Week 7’s Secret from the 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women by Gail McMeekin is consulting with guides. In our creative process, we are not alone. We have creative cohorts who inspire and support us. These may be people that influenced us when we were younger, like family members or teachers. They could be current people in your life, like friends, partners, coaches and mentors. Or they could be people you don’t even know but admire from afar.
I’ve been fortunate to have so many supportive people in my life. From my high school speech coach who encouraged me to “be big,” to my creative blogging circle of friends who I’ve been connecting with every other week.
I created a visual map to pay homage to my guides – past, present and future. There are so many people who inspire me that I didn’t finish including all the names, groups, books and experiences that have been important in my life to date. I look forward to continuing to add on to this piece and summoning the wisdom of this circle of support.
How do you acknowledge and tap into the insights and inspiration of your guides?
Dear Jennifer,
Since entering my thirties, my primary guides have been the women from my maternal lineage. By speaking to my maternal grandmother, I have been able to come to know her grandmother and learn how their struggles enabled me to have the creative lifestyle I now live daily. I have a voice because they enabled me to have one through their own silence throughout their lives, so I acknowledge them by writing about them and letting them have their say once and for all. Thank you for asking and I love your vision board idea: I even made a miniature one for myself yesterday after reading your Artizen site!
Oh! I love the Tree of Guides! How incredibly creative and enchanting 🙂
Oh, I just love your visual interpretation of honoring your guides. Just gorgeous!!
Jen,
I love your “Guide Tree” and I think I see Frida Kahlo on there too?
What does a high school speech coach do? Sounds like an amazing offering for a high school!
I just posted about this topic also, but from a bit of a different angle (spirit guides!)
Kathy C.
http://soulreaderblog.blogspot.com/2009/03/secret-6-consulting-guides.html
Well, if that IS Frida Kahlo, we have a guide in common…something about her wild spirit. I love this topic, Jenn. I have, what I lovingly refer to as an, entourage of guides and I gather them and thank them every evening before drifting off to sleep. I count a number of animals as my guides both in spirit and as messengers in my daily life. I acknowledge them by paying attention! I also have a list of more tangible guides that I call creative mentors, like Frida Kahlo, Maya Angelou, Joni Mitchell, Joseph Cornell, Oriah Mountain Dreamer, David Whyte, Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell and just about any amazing modern dancer because of their grace, power, beauty, flexibility and balance. Each appeals to me from a different body, mind, spirit or heart lens.