A Guest Post by M. Lucia Phillips

I wanted to give space and thanks to friend and teacher of mine M. Lucia Phillips who will be teaching another set of classes soon. For any Ojai area artists out there who have ever felt a bit stuck or too comfortable in a groove that may feel like a rut. Or if you just have that urge to challenge your boundaries or play I highly recommend these classes. Not sure? Sit in on her first free introductory session. To see more of the work I did in Maria Lucia's class click on the "Art and Thought Lab" link at the bottom of this post. (M. Lucia is the one on the left) in the middle is a piece I did for class. And the cutie is Iris Williams' niece.

Finding the Hero Within

By M. Lucia Phillips

   The Hero Journey begins in a dark and warm cocoon – A place of incubation, as if we are an idea taking shape, becoming flesh.

   When we leave the cocoon for a much larger world, full of light and senses never before imagined, breathe is the first thing we do in communion with all mortals on planet Earth. – Life is a web of relationships.

   In this journey we are the heroes at the “center” of the universe, from where we have our worldview shaped. From there we weave our stories and are woven by our interconnectedness with others in the river of life – In truth we are the river ourselves.

   Life and Art are being crafted right now and shaped by how we respond to those external and internal challenges of ours. Are we transforming those challenges and limitations in raw material for our next creative work, be it a book, a painting, a play, a movie, a dance, a song, a project, or a relationship?

   Each one of us is in a certain point of this unfolding journey. We can be slaying or embracing the fifth dragon of our lives, saving the tenth princess, or lost again for the hundredth time, it doesn’t matter. It is always the right time to explore the boundaries of our creative potential, embracing our inner demons and transforming them into our allies.

   Art is always personal, always flesh-and-blood. It is all about conflicts, struggles, victories, losses, love or lack of it, frustrations, shame, numbness, faith, solitude, anger, expectations, dreams, courage, desire, fear, all of the above and more.

   It is all about what we truly embrace in grace or in pain throughout our lives and dare to express in some form – It is contemplating our history in the world that we create our own stories.

   The Art & Thought Lab Creativity Boot Camp is inspired by this journey, and designed to find, release and transform one’s resistance into creative material.

   The Art & Thought Lab is not for the feint of the heart. It is a place of surrender – an art playground, with no 'adult supervision', reserved for playing with the unthinkable, nonsensical, where you are the marble, the sculptress and the sculpture at the same time.

  

September 4^TH, you are invited from 6 to 8 pm to participate in a free Art & Thought Lab session designed to inform and explore your own potential through unique art exercise.  

Limited space, please reserve your seat at 805 6465581 ext.390 at  Ojai Recreation Department, 510 Park Road, Ojai - m.luciaphillips@yahoo.com 

                                         

M. Lucia is a local artist and creativity guide born in Rio among storytellers and artists.                                      If you desire to explore your creative potential M. Lucia art labs are for you.