In Episode 1 of Spacious Creative, Cindy Ingram and Heather Doyle Fraser explore how creativity has shaped and shown up in their lives. For both, being creative isn’t something that “happened” to them; it is an identity that has been with them as far back as they can remember: early childhood. During this time, creating wasn’t hard or challenging—it was a joy and a comfort and a place of freedom.

This beginning place of ease and contentment didn’t remain static. After exploring these beginning experiences with creativity, Heather and Cindy walk us through how they navigated being creative over their lives: the natural ebbs and flows and the imposed expansions and contractions that we all experience as creatives, artists, and writers.

What we experience in our early lives is often indicative of the passions and pursuits that enthrall us as adults, though, if we can allow ourselves to follow and trust those inclinations. We all have a story of creativity and how we began our creative journey, and although Heather and Cindy’s journeys might have different details, the broad brushstrokes might bear a striking resemblance to your experiences. Here are some of the brushstrokes these two creatives explore in their conversation:

• Early childhood creativity had a clear impact on lifelong artistic pursuits.
• Inspiration came in many forms and there are clear and distinct childhood memories, like drawing, painting, making up stories, “writing” before you could write, and arranging spaces to feel comfortable and safe.
• The influence of encouragement and discouragement on sharing creativity and artistic endeavors.
• Navigating perfectionism and its effect on the creative process.
• Using art to process emotions and experiences during adolescence
• Personal stories and reflections on the role of creativity in self-expression and growth.
• We sometimes stop creating for ourselves when our society deems it impractical, but we can come back to these endeavors over time when we begin to trust ourselves and our creativity again.

To register for our workshop on July 24, Trust Your Why: Your Creative Comfort Zone Needs You, click this link!

Click here to subscribe to our substack!

The post Introducing Spacious Creative – Episode 1: Our Creative Roots appeared first on Cindy Ingram | Artist. Coach. Creative Soul Guide..

Artwork Discussed

In this engaging podcast episode, Melissa Cox joins me to discuss the artwork Coping by Nicole Eisenman. 

Here’s a bulleted list of what we discussed in this episode, thanks to our friend Chat GPT.

• The feeling of being worn down by internal struggles or long-term challenges
• Reflections on hope and despair, and the isolation it can bring
• The importance of representation and seeing possibilities for different choices
• Personal anecdotes illustrating the impact of representation on decision-making
• Discovering one’s neurodiversity and the journey of self-acceptance and accommodation
• The need for radical acceptance and compassion for oneself and others
• Coping mechanisms and harm reduction strategies in facing life’s challenges
• Externalizing internal struggles through creative mediums like art and fan fiction
• The evolving nature of long-term friendships and the acceptance of change
• The therapeutic value of art and conversation in processing emotions and experiences
• The role of verbal processing and receiving feedback in personal growth and problem-solving
• Understanding the dynamics of evolving friendships and accepting change over time
• Embracing compassion for oneself and others, and reframing past judgments
• Using art as a medium for self-reflection, externalizing internal struggles, and seeking new perspectives
• Recognizing the importance of community in reducing isolation and realizing shared experiences
• Setting explicit boundaries and needs for personal well-being

Links:

• Watch this episode on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/artandselfcindy/videos/471458611941506/
• Watch this episode on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/events/podcastlivestreamwithmelissacox7198400028728573952/comments/
• Watch this episode on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAIpKTn3yCo
• Join Art Church – https://cindyingram.com/art-church/
• Enroll in the Art Connection Circle – https://cindyingram.com/circle
• Buy my Book – Art Is About Being Whole: A Memoir – https://geni.us/ArtIsAboutBeingWhole
• Art and Self on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube 

Melissa Cox’s Contact Info

• Facebook: Melissa Cox – https://www.facebook.com/melissa.cox.7549
• Facebook Page: Living With Disaster – https://www.facebook.com/livingwithdisasterArtist
• Facebook Group: Living With Disaster – https://www.facebook.com/groups/2154024138072188/
• Instagram: living_with_disaster

The post on coping, compassion, and accommodation with Melissa Cox appeared first on Cindy Ingram | Artist. Coach. Creative Soul Guide..

Artwork Discussed

Links Mentioned

• Allison Crow
• Eisley Hallows Shadow Study
• No Bad Parts by Richard Schwartz ** affiliate link
• Art Connection Circle
• Art and Self on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube 
• Art Is About Being Whole: A Memoir

The post exploring internal parts and shadows in Naudline Pierre’s painting appeared first on Cindy Ingram | Artist. Coach. Creative Soul Guide..

You’ve seen this work play out in my book, Art Is About Being Whole, and my program the Art Connection Circle, but now, I am diving even deeper in the possibilities of this spiritual connection I have with art.

Ever since being introduced to the work of Vanessa Zoltan (check out the podcast interview I did with Vanessa at this link) author of Praying with Jane Eye and host of Harry Potter and the Sacred Text podcast, I’ve been on the look out for a secular text that I could use as a sacred text. Her work resonates so deeply with my own work with art, but I haven’t found the right text for me.

Until now!

Introducing… Art Church!

I recently purchased The Diary of Frida Kahlo: An Intimate Self-Portrait, and the minute I pulled it out of the box, it was just oozing with energy. It felt so precious and sacred to see her thoughts and sketches and feelings spelled out in her own hand. I knew it was the right book.

And instead of keeping this work to myself, I am inviting you into with a new monthly free program, Art Church. 

Art Church is a secular yet spiritual program that delves into the profound depths of Frida Kahlo’s art, treating her artworks and diaries as sacred texts.

In our free monthly, live sessions and in our discussions in the accompanying Facebook Group, we will draw inspiration from Frida’s life and art for our own self-discovery and growth. This group is a sanctuary for individuals to connect deeply with themselves, each other, and the insights woven within Kahlo’s vibrant body of work.

Details:

Date: 4th Thursday of each month, starting March 28
Time: 7-8pm ET (convert to your time zone)
Register Here:

Facebook Group (not required!):  https://www.facebook.com/groups/artchurch

The sessions will be streamed into the Facebook Group so if you can’t make it live, you will have access the recordings that way.

I am so excited to begin this work with you. See you soon!

The post Praying with Frida in Art Church appeared first on Cindy Ingram | Artist. Coach. Creative Soul Guide..

Join me as I make a block print of a heart and talk about why I don’t plan on pursuing an official autism diagnosis.

** Please subscribe to be notified of future vlogs!

Here are the links I mentioned today:

(Commissions Earned)

• Art is About Being Whole: A Memoir – My book!
• Join the Art Connection Circle
• Easy Cut Lino Block
• Speedball Brayer
• Speedball Linoleum Cutter
• Liquitex Basics Acrylic – Cadmium Red Deep

The post Why I Don’t Plan on Pursuing on Official Autism Diagnosis | The Artsy Autistic Vlog #5 appeared first on Cindy Ingram | Artist. Coach. Creative Soul Guide..

In this video while painting a new zine about autism, I talk about how I dismantled my mask of “smart” and “having it all together.”

** Please subscribe to be notified of future vlogs!

Here are the links I mentioned today:

(Commissions Earned)

• Art is About Being Whole: A Memoir – My book! https://geni.us/ArtIsAboutBeingWhole

The post Unmasking Autism: Smashing the Illusion of Smart & “Having it All Together” | Artsy Autistic Vlog #4 appeared first on Cindy Ingram | Artist. Coach. Creative Soul Guide..

Today as I finish my Autism Discovery ‘Zine, I talk about allll the feelings I have felt over the last few weeks since the realization that I am autistic!

** Please subscribe to be notified of future vlogs!

Here are the links I mentioned today:

(Commissions Earned)

• Art is About Being Whole: A Memoir – My book! https://geni.us/ArtIsAboutBeingWhole
• Book – Unmasking Autism by Devon Price – https://amzn.to/3Sa2SLS
• Laureen Mally – https://www.facebook.com/LaureenClair.Witch
• My Favorite Scissors – https://amzn.to/48Vvoqt

The post How I’ve Felt Since I Learned I’m Autistic + My Finished ‘Zine! | The Artsy Autistic Vlog #3 appeared first on Cindy Ingram | Artist. Coach. Creative Soul Guide..

My recent self-realization of autism has me reeling with many emotions, but I’ve finally hit a more euphoric, curious feeling after a few days of struggle. The feeling is not unlike how it feels when I get a brilliant idea in the middle of the night about a work of art or writing that I’ve been processing.

On this quest to find the perfect word for this wild transformative thing going on, my husband throws in “epiphany,” and I’m like, “Yes Epiphany!”

Such a good word.

That’s what it is. I’m living in epiphany—noticing all the things about my autistic family, how my brain works, and thinking of a flood of examples from my whole life that can now be explained with this one word, autism.

Please subscribe to be notified of future vlogs!

Here are the links I mentioned today:

(Commissions Earned)

• Art is About Being Whole: A Memoir – My book! https://geni.us/ArtIsAboutBeingWhole
• Book – Unmasking Autism by Devon Price – https://amzn.to/3Sa2SLS
• Art Connection Circle – https://cindyingram.com/circle
• Feelings Wheel – https://feelingswheel.com
• Pencil Gripper – https://amzn.to/3NX21fg

The post Living in the Epiphany of My Autism Diagnosis and the Creative Process | The Artsy Autistic Vlog #2 appeared first on Cindy Ingram | Artist. Coach. Creative Soul Guide..

Join me as I process my recent self-realization that I am autistic while I make a zine mixed media collage artwork about my autism realization!

Please subscribe to be notified of future vlogs!

Here are the links I mentioned:

#CommissionsEarned

• Art is About Being Whole: A Memoir – My book! https://geni.us/ArtIsAboutBeingWhole
• Book – Unmasking Autism by Devon Price – https://amzn.to/3Sa2SLS
• zine artist, Erin Ware – https://www.instagram.com/p/CwDfdxOOkxj/?hl=en
• Self-Diagnostic Autism Tests – https://embrace-autism.com/autism-tests/
• Spoon Theory – https://butyoudontlooksick.com/articles/written-by-christine/the-spoon-theory/

Art Supplies Used/Shown:

• Glue Sticks (UHU) – https://amzn.to/3RPV4O9
• Collage Book – https://amzn.to/3HaY6HM
• Posca Markers – https://amzn.to/3RRtaS5
• Lino-cut Block – https://amzn.to/48mApZf (not the brand I have, but same thing)
• Matte Medium – https://amzn.to/48DLsNc

The post The Artsy Autistic Vlog #1: How I Discovered I am Actually Autistic appeared first on Cindy Ingram | Artist. Coach. Creative Soul Guide..

Artwork Discussed

Links Mentioned

• Jamie’s Website – Inner Revolution
• December 5 and 7 Workshop: Art as Oracle: How to Connect with Art for Creative Self-Discovery
• Art Connection Circle – January to April, 2024
• Art and Self on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube 
• Art Is About Being Whole: A Memoir

The post How Art Teaches Us to Embrace the Discomfort of Vulnerability with Dr. Jamie English appeared first on Cindy Ingram | Artist. Coach. Creative Soul Guide..