The Art of Getting Curious

It's a bird ... it's a plane ... it's a make-up-wearing volcano carrying a handbag! Seriously, this is what process painting can be like when you're present to the flow. We have ideas of what we want to paint, or what the desired outcome should look like. But when we just start making marks and follow our energy and curiosity--without being too quick to label--well, look out!

The problem is we often censor what wants to come out. What? Abraham Lincoln goes there? A baby on a candy cane in the middle of my masterpiece? No way. What will the others think of me? But when we say "no" to what our creative spark wants, we often find we get bored. Or tired. Or we just don't want to paint anymore. And suddenly the thrill is gone. We're creatively blocked.

Can you simply remain curious as a child and just play--remaining open enough to explore this new thing before you? That means not taking your painting (or yourself) too seriously. It means listening closely enough to hear the needs of the moment, and allowing them to unfold organically without having the answers.

It requires having enough trust in ourselves and in the process that we can stand back and receive. We do not have to be in control. In fact, we're not! (Much to our dismay.)

"What is this?" With fresh eyes and a beginner's mind, "Where does this want to go?" Let it go. It might not make any sense. It might be more fantastic than your mind can conceive. When you're following the thread of your authentic creative spark, the universe is the limit.

Paying it Forward

It's December ... that magical month that ushers in the holidays, family tradition and the feeling of gratitude and goodwill for all. We too are feeling grateful for the opportunity to share our passion for creativity and the healing it can bring.

Because process painting has personally helped both of us in profound ways, we feel that anyone who has the desire to paint—regardless of their finacial situation—should be able to paint. We do not turn anyone away due to an inability to pay.

Have you been moved by the painting process yourself? Or just want to provide an opportunity for others? Please help us "pay it forward"! We are graciously receiving contributions—no matter how large or small. Please find our "donate" button on this website if you feel so moved.

Thank you for helping Creative Nectar continue to offer what we are most passionate about: Bringing the power of the creative process to as many people as possible.
We wish you peace, joy and abundance this season!

Jen and Steph

Gratitude for the whole shabang

So it's that season ... the time to reflect on those things we are grateful for. My list includes the big stuff--My family & friends, my partner, my health, my art and creativity, Creative Nectar Studio and all participants, our mother Earth, and all the love that surrounds me constantly. All the wonderful things that make life worth living.

At a meditation group I attended earlier this week, one participant commented on how quick we as humans are to label things. Good or bad. Beautiful or ugly. Pleasant or painful. Right or wrong. We live in a world of duality, where "this" appears separate from "that". She came to the conclusion that no matter how we label or judge an experience--even if we call it "icky"--that on a deep level, beyond the world comparison, it has intrinsic beauty simply because it exists. It is, and therefore it is perfect.

Have you ever ended a relationship and felt like you were returning to even more of yourself? Or have you ever had an illness and learned something from it, like how to tune in to your body and listen more? Have you ever lost money, only to find that you were more willing to receive from others and appreciate the things you do have?

Perhaps I can expand my gratitude list to include my divorce, my inner critic, my rejection letters, my physical pains, my fears, and all the years spent trying to please others. Each stepping stone along the way has brought me to this moment right where I am--Wiser and happier.

We make it a point not to comment on one another's paintings in workshops, even with positive feedback. The reason is to not inhibit the creative flow and pre-condition us for the next painting we do. But on another level, it is honoring what is ... what has been given life right in front of us. It trains us to appreciate and honor the full cornucopia of life experiences that come our way without being so quick to judge, label and file away.

So my challenge for you: Are you willing to find the blessing in every experience you've encountered on your life's journey? Can you feel gratitude for even the yucky stuff? The whole shabang?

Terra Firma

terra firma [ˈfɜːmə]

n

the solid earth; firm ground

[from Latin]

Last weekend I went to Boston to visit my brother. On the way back, the plane I was on flew through a thunderstorm. Most of the trip was bumpy but managable. The collective mood of the passengers was light hearted and we all made the best of a
 turbulant situation. About 45 minutes before we were to land the captain came on the intercom to announce that up until that point our flight had been a moderate one. He told us the rest of the flight would be .... well to paraphrase... he told us to go to the bathroom if we had to as fast as we could and then buckle up and prepare for a seriously bumpy ride.

I was a bit freaked...I won't lie. But I thought I would be fine. I had been chanting my preferred Sanskrit mantra in my head and continued to do so. I would just pretend I was on a roller coaster and concentrate on the mantra.Within 15 minutes we were in the thick of it. My mind, chanting away,was surprised to learn that it could multitask. In addition to chanting it was also watching the passengers in the front of the plane bouncing around...up and down...back and forth, all the while gathering the necessary data of recent situations (odd and miraculous forgiveness and leaps of faith with  uncharacteristic happiness ) so that by the time we hit an air pocket that left us free falling and most of us shrieking, my mind's conclusion was inevitable....we were going to die.

Once that was cleared up things really came into focus and I started to realise I had very little left I felt I needed to do. I ... for the first time....felt pretty good about how things were in my life. I certainly had no regrets about leaving my job or wearing the same shirt two days in a row or even how much
money was in my bank account. Also, a lot of things that had for years felt unresolved had just recently been healed and resolved. In the whole of my life I had only two regrets. One of them was that I didn't have the chance to see Creative Nectar really serve her purpose and I didn't get to paint with nearly enough people. It was hard to fully understand that one. I had felt so strongly that starting Creative Nectar Studio with Jen and process painting with as many people as possible was my purpose. It didn't make any sense.

Neeedless to say we landed safely. The next day every muscle in my body hurt from the uncontrollable shaking, but I was alive. I now know even more than ever that I am living my life on purpose and I have more time to paint with as many people as possible. I am grinning from ear to ear and pleased beyond words to be back on terra firma.

"Here is a test to find whether your mission on earth is finished: If you are still alive,it isn't."
 - Richard Bach (Illusions)

In Gratitude,
Steph

Open House this Sunday!

Hello Friends,

You are invited to drop by the studio this Sunday, Nov 13th between 1-5:00, where you can preview the process-painting experience while enjoying refreshments and community in our newly painted space. You'll also have a chance to chat with us and learn about our expanded offerings for 2012.

We would love to see you Sunday! For more information, visit the FB event page.
For a map and directions to the studio, click here.

Returning to Wholeness

Healing happens in us and through us the moment we surrender to a power greater than our egos. Have you ever felt that "ahhhh..." that happens when you realize that whatever was tormenting you only existed in the moment in your MIND, and that it has no ultimate power over you?

Woah, really? What about my "story"? My "issue"? (You know what I'm talking about: The great obstacle you've spent your life overcoming.) It's almost like now it has a life all its own...

Who would you be if, in this moment, you had no history? No baggage. No illness. No failed relationships. No debt. No "story". Not even an individual personality! Just simply this BREATH. Who would you be? What would you feel? What would arise naturally from this state of pure being? What would want to express?

You ARE an expression of pure being. You are this breath. You are whole and complete. Whatever stories flood your mind are just the commentary swimming on the surface. At the depths of your being, there is stillness and peace. There is wholeness.

May you return to wholeness, your natural state...
Peace,
Jenny

PS: Our process painting day-long workshop this Saturday Nov. 12th will include a special treat: the healing/harmonizing vibrations of zither harps with guest Karen Folgarelli. Join us for a day of balance, renewal, and color! $80* suggested fee (*No one will be turned away due to financial concerns) Email us to reserve your spot.

Shift is Happening

Some ponderings on the human condition and our evolution-in-progress …

I was born during the Dark Ages, when humans used to burn the planet's fossil fuels just to get around, and prescribed "treatments" that caused harmful side-effects, and hoarded money while others starved, and lived under a spell of slavery to the Almighty Clock.

That was a time when you could be judged and condemned because of who you loved, or because of the color of your skin, or because of which path to God you chose.

It was a time when more money was spent on war than on educating and feeding the world's children. Forests and pastures were destroyed to develop a multiplying, yet disposable, economy. Humans would consume more than they could handle. And they sought happiness in all the wrong places, all the while eroding into a numbed depression …

Then one day, or year, or millennium, some of the humans began to question why nothing was satisfying. They began to wonder, "Is what we know to be true really the ultimate reality? The final destination? Everyday, racing the clock, trying to impress, trying to win, trying to get ahead?"

Trying to find everlasting happiness …

The humans started listening to what made their hearts feel vibrant. For some, it was leaving the grand delusion and returning to nature. For some, it was taking time to create. For some, it was helping others. And for some, it was simply feeling gratitude for what IS.

That's how it all started. That's what began the Great Shift …

Beyond Fear

"A ship in a port is safe, but that's not what ships are built for." —Grace Murray Hopper

Today we painted while asking ourselves these questions, which I now ask YOU, dear reader:

• What were you built for?
• Are you living your potential?
• What would you do if you had no fear?

A Day to Celebrate

Today I celebrated the 35th anniversary of coming into this physical world. I can safely say it was a near-perfect day. I was showered with well-wishes from dear friends (thank you Facebook), I spent quality time with my sweetheart, had lunch with my mom, made some meaningful business connections, and spent a good portion of the day engrossed in my own creative process at the studio.

To top it off, the universe gave me a beautiful sunset--the kind that makes you gasp out loud and run for the paints. In fact, my time at the studio today was the greatest gift at all. My relentless inner critic took the day off--surprisingly--and left me in the bliss of playing with color and knowing exactly which mark to make next, feeling a deep satisfaction knowing that I'm on purpose and led in the right directions.

This was just 4 days after getting a heart-breaking rejection letter from a prospective gallery that I'd been pursuing for years. And just a day after feeling the grief of knowing that my time on a particular path had run its course and it was time to move on.

You may being saying "So what?" Well, I'll tell you what it means to me: Things will come and things will go, and we might as well be doing the things we love and spending our time with people we care about, and letting our inner light shine. Because we can waste our lives away with what-ifs and should-haves and feeling sorry for ourselves, but THIS is the moment that counts. This is the life we have, and it is beautiful.

TODAY is a day to celebrate. Despite challenges and heartbreak. If your heart can be broken--Rejoice! At least you know you're ALIVE (and not a walking-dead zombie). So FEEL it, and then when you feel better, take the next step.

When we are in alignment with our true nature, living on purpose and doing what we love, we are bound for glory, no matter what life throws at us. In fact, there is nothing in this world that can keep you from your good. Nothing that can put out your fire or dampen your creative spirit.

Woo-hoo! That is something to celebrate!!! :-)

Your Time is Limited.....

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
 - Steve Jobs

This August I quit my job in a  position I held for over 9 years. I was acting on a very deep gut feeling that I had to leave. Staying was no longer an option, I literally had to get out of there and do what my heart was calling me to do or a part of me would die. I had the notion to leave way before August but something always kept me there....I say "something" obviously it was fear. Still, my inner voice remained and became stronger and louder. Between that and a few things that happened at the office... I  literally felt pushed out of the nest.

When I gave my two week notice, my boss called me crazy. She honestly thought I was losing my mind. Who, in their right mind,would leave a secure job of 9 years at the age of 42 in the middle of a recession without a backup plan other than her small 401k? I am sure it did seem crazy...especially since only a month or so earlier I had announced I needed to use a week of vacation to meet a man in Budapest I had been talking with over the Internet!  Another co-worker asked if I was having a mid-life crisis? And you know, maybe I was. It is not an accident this phrase exists.I think  Around the age of 40 most of us start to recognize that our time is limited. We start to evaluate our life and what we have in front of us. I didn't like what I saw and I knew...for me.... things needed to change. I was indeed wasting my life working for someone else's dream when I knew what my own dream was and continued to ignore it.

Of course, it reminded me of painting. How many times had I been painting when an image wanted to show up on the page that I didn't understand or disapproved of because it wasn't pleasing to my eye?? Or...here's a big one....because I didn't know how to paint it! Generally I know that when I don't surrender to what wants to come I feel miserable inside and out. I have learned that until I surrender to the image or color or whatever is asking to be painted...I am just going through the motions and that edgy dissatisfaction does not go away. So why not in life?? If I am learning to trust my intuition in painting...maybe it's not so different in "real" life. Once again painting was showing me how to live.

So....I now spend my days doing what I absolutely love. My world is full of vibrant color. Just the other day I painted with a friend, her daughter and her mother. Three generations there in the studio painting. It was magic! I don't know how this will all play out and sometimes it doesn't make sense and seems a little crazy...but I do it anyway. Oh and the guy I met in Budapest.....6 months and going strong. I am learning to trust what wants to come onto my page and I am continually delighted.

In peace and gratitude,
 Steph

PS - We have a workshop scheduled Saturday 10.22 and I would love to paint with you!!
Let us know if you'd like to sign up: creativenectar@hotmail.com

Your Playing Small Does Not Serve The World....

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
- Marianne Williamson "A Return To Love"

I find that as I paint I am slowly  uncovering my own light. Sometimes it feels like the excavation will never end. But... there are the times I am able to bask in the rays of that brillant sun shining brightly beneath layers of dust and rubble. For me painting is sometimes transformative...sometimes rejuvenating, but always necessary in my quest for true self acceptance.The reason I am so passionate about the painting process is because I know how deeply it is changing me....and I want to share it with as many people as possible. I am so grateful for the studio and the painting communityand for the chance to let my light shine.
Peace,
Steph

Painting ...... Helps Me Stay Balanced

I have been wanting to write for some time now about the painting process and how it continues to deeply impact my life. I have written "blog" on my to-do list for days now and something always comes up stopping me from my blogging mission. Today it was my computer monitor...she died this morning. I had no warning....No "death rattle" from her flat and delicate screen....just gone.
This put me in a surprising position of panic. As the day progressed I realised that without a monitor I was able to do almost nothing! I could not Facebook,Skype or blog. I wasn't able to listen to music or check the news...I had been stripped down to the bare bones....e-mail....and only from my phone!!

 I had to step back for a minute and just observe my craziness around it all. What on earth has happened to me?? There was a time, not so long ago actually, when my only concern was that I was maybe watching too much television. And now I think to myself proudly and often how I've kicked that habit square in the butt!! How many times have I casually pointed out to friends...
"Yeah, I don't know about that...I don't watch a lot of TV...I don't have cable."
What I sometimes fail to mention is that I do have the internet and a Roku player!!

What I am learning from all this is yes, I have become entirely too dependent on technology. When the mere loss of a monitor for a few hours nearly sends me over the edge, it's time to reevaluate some things. But it is painting that keeps me balanced. The minute I step into the studio and smell the paints I feel like I'm home. It is quiet and that quiet nourishes me. I paint in silence (just as we do in a workshop) I stay present with the brushstrokes and I breathe...deeply. I accept things as they show up on the paper and I try not to judge them. I give myself a break when I do and I keep the brush moving.
I am grateful for this process as I realise that even today, when I was so upset about my forced disconnect from the world of technology, I was able to step back and give myself room to "freak". Not only that, but I was able to observe how I responded and just sort of laugh about it. I judged...but not for long.

So, I have another monitor....and as a result I am blogging about the huge love of my life...process painting....I guess technology isn't so bad after all.

Peace,
Steph

Dip your toes in this Friday

We find ourselves with an extra Friday morning available in our painting schedule this coming Friday, Sept 16th. The studio will be open for anyone who would like to take a bit of time for themselves and paint from the inside out on Sept 16th from 10am-12:30. Because this morning was a last minute add, we are offering the session on a donation basis with no registration needed.

If you have been curious but haven't had the money, or weren't sure about your schedule ... come on by!

Live Juicy!!

Painting as a Mirror

The process of painting brings me face to face with the truth of the moment--to the ME that cannot be escaped. There can be no masks, no fabrications. This can be a scary place, truly, but a place as real and as honest as it can get. In this way, painting is like a mirror of my internal experience.

I'm not talking about the way the painting looks, which is a physical result, but painting rather as a verb. The process of showing up to the vastness of the unknown without instructions or a road map. Facing whatever is there: The internal voices in my head that question and moan and try to convince me to ditch the studio to go get something to snack on, or go have a beer...ANYTHING but face the apparent emptiness and uncertainty that is felt in my gut.

But staying with the truth of the moment can bring some interesting results: It's as if the doubts and fears are like the terrifying monsters that stand guard at the temple of the Divine. After seeing them for what they are and courageously stay with them, or even take a step forward, they will eventually be silenced and bow before us, opening the way to a new reality.

So this is our practice... The "Hero's Journey" as Joseph Campbell called it. Standing in our courage and journeying into the unknown, unmoved by fears and distractions and driven by a deep-seated desire to know ourselves and find our bliss. And it starts in the present moment, right where we are, without masks, standing before our painting. As sobering and humbling as it is, where else in our lives can we find such moments of pure honesty?

August @ the Studio

Hello.....
Just a quick entry to let fellow painters know we are taking a break the month of August as we refocus and rework the schedule for September.
This should be an exciting Fall for Creative Nectar. Sarah Oblinger will be back September 16th - 18th
http://www.sarahoblinger.com/

and Jenny and I will both have more time to devote to the schedule and facillitation.
Thank you all for your continued support....we look forward to seeing you in the coming months!!

Blessings
 Steph

Leap of Faith

I did it. After 12 years of steady employment for the same company, I quit my job.

It's not that things were miserable, or that I didn't love the people (because I do) or that I was stagnant (because I was still learning).

The reason I quit my job: Because my soul was nudging me. Something in me is calling me to be more. To share more. To create more. To live authentically. On purpose. To stop playing small and live the life of my own creating. And this, to me, means devoting my full attention to my art and to painting workshops.

So now what? I made it through what felt like the hardest part: Telling everyone (and in my mind, "letting everyone down"). I worked through my last weeks and tied up as many loose ends as I could. Suddenly my days are open-ended. All possibilities exist. And I feel like I did a few years ago when I went hang-gliding over the hills of Georgia. The small plane that pulled us up into the air by rope suddenly "cut the cord" to release the glider--what followed was a moment of mid-air suspension and sheer terror as my stomach nearly jumped out of my body. Okay, that might be exaggerating a little, but I am having moments of panic interlaced with feelings of pure joy and excitement. The first night after my last day at work I had dreams of drowning. The second night I had dreams of planes crashing because they didn't have any wings.

A wise friend suggested--when I told her I was "taking the leap"--to instead use the phrase "I am taking flight." I like that, because it doesn't have the sense of urgent panic but rather suggests spreading one's wings and soaring. Riding the wind and letting one's natural sense of direction lead the way. It doesn't feel as haphazard.

So here we go. In process painting I often encourage painters to take risks. I feel that now, more than ever, I am living my talk. Because life really is like a painting. One stroke at a time. All possibilities open. Awaiting our discovery.

Time to fly!

I love painting.....

Saturday's workshop was awesome! I am always so blown away by how powerful the painting process is and how even now I can still be so resistive to showing up for that next step.

During our writing exercise we were asked to take a few minutes and journal about what it is we freely give to others but do not give ourselves. I was somewhat surprised to find that I freely give kindness and acceptance to others and not to myself. I realized that a big part of this process is about cultivating self  acceptance and self care. Painting asks me to show up for myself and to be patient and kind as I come face to face with a deep part of myself that isn't always pleasant to look at. What I am discovering is when I choose to stay present with what wants to show up on the paper and find some way to soften into the images....they transform into something beautiful. Later that day, I found myself smiling and saying to the bold painting in front of me,

"I like you...very much, just as you are."

One step at a time

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." –Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today was a big day for me and Stephanie. We took a significant step toward giving outer form to our dream, and are proud to say that Creative Nectar Studio is now an official business entity recognized by the state of Kansas.

It may not sound big, but what will follow is huge. In a way it is like putting a mark on paper. Unlimited potential and possibilities exist in the vastness of the blank page, and when we make a mark, we are saying "There, this exists. This is alive now." And each mark we make from there is in response to and in relationship with that first step taken. What grows from there is unknown but unfolding dynamically in each moment. All in relationship to what has come before.

There is something stirring in each of us that wants to be born through us. We are the vehicles through which the formless comes into being. You have something unique to contribute to the world—otherwise you would not be here in this form, at this time.

But what if we don't take that first step? What if we don't make a mark? Or play a note? Or speak the word? Then something within us goes unexpressed. We can feel the temptation to resist the first step out of fear (What if...,what if...?) Sure, we can doubt our own abilities (and undoubtedly we do) but MAYBE we could simply feel the fear and trembling and notice the debilitating thoughts of doubt and despair and still take a tiny...little...baby...step...

This Blog is Your Blog.....This Blog is my Blog...

Sarah,Jenny and I will be posting here from time to time about upcoming events and experiences we might be having in relation to our painting and creating process at the studio. Please feel free to comment and join in on the topics....and if there is anything you would like to see happening at Creative Nectar....let us know.

Our First Workshop at the New Space

I am so glad to be part of all that is unfolding at Creative Nectar Studio.
And I realize that as I allow it all to happen the way it wants to happen...without becoming stuck on how I think it should look or in what manner it should arrive, I am reminded of the painting process. In process painting we are asked if we can be ok with how things have appeared on the paper in front of us. We are asked to sit with the aspects of the painting that feel wrong or out of place and see if we might gain new perspective and compassion for that uncomfortable stuff. For me, I have realized that when I stop struggling against the things that make me uncomfortable or don't seem like they belong, they will ultimately become the very things that shift and become my biggest teacher.
THANK YOU to all who attended our first painting workshop....it was a rich and powerful experience. I look forward to painting again in our new space which feels alive with our collective energies...eager for another journey.
Much love to you all, Steph.

March Paint or Die Saturday Workshop

Join Jenny and Stephanie for a Saturday of process painting. This is the weekend of the Spring Equinox...we can't think of a better way to meet the new season than with some paint and inner regeneration.

Saturday, March 19 · 10:00am - 4:00pm
Creative Nectar Studio
5906 W 59th Terr
Mission KS. 66202
$80 (all materials provided) No experience necessary.
contact us at: creativenectar@hotmail.com to register.

Creative Nectar Studio Supporting community and conscious living through creativity.

Dreaming Out Loud.....

I am feeling so grateful today....sort of feel like it's Christmas Eve or something. Tomorrow night we start our first process painting workshop at Creative Nectar Studio. Sarah O. arrives tonight and set-up begins tomorrow.The process means so much to me.....it has truly changed my life. My one huge dream is to share it with as many people as possible. Creativity in any form is so powerful...I want to provide a space for absolutely ANYONE to come and feel comfortable reconnecting with their creative self.

THANK YOU Sarah, Jenny and Penny for helping to make this happen.