Confession time.
I have a creative muse crush.
True story.
It all started when my mom came to visit back in July.
Mom and I got all crafty in my craft room.
I dug out the few Lifebook 2013 projects I wanted to work on.
One of them caught my eye.
"Artful Shamanism" with Effy Wild.
She takes you on a meditative journey and then you create your vision as a mixed media project.
Her's was a willow tree.
Some back story - I've never been able to draw.
Or rather - I've never really tried.
I've drawn one thing in my whole life and it was a funky witch
that I drew in 3rd grade.
It actually won 3rd place in some contest.
that I drew in 3rd grade.
It actually won 3rd place in some contest.
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| My 3rd Grade Witch Drawing |
I have always carried with me the limiting belief that
"I can't draw."
I have also been known to say
"Drawing? Oh, no. I can't. My brother, Lucas draws.
He got all of the drawing genes.
I make jewelry and candles."
Part of the reason I took Lifebook, a year long mixed media course, was to dabble with drawing.
I hadn't drawn shit all year.
So - back to "Artful Shamanism" with Effy Wild -
I looked at her project and I thought,
"I can do that. I'm going to draw a tree."
And sure enough.
I did.
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| "I am The Abundance Queen" mixed media by me, Amy Riddle |
I drew an abundance tree...
I was so happy that I drew and painted a tree!
I went on to draw another tree for the
"Artful Shamanism" project.
This is my tree of no shame.
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| Lifebook 2013 Artful Shamanism with Effy Wild |
I was delighted. I drew another tree.
Who is this Effy Wild woman
that is inspiring drawing power?
that is inspiring drawing power?
I love to research, so I started looking her up.
I checked out her website, read up on her, and
she led me to an incredible art journaling book called,
"Inner Excavations" by Liz Lamoreux.
Not only was Effy reading the book,
but having an entire Excavate-Along.
As you read the book and do the journaling exercises, you can see what Effy has done.
Plus the author also posted a whole Excavate-Along with her.
I love this!
I love to work on projects with people.
It's inspiring for me to see what others are doing.
It gets me thinking and even more inspired.
I, of course, bought the book
and started my very own Inner Excavation.
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| The cover of my Inner Excavation Art Journal |
While I was inner excavating, I noticed Effy was
planning a blogalong,
planning a blogalong,
Thirty Posts in Thirty Days.
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| Effy Wild's Blogalong |
Well - I signed up.
I used to blog 3-5 times a week until April when I moved.
Everything stops when you move.
It was taking me forever to get back into the blogging habit.
What a perfect opportunity to get me back on the blogging train.
So, through Effy's inspiration -
I can now draw a tree, I am art journaling on a deeper level, I am blogging every single day for the blogalong -
but wait -
there's more!
More?
Yes. More.
Another Lifebook project with Effy.
Fantastic.
I did this project a bit different than the directions.
The directions called for you to
find a more emphatic way to talk to yourself.
I spend a lot of time doing that already.
I do morning pages, meditate, recite affirmations -
I'm always working on me.
I wanted to work on a different aspect of me.
The first thing I did was write a letter to all of the "boyfriends" I've ever been involved with, thanking all of them for joining me on my heart's journey.
Without those experiences, I wouldn't be who I am today.
Without those experiences, I wouldn't have my fantastic relationship with Chris.
It felt so cathartic painting over all of their names,
letting it all go.
letting it all go.
It felt so cathartic drawing a heart, complete and whole.
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| LifeBook 2013 Heart Sight with Effy Wild |
Thank you Effy for inspiring me on many levels.
Thank you for encouraging me to dig deeper into my core being.
Thank you for the continued inspiration of writing, drawing, creating, and being authentic.
You rock Effy Wild.
~Amy
The Magick Muse
Amy Riddle is an empowerment coach, crafter of sorts, writer,
herbalist, reverend, and all out muse.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Alternative Medicine with an emphasis on herbs.
herbalist, reverend, and all out muse.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Alternative Medicine with an emphasis on herbs.
She is a certified professional life coach with the Life Coach Institute of Orange County.
Amy craves to inspire others to be healthy and whole in body, mind, and spirit.
She has an affinity for striped socks, stinging nettle, and all things faery.
