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Oh my ! Today is the day… I am leaving in a few hours to attend my first creative retreat, Sugar & Spice.
I’m tagging along Nancy, who found me a few months ago via the Facebook page of the event… We discovered we actually live two blocks apart from each other (talk to me about crazy coincidences). We will drive all the way across the border and even take the ferry (another first for me).
A good thing: she knows PT very well as she attended Atrfest several times.

It will be weird to be on my own at night (next time, I hope Lynda will be my roommate ;D).

My daughters told me they don’t really want me to go (Grenouille is crying this morning. Breaking my heart), but I know they will do well with their dad and my Mom.
Cheridoo will join me at the end of the week so we will have some time in the morning to be together before going back home.

I will only have my iPad until my husband arrives, and it doesn’t have 3G, so i will do my best to document.
I want to experience it to the fullest.

I’m so excited to finally meet Mindy, Danielle and Juliette. People, everything happens when ripe. (Another Truthism).

Excitement.
Nervousness.
Sense of purpose.

As Bilbo the hobbit, I am going on an adventure !

Psss: This little guy was hidden in my suitcase by my husband (long story short, he used to put some of his fragrance on one for me when we started dating).

You know I love sharing what I’m into.

Learning has always been something dear to me. Even as a kid, teenager and now as an adult. In our era, it is a blessing to be able to learn from the comfort of your home so I decided to share with you the few online classes I am currently loving and why.

True Free Spirit

It’s the 3rd online class I’m taking from Mindy Lacefield. This is one is different as it’s a project oriented year long class. Meaning: each month, she shares a specific project with us, learning new techniques, working on a different surface etc. We also often have a bonus video mid-month.

Watching Mindy create is a pleasure. One of these thing I am always looking forward to. Always.

We don’t paint characters only, animals invite themselves, we play as much in our art journal than we do paintings outside.

As usual, I love the community, some of the women I met through Mindy’s classes are now friends.

It’s not too late to join ! Learn more here: True Free Spirit.

Behind The Art

Christy Tomlinson’s new class is all about what she uses in her creative process, and why, and how. She spills the beans like she never did before.

Surfaces, paints, gels and things you would not even think about but that Christy loves and uses.

She poured her heart into it, there is TONS of content. And it is not a only-for-beginner oriented workshop, even I learn new things, and can’t wait to get to it and try it for myself.

I am one of the three guest artists (along with Danielle Daniel and Junelle Jacobson), so if you’re in the workshop, you’ll see me create some art along. Lots of fun.

More info right here: Behind The Art.

Mermaid Circus

This is a collaborative workshop between online class extraordinaire Jane Davenport, and the amazing Teesha Moore. They combine two worlds: the circus, and mermaids.

I have been waiting for Teesha to make her online teaching debuts for a long time, and I am very blessed to be in this class (thank you so much to my angel friend for making this happen, thank you).

It is an 8-week class, so lots of things will be learned as well. I am very excited because Mermaids are fascinating, they are creatures Koala (my 6 years old daughter) keeps drawing again and again, and it will touch creative areas I am not comfortable doing (like drawing for example).

Art journaling, journal making, story telling… so much juiciness ahead in this class !

You can learn more about the workshop here: Mermaid Circus.

Creative Goddess

Ahhh Leonie Dawson is a gem in this world.

If you read my blog regularly, you know that I am facing, now and then, some creative blocks. I am aware that growth always eventually comes out of them, but on the moment they’re riding along with me, I get afraid that it will last forever.

I signed up last year to Leonie’s «Goddess Circle», which gives me access to ALL her past classes and all the new ones she releases for 12 months. And to forums filled with other creative women from all over the world. It allows me to do the classes at my own pace, but also to sign up for the live-versions if I want to.

There is SO much, really.

Right now, because I really really am looking for help about how not to stay in that hole that seems deeper and longer each time I fall into it, I am taking the «Creative Goddess» class again. It contains videos, e books (yes, plural), and even meditations !

Are you currently taking classes ? which one(s) are you loving ?? Please, share away, I’d love to know

Hey Loves,

You know how I love being a teacher in 21 Secrets (don’t know what I am talking about ? you can read more about it in this previous post). The doors will close for registrations in just two weeks (October 1st), but the playground will still be open until January 2013. So still months to watch and play with us 🙂

The price was just lowered to $39 (regular price: $59), so if you were hesitant, now is your time to join us 🙂

You can sign up right here (just so you know, each teacher has a unique link for registrations and part of our pay comes from it. I would appreciate for you to use this link. Thanks).

I hope to see you there <3

Note: this post contains a LOT of pictures, be warned 😉

As you know if you are a faithful reader of Inner Voices (blink blink), I was in Seattle last week-end to attend Flora Bowley‘s workshop called Bloom True, organized by and at Teesha Moore‘s ArtFest Annex.
Remember how I sent the intention to attend her workshop a few months ago ? Sometimes the Universe listens closer to your whispers than you think…

To be honest, I am still processing it all, all that I have started to unravel during these two days. Because it was more than painting to me. Way way more.
First of all, I really believe that like-minded Souls gather around the teacher in this kind of workshop; the twenty-ish ladies that came arrived with their stories, their background and a good reason to be there. So yes, it all begins with the “I fell in love with Flora’s art” but I’m pretty sure there is something more than just that…

Flora is passionate about what she teaches. Bloom True has more than painting techniques (but don’t worry, it IS the heart of it all). We stretch (and not only our bodies), we laugh, we connect (with others, with ourselves, with the Creative Source), we cover and uncover, we paint with our hands (l.o.v.e.)….

We painted big, which i am not used to anymore for several reasons, learning to let go, not to get too attached but to enjoy the process (ringing a bell ? Yep. A good one).. The ending creation was not what mattered the most.

To be honest, it was hard sometimes for me to stick to acrylic paint only as I am a Mixed Media artist, but it was so good. I went in and out of my comfort zone. It felt good to paint bigger again, 30×30″ was the perfect size for me: large but not making me feel like I could not achieve it all. It happened that I actually finished a painting by the end of the first day and bought another one that night so I could still juggle between two canvases the day after.

Very attentive students, drinking every techniques and explanation given to us. The class was filled with demos by Flora.

Flora filled the room with music, very different kind of styles and it was very inspiring. Just grooving on the flow, letting it guiding me, my movements, not affraid to do little happy dance while I was painting. Zero fear of judgement. My classmates on my table were happy dancing as well 😉 It just felt so natural, I am amazed.
I think I could work like that, in a studio with other artists.

I can’t wait to have my own art space (Universe…… i am talking to you there), and both my girls at school full time so I will have real long hours by myself to just let my Spirit create whatever may come.
It was amazing to be surrounded by ladies having fun (sometimes with frustration though) and be able to paint and paint and paint.

I loved making marks. Creating backgrounds (that usually become a big part of the finished painting) is something I really enjoy. Click the thumbnails to enlarge:

Can you believe that the painting Flora created over the two days developed from what you see above on the right…..to that ?:

It is just stunning !!!

Do you want to see what the canvases looked like when I left Seattle on Sunday afternoon ?:

Please, go to my flickR portfolio to see more pictures of this awesome workshop.

I loved how Flora closed the class, and the little Show & Tell by everyone, simply showing our paintings as they were, telling what we enjoyed, sharing our struggles and encouraging each other to go on.

Here are some links to what some of my classmates are saying about our experience during Bloom True (please, if you were there and have a link to share, contact me and I will add you with pleasure):

Julie Hamilton “Still inspired by… Flora Bowley”
Teesha Moore shares her thoughts & pictures
Kathie also shares her experience

Hello Shiny you !

I am back from our first real vacations. It was short, it was nearby, but it was really cool !

We arrived in Seattle on the Thursday, and came back home Sunday night. You won’t be interested in all the awesome things we did, but may be curious about the day I spent at the ArtFest Annex, the creative home of Teesha and Tracy Moore.

Here are some of the journals made by Tracy (click to enlarge):

I would have never thought of attending a workshop with Teesha… It seemed too big to be true. But it happened ! So this is my little sign that everything is possible…
I was kind of nervous to go, but it went so smoothly thanks to Kym (from Blissartworks) and Violette (who also came all the way from BC). Thanks ladies, it was wonderful to meet you in person, finally (click on the links to see what they both have to say about this workshop). These two women are just very fantastic. I am so happy I talked about the workshop on Twitter, where Kym found out about it. And then she enrolled Violette to sign up too 😀

The annex is located in the historical part of Seattle, called Pioneer Square. As we arrived with about 30mn to spare, we wandered around. It is a really beautiful place. With a lot of artistic creations, like sculptures etc. This is also where you can start the Underground Tour of the city. The line up was huge, even if it was pretty early in the day.

First of all, the annex is an inspiration all by itself. Filled with Tracy’s amazing journals, Teesha’s HUGE reproductions on the walls… (click to enlarge).

We were about 20-25 ladies, from all over the US and two of us from Canada. Some were already friends from JournalFest or other retreat organized by Teesha.

The workshop was a mix of creativity via art journaling and self-development thanks to the power of attraction. Teesha guided us with some exercises from the book «The amazing power of deliberate intent» by Abraham-Hicks and of course explained us her journaling process step by step. With some tidbits from her experience and her personal life.
It resonated A LOT with me. Some of the things were stuff I already do, or know.

We all created a small journal (the final size is about 5″x5″) to reflect our Intentions for our life. This was totally out of my comfort zone. Because even if I am an art journaler, I am not using collage. Not that I don’t like collage, I just never know where to find elements to use, how to create something coherent etc. I won’t say I like the journal that is coming up from this, because it doesn’t feel… me. But I so loved the vibe, learning new stuff. Maybe if I had great images to play with, I would do it more often in my own journal.

This is a work in progress, I will go back here and there.

So now… time for a little book giveaway. YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY !

As i told before, Teesha used this book from Esther Hicks called «The amazing power of deliberate intent». I bought one copy while in Seattle, but already had it home (yes, I know…). But there is a reason for everything ! Maybe you, the lucky winner, were just meant to get this book to help you. It is filled with exercises and explanations. Very easy to understand.

Please, do enter the giveaway only if you are sure to want the book. To enter, leave me a comment telling me what is currently inspiring you. It can be someone, something…whatever it is 🙂

It will end on Monday August 15th, midnight Pacific time.