it's here. it's FINALLY here! i am so excited to officially announce that art & alchemy's FIRST COURSE is now live in our community! 🪄🎨THE ARTIST WITHIN🎨🪄 this course is for you if: - you've lost touch with your creativity and don't know how to get it back - you have ideas, gifts, and things to express but keep getting in your own way - your inner critic is louder than your creative voice - you're a sensitive creative who's been waiting for permission to fully express yourself - you're ready to do the real inner work behind the art i poured so much time, intention, and love into every word, every module, and every homework assignment. i wanted to create something real. something deep. something that meets you where you are and helps you remember who you've always been as an artist. each module has a lesson and a creative homework assignment. you'll be making collages, writing stories, recording videos, creating rituals, and sharing your work right here in this community. and i'll be right here doing it with you. you'll see my posts alongside yours. i also want your honest feedback as you go through each module. what resonated? what didn't? what do you wish there was more of? your feedback helps me make this better for everyone who comes after you. this course is completely free! it always will be. because i believe this work should be accessible to every sensitive creative who needs it. so start when you're ready. go at your own pace. do the assignments. share your work. show up for yourself. uplift others. head to the classroom tab and click: the artist within 🦋 i cannot wait to see what you create, discover, and become. let's do this together. 🌙 with so much love and excitement, shaki 🦋

the most consistent artists i know don't wait for inspiration to strike, they create the conditions for it. that's what a creative routine does. it's not about being rigid or disciplined in a harsh way, it's about signaling to yourself: "it's safe to create now." for me, one of the first things i have to do before i create is write. not a song or lyrics, just whatever is on my mind. a brain dump. a stream of consciousness. because as a musician and songwriter, i can't access what i really want to say if my mind is cluttered with everything else. and oddly, sometimes i get inspiration from something i wrote. writing clears the space for me, like emptying a full cup before you can pour something new in. and once that's done, the creative channel opens up. i think every artist should have or does have something like this- a ritual, a habit, a "thing" they have to do before they can really create. even if it seems silly or superstitious. maybe it's making a specific playlist. or lighting a candle. or going for a walk first. or maybe it's making tea and sitting in silence for five minutes. whatever it is, it matters. because creativity isn't just a mental act, it's a full body, full soul experience. and sometimes we need a little signaling to get there. what's your creative routine? what's something you have to do before you can really create, even if it seems weird or small? or if you don't have one yet, what would you like to start doing? drop it below. i want to know!🪄

✨ welcome, alchemists ✨ i want to take a moment to welcome a couple of our newer souls in art & alchemy…who have also been showing up so consistently in this space- @Michael Edwards and @Melvinia Ford🎨🌀 the way you’ve been sharing, engaging, and being open here hasn’t gone unnoticed. it really adds to the energy of this community. this space is all about art, curiosity, transformation, and spirituality…and you both embody that so naturally. it means a lot to have you here, truly🤍 i’d love to open this up a little, ✨ what kind of art have you been feeling called to explore lately? ✨ what has your current season of life been teaching you? everyone feel free to share too👀 this space grows through all of us

I love to share art. These are some of my paintings. Michael Edwards Left to right Spiritual Mirror Stallion Whales Gate

what is consciousness?🌙 i've been exploring this question with curiosity and an open mind, and i'm learning that everyone defines it differently. for me: consciousness is awareness. i believe our conscious and biological minds are separate. our biology makes some decisions for us, but our consciousness - our inner awareness - is what makes us human. and i think art is one of the ways we explore consciousness - when we create, we're making the unconscious conscious. we're expressing awareness itself. i'm still forming my own interpretation of what consciousness is, but reading, watching, and listening to how other people explain it has helped me shape my own understanding. currently watching: https://youtu.be/aynzcAYnnJU?si=98su1-azDa1K-sb0 a panel of scientists (including one philosopher) use their areas of expertise to define - in their own words - what consciousness is. what do you think it is?🌀