One of the conversations I’ve been having a LOT with my students recently has to do with the struggle people feel around how much easier it is for them to be free and creative and fully alive when they are in painting class or on retreat with us, and how difficult it is to maintain that sense of freedom and creative flow once they are painting on their own.

What they tell me is that they feel frustrated and disappointed in themselves for not being able to maintain that sense of creative liberation and they think there’s something wrong with THEM when they lose that thread of creative connection to their wholeness and authenticity.

And I have to remind them that the reason it is so hard to maintain that sense of freedom and flow is because in community with us they are FULLY supported and celebrated and believed in to be absolutely, no-holds-barred themselves and once they go back out into the “real” world, they are bombarded by exactly the OPPOSITE energy.

They are told in one way or another that their creativity and emotions make them weak or too sensitive. They are continually exposed to messages that self expression and creativity are frivolous and a waste of time. They are reminded again and again to never trust their heart, that feelings are a distraction and they should just suck it up if they feel sad or stuff it down if they are angry. They are shamed for believing that intuition is real, and admonished to never, ever take seriously their own inner wisdom and guidance.

Now you might be lucky and have a circle of friends or family who DO support you to be real and authentic. But even if that’s the case we are all still swimming in the waters of the larger dominant culture, and the dominant culture is STEEPED in the patriarchy. And it’s the patriarchy that tells us that we only matter if we are working our asses off, stressed to the max, being productive, ignoring our feelings and trying to maintain control of our bodies and emotions at all times.

Of course, this way of living is completely exhausting. And unsustainable. And doesn’t make ANY space for the realness and aliveness of our sacred soul and spirit.

Which is why we do this work.

We’ve created these circles and this Wild Heart community as a way to counteract the numbing effects of those patriarchal values and through this expressive arts work continually challenging some of those patriarchal assumptions about what really matters.

And it’s also why we created the Wild Heart Expressive Arts Teacher Training Program     because we want this joyful way of living and being and creating to spread as far and wide as possible, through people like YOU!

So if this challenge to the patriarchal systems and structures that unconsciously rule your life sounds like something you would like to be part click on the image below.