Category: Red Madonna

#Magic!Art JourneyContemplationsGrandmothersRed Madonna

When a statue goes rogue!

Posted on by sue boardman

She’s one of my favorites. A reproduction of a mother and child statue who followed me home one day, ages ago. After a good bit more learning, I’d guess an intentional Madonna with child. Likely with Italian influence. Very comforting. Usually!

On Saturday, she ventured into the realm of dangerous! I’d gone to get a book off the shelf and the little plastic leveling gizmo under one side of her base had apparently slipped out of place, because she fell off the bench and squarely onto two of my toes!

Owwwwwwwww!!!

Can’t tell yet if either of them are broken. Purple. Skin missing. You know… And what I know is that the plan for broken toes, unless they have exposed bones, is mostly waiting for them to heal.

Think my statue friends will need a new place of honor!

I meant to be painting just now, but feet elevated is wiser, so… writing. This. The next bit of my book, which is making huge progress. And, in just a few minutes, a bowl of soup. The homemade kind. Comfort is absolutely in order!

Here’s the fun part…

I’m doing the foot-up thing surrounded by paintings. Glinda, for the upcoming book cover. Lily Rose, who has a cover of her own in the works. Matilda and Aslan, supervising in their warrior archetype way, from up near the ceiling. And, my current #wip who made it in here before the toe mishap, so that she could tell me what comes next.

It’s kind of odd, painting inner me, when the outer painting looks totally different than I ever have! The cool thing is that she has a lot to teach. A lot of awareness doors to nudge open. Here’s a peek…

Her heart appeared Friday night. A friend inquired about the green color, asking, “Jealous???” Blessedly, no. That’s green, as in heart chakra and Compassion! And, yes, I was thrilled when she insisted!

For now, though, we wait. I’m guessing prayer dot hair. More detail work on her hands. Whatever it takes, actually, to do as I have promised and, “Just tell the story!”

If we’re being real, I never imagined, when Walter Brueggemann was thundering those directions from the front of the classroom, that I’d have to work as hard to stay on the road as this world is requiring, in this moment. And I’m more and more grateful for all that I have learned and am learning, still.

What I do know is this… those of us who try to walk the Way of Love have no time for silence! Blessedly, there are many ways for us to be heard…

What is one of YOUR ways???

Really! Glinda and I would love to hear! Just leave a comment, below, or email me if you’d rather. suesvoice@gmail.com

ps… there is more magic about to begin, and YOU are invited to join us for one of the most transformative journeys I’ve ever experienced… It’s time for Red Madonna to begin again. The newest iteration of a precious Intentional Creativity® adventure! This will be my 8th year and I’m so ready for the deep dive in this moment! Welcoming community. Learning. Creating. Growing. Even now!!! Just click the link to read all about Red Madonna Sisterhood: Womb of Living Waters… a 13 Moon Painting & Initiation Journey into the Primordial Waters of the Divine Feminine. REGISTRATION IS OPEN!!! https://musea.org/red-madonna-womb-of-living-waters  If there is an answer to “What the world needs now” it’s likely to be pretty close to this adventure!

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Blogs and Books and Bears, oh my!

Posted on by sue boardman

If you feel like there’s an awful lot going on in the world just now, I’d agree. Emphatically! So would my dream friends! And I’m so grateful for the “team” that literally helps me sort things and make choices.

Once upon a time, several years ago, I was sitting in a Zoom meeting with some new friends. One of our leaders was an Indigenous woman named Maria. The first thing she said to me was, “You’re Bear Clan!” And a whole new world of perception and legend and story opened within me!

There wasn’t time in that moment, but research was definitely in order. (It’s what I do!) Here’s a bit of what I learned…

Bear Spirit Animals carry energy of physical strength, emotional grounding, and courage to stand up against adversity. Those who relate to Bears as guides often have the energy of protectors and medicine people. And Bears remind us that we need rest!

No wonder they are chatting me up in this moment!

You see, I’m in the midst of a very active creative cycle and am dedicated to staying on that road, even in the midst of all the chaos in the world. I’m starting, today, with some intentional modeling!

I turned off the news. (Gulp!)

I made space in my schedule for a conversation with a guy who knows more than I do about some of the weird neuro stuff going on in my world.

And, I have a new flavor of cacao to experience, probably just after that conversation.

In the meantime, painting. I Am Legend told me about her face!

Mostly, though, I’m consciously partnering with my friends in the photo to remind me, as often as I need to hear it, of who I am and why it matters. (Daphne’s t-shirt helps, too!)

And, I’m inviting you to join me, in your own way!

Turn off what’s not helping. Make some conscious space for something that matters, even if it’s “just” a few minutes of Joan Baez and a cuppa.

Let your fingers do some wandering and explore Spirit Animals, intentionally, if you’re curious. (It’s a #Filters thing!)

BE your work-in-progress on this Wednesday!

ps… Ready for the deep dive? Just click the link to read all about Red Madonna Sisterhood: Womb of Living Waters… a 13 Moon Painting & Initiation Journey into the Primordial Waters of the Divine Feminine. REGISTRATION IS OPEN!!! https://musea.org/red-madonna-womb-of-living-waters If there is an answer to “What the world needs now” it’s likely to be pretty close to this adventure!

Art JourneyContemplationsRed Madonna

This is me… being very, very brave!

Posted on by sue boardman

Brave, as in showing up in my un-polished, imperfect, not at all finished state. In public! (Well, sort of in public. If you’re reading this it’s likely we’ve known each other for a bit.)

Let’s start with my #work-in-progress Wednesday offering. The one who has christened herself #I Am Legend and announced that she is me!

I suspect one of the things she and I have in common is a tendency toward vivid dreams and flashes of new inspiration! Even the kind that involve – you know – changes!!!

We also love inviting people on new adventures! People just like you!!! People who aren’t sure they have time. Or who aren’t convinced they’re artistic. Even people who’ve never painted anything but walls with rollers!!!

Here’s the thing… I spent some time today in a planning meeting for our upcoming adventures in the land called Red Madonna. It’s an ancient land – well, ancient as on-line paint offerings go! We’ve been planning for a while now, and it feels really timely and empowering. I’d even go so far – after about 7 years of experience journeying in this land – as to say healing!

I’m so hoping you’ll fix yourself a cuppa and just imagine in to the details that follow. And, there are choices!!! A mini-retreat on Friday, July 3. (Yep… this week!!!) Community. Conversation. Some watercolor play. And the chance to lay down some of what might be holding you back! (And it’s our gift to you!) 

***Come Home to the Waters: A Mini-Retreat to Connect With the Living Waters of Your Life. This adventure is offered by the Red Madonna team for each of us to touch into our sacred flow and experience a taste of our year-long Red Madonna 2026. It’s happening Friday July 3, 2026. Enroll in Come Home to the Waters Now!

Then, all the info on our year-long journey. We begin as August begins, so you’ll have time to get ready. Community. Creativity. Healing perspectives.

***Ready for the deep dive? Just click the link to read all about Red Madonna Sisterhood: Womb of Living Waters… a 13 Moon Painting & Initiation Journey into the Primordial Waters of the Divine Feminine. REGISTRATION IS OPEN!!! https://musea.org/red-madonna-womb-of-living-waters

I’ve spent a whole lot of years helping people find hope and healing. Nurse. Pastoral Counselor. Hypnotherapy. NLP. Teacher. Coach. I’ve got a Medicine Basket full of spiffy tools. And THIS is where I go to curl up, breathe deep, and let myself heal. Really!

All you need to do is label that kind of tingly, fluttery thing you’re feeling as excitement and click the links!

We’ll be thrilled to have you with us!

ps… here’s my #Mother Nature painting from our just completed Red Madonna adventure, just in case she’s more encouraging than the one above!!! (She’s already claimed her place in an up-coming book!) And I’m supposed to tell you that there will be water as we go along, too!

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If you keep doin’ what you’ve been doin’…

Posted on by sue boardman

You probably know the rest… you keep gettin’ what you got! There are lots of versions of this quote, and lots of attributions. I’m going with this version because I grew up in the South so I’m used to those missing g’s. And I’m fine with letting Henry Ford have the credit for the team.

And, yes… I’ve been watching a lot of news and most of what I got was anxious headaches! So, I decided to try something different! Joan Baez and The West Wing, for sure. Season 7, episode 17 was especially helpful today. A reminder that things can change, even when the journey feels scary.

I’ve also been getting increasingly intentional about what’s going on in our house. Too much adding. Not enough subtracting. And, if we’re being honest, not enough emotional energy these days. Much of that, I’m pretty sure, has to do with lots of the news.

So, when all the paintings started quoting Feng Shui books in my sleep and asking for new wall space, I decided to listen! So far, so good, if you don’t mind the sore muscles. I’ll keep you posted!

Also, a bit of a twist to my Solstice ritual of exploring cacao. A bit more stuff in the cup. A bit more intention in the sipping. Claiming the magic, you might say!

All this amidst lots of painting!

None of the new kids are feeling camera ready just yet. I am permitted to say that, all in all, it’s helping! Our friend, up top, is an old friend who’s determined to spread the light. Her name is Grandmother Moon.

Then there’s this more recent buddy, known as Empowering Venus… a Temple Painting, from 2024. She’s chosen her new real estate! Let’s just say she likes showers, too… Give yourself a sec to notice her hippo buddy, inspired by a real tree in my ‘hood! She wants you to know that hippo spirit animals are known for grounded strength, emotional depth, and fierce boundaries!

All I know for sure is that doors are opening within me and I’m staying on the path! One step at a time!!!

ps… huge thanks to the Legendary Husband who’s really patient and good at the hammering, and such.

pps… there’s still time to check out all the new things for the utterly amazing art journey known as #Red Madonna! It’s a whole lot like Feng Shui for the spirit! And, it’s a fabulous way to experience Venus-like qualities like love, beauty, desire, and the divine feminine! If you’re feeling the urge to connect, cooperate, and seek common ground, check out our our offerings, created with YOU in mind!

Ready for a deep dive? Just click the link to read all about Red Madonna Sisterhood: Womb of Living Waters… a 13 Moon Painting & Initiation Journey into the Primordial Waters of the Divine Feminine. REGISTRATION IS OPEN!!! https://musea.org/red-madonna-womb-of-living-waters

We even have a free way to dip your toes in – Come Home to the Waters: A Mini-Retreat to Connect With the Living Waters of Your Life. This adventure is offered by the Red Madonna team for each of us to touch into our sacred flow and experience a taste of our year-long Red Madonna 2026. It’s happening Friday July 3, 2026. Enroll in Come Home to the Waters Now!

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My Name is Sue & I am a Perfectionist!

Posted on by sue boardman

Well, not about everything… just about more things than I can manage these days! And, I’ve made a big decision… I’ve decided that the whole perfectionism thing doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing. Instead, I can choose!

Yep… when and where are my perfectionist tendencies actually helpful? And when might they (gasp!) be holding me back???

Here’s a mini- glimpse of the #wip painting, above. In case you missed this bit of news, Madam #Threshold announced recently that she is me! A self-portrait of sorts. We’re still working, she and I, and I keep noticing the “yeah, but” vibes!

Progress! Yeah, but… her eyebrows and lashes don’t match. (And, they don’t!) Here’s something else that’s true, though…

She’s going to have a whole lot of hair hanging in her face, soon. So I’m intentionally choosing to be okay with the mismatched eyebrows because they won’t show and nobody who gets it would care, anyway! This choice, by the way, gives my cranky right thumb, wrist, and shoulder lots more painting time for things that will show! More writing/typing time! Even more very soothing cacao cup holding time!

And, no… that’s not the way I first learned it!

In many ways, I grew up in Leave It to Beaver land! Suburbs. Stay at home mom. Dog buddies. Good teachers – except third grade! And the message I absorbed was that my being as close as possible to perfect helped Mom feel like she was doing it right.

There was also some very un-Leave It to Beaver stuff but we didn’t talk about that!

By the time my own son came along, Leave It to Beaver was pretty much out of the picture. Literally and figuratively! Those were really hard years and there were many days when I felt like we weren’t going to make it. But, we did!

I kept learning. Greek and Hebrew pretty much cured me of thinking academic perfection was possible, but the old shoulds and oughts remained.

One of the best things I’ve learned in the land of Intentional Creativity® is that layers are helpful! In fact, instead of just covering up mistakes, they make the eventual outcome feel deeper and richer! How totally cool is that???

For this moment, I am choosing to let my inner Perfectionist show up to vote, understanding that we can’t control outcomes, but we can make sure we get heard. (Well, mostly sure!) She also gets to absolutely forbid toxic crud in the garden. We are team pollinators, all the way! And, yes, I checked to be sure that got spelled right, which reminds me that my voice counts more around here than the auto-grammar police, even when I miss one now and then.

And, I’d love to hear what examples are bubbling in you as you read along! You can leave a comment, below. Or email me… suesvoice@gmail.com

We have had the magic all along! We just need to claim it and set it free!!! One way to do that is to check out our upcoming journey with #Red Madonna! I am so honored and thrilled to be among this amazing team of open-hearted, paint-spattered women asking huge questions!

New? Curious??? First, we have a free way to dip your toes in –  Come Home to the Waters: A Mini-Retreat to Connect With the Living Waters of Your Life. This adventure is offered by the Red Madonna team for each of us to touch into our sacred flow and experience a taste of our year-long Red Madonna 2026. It’s happening Friday July 3, 2026. Enroll in Come Home to the Waters Now!

Then, the deep dive! Just click the link to read all about Red Madonna Sisterhood: Womb of Living Waters… a 13 Moon Painting & Initiation Journey into the Primordial Waters of the Divine Feminine. REGISTRATION IS OPEN!!!  https://musea.org/red-madonna-womb-of-living-waters

ps… it is, indeed, entirely possible to do both!!! In fact, we’d be delighted!!!

pps… It’s me, Glinda. Sue wanted me to tell you that she got two new stories for our upcoming book done today. Stay tuned!!!