This touch drawing is taken from a series I did after journeying to see the Oracle for advice about my path forward with my art.
I was at a crossroads on my artists path, unable to decide whether to focus on creating beautiful landscapes (definitely a ‘should’ in there) or really develop my shamanic art from my journeys (what truly makes my heart sing!).
I realised that it is so important when we make decisions that we do so consciously and from a place of freedom, from the small everyday ones to the real big whoppers that will change your life forever.
To do this we need to be conscious and mindful of what ‘maps’ we have picked up and are using to inform our dream, whether they be inherited (familial, cultural, racial) or self created.
For me making my decision was conflicted as I had all sorts of inherited maps about what an artist and art ‘should’ be, and whilst I was consciously aware of them and didn’t agree with them, were still operating behind the scenes.
I had a choice of going with painting landscapes – a very acceptable form of art that most people can relate to and not be too threatened by. Or to go with developing my shamanic art, which is a lot more personal, visible and something I hold very sacred.
I was given two questions to help with making these kind of decisions and future ones (your guides won’t tell you what to do, as much as we may want them to sometimes!):
– Which would you choose if you take all ‘fear’ & ‘should’ related feelings out of the decision making process?
– If you were to die tomorrow which one would you regret not doing?
Doing this allowed me to make my decision from a place of freedom, free to choose what I truly wanted to do and that which made my heart sing. (Shamanic art won – in case you were wondering!)
– How many decisions a day (even seemingly trivial ones) do you unconsciously make from a place of fear or whilst referencing from maps that are not yours?
– How is this reflected outward in your life?
For me this is the ultimate gift of the shamanic path- to be truly free and self referencing, to live from a place of connection and love rather than fear, and most importantly to help others do this too.
