I just returned from the most amazing trip!! I spent a week in Scottsdale, AZ for the Traveling Art of Sisterhood retreat and it was phenomenal!!
From the time I began to experiment with art, I found it to be a means of healing for me. I enjoy making beautiful art and using my creativity, but more than that, to me, art is a form of therapy. It has brought me so much healing!
Last year, after I taught in the first Traveling Art of Sisterhood Retreat, I realized that though I thoroughly enjoy teaching art, my true calling is to facilitate healing through art.
So for my class this year, I chose to act as an Expressive Arts Facilitator, rather than an art instructor (just as I did last year too.)
My class was about healing our wounds from the past; about the importance of sharing our stories in an empowering way; and about finding the gifts our wounds left us.
I led the group through a guided mediation for relaxation and positive energy. We did some affirmations. We set intentions. We wrote about a wound we are ready to heal. And then students created art based on their wound.
There was music, tears, laughter, hugs, love, and support. There were stories shared and meaningful connections made. It was a very powerful experience for many, myself included.
For me, this retreat is so much bigger and deeper than art. It’s a celebration of friendship and connection with women!
I’m so grateful to Kara Bullock for inviting me back; grateful for the experience; and honored to be a part of the journey.
I’m especially grateful for the students who took part in my lesson and trusted me with their stories. Your story matters!!
I have tons of photos but just sharing some highlights. It was AMAZING!!!
The thought of teaching a lesson in person for the first time made my hands shake and my stomach turn. I gave myself huge anxiety just thinking about it. But then, when the day came (11/11 – an angel number and divine sign!), these 25 beautiful women trusted me and allowed me to be my authentic self in my perfectly imperfect way. They made me feel safe, without judgement. We cried; we laughed; we hugged; we shared; we connected; we “sister’d”.
Courage & Art by Jackie Barragan 