And now for something completely different on this TRIBE Tuesday. We are excited to share the story and digital work of Kerry C. Mitchell who participated in my E-Course in a truly unique way. Talk about making the process your own, and finding ways to paint no matter what! Her inspiring story follows.
DetailsTRIBE Tuesdays continues today with the lovely work and inspiring story of Shannon Crandall. Enjoy!
Shannon’s story…
DetailsAS MANY OF YOU KNOW, I’M MAKING SOME PRETTY MASSIVE SHIFTS IN MY LIFE RIGHT NOW.
After four years of fairly intense globe-trotting to spread the Bloom True love, I’m shifting gears and rooting down in my hometown of Portland, OR.
In support of this grand shift, I moved out of my little backyard studio into a large and lovely (like woah) studio nestled in a groovy creative industrial area about ten minutes from my house. I feel beyond blessed to have found such a magical space that is EXACTLY what I envisioned, hoped and prayed to find.
DetailsHello friends! We’re happy to share another Bloom True story with you today for our TRIBE Tuesday feature.
Introducing E-Course student, Lori Tapani…enjoy.
Lori’s Story…
I am so very thankful for the Bloom True class! It was by chance that I noticed Flora’s book and decided to buy it. Once I read the book, I knew that I needed to take the class. This has been my first experience using acrylic paints and I have loved it so much. The act of picking a color or colors that I love and just “going with it” has been so rewarding.
DetailsFor this week’s TRIBE Tuesday we hear from Emily Mitchell, an art educator in Vermont, who stumbled upon my book, then took the E-Course, and ended up in my Boston retreat. She shares her journey below…enjoy!
DetailsTRIBE Tuesday continues with another amazing story from a student who attended my Bali retreat in Ubud earlier this year.
So happy to present this week’s TRIBE feature: Dominque Hurley.
DetailsI love sharing the inspiring stories of the ever-widening Bloom True Tribe, and I hope you are enjoying them too!
This week’s TRIBE Tuesday continues with Janine Adamo Lancour, who took my September 2013 E-Course. She remains an active member of the Bloom True Tribe and has graciously shared her story here…
DetailsFor today’s Tribe Tuesday post, I’m happy to share a story from Jennifer Currie, who took my E-Course in May. If you are inspired to join in the five-week painting adventure, registration will remain open through this Friday!
DetailsWelcome to our final two days of Bloom True Boot Camp…woohoo, YAY, we did it!
I want to thank you so much for joining me on this month-long creative journey. What started out as tiny flash of inspiration during a swim in a lake turned into such a beautiful and inspiring creative global adventure.
Your posts, pictures and reflections have brought me so much joy and reminded me (once again) how powerful it is to join together with like-hearted people dedicated to their creative paths and waking spirits. {{THANK YOU}}.
DetailsSIX DAYS AGO, I ARRIVED AT SQUAM ART WORKSHOPS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.
The woodsy scene there is all kinds of gorgeous — quaint cabins, an unbelievable lake, awesome women everywhere — but there I was with knots in my stomach.
I was there to teach a totally new class — one that involved more movement than painting and more watercolor, ink and pastels than acrylic. Most of my security blankets, comfort zones and feelings of “I got this,” had left the room.
Details’m delighted to keep hearing from people all around the world who are sharing their Bloom True journey. Please enjoy Patricia’s inspiring story below..
I participated in the Bloom True E-Course in the summer of 2012. Little did I know that it would end up being a life-changing experience for me. For more than a…
DetailsOur TRIBE Tuesday Series Continues! For this week’s TRIBE Tuesday, we are happy to feature Rhonda Groves. We hope you enjoy her story… Hello, my name is Rhonda. I took Flora’s Bloom True E-Course in September 2013. The magnitude this E-Course has had on me is phenomenal. I have created paintings I never dreamed of.…
DetailsFor this week’s TRIBE feature, I am very pleased to present two incredible women I had the pleasure of meeting in Bali last May. Dr. Fauziah Mohamed Yunus or “Fay” (or “Mom:)) as we came to know her, took my E-Course, followed by my in-person retreat in Bali. Tamara Laporte, or “Willowing,” as she is lovingly known to her online following, joined us in Bali as well.
Here are their beautiful stories.
DetailsI am continually in awe of the amazing tribe of students I have all over the world, and the truly transformational stories they share with me about their Bloom True experience. In an effort to spread their inspiration and good juju beyond my own head space and email box (and to connect you all to…
DetailsLOOKING BACK
Four years ago, I was invited to teach my very first painting class at Squam Art Workshops in New Hampshire.
Although I had never shared my painting philosophies before (or even considered doing so for that matter), the timing felt divine.
I was ready for a shift.
DetailsLAST NIGHT WAS THE PERFECT NIGHT TO PAINT.
My schedule was clear, the air felt delicious and it was still light out at 9pm. I turned up the music, cleaned off my palette, lit a candle, burned some sage and hung a halfway finished painting on the wall. To be honest, I wasn’t feeling incredibly inspired, but typically I just need to START in order to find my rhythm.
So, I started…
I choose a few of my fave colors of the moment (grey, yellow, violet, magenta and white), and began to move the paint around. I tried out some of my signature moves, turned the canvas upside down and waited for the magic to take hold. Any minute now…
Details“REMEMBER THE ENJOYMENT FACTOR”
This sweet reminder was offered up by my yoga teacher yesterday. In fact, remembering to enjoy the experience was the focus of the entire class. We were given permission to throw away strict yoga “rules” and ideas about what the practice was supposed to look like. Instead, we were encouraged to move and breathe in a way that simply….FELT GOOD.
Ah yes. That.
DetailsFriends! I’m thrilled to share with you a fresh new line of products now available worldwide though my Society6 store. If you’ve ever craved one of my paintings in the form of a rug, tote bag, clock, iphone case or shower curtain…yes SHOWER CURTAIN, you are in luck! The new store also features a variety…
DetailsToday is a big day around here. It’s the very first day of “school” for my latest group of Bloom True E-Course students and excitement is in the air! In honor of this new brave beginning, I’m sharing some of the awesome work and reflections from past bloomers. Gotta admit, I’m pretty proud of them — you’ll see why.
DetailsIt’s time to celebrate!!
Whohoo! I’m super excited to announce the winners for the Bloom True E-Course Giveaway, but first let me just say WOW…wow wow wow.
We had over 430 incredible nominations for ten tiny gifted spots, and the nominations were all so heartfelt, so sincere, soooo hard to choose! (need a little pick me up?…read these stories.).
DetailsHi friends. It’s GIVEAWAY time around here, and I want to make sure you are all in the know! We are excited to be giving away TEN FREE PLACES for the upcoming Bloom True E-Course beginning on May 12th, but here’s the deal…we want you to nominate someone else to win the prize! Why? …
DetailsI’m so excited to share a new idea with you!
(I think you’re gonna like it).
The inspiration for ‘Bloom True TRIBE’ comes directly from my students who often share the most beautiful tales of transformation with me.
DetailsHOME
I’ve been home from my month-long trip to Bali for exactly one week, and I gotta say TIME is so strange when flying halfway around the globe is part of the deal. In some ways I feel like I was just there, but mostly it feels like a distant exotic dream. You know how that goes…
Anyhooo, my trip was lovely. Bali is lovely. My students were awesome and many thresholds were crossed. I know I’ve said it before, but AGAIN, I can hardly believe I get to do this work in the world…and all over the world at that.
DetailsTHE BEAUTY OF AGING
When I received an invitation from Susannah Conway to participate in a blog series about the AWESOMENESS of aging, I got full body goose bumps, aka “truth bumps.”
How refreshing to focus on the positive aspects of aging, rather than replaying the same old, “how to hold onto your youth” conversation, over and over again.
DetailsWHAT AN AMAZING WEEK THIS HAS BEEN.
Sharing seven soulful days of painting, laughing and connecting with sixteen amazing women gathered from all parts of the globe (U.S., Canada, Honduras and South Africa), has left me, once again, in a state of gratitude and awe for the work I get to do in this world.
Although an incredible amount of energy goes into creating these special retreats, I can’t think of anything more rewarding than being a part of the beautiful transformations I witnessed here this week…on and off the canvas.
DetailsI believe the commonly held idea of artists toiling away alone in their studios, isolated from each other, guarding their techniques and often in some state of despair is becoming a thing of the past.
It’s a myth that no longer serves our collective human need to come together, support each other and move our evolution story forward. The bottom line is:
We need each other.
DetailsHi friends….and greetings from beautiful San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
I’m in the midst of fulfilling a dream I’ve had for awhile to live and paint in this magical mountain town, and I’m happy to say it’s finally happening!
This is not my first time here. For the past two years, I’ve taught workshops in San Miguel, each time craving more time to soak up the colors and vibrant culture here and to translate this inspiration into my own paintings. I’ll be teaching here again next week, but first…some me time.
DetailsI’ve always had a thing for New Year’s Eve. Even when I was little, I felt a strange mandatory pressure to stay up until the apple dropped in New York City…while the rest of my family was fast asleep. Alone with the T.V., I would do a little New Year’s dance, watch the crowds of…
DetailsQuestion: Is there something you have always wanted to do that lingers in the back of your mind…whispering? I actually have a bit of a choir going on up there, so much to do in this one short life. But I’m happy to say I just checked off one lil’ desire: TRAPEZE & AERIAL…
DetailsHi friends.! Just a quick note to make sure you know about the special offer I am running on my Bloom True E-Course right now. If you register for the course before Dec. 19th, 2013, (that would be this Thursday), we will send you a gift voucher for another spot in the course. You…
DetailsOne of my favorite conversations to have with people is about what REALLY lights them up. It is one the most direct ways to understand a person’s heart and soul-calling and often leads to the kind of juicy conversations I love the most.
My “light up” moments usually happen when I’m painting and connecting with people I am truly inspired by. So, for the past year I’ve been combining these passions by exploring collaborative painting, and guess what? I love it.
DetailsI love this time of year for all the obvious reasons…the coziness, the boots and scarves, the deliciousness of gathering with friends around a fire, the steamy drinks. You know, all the usual suspects. However, the real magic of this time of year comes for me in the form of gratitude and time for deep soul reflection (i.e. getting my priorities straight). I’ve been doing quite a bit of both lately.
Details*Thank you ALL for your heartfelt comments and kind words. I appreciate hearing from you so much.*
Congratulations to the following (randomly selected) winners of my new Brave Intuitive Painting Art Journal Give Away! I am so happy to pass along my new art journals to you all. I hope they offer lots of new inspiration in the new year…
As you likely know, I’m a big fan of collaboration, so when Matt Butler, the dynamic conductor of the amazing Everyone Orchestra, asked me if I’d be interested in painting a tuxedo jacket and matching hat for him, it was a very clear YES.
Let me start by saying that I totally dig the whole concept behind the Everyone Orchestra. Their positive high-energy shows blend a unique line-up of different (always uber-talented) musicians and there is no “Set List” … only improvisation, talent and trust.
DetailsHi everyone! Just a quick note to let you know that registration is now open for the next round of my Bloom True E-Course. The next five-week course will begin in February, 2014, and you will have six months of extended access after the course finishes (so you can go back over it whenever you want during that time).
I continue to be floored by the response to this course…
DetailsOne of the big changes I made to my current Bloom True E-Course was shifting the theme of Week Two from ‘Play’ to ‘Letting Go.’ The other week’s themes — Intuition, Your Inspiring Life, Being Brave and Blooming True — remain the same, but there was always something about ‘Play’ that never totally resonated with me.
And then it hit me. ‘Play” is simply one way of letting go.
DetailsOK. I’m admittedly not being very humble here, but seriously you guys, these new holiday cards designed by Papaya! are so GORGEOUS…so much so that I’m actually feeling inspired to send holiday cards for the first time in, like, fifteen years. Perhaps they will inspire you too? We are selling packs of five (of the same design) for $20, and packs of ten (one of each design) for only $30 (shipping within the US is included).
Get your holiday cheer on today!
Hi all. Just a quick note to thank you for your wonderful comments about why you would like to participate in Life Book 2014. It was a pleasure to read them all and feel your excitement. I’m happy to announce that the winner of this year-long art making extravaganza is Maureen McCauley of lightofdaystories.com. Congrats Maureen! Hope you enjoy the journey that is Life Book…
DetailsHi everybody. Have you heard about Life Book yet? It’s a really lovely year-long mixed media online art class put together by Tamara LaPorte. I had the pleasure of meeting Tamara last year in the UK and she is super fun and dedicated to spreading the joy of creativity far and wide. Life book offers creative insights through video lessons, prompts, images and writing by 22 amazing teachers throughout the year. What a great way to learn some new approaches and techniques!
Life Book 2014 registration opens next Monday. Join us for the adventure?
DetailsOne of the most challenging things I’ve ever done in my life was to step in front of a video camera to create my Bloom True online course. It pretty much brought up all my deepest fears:
The fear of being seen. The fear of being heard. And, the fear of being judged.
[yep, triple wammie…and one that I wrote about right HERE.]
DetailsAs I sit here in my neighborhood coffee shop in Portland, OR, there are 60,000 plus people gathered in the Nevada dessert celebrating creativity, community, art and radical self expression — yep, pretty much all my favorite things. I do not hesitate to say that these lucky people are attending the best party on Earth right now and that party is called Burning Man.
DetailsThis post is part of my friend Hannah Marcotti’s The Joy Up Stories Series. The Joy Up begins August 1st (that’s tomorrow!) with hundreds of women who are ready to claim their joy and deepen love, ritual, trust and rhythm. Join in the joy by clicking here.
DetailsI’m happy to say I’ve been on a bit of a painting roll over the past few days. My inspiration has been striking late at night when it’s super quiet and cool and my intention has been to explore new territory, have fun and play. Aaaaaaaaand, guess what? Every time I approach my work with this attitude (ie: not making it MEAN more than simply playing with colors and marks), rad new things seem to transpire. (note to self).
DetailsI’m happy to say I’ve been on a bit of a painting roll over the past few days. My inspiration has been striking late at night when it’s super quiet and cool and my intention has been to explore new territory, have fun and play. Aaaaaaaaand, guess what? Every time I approach my work with this attitude (ie: not making it MEAN more than simply playing with colors and marks), rad new things seem to transpire. (note to self).
DetailsI seriously cannot believe I have been home from Bali for almost a month already!
Woah….life….moves….fast.
However, between jet-lag recovery, a sick week in bed, a rare five-day visit from my best friend and a week of catching up on piles of life and work, I guess it all pencils out. In some ways, the trip feels like a distant exotic dream at this point, but every time I burn one of my treasured Balinese incense sticks, I am magically transported right back to my tiny beloved island on the other side of the world. Swoon.
DetailsAfter a pretty major spin around the world (aka: my trip to Bali), I am now cozied back up in my Portland studio — favorite mug in hand, favorite tunes playing on my ipad and an epic amount of stories and thoughts to share…soon. As I allow my experiences in Bali to sink in a little more deeply, I want to take a minute to share with you a very special book.
The Declaration of You!, is written by two superstar ladies (and lovely friends of mine), Jessica Swift and Michelle Ward. I’m really proud of them for putting together such a beautiful and important book, because it dives right into the heart of a conversation I seem to be having so much lately. It’s that one about…
DetailsHi ya’ll. Thought I’d share a little eye candy with you today. I seriously cannot get enough of the magical blooming flowers in Portland these day. The latest gorgeousness courtesy of POPPIES and IRISES. Thank you nature for all the inspiration!
DetailsHi ya’ll. Look at me…writing a post AFTER the 30-Day Love Affair is over! It’s true. I feel I have officially transformed my relationship with this lovely blog. Dreading my “blog homework” has now been replaced by thoughts like, “Write a blog? Sure. Totally. Why not? No big deal. Sounds fun.” So, that said, I’m officially popping in to say hello and to thank you for your ah-MAZE-ing comments in response to my last post about my name change. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend reading the comments—so moving and inspiring. Reading your comments reminded me why…
DetailsDo you have a cup of tea? You might want one for this post…it’s a bit of journey in and of itself. I promised I would go out with a bang, so here goes. May I present…the never before told story of my most daring and life-changing act to date…
The story of changing my name.
DetailsYowza, Day #29, ey? I have to admit that all day I’ve been a little stressed about what I would write today. The “second to last day” of this month-long experiement seems like some kind of big deal that deserves some kind of amazingness. I even considered making a little video for you to really prove how brave I am (ha ha), but after investigating iMovie for about ten minutes, I gave up. My truth tonight is that I’m tired, my hair looks like shit, I’ve been on my computer waaaaay too long already today and I’m definitely not feeling very inspired or inspiring. Huh, I think my shoulders just dropped about two inches after I typed that. The honest truth will do that to you 🙂
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