Using our Tools

During the Color of Woman quest, we are given treasure trove of tools for accessing our own intuition, insights and vision, and for calming the critic. Many of these make great offerings for our beloveds - and ... we may forget how helpful they can be for our own process! 

What can we do when the critic raises her head? 

In the 80s, Douglas Bloch suggested writing an affirmation, then processing "what comes up."  (Douglas Bloch, author of 'Words that Heal') We often decorated our "finished" affirmation with sequins and sparkles, ...put them up on mirrors, carried them in our wallets...

Story Card deck and cover

In The Artist's Way, Julia Cameron writes: "An affirmation is a positive statement of (positive) belief, and if we can become one-tenth as good at positive self-talk as we are at negative self-talk, we will notice an enormous change." Like Bloch, Julia suggests writing out the affirmation, then the 'blurts' which counter it, & suggests identifying their origin - "who told you that?" "Do you believe it's true?" 

With Intentional Creativity®, we approach the affirmation by first writing out the 'old stories' which hold you back, the critic chatter and negative beliefs on one side of a slip of paper: "I never have enough time!"  "I'm too old" (or too young, or too busy) "I'd love to do my art, but I don't want to end up a starving artist" ... "I can't afford__"

Then, we write an antidote on the other side of our process paper, and craft a short affirmation; the Antidote is transferred to our card & decorated. And then, ... we often tuck the deck away, and head off to the next assignment!! 

Oops! 

When talking to Creatives in our community, I notice some continue to "reaffirm" stories they countered during their CoW quest!  When I hear one surface, I often ask if they wish to reframe that story, & affirm something positive instead! (And try to remember to do this as well!!)

So my inquiry today is, "How do you utilize the lessons and reframe offered by your Story Cards?"

I invite you to light a candle, pour a cup of tea, pull out your journal and cards. Shuffle through your story card deck.

A direct approach: Journal about some old story phrases you notice your Inner Critic has been pulling out, and which block your progress. Perhaps do a Metacognative drawing. Then:

• go through your story card deck, and pull 2-3 cards which relate to that issue, and work with their messages. 
• Journal about the messages, and actions you can take. 
• Put them up on your altar or vision board till your next reading. 

Intuitive Reading

• Shut your eyes, breathe into your heart and belly
• Pull a card at random, and before looking at it, hold it between your hands
• Notice your impressions - a color, a word or two, a plant or animal ally
• Open your eyes and look at the card and affirmation
• Journal about both your impressions, and about that card and message
• How does it relate to the old story you've been battling?
• Place the card somewhere you can see it, and continue to receive messages

Oracle reading

• If you work with other Oracle decks, pull a card or two from your own deck as well
• Write about the Oracle in your journal, including impressions from your cards
• Add new insights to the back of the card 

Additional cards

One of my favorite Red Thread Circle offerings is creating 3-5 story cards in a 90 minute class. I'm always curious to see what beliefs tag along, and the variety of cards that will be created! Often several beloveds share similar old stories, and work on antidotes together.

This is great to do for yourself when you notice none of your cards read fully address a current issue! A piece of watercolor paper from a pad is a good size, and you'll likely want to make additional cards the same size as your current deck. I usually paint a sheet (often 9×12") then tear apart for cards, but only make a few. 

This can be a good time to assemble a little Story Card kit, for offering this as a virtual or in person class. Save so your process papers with old stories and their antidotes to include in your kit.

Additional Story Cards

Symbols, Totems, Elements and Angels

• Create additional cards inspired by messages and symbols from your paintings
• Write a short description on the back 
• Totems: Hummingbird came during my Artist painting, and it reminded each flower (student) of their unique beauty, and can match pave by slowing, or speeding ahead.
• Notice if symbols on your cards find their way into the canvas
• Time Angels is another favorite card, I invite them to help keep on time
• Grace Elohim invites us to "Grace it and Move On!"
• Other cards you've made might include soul collage or journey cards, and their systems
• My friend, Color of Woman graduate Linda Allen included cards for the elements and reminders to Breathe and Dance in her deck - watch her slideshow here

What are some of your favorite cards, and ways you work with them? 

Share in the comments!  

    

 

Instagram

 Yay, I now have 1000 followers on Instagram! 

I began posting on Instagram two years ago, after Maestra Shiloh Sophia suggested we do so, and use the #intentionalcreativity, to boost the numbers of posts tagging our brand to over a thousand - We are now at 13.4 K! 

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 ❤"

• 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 ... 
• Look at tags other friends and colleagues in your community use - make a note of those which fit! 
• 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. 
• It's a good idea to check out the tag, and see how the posts match your intention - I usually click "recent" as well 💖
• I took part in a pod early on, where 6-8 of us tried to post daily, follow each other, and like and comment on each other's posts - Quantum Memoir was one of the pod, and we're still in touch.

Here's a recent post with other suggestions on using hashtags.

Instagram is a great way to connect with folks who are interested in our art, and to promote classes. A couple of years ago I saw a sweet hand drawn poster for a workshop at my favorite retreat center, communicated with the teacher, and decided to register. I often make designs on Canva, including flyers for my circles and class, and post them on Instagram.

Are you on Instagram? You're invited to post the link to your account, and share an tips you've discovered. 

Collaboration

Since my own journey through Color of Woman, I've had the pleasure of collaborating with several SiStars in our community! 

The very first collaboration was at the beginning of my CoW journey, June, 2015! Graduate Lora Pirtle invited me to join the PNW MeetUp group, and post my offerings there. When I asked about auditing her upcoming 'Mystical Mermaids' class, she replied, "no, teach it with me!"
Here are the class photos from our afternoon class - I played harp during the visioning, and she'd prompt me to show them what's next throughout the afternoon. (Yikes!!) I was glad we only had two students, for this 'soft introduction' to teaching Intentional Creativity!

Serena of the 7 Seas

The next collaboration was as I was gearing up to teach my 13 step class, Dancing with the Muse. My friend Sepha Nisbet had been teaching Paint Nite for several years, and gave me tips for teaching in a carpeted room without running water (the chapel at my church!) and attended! She asked great "beginner" questions that helped keep me on track, and helped with set up!! (The link has some of her excellent set-up tips!) 

Sepha enrolled in CoW '16, and we co-facilitated many monthly circles and periodic classes over the next several years. We created and used our 13 step prompt card decks early on, and at Shiloh's request, created the video and handout for the CoW class of '18. 

4 of the prompt cards

With this Spring's turn toward virtual classes, I looked for SiStars to co-facilitate my monthly Red Thread circles, and decided to add a second circle to our offerings. It's exciting to team with gals who live over an hour away, and can't easily attend our in-person circles, and to benefit from their different passions and soul work.

Yesterday Linda Allen, who is a graduate of both Red Thread Guide and Color of Woman courses, and is finishing Catt Geller's Cosmic Smashbook course, offered "What's in your Basket?" (during this time). Linda has a strong background in crafts, and we've both woven baskets, so she she suggested a 3-D approach! 

Basket and Vision plan cards

In April and early May, I teamed with EFT (tapping) practitioner and CoW graduate Sherry Rueger Banaka, with a Metacognative process on resilience and short tapping routine. Gals from her tapping community joined us from England and British Columbia! 

Morning's basket, leather, twine...

One of the benefits of collaboration is that wider reach, connecting with beloveds from afar and different circles. Yesterday, our attendees included 2 other IC graduates, and two students - one in CoW 2020, one in RT Guide! Each is interested in co-facilitating a circle, and brings unique gifts. 

Whatever your own passion and soul work, collaboration is a good time for thinking outside the box. 

• Who has wisdom and skills that complement yours?
• Might beathwork, Tai chi or yoga be a good addition? 
• Does a friend know a craft you would like to learn? 
• For in-person classes, can someone help with set up in exchange for attendance? This is great for scholarship students.
• Who is responsible for what? (Spreading the word, registration, teachings...)

My circles are currently complimentary, but when you're charging for events, it is important to communicate, and be clear about logistics, including responsibility and how expenses and income will be spilt. 

If you still need to offer some of your circles or you 13 step class, consider teaming up with a SiStar student or graduate, and doing it together! 

One of the Silver Linings during this time of dsocial distancing is the opportunity for unexpected collaborations!! 

Story Card Teaching Pack

I love the Soulful Story Card process, and offer an abbreviated version a couple of times a year for my Red Thread Circle. I quickly realized that if I saved some of the process papers, I wouldn't need to "reinvent the wheel" each time I offer it, and would have several sample old stories/ issues and antidotes to share!

Story Card case and process papers

My deck is housed in a plastic 3×5" card file that I found at the Dollar store. It has several compartments where I keep:

• Some of my Story Cards
• Painted blank cards with sample backgrounds
• Process papers with an "old story" on one side, and the antidote on the other (scribbles, cross-outs and all!)
• Blank Index cards and colored paper for doing the process cards

The kit makes it simple to offer a story card class. While it was the first Red Thread Event I offered during my CoW Quest, that's one of the few times I've had beloveds craft a full deck! 

Our monthly Circle is 2-3 hours, so a simple project works best, and we usually make 3-6 cards. I encourage them to "own the process," and create more on their own as they recognize old stories.

Cards from the teaching kit

I usually use watercolor paper from a pad, and have them create the background, then we move on to the old stories and antidotes while that's drying. They take home both their own competed cards and blanks. 

* The first SC class I taught, two of my 3 beloveds got so engaged in painting the background, they didn't want to move on!! My Time Angels Card helps us keep moving these days! 

I make a few new cards with them, sometimes working with a old story, at others, cards for my classes like "When in doubt, GLAZE!" I use extra  background cards for business cards (torn in half again) and like using calligraphy pens and Inktense pencils for the words and designs. Shimmer watercolor paint adds sparkle without the mess of glitter! (I also just have them use watercolor rather than acrylic paint)

In one of our circles, we played with Mark making and symbols rather than words. I've often thought in a longer workshop, it would be fun/ helpful to make a few cards for old stories that arise, and to write about the symbols! Sometimes a "group issue" will come up, and several participants will make cards on that.

Here's the announcement for one of my story card classes:

"Do you find yourself frequency revisiting the same old stories? Your creative Muse is ready to keep you rewrite a few, and give you a new Oracle for guidance! 

"Come celebrate yourself, and tap her magical nature and whimsical wisdom. We will identify several 'old stories,' and using our collective vision and wisdom, create colorful Soul Vision cards to remind us of our new declaration."

This is a great process to revisit as old stories come up, and I recommend making a few new cards periodically! I've often thought it would be good to create a few insight cards during a longer painting class.

Have you offered this as one of your RT classes? 
You're invited to share any tips, or personal favorite cards! 

13 Step Prompt Cards

When I began teaching IC classes, I had a notebook with the 13 steps, and my ideas  for that particular class. It was kind of cumbersome, and I sometimes got lost ... So I made a flow chart, moving from step to step - then hit on making prompt cards! 
Viola! Much easier! 

13 Step Prompt Cards

You can make a set of prompt cards for Red Thread circles, as well, and can adapt the process for prompts for any class you're offering, it's very adaptable for your needs. Here is the little video tutorial Sepha and I created for the class of 2018.

Materials

• 140# watercolor paper (can be from a pad)
• 13 step overview (or other class process you'd like cards for)
• Watercolors or acrylics, Neocolor 2 crayons, Inktense
• Calligraphy pen, markers, sharpie
• Brushes and water container, aqua brush
• Binder ring and hole punch (optional)

Preparation

• Spend some time with each step and sketch out ideas
• Symbols and images for the concepts
• Name of step
• description for back of card

Creating the cards

• Set your intention for making the cards
• Paint the background and let it dry - not too dark
• Fold and tear cards - from around 2x2" - 3x4" 
• Write the name of the step in the painted side in calligraphy pen or Sharpie
• Draw symbols and images for that step with marker, Inktense or watercolor pencils and activate with water
• Write the instructions for the step on the reverse
• Create a Card for each of the steps
• Make a folder for the cards, or punch a hole in the corner, stack in order and connect with a binder ring.  

Optional teaching cards

• Card with the 13 steps in order (the names and order occasionally change)
• Symbol Override - what additional information is coming through?
• Red Thread Circle and closure cards
• Favorite short quotes to read during class
• Inquiries for journaling
• Antidotes for "I hate my painting!" : a movement break; tea and chocolate; black and white photo for value/contrast; sit back and "take it to the journal," "when in doubt/angst - glaze!"
• Several inquiries for Red Thread circles
• When you're offering a new class, sit with your deck and fine tune the flow for this class. Do you need to rearrange the order? Are there any special techniques or instructions that you need a card for?
• Create card/s for your theme, i.e. "Queen of your own heart:" crown, heart, orb, sovereign symbol and a few words about the meaning of each (you could do this on larger paper, and keep them in a notebook, or create a handout with symbol ideas)

Personal Support

• Go through your Story Cards and pull out several related to teaching, confidence, having something to share, connecting with beloveds, etc
• Totem cards, inspired by totems/symbols which appeared on your paintings: Milne include Humming Bird, for keeping place work and encouraging my beloveds, Time Angels for staying "timely," and Beloveds. These often go on the altar.
• You may wish to make a couple of new story cards after class, as you gain new insights, or additional prompt cards. 
• Did new symbols come through? You might make additional symbol/totem cards for your teaching deck.
• Journal after the class about what came up for you or your students, and ideas for follow up. You may wish to dedicate a journal to classes, including both process and ideas for future offerings.

Having this set of prompt cards has simplified my class preparation and flow. I've made a couple of additional sets, as insights have come, and review them before teaching. When working on a class demo, I pull out my deck and make adjustments as needed. 
I hope you find them helpful for your classes! 

Red Thread Circles

Tonight's my monthly Red Thread Circle, and we're doing Medicine Baskets.

This is a

Medicine Baskets

short, two hour group, where we'll share a RT circle, brief journey, and creative time. I've invited participants to being bring Art Journal and any favorite supplies. 
It's by donation, and a good introduction to IC. I pay $25 for the room, so always hope several come (some months, I just pay half of what I received!) I've been holding a monthly circle for over 2 1/2 years, and attendance varies, but it's always appreciated!

I held my first Red Thread Circle early in my CoW journey, as part of a Reiki I class. One of my 2 students was Lora Pirtle, a recent CoW graduate, so it was a gentle beginning! That was in the spring of 2015, and this evening, it's time to circle up again. 

I chose those Story Cards and Medicine Basket as my RT Event during my quest, and learned a lot! I had "artists" in each class, who wanted to do their own thing, and needed to learn how to field that! Shiloh gave me the helpful tip of inviting them to, "try it this way this time," ... And saying, "If you do it another way, or choose different materials I may not be able to help you, it would really help the other students if you try it this way this time." And they may need to go their own way, as long as it's not disruptive, we may need to just let it go!

What could go wrong with those simple projects? 
With story cards, the "artist" wanted to bring her own materials, and not pay for instruction, as she already knew how to do it (! ... It was the one event she attended) She did chip in for the room, and mostly went her merry way ... she didn't really address old stories, but enjoyed the cards she made. I needed to reign her in when she challenged an "old story" another beloved was processing, as not being a bad trait ... I explained again that our process was supporting the other student in discovering an antidote!

Reiki 2 Journal Cover

For my second Event, I offered Red Thread Reiki 2, and we created Reiki journals, with Medicine Baskets on the cover! 
In Reiki 2, we learn three symbols, and I've had my students grind the ink and paint the symbols using Sumi-e. 

For the journal covers, we tore the rice paper practice sheets into strips, and glued them to our background papers, then painted medicine baskets on the covers, and did more collage with our medicine gifts. 

Challenge: 

• If you've made a Medicine Basket, what gifts do you claim? Are there still appropriate? Share a photo and a little about your gifts in our Facebook group.
• Haven't done it yet? The instructions are in the CoW kajabi site, you're invited to tap the group energy and pull out your paints! 
• Have you written about your Medicine Basket (or House of the Heart, if you choose that) for your initiate book? This is a good time to document it.
• Did you offer Medicine Basket as one of your Red Thread Events? It's a great one to do, and well received! I love the variety it affords, grad Lorraine Tilburg works with horses, and offers it as "saddle bags!" With kids, you can do backpacks. 
• It can also be done on canvas, in a short "Paint Party style event. I did that art a friend's home around Easter.
• Is it time to look into getting a class on the schedule? 

So, what happened at that second Event? 
One of the "artist" students (not our CoW SiStar!) wanted to use the oil pastels on her cover, rather than paint (I brought the pastels for our grounding page!) ... 
Then, she was disappointed I didn't have a hair dryer along to set them! ... In both classes, the other students kept on with their own projects, and didn't seem distracted, which helped. After that student got home, she was able to use her familiar materials,  deconstructed the cover, and was  ultimately happy with the journal. 

I began holding regular 2 hour Red Thread Circles in the back door studio later that year, and have offed Medicine Basket in that format several times. I often use a pad of watercolor paper, and watercolor paints (rather than acrylics) for these circles. When my friend Sepha was going through the training, I did a larger one on half a sheet of watercolor paper. I enjoy it each time I lead it, with new insights about my gifts.

What have been some of your circle experiences? 
I'd love to hear about them, here or in the FB group.