Spring Workshops!
And winter time practices for self kindness & slowness
Hello dear readers. Thank you, thank you for being here. I hope that this finds you staying warm and cozy and hopefully enjoying some slowness in your days. While we are more than halfway through winter time now in the northern hemisphere, we did just get another downpour of snow here in Virginia, and it’s currently 11°f outside with a windchill that makes it feel even colder. Whew! It is teaching me an even deeper level of patience and gratitude for warmth. A friend was telling me the other day that she feels her mood reflecting the beginnings of spring. That kind of angsty, uncomfortable pushing through the soil to make it through to the other side. It feels relatable as we all navigate both the personal and collective challenges arising, the itchiness of change afoot. Becoming impatient with wanting things to shift/bloom/change. But winter is still here to remind us of patience. To remind us that there is still more work to be done dreaming below the surface of the earth. We may give ourselves even more rest, even in the agitated states, and allow for the discomfort to broaden our capacities to hold and witness and tend to what needs tending to. I really enjoyed listening to this older episode of the Emerald podcast this week with my partner. We sat on the couch and let the slowness roll over us, through Josh and Leah Song’s voices and conversation. The Emerald is such a beautiful transcendent journey, every episode its own masterfully woven piece of art. I highly recommend giving yourself a couple of hours of slowness to take this piece in.
As I have written in many past newsletters, Martha Beck has been a very influential teacher in my life. Her book The Way Of Integrity really changed everything for me, and she has a new book out exploring how creativity can be the antidote to anxiety called Beyond Anxiety: Curiosity, Creativity and Finding your Life’s Purpose. She has a practice she shares about called KIST. KIST stands for Kind Internal Self Talk. This is an integral part of her teachings when it comes to overcoming any personal challenges, whether that be anxiety, fear, depression, shame, etc. Kind internal self talk is exactly what it sounds like- being kind to yourself. It’s replacing negative self-shaming language with loving and kind supportive words. She posits that we all have these ‘little creature’ selves inside of us. You could think of them as the tiniest, smallest, most fragile pieces of who we are, like a soft little duckling or a bunny. These are the young pieces of us that we never lose, but need attention and tending to. If we berate ourselves, put ourselves down, tell ourselves we aren’t doing a good enough job….well, our creatures get upset. And then this can cause a lot of bad moods or outside behaviors that reflect this discomfort and abuse. When we can speak kindly to ourselves no matter what is happening in our lives, a lot of positive change can happen. A lot can be released. Maybe it is hard to get to a place where you can be kind to yourself, but I think it is worth trying. She recommends starting with simple phrases that you would say to anyone…’May you be well. May you feel safe. May you feel loved.’ You can move onward from there, as long as it is kind and compassionate.
I’ve been practicing this myself for some time now and even though I can’t always catch the negative self-talk before it strikes (it’s wicked fast that one!), I can go back in at anytime and give myself some love, forgiveness and kindness.
I share this in case it is helpful for any of you out there feeling like you aren’t doing enough, or life is too much, or you are just facing a lot of difficulty and discomfort. May you be well. May you feel safe. May you feel loved. May you feel worthy.
Spring Workshops!
I am excited to announce a couple of fun workshops that I am teaching with in both Western North Carolina and Virginia.
Rise Up Creative Retreat: Baking and Painting with Foraged Plants
Description of our workshop in NC:
Modeling our own work on the spring energetics of Appalachian plants–pushing out from their winter fortifications, unfurling towards the light, adding vibrancy back into the mountainsides.
The mornings will be centered upon cooking and baking with foraged plants. We’ll discuss how to forage sustainably, where to look, and how to celebrate the different flavors and textures of Appalachian plants. Brennan will teach some baking techniques like a rustic pie dough, which we will use to make savory galettes with foraged greens and blossoms, and other pastries and foods that showcase their flavors. We’ll utilize the brick oven for our work, cooking down vegetables and baking our galettes.
Afternoons will be devoted to watercolor painting. Molly will lead us in our painting sessions as we learn about her approach to painting, focusing on the way ritual and mindfulness can hold us through our art making process. Our own subject matter will be the plants we forage and the foods we cook with them. Painting back to back days will provide ample time to practice watercolor techniques such as wet on dry painting, and learning how to observe and capture your subjects without rushing.
We hope to inspire continued creative practices for participants in this two-day workshop, and offer students an opportunity for community and collaboration as we all rise up after a long winter. Lunch will be cooked by Brennan both days, and vegetarian and gluten free options are available for those who ask. Participants will have the chance to take home their paintings, their baked goods, and a handmade ceramic palette.
Our workshop in Virginia will be hosted at the wonderful Oakley Farm who produces Troddenvale Cider. Each student will get some cider + a delicious nourishing lunch included in their ticket.
Please see more details on my website here, and reserve your spot! These are going to be very special workshops, and I am so excited to cultivate more creativity together in community.
New Work!
Last week I shared the making of this painting from start to finish to my paid subscribers. Foxgloves are some of my favorite flowers, and I hope you enjoy this piece as much as I did in creating it.
Next up in my magical medicinal plant series is Amanita Muscaria. Stay tuned!
Thank you for reading.
Questions to answer in the comments:
What are you working on right now that brings you enjoyment and pleasure?
What is bringing you even just the smallest bit of peace this week?
Sending love out far and wide, in the form of foxglove flowers.
Just picked up Beyond Anxiety a couple weeks ago and I'm excited to start reading. Thank you for this post!