It has always seemed wildly unfair to me that as soon as my creative muse opens the floodgates to some juicy creative project, almost immediately my judging mind and inner critic whips into a frenzy of activity. For a long while it was one of those annoyingly weird...
Creative Juices Arts Blog
Welcome to my blog page! I love writing about the healing power of the creative process. Here you will find a collection of all of my writing from all the way back to 2005! Enjoy!
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Chris Zydel
Wild Heart Wisdom: Create As You Like And Live Happy
I just returned from another of my fabulous Wild Heart Painting extravaganzas in the High Sierras, which is one of my favorite places in the whole world to not only lead retreats but to get recharged and nourished by the gorgeous land and stunning mountainous...
Wild Heart Teacher Spotlight: Ellen Morrison
Art making and creativity have always been a part of my life and I give credit to an upbringing amongst artists and activists who encouraged me and rooted a belief and respect of its vital influence on both the individual and the collective. Alongside my career as a clinical social worker, facilitator and mediator, I am a community artist and deeply value the expressive arts creative process in helping me take risks, pushing the boundaries of what I think is possible.
It’s Never Too Late To Heal An Artists Broken Heart
I have been on a mission for many years now to help people reach their full creative potential. Which can mean different things for different folks. But what I am trying to help others avoid is living their lives without being creative if in their hearts it’s...
Wild Heart Teacher Spotlight: Damini Celebre
Why I LOVED the Wild Heart Teachers Training. Chris is amazing! She shares generously her abundant wealth of experience, knowledge and guidance. Chris has a big givin’ heart. She held my hand and made me laugh, when I was worried that I would fail… The women that were part of my teachers training I will always be call my sisters. Chris held each us in Big Mama Love, as we navigated the terrain of our hearts and intuitive painting.
How Losing My Jewelry Helped Heal My Worry Addiction
There is a little known occupational hazard to being a transformational workshop leader that I call The Monumental Left Brain Meltdown Syndrome. And it always happens at the end of a week long retreat intensive. I love leading live, in person retreats that combine art...
The Sacred Creative Practice Of Choosing Love Over Fear
Someone asked me recently how to develop a life that is based on a commitment to love instead of allowing fear to run the show. And I told them that I simply make the choice to concentrate on love. When it speaks, I listen. I do what it tells me. I don't argue with it...
The Creative Invitation
Life is an ongoing invitation to be fully alive. It’s simply saying YES. It’s being willing to follow that aliveness and to allow that aliveness its full and unbridled expression. How much money you do or don’t make, what you achieve or accomplish, if...
Some TIPS ON Dealing With These Wild Astrological Times
Folks keep asking me when, when, WHEN is the astrological whirlwind going to stop. But here's the deal, dear wild hearted wonders, it's NOT stopping. The cosmic plan is for us to get used to this new level of intensity. And energy. We're being asked to...
Synchronicity, Intention and Timing In Allowing Your Dreams To Come True
If you have attended any of my week long Wild Heart Painting retreats you know that they always take place in some amazingly beautiful natural settings. Nature is my co-conspirator when it comes to creating sacred healing containers for my work where creativity and...
From Widow To Warrior: Transforming Pain Into Passion, Purpose and Power
I get invited to participate in a lot of free online workshops and retreats. And I’m pretty choosy about which ones I say yes to. For me to agree to spend my precious time and energy being part of this kind of event it has to touch my heart and be meaningful to me and...
A Love Letter To My Wild Hearted Creative Sisters
Dearest Creative Sister, I am sending this letter to you today to let you know that I see you. I see the blinding beauty of your being. And the indomitable courage of your spirit. I see your deepest desires. And I see how much you struggle to be the best and most...
Wild Heart Teacher Spotlight: Julee Winterbourne
I weave together the magic of women’s circles with intuitive painting. We gather in circle, drop into meditation, use journal prompts to get really connected to our inner world, a bit of discussion to bring in sisterhood and then we get quiet and we move to the easels. We paint and from then it’s all process, no product. It’s all expression and no judgement.
Creative Self Expression. Being Seen With Love. And Healing Shame
I just returned from a week long expressive arts teacher training and was once again, SERIOUSLY blown away by the magic that happens when you bring a group of creatively courageous souls together, ask them to go to their creative, emotional and spiritual edges with...
ASTRO WISDOM: ARIES AS THE WARRIOR OF FIERY DESIRE
Aries is the BEGINNING of a brand new cycle. She is Spring and the life force incarnate, like the seed pushing its way through the last layer of soil bursting forth to meet the heat of the sun head on. Aries energy DEMANDS to live. To make headway at all costs. She is...
Is Wild Heart Expressive Arts Intuitive Painting The Same Thing As Art Therapy?
Because intuitive painting is sometimes a psychological self exploration practice it is assumed to be the same thing as art therapy. It is similar to art therapy in that you are supported in expressing your feelings and emotions when they arise. But one of the...
What Does It Mean to TRULY Trust Your Intuition When You Paint?
Wild Heart Expressive Arts Intuitive painting is a practice of surrendering TO your intuition and allowing it to lead the way. But this approach often gets confused with painting from an agenda which means you are USING your intuition to get a desired result. And your...
Intuitive Painting As The Practice Of Radical Self Acceptance + Embracing Your WHOLE Self
In my most recent blog post I explored some basic concepts that are the foundation of the Wild Heart Expressive Arts Intuitive Painting Process. And if you missed it, you can read that article here. In that article, I talked a lot about what Wild Heart Expressive Arts...
Wild Heart Teacher Spotlight: Deborah Young
This painting process helps me follow my emotions (energy in motion) by painting stories of my childhood and adulthood which has simply transformed my life!… I’ve proven that I’m a strong survivor who believes that tragedy in life doesn’t define me. It has empowered me to find my authentic voice, encouraging me to speak my truth!
What Exactly IS Intuitive Painting?
What exactly is the Wild Heart Expressive Arts intuitive painting process? And how is it different from other ways of making of art? I get asked this question a lot because there’s some honest confusion about what it even means to paint intuitively. And also a need...
Astro Wisdom: Pisces As Mystical Adventurer Of The Invisible Realms
Among the many professional hats that I wear… Wild Heart Queen, Wild Heart Painting Facilitator, Mentor, Creativity Soul Guide, Writer, Artist, Teacher, Creative Entrepreneur… I am also an Evolutionary Astrologer. And one of the aspects of my work that brings me...
Happiness Is A Warm Glue Gun… And A Full Paint Palette…Keeping Your JOY And Your Creativity Front And Center In Your Life
I have been on a quest lately to find out what it is that truly makes me happy. I’m trying to learn to tell the difference between the considerable fulfillment I experience when I am being productive and simple, straightforward happiness. I have actually had them very...
How To Know If The Wild Heart Expressive Arts Teacher Training Program Is Right For YOU.
I’m having SO much fun talking with various truly incredible women about my upcoming Wild Heart Expressive Teacher Training that begins in May. And I’m also getting lots of questions about the program through these conversations. So I thought I would address some of...
Giving Yourself Permission To Want What You Want
When I stepped into the role of facilitating psychological, spiritual and emotional healing for others so many, many moons ago I mostly worked with women. I STILL work primarily with women. And I AM a woman. (And just to be clear, I am defining woman as anyone who...
Wild Heart Teacher Spotlight: Kelsey Gustafson
When I learned how to paint for the process not the product, my entire life began to become art. I became less afraid and more curious. I could dance with my shadow and question my own taboos. I began to see that so much of what limits me is cultural programming. I began to see that I have more agency and power than I ever realized. Painting from your soul is a liberatory and evolutionary process.
Astro Wisdom: Aquarius As A Revolutionary Force Of Liberation + Radical Change
As we get closer to the end of the zodiac things start to get a little weird. And Aquarius is the harbinger of that weirdness. We’re no longer in the land of the tried and true. And this is exactly the place where Aquarius most likes to play. Aquarians are genius...
A Brief and Rousing History Of The Wild Heart Expressive Arts Teacher Training Program
Eleven years ago I opened the doors to my very first Wild Heart Expressive Arts Teacher Training Program. To say I was completely terrified would have been an understatement. But there was something greater at work than just terror as I made the announcement to the...