Amused - A Healing Journey with the Muse

Are you ready for a healing journey with the Muse?

Out of the mouths of Muses

Dear Hearts of Intentional Creativity®

I am delighted to be with you sharing this gift. Once in a while in life you land on something truly golden. The perspective on the critic and the muse in our methodology is truly one of our treasures. The first day that we 'tried' this idea out - that the critic and the muse are the SAME voice used differently, Sue and I were together. We arrived at this idea during cafe and we were halfway through a workshop at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology.

Our students were hearing the critic big time, they weren't art students, rather they were psychology students. So hearing this voice was really making them upset! I felt like we HAD to do something to change this pattern. So we took a risk. We presented the idea of the critic as the true voice gone wrong - long abandoned through lack of proper use - and then introduced the muse as the alchemical catalyst to transform the voice. It was a HIT. That was 8 or more years ago and we continue to offer this framework, which we find, VERY healing.

For those of us who practice this methodology - this connection of the hidden self with the voice we hear, is one of the most essential gifts of Intentional Creativity.

When thinking about something - if you go to the heart, you get the big picture, the whole. If you go to the mind, you get a part or parts of the picture. We are inviting our students to begin to THINK with the heart first.

In the Amused painting process, as with many Intentinal Creativity experiences, we starts with flow and allowing, then bring in more form, choice and co-creation. We lay the foundation with intuitive work first, and then bring in the structure. In the process, we are receiving information and story. MOST painting processes offered outside of our school start with design and structure - we rather work the opposite way.

With this painting process, we are inviting you to listen to the voices of the Critic and the Muse and move into a place of integration with your true inner voice. This is healing experience, because when we are no longer dominated by the critic, there can be newfound freedom.

In the world of Intentional Creativity, the Critic and the Muse are linguistic abstractions we use to describe what seems like voices within - one that stifles our creativity, and one that knows self-expression is access to the voice of the soul.

What does the voice of the Critic sound like, you might ask? Well, have you ever had an experience of feeling at odds or at war with this voice that sounds like logic, but feels as if it is actually opposing beauty and inspiration? The Critic may discourage you from trying something new and creative, or convince you you it is ridiculous when you are in the process. Often comparing what you are doing to what others are doing. The voice of the Critic tells you to forget about your creative yearnings and instead get the dishes done or the laundry - that your endeavors are not worthwhile - to put everything else first and THEN visit your own creativity...one day.

The Muse, on the other hand, is the voice within that is connected, in flow, and seeks creative expression. The Muse knows how to play, enjoy herself, get wild and relies on the wisdom of the heart BEFORE the logic of the mind.

We all know what it's like to be inspired, but feel stopped in our tracks by logic, shame, guilt or blame preventing us from moving forward. The stifling of creativity can be so devastating and can cause the inner voice of the Muse - our true voice - to atrophy.

The voice of criticism is so strong for so many of us - how can we transform that part of us that is so hard on ourselves?

In this process we are inviting you to begin with listening to heart before the mind. For our purposes, consider the heart being the seat of the Muse, the mind being the seat of the Critic. This process invites an exciting integration relationship between heart and mind, aka muse and critic.

Making a new pathway of connection between these voices will enable you to curate and navigate how you speak to yourself, how you access your intuition and how your imagination can give you clues from the hidden self.

With gratitude for you, may this be a blessing,

Shiloh Sophia

We invite you to gather your materials, set up your space, make a cup of tea, and gift yourself the time to sink into and enjoy this healing process. You could be done after Part One - or go onto Part Two to create and pallette shift. You are moving from Listening and Allowing in Part One, to Designing and Co-Creating in Part Two.

This is often how we work in Intentional Creativity® - starting with FLOW and moving into FORM.

On this page you will find the proces broken out step by step for further illumination or if you need or desire clarification. You may not need it - but it is there. You may also wish to read it for an overview, or just dive in! Make a cup of tea and Enjoy!

p.s. Note - Did the critic eat part of the video? There was a video meltdown - with one part missing where we add two-three colors around the words. By looking at the example you will see how to do it. Just adding the colors around the words while listening - without touching the text in most places - leaving the glow.

Invocation to Your Inner Self

Dear One,

When you don't know where to turn

that is the time to turn inward

you will find someone waiting here for you

to hold your hand

to mend your mind

that someone has always been here

the hidden self that has never left you

the hidden self is the ally you have sought

the ever present guide to your life

the keeper of the map of your soulscape

the giver of your own unique information

the part of you that you knew existed

and that has always been speaking through you

the difference now, is that you know to ask

you know to go within

and with the kindest heart

request

invite

listen

be available to

in the middle of yourself

there is a self.

In time that hidden self reveals more and more

because you made the invitation to that self

Healing is here when the self you are in the world becomes friends with the hidden self.

The hidden self will never fully reveal on purpose, by the way.

This sacred inner part of you is the mystery.

What we seek is the strong connection

where inner and outer find the red thread of beauty.

When who you are in your lived-out life

is aligned with who you are in your inner life.

Then wholeness is here.

Yet wholeness does not mean that every single thing is healed.

Wholeness happens when someone knows who they are enough to

look inside and just keep showing up and showing up

and becoming more and more and more of who we are.

You are becoming more and more and more of who you are.

We begin by writing a letter to the Muse. Try to do this without moving your pen off the page - just allowing it to flow as one long continuous line of writing.

You are not controlling what you are doing, you are just letting it come out - allowing what the hidden self to express itself.

As you are writing here, you are affirming your reconnection with the internal self. This creates healing of fragmentation.

Start with the words "Dear Muse..." and try not to pick up the pen after you have started writing. Keep it all connected and write a sentence or two. Give yourself as much time as you need for this. After you are complete with the writing, sign it and date it.

For our third step in this process, we will add background colors behind our letter to the Muse. (this is missing in the video)

Tune in, close your eyes, or take a few conscious breaths, and allow your Muse to show you two colors that want to come through on this painting. Turst whatever colours come through your imagination.

Once you have your two colors picked, you're going to use these to intuitively color in around the text. As you do, listen for the ever deepening voice of your Muse.

If you can, try not to touch the black letters, but leave a little white space of 'glow', as we call it in Intentional Creativity.

This is the one the critic ate with cookies and milk. We found her crumbs and grubby fingers all over it. But we imagine you can figure it out by looking.

Now, you are going to paint a symbolic representation of your Muse. The energy and essence that wants to come forth. Have a clear awareness that this painting is process and not product.

Get a color that will be dark enough to show up on your background. We will be painting two symbols and essence in a single stroke

Once you have your dark color ready, ask for two symbols that represent this change that you're making of inside/outside being connected and heart and mind being connected. Move the brush slowly but with some control and try not to lift the brush as you do this, except to add more paint. As you make this stroke, you are going to integrate those two symbols and create the face of your Muse.

This is an invitation to out-picture this idea of this Muse coming forth and being with it. We're going a little Picasso on this. Feel the connection between heart, mind and body. Imagine the connection between your internal and external self coming together in real time.

Take some deep breaths in and out here - 7 seconds in and out. Be present and connected. Do some moving and shaking as well after you have complete this step to keep your body connected and to move energy through.

For our next step, we are going to spend some more time with our Muse face and symbols, making some small embellishments.

Have fun with this and feel the connection growing with your Muse, and the inside/outside integration. Just stick with broad shapes and don't go into details yet, as those are coming in steps to come.

Now is a good time to check in with whether the critic has shown up or not.

We are listening a more true voice.
Can you hear it? How is it different than the voice of the critic?

You will now choose three colors chosen by the Muse! Go for BOLD colors here! Listen for a true voice here as you are markmaking.

As you add color to your page, continue to stay present and allow yourself to be guided from within. From a design perspective, keep it simple. You can leave a strip open where the background is to preserve the glow.

By working this way with the Muse, you are learning here to listen first to the heart, allowing the mind to function within the field of the heart. Rather than the default setting of the mind first.

Now you are going to make embellishing dots, marks and adornments. Be present without trying to dominate an outcome, through allowing.

Now for choosing a powerful accent color. Choose one that is in balance or contrast with what is already there. Use a smaller brush and bring pattern and, detail into the painting. What feels yummy to the Muse here? Do that!

To complete, close your eyes and ask your Muse for information. "What are you the Muse of...?" Let whatever word comes through, come through. Once you have the word clear in your mind, add it to your painting wherever you are intuitively led. Of course, if you want to adjust - you can.

Palette shifting is changing the painting - through color choices.

For this step, you will want to choose dark colors for a glaze - you will be tinting the whole painting. Once glazed, take a rag and burnish over the glaze - lightly wiping off the excess paint so that it is not too dark and shows some of what is underneath. You can always give it another spray to get more of the paint off.

This will have a different result depending on what the temperature and climate is where you live and the toothe of the paper you have.

How has the mood changed? How does it feel different?

Now you've made yourself a rich palette!

You could not do one more uniform glaze to integrate. Note, that some colors lend themselves better to glazing than others. Choose a color that does not have any white it it and is a tint.

Glaze over the entire painting with this color now. Add a bit of water to your brush first. Then, use a different part of the rag to burnish once more. After that, let it sit. You want it to be almost tacky and a bit more dry before going further.

As you wait for the paint to set, ask your Muse, what is the mood shift that the is wanted? What is the transition that she is looking for? The energy of co-creation is present - it is going to ways - you are asking for clarity from your voice.

Painting in this way can actually change your own mood by creating a colorful mood switch! Ask you Muse what her desired palette is for the painting as a whole - and pay attention to what comes to your imagination. But since you are co-creating - you can also just choose!

Once the paint is tacky, spray a bit more and begin to burnish for a final time. Perhaps pick an area that you really want to remove paint from to let the background come through more. This creates texture and luminosity.

Once you're in conversation with your Muse, are co-creating! When first working with the Muse, you start to hear what you haven't been hearing. The critic has been dominating, and now you are hearing a new voice. In this next step, we are listening to the voice of the Muse in a co-creative capacity - a bit different than just allowing the arising. You are more engaged.

Begin to focus on design. You will loose some elements of your painting here in order to bring in new elements. It is a good idea to use colors from your glaze added with a white so there is a mothercolour. Use a dry scrubby brush for this. Remember to leave an edge for the glow, so the color that was there before shows through - leave 10 to 15%. This creates more dimension.

Use these colors to come into your symbols and designs, lighten them up and texturize. Bring in highlights with lighter versions of each color to make things pop out that may have faded into the background. Or do a scratch-out with the end of your paintbrush for a really nice affect that shows the background again.

Move through a few different colors if you feels called - lighter versions of your glazes or original colors. Use a brush that is the right size for the space you're working in. As big as possible, but not bigger than the area you're working. Use smaller brushes to add details and highlights.

You can block things out as well that feel like they can be hidden. You can some risks as you follow your intuition. If you bring in lighter colors, you can reshape your face or symbols. This could change the image and could also reveal new information about the message within the image.

Continue to add details as you feel compelled. Bring in darks and lights will add a lot of depth and make certain parts of the image pop out.

Regarding eyes - You can add grey-white to the sides of the eyes or change the gaze. You may also want to add a dot of light into the eye to bring a spark of life there!

This all connects back with the teachings we've been working with. If you go to the right brain, you get a big picture. If you go to the left brain, you get parts of the picture. If you go to the heart, you get the big picture. If you go to the mind, you get a part of the picture.

This way of painting starts with flow and then brings in more form. And the form that arises is intuitive, organic, and inspired. We lay the foundation with intuitive work first, and then bring in the form. In the process, we are receiving information and story.

For a final step, you can bring in a bright color or light to highlight certain parts of your image. Integrate that color throughout the painting and bring new design into existing design.

Logic would say - what is that? And why do those go there? And where do those head to? But we don't need to do that in Muse world. We just follow color and texture and really - emotion.

To complete, get the smallest brush you have and sign your painting. Use fresh liquid paint for this as it's easier to write with. Put your name and date.

While you have this small brush, you can go in again, and add even more highlights.

Are there any words that want to come through on the painting or some accent dots? What other details is your Muse inspiring?

After you've added more highlights, sit across from your painting and ask,

"What is the message or medicine of this muse?" For me?

Listen intuitively for the answer, as this will be the title or worked into the title of the Muse. This is a naming of the healing or medicine that this painting represents for you.

The hope is that you can take this forward into your life and really feel it at work!

As you can see from the final part of the video - something really funny happens with what the message is from my Muse!

We hope you have enjoyed this painting experience and that you have truly established a connection to your Muse. If the Muse is the language we are using to explore our hidden self - then healing that inside outside connection could mean healing in your whole life. For those of us who practice this - this is one of the most essential gifts of Intentional Creativity - to hear your own voice.

Is there anything your Muse is requesting now? A dare perhaps? Close your eyes and listen.....

A M U S E D

Welcome to AMUSED! A Healing Journey With the Muse
An Intentional Creativity Process

Opening Invocation

PART ONE

Step One - Letter to the Muse

Step Two - Anointing and Affirmation

Step Three - Background Colors

Step Four - Two Symbols and the Face

Step Five - Embellish and Connect

Step Six - 3 Colors & Intuitive Marks

Step Seven - Dots, Marks and Adornments

AMUSED PART TWO : Co-Creating

Step Eight - Palette Shift & Glazing

Step Nine - Co-Creating Design

Step Ten - The Energy of your Muse

Step Eleven - Details, Integration & Naming