COUNTLESS STORIES
There are many artists who explore art as a spiritual practice and have a unique style. For me, this is only the beginning of the adventure as it is also what happens after the art is complete. There are countless stories in every art piece waiting to share their stories and connect to our inner world. Of course, there is joy in knowing the original story that inspired the artist to create this art piece but there is so much more of the story that is left untold as an art story grows with each person it connects with.
BE INSPIRED
Art has a wonderful way of filling us up with inspiring images and new ways of looking at the world we live in. I love having a house full of art pieces. My dining room is my international room where I hang treasured art pieces that I have collected from different places across the world. Some I have visited and others are pieces I have found second hand and taken home to live with me. There was something that attracted me to each piece and in the moment of purchase, I knew that I wanted to own the feelings that these pieces inspired within me.
My first response to an art piece is always about the feeling that it inspires within me and the questions that grow from that feeling space. Art inspires me to imagine my world in new ways and to open to new possibilities. Then when I begin to live with a piece I start to make a connection with the stories it holds. Finding space to contemplate and be in the feeling of an art piece is a real joy that connects me to that feeling as I explore my world. This process of connecting the image to your own stories opens up new understandings. There is a reading strategy I learnt and taught as an English teacher who works so well with art. This process is about three ways of connecting to an art piece. At this moment I am looking at the art as a visual text. This is a lovely strategy to start connecting to any art piece
MAKING CONNECTIONS
Learning ways to connect to an art piece from the inside is about discovering the feeling space. This is what creates understanding and how you find what you live and attract what you want more of.
Begin to Connect to an art piece using this simple structure. As you ask yourself the questions, I want you to ask from within your heart. As you ask from a heart connected space you will tend to focus on the feelings and positive connections.
When discovering a painting or any art piece, always begin from the feeling it inspires within you. The feelings within you are the path to your soul stories and open you to new ways of understanding your world”
Begin by asking the question: What am I feeling when I connect with this art piece? List your feelings
1/
2/
3/
1/ Text to self = art piece to self: What in this painting is like me? How does it make you feel?
2/ Text to text = art piece to art piece: What in this art piece reminds me of other art pieces? Is it the same feeling?
3/ Text to world = What about this art piece is connected to the world today?
FINDING YOU…
Perhaps you have always loved art but never stopped long enough to connect fully with why you are drawn to an art piece? I believe that art has a way of healing us on a soul level and helping us gain an understanding of ourselves from the inside out. You may wonder why I would want to go picking around in these inner stories? Stories heal us through the messages they hold and words help us shape meaning so we can transfer our new sense of guided knowing into our lives. If you want to know more about your own story then you are in the right place to begin to explore through art making and writing. This is an art and writing process that opens you up to more joy, energy and guided spaces that create a balance in your life. This is a space where questions help shape your understanding as you learn to listen and develop self-trust that shapes your vision of you in the world.
WHAT I LOVE
For a long time, I had no idea what my art really meant as I was stuck in my head analysing whether it was any good and what element or technique I needed to fix it. Intuitive art as a spiritual practice taught me to stop trying to fix things and to start looking for what I love. This shifted me into a space of trusting me as I stepped into this heart centred feeling space and stopped blocking the natural art process of discovery. I realised that this was not about the finished product but about the journey that I took to get there. It was not about whether the art was good or bad (judgement) but how it made me feel. The more I connected to feeling spaces, the more my art evolved and I grew into me. Art had become a mindfulness process of being on that space rather than about completion and technical perfection.
The further I went along this feeling path the deeper I went into understanding my world. When I came from this feeling space, I was naturally developing a sense of self-trust and my feelings where the opening that connected me to my inner wisdom as I started to pay attention to that intuitive voice whispering in my ear.
Looking for what I love in my life and art has taken me along a path of gratitude that has added many more joyful moments into my life. I am far more conscious of what I am creating when I connect to the feelings in each of the stories as I find my heart and soul in what attracts
FEELING CONNECTION
When you find your inner story spaces and connect with these forgotten spaces within, it is the beginning of a conversation and a healing journey. Understanding who you are from inside art soul stories brings you back to that person you used to be. The You, with energy and big dreams, who was ready to take on the world. This way of writing your soul through art becomes a spiritual practice of connecting to that something more within. What parts of you have been lost and buried along the way and have blocked your path? What do you really need to explore to step into the best version of you?
Art unlocks the door as you step through into the writing process that gives you conscious, guided access to those soul messages.
Art is the process of trusting the flow of images and a.lowing them to take form on the page. The reality is that most people do not know how to read an art image and look at art from the head based perspective of the analyst. Art at its core is all about feelings and connecting to our heart and finding these stories is an inside job. We make all sorts of connections to art but the ability to pause long enough to feel the art and allow it to become words is rare and a gift that heals and inspires us on ever-deepening levels.
This year my intention is JOY. I hope you have found your intention for the year as you explore your art stories and make soul connections.
Soul Circle: Art Storytelling
The painting process is only part of the story and understanding the messages we send ourselves in our creative exploration is a path of self understanding, healing and freedom. Art pieces all have stories within them and anyone can find parts of there own story in an art piece that attracts them. Sometimes we just need someone to show us how and then we step into the space of confidence and learn how to read our own inside art stories.
MAKING + CONNECTING = SOUL ART STORYTELLING
Imagine creating your own art piece using a playful explorative guided process and then reading the messages and stories within the art that your soul has sent you. Using a beautiful connected writing process that begins new inner conversations is natural and easy.
If you don’t know how to connect to your intuition or want to know more, this step by step process of questions and answers seamlessly helps you connect to your inner voice.
TRUSTING
I have learnt to trust that inner voice and refined this process of writing intuitively. As you write using this process, the words flow and seem to naturally shape into poetry. This approach is guided and about finding spaces of self trust, accessing your feelings and creating new understandings of you. It is a gentle process as our inner guidance is a heart based and supportive space. If negativity creeps in then you know your head has got in the way and the inner critic has shown up. This is easily redirected back to your heart as your heart knows your true potential and all the stories that have shaped you into the remarkable person you have become. Every moment of your life has bought you here but we have all forgotten or buried so many of our own stories. What if you could have an all access pass to find your way back into these stories. The ones you need now are the ones that you will connect to as your inner wise self carries each one for you.
EVOLVING
This writing process has evolved through my experience as a SoulCollage® facilitator, experience as an English/EAL teacher for many years and as an intuitive artist exploring my soul path. What I know is these guided conversations with art pieces opens up new self understandings and is a way to access your inner wisdom that is waiting for you.
This is one of my Soul Story poems which is very personal as it is about my Mum who is dearly missed. Words have power to capture the essence of an image and resonate with the depth of the feelings within the image. The words add another dimension to the story of the art piece that goes beyond the image and speaks from the heart. Often they hold surprises and messages that nurture and heal spaces twe had buried within us. The words that done through the images free us to be fully ourselves.
WONDERINGS
I wonder if you create your own art or have art in your home? Do you admire the beauty and enjoy the inspiration offered or do you allow yourself to become part of the art story. Do you know why you like this art piece, what it is within it that calls your name or do you simply want the joy of art in your life without knowing why? What if you could connect with art that gave you access to personal stories you had forgotten or wisdom that naturally flowed out of you, with no effort on your part. The story was within you waiting to be given voice. What if…
Would you like to know more of your Soul Art Storyteller? Explore the post links below and I would love to read your thoughts or PM me if you want to learn more.