The Gift of Shame

"...real freedom is not about getting away from what is troubling us but rather about going into and through it.We emerge with a few scars and probably a little less skin, but emerge we do, no longer bypassing our less flattering qualities. This is fierce, unconditional love for ourselves, alive with spiritual boldness that serves us all."

- Robert Augustus Masters (Spiritual Bypassing - When Spitiruality Disconnects Us from What Really Matters )

A few weeks ago in honor of Halloween and Day of the Dead, we decided to have a funeral for Shame. Nothing too fancy, we would paint as we normally do on Saturday morning, but also build an altar in the middle of our gathering table so after we finished painting, we could "lay our shame to rest". It was amazing what happened because at the end of  the painting session, we all came to the same conclusion, we didn't feel like we could lay our shame to rest because it was still very much a part of us and it wouldn't feel right to bury it because it for sure wasn't dead! Burying Shame felt like another way to push aside valuable information we are given about our interior. Instead of being ashamed of the shame, we could come to see its' presence as a gift and something to get curious about and explore. 

What an incredible idea! What if, instead of locking away the parts of  ourselves that feel too yucky to show to the world, we brought them out into the light and began to love the them? What if we were all really honest about our shame and started talking about it to people every day?  This is what we cultivate in the studio. Honesty and and working to meet our wholeness are the things that come up again and again at Nectar. Working in this way isn't always easy. Process Painting is invisible work and something not easily explained, but it is potent and when we are ready, it can be absolutely life changing.

Giving Thanks

We are still reeling from the amazing response we had to our Indiegogo fund raising campaign. Just 6 weeks ago we took the scary leap to publicly ask for help and boy did we get it! With over 700 views and an astonishing number of shares on Facebook and through email, we were humbled and our hearts were melted. Thanks to your many generous gifts, the studio raised $7,530.00! With this money we will be able to move forward into Nectar's next phase.

Please check back here for updates and more blogs from the studio in the very near future.
THANK YOU from the bottoms of our hearts. What a perfect way to begin this Thanksgiving season....fully immersed in gratitude!

With Love and Thanks,
Steph and Jen

Nectar's Big Adventure

These are exciting times for us at Creative Nectar Studio! As we make our way through so much that is still unknown we are reminded of working on a process painting. In the studio we may start with an idea of how we'd like things to look, but as we continue to paint we realize it has other ideas on the matter. We can struggle and scream and try to push upstream or we can relax into what actually is and go with the flow, trusting that there are gifts there to be found even though we may not initially understand it or like how it looks.

As we go with the flow of Nectar's next phase, we realize that things may not look like what we originally envisioned, but growth is happening as we step into the next chapter with curiosity and wonder. We made a quick video to share with you about just that. Our online campaign ends November 2nd and we could still really use your help.

Thanks to all who've contributed so far. We are overwhelmed by your support and encouragement for what happens at the studio!

Sending you much love,

Steph and Jen

Exploring Our Vulnerable Side

“...and that visibility which makes us most vulnerable

is that which also is the source of our greatest strength.” 

― Audre Lorde"

 

The last few months have been financially hard on the studio and we've navigated our way through grief and anger at the idea of having to let go of our dream. Initially, we made the decision to close the doors when our lease runs out next March. However, after sitting with that awhile it became clear that we're not ready to give up! We want to fight for all we have built at Nectar, continue to offer this deep work and...ask for help. We realized just closing our doors was easier than having to show our less-than-perfect vulnerable side to the public and seek support.

So here we are, with all of our imperfections, asking for help. Much of what we do in the studio calls on us to dig deeply and get in touch with that "less than perfect" stuff that feels  uncomfortable and vulnerable. It only makes sense for us to explore what's happening with Nectar in the same way. So, we have started an Indiegogo campaign and we would love it if you could donate and/or share our campaign.We can't do this without you! THANK YOU ALL for helping in any way that feels right for you.
 

In Gratitude,
Jen and Steph

Exploring Our Inner Wisdom

"If you can listen and respond to the inner messages of your spirit, then you're in a state of nourishment."
- "If the Buddha Came to Dinner:
How to Nourish Your Body to Awaken Your Spirit" 

 

In the studio part of what we are learning to do is truly listen to ourselves again. As we begin this relearning, it can feel unfamiliar. For most of us, we have been under the impression that what is going on inside isn't enough and we must search outside ourselves for the solution. The idea that we hold all the answers seems unrealistic so we shut down our internal guidance system. Painting gives us the opportunity get curious about our inner wisdom again. In addition to the many painting options available this month we are pleased to be offering a powerful 3 week series with long-time painter and nutrition coach Karen Ialapi. Using discussion and process painting  Karen and Stephanie will gently guide us to explore our hunger from a place of curiosity and non-judgement as we reconnect with our internal wisdom and pave our own path to True Nourishment.
We look forward to seeing you this month!
 

Sending you much love,
Jen and Steph

Giving Back To Our Community

 "To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded." 
      ―Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

A few months ago our friend James told us about a group of artists he'd met on First Friday that really moved him (JCDS Emerging Artists). He was so inspired by what they were doing he bought a piece they had for sale and quickly contacted Jenny to see if we'd like to paint with them. He also graciously offered to pay for their painting workshop at the studio so none of us would have to worry about where the money would come from.

Last Wednesday we had the pleasure of hosting 5 painters from this program along with their director—it a heart-opening experience that all fell effortlessly into place. And all this from one person who was moved to the point of action. We ALL really can make a difference. James knew that this would be a good match even though the Emerging Artists and Creative Nectar knew nothing of each other. He followed his heart and he got it right.

This is a call for all of us to follow our hearts.What has inspired you? What would you like to share and who would you like to share it with? If you don't have the time to participate but you have the money, you can fund an event. If you don't have the money but you have the time, you can volunteer or look for sponsors. This is how change happens.... one person at a time.
 

Sending you much love,
Jen and Steph

Loving The Broken Pieces

Kintsugi (金継ぎ^?) (Japanese: golden joinery) or Kintsukuroi (金繕い^?) (Japanese: golden repair) is the Japanese art of fixing broken pottery with lacquer resin dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum a method similar to the maki-e technique. As a philosophy it speaks to breakage and repair becoming part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise.  - Wikipedia 

Earlier this year during a Spring storm, our sign hanging outside the studio fell and split in two. We quickly set out to "correct" the matter by purchasing a new wood round and spending a few hours priming both sides. After that our white circle remained in the closet for several months. During this time we both worked with the realization that we each had an individual path we needed to take. For awhile, we weren't sure how it would work. The need to be a fully present and authentic person in the world, while working in partnership, felt confusing. How could we have one united front if we were both wanting different things as well as what we had created at Nectar?  What we discovered after some heart-felt talks and lots of painting is that the only thing that needed to change was the idea of what being in a business partnership meant. We realized that growing on our own path while moving toward the same goal for the studio felt stronger than trying to morph into something that wasn't fully representative of either one of us.

The work that happens at Nectar is deep and potent, not only for those who come to paint, but for us as well. It's this work that led us to the idea of mending our broken sign.

 We each worked on half of the sign, writing intentions for ourselves and for the studio. 

Then we painted our half with gold paint.

After some wood glue and a night of rest with some bungee cords, we have our sign back. Stronger from what was once viewed as an imperfection. 

Our sign now hangs as a reminder for us every time we arrive at the studio. Our cracks are not something to fix or try to hide, but rather an invitation to grow and make friends with what we feel is broken, ultimately making us stronger and whole.

Whether you paint with us on a regular basis, have only painted once, or come to our website from time to time, you are helping to grow this community and we are grateful.

Thanks and Love,
Steph and Jen

Living In Awareness: Learning To Listen To Ourselves

 “We have all a better guide in ourselves, if we would attend to it, than any other person can be.” 
      ―Jane Austen

 

A few weeks ago a woman who hadn't painted at Nectar before asked us a really good question: "Is it possible to 'outsmart' the process?" The answer is a juicy one because if we've painted for a long time it may seem we can outsmart the process...but like us, it is highly individual and our own experience. Painting in this way asks us to check in with ourselves; our energy level, how we feel in our body and what holds our curiosity in the moment. Because we are constantly changing, so is that which resonates with us.

This is not to say that we each haven't tried to out-wit our paintings from time to time, or gloss over difficulties when that might have seemed easier... But in the end, our energy level toward the painting will tell us if we're fooling ourselves or looking for bypasses. This awareness of "what is ours to do" is the absolute magic of process painting and cultivates intuition as we learn to listen and to communicate with our deeper knowing.

We have several options for painting deeply this month including a Friday morning session on July 4th! Looking forward to seeing you all.
 

Sending you much love,
Jen and Steph

Home Is Where The Heart Is: Painting From Our Heart Space

“I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself.”

 - Maya Angelou

 

At the studio, we are learning to paint from our hearts instead of our heads. When we take the courageous plunge into the unknown and begin to paint what is being asked from within--instead of what someone else has asked us to paint--things begin to shift. Self-awareness unfolds. We are given the gift of discovering who we truly are and loving ourselves from the inside out. Painting can help us develop the understanding that our home truly is where our heart is--and we can carry that feeling of home inside of us at all times, wherever we go.
We look forward to seeing you this Summer!
 Sending you much love,

         Jen and Steph

 

Painting In Community: Courage Is Contagious

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage."

 - Anais Nin

 

Coming to the studio isn't just about painting. Because we paint in community, we are given the unique opportunity to move in a deeper way as we're gently nudged and inspired by the brave souls painting next to us. Lama Surya Das speaks of "sangha" as "community, common embrace, communion; it's a sanctuary, a safe place to let down our guard." (From his book Awakening to the Sacred: Creating a Personal Spiritual Life.) 

There is something reassuring about others showing up for themselves and creating along side us. Sometimes we arrive at the page feeling vulnerable. Simply by moving into that vulnerability with openness and color can urge another to explore a similar place in themselves. We're reminded of Marianne Williamson's quote from her book A Return to Love: "...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.”

There are many opportunities to paint in sacred community this month. We hope you'll join us!

Sending you much love,

     Jen and Steph