art journaling, creativity, female principle, multi passionate women

Multi passionate women

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Multi passionate women are rising all over the planet. The feminine qualities are becoming more and more prominent as the old patriarchal system crumbles to dust. It’s exciting though somewhat scary.

I dabble in many things that I like, but I haven’t dived very deeply into them except three things (so far,) writing, intuitive development, and art. It’s never too late to learn something new.

I have long admired this Medicine woman, Rosemari Roast who seems to have the energy of ten people. 🙂 She is currently the July guest artist in my free 2017 art journaling journey (link at the end.)

I grabbed some info off her website and you can find all her links there, Walk In The Woods, LLC. 

Rosemari Roast
multi passionate woman

Greetings! My name is Rosemari Roast. I am owner of and caretaker to Walk in the Woods, LLC, a holistic wellness practice and creative studio at Whiting Mills in sunny Winsted, Connecticut. I am called herbalist, Medicine womyn, artist and backyard farmer (among other things).

I’m passionate about many things. Some say, too many. I say, they’re all connected! For me, the realm of Herbs, Nature, Art and Spirit are one realm. My realm.

As a herbalist and Medicine womyn, I am dedicated to *returning home* the Medicine of the People. I do this by offering you opportunities to reconnect with your own power through exploring the wellness choices that you have – and have always had. I strive to help you to see, acknowledge, honor and act on the choices and behaviors that nourish and sustain you, and that may best serve you in your life.

Everything I do, I teach. I feel that my name, originally spelled Rosemary, like the herb, is a key to my life purpose, for it is often described as the herb of remembrance. That my maternal grandmother clung to and adapted the ways of the “old country” to a “new” country is a holistic taproot for me, for it both saddens and motivates me to remember and revive the empowering practices that she employed. Practices that were discounted and forgotten in a single generation. She wild harvested, made Medicines and engaged some mystical healing practices as well. I feel a a duty to keep these practices alive, for they are surely overflowing with Medicine of meaning and value!When I was a little girl just starting school, the teachers and administrators were worried about me because I wouldn’t talk to the teachers. I was responsive with my peers, but not the authorities. I can say that, in many ways, this behavior is still with me. But I digress… I was sent to the school psychologist. I wouldn’t talk to him either. So he gave me paper and crayons. I drew. And from those drawings he made the judgement that I was fine, and the recommendation to return me to my class, and allow me to evolve in my own way. In this experience is another taproot to an important Medicine in my life: Creative expression, also known as art.These taproots are, from my perspective, rooted in Mystery. So it is that herbs, art and spirit guide my Life with the Medicine that they all offer.

I do my best to share my Medicine-experiences through workshops, lectures, private consultations and classes.Private consultations take on many flavors, from conventional holistic approaches to instructional sessions, which may include customized herbals, eclectic healing sessions, plant spirit healing, meditation, creative expression or some other intuitively guided wellness option that is fitting for you.

If herbalism is of interest to you, My School of Herbal Wellness offers one way for you to explore your botanical choices and your holistic power. It’s a pay-as-you-go course of facilitated self-study currently offered to folks in my region, so you learn and grow at your own pace. You can learn more about these offerings here.

Other self-care workshops offered regionally include Reiki training, guided and free-form meditation, herbal, holistic and creative workshops, lectures, weedwalks and more! An herbal apothecary is also available to you for all those supplies for the home and village herbalist. Spiritual counseling and rites of passage are offered as well.

I’m a champion for personal healing and growth through the arts and creative expression – journaling, drumming, chant, movement, art, craft, tarot and Crone Stone readings. Creative expression is a vital tool that supports holistic healing, growth and awareness on all levels as we explore our personal relationships with symbols, metaphors, archetypes and stories. I can support you in this journey, and – more importantly – offer you ways to support yourself.

With every service that I offer, I strive to help you re-discover the natural healer within, so that you may nurture peace with yourSelf, love yourSelf, and offer these qualities to those you love … and to help bring the Medicine of the People back home – to all of us.

I invite you to join me in working together to return wisdom, wellness, healing back to the hands of their rightful and most grateful owners – To us. To all of us. Together let’s reclaim our power and return the Medicine of the people back to the people.
Let’s bring it home together!
Are you a multi passionate woman? That is a GOOD thing! 🙂
Check out Rose’s website and all the things she offers.
If you’d like to join the email list for the free 2017 art journaling journey, you can do so HERE.
You can also access the monthly prompts in the Facebook group Art Exploration with Maria Greene.
A video chat we had recently: Alchemy of Life and Art
art, frustration, painting

Stay with me said the painting

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Stay with me, said the painting to the artist.

painting
stay with me

The artist replied, “No, I want you to reveal your magic NOW. I don’t have time to hang around waiting for you to get your sh*t together.”

“All in good time,” replied the painting with a smile. “Life is infinite.”

“Grrrr. I have other things to do. I can’t sit around and wait for the next step on this stupid painting.”

“With an attitude like that, nothing good will ever come to you because you’re too busy running away from the magic moments in your haste to go nowhere.”

“You’re withholding,” the artist said and rolled her eyes.

“What are your priorities? To run around being busy with trivialities or to contemplate what is really important in life? It’s not about a painting but about your approach to life. Even though you act like one, you’re not a hamster on a wheel.”

“Sometimes I feel like I am. It’s the hardest thing to wait for the true prompts, the ones that come from within,” said the artist.

“You’re hard-wired to make, to accomplish, to perform and get results as quickly as possible, but life doesn’t work like that. If you can see your painting as life, you are on the right track. Humble down a notch or two and open up to possibilities. Stop being a robot.”

“Patience is the hardest part. I get so frustrated, and especially if the painting turns into an ugly mess. Stops me right in the tracks.”

“The painting has its own journey and destinations. Not every painting is destined to be a masterpiece, just as you’re not destined to become a violinist.”

“I get so bored, waiting.”

“Stay with me,” begged the painting.

“It’s like the lottery. You have to wait to find out if you won or not.”

“I have a winning number if you can stick with the process and not leave just as the magic is about to happen,” the painting said.

“I want guarantees,” said the artist. “How do I know this ugly mess can turn into something beautiful.”

“Butterflies start out as hairy caterpillars that no one likes, but then… transformation!”

“Yeah, right.” The artist sighed and stared at the painting.  She bristled with frustration. “I feel antsy.”

“Do something else for a while. Go for a walk and then come back to me,” said the painting. “You are not a prisoner even if you think you are. You are a prisoner of expectations.”

“I like to accomplish things. It makes me feel good to not waste time.”

“What is important to you, dear?”

The artist thought about it for a while. “To experience the mystery. Everything else is old hat, endless repetition.”

“Stay with me then. I will transform you as I transform into real beauty,” said the painting.

The artist sighed and tried a few brush strokes, and right in front of her eyes, magic was revealed. All she had to do was to bring it out.

What a feeling!

(The painting at the top of the post is not finished, but it will be some day.) 🙂

P.S. Here’s a post about resistance you might like: Who is in Charge?

 

art, highest potential, Picasso

Your highest potential

Your highest potential is a term that is thrown about a lot these days along with enlightenment and freedom to be YOU.

What other than YOU can you be? You can’t, and it’s enough to be authentic right now and keep truth and authenticity as a lodestar of what you stand for.

What is highest potential anyway? Spiritually spoken, according the scriptures through time, it is to reach a blissful state, to live in a pure consciousness above the “mud.” Striving won’t take us there, but inner joy is the match that fires up life.

If you don’t feel joy in your work, why do it?

Spirituality aside, what might be your highest potential as an artist?

I think Pablo Picasso is a good example of someone who had a shot at it in his lifetime. You can see it in his eyes.  He saw a lot, and beyond the obvious. picasso

He tried every kind of art and was a creator of many styles of art. I can’t recall ever seeing a photo of him where he’s laughing, but the little I know of him, he had lots of dedication. His art was his life and he tried every angle and dived into the depths to express himself. He left behind a massive legacy.  To me it’s a showcase of what is possible as an artist.

I don’t know what he would have said if asked at the end if he reached his full potential. My guess is he would have said no.

So what is potential? To me it’s showing up and doing art every day. It’s involvement, it’s evolution:  it’s understanding of the concept at hand, a vision of where you’re going (if you’re lucky.)

You live your highest potential that day!

We can’t all be Picassos and thank God for that.

My highest potential today is to actually MAKE some art. That is enough. Tomorrow the same drill, and the next day.  Maybe today something great will manifest in my art expression.

If you live by that dedication you inspire others to explore their potential.

Picasso inspired masses of young artists and we may never have the talent and dedication of reach the heights of great artists, but what if we can inspire those behind us, relatives and maybe the neighbors’ kids?

I remember a track coach we had who spent his free time between classes carving beautiful wooden ships. I was part of a group of students who liked to hang out in his office because he inspired us.

I was no good at running but he always tried to get the best out of me. Those are the kinds of teachers I remember.

Who can you inspire today? Make them realize there is actual potential. That life can be extraordinary, not like a punishment where you’re killing time and hoping to die.

Challenge yourself to try something difficult or different today. Once ignited, the flame of inner joy is contagious.

art journal

xo

Maria

P.S. I have some inspiring e-courses that might interest you. You can read all about them HERE. All I do is make art and aim to inspire someone. 🙂

art journal, art journaling, smash book

Honoring the oneness of everything

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Honoring the oneness of everything is what artists do when we create out of nothing.

More often than not the mind tries to figure out “what to paint.” A wave of images from books and other artists flow through the mind, and there is EXPECTATION.

Gotta paint a face as good as the other artist’s face rendering. But that is not creating from nothing.

What if you sit or stand in your art area and don’t have a clue what to do next. That is creating from nothing. It can be scary and boring.

Actually, I sat down at my computer to write this post and I didn’t have a clue what to write, but I trusted that something would come. I centered myself in meditation, noticing all the images flying through my mind and settled on a journal I made. Writing always flows easily to me and I trust it.

The idea of creating from nothing intrigues me and I have a lot of curiosity about diving deeply into the art.

What if it didn’t matter

  • that the art turned out like crap (every day)?
  • that all you could manage was two pink dots?
  • that you felt like actually destroying the page?
  • that you struggled and had nothing inside?
  • that people would not take you seriously?
  • that you doubted yourself 100% but still showed up?
  • that you felt like you wouldn’t get anywhere with your art–ever?

It all comes down to trusting the process. If you feel like putting down one pink dot on the paper, do it. Feel within what paint you might like next and go for it. Slap it on, splatter it, wipe it into a brown mess, stab it with pencils, yell at it, add some collage, hate everything that comes out, but then…

Something happens. A spark, a clarity of sorts, a direct connection within that sets you on the track to something unexpected and beautiful.

It is effortless at this point and you will always love what comes out even if it seems weird (and wonderful.)

Convention is hard to crack. We don’t want to ruin the pristine look of our expensive art journal pages, etcetera.

I watched a video by an artist who took cheap composition books and made them into art journals. One interesting part was to crunch up every sheet of paper inside. She pointed out we’re connected to everything in life and the paper had once been a tree. By crunching it up she released the energy of the tree and set it free. I loved that idea. It set the paper on a whole new course.

Also, everything we touch is imprinted with our energy. When we make a journal, it’s truly imprinted with our own DNA, and it makes us own our art on a deeper level.

smash book
smash book

It was a lot of fun to make the journal and there is no preciousness about it. I can paint ugly all the way. It’s about diving deep and getting some answers through art. No one needs to see the art and judge it.

It is a very freeing way to be more YOU.

The artist who inspired this process is Catt Geller.

If we can see the wholeness, the oneness, of which we are part and know that the art we’re called to make has purpose, all we have to do is put one pink dot in front of the other and go from there.

Ugly is okay and an honored process.

art journal
honoring ugly art

 

art journal
scrunched pages

xo

Maria

P.S. Speaking of making an art journal from scratch, why not make collage papers from scratch as well? I have a great mini e-course on that. You can check it out  HERE. 

 

art journal, art journaling, journaling, paper, writing

Paper madness!

Paper madness can strike at any time. I love paper in all forms. What would the world be without paper? Plastic books? I don’t think so.

I don’t want to talk about books but more about art journals and writing journals. I think there is a journaling craze going on. Michael’s has a whole isle with journals and insets and stickers to add.

Maybe we never grow too old for stickers??

I went to Hobby Lobby for some acrylic inks and came away with a great deal on a snooty Fabriano art journal.

Fabriano
paper madness

The paper is exceptional. I touch the pages reverently and imagine what I can create inside. No junk journal here…  It says drawing paper, but at a sturdy 90lbs it can hold just about any wet media.

You know how they describe wine. Dragging my hand across the paper, I would have to say it has a rich depth, is robust, yet smooth and silky against my tongue skin. 🙂

I use a lot of different kinds of journals for my art journaling, but I write my thoughts in a cheap notebook every morning. I have a great pen made for smooth writing (ek Tools journaling ink pen.)

I finish a notebook quickly so I don’t want to spend a lot of money on expensive journals that sit around gathering dust because my handwriting would ruin them. I’d feel guilty if I didn’t write in them.

But, I did buy one for Christmas last year, and I’m about halfway through. It has pictures and sayings. Some of the pages are lined and some are blank. It’s SACRED SPACE, Writing and Creativity Journal by BlueAngel publishing. Journal art by Toni Carmine Solerno.

journal
Sacred Space

journaljournaljournalIsn’t the artwork lovely?

That is a journal I would keep, but I usually throw out my written notebook journals once they are full. No written masterpieces there…

To journal feels good. It clears the mind clutter and gives new vision. It makes you connect inside, with the inner small voice, and also with problem loops of thoughts that keep us away from what is important.

I’m also mad for any kind of funky paper, and I like to make my own too of course.  I alter the plain paper with inks, paints, dyes, markers, and collages that I print. It’s a way to put your stamp on plain paper or alter bought scrapbooking paper.

In art anything goes,  Mixed media art is a heaven for paper enthusiasts. I love it when there is a sale on scrapbooking papers. I buy a bunch and then I can’t wait to add some to my artwork.

If you’d like to read a basic article on how to get started with art journaling you can check out this post, Art Journaling Tools.

What do you like to write in? Notebooks or expensive journals? Do you use your computer as a journal?

Inquiring minds want to know.

Maria

P.S. Speaking of papers, I have a short art journaling paper making e-course that is lots of fun. You can check it out via THIS LINK.

 

asskickery, gremlin, inspiration, life, motivational

Your gremlins

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Your gremlins will always be around to sneak through the crack in your door. I’m talking about the “I am not good enough,” “I don’t have time,” “I can’t afford,” “I don’t know enough,” “I don’t know how…”  “I’m too old.”

You get the picture. Some of them are stronger and some are cunning. They are all opportunists and freeloaders, and persistent like sales people on commission.  They lie in wait…

crocodiles

You know they are there, so what to do?

They all stem from fear of course.  I wrote a blog post about that: What do you fear?

Every time you set a goal or set an intention to change your lifestyle in any way, the gremlins will show up like clockwork. Let’s look at the “I’m not good enough.”

Unless you have massive experience or a PhD, it’s likely you don’t know enough about something like astrophysics, but maybe you could get excited about a telescope and the stars?

Most people don’t know a huge amount of stuff, but they might know an angle that is unique.

Maybe you came across an artist making these great teapots and you are filled with a burning desire to learn how to make them and perhaps start a ceramic biz.

To start something like that you do need some classes, a lot of them maybe, but if you love it, go for it! At some point YOU WILL BE good enough and have fun in the process.

What if you have life experience? What can you teach people from your own experiences? Lots, I’m sure. People in similar circumstances want to know. People are always looking for solutions to problems.

If you have a passion and you have done nothing about it, why? We will always doubt ourselves, but once we roll up our sleeves and go for it, we find that the gremlin trying to stop us is only hot air.

courage

Once you make the decision to start the journey, the momentum of you applying yourself daily will take you to the heart of your passion. That is the law of nature.

I meet so many wannabe artists, but the first excuse coming out of their mouth is a clear indication the gremlins have a strong hold.  The “I don’t have time” or “I don’t have the right tools” or “I don’t know how,” are the most common. I know that they will never even try!

The status quo has a massive hold on us.

Don’t let the gremlins rule! Whatever your dream, don’t end up old and full of regrets. It’s never too late to start something new. If you’re breathing you can do something today.

Listen to that yearning, the little longing voice that makes you think of THAT thing you never did anything about.

Today is a good day to start! Do it even if the gremlins are screaming bloody murder…

xo

Maria

P.S. I went crazy this week and loaded up my etsy shop with new juicy art journals and a fairy pouch or two. EARTHANDFAERY.

 

Artist and writer