Stardust Guild SiStars

 In 2018, Shiloh Sophia revived the medieval practice of gathering those who have developed proficiency in an art or trade into a Guild of Journeywomen for the graduates of the Color of Woman teacher training. We'd had a Graduate group for several years - this was the 'next step.' 

With the addition of the Motherboard Coaching program, and Red Thread Guides, the Guild now includes graduates of those programs as well. (The Certifications page has links to the prospectus for each program.)

Active Guild benefits include a group on iMUSEA, a monthly call, which may include a teaching, and access to a graduate Video library for Continuing Ed appropriate to each training. For CoW, this includes additional classes of varying length at no charge, and sign ups for several we can receive a license to teach after completing the painting and any additional requirements. (These include Apothecary, Legend, Diva X... ) 

There's a link to add yourself to the Guild directory, and volunteer or employment opportunities are offered to active guild members first. 

Sepha, Nadya and Shiloh, 2016

There is also a Regional component. Nearly 20 Guild Gals currently live in Oregon and Washington, and several of us met for the first time in classes, at graduation, during travels, or an in-person gathering. (You can find local graduates and Guild members in the directory.) 

In November 2019, I invited the local gals to a Gathering at the studio in MECA gallery (since closed). We set our circle for the afternoon, and Jan from Southern Washington, 3 hours away, choose to stay overnight! 

Sharing Purple thread with Sepha and Janet

While we do Red Thread circles when gathering with students and beloveds in our broader community, when meeting with other Guild members, we often use a Purple Thread of Leadership. I've shared purple thread with several SiStars as they traveled through Oregon, weaning strands of connection. It's always a delight when we gather, and this was no exception! 

Olivia, Sepha, Uma, Nadya, Jan  - Nov 19

During that fall gathering, we shared chocolate and tea, warmth and SiStarhood. Our Muses must have consulted - our colors were delightfully coordinated! We passed the thread, and shared highlights from our year, and dreams for the future. 
We planned to share a Metacognative drawing practice, but after our check-in round we just kept talking!  And talking - laughing, commiserating, and finally said our fond goodbyes, with a stronger connection and sisterhood.

In 2021, Musea added regional 'Constellations' of Guild Members, with Guides for each group, and ours began having monthly calls in the spring. Our PNW 'Stardust SiStars' begin with a circle, sometimes followed by a short teaching or activity. We have begun scheduling separate "Nuts and Bolts" sessions sharing info on making prints, and other practical tips. 

We may be drawn to Collaborate with others from afar, or in our area. I've co-facilitated in person classes with several, beginning with Lora Pirtle during my own Color of Woman training, then Sepha, when she entered the following year. 

Olivia and Uma collaborated many times while they both lived in Portland, and after Uma moved out of the area, offered the first 'guild led' Legend class virtually in the spring, and I was their Art Doc! 

Another local grad and Guild member Linda Allen and I co-facilitate bimonthly Virtual Red Thread Circles as a pivot during lock down. These are so fun, drawing women from around the globe!! (as far as NZ and India!) Graduates or students in our area are also invited to post their offerings in our PNW MeetUp.

Purple Thread cuffP

I used the purple yarn from several circles with my Guild SiStars to crochet this little cuff bracelet. It's both decorative and a wonderful reminder I can just give a tug, and the support and love from my Guild sisters is on the other end! 

I extend the thread to you, and invite you to explore guild membership!

Recycling Content

 I love to write - and I am lazy frugal enough to want to use what I've written different ways! One is between blogs (I confess, I have several!!) I often borrow content from a personal blog, to repost on one of the support blogs, editing to match the audience. I've done the same with my website, and if I want to post something on Instagram or Facebook, it often appears on my blog before or after.

Atelier Altar

I began my first blog after reading an article about how simple they were, and could be set up in 15 minutes - who could resist?? And it worked!! Often students and graduates who don't already have a website feel a bit stuck as they consider starting one - 

• What platform to use? 
• How to start?
• Who will help? 
• Can I edit and update myself?

A blog is a simple way to start, and figure the rest out later!! I happened to choose blogspot, and have enjoyed sharing content this way. Our IC Sister Hobby Parent had a blog on the same platform, with 'pages' which made it more like a website - an About page, events page, Gallery .... and I realized I could add those to mine as well!! It's easy to edit pages - as long as we remember, tee hee! 

It's simple to copy and paste from the blog to Instagram or FB, and share a poem or inspirational thought, a bit of a story .... and to use 'labels' (or 'hashtags') suited to post topics. Either can inspire content for the other (I usually go into edit to copy and paste from one to another) 

Hashtags I commonly use include #intentionalcreativity #intentionalcreativityoregon and #iammusea Be sure to have a link in your bio that takes the visitor to a link list or your blog or website. 

Do you have a blog? Post the link in the comments! 

Here are some of mine:

Creation Station, King's Touch Reiki, Red Thread Circles

Insta Magic

 Wow - I have 1300 (now nearly 1400!) followers on Instagram! 

Canva Thank you Graphic

I began posting on Instagram three years ago, after Maestra Shiloh Sophia suggested Guild members use the #intentionalcreativity, and see if we could boost the numbers of posts over a thousand or so tagging our brand! We are now at 19.7K!

I love the visual focus of Instagram, which is ideal for our artist selves. Our own Stella Mac posted tips on using Hashtags, which proved invaluable! (you can use up to 33, about 12-15 are most effective - and be selective!)

In those early days, I wrote, "It's been fun playing with my pictures for posts, making little montages (which don't always behave!) And meeting new virtual friends! I love the journal pages @quantummemoir does, and ... I'm @nadyakingartist ❤"

Do you already have a page on Instagram? I invite you to begin posting your art and share inspiration! 

• When you start typing a tag, suggestions will come up - bypass ones that have over a million, and look for ones in the 50 - 500k range or lower
• Check out the tags your colleagues use - make a note of those which fit! (a tag may sound great - but when you visit it, the posts don't match your vision/intention!)
• It's a good idea to check out the tag, and see how the posts match your intention - I usually click "recent" as well 💖
• Choose a few # that are unique to you, or your small group. Recently I added red thread Creatives, as that's the name of my Facebook group. 

Building your following and adding content

• When you have a bit of extra time, visit some of the folks who 'liked' your recent posts, and choose several which appeal to interact with, follow and comment on.  
• When someone comments on your post, take time to reply - even if it's just 'thank you!'
• Post favorite quotes and tips from time to time - how can you uplift your beloveds?
• Click 'view insights' to see how your posts are performing, and who has viewed the post. You can see what time of day posts are most viewed, etc. 
• While we can use up to 30 tags in a post, the magic number is 11 - I generally use a few more.
• The Magic formula is to choose 5-8 'popular' tags that have been used 50-500k times
• 5-8 moderate 5-50k
• Several specific to your group or offerings
• And a few niche - personal to you!

Promoting your work and offerings

• When you collaborate on a class or other offering, choose a tag together, and use it with your posts. I was recently the Art Doc for a class two of my colleagues offered, and they chose #AwakeningMythicLegend for our class posts. 
• Encourage your students with accounts to use the tag, and to tag you on their posts!
• Be sure to tag your partner in your post with @____
• If you have your work in a show or at a gallery, tag the venue, and like/comment on posts they make, especially if you're mentioned/ tagged!
• Instagram allows one "active link" in your profile, so many folks create a link list (like Linktree) with link to classes, free offers, their main website, blogs. Check out the 'link in bio' on different accounts, and see which appeal to you. 

Whilst researching link options, I came across a YouTube tutorial from Canva on creating active web pages and decided to that for my profile link! I often use Canva for graphics, so that was an easy choice! 

• Post a link to your website or blog in your bio, and update your site regularly. 
• A blog is an easy 'website option,' if you haven't built a website yet. I have several, and post events on a couple of those. 
• If you're promoting an event, make the registration easy to find! (I often check these in colleagues' posts, and have to poke around for their current offer!)
• If you have several distinct business, you may want to add other accounts
• Post your bio link at the end of your text "click the link in my bio to register -@nadyakingartist 

Here's a recent post with in depth suggestions on using hashtags! 

Are you on Instagram? Go look - you may already have a page with 20 or more followers that you just need to claim! 

Challenge: post your most recent painting and a little blurb on your Insta page!

You're invited to post the link to your account in the comments, and share any tips you've discovered! 

 

SOULWork

 The invitation reads: "Your SOULWork Project is a culminating presentation exploring Intentional Creativity as applied to a personal interest. Plan to take 6-8 hours taking your interest to the 'next level.' Document in the way that makes sense: writing, link to a hosted URL, etc."

How do we make that connection between a personal interest and IC?

A good place to begin is to pull out your journal, your Medicine Basket, and draw a couple of Story Cards.  Sit with one of your paintings, and inquire, 

• What are some of my Personal Interests and how do they dovetail with IC? 
• How can I serve MY beloveds and my Soul Purpose? 
• Perhaps do a Metacognitive Drawing around the inquiry. 

If it's something you've already done, you can share the link (dropbox, youtube, blog post, google docs, etc) or you can simply flesh out your notes and any images you have of your project 'in the works.

I originally wrote about my SOULWork from the perspective of being a Grandmother, and using it to support my grandchildren. While that's been a part of work since the beginning, when my 4 year old grandkids added strokes (invited!) to my CoW paintings, I realize that another thread is my offerings as a Reiki Master.

In 2015 and '16, I wrote about this on my King's Touch Reiki Blog, "When studying Intentional Creativity, preparing to become a Color of Woman teacher and IC coach, I needed to offer several Red Thread Circles and events. My teacher Shiloh Sophia invited me to consider the connections between Reiki and the IC teachings, "I know there are connections, explore what they are."

A Chinese legend tells that we are connected before birth with those whom we're destined to meet by an invisible Red Thread. Through out lives, the thread may twist, stretch and tangle, but will never break. We each hold, and are responsible for our own piece of this thread.

I immediately saw a connection with my own Reiki Thread, and considered how to weave the IC teachings to support my Reiki students. In April on 2015, I included my first Red Thread circle for the training during a Reiki I class, inviting each initiate to share her piece of the thread. One, Lora Pirtle, was already certified in IC, and was tickled. During our 2nd Degree class in July, we incorporated the symbol practice sheets into creating a Medicine Basket as a journal cover. 

Students Creating Journal covers

When I took Second Degree Reiki in 1990, we first learned the three symbols, and then (gulp!) burned the papers!! Scary, but empowering! We were at the coast, & that night, I danced the symbols under the stars - WOW!

With Intentional Creativity, we can use the creative process as our Holy Fire of transformation and integration. 

Some of the Medicine Basket inquiries are:

• What will you be known for? 
• What Healing tools & remedies do you offer? 
• Who are your Beloveds?
• What is in your medicine basket?

When I painted & collaged 'gifts' onto my first Medicine basket, I immediately saw this as a lovely process to include in my upcoming Reiki 2 class (and included that as my first RT event assignment). I invited the students to bring scrapbook materials or Quotes they might want to include, and dream-stormed on how to integrate the teachings of Reiki, & the Medicine basket process. 

Intentional Creativity has proved to be a lovely support the Reiki teachings. I've formulated a Red Thread Reiki curriculum, with creative projects to help the teachings of each level. These Red Thread teachings are available separately for those who have studied with another Master, and I would love to collaborate with other Reiki Masters in offering these.

In later Reiki Classies, we've made Prayer Flags on the Reiki Principles during First Degree and Apothecary Vessels for the journal covers. So my SOULWork was already present, and interwoven into other assignments for my certification, I just needed to see the pattern!

I invite you to explore the connections between IC and your own interests/ skills/ healing tools - how can you weave the treads together?