Tools of Transformation

 During the Color of Woman quest, we have been given treasure trove of tools for accessing our own intuition, insights and vision, for calming the Critic and engaging the Muse! 

This Tool Kit is full of powerful offerings for our beloveds - and ... we often forget how helpful they can be for our own process! 

What can we do when the critic raises her head? Pull out the tool kit, and choose one or more to revisit!

My first Story Card deck and cover

• The Soulful Story Card process is one of the first assignments on the CoW journey - for good reason! 

In The Artist's Way, Julia Cameron wrote: "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." 

If we only had the Story Cards as support for the rest of our journey, we'd have such a potent aide!! Often the very stumbling blocks addressed by the cards are encountered over and over - and in the cards, we have a wonderful way to turn them into stepping stones!  I share several ways to use them here.

I usually offer a Story Card session in my Red Thread Creatives Circle a couple of times each year, and use this as an opportunity to create a few new cards, to address other old Stories I've become aware of!  I like working on less expensive water color pads of paper for creating the cards. 

You may find this a good time to assemble your Story Card kit, for offering this as a virtual or in person class. So save your process papers with old stories and their antidotes to include in your kit. If it's been awhile since you created your deck, check in and see if there's are any old stories surfacing to be countered with new cards!

Story and Ally cards, plus 13 Step prompt deck

• The Medicine Basket - ooo, what a lovely image!! 

I love Shiloh's description of her physical basket, and items included!! You may wish to assemble a physical Medicine basket or bag to include some of your special tools! I've got a little basket for Red Thread and a couple of Shiloh's books, a little red silk bag for special scissors, and little balls of red yarn, and found a small purse made from Red Ties for bigger balls and tools! 

If you're feeling 'stuck' around your Piece of the Red Thread - pull out your Medicine Basket, and revisit your tools!

Red Thread Basket

Some of the Medicine Basket inquiries are:

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

Our Medicine Basket process helps us identify our special gifts, and points us toward our Soul Work! 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 my students to bring scrapbook materials, Quotes they might want to include, and then dream-stormed on how to integrate the teachings of Reiki, & the Medicine basket process. We created covers for the Reiki Journals I encouraged them to begin, over a background that included the Symbols they learned!

I've continued to include creating Story Cards and Medicine Baskets in subsequent Reiki 1 and 2 Classes, and love how they dovetail with the Reiki teachings on intention. I've also shared it in Red Thread style paint parties, like this one for my school chum Nancy (center with the basket on pink) and her friends and family.

Paint with Pals - Medicine Basket

• Many of us have felt we didn't quite 'fit' in this current world, family, community - the House of the Heart allows us to claim belonging. 

Shiloh comments - "We either experience everything as a miracle or nothing as a miracle. We experience the Universe as a friendly or unfriendly place. People's world view stems from their belief about whether they belong here." 

In the fall of 2019, I joined CoW graduate and EFT practitioner Sherry Reuger-Banaka in offering a workshop on Grief to Gratitude, using the house of the Heart as the class template. This was her Soulwork - combining IC and EFT! I've enjoyed doing this one on canvas several times, and they are such cheery houses! 

The prompts from a CoW student offering (via Zoom) led to recalling the cute 50s home my dad painted pink, with dark red trim and a white roof (to reflect the Central Oregon sun) ... And the Blue Door of my piano teacher's little back room Bible Bookstore. 

 

House of the Heart 2020 - on canvas

• Need a Treasure Map for finding your way? Pull out your Vision Plan Book! 

This is a process Shiloh Revisits each time she's planning a new offering - and is a great one for us to revisit as we seek insight and momentum. I love the whole brain, Muse led approach - our biz-coach, Stella Mac invites us to, "Create a business plan using your winged eye – you have to know how to look with a visionary lens to craft a business that reflects who YOU are." 

Vision Plan Book

In spring of 2020, Shiloh and Amy Ahlers offered a course called Dancing Entrepreneur, where we created a new Vision plan Book, plus a deck of 16 action cards to augment the booklet, and support moving forward with our plans! This is where I encountered the idea from another student of creating a board and planning pockets for a Visual planning system!"

Journal Calendar Biz-Plan

• Another tool is one we've all kept in various forms over the journey - the Journals!!  

This is where we've processed, and made notes around different assignments. 

I tend to keep both art journals for the longer painting processes, and the Smashbook style composition books for writing. I've amassed a lot of journals, and reviewing these can be helpful - reach for the one that 'falls off the shelf!' 

One of the biz tools I used following graduation was creating a monthly Smashbook spread with my goals  for that month splashed about, "popcorn" style. 

Some were specific to that month, while others are ongoing (hosting monthly Red Thread Circles, painting, blogging) I could see at a glance what I accomplished, and what I still wanted to work on!

I hope you're inspired to pull out some of your favorite tools from the training, and revisit the messages! This is a good time to complete or fine tune writing about the projects, and finding which best serve you.

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? 

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!! 

That first Class

Here you are, at the threshold of teaching your first 13 step class - you've painted your Legendary lady, and began having morning tea with your Muse. You've met your inner Artist and taped your Soul Fire. You've gathered tools for your Medicine Basket, and rewritten some old stories ... 

And now...

It's time to offer that first 13 step painting class!! Yikes!! 
First - Breathe! You've got this! 

You have likely been gathering ideas for your theme, and jotting down notes from your CoW SiStars classes. It's great to have a folder of journal to collect these! 

Sit with your Muse and journal to refine your ideas and choose the name. Muse or Queen of .... is often a good start. Shiloh often suggests to choose a theme that is juicy for us, and perhaps has us shaking in our boots.

Gabriella - my first Muse

This usually isn't the time for offering your ideal destination retreat! Jot down your ideas for that Shiny Object (in a special journal?) so you'll have them later! Then - back to ideas for this can-do workshop! You need two students, and two days. 

• Pull out (or make) your set of 13 step prompt cards
• Do a Metacognative drawing or two, exporting your theme: Muse of Creativity, Queen of your Heart ... draw then ask her what she lives by?  What do her symbols represent? What is her Motto, how does she counter the critic?
• Do a demo painting, using the same size canvas as your beloveds will work on (16×20" is a good size for your first offering) Follow the flow of your cards, and do the journaling. Do you need to add another card or reminder?

As you're preparing, paint with your students in mind, keep it simple! The 13 steps are a great guideline, they're a teaching outline for our own use.  - we generally don't share them with the students, as they are proprietary to IC. 

• You may wish to watch one of the shorter videos - Queen of your Own Heart or Tea With the Muse and paint along (adapting for your theme)
• Experiment with glazing one side of the face and the opposite side of the neck different colors - this adds quick interest!
• Get a rough idea of how far you want to get by the first break, and the end of the first day.
• If you're offering a shorter class, combine a couple of steps, and invite the students to journal about the inquiry before class.
• Choose a reading for your RT circle, and write out your visioning/journey.

After you've gotten ready to teach, found your theme and set the date, you can promote your class, with info on how to register (that can be as simple as "send me a message!"

I use Instagram with #intentionalcreativity #oregonartclass #intuitivepaintingclass, etc and have my website link in my bio. I also have an artist page on FB and post Events there, then "share" those to my main page and in groups like the RT Cafe Classroom.

Sepha and Nadya in Tina Gain's class ('16)

For your first class, invite friends who've expressed interest, others in your community, family members - if you offer a special discount, make sure they know that this is a Special! I give a discount for friends who register together, and returning students. 

You can also teach teach other - I have taken several classes from IC SiStars, and it's always a joy, and I learn something new each time! 

Find more tips on teaching that first class here and from some of our colleagues here.

Breathe - you've got this!   

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.