Creative Consulting
Greetings from snow covered Georgia. I am sipping a warm mug of morning coffee and enjoying that insulated silence that can only come from a blanket of snow. As I paint that picture I hope it will invite a deep comforting sigh. And maybe for one moment invite stillness…(Pause and invite stillness.)
Today I want to talk about my offering that I call, “creative consulting”. It is something that I wanted to see in the world when I was starting out on my journey of becoming an artist. I wanted a mentor a person who could “show me a way” not” THE”way…but “A”way…I did find that in Julia Cameron’s “THE ARTIST’s WAY”. A 12 week workbook on recovering your artistic self. Her work is the foundation of how I work still to this day. I read Sark’s books and she inspired me to pay attention to my DESIRE and PLAY and BREAKING THE RULES. I traveled to New York, California, Portland, OR, and even Morocco to do workshops with artist’s who called themselves, “intuitive artist’s”…which is how I now identify myself as well. When I traveled to all of these places I was struck by the sense of community these artists all had. It was something I desired in MY COMMUNITY. I vowed to one day create this.
I have created in person courses such as, “the Nature of Creativity” and various opportunities to be together in community creating together. I have met some of you on retreat and have facilitated “Polaroid Tarot” and various other in person experiential creative gatherings. These are my favorite ways of being together. However, I realized I want to be accessible to others that aren’t local. Creative consulting is an offering over google meet where we can collaborate and personalize practical tools as well as accountability to support your creative endeavors.
I am offering guidance by way of my own intuitive creative process that has taken me a lifetime to develop. It can be applied to all of your life. I use it all the time, because life=art.
We are always creating. By nature we are creative beings. It is either conscious or unconscious. Take a look at your life and think about what you have created already. Note if it was conscious or unconscious. I am hearing the song, “once a lifetime” by Talking Heads play in my own mind as I write….”You may ask yourself, well, how did I get here?”.
It is a matter of showing up to the present moment and being available to listen to yourself and CHOOSE CONSCIOUSLY. Sounds easy, right? I know from facilitating many classes and consulting people that yes, for some, these concepts are accessible. They know how to listen to themselves. They have a deep desire to be creative, they even have supplies and are ready to go…but there is resistance in taking aligned action. I know from my own personal experience how difficult taking ALIGNED ACTION CAN BE. It is a place where you meet the parts of yourself that are tender and perhaps wounded. You can find your inner critic can be really intimidating and cruel to your creative spirit. THIS is the place that I met within myself and still to this day encounter regularly. It can create blocks and stagnancy . That’s where I would like to join you and work with you as a guide.
What does “guidance” look like? Let me outline my process for you:
PRESENCE: If you don’t already have a practice of meditation we will collaborate and experience some ways to practice MINDFULNESS in order to experience the felt sense of presence. This is the foundation of my process. Presence will benefit your ability to listen and choose.
INTINTIONALITY (INVITING THE MUSE): Learning how to set intentions in a way that is practical and mystical. Where we meet our MUSE and learn how to work with inspiration and harness that energy.
INTUITION: Learn how to access your intuition and work with it. Be supported in this exploration in low stakes ways so that you can build your capacity to take bigger risks in the future.
TAKING ALIGNED ACTION: This is where the real magic happens and is the most difficult for most people to stay with. You really meet yourself here. This is where you will encounter your inner critic and your blocks. I can help support and hold you accountable during this most transformative phase of your development. This is the place where you can practice building Faith in not only yourself but in the process itself.
If you are curious about this and it feels interesting to you, please feel free to sign up for a session. Take the first courageous step in turning towards a more consciously creative life.
Sending love,
L E S L I E