SeattleArtist'sWay

Fall Artist's Way Classes are Now Open for Registration in Seattle

2011-09-11T16:32:00.000-07:00

The Artist's Way
With Kate Gavigan, Anne van Roden and Gloria Sandford

The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron is an international bestseller on the subject of creativity. Whether you are an artist or not, this book and class can be an incredibly useful resource to tap into your creative side which can benefit many parts of your lives. The 2 hour a week 12 week long class will take students through the 12 chapters with an emphasis on the accompanying chapter exercises and additional creativity exercises and strategies (i.e. meditation tools). This material works with everyone, no matter how dormant or energized their creative life may be, and enhances their ability to be more fully and genuinely themselves.

Julia Cameron uses 3 basic tools for students to enhance their lives and their creativity: 1) morning pages (writing 3 pages longhand of stream of consciousness writing), artist's dates (solo fun dates with yourself) and completing creativity exercises at the back of each chapter. To quote Julia, "In order to retrieve your creativity, you need to find it." The basic tools and the additional creativity exercises that we incorporate into the 12 week course will help you do just that.

No prerequisites required for this class.

Section 1: September 18 - December 4
Sundays, 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Instructors: Kate Gavigan and Anne van Roden
$375 (12 weeks)

Section 2: September 23 - December 16
Fridays, 10:30 am - 12:30 pm
Instructors: Kate Gavigan and Gloria Sandford
$375 (12 weeks)

(a $75.00 nonrefundable deposit secures your space in the class)

To register for this class: http://www.seattleartistswaycenter.com/apps/webstore/

Classes will be held at the Wallingford art center: Present Sense, 4131 Woodland Park Ave N., Seattle.

Summer 2011 class testimonials:
"Take it! This class will change you in big ways, small ways and maybe in unexpected ways." Norman B.

"I was hoping to have a change in perspective, to feel more open, to feel challenged, to have a felling of being more creative, to gain inspiration and have a structure and tools to be able to be more creative - all of them accomplished." Lola B.

"Do it. It will change your life." Cyndi B.

Kate Gavigan is passionate about The Artist's Way having personally experienced the benefits of the materials. Kate worked in social services as a trainer for over 10 years when she found herself drawn to the material in The Artist's Way, which helped her uncover a passion for theatre and marketing the arts. She credits her mid-life career change (now working at her dream job as a PR Manager at a theater and teaching these classes) to having gone through The Artist's Way.

Anne van Roden has been deeply enriched by the teachings & practices of The Artist's Way. She has a love of color, fabrics, painting and design which led to a first career as a clothing buyer on a design team, and a small business designing and hand-painting a line of silk clothing. Currently she is a practicing Marriage & Family Therapist in Seattle. Her favorite "artist's dates" are visits to Japanese gardens, afternoon teas and specialty fabric stores.

Gloria Sandford is passionate about The Artist's Way and has experienced artistic breakthroughs as a result of working the program herself. Gloria has a master's Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and has worked for over ten years helping others to reach their potential. Gloria holds a minor degree in vocal performance and has been singing and playing the piano since she was six years old. She also enjoys the home arts of bread and pastry baking as well as quilting and knitting. Gloria believes that by having fun through exploration of your passions and potential, you will find breakthroughs in your work, your relationships and your creativity.

Creative Uturns

2010-07-14T19:40:00.001-07:00

Creative Uturns ...

Don’t you HATE it when those happen?
My driving u-turns usually happen when I realize I’ve been going the wrong way and have to do the u-turn with the resultant “oh crap” tumbling out of my mouth.

The creative u-turn is different from my driving u-turns in that in the creative u-turn I’m usually heading in the right creative path when the internal “screeeeechhh” put-on-the-brakes-voice/action blares out and I zoom off in the opposite wrong direction like a bat out of hell (more like a bat out of “my” heaven but oh well, you get the picture).

“That’s just crazy talk,” you may say to yourself.
Why would I do that?
I mean, if this is what I want AND it’s starting to come true, why wouldn’t I move toward it and not away from it?

All excellent questions. The answer? My answer?
I want it and at the same time I’m not sure what it’ll be like if I get it.

The thoughts can range the gambit of … "I want it so much and I’m scared to go after it in case I can’t get it.” To ... “Things are fiiiiinne the way they are. I don’t really need to change. No, really! (who exactly am I trying to convince?)”

As Julia talks about in The Artists Way, creative u-turns can manifest in a thousand different ways but the general outline goes like this:

The universe (or whatever force you call it) sends something your way and you find any number of ways to reject that offering. Sometimes we even justify that we are rejecting it in the first place. We say things like “it’s not that I don’t WANT to do it, it is just that my schedule got really busy so I don’t have time now to … (fill in the dream).”

I know this well.
I’ve used “my schedule” as the problem 4 times in conversations in just the past week to excuse my own creative u-turn.
Maybe I’ll even draw a picture of “the schedule” as a schoolyard bully (you remember … that one from grade school) but instead of telling me to put my dukes up, it’s holding me creative hostage in the cloakroom …

Don’t have time to write a blog posting?
“Ahhhh, it’s my schedule!”
Don’t have time to practice my ukulele?
“You know, my schedule is sooo busy.”
Not able to revise that curriculum folks want to see?
“I’m SO busy working full time … you know my schedule.”

SOMEBODY call the schoolyard recess monitor and put “the schedule” in detention already!!

My intuition to call out for help is in line with Julia’s suggestion to think about what is making us skittish and to ask for assistance with the U-turn. She goes onto say:

“Think of your talent as a young and skittish horse that you are bringing along. This horse is very talented but it is also young, nervous and inexperienced. It will make mistakes, be frightened by obstacles it hasn’t seen before. It may even bolt, try to throw you off, feign lameness. Your job, as the creative jockey, is to keep your horse moving forward and to coax it into finishing the course.”

I particularly like the “feign lameness”.
Cracks me up.
I have this image of a horse on his side with one eye closed, moaning about not being able to get up, but with one eye open to see if you’re buyin’ it.
It can be so literal, right? How many times when we start some creative process have we not heard that voice (maybe internal or actual) that says “oh that’s SO LAME!”

So here’s what my mantras for the week are going to be …
When “the schedule” bully resurfaces, I’m going to ask for help from somebody, anybody (could be a website designer, another arts person, could be just to the universe to send me a sign) to help me move along down my right creative path – whatever that is at that moment.

And when I see myself “feigning lameness”, I’m going to bend down over my pretend sorry for itself lame horse-!&@-self and say in a sweet, laughing way “I totally see YOU …. you are soooo faking it … you can ABSOLUTELY get up and do the next small thing … just put one hoof in front of the other!”
Or to quote the carefree line from Freehold faculty member, Amy Thone would say when students would get up to do their monologues for the first time …
“This one’s TOTALLY free”.

Wishing this week that your u-turns are short, that your bully has a 3-strikes-you’re-out-rule and that your creative horse has fun prancing down the open road.

Best,
Kate

photos: not lame horse pictured above from Kate's trip to Puerto Vallarta in Mexico in February 2010

Taking Risks in 3's

2010-06-27T17:23:00.000-07:00

Taking Risks: Part One

It began at the Skylark Café in West Seattle.

My first impression was great.
Low lighting with a pinkish tinge (HUGE fan of low lighting), clean, pink, green and blue neon signs, lava lamps and a hipster crowd that was pleasing to the eye (straw hats, short angular haircuts, elvis sideburns).
The plan that night was hatched by my therapist friend Claire who said she wanted to be “transported by music” out of her daily (satisfying) yet encompassing work life.
I concurred.

We decided to go hear Rat City Brass described by a friend as a Herb Albert Cover Band.
You heard me.
A Herb Albert Cover Band.
Actually they're SO much more than a cover band (they do their own songs too)
We loved them.
We school girl giggled while noting we recognized most of the songs. Claire said the whole thing made you expect Goldie Hawn to pop out from behind the band.

Picture four guys standing in front of podiums a la a big band vibe, decked out in simple but classic suits, two well quaffed women – one tickling the ivories, the other on electric guitar with two other guys on other chachacha instruments. As the next tune starts up, the front men simultaneously start swaying back and forth (seemingly totally unaware) which flash-backed me to the 80s and Robert Palmer's back-up dancers doing the side to side groove.
Only it was four groovin’ men.
Totally adorable.
For a glimpse of Rat City Brass, click here.

Some bands make me grin goofily and this was one of those.
I leaned over to Claire and whisper-shouted in true bar fashion “how great is it that these they thought ‘Yeah what the world needs is a Herb Albert Cover Band!”
I mean “Come ON!”
This is not something I think of as an obvious choice.
Which is why it seems so perfect.

The plan of being transported was immediately accomplished.
Claire noted at one point how she felt “enveloped” by the music. An apropos revue.
I felt transported Potter Floo-style into Tijuana in a side cafe.
OK but this is not a revue for the band (although I can’t help but making it partly that).

This is the gift of trying out new things.
Claire and I are not exactly big risk takers but even trying out a new band at a new location was a risk for us and turned out to be a blast. Plus I noticed something Julia talks a lot about – how “the quality of life is in proportion, always, to the capacity for delight. The capacity for delight is the gift of paying attention.”

There is something for me about going to new places, trying new things that gets me to pay attention in a new way … it’s the thing that renews my capacity for delight. I think this is why when I travel I often marvel at clouds like I’ve never seen them before or find myself smiling whether I'm walking down the Protestant Shankill road in Belfast, climbing the steps in Santa Monica or heck even visiting a new club (for me) in West Seattle … color me delighted with the newness.

Taking Risks: Part Two
The paying attention continued with me leaning over to Claire and saying “look around and see how many women have pigtails.” We counted three.

I lamented that I longed for pigtails – not sure if it is a Pippi Longstocking hangover or what, but said to Claire I wasn't sure I could carry it off.
She did a double take, looked at me like she saw me for the first time and said a definitive “No.”
“No.” hmmmmmm.

“No’s” can send me in the other direction … but in a good way. Thank YOU Claire!
I woke up in the morning with pigtails on my mind.
So I went to my dressing table and started playing with pigtails.
But don’t think this was just a sudden fall into hair insanity. I’d had them on my mind long before that night.
Another Freehold student (shout out to Lori!) had been wearing them for months. I had been finding myself staring, internally drooling at her pigtails like they were the sparkling, fancy new shoes in the Cole Haan store window I had to have.
As I goofed around with different styles, I thought
“I’m TOTALLY going to do this.”

Annnnddddd, Taking Risks: Part Three
Then more newness inspiration … I got the idea “not only am I going to wear pigtails but I’m going to ride a razor (skooter) while doing it.”
Now before you call the “normal” police ...

This razor scheme is on the heals of a dream where I was told I should get a razor and write it around town. How funny … I meant to write “ride” it around town but maybe I’m supposed to do both! So I called my dear friend Tanya who has a similar “indulge the inner child” streak who had bought an adult size one so she could ride with her kids (yeah, ssssuuuuuurrreeee that’s why) and offered to loan me it.
It’s been sitting in my car for days not ridden.
So this is the day.

Then I flip to see that the chapter this week in our Artist’s Way class is on Taking Risks.
THIS does not surprise me.

“I’ll look like an idiot,” we say, conjuring images of our first acting class, our first hobbled short story, our terrible drawings. Part of the game here is lining up the masters and measuring our baby steps against their perfected craft. We don’t compare our student films to George Lucas’s student films. Instead we compare them to Star Wars.

So today I’m willing to risk looking like an idiot.

How about you? What risk is calling out to you today?

Best,
Kate

Postscript artist date:
Four things to know about razors:

1) a 6 year old getting on his bike after seeing you going by on your razor may shout out to you in a very concerned voice "you should be wearing a helmoot", 2) Riding a razor competes with lunges for the best quad work-out EVER 2) They should have kickstands 3) It hurts really really badly when you hit a flying razor at the back of your heel and 4) they are a total HOOT to ...
RIDE

Get your motor (or scooter - lyrics added) runnin'
Head out on the highway
Lookin' for adventure
And whatever comes our way
Yeah Darlin' go make it happen
Take the world in a love embrace
Fire all of your guns at once
And explode into space

I like smoke and lightning
Heavy metal thunder
Racin' with the wind
And the feelin' that I'm under
Yeah Darlin' go make it happen
Take the world in a love embrace
Fire all of your guns at once
And explode into space

Like a true nature's child
We were born, born to be wild
We can climb so high
I never wanna die

Born to be wild
Born to be wild

The Gifts of Listening: “Do this, try this, say this …”

2010-06-24T07:55:00.000-07:00

So I’m having writer’s block.
Which is funny because this is the first time that I’ve had it and of course it comes right after being asked to write blogs for two websites.
My creative muse is cracking me up (not in a good way, ok a little bit in a good way).

I’ve been writing for my Artist’s Way blog for awhile and having fun just sharing whatever artist’s way whimsy comes my way with our students. I’d had some nice feedback from friends and colleagues. So when I saw that some websites were looking for bloggers I listened to the “do this” voice in my head and threw my blogger hat in the proverbial ring to be considered.

Synchronicity rings the doorbell and within two days of each other I get responses from the two websites (mind you both of them I had emailed over a month ago) responding asking me to blog for them.
Then the writer’s block.
So apparently synchronicity rang the doorbell and ran away.
Then inspiration again. The thought fluttered in my head “what about Anne Lamott do?” So I thought “she’d just be honest and tell the truth. My inner critic responded in my best bugs bunny voice “Whaaaaaaaat???” It reminds me of a friend’s comment recently when I told her I was struggling with some resentments and how I was wondering what the opposite of resentment was and she said “acceptance”. I responded stone faced and rejected it flatly saying:
“No that can’t be right.”

We laughed a lot after that one.

I realized I was struggling with perfectionism. Of course that just happened to be the chapter my Artist’s Way class was on this week. Of course it was.

Julia says that:

“Perfectionism has nothing to do with getting it right. It has nothing to do with fixing things. It has nothing to do with standards. It is a loop – an obsessive, debilitating closed system that causes you to get stuck in the details of what you are writing or painting or making and to lose sight of the whole. Instead of creating freely and allowing errors to reveal themselves later as insights, we often get mired in getting the details right. We correct our originality into a uniformity that lacks passion and spontaneity. Or to quote Miles Davis ‘Do not fear mistakes. There are none.’”

My perfectionism had taken on the idea that I had to write something profound, something great. I had to write the blog “right” whatever that was!

We had talked in class last week about a great improv exercise where when you make a mistake in improv, you have to raise both of your hands over your head, smile and say “YAY!!!” loudly with everyone in the class doing it with you. I forgot that I didn’t have to be profound and I could even make mistakes (gasp!). I also (momentarily) forgot that all I had to do was do what I had been doing … keeping in mind what I felt called to say to the 7 amazing students that Carol and I have the privilege to meet with every week who share their joys and frustrations as they try to listen to their own internal wee voices.

So here it is, my profound, great comment … (drum roll please, skies parting, sun bursting through, choirs singing, deep Godish voice bellowing but smiling) …

"[insert your name here]
Listen to your own 'do this, try this, say this…'”
Just try it … just this week.

When you get the inspiration to do something, do it. Not in a nike-ad sweating all over yourself way, more in a strolling, ramblin’ “let’s play with it” way. Doesn’t have to be a big thing.

For extra credit, go crazy and try experimenting with doing things badly.
On purpose like.
Like writing a fragment of a sentence or finishing a sentence with a preposition - maybe even in the SAME sentence ("Take THAT, Sister Kathleen!" picture image of Kate dueling with her 9th grade English Nun/teacher), playing guitar chords with your fingers on the frets and making screeching sounds, or drawing really, really badly. Maybe it’s trying to learn a new monologue, or calling someone you thought might be a fun new friend and inviting them for a play date (you’re never too old for those!). Maybe it’s not saying the thing you oh-so want to say that would make you feel great for 3 seconds but like crap afterwards and saying the thing your internal voice is telling you to say instead.
Maybe it’s just telling the truth to yourself.

Remember take the baby steps – don’t sabotage yourself by trying to climb the mountain when the small step is enough (and trust me … or better yet, trust Julia … the small steps will add up to getting you up to that mountain in no time).

Pretty simple, maybe not profound but it’s what I got.

Here’s hoping you’ll have a great week when you allow yourself a bunch of mistakes (whether you call them that or not).

Hands over head “YAY!!!!!!!!”

Best,
Kate

top photo: old shoes as art and garden
middle photo: photo by Kate while in Puerto Vallarta
bottom photo: sign in Kate's creative space that she initially meant to write "Anything worth doing is worth doing badly" and then realized this one was FAR better.

In Praise of Downtime

2010-06-11T08:26:00.000-07:00

Quiet Seattle.
The Facebook Page "Quiet Seattle" caught my eye.

It drew me in those oh so still and tranquil images. The sheet billowing on a clothesline in the sun, a squirrel perched on a deck sniffing the air, the abandoned rusty milk truck in the meadow of overgrown wild flowers ... those images conjuring up a sense of quietness, stillness, a Little House on the Prairie Relaxed vibe.

And I don't appear to be the only drawn to the stillness.
This page has 68 other "likers".
Then again the page "Eating all the fries before you get home" has 3,076 likers so maybe that doesn't mean much.

What I can say is it captured MY attention. And I think I know why.
There is something about those pictures to me that murmurs "downtime". Everything seems to have slowed down or stopped - reminding me of why I like the day after big snowstorms so much - that outside-imposed slowness I don't realize I crave until it finally gets handed to me.

In Week 4 of the Artist Way, Julia talks about how "artists must have downtime, time to do nothing." She does not qualify this by saying "this is a good idea" or "you should consider ..." no she says you "must" have downtime.
Must.
This is not the easiest thing for me.

Downtime?
If I'm not "doing", I easily fall in to thinking I'm wasting my time or (God forbid) not being productive. What I am reminded when I read this chapter is how downtime can be the most productive thing I can do for myself. Giving into that feeling of exhaustion that is dropping on your eyelid that whispers "take a nap, you'll feel better if you do" or to the thought "come on just read that 5th Harry Potter book ... you know you want to!" or listening to what my snipe at the store clerk is really telling me ... "you've not done enough of nothing lately." My inner downtime creative muse often has to get a little unpleasant for me to heed the call.

Julia says that "An artist requires the upkeep of creative solitude. And that without, our artists becomes depleted." She goes onto talk about what this really is is a Virtue Trap. We deny ourselves the very thing that will feed us and help us grow both as artists but as partners, friends and workers. Julia notes that "Afraid to appear selfish, we lose our self. We become self-destructive." The question she poses "are you destructive of your true nature" is a powerful one to look at and answer of ourselves.

The questions Julia has us ask to challenge the self-destructive patterns we can fall into are "What are my needs?" "What would I do if it weren't too selfish?"

My answers this week:
1. Buy a harmonica
2. Build a treehouse and sleep in it
3. Walk the Cinque Terre coast in Italy

How about you?

Comment away as we'd love to hear your thoughts. I'll read them very soon.

But right now I'm being dragged by my internal Dobby creative force (tip 'o the hat to Elizabeth Gilbert for the image) to do my downtime homework ... to plod off to bed to read all about Harry's latest adventures and then settle in for a nap. Just the idea of it makes my shoulders drop.

I could get used to this.

Hope you take some time for yourself this week too.

Best,
Kate

Photo at top from Kate's recent artist date wandering among Seattle's houseboats.

Reading Deprivation Week is Over!

2010-06-01T08:14:00.000-07:00

Whew! THAT was a long week. (the image conjures up a bit how I felt at the end of the week - actually felt more like a big sigh!)

Every time I go through the Artist's Way I think that it is going to be easier going through the "no reading week". But each time I'm wrong. However it is true that the growth I get out of the week definitely fast tracks me on my creative path. So here's what I learned this week:

1. I do a lot of clicking through to things on the computer that I don't necessarily have a lot of interest reading. However I seem to have gotten into a habit of unconsciously clicking JUST In case there is something compelling to read. Funny though I didn't miss not doing that - ok there were a few false starts where I found myself reading a Cross Cut article and then thinking "Wait, I'm not supposed to be reading!"

2. Having time to focus on other creative pursuits led me to realize how I miss buying old furniture and refinishing it for resale. My energy for this endeavor was reinvigorated after finding a dresser (that definitely needs some work!) similar to the one I recently sold. Synchronicity lives!

3. Reading provides a lot of comfort and is a big part of my self care and I was forced to find other ways to provide that for myself which resulted in trying out a new gym I've been wanting to look at for over a year (and liking it enough to sign up), more uke playing and more writing.

So that's just SOME of my "ah ha's" re: reading dep week. How about you?? We'd love to hear!

Best,
Kate

Paying Attention Again ...

2010-05-21T08:19:00.000-07:00

So I'm stuck on Chapter 2 of the Artist's Way.

In a good way.

There is something so profound about the "paying attention" chapter that Julia talks about in her book. Every time I reread the Artist's Way, I'm moved deeply by it. I've been particularly struck by the line about "The capacity for delight is the gift of paying attention". I find consistently that in working through this material, I start paying attention in a new way.

And usually it's the little things.

I find myself feeling called to keep one flower on my dresser at home. Initially I wondered if this was just attributed to my Irish thrifty nature but then realized that even when feeling flush I still didn't feel called to buy the huge bouquet but rather the single flower. It's the details. When I have the big bouquet I walk by and think "huh, nice" but when I see one flower I get caught up in the details. The way it droops over the side of the bud vase, how one of the edges of the petal is starting to turn, how much water it sucked up from yesterday. This I never do with a bundle of fleurs.

We all know the phrase "God is in the details" which according to a little web search notes that...

"It seems generally accepted that this was something said by the German-born architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886-1969) although almost certainly it was not invented by him. ... In the form Le bon Dieu est dans le détail, it has also been attributed to Gustave Flaubert (1821-80)."

Whoever invented it, the sentiment speaks to me. The details open up that part of myself that is moved by the creative whether it is Jessica scrinching (I don't care if it's not a word, it is now!) up her shoulders when she welcomes her sister into the world, or asking myself "what do I need right now?" (a cookie, to scratch my back, a fabulous song blasting behind me at work on my ipod, a vacation ...) or seeing the water glistening on this flower (see below) on the way to work, the smile a fellow bicyclist gave me as we passed each other biking on bike to work day, the tiny tiny little drops of color that Yvonne Hodges created in the painting (now in my study, photo above), to the sign from the trophy awards shop that said "welcome Amazon" on their sign board (is it a thank you to Amazon for doing business with them or maybe a wee baby named Amazon was born to an employee or perhaps it was a shout out to the members of a nation of women warriors reputed to have lived in Scythia ... the possibilities abound).

Seems fitting to end on a note by Julia: "The truth is that a creative life involves great swathes of attention. Attention is a way to connect and survive."

What's been catching your attention?

Best,
Kate

Photo at top of blog: Painting by Yvonne Hodges (and Artist's Way student's work). See more of her work here.

The best affirmation model ever ...

2010-05-13T08:27:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Jenn Hamblin for this link to "Jessica's Affirmations." If she can do it, so can you :)!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR3rK0kZFkg

Hope you are all having a great week and have some great artist's dates (remember "fun" is the key word!).

Best,

Kate and Carol

photo: Kate took this photo on an artist date at the Ballard Sunday market. This adorable little boy was clapping to music. I like to think he's cheering us all on!

"Shake things up" PLUS More Anne Lamott Wisdom - No this isn't an Anne Lamott Blog but ...

2010-04-16T08:57:00.000-07:00

How can you resist ideas like this ...

"Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. It will keep you cramped and insane your whole life, and it is the main obstacle between you and a shitty first draft. I think perfectionism is based on the obsessive belief that if you run carefully enough, hitting each stepping-stone just right, you won't have to die. The truth is that you will die anyway and that a lot of people who aren't even looking at their feet are going to do a whole lot better than you, and have a lot more fun while they're doing it."
— Anne Lamott (Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life)

Here's a link that Kelly Huffman forwarded on of other all time great Lamott quotes.
http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/7113.Anne_Lamott

Have a great weekend Artist Way students. Can't wait to see you Monday and to hear how things are going!

Best,
Kate

Photo - adorable little girl dancing and shaking things up (in public! ... GOOD for her!) at the Fremont Sunday Market a few weeks back.

I love Anne Lamott and here's why ...

2010-04-14T08:20:00.000-07:00

Top 10 Reasons:

1. She has the best one-liners of any writer I've read. (ie. quotes her friend who saw someone in the airport with a t-shirt that said "No one reads your blog.")
2. She embraces and uses the gifts bestowed/given/developed in/to her.
3. She's flat out honest.
4. She's writes things like "Your problem is how you are going to spend this one odd and precious life you have been issued. Whether you're going to spend it trying to look good and creating the illusion that you have power over people and circumstances, or whether you are going to taste it, enjoy it and find out the truth about who you are."
5. She makes fun of how bad she photographs.
6. She taught writing to inmates at San Quentin. Article here.
7. She's talks about all of her experiences including her spiritual life from a funny, real place.
8. The "girl" has self-esteem and then some.
9. She keeps writing, writing, writing and radiates such beauty and by example inspires others to find and develop their own gifts and individual path.
10. Make your own "call" ... Read a recent interview with her in Salon.com
http://www.salon.com/life/feature/2010/04/12/anne_lamott_imperfect_birds/index.html

Trust me, you'll be a fan too.

Best,
Kate

Peeps Dioramas and Adventure Movies that Keep You Inside

2010-04-10T19:07:00.000-07:00

Kelly Huffman, one of our Artist's Way students, shared this great peeps diorama she did with a friend in the Greek theme. One image is the Peeps Parthenon and I believe the other one (my personal favorite) is entitled:
"Does this toga make my asp look big?"

Kelly also posted her very first blog entry to the official REI company blog entitled:
The Filmmaker Ate My Baby: Outdoor Adventure Movies That Keep You Inside
http://findout.rei.com/blog_detail/?contentid=6538571683492414185

Creativity abounds!

Conference for Writers

2010-04-04T16:44:00.000-07:00

Hello writers!

Donna from our class thought you might be interested in this upcoming Conference for Writers so here's the link:
http://www.ci.edmonds.wa.us/ArtsCommission/wots.stm

"Would you like a Balloon?

2010-03-29T09:17:00.000-07:00

The Trader Joe's clerk asked the toe headed curly haired 4 year old girl. "Yes, please" she replied wide-eyed with the brightest of smiles beaming with surprise and glee. "Look daddy, a baaaalloooon," she said.

I said to the clerk "wow, how great it is to see joy over such a small thing." He laughed and said "yeah, it's funny you can give a kid a balloon or even the same sticker over and over and they're thrilled." I thought to myself, "I think there is a lesson here."

I was reminded of this a few days earlier when a friend and I had laughed comparing notes about how we both were having a "one flower appreciation moment." We both sheepishly said we had been spending rather significant periods of time looking at one flower we had picked and put in a bud vase. We both marveled at how much joy just the one flower brought us.

Back to the balloons ... I went to a moving party billed "The Greatest Move on Earth" for Velocity Dance Center. Velocity and Freehold (where I work) had been long time neighbors at Oddfellow's Hall on Capitol Hill. Due to rent increases, two years ago we had to move along with most of the residents at Oddfellow's (largely arts organizations). Velocity was semi-homeless but toughing it out in the midst of a severely compromised remodeled space surrounded by dust and grime. They worked hard over the next three years to find a home for their beloved organization and this weekend were able to move into their gorgeous new space just a few blocks from their old space.

I was reminded recently by someone about the tenacity it takes to follow a road or path you feel called to go down, but that if you have the vision and clarity this is what you need to be doing then things can fall into place (even after 3 years and LOTS and LOTS of work). Walking in the parade under the sun filled blue sky from Velocity's old space with trumpets and horns blaring, balloons were everywhere ... kids and adults carrying balloons in every color, balloons on chairs, on hats ... there was a sense of loss for the past times at Oddfellows, victory for the "win" of finally getting to move into a beautiful new space and celebration for the hard work and vision finally paying off. See more pictures here:
http://www.facebook.com/album

I was thinking about how that relates to an Artist's Way path. Over the 3 year journey to find and then build out their home, the folks at Velocity I'm sure had moments where thing seemed hopeless, but they persevered. It was clear at their event that they believe in what they do, in the art they produce and the inestimable value it gives to themselves and to their larger community.

Sometimes the road feels bleak, we can lose sight of where we want to go or the belief that we could even begin to know what that could look like. Then we hear a little girl say "Daddy, look a ballllooooonn" and we are reminded of how simple it can be.

What gives us that "a baaaalloooon" feeling?
I'm going to go sit by a flower and think about that.
How about you?

Best,
Kate

The Artist's Way Spring/Summer Class is Now Open for Registration

2010-03-26T13:17:00.000-07:00

Carol and Kate are thrilled to announce our upcoming spring/summer Artist's Way class. Here are the details regarding the class. Registration is now open.

The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron is an international bestseller on the subject of creativity. This book and workshop can be an incredibly useful resource to tap into your creative side, which can benefit you professionally and personally. The class will take students through the 12 chapters with an emphasis on the accompanying chapter exercises. Julia Cameron uses 3 basic tools for students to enhance their lives and their creativity: 1) morning pages (writing 3 pages longhand of stream of consciousness writing), artist's dates (solo fun dates with yourself) and completing creativity exercises at the back of each chapter. To quote Julia, "In order to retrieve your creativity, you need to find it." The basic tools, working alongside other Artist's Way students and the additional creativity exercises that we incorporate into the 12 week course will help you do just that.

May 10 – August 2
Mondays, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
$275
Class will be held at Carol Battistoni’s office: The Healing Edge, 4010 Stone Way North, Ste. 200, Seattle, WA 98103

Students are responsible for purchasing their own Artist’s Way book.
Note: Due to the summer schedule and the length of the class, it is not unusual for students to have to miss a few classes. The instructors provide detailed notes and follow-up conversations to update students on any material missed.

“Helped me get "unstuck" and on track in my creative ambitions.” -Past Artist’s Way Student

Kate Gavigan is passionate about The Artist's Way having personally experienced the benefits of the materials. Kate worked in social services as a trainer for over 10 years when she found herself drawn to the material in The Artist's Way, which helped her uncover a passion for theatre and marketing the arts. She credits her mid-life career change (now working at her dream job as a PR Manager at a theater) to having gone through The Artist's Way.

Carol Battistoni studied art as an undergraduate which helped her to realize the importance of art and self expression to the human psyche. Carol’s undergraduate experiences lead her to studying counseling psychology and expressive arts therapy. Carol is currently practicing as a Psychotherapist in Seattle and continues to explore the process of making art as a vehicle to knowing oneself more intimately.

TO REGISTER: Pay by check and send to Carol Battistoni, 4010 Stone Way North, Suite 200, Seattle 98103 or via paypal at Carol’s website: http://www.thehealingedge.net/resources.htm
Questions: Contact Kate Gavigan at kateearth@yahoo.com.
$75.00 nonrefundable deposit is required to secure a space in the class. Check out our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Artists-Way-Seattle/141615764966

Inspirational Jake Shimabukuro

2010-03-22T08:42:00.000-07:00

Listen to this creative guy! Beautiful music and cool ideas of how he explores his creative process.
http://mashable.com/2010/02/11/interview-jake-shimabukuro/
and the youtube link that Jake references to in his interview:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puSkP3uym5k

Who inspires you creatively? Comment and share any links you have!! We'd love to hear!

See you all tonight!

"Don't Stop Believin"

2010-03-15T08:57:00.000-07:00

Here's a clip of students from PS22 singing "Don't Stop Believin" by Journey. Here's to believing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5vrtZKvxWM

Best,
Kate

No Reading This Week - YES you can read my post!

2010-03-02T08:58:00.000-08:00

So Chapter 4 is reading deprivation week. I know, I know this is HARD! Just do the best you can. Reread pages 87-88 in the book if you find yourself wondering "now WHY are we doing this?"

What Carol and I can say from our experience is that this is a powerful tool and you will likely have some new insights in incorporating this exercise into your life this week. Remember, it's ONLY for a week!!

You can post here how it's going for you and though we'd suggest not reading each other posts for this week, feel free to unleash your frustration, anger, new insights, and accomplishments (artistic and otherwise) here!

Take care and good luck!

Best,
Kate and Carol

"I can create whatever I want to create"

2010-02-25T08:15:00.000-08:00

Week 3: Recovering A Sense of Power"

What a great sounding chapter, huh? Who wouldn't want to recover a sense of power? In this week's chapter, Julia goes onto say that in acquiring this sense of power (or recovering it) we may go through a number of different emotions including anger and shame. Good times.

But really they are "good times" or will be as we embrace those emotions and learn from what they are trying to tell us. I love Julia's comment that "anger is fuel" and is a map ... "that it tells us where our boundaries are ... and that it points the way not the finger." Nice one, Julia.

She also shines a light on shame and how trying to create art ...funny, I just wrote "trying to create shame"! which it can feel like as we start to create art - that voice of "who do you think you are" "ahhhh, that's not as good as ....(fill in the blank)". She goes onto say that "Art opens the closets ... it brings healing. But before a wound can heal it must be seen, and this act of exposing the wound to air and light, the artist's act, is often reacted to with shaming." This is just GREAT stuff and if we can hold on and move through, and not get stuck before even trying or going only half way, then some amazing things are in store for us.

Julia also highlights the idea of synchronicity in this chapter which she alludes will abound for us as we proceed on our artist's way journey. As we clean out the wounds, new art/ideas/wishes become clearer and as we voice them, new opportunities will abound to meet those very wishes. Sounds SOOO easy but time and time again we have seen this happen for us and for our students.

So recovering our sense of power ... sound any better now?

Others believe in this too. Will Smith has a great interview where he describes how synchronicity has played a part in his life:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hEoc7Cr-is

Here's wishing your week whether it includes anger, shame, or dealing with criticism will be one where you have new insights, and dreams for what you are wanting in life (plus increased synchronicity).

How's your week going? We'd love to know!!

Best,
Kate

Photo: image of Kate recovering her sense of power singing karaoke!

2010-02-18T08:37:00.001-08:00

"That you might need to break a lot of pots, and write a lot of drafts, and that not everyone is going to like what you do. Which is why, however your work is received by "them," you need a good, true, decent friend or two—a friend or family member like Melville had, a writer pal or a bunch of fellow potters, actual practitioners of art—to believe in you and to understand and bear with you throughout the long hard work of creating your art, of your trying to live a life of making art."

This excerpt is from a great piece written by Rebecca Brown on "Failure". The complete article can be found here:

http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/failure/Content?oid=3393599

Week 2 Artist Way - Paying Attention

2010-02-16T08:59:00.000-08:00

The Artist's Way Week 2 - Chapter 2 is all about Recovering a Sense of Identity. It sounds like a rather large task, doesn't?

One of the things that I appreciate about Julia Cameron's material is that she makes things that seem TOTALLY overwhelming accessible ... in my favorite phrase "baby steps". She takes it in chunks and encourages the students to do the same. So for example one task for this week is "write down 10 tiny changes you could make and do one of them". She has students brainstorm careers/jobs that they've thought would be fun without any pressure to do anything in particular about it. She encourages students to consider who are the crazymakers in their lives (you know who they are) and to not engage/get hooked by their behavior. She points out that getting involved with crazymakers actually is a way you block yourself from doing the things in your life that you really want to do.

Then there is the paying attention thing. She encourages students to pay attention noting that "generality is the enemy of art." I was reminded of that this morning walking to work. I hit my usual stoplight by Whole Foods which I usually try to bolt to get through and this morning I paused and thought "it might be nice to just wait for a minute and see what's around me". I consciously turned around in a direction I never look and gazed up to the sky which had caught my eye. The clouds were moving by at double the normal speed with the sun peeking through the stunning blue blue background on the other side. It took my breath away.

I've often been struck by how paying attention is something I'm great at doing when I'm on vacation. I often find myself looking up at the sky and thinking "wow, these clouds are incredible" and wondering is it really that these clouds are oh so special or is it that I'm simply open to seeing the little details.

This morning's pause seemed to answer that question.

Here's to paying even more attention and bringing more art and beauty into my life (and hopefully yours too).

Best,
Kate

Picture: example of paying attention - beautiful flowers in Puerto Vallarta while on vacation recently.

Artist's Dates, Morning Pages and Writing Tasks - The Journey Begins!

2010-02-11T08:25:00.000-08:00

Our first week of the Artist's Way with our new class has begun!

Students have gotten their (very gentle) marching orders:
1. Do an artist's date this week
2. Write morning pages (3 pages of nonstop, nonedited writing)
3. Do the tasks at the back of the first chapter
All to the degree that you can (trying to not awaken the perfectionist monster snoozing nearby for many of us).

So what is this artist's date you may have heard of?
• Time set aside (usually 1-2 hours) spent on yourself once a week.
• Time spent solo - others not allowed.
• A date with wonderful, fabulous YOU (your inner-artist - whatever that looks like for you).
The only rule? It has to be FUN for you.

Sometimes it takes us awhile to figure that out ... what fun is for us. I know for me I often could tell you what was fun for my friends, or my partner or my parents but ME? Fun for me? I would sit and think "hmmm, fun .... hmmm, fun" sometimes so long and so hard that my brain hurt. I had an acting teacher, George Lewis, say to me once, "it takes us awhile to use our imagination muscle but once you start, it gets stronger."

I realized that coming up with fun dates for myself did require me to tap into the imaginative side of myself - to think "what have I always wanted to do?" or "what do others do that I've thought might be fun?" or just to ask the universe to send me some ideas (the universe, when you ask, will show up in some of the most amazing ways).

So we're off and running (or more Julia-like taking "baby steps") - waking a little bleary telling ourselves "I'd rather roll over and go back to sleep but writing 3 pages of nonstop 'whatever' is the beginning of things shifting in my life." of us saying "oh heck, I'm going to just try this thing that might be fun and even if it's not I'll figure that out" and "hmmm, which tasks call to me or which ones do I want to avoid (might want to do those too)".

Here's to the ride - hope you all comment on your artist's date, morning page, task journey as we go!

Best,
Kate

Picture from artwork displayed at Puerto Vallarta airport.

Does Boogie Boarding Count?

2010-02-10T08:33:00.000-08:00

My last blog posting was that I felt called to go on a recent trip to Mexico and the synchronicity of having been fascinated (inexplicably) by surfing for months before, only to find out I'd have a perfect opportunity to surf in Mexico.

I arrived in Puerto Vallarta on a beautiful 85 degree day and made my way out of the airplane and into a sea of timeshare salesman who were trying to woo the ill-informed touristas of "free cab" rides. Note to self: nothing, absolutely nothing is "free". Having been warned by a friend to smile and move along, I ventured outside ready to start my vacation.

The hotel I was staying at was lovely, right on the beach and not far from old town. I arrived at 7:00 pm and scurried to the beach to meet what I pictured was going to be my surfing buddy. I lounged on the chaise, listening to Norah Jones' Come Away With Me (it's kinda old school but trust me it was perfect), read Paulo Coelho's Veronika Decides to Die (I KNOW but really it only sounds incongruous) and stared at the crashing waves for hours. I stumbled my way off to bed ready for my date with the sudsy, bathtub warm ocean.

The morning was stunning, another 85 degrees, grabbed a great, crazily cheap breakfast of fresh grapefruit juice, coffee, eggs, black beans, cheese and corn tortillas and then dashed excitedly to the beach (internally sticking my tongue out at my mother's voice of "you have to wait for a half hour!"). Since no surfboards were available at the hotel, I decided to start with a boogie board. I sauntered down the beach with shoulders back trying to look not like the total novice I felt like and paddled into the waves. I'd seen a handful of local 10 year old boys doing some amazing boogie boarding and figured "how hard could that be?" Second note to self.

The first day was amazing. I caught a number of incredible waves and the sound "WEEEEEEEEEE" spontaneously flew out of my mouth with me grinning ear to ear. Getting up semi-drunkenly after landing beach whale style on the sand, I threw myself back into the waves smiling back at my fellow wave enthusiasts with a feeling of "look at us doing so great!" An hour later, I made my way out with my sand filled bathing suit back to the treat of a hot shower and a relaxing pool float.

The second day was wellllllll... Let's just say that there is something about the universe liking to teach us a lesson when we get too boastful -- after the first day I ran into some friends who had asked how it had gone and I had rather proudly noted "I kicked *!@*$*$ if I do say so myself. I even kept up with the 10 years old local boys!" So the second day, as I was heading out again I noticed the waves seemed a little rougher (ok a lot rougher) - clue number 1 - and that instead of the handful of boys there were double that number. Clue number 2. But I wasn't wanting to listen to my intuition. I wanted what I wanted. So I made my way back into what I thought were my friends - the waves.

The first couple were fine and then the third one hit. And do I mean "hit". I couldn't have been in more than a few feet of water but instead of hitting the top of the crest of the wave the wave crashed down in the middle right on top of me - flinging my board into the air and 5 feet away with me tumbling and turning like a gymnast doing a floor exercise routine (only I didn't have a clue of the routine). I was slammed onto the shore with my hair playing peek a boo with my peepers, water nose plugged, wide eyed on my butt staring back at the waves like a spurned lover sputtering "are you kidding me? You were nothing like this yesterday!" I still refused to listen to that little voice (you know the one) and instead thought "come on, I can DO this" and more slowly this time trudged back into the water, like heading back to fight with the bully you know is going to kick your proverbial you know what.

The fourth wave was a doozy. Again, the familiar board flying, me twisting and turning only this time the additional fun of my stomach slicing across the sandy beach which felt like it had turned to gravel. There I am, beach sidelined lying on my side, grasping my life raft board, waves continuing to taunt me with their pounding surf, me staring down at my now red, splotchy stomach and scratched up arm. This time I hear it. The once wee voice said very clearly "GET OUT OF THE WATER NOW KATE". Sometimes that voice has to get pretty darn loud for me to listen, but listen I did.

I sat on the beach watching the other boogie boarders and pondered the last few weeks. I thought about how thinking about getting to surf was the thing that helped me hit the "accept" button on my trip ticket. It was the thing that got me here. Because of that, I had some amazing other synchronicity events occur.
I mean amazing.

So there I was thinking "hmmmm I don't think I'm now going to surf". I thought "this is good, though. You listened to yourself to take the chance and go to a place you have never been, to try something you have never done and then to really listen to yourself when you were over your head (literally)."

So "does Boogie Boarding count?"
To quote the 10 year old boys, I say "hell yes" it does.

Best, Kate

It began with the image of a surfboard ...

2010-01-24T12:57:00.001-08:00

It caught my eye ... the surfboard.

I was flicking through several magazines in the middle of the Artist's Way class I was teaching trying to find just the right images to put in my collage. The instruction I gave the class was to find images that "spoke" to them and not to judge why ... just clip and paste. I was trying to follow my own guidelines when I saw the surfboard and thought "hmmmm". Surfboard? Are you kidding me? Why am I drawn to a surfboard? But I stilled the questioning voice with the thought of "just clip and paste ... just clip and paste ... just trust the desire." So clip and paste I did - along with other more conscious, understandable images - a couple dancing, a big bowl of a delicious salad, a girl terrified but excited about to jump off a diving board, a woman playing a guitar, a stunning red dress, a woman kissing a dashing Spanish man ... now THOSE I got ... but a surfboard?

Now mind you I'm not some transplanted California beach girl ... nope. Born and bred, Seattle rain girl, who swims with her head above the water because she's never mastered the whole "no water up your nose thing", whose belly still goes a little wobbly whenever she sees someone dive off the diving board hearkening back to one too many belly flops. As the weeks progressed, I kept hearing the inner wee voice I've learned to listen to say "get that surfing movie". So order it I did, two surfing movies in fact, one a fictionalized not very good "girl surf flick" and the other an amazing documentary on the history of surfing (the name escapes me) which was totally inspiring in a "there's still no way in the world I could do it" way.

Fast forward two months later to being invited by some friends to go to Puerta Vallarta in a few weeks to join them at a meditation conference. Again I listened to that inner pull to "say yes" and began planning to go. The next week ran into another woman who was going to the same conference who added "oh and you should come with us a few days after the conference to go Sayulita." She went onto say "One of the women going with us teaches beginners to learn how to surf and Sayulita apparently has the best waves for beginning surfers." I couldn't help but smile and think "that is hysterical ... of course there will be surfing and I'm being invited to go".

Synchronicity (synchronicity defined as the experience of two or more events that are causally unrelated occurring together in a meaningful manner) is a powerful phenomenon and one that I've continued to experience time and time again as I've gone through the Artist's Way material. There is something profound that continues to happen as I just listen to what inspires and excites me - doors open, new connections are made, surfboards appear.

Wishing you all your own unique surfboard stories and abundant synchronous moments.

Surfs up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--BQ8DeLf9s&feature=related

-Kate

Morning Inspiration

2010-01-21T17:09:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it is the little things that inspire me.

Gabrielle Bouliane

2010-01-19T09:42:00.000-08:00

Here's an incredible post of a woman, Gabrielle Bouliane (Austin Poetry Slam) writing about the importance of acting on your life's dreams:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gePQuE-7s8c

Artist's Way Dates are Now Confirmed

2010-01-02T13:09:00.000-08:00

Carol Battistoni and I are pleased to announce the dates for our winter Artist's Way Class ...

Start your New Year right with changes that will last!

THE ARTIST'S WAY with Carol Battistoni and Kate Gavigan

The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron is an international bestseller on the subject of creativity. Whether you are an artist or not, this book and class can be an incredibly useful resource to tap into your creative side which can benefit many parts of your lives. The 2 hour a week 12 week long class will take students through the 12 chapters with an emphasis on the accompanying chapter exercises and additional creativity exercises and strategies (i.e. meditation tools and more). This material works with everyone, no matter how dormant or energized their creative life may be, and enhances their ability to be more fully and genuinely themselves.

February 8 - April 26
Mondays, 6:00 - 8:00 pm
$250 for 12 week course
Students are required to purchase their own book of The Artist's Way
Class will be held at Carol Battistoni's office:
The Healing Edge
4010 Stone Way North, Suite 200, Seattle

Kate Gavigan is passionate about The Artist's Way having personally experienced the benefits of the materials. Kate worked in social services as a trainer for over 10 years when she found herself drawn to the material in The Artist's Way, which helped her uncover a passion for theatre and marketing the arts. She credits her mid-life career change (now working at her dream job as a PR Manager at a theater) to having gone through The Artist's Way. is passionate about The Artist's Way having personally experienced the benefits of the materials. Kate worked in social services as a trainer for over 10 years when she found herself drawn to the material in The Artist's Way, which helped her uncover a passion for theatre and marketing the arts. She credits her mid-life career change (now working at her dream job as a PR Manager at a theater) to having gone through The Artist's Way.

Carol Battistoni studied art as an undergraduate which helped her to realize the importance of art and self expression to the human psyche. Carol’s undergraduate experiences lead her to studying counseling psychology and expressive arts therapy. Carol is currently practicing as a Psychotherapist in Seattle and continues to explore the process of making art as a vehicle to knowing oneself more intimately.

TO REGISTER: Pay by check and send to Carol Battistoni, 4010 Stone Way North, Suite 200, Seattle 98103 or credit card via paypal at Carol’s website: http://www.thehealingedge.net/resources.htm
$75.00 nonrefundable deposit is required to secure a space in the class
Questions: Contact Kate Gavigan at kmgavigan@gmail.com

Welcome

2009-12-13T15:57:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the first posting of the Seattle Artist's Way Blog!

We are very excited to begin to share with you (and to hear from you) about the wonders that can be found in the Artist's Way material. This blog will give Carol Battistoni (my fellow Artist Way instructor) and myself an opportunity to give you updates about Artist's Way news, inspirational stories, links to inspiring Artist's Way like videos/talks by other "searching" folks, plus much more.

Our hope is that we will be able to help you in some way as you begin the process of exploring your wants, dreams, wishes for your life. We have been honored to be able to witness amazing changes in others as they begin to investigate what excites or calls to them and then to see the incredible synchronicity that happens as they make baby steps in that direction.

We hope to be able to support you in your creative journey and, in the spirit of a quote by Stella Terrill Mann, look forward to cheer you on as you ...

Desire, ask, believe, receive.