Category: Filters

We had dogs when I was a kid. Lots of them.

Eventually, a couple of cats. Occasional fish. For a bit, even a few adopted science fair chameleons.

We did NOT have small rodents. No white mice. No gerbils. No guinea pigs. No hamsters. (Mom was not remotely a fan!)

I was pretty much okay with that, being very much a dog person, myself. With all of our moving, the dogs were friends who moved with us… my sense of consistency in those days of pre-abstract thought and very little choice.

There was a time, though, when I was tempted by hamsters. Not the actual hamsters, so much, as those cool hollow spherical gizmos… like cages that moved across the floor as the wee beasties ran around inside them.

nb… these gizmos may not have been a good idea as google suggests they no longer exist!

These days, I’m more tempted by actual freedom. By choosing voice!

And by new experiences of alchemy!

Now, alchemy is not a word we studied in nursing school or seminary. Or, at the very least, not one that made it through my filters in those days of trying to survive.

These are different times. And I am making room in my medicine basket for new learning.

Much of that learning involves canvas and paint. It also involves showing up. Not only for the doing, but for the sorting and claiming. For the dreaming.

The opinionated being, above, is still a #work-in-progress and there’s a bit of editing going on behind the scenes before she’s ready for a big visual reveal.

She, by the way, is the emerging image from the medicine painting journey known as Temple… the Artist Erotic. She is/we are speaking… and getting ready for Oh! I See…

Finally, I am whole!

I have lived from my neck up most of my days.

Feeling safe.

Avoiding pain.

Afraid of motion.

There are many reasons… all of them true.

And never enough.

I declare myself free!

All of me!!!

And worthy of pleasure.

Of joy.

Of being a whole and divinely created Fiercely Compassionate Rebel Grandmother!®

And, she has a friend… a medicine painting sister on the journey!

The Alchemist… who wants to meet you!!!

Actually… she wants you to create your version of her!

First, though… a bit of a vocabulary lesson! Full disclosure – I began with a google search, wound up in a “place” called Udemy, and did a bit of my own editing:

Spiritual Alchemy… the act of inner transformation. It is healing and freeing the inner parts of ourselves longing for change. By transforming these parts of us, we are led to inner liberation, the freedom from our fears, from beliefs that no longer serve us, and from other self-limiting perspectives and patterns.

Intrigued about the journey with the Alchemist??? CLICK HERE! for all the information on Oh! I See… Consciously!!! Let your soul explore. Ask your questions. (The calendar elves are on it!) And take a chance on “I am!”

ps… just in case a bit of translation about supplies is helpful, here’s a good start! We’ve got this!

pps… fab smoked salmon and Madam Secretary (Season 5, episode 11) for lunch. Swore a blue streak at border issues and detaining children and getting rich letting it happen. Then, I picked my brush back up and and reminded myself why, as Mama Caron taught us, I matter. And you matter. And we matter. And mattering matters. And none of us have to matter alone! That’s why you’re invited to make this big step beyond If only!!! (Click the utterly empowering link and take a chance on knowing more! Please!!!)

Well, I hadn’t either… until she appeared on my canvas, way back in 2018. Part Mermaid and part Manatee!

I was a very new artist in those days, only just learning to listen deep. (And how to wash paint brushes!)

Officially, she is The Muse. And she is teaching me, still. Teaching me, mostly, about seeing. (And about new uses for my adventures in the way back world of Greek School, aka Seminary’s baptism by fire!)

Let’s fast-forward to this moment and a close-up glimpse of my “finished” friend.

The Greek words painted near her eyes represent three kinds of seeing. The one below the eye on your right is blepo which means to pay attention… to be possessed of sight or have the power of seeing. It can also be translated as, Behold!

The top one on your left is orao which has to do with watching and guarding. To be vigilant and conscious.

And the one on the left, beside her nose, is a form of gnosis which is about coming to know or recognize or understand.

I will confess to having been really lost, those early days in Greek School. The light came on when I realized that the word blepo was familiar to me from fancy medical names I had learned for eye surgery procedures. And, miraculously, there was hope!

The whole vision thing has been much on my mind again, lately. Literally.

I got new glasses – lenses and frames – in June, just before I left for France. I didn’t want to miss anything!

I spend a lot of time taking them off and putting them on… trying to shift from laptop to phone to canvas to actual people I love. Which does, indeed, mean that it’s time for a new eye doc… right after the knee x-rays!

Kind of surprisingly, with all the things going on in this world, I keep dreaming about glasses! (Possibly because The Muse hangs on the wall at the foot of our bed… and she seems more insistent than usual!)

It feels like part of her urgency has to do with the news. And remembering. Especially Dr. King, whom I suspect is dreaming still.

There’s another part of her urgency, though, which feels like a call to me. To be open to seeing.

Here’s a bit of a story from last night…

It was back in the time I was painting The Muse and my glasses from those days needed a bit of a fit adjustment. (And some paint removal!)

There was a woman there – probably about 10 years older than I was – trying to pick out frames, which is difficult if you can’t see without glasses. She was debating between two choices.

Eventually, she asked if she could ask me a question, which went a lot like this:

Were the ones she liked best “too much” with color in the tortoise-shell frames? And, did I think she could wear them to church?

After confessing to being an artist, I wondered with her about what possible problem Creator could have with our being able to see AND liking our glasses!

Which, when you get right down to it, is actually a Filters issue!

And that, dear heart, is a whole other way to see!

Which brings us to a whole new adventure!

YES, you’re invited!!! Think of it as vision. As a living map from where you are to where you dream of being… And, before you cave to not ready or too busy or very scary, take a deep breath, please. And CLICK HERE for all the info! It’s a whole lot like glasses you can see out of and love!!!

ps… hurry!!! Our inspirational adventure starts soon and we’re keeping the group small!

pps… questions??? Click the link above and it will lead you to the calendar elves who would be delighted to hook you up with time for – well – questions! (We love questions!!!)

And a new painting adventure begins!

One with a name which might be a bit of a surprise…

Temple… The Artist Erotic, led by Curate Shiloh Sophia McCloud and Dr. Havi Brysk Mandell and a host of other folks with answers and cameras and music and tech skills.

Imagine for this moment that you’re heading out for 3 weeks in your favorite fantasy destination with just one tiny personal item, only to end up staying for 3 months… which is to say that this Temple journey is growing by the moment!

And, as you’ve probably heard me mention, the paintings for Red Madonna and Origins and Guardian are already filling up my studio and my dreams. Grandmother Moon even whispered that we might have enough going on!

I could have delayed Temple for a while. In fact, I was going to. And then it turned into a 90 day opportunity to focus on what my body needs, which all of me needs!

(My ortho guy and my physical therapists are thrilled!)

So… Temple. Now.

We began on Thursday. (Well, technically!) Music. Dancing, even! Red Thread. And a shiny graphic map of our fledgling journey which insisted on being combined, in my heart, with another image that very much guides me… and turned out looking like this on page one of my repurposed journal with the intentional cover art…

Then, much to my delight, a question! (I love questions!!!)

What are you present to, now?

And the flood gates opened, after a whole lot of holding back pain and mobility challenges and – since we’re being real – fear. Fear of not being strong enough to walk the walk.

Here’s most of what I wrote in response, on page two, with my favorite red pen.

I am present to pain. To hope. To promise. MY promise.

I am present to opening myself to this journey.

I am present to how much my body needs and deserves my Fierce Compassion.

Ummmm… mike drop!!!!! And my red pen had more to say…

I open myself to this journey by becoming “one of those five people” for my body! I listen to my body. I take my body seriously. I do not shame or blame my body for its questions. I treat my body with the loving perspective of a Fiercely Compassionate Rebel Grandmother!

To which my obvious response was, indeed, Ummmm… Duh!

And, my next, internal, response – not surprisingly – was a wee story from the way-back machine.

Once upon a time, quite a while ago, deep in the land of Ericksonian Hypnotherapy training, a new friend commented that I was, “really into power”.

I was shocked and aghast... until I realized that, while I’m not much into power OVER, I am, indeed, quite into power FOR!

Trust me when I tell you that, even three days in, this journey is all about that!

And, it’s also about my Big Why!

About helping others – people just like you – to claim the place where their deep joy and the world’s deep longing meet. In this world. Even now.

Okay… Especially NOW!!!

And, then, helping to map out the path from your here to your there, in ways that are as deep and true and empowering for you as mine are for me.

Here’s the big news… it’s almost time for Oh, I See… Consciously! to begin. And you’re going to be invited! There’s some calendar stuff to sort, and I’m on it.

For this moment… perhaps you’d care to muse on this…

And start pondering what you are present to!

Details very soon!

ps… Oh, I See… Consciously! is intentionally designed to be really, really flexible and accessible, including an alchemical painting process! The world needs you!

pps… want more info even before it’s all techy-neat and colorful??? The calendar elves will be thrilled to hook you up with 45 min. My gift. We’ll see what feels like a good fit for you. Small group and individual options will be available for determined dreamers!

ppps… the intentional cover art on my repurposed journal??? Names! Grandmothers and granddaughters. Mine. In my hand. Which is a lot like em-power-ment!

Welcome to the Fireside of the Dangerous Old Women, as we bid farewell to 2023 and call in 2024. You’re a specially invited guest to the regular Crone Moon meeting of my Red Madonna sisters, walking the journey called Tree of Life.  Dr. E. and I are so glad you’re here!!!

Settle into this moment of reflecting with hope and comfort. We are, each in our own ways and whatever we’re feeling, still standing and still dancing.

For me, I enter the unknown with a medicine basket full of new perceptions and stories. With a heart full of my girls laughing and leaping ocean waves. With huge new clarity around my Big Why!

And there is still more that I bring. A kneecap sliding out of place way more than it used to. A rather urgent need for a visit with an eye doctor. Some lingering fears from an autumn of trauma triggers.

And, blessedly, a new vision of what Fierce Compassion looks like for my journey. And a fresh supply of index cards! (It’s a whole new year!)

Here’s one that surprised me, amidst the storm of fireworks I’d rather hadn’t been going on all around me on New Year’s Eve.

Nope! It doesn’t look like much. It probably doesn’t even make much sense to you. For me, though, it’s the Muse whispering the next pieces of my Guardian painting for Origins. Scribbles and scratching even I wouldn’t have understood before this particular moment.

And that, in my mind, is a wonder!

It’s also a reminder that, when we open ourselves, we often hear things we had no space for until, well… until we did. And that led me to my Shaman’s Dream oracle deck! Let’s listen…

Woodwives… adaptability, strong roots, growth!

The Woodwives dance into your dreams as a reminder to be grounded no matter what life offers you. You need to know who you are, what you’ll tolerate, what you’ve learned to date, and what boundaries to set so you feel good about yourself. Life is going to offer you something extraordinary now, and, in order to learn and receive its blessings, you must remember that being grounded gives you more freedom, not less.

You have everything you need; you have all it takes to do this right now. If you also keep reminding yourself to be flexible, you will be amazed by how well things play out for you. The Woodwives are both wisdom keepers and students of the new world, as these forest spirits have an uncanny ability to adapt to changing circumstances and always find the perfect way to grow and expand. They represent what you already know how to do.

Learn. Be in beginners’ mind. Let go of your rigid notions of how things “should” be, and be present to what is right now, unencumbered by your projections. Is there a storm brewing because things need to change? No worries – nothing can uproot you now, and it will pass, and you will dance with nature and move with it all.

Perhaps you’ve being given an opportunity to take a chance on something new, and you’re not sure how far you can go without losing your footing. Have no fear, for when you remember your roots – your integrity, your authentic self – you can stretch yourself beyond the invisible line you drew. Go for it. You will be so glad you did.

And, in case you’re wondering, this is the card which found me after much shuffling and passing them through my hands.

And, some of it feels like a stretch for me.

And, isn’t that the point???

So… we’re going to try something new, here in this moment of consciousness, around the fireside of the Dangerous Old Women.

I’m inviting you to open your eyes and your heart to your inner Oracle. Start this year with the intention of noticing and wondering. Of finding your message. At your easel. In your journal or a favorite book. In a dream. Even on a bumper sticker! Open yourself to the wisdom around you. And, if you feel led, share what you discover, here, in this circle. Your voice helps all of us on this journey!

Blessed be!!!

ps… you can reply, below. Or, email me at suesvoice@gmail.com

pps… have you ever imagined there could be a moment when all the wandering and learning and sorting and choosing and scaring yourself silly could come together with your Big Work? There can be and I can help! Details to follow… soon. Unless you’re really, really ready now! Just ask the calendar elves to hook you up with 45 min. My gift. You tell me where you are and what you hope for. I’ll share some possibilities. It really can be your moment!

True confession… unlike The West Wing, Madam Secretary, and all of Kathleen McGowan’s books, I haven’t quite memorized the Harry Potter adventures… yet!

I did have a recent encounter with the movie version of …Philosopher’s Stone on our flight home from California.

You know how you see and hear new things when you encounter familiar experiences at new points on your journey??? Well, this story is all about that!

So, while I was somewhere over some mountains, young Harry was heading off to Hogwarts. And, as you likely know, there were new student traditions involved. Much as I’d love to have a magic wand and a mail-owl, we’ll skip the shopping for now, and move along to the Sorting Hat ritual.

(In case you need a reminder, all the incoming wizard students have the mythic Sorting Hat placed on their heads and – with a bit of mumbo jumbo, and some shape shifting on the part of the hat – the student’s House assignment is announced. And yes, watching felt a lot like middle school!!)

Young Harry wound up in Gryffindor, with his new best buddies.

And I wound up in tears.

Really!

You see, I’ve been having an experience akin to the sorting hat in the portion of my actual world known as Musea. or, Intentional Creativity® if you prefer.

And, yes… another name for this Sorting Hat adventure is Filters!

You see, I’ve been journeying in the land of QUESTIONS. (I’ve always loved questions!)

One of my favorite questions ever has to do with the notion of calling, as in…

What do I feel called to do and be in this world, now?

Or, to put it a bit differently, what is my big work?

We’ll skip the way back stuff for now and begin this leg of the journey in September, as I set out with a bunch of paint spattered sisters on the Intentional Creativity® journey called Origins. A journey which has felt, for me, like a whole lot of trying on hats until the right one for this time, now, claimed me! The Guardian Hat.

Here’s what I see now… consciously.

The mantle of the Fiercely Compassionate Grandmothers has been passed to me by generation upon generation of ancestors and wisdom keepers. I receive it, as a Guardian, with huge gratitude and honor. And I dedicate myself to continue to express and expand the notion of Fierce Compassion, now – in this context – and into the future.

I will continue to notice and wonder. To weave new learning into the map of reality I claim.

I will find new ways to share the old stories which have been Hope on my path.

I will be one of those five people… listening to our Littles, taking them seriously, and not shaming or blaming them for their questions… for as many people as I am able.

I will invite others to join this crucial pathway of empowering grace and Intentional Creativity®. As many as I am able.

I began, as we all must, by being one of those five people for myself and I will proclaim that Good News all the days of my Earthly journey.

Curious??? Stay tuned! With huge encouragement from my SuperPower SelfPortrait®, we’re about to set out on the magical journey from…

If Only… to I Am!

It’s time!!!

ps… hats optional… and encouraged!

pps… ready??? I mean, now… on your timeline! My new signature journey, Oh, I see… Consciously! is available for a very few individual clients starting mid-January! Just ask the calendar elves to hook you and your questions up with 45 min. My gift!

Early on in my Intentional Creativity® journey, my Artisan painting – required for Color of Woman teacher training – hung a big left turn. At least that’s what it felt like to me!

She chose a quilt, rather than the suggested veil. Then, she insisted on words in those quilt pieces. Important words. Words I needed to hear myself claiming!

Then she started sending me dreams.

I had no context for such knowing. I only knew that I knew.

Or, rather, I only knew that I was willing to learn… to be changed, as an old Quaker saying goes.

The main character in the most surprising dream was a winged horse! And, as I’ve mentioned before, they didn’t cover astronomy in nursing school or seminary! Research was in order! Research which led me to Pegasus. And that led a puzzled but curious me to a story…

An old story which is both true and might actually have happened.

Once upon a time, two writers were talking together about the books they were working on.

One of them asked the other about his reference to winged horses.

The rather surprising answer went something like this: Jesus didn’t come to make people look nice and behave themselves.

Jesus came to make whole new creatures where once there were broken people.

This, many people believe, was a reference to the imagery in the biblical book, Revelation, of winged horses, like the mythical Pegasus.

Not well-trained regular horses, but whole new creatures!

And the legendary writers???

C.S. Lewis speaking with J.R.R. Tolkien. Really!!!

Which leads us to now. Nearly six years, countless paintings, and a whole lot of learning later. Not to mention some pretty major context shifts in the world many of us know! And a new ah-hah!

What if, maybe just maybe, spirituality is about becoming whole new creatures where once we were broken. Or lost. Or worn out trying to look nice and behave ourselves according to other people’s notions???

We are, after all, the only unique us. The only we that’s ever been. Because of dna, for sure. And also because of context!

Now, this next bit is likely to sound like a bit of a detour on the path… hang with me, please!

I have, indeed, been watching Madam Secretary some more. And, the more I watch, the more I am surprised by new things I notice.

One of them was a conversation about the Protestant Reformation! (Really!!!) Henry explains to Elizabeth that the Protestant Reformation happened, in large part, because of the invention of the printing press putting scripture in the hands of the people.

It was, of course, considerably more complicated than that but, in my opinion, Henry wasn’t wrong. People – even women! – able to read their holy books through their own filters and not just those of the priests and church hierarchy.

It was more complicated even than that, though. And it had a whole lot to do with power and who got to decide who got to decide what was true.

Which just might sound familiar to you in the context of this moment! At the very least, it feels familiar to me as I do some more IC® homework and mentally quilt together a notion of my big work.

For this moment, let’s just say that I’ve learned a whole lot of new things, in a whole new world, since I stacked up a big pile of diplomas in our basement!

It’s not that those things were wrong. Instead, they were, simply, not the only things that would ever be true!

And I can’t wait to tell you more! In fact, there’s a sneak preview coming up this week! Hint… a party will be involved! If you’re already on my mailing list, you’ll get your invitation on Friday. If you’re not on the list, today would be a great day to join! (Just click the regrettably annoying pop-up thingy at the top!)

ps… the party is FREE!

pps… there’s an amazing online art show and you’re invited! (I’m so thrilled to have 2 of my paintings included.) Come and be – as my kid used to say – “wonder-ed”!!! The opening is on Dec. 28th! https://intent2create.betterworld.org/events/cura-futura-museum-exhibit