Fresh Starts

TIP OF THE MONTH

September feels like a fresh start to me. The schools starting up again. . .new courses. . .things to learn. . . to experience. . . and. . . as my birthday month, it automatically feels like a fresh start. It feels like a true new year. 

This September has an extra spirit in my feelings as I celebrate 10 years since I have been running Atelier Molenpad. The classes, workshops, retreats, team offsite and this year the addition of Kidzartlab. When I reflect looking back over the 10 years I see grand shifts. Shifts that have also shaped activities here at the studio.

The shifts moved from 7 month courses that took place weekly to monthly. Full week painting retreats to immerse in this practice of intuitive painting. Teams communicating on another level together by painting and sharing personal information with each other. As a matter of fact, I see a large shift in teams. I have witnessed the opening to express, be and capacity to share with each other as being impressive. With the Kidzartlab it is fun to see the kids explore all the materials and connect with them. It is also fun to see how the parents are getting their hands involved in the creation as their child asks for some assistance in making a dinosaur and such.

In the spirit of fresh starts, as I do to welcome the new year, I feel into 3 keywords that are most relative moving forward. I have discovered these words as Simplicity, Authenticity and Light.

Simplicity has to do with the idea that less is more. .. organizing. . .and passing on things that I don’t need anymore. This is of course on all levels. . . not just the physical level of clearing clutter. For those of you who know me so well, can get a good grin out of this one. . .and especially now with kids. . .I have much to do in this area of simplicity. It’s a tough one for me. . .and I’m going for it! I am discovering in doing this that the most important element here is intact in making the decisions of keep or discard. Yes the spirit of Marie Kondo will be holding my hand on this one!

Authenticity, for me, has to do with the studio being a safe space. A place where all who come to this space can be themselves and feel encouraged to express to have fun. Connecting to roots, respecting ourself, to let our inner child be heard. It also speaks to the historic element of the studio. . .the fact that it has been an intuitive painting center since 1975. Getting back to basic grounding materials, like wood, makes this space feel as if we are in the middel of the woods. . .while being in the heart of the city. Overhead we hear the rain sprinkling on the skylights above our heads. Authenticity is something that welcomes upgrades, movement and is far from being dogmatic. 

Light for me is about continuous energy flow. It is at the core of expression. It is about our own inner light able to shine. It is also about choosing the intensity of light at any given moment. So we speak about light management to not over expose areas of ourselves or others. It has the physical side of something being light in that it is the opposite of heaviness. In the studio, I desire the space to feel lighter. This will involve a lot of decluttering and some painting.

Simplicity, Authenticity and Light are being fused in the studio for this fresh start. So, we are busy these weeks with a fresh coat of paint here and there. In this process I am noticing te sacrilegious feelings of painting the boards that we paint on. Words like permission and regret pop up their heads. Are the boards still authentic when they are painted over?  In turn I am discovering how much these boards are like our lives in regards to feeling permission to update our lives. That we can stay authentic and updated at the same time.

Again painting is a metaphor for our lives. . .yes we can literally send things to the background by a technique called glazing. In fact we often use this techniques on paintings in the studio and now this technique is being used to simplify the whole space. . .to create a fresh coat for new beginnings.

It is feeling great! See where you can add a fresh coat of paint in your space.

x Daniella

Do give the tip of this month a go, at the end of this newsletter. Feel free to contact me to explore your next chapter together, regardless of location. Skype, Whattsap Video, Zoom and Facetime at our fingertips, locations know no boundaries!

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