After the Workshop

There is often a heightened inner life in the days and weeks after the workshop, and the reentry can sometimes be very challenging, especially for longer retreats. The comments below are culled from many years of experiencing and witnessing the workshop ramifications, and we hope they're helpful in holding the process (and yourself) with care and lightness during the upcoming period.

This work has been likened to dropping a stone into the waters of the unconscious, and there will be ripples appearing in your life for some time to come. These may be especially strong the first week or two after the workshop ends, so we recommend that you give yourself as much quiet time as possible for integration.

The act of spontaneous expression, and the insights that frequently follow, can create new perceptions of one's self, one's relationships, and one's environment. Surges of love and joy, and a sensitivity to beauty and color are common. Memories and dreams may be triggered that continue to trickle up to consciousness. Also feelings of appreciation, wonder and pleasure, as well a sense of great expansion and freedom.

As with any opening that is beyond the normal range, there can also be the "rubber band effect" - a reflex contraction that is part of the re-balancing process. It's not uncommon to feel exhausted emotionally and physically after a period of such intensity. There may be swings in your energy and openness, and it's not unusual to feel vulnerable and raw, as well as temporarily empty or flat. You may be a little oversensitive, even to the point of being reactive to others, especially those close to you. Your ability to be non-judgmental and self-loving are important during these times, and these swings will settle down as the experience becomes more integrated. Real change naturally involves periods of uncertainty, and this time after the workshop is of great value if you understand it as part of the process.

See other participant's comments about the painting process!

Painting at Home

Painting at home is an especially rewarding time spent with yourself. It can be viewed much like a meditation practice as a way of deepening your connection to the creative source. It is helpful to get started as soon as possible, while the experience is still fresh. Also making a 'painting date' with someone else who has done the work before can lend a mutual support to your commitment. Find a private wall where you can leave your painting (or set up easily), and give yourself the permission to paint for even short periods. An easy setup is to keep your paints in a container in the fridge, so that you pull it out at a moments notice. The coolness keeps the paints fresh, especially if they are moistened and covered.

Don't stop if you are stuck! That can make it hard to get back to the painting. Probably the biggest challenge at home is completing before moving on. If you start to lose momentum at home, try challenging yourself more at the point of completion.

Destroying and Covering
There is inevitably a moment in your painting when judgment arises and you would like to cover, redo, fix, rip (or burn!) your painting. These moments are often pivotal in your overall process and will lead to new avenues of discovery if handled with integrity. In the spirit of respect, consider everything that has been born from your brush as worthy of its place. This will require you to move beyond the narrow confines of liking and disliking.

Interpretation
Try not analyzing or interpreting the contents of your paintings. This means being willing to live in the mystery. Remember - any story the mind creates is too small for you.

Completion
The moment of completion is one of most important times in the process. Completion is not about protecting or abandoning or being bored. Your willingness to inquire at the moment of completion will greatly facilitate your own discovery. The most exciting times in the process often happen after you think you are finished!

Sacred Space
Your studio, however simple, is a sacred space of exploration. Your painting environment is a sanctuary of freedom, feeling and focus. It's worth the effort to make it special.

Integration
Much inner work continues between your painting sessions. It's helpful to acknowledge this and pay attention to what arises outside of painting times.

What to Do with Your Paintings
We recommend keeping your paintings in a safe and private place, preferably flat. Many people find it informative and inspiring to look at the paintings in chronological order at a later date - hours, days or months after the workshop. It is often possible get a sense of your journey that you were not aware of during your time painting. If kept protected and dry, the paintings will last for decades.

Showing Your Paintings

Your completed paintings are the visible remains of an inner journey. The greater part of what happened during your experience lies below the surface, and therefore can only be shared with others indirectly.

If and how you share your paintings with others is an individual choice that will be influenced by your feeling at the time. It is helpful to consider your motives for showing them, and what you want from others in return. Very often someone will feel truly inspired from seeing and hearing about your journey. It is also possible to feel somewhat deflated if your friend or loved one does not respond with the depth of appreciation you feel your experience deserves, or even worse, with judgment and criticism.

The paintings are a visual journal of your private explorations, and need not be shown. The important thing to hold in mind is the validity of your own experience regardless of other's opinions.