Flora shows the difference by comparing another painting of mine that was more contrived.

Night and Day.

Meeting so many marvelous women is absolutely part of the magic.

Mati, Patsy and Flora

Rebecca and Angie

A precious gem I bring back with me is a valuable lesson learned. I’ve been so steeped in being completely focused on the “process” with my expressive arts background that there comes a point to “commit” as Flora would say to what is working and keep expanding upon that. Isn’t that a metaphor for life!

It is time for the circle to close. I bring make with me many magical treasures that will continue to blossom. One way to make magic a reality is to always listen to your soul’s longing!

Artful Timing

For quite awhile I’ve been longing to take a workshop with Flora Bowley. Her workshops fill up quickly. In fact, a few months ago she was giving a three-day workshop, but when I went to register it was already full. After my painting week with Jill Steenhuis, I was eager to sign up for a workshop that was longer than two days.

Low and behold, Flora offered for the first time a week-long workshop in San Miguel de Allende! However, when I went to sign up, there was already a waiting list. But, alas, it worked out for me to go. So, I’m glad it didn’t work out after all for me to go to that other three-day workshop. Something else was in the works that was even better. Ah, the magic of divine timing!

For the next week I will be painting my heart out with Flora in San Miguel de Allende.

Happy 2012

The fresh energy of a brand new year is here!

Appreciating the past year is a good way to honor the positive takeaways to bring with you into the new year.

Selecting a word or mantra creates an intention which focuses your energy. Here is a link to a vintage post that tells you how: creating your word or mantra for the new year.

Next, why not breathe life into your mantra by creating a collage or dream box? I’m going to invite some girlfriends over for a Cocktail-Vision Board-Soiree so we can have fun creating and sharing our desires for 2012 together.

Wishing you a spectacular 2012!

Winter Solstice Reflections

Every year I read Gary Zukav’s soulful ponderings on The Winter Solstice. David Whyte’s elegant poem, The Winter of Listening, reminds me to listen deeply to my own voice.

The Winter Solstice is a perfect time to contemplate a dream or vision you’re longing to bring to life. Here is a simple winter ritual created by Dana Reynolds.

Gather the following:

A small glass jar with a lid

An image to represent what you hope to bring forth in the spring (this can be a photograph or an image torn from a magazine).

A sheet of paper

Pen

Glue stick

Seeds (any kind of seed will work…. even something from your spice drawer)

Process:

Glue the image representing your intention to the piece of paper. Take a deep breath. Breathe in peace and calm. Exhale whatever you need to release in the present moment; anxiety, doubt, fear, etc.

Spend some time meditating on the image and what it evokes and write about the focus of your intention on the paper. Offer a personal prayer as you fold the paper and place it in the jar. Add the seeds to symbolically represent how your dream will grow to fruition in spring. Seal the jar with the lid.

Find a meaningful place… your yard, a nearby park, or a pot of earth. Bury the jar. Feel the comfort of knowing you are incubating your dream during this time of hibernation.

Throughout the winter months spend quiet time writing about your dream. Make a collage as a visual prayer for what is gestating within you. Trust that in the deepest darkest time of the year something is growing beneath the surface. Something new will arrive with the return of the light in the Spring.

Wishing you a bright day of soulful reflecting.

Christmas Time is Here

It is wintry and cold here in North Texas, and I’m definitely in the Christmas spirit. How about you? I adore Christmas traditions. They give a sense of continuity to my life. For instance, there has never been a Christmas morning that I haven’t had cheese grits! My husband and I began our own tradition of buying a Christmas tree ornament from the places we’ve traveled to. I’d love to hear some of your favorite Christmas rituals and traditions — please post them in the comments section below.

In January, I’ll be launching a brand new site with a fresh, new direction (more art + travel — experiencing a sense of place through the arts). I’ve got lots of fantastic things planned for YOU! Be sure you are on my mailing list to keep to date and to receive my free digital workbook, Writing the New Story of Your Life, which is perfect for ringing in a new year with a new story.

Here are a couple of vintage posts that are perfect for this holiday season:
A Ritual of Comfort and Joy

The Winter of Listening

Cheers!
Silky

Inspiration Board for New Site

A little glimpse into the new direction of my new site:

And, Beth Nicholls is featuring my story entitled “My Year in Art.” Click HERE to read it.

Wishing you a week filled with creative epiphanies.