Creative Practice Monday sees the first in an art video series exploring personal divinity.
Why Paint Goddess Faces?
The aim of this series is to demonstrate how we can bring the goddess within each of us to life, through creative expression – in this instance as an art journal page.
Creating the portraits is a practice which allows us to come face to face with our own numinosity. It lets us realise our true beauty. Through each portrait, we are able to see the the resplendence of the cosmos reflected back to us via our powerful unconscious.
Each time we undertake an exercise like this, we are expressing our true self – our wholeness. When we undertake a series of exercises like this, we reveal different aspects of our self, and become more familiar with our personal symbolism and archetypes.
The purpose of all relationships is to become conscious and to awaken love.” Mary Elizabeth Marlow, Emerging Woman
It’s an especially powerful exercise for women working towards an improved self-esteem or on a path of self-discovery. It will help you strengthen your relationship with self, raise your conscious and nurture your loving self.
The First Goddess Within Portrait
What you didn’t see on the video (because I forgot to press record!) was me adding some further detail with oil pastels and some alphabet stickers to spell out the Goddess message, “Let the soul speak.”
Confused about the role of the Goddess?
I was unsure about the role of the Goddess in my life for many years. I danced around her, recognising her historical role but not quite understanding her contemporary significance. Were we supposed to worship her? Did my honouring of the Divine Feminine necessitate camp fires and dancing skyclad under the silvery moon?
I read works by Germaine Greer and Emma Restall Orr, Deepak Chopra and Clarissa Pinkola Estes, John O’Donohue and Carl Jung (and many many more.) I watched documentaries from the Open University and built altars in my home. Yet, I was still confused about my own personal relationship with the Goddess.
My friend Amy Palko is a Goddess Guide and I learned a lot from her about the relevance of the goddess in our time and place. With her guidance, I eventually figured out what it could mean to investigate these archetypes and apply their energy to help make sense of my own life.
But what really made the power of the Goddess work for me was my own acceptance that I already hold the Goddess within me. Every single Goddess that humanity has given a name to – from the Greek Hestia to the Hindu Kali, resides within me (and you.) And I can choose to honour her and bring her to life any time I wish.
That’s what this project is about for me. That’s why I’m choosing to bring forth the Goddess aspect (as opposed to any other theme) in each episode of this portrait series. They’re really portraits of my self. Each a reflection of my world within and without.
I need your help!
I’d really appreciate your support for this new venture. If you like the video, be sure to
- subscribe to Julie Gibbons Creative on YouTube and you’ll be automagially notified when a new one is released
- give me a thumbs up – just click the thumbs up icon
- share the video on G+ (click share underneath the video for access to social media channels)
- pin any of the images on your pinterest board (hover on the images to see the Pin It button)
- share this post on your Facebook page (link at the top and bottom of this post)
Thank you! May the goddess bless you this day and remind you of your beauty xo
Goddess Portrait Supplies List
Reeves watercolour paper 190gsm : 305 x 229mm (90lb : 12″ x 9″)
Plastic embroidery mat (used as background stencil)
Dylusions ink spray : pure sunshine
Dylusions ink spray : vibrant turqoise
Dylusions ink spray : fresh lime
Adirondack color wash : butterscotch
Adirondack color wash : cranberry
Pergamano white pencil – 29203
Caran D’ache Neocolor II : white
Caran D’ache Neocolor II : olive
Caran D’ache Neocolor II : ochre
Caran D’ache Neocolor II : malachite green
Caran D’ache Neocolor II : yellow
Caran D’ache Neocolor II : light grey
Caran D’ache Neocolor II : brown
Caran D’ache Neocolor II : russet
Caran D’ache Neocolor II : black
Caran D’ache Neocolor II : purple
KFong oil pastel : black
KFong oil pastel : deep madder
KFong oil pastel : yellow orange
KFong oil pastel : white
Papermania birdsong cardstock stickers
Great to see you exploring your inner goddess Julie, lovely video 🙂
Cheers, Rachel – always a worthwhile exercise, hey? xo
Dear Julie,
I am a member of your wonderful class Mandala Magic. Althought I have only completed the first mandala (I am working on the 2nd mandala tonight!), I have to tell you that your class is simply wonderful. Thank you so much for creating this sacred space.
When I read your post yesterday, my jaw dropped. I started a mandala series 3 weeks ago on the Goddesses. On one side of the page I made a mandala inspired by the energy of a Goddess, and on the other page is a drawing of the Goddess herself. I just thought it was amazing that, in a certain way, we had the same idea.
Just shows that we are all connected!
Namaste,
Isabelle
How marvellous that you are also tying the goddess energy in with your mandala work, Isabelle 🙂 It’s quite amazing the synchronicity that occurs. Thanks for visiting here today – see you in the course 🙂 xo
I’m just poking around your website watching videos and enjoying seeing your work evolve. I’m very interested in exploring the goddess within at the moment; I’m reading Goddesses in Everywoman by Jean Shinoda Bolen which I’m finding fascinating, so of course I then stumbled on this page. 🙂 What is the music that accompanies this video? I loved it.
Teehee, Tara – I’m reading the same book right now (in between a few others, of course!) It especially suits my Jungian background…
The Soundtrack for the video is 108 Names of Divine Mother, Paul Avgerinos. There is also an excellent version of it available for download by Craig Preuss. Enjoy! (and thanks for visiting)