family collage
Greetings!
Class Schedule and Studio Sale
Dialoguing with your Heart and Soul

A 4 day Art Experience with printmaking, collage, paste paper, carving stamps, drawing, writing, and bookmaking

Oct. 8th - 11th Full
December 18th - 21st
2007 Jan. 20th & 21st & 27th & 28th 2 weekends
"family collage"

Studio Sale November 18th & 19th Ashland, Oregon

Thoughts on Avoidance, Fear, and Intention

Last month I talked about staying out of your head and breathing into your belly when you are doing art. This helps to keep the channels of communication open between you and your intuition as well as between you and your Heart and Soul. There are other important issues we face when doing art. Two of these are Avoidance and Fear.

Let’s look at avoidance. It is a Void Dance. It is a dance with the unknown. When we create we face the vast nothingness before it becomes something. Our lack of control when facing the unknown can be overwhelming and our fear of not living up to our own expectations can be a huge barrier to creativity. This fear alone is enough to keep a lot of people from being artists. When we create something new we face our fears: fear of the critic, fear of failure, fear of change, fear of success, and fear of who we think we are not. ("I am not a real artist". "I am just faking it"). Remember, this is the head speaking. But it is a real issue that can paralyze our ability to do art or in some cases, our fear and avoidance can keep us stuck in old patterns keeping us from reaching our full potential. Fear is an old pattern set up in our mind to protect us and keep us safe and comfortable. Fear is the barrier between you and you heart’s desire. It is a barrier with no substance. It is an illusion set up by an old belief system that is outmoded and it is not telling you the truth. In fact fear is a bald faced liar.

When I am ready to go into the studio to create something new I think of all the things that are suddenly very important to do first, such as cleaning, shopping, getting a cup of coffee, doing paperwork.... This is my usual routine of avoidance. At times these "avoidance barriers" can seem insurmountable. They can be filled with self judgments, worries, as well as troubling life and world issues. Though I have been a working artist for twenty years I still dance with avoidance on a regular basis.

The “to do” lists and the worries are largely "Monkey Mind" at work. The Judge and The Critic are at work in this process too. The Judge and the Critic are just that; they judge and they criticize and they are not telling you the truth. You can not connect with your Heart work or Soul work if you can’t get beyond the fears in your head. One of the tools I use to let go of fear and avoidance is to breathe into my belly, or Dan Tien, or my Solar Plexus. Somehow doing this puts me at the center of myself and stops the chatter in my head. Attention to breath slows me down making it possible to hear what my Heart wants to do.

So, I usually do the things that I feel I need to do, like coffee, paperwork and such. I don't ignore the worries and judgments but I don't let them keep me from walking toward and into the studio. I understand that it is my Monkey Mind trying to derail me and keep me comfortable, safe, and bored. Knowing this allows me to stop listening to my head and listen to my heart instead. I have had enough practice to have faith in the process. It is all part of the dance and part of the work of being alive. Fear is just fear and when I don’t listen to it, it no longer has any power over me.

I believe that setting an intention before working is a good way to handle avoidance and fear. It is through intention that we can face our fears. It is through intention that we stay congruent with our heart’s desire. I have created a sacred space in my studio, making it a safe place to be creative, to teach, and to explore and trust the wisdom of art- making and soul-searching. It’s good to have a ritual of intention. This may include lighting a candle, ringing a bell, and breathing or stretching to center your self. Take the time to write an intention. Some of my intentions include to show up to work, to stay in my body, and to be true to the images that appear.

Intention is a major player in the process of being consciously aware of what it is we are doing and consciously aware of what we are asking for. This is important. At the heart of intention is the idea that the Universe wants us to succeed. I believe that everything in our Universe is infused with a creative connective power and tapping our intention into this energy field allows us to be in integrity with our purpose. Intention is not a wish list. It is an alignment of our heart’s desire and purpose with our source held in our body and grounded in Earth. When we set our intention we are then held by that intention and are free to use our will to take action and create what we want and need. We are held by that intention while we do the things that are good for our Souls. Once we set our intentions we notice synchronicities in our life that confirm what we ask for. We get answers to questions and sometimes a new answer to an old dilemma. We can change the world by our clear intentions. It seems like magic and maybe it is. The great thing is it works. Intention is a small thing that can have a big impact.

Avoidance is a dance.
Fears are keeping you safe, bored, and in the dark.
Intention connects your heart’s desire with your purpose.

Until next time, keep breathing and stay in your body.

Love, Denise

Denise Kester
Drawing on the Dream

Email Marketing by