It took me years to find the words to describe some of the philosophies I use in my Brave Intuitive Painting process.
Painting is such a nonverbal pursuit, after all.
However, when I started teaching workshops and writing books, I suddenly found myself digging deeper into the ‘whys’ and ‘hows’ behind what I do, so I could share my ideas with others more effectively.
In this week’s Hey Flora Episode, I’m happy to share this golden nugget with you.
In this month’s Painting Session, I decided to step out of my comfort zone by embracing the world of pure abstraction, and I learned so much.
By not allowing myself to use my quintessential, recognizable imagery such as flowers, figures, plants, and animals, I was forced to explore color, mark-making, and form in a whole new way.
What I found really interesting was how free this process actually made me feel.
Instead of seeking out and/or forcing images or a narrative, I was able to simply play with color, mark, value, and form in a way that felt relaxing, expressive, and full of possibility.
1440 is designed to invite more presence, awareness, and connection to what really matters in life, and I’m honored to be teaching a collaborative workshop with my dear friend, Cvita Mamic, called Beyond the Surface, October 15th – 20th.
Throughout this five-days, we’ll weave together mindful movement, writing prompts, guided meditations, and unique, mixed-media creative exercises to uncover personal symbols and explore how creativity can serve as a vehicle to access and transform energy, thoughts, and patterns.
A bright, soulful woman from my online community, my mom’s sister’s husband (aka my uncle), and two of my friend’s beloved doggie companions all left this earthly realm in a flash.
With each loss, my heart ached, tears flowed, and I was left with a potent mixture of sadness, reverence, and gratitude.
I believe sharing my first public speech about losing my own beloved mama at the Brave Girl Symposium just two weeks ago cracked me open and allowed me to access my emotions around these losses in a more immediate and authentic way. And for that, I am truly thankful.
It’s been so fun to share my approach to painting with the Creativebug community over the past year and to see so many people from around the world discovering their ability to paint intuitively.
If you’re not already familiar with Creativebug, this amazing website offers access to hundreds of wonderful art classes, including my three-part course. And here’s some good news, you can check it all out using their free two-week trial period!
If you’ve ever struggled with finishing a painting or have a stack of unfinished paintings lying around, you’re not alone.
I often hear that completing a painting is the hardest part of the process, so instead of letting these painting pile up in a neglected corner of my studio, I decided to take two of them out to breathe some fresh air into them. As you’ll see, this Session is about inviting change, embracing reinvention, and staying present to the ever-unfolding story of your canvas.
If you’re interested in letting go of the old and welcoming the new, check this one out!
Let’s be honest. We live in a wild time.
With the constant onslaught of heartbreaking news, it’s easy to feel fearful and overwhelmed by the state of the world these days.
I get that. I feel it too.
This is exactly why it’s more important than ever to feed our souls a daily dose of uplifting stories, meaningful experiences, and creative inspiration. Really anything that fills our hearts and inspires positive action is more than welcome!
I’m happy to share a sneak peek of Episode Eight of the Painting Sessions with you today.
We filmed this Session right after I taught a brand new workshop in New Mexico, so I was feeling all kinds of inspired to try out some new ideas.
I gave myself specific parameters going in with the hope that they might lead to some new discoveries along the way. I worked with a very limited palette, the human figure, and the written word, and these limitations or “banks of the river,” as I like to call them, resulted in an interesting new palette and a whole posse of female figures.
If you’re interested in moving in new directions in your work, check this one out!
If you’re seeking more freedom in your creative expression, you’re not alone.
This is the number one reason folks show up for my workshops and courses, and it makes perfect sense. We all want to feel more free and alive, and painting provides a playful and dynamic way to access this kind of wild abandon.
However, the romantic notion of freely slinging paint around a canvas is not always easy to access. In fact, sometimes it can feel like quite a conundrum, especially if you’re used to a more logical, planned out way of life.
Do you ever feel like you’re in a creative rut?
As a person who’s been painting for twenty-five years, I know I’ve been in many a rut over the years, but I always seem to dig myself out, and here’s how.
I mix it up constantly.
Just like life off the canvas, if we do the same things over and over, we’re bound to form habits and eventually get a little (or a lot) bored.
That’s why it’s crucial to find new ways to approach our creative practices… and our lives. And this, my friends, is what the Creative Revolution E-Course is allllllllll about.
