Let the creation
come through you
Ride the lightening bolt
to somewhere
you have never been
You are the explorer
of your own cosmic happening!
Soul Bird Painting in process by Shiloh Sophia
Intentional Creativity® Teachings: How it works and why
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Dear One,
You are invited to a cup of tea and to sit with me a spell inside the Red Thread Cafe. The cafe is an imaginal, yet real space, a place where we learn, connect and gather. This is my deepest work expressed. Sometimes it is difficult to language the quantum world I am really working in. Here we go, ready for a ride on a lightening bolt with me?
In Intentional Creativity we invite images and ideas to arise during our process. We set the space for the arising, by holding an intention which opens us to something hidden or unexpected. The intention often takes the shape of an inquiry, or an affirmation.
With curiosity, we become the witness of our internal process while simultaneously witnessing what is arising in the creation happening before our eyes. Our eyes communicate what they perceive to our brain and our body feels it. Our intention is in-forming the entire experience. This works as long as you don’t dominate the process with outcomes you think should be happening.
Your intention could take the form of a request:
“Show me something I need to know for what is next”
“May I discover something new about (insert issue here)”
“In regards to healing my (situation here), show me what I am not seeing”
“I am here to reconnect with my creative soul, show me the way”
Your intention could take the form of an affirmation or prayer:
“I am open to receiving”
“I am making myself available to healing”
“I am focusing my love into world peace”
“I am praying for my loved one…”
Your intention could be content based:
“I am here to explore my own information”
“I am creating a class/business, what is the curriculum?”
“I am creating a pathway to accessing my deepest voice”
“I have no idea what I am doing here, show me!”
While there are many ways to work with intention setting in creative process, the idea here is that it functions as a kind of probe which narrows the scope of what shows up and provides a framework for viewing what does show up. While exciting, it is also efficient, yielding often startling access to hidden content.
It is important to note that we are not looking for answers as fact or truth. Rather, we are exploring whatever new information is available during the time we have set within the framework and materials we use. We then explore what shows up relative to the intention. The intention functions as a lens, and the act of creating is the catalyst, you are the witness.
The alchemy that takes place through Intentional Creativity is based on the ingredients, conditions, containers and context that we set. It happens DURING the process itself. Which is a truly beautiful thing. Our hope is to see what we are not seeing, to expand our capacity to vision, to know, to feel, to come to life. To be one with our own voice and being.
Naturally, while you are creating, you are entering an engaged feeling state in which the information from within can make itself more available. That which is ready to be revealed is consistent with your readiness to receive it and live into what is revealed. Awesome right? This is how creating can become our medicine. It changes both mind, body, heart and the capacity to act as authentic to who we already are. Although we might not be living who we already are, due to many layers of stories covering up our shine! Intentional Creativity turns those layers into useful compost – everything becomes relevant and part of the process.
Resistance can block us from the seeing and hearing when we create. But on the other hand – whatever shows up IS what is ready to show up! So even resistance, anger, fear and comparison can show us something that will inform us. So we don’t just welcome the good stuff. The composty mucky stuff is just as juicy. This isn’t about good or bad, light or dark – we move beyond the either/or and into just seeing what there is. Being available to what is ready to be revealed in this moment. Sometimes, it is a surprise, Muses often love surprises!
Why it actually works, is because when we are engaged in creative process our usual way of ‘thinking’ and ‘seeing’ is otherwise occupied. We bypass the dominatrix of the pre-frontal cortex reasoning and enter a domain where things are not all as they appear. A hidden palette comes into view. This ‘state’ which is created through creating ITSELF, meaning, moving from idea into form, is what opens us to something that we did not see before. Once revealed it can be rather obvious. By form we mean actual form: painting, writing, dancinc, weaving, cooking and any activity which involves making that can be seen and experienced. And why it is amplified, is because we are watching it. We are the witness.
When an “observer” is watching, Quantum mechanics says that particles are also waves. We think of Intentional Creativity in this way when we bring in the witnesser of the process. So how will our process be changed based on how we witness it, and how will be be changed?
Practice in this way, begins to create a stronger connection with intuition. So instead of just random insights, only, we begin to be able to ask. In this asking we enter a more fluid and aligned understanding of ‘who’ is doing the creating. The ‘who’ has lots of hidden layers in our consciousness that we can’t get to just by asking and looking directly. You can’t look right at the hidden world just like you can’t look right at the mystery, otherwise it wouldn’t be a mystery anymore. Yet more of what is hidden, can be known, and must be, if we are to get to the deeper layers of causation and capacity in our own lives.
The idea of ‘what wants to happen’ is core in Intentional Creativity and culture of our community of Cosmic Cowgirls. We open ourselves to this idea, and in doing so, put ourselves in alignment with the likelihood and also force of what is already flowing through and ready to come to light. We don’t need to ‘force’ it, rather, we engage with it and dance with it. To learn the dance, one must create. In creating, we change who we are being in an instant, because our chemistry and mind change to a new potential state that moments before was not available. We engage with more than what we understand ourselves to be in body (local) and move into the field, the self living outside the body (non-local). We get some space to move around in! The field of each person may go out 15 to 20 feet, or more.
When you align these ideas with the wisdom of the heart, then there is beauty. Order even when there is chaos. There is a hope beside the despair. Neither one needs to cancel the other one out – because they cease to fight. Inside and outside of ourselves fails to be barriers any longer. Then we just are, who we are, moving in the world as who we are. And what we need the most, both for the world at large and for our own worlds we are part of co-creating, is to be who we are, intentional conscious beings. Creating unconsciously or intentionally without considering the impact is dangerous – and not in the good way. So let’s wake up together as a community, shall we?
Who lives in here, who is doing the asking? Who is the one moving the pen or brush and why? Who is reading this and what is she/he thinking about it? This inquiry based process coupled with creating in form, is Intentional Creativity in action. In this we are no longer letting things happen to us, rather, we become the happening. This…can happen in an instant. No more waiting for something to happen, you are, the happening as you create yourself to be in real time. This is where the magic is.
~ ~ ~
These ideas are explored directly or indirectly in most of my painting classes. This weekend they will be explored more fully in our class starting tomorrow, APOTHECARY .:. www.medicinepainting.com I am delighted that Jonathan will be joining me to teach and share his story. We are nervous and excited. This is my soul work and I am so grateful to be sharing it with my community. Over 150 people will be joining us for the ride on the bolt of lightening.
Thank you SO MUCH if you took the time to read this, and I would be more than happy to hear your comments and ideas about how it works for you.
With love, and deep playful curiosity,
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May LOVE be at the CENTER of all CHOICES
