Ever since a wicked case of writer’s block led me to art journaling (circa 2009), mixed media art has become my soft place to land, my best friend, my therapy, my vocation, and my fun, and in the years since I first discovered it, I’ve thought about and learned a lot about the “whys and ways” of my creative practice. 

Sometimes I want to express what’s on my heart or mind using words, so I’ve learned a ton of different ways to get my own words into my journals. 

Sometimes I want to document something so I’ll remember it later, so I’ve learned a variety of ways to do life documentation. 

Sometimes I’m reaching for connection with the divine as I understand it or with parts of myself that can only be revealed through colour and symbol, so I’ve learned how to paint intuitively, and sometimes devotionally. 

Sometimes I want to respond to something that inspired me, like something I saw or experienced or felt, so I’ve learned how to express things visually and symbolically. 

And sometimes, gloriously, I just want to play. 

Over these years since I started art journaling, I’ve grown to think of these “whys and ways” as “My Muses”, and now, the time has come for me to share these muses with you.

While my muses are inspired by the Greek mythological figures you may already be familiar with, we won’t be studying mythology in any formal way in this class. I’m much more interested in engaging with those figures as doorways into something much more immediate, personal, and alive. 

The Muses I Plan For Us To Meet Are: 

The Muse of Voice 
The Muse of Memory 
The Muse of Big Feelings 
The Muse of Quiet 
The Muse of Longing 
The Muse of Song 
The Muse of Movement 
The Muse of Play 
The Muse of Perspective

Each month in this course we’ll meet one of these Muses through a variety of experiences, but with our main lesson being the creation of an expressive portrait. 

Each painting we make will have its own palette, symbols, and atmosphere, and each month will have its own featured techniques, written musings, things to try, suggested resources, and more.  

Alongside the pre-recorded art lessons, you’ll be invited to gather with me live on Zoom (or on the replay) for a guided journey to meet each Muse before you dive into the lesson. These meditations are designed to introduce you not only to the Muse herself, but also to the part of you that already has access to her. 

By the end of our nine months together, my hope is that you’ll have experienced (and maybe even ENJOYED?!) making faces in a variety of ways, you’ll know your whys more intimately, you’ll find yourself less afraid of the blank page, and you’ll feel confident in your ability to translate what you want to express via mixed media art journaling. And because all of this work we’re going to do needs somewhere to live, we’ll begin by making a journal together.