Dear friends of Real Art, craft and the handmade,

image from @theastone's website

If you work with your hands-heart-passion-spirit-cosmos, you might love to join us on our weekly meet-ups - see the bottom of this post for links. You are warmly welcomed!

all art in this post by myself Clare. Gaia Sophia

We've been meeting online for a couple of years now, and it has proved invaluable for all of our practises - in all stages of our creative development. The space is open in the largest sense of the word: open-minded, open arms, open-hearted, open-spirited... an authentic space in which to be both vulnerable and wild, free and expressive, no matter what we're struggling with or how we're feeling.

all art in this post by myself Clare. Gaia Sophia

We particularly enjoy delving deep into our unique practises and challenges - places where we might feel stuck or too timid to move forward - and disentangling what needs attention. Many of us, over these years, have felt significant Eurika moments!

all art in this post by myself Clare. Gaia Sophia

With the state of the world, the massive upheavals that many of us are experiencing (or about to experience!), the high level of anxiety and isolation that many of us are feeling as creatives trying to just survive peacefully and sovereignly - the closeness of a long-term meet-up like this in invaluable.

all art in this post by myself Clare. Gaia Sophia

With the insanity of what is being churned out on conventional social medias as 'creativity' - raging torrents of titillating imagery of all kinds, speeded-up videos of crafts that should be taking hours, fancy tricks and visual glamours... being witnessed as a creator of meaningful work can seem impossible.
Being encouraged by positive minded folks who really see us, is vital to our holistic wellbeing as creative folk.

all art in this post by myself Clare. Gaia Sophia

I had a very solitary practise for most of my colourful career, but the past few years have been truly anguishing in how I've been pushed from way out on the edges of society, into the wilderness on my own. Though I am very good at thriving with little or no resources, the past years have been oltra - beyond the pale.

all art in this post by myself Clare. Gaia Sophia

Trying to stay connected with community has been at times incredibly painful, as the contraction of the collective psyche leaves little room for deeper questioning, real sharing, open-ended possibility, freedom and flow; all the things that are core to a healthy Life! Never mind the controversy and censorship of the human body - THE core image as magical metaphor of our human experience!!

Until we bring Real Art. back into the heart of the community and hearth of our homes, meeting like this can at least keep us all a wee bit more enthused and inspired, calmed and insulated....

For more info and the intro video, see this page of Thea's website. And do tag friends here, who might be interested!

We also run a Signal App group for the Sessions, in which we share imagery or useful links to what we're working on and discussing.

LOve!