Wordless Poems and Image Stories

 As I have shared before, creative energy is the primary tool I use in my shadow/personal growth work and is foundational to the Intentional Arts process I teach.  This choice was born out of a spontaneous encounter I have shared before so I'll just briefly recap it here...

One night in 1991 I was awakened in the middle of the night and drawn to the art studio in our home. Something beyond my normal waking self guided me, and the painting that would emerge over the next several hours.  I was as much a spectator of the process as if someone else held the brush. Eventually the energy withdrew and I discovered that hours had flown like minutes.  As I stared at the piece that had been painted, I had an experience I did not know existed.  A type of information download occurred resulting in an expansion of consciousness that was palpable, profound and deeply personal.  Waves of emotion moved me through tears and joy as a type of uncommon healing permeated my heart and mind.  My counseling background gave me a great foundation for understanding the profoundly healing nature of this experience, so I dove deeper into understanding and nurturing this creative healing process.  I have practiced and shared it ever since.  

I found that when I focused deeply on anything I wanted to understand, eventually that understanding would emerge through creative energy.  I began to be intuitively informed that all energy is creative energy.  Artwork was in many ways like a dream portal for symbolic imagery and communication, only I didn't have to be asleep for the messages to filter through.  Another plus was the informational 'downloads' that accompanied these experiences.  Unlike a dream, it was always clear what the creative experience came to convey. Blocks of information came into my mind that awakened and enlivened me in ways it is impossible to imagine apart from the experience itself.  This was powerful because I had tapped into a type of communication that came directly through me, about me, without any sort of middleman, therefore I could completely trust the information I got.  

As the years went on I began to create this way without posing questions.   I began to invite this energy to simply 'be' with me and teach me what it wanted to teach me.  It can sound crazy and certainly esoteric but I knew this was a spiritual experience; a sacred communication. Eventually, and for the last two decades, broader messages with more universal meanings emerged.  I still created some pieces just for the fun of it, but even then an open line of communication was always present.  Creativity is a very meditative process and in that relaxed, receptive state, if one opens to it, communication flows effortlessly between ones higher and lower mind.  Yes, I had a spontaneous awakening to this reality but it is easily learned and applied.

A few years ago I was inspired to create balanced totem like paintings built around a central core or 'spine'.  Eventually I developed a blind print process that allowed for the manipulation of media to create very intricate shapes and forms along a central line. Using a variety of media I further defined each painting until an image-story that spoke to me emerged.  These were to me, wordless poems or image stories awaiting the teller.  As I first began sharing them, I noticed that different people discovered different imagery within the same painting.  This fascinated me even further and I was compelled to keep creating this wonderful pieces.

I was guided to understand that the 'spine' in the paintings mirrored the function of the human spine in communications between our own higher and lower mind.  From the crown of our head to the root of our spine light engages and in-forms buried or hidden aspects, coaxing them into awareness.  As an energy worker (reiki master/teacher) this made perfect sense to me, and the artwork captivated me in new ways.

Over the last three years a series has emerged with pieces ranging in size from 16"x20" and 11"x14"works on canvas, to smaller works on heavy card stock that range in size from 8"x10" to 4"x6", and tiny 1"-2" miniatures on bamboo paper. While I intuitively understood the meaning of the work on a personal level, I have been guided to understand that the size variations as well as the imagery itself is part of the overall message.  This is because the entire series of paintings tell the story of transmutation; bringing our shadow aspects into the Light of conscious awareness/awakening/expansion and healing. It is important to understand that I did not know this fully throughout the three years I spent creating these works.  Much of the understanding of the overall message came through as the miniature series began to grow.

I was shown that the larger paintings, with less hidden imagery, represent individuals that have done much introspective work and have little left to clear.  These paintings read much the same from a distance as they do up close.  Many of them are reflective of freedom or beauty and simply encourage positive states of being such as soaring or serenity. Some individuals have more deeply buried aspects that need to be coaxed into the light of awareness by peering deeply within.  These pieces read very differently from a distance as they do up close.  Frightening or whimsical faces recede and emerge as the viewer explores these smaller paintings up close. Lastly there are those individuals that have turned away from the light for so long they need a magnifying glass to see even one tiny shadow aspects hiding from the light of their conscious awareness.  The miniature paintings speak to this, and a magnifying glass is provided for viewing the tiny hidden aspects within each miniature piece.

Together this series and my story about the evolution of this intuitive process I call Intentional Arts make up the foundation of my One Woman Show (and tell).  Included are other art forms from sculpture to textile pieces just to demonstrate that any exercise in creativity can be a vehicle for connecting with our higher mind/guidance.  I'll share more about that in future posts. Until then I encourage you to think differently about your creative energy.  Use it to ponder the deeper questions of your soul.  Ask about the meaning of life and let go of any answer you already have.  Because even if you do have an answer, just letting go of it will open a door through which more revelation than you can imagine will flow through. 

• Albums of this series can be viewed by clicking on the PHOTOS link and then the ALBUM link on my Intentional Arts Facebook page.  Information about the Intentional Arts process and my One Woman Show (and tell) can be found at my website, http://susanlewisstorey.com

The Shadow and Ascension

As individuals we are a microcosmic reflection of the universal/cosmic macrocosm.  The energy (thoughts, beliefs, fears) we must embrace and transcend/transmute are reflections of the very energy the universe/cosmos must also embrace, transcend/transmute.  The difference is the universe/cosmos is fully aware of this process and many of us are blind to it.  Though we are in the midst of it, though it is taking place all around us and within us, if we are aware of it at all we are primarily projecting it outward; projecting it as something to be feared or embraced, dreaded or excited about.

There is a lot of talk these days around the subject of ascension.  Charged with words like "the rapture", "the second coming", "the ascension", "4th/5th dimensional shift", many weigh in on this topic from varying perspectives.  The terms used depend upon which 'camp' you listen to.  There are those in the middle who are so busy with the busy-ness of life that they aren't listening to anyone and this topic holds absolutely no meaning at all.  This shift, regardless of 'belief in it' or 'recognition of it', is happening to us all. On universal, global and personal levels changes are taking place. For most individuals this is happening primarily on an unconscious level.

Personal 'awakening' is not an event!  This is a process and, in many ways, it has been going on for eons and you couldn't miss it if you tried.  It is taking place in each and everyone of us and awareness is the key to a gentler ride.  Universally, yes, an energetic shift like none we have witnessed in our lifetimes is upon us.  We are in a transformational aspect of the process that will astound our world as these shifts play out in our third dimensional perspectives.  But the good news is everyone is coming along for the ride.  As a student of these energies and aspects who consciously works directly with the enlightenment process, I continually bring an unconscious level of awareness into the light of my own mind.  I continually shift and ascend.  It is my work, and for thirty years I have had the good fortune of having this conscious process as a full time job.  I absolutely love it!  And I am grateful to the shadow aspects that introduced me to it and continue to facilitate my ascension process.

That's right, the shadow is there to escort you into the ascension of your very soul!  Bringing the shadow into light is the most rewarding and exciting work I could ever imagine doing.  I share this to encourage those of you frightened or confused by the talk of ascension, and later the reality of it you find in your midst, to stop, take a breath and move into your center; your heart-space. Peace awaits you, eager to help you embrace those shadow aspects holding the very energy you need to transcend.  That's all personal ascension is!  A tiny piece of fear floating to the surface of your awareness to be healed.  These fears often wear big hairy costumes or carry frightening horror stories with them in order to get your attention, but unmask them and they are tiny aspects in need of love and acceptance in order to make you whole. All you have to do is the work directly presenting itself to you.  Face the fear at hand and as you heal that shadow aspect you acquire more light. That is all ascension is!  The acquisition of more and more light.  And get this.....your shadow aspects are lined up in perfect order to be handled by the exact amount of light you have at any given moment to embrace and transmute them! 

As I have shared before, creative energy is the primary tool I use in my shadow work process.  A few years ago my artwork took a completely different direction.  I began creating balanced totem like paintings built around a central core or 'spine'.   From the moment I began creating these pieces they absolutely captivated me. Over time the larger paintings on canvas gave way to smaller and more intricate pieces. After creating a series of small works I felt compelled to paint miniature pieces that required a magnifying glass not only to paint, but to even be appreciated once the piece was finished. I didn't know at the time that this reduction in size was a very significant part of the series as a whole.  Then one day my higher mind made me aware that the entire series of paintings from large to miniature tell the story of transmutation; bringing our shadow aspects into the Light of conscious awareness/awakening/expansion and healing.  I will share this revelation in more detail in my next post along with several of the paintings.  Until then I hope you embrace your shadows as the escorts they are into your individual ascension.

No Place Like Home

I've been channeling artwork, poetry and guided messages for decades.  Recently someone told me I was in direct communication with my ascended Lemurian aspect.  While I know and trust the information I receive is coming from a higher aspect of my projected incarnation, there is no deep resonance with this 'Lemurian' reference.  Though I have to admit there are a lot of aquatic references in my artwork, and with my deep love of the ocean, I can't deny water elements heavily influence me. But what has intrigued me more than anything about this topic of origins, is not so much the identification with ancient incarnations and lands, but my absolute lack of identification with anywhere in the here and now.  

When a new job gave my guy an opportunity to move south, I campaigned for the familiar; the county I was born and raised in.  Now don't get me wrong, it's nice here and I have met really wonderful people and truly enjoy being closer to family I rarely got to see.  But it really awakened me to the fact that no place ever  'feels' like home to me.....and I have lived in some beautiful places.....places people travel from all over the world to see and experience.  Maybe it's my introversion but I have never been called to immerse myself in the culture or nature surrounding any area.  In fact, I have never truly identified with life here on Earth.  I don't 'get' third dimension thinking.  Duality, judgment, competition, recognition, distraction, the huge gap between the have's and have not's, the palpable fear within diversity, the endless debates within politics...heck politics on any level just seems like some huge shell game to keep everyone focused on life in 'the matrix'.  All the 'systems' in place seem designed for that very purpose.

The more I look at this the more I embrace the truth that Earth is not my home.  It is simply where an aspect of me resides to further a mission my soul chose.  When I look at my journey from being born into this dimension, indoctrinated with, and educated by broken belief systems that still persist, it's no wonder I shook myself awake from them through rebellion and the threat of isolation!  It's the only thing that makes sense to me.

I figured out a long time ago that my work was to awaken myself from the illusions of this world.  And with that awakening came the guidance and channeling that led me deeper and deeper into truths so profound that sharing them with anyone who has not begun the awakening process is impossible.  I am grateful in my awakening to have found others on these roads less traveled. Perhaps we will return together one day to the place where we truly feel at home;  distant stars, ruling planets, constellations which hold the guiding aspects that sustain us in this foreign land. Until then we will continue to shine enlightenment through questioning the status quo, refusing to participate in the shell games, and making art that reflects the truth of who we all truly are..... beings of light and love.

The Meaning Of Life and Creative Self Inquiry

From a series of original paintings soon to be shared on DVD entitled Intentional Arts; A One Woman Show

The meaning of life is to plug into one's individual non-physical aspect and express themselves from that perspective of pure light.  It took me almost sixty years, and no doubt countless lifetimes, but I finally uncovered that profound but simple truth.  I say un-covered rather than discovered because it truly is an unveiling process.  See, any knowledge gained from external sources or reasoning through conditioned perceptions is limited and therefore cannot be whole!  The dependence on and attachment to these fragmented perceptions are the very thing that blocks ones infallible and personal non-physical guidance system!  Spiritual self-inquiry not only offers the process of unveiling, it introduces you to your own personal guidance system!  And it is as uniquely attuned to you as you are unique in this physical reality.  As an artist creative energy was my spirituality.  As I came to know it apart from 'making stuff', this powerful energy moved through me to clear away the blocks and opened me to direct guidance from my own non-physical aspect.  I'm not talking about guides and angels, ascended masters or even God.  I'm not advocating or discounting those relationships in the least. I am talking about something scientifically measurable within the energy spectrum of your physical and psychological being.   That is, connecting with the non-physical aspect of your very soul, which is projecting the physical form you experience as your life in this physical reality.  I am talking about establishing a direct channel of communication to your higher mind absent of intercessors or middle-men. 

Recently I was with a woman who was born with the ability to see and interpret the non-physical energies associated with each person.  She remarked that I was in direct communication with my soul aspect and that it spoke through me all of the time.  I had been aware of this for years but it was a profound experience to have it acknowledged by someone who could actually see beyond the light spectrum most of us operate in. I also knew that this direct connection was the result of the creative self-inquiry work I had dedicated almost thirty years to. All your answers truly are within. And as for the questions that come at you about the meaning of life....they rise from the same source that waits to answer them....your soul.    

I AM my art - Metaphysics And Creative Energy

I haven't posted in a very long time because I have been involved in some profound changes in my life.  These began just prior to the sudden and unexpected passing of my husband, Phil, in 2013 and have continued. This post is a 'coming out' of sorts to a community I have participated in predominately as an artist.  To those who know me as a student of esoteric studies and lightworker, nothing I share here will be surprising, except for a recent decision.  That is to merge these aspects publicly in order to share an expanded perspective on the use of creative energy.  As a highly introspective introvert mine has been a deeply intimate journey.  Were I not being guided to share my experiences with the profound connecting and healing aspects of creative energy I would be happy to remain cloistered away in my studio....in my own little corner, in my own little room.....so to speak.  But I am being guided outward in a single direction, and the beginning of this transition is sharing with one another the two worlds I have learned and grown from.

As is true of most creative types, my passion for creativity has been with me since childhood.  Also present was a pervasive curiosity that was insatiable, and like the small child that asks "why" without ceasing, this has continued throughout my life. Who we are, where we come from and what we are doing here was never far from my innermost thoughts.  While it has been my life's mission to answer these seemingly unanswerable questions, I have not been alone in these quests.  Until recently I had my partner, Phil since my mid thirties, and I am still embraced by a sisterhood I have had since my 40's who walk along side me in this journey toward spiritual awakening and metaphysical abilities. 

As an artist I was always much more interested in creative energy itself rather than the media through which it was expressed, or the 'product' it produced.  For quite some time I was perplexed as to why I had no interest in building a portfolio or artistic career. My association with shows, awards and publications was mostly at the urging of others or as part of group projects.  Once I achieved these I noticed I carried a 'been there, done that' energy around that aspect of achievement.   Recognition did little for me in the way of feeling 'accomplished'.  What did bring a sense of purpose and fulfillment was the creative process itself.  I was fascinated with the way creative energy moved through me and 'in-formed' me.  Much of the time I was aware that I was simply the instrument through which creative energy moved.  This is not an unusual experience for creative types either. In fact it is this active meditation aspect of art-making that has so expanded both the art and craft industry we have today.  However, in my mid-thirties I was shaken to my core as some introspective questioning I had been doing was answered through creative energy in a most unusual way.  I was literally awakened in the middle of the night, drawn to my studio in an almost trance like haze, and while I 'watched' from one vantage point, a huge painting was created from another vantage point...through me.  As if this was not amazing enough, this was not the most profound aspect of this experience.  Following hours that flew like minutes, I found myself on the sofa in my studio starring into this new piece of artwork while what I can only describe as downloads of non-physical communications filled me, healing and informing aspects of a fragmented self that I was not even aware of.  While this type of 'direct communication' is common place for metaphysical practitioners today, it was not common place at that time, nor was it something I understood at all.  But I knew it was good and I knew it was valuable.

With a background in counseling I was aware something profound and more alive than any psychological tool had been accessed and I would not rest until I fully understood it. From that day forward my prayer and my quest was to understand and align with this powerful energy, and this unequaled healing process.  As I set out to understand the relationship among creativity, spirituality and self-actualization I did not realize the long and winding journey it would be. Now, almost thirty years later I can assure you it has not been without its rewards and gifts of the Spirit.

Because of this quest I have studied many energy healing modalities and even become certified in a few, however these can't begin to compare with the ongoing connection I have developed with Direct Knowledge through higher mind.  Through channeled artwork and writings and daily instruction my awareness has grown profoundly.  For those that have said to me with regard to spiritual matters..."Well, you just can't know"... I reply, "Oh yes you can! Once you drop all your stories and conditioning by plugging directly into the rest of yourself; your own personal non-physical aspect, you can know absolutely, profoundly and personally!"  because that's how it works.  The meaning of my life is to plug into my own Personal Guidance System and express myself from that perspective of pure light.  And to all those who feel guided to focus their creative energy in the direction of spiritual awakening and metaphysical understanding I can only say that of all the beautiful things I have created, this awakening I continue to experience is truly my greatest work of art.....I AM my art!

And now this blog will reflect all that I am with regard to creative exploration, insight and expression.  I will included channeled writings and esoteric revelations along with my artwork and shows centered on sharing all that is available through the medium of creative energy itself. I have included a page on the blog that shares my story in more detail ( I AM my art- The Metaphysical Application of Creative Energy).  I have also updated my website where I share even more of the process of this that I call Intentional Arts.  I invite you to explore these if you feel interested in knowing more.  It is with gratitude that I thank the wonderful friends and teachers that have embraced me in both the creative an spiritual arenas.  My journey would not be complete without both 'camps'.