Head in The Clouds
An evening of meditation and mindfulness to ignite inspiration and creativity from within.
In this blog post, I am sharing the ins and outs of the first ever art workshop (the first of many) I hosted in my studio. It feels strange to call it a “workshop” as I didn’t feel like a teacher at all. Instead of the approach of “I’m the expert, follow my instruction”, the intention was to help the attendees to unleash their own artist within by igniting true inspiration using visualisation.
I named the event “Head in Clouds” because I wanted to use the theme of the sky as an anchor…
It also served as an anchor for me to set the scene!
I made my own cloud light installations to create the vibe!
The evening went like this:
Cacao ceremony
Sharing circle
Guided meditation
PAINT AND SIP!
On arrival, everybody got a cup of hot cacao. Cacao is the rawest form of chocolate and is classed as a superfood. When consumed in a ritualistic way and with intention, it is believed to increase focus and awareness while opening up the heart centre. We sat around in a circle and talked about the things that felt heavy and what we wanted let go. Now, I know this doesn’t sound very artsy or creative, but I think it’s very important in the creative process. To be vulnerable and create space in the mind and body, more positive emotions can come through such as joy and gratitude. I know, that the heavier things that weigh on our minds have served as great catalyst for brilliant artwork, but I want everybody who comes into my doors to leave with art that will always take them back to a good place, rather than reminding them of something that was bringing them down!
After dumping our minds, we proceeded with a visual meditation, guided by myself. I don’t think I have mentioned it on this website before, but for those who don’t already know, meditation has been a huge and consistent part of my life for the last 5 years. In fact, it was thorough my own spiritual and meditation journey that I uncovered my innate gift of painting and it gave me the courage to pursue all my creative ideas.
After the visual meditation, it was time to paint!
The painting in the front was my sky…
And you know what I love about it?! Before I took this photo, the blinds were shut (to create the ambiance). It was only after we opened them that I realised I painted with the exact same colours of the sky that evening! This was totally unintentional, but another reminder of how in tune and connected we are with our surroundings when we drop out of the mind and into the body.
It was such a beautiful night, great conversation, drinks flowing (It’s bring your own too!!), warm and lighthearted. And here were the results…
See how wildly different each piece was? Some of them haven’t touched a paint brush since high school and when I asked if they needed help or guidance, they said “no, I’ve got this!”.
All of these painting told a story about what was going on inside of themselves, their own unique truth. It makes me so happy that I was able to create a space where they felt safe enough to express that.
“Head in The Clouds” is a theme I will continue, but as I grow, I will introducing new themes and mindful practices.
If you are interested in attending an Erica Pham Art event in the future, then be sure to sign up to my mailing list to be the first to be notified of future events and get first dibs on tickets!
If you have any thoughts, then leave a comment. I would love to hear them!
