soulcollage

New Spot to Let My Creativity Flow

Posted by Barbara Techel

art spaceNo, I didn’t get rid of my writing cottage. I don’t know how I will ever be able to leave it as we think about retirement in a warmer climate. But that is a few years off, so no need to worry my little head about that right now.

This past last week I’ve been waking up at 11:33 pm quite often, wondering how I could fit a table into my writing cottage to accommodate my new creative ventures I’m exploring and playing with.

Then I had lunch with my friend Shannon yesterday who told me she placed a table in front of her windows next to her fireplace so she has a spot to go and paint.

Then it came to me this morning! I thought I could find a way in which to do this in my writing cottage. And wa-la!  I did it!

When I’m not working on my computer at my desk, I can simply turn my chair around and get out my watercolor marker brush pens and sketch pad our or work on some SoulCollage cards when I want.

I don’t want to have my desk messy with too much stuff, so I’m able to store my supplies under the table, out of sight, which I like. I’m so excited I was able to make this work!

A week from today I leave for a weekend away in Madison, WI, about two hours from my house. I’ll be going to a training to learn SoulCollage.

I’m very intrigued by this process I discovered a few months ago. A process of “accessing your intuition and creating a deck of cards with a deep personal meaning that will help you with life’s questions and transitions.”

The training is being held at Holy Wisdom Monastery, which is fascinating in itself to me. I’m really looking forward to this time of quiet, community with like-minded souls, and reflection.

When I return it will be so nice to have my little art space in my writing cottage in which I can create.

Hmmmm, perhaps I need to rename my cottage once again. For awhile I was calling it my zen writing cottage, which it still is as I also love to mediate here too. Maybe I shall now have to call it my writing, creative, zen, cottage!

Following My Curiosity – Sharing My New Adventure with You.

Posted by Barbara Techel

soulcollage eQuite a few weeks ago I shared with you that I am looking into a new adventure. But I wasn’t quite ready to share exactly what it is at that time. You may recall that I shared that I’ve put my book I was working on, on hold –my heart being called in a new direction.

I wasn’t ready to share yet in part because I had to work through my own process of trying to understand why this is something I’m being called to explore.

The old feelings crept back in of why is it that I find myself drawn to so many things, but can’t seem to “settle” on just one thing that I like to do. Sometimes society can look at this as a negative and at times I can tend to let that drown out what my heart is trying to tell me to follow.

A big part of me likes that I’m an explorer, a seeker, a thinker and one who wishes to continue to evolve. But the little girl in me can sometimes feel scared to try something new. The questions, “What if this is a mistake?” “What if I spend this chunk of money and it’s not for me?” “Will others think I’m too woo-woo?”

And then I heard author Elizabeth Gilbert’s short video on following ones curiosity and how that in itself can be such a beautiful life. It really resonates with me. Then the Universe sent me another message as I heard about Barbara Sher’s book, “Refuse to Choose.” I’ve not read the book yet, but she talks about those who are scanners – who love to do many things.

As I’ve taken my “think tank” time and worked through each step of my process, I know that this is something I want to do — no matter what the outcome. I’m not sure where it will take me, but that is okay. I’m open to all the possibilities…and honestly, I think there will be many. But I also want to let it unfold as it is meant to be.

So today I made the final payment for this adventure I’m about to embark on.

The above photo is a hint. You will see a a 5 x 8 collage of two images I put together representing a part of who I am — the woman who loves yoga, trees, nature, and animals (look closely to see the duck in the far left of image)–representing the part of me that relishes in this practice that centers me. This process, created by psychologist, Seena M. Frost, after studying with one of the founding founders of the Human Potential Movement, Jean Houston, is called SoulCollage.

The definition from the website is, “a creative and satisfying collage process. You make your own deck of cards – each collage card representing one aspect of your personality or Soul. Use the cards intuitively to answer life’s questions and participate in self-discovery. Joyfully deepen your understanding of the relationships between your personality parts, you and your family/community/world, and you and your dreams, symbols, and Spirit.”

November 7-9, I will be taking the facilitator training for this process. It is my hope to use the gifts I already have and incorporated with the SoulCollage process, to offer workshops online and locally. I hope it will also serve as another springboard for my writing and last but not least, to serve as discovering and embracing all the parts of who I am.

So part of the next step of this journey for me is “putting it out there” and sharing with you, the faithful readers of my blog.  Stay tuned and thank you for being a part of my life as I continue to explore and evolve.