How did I arrive at my decision to register for the inaugural fall trimester at the Vienna Academy of Visionary Arts?  Some have asked, and so I’ll do my best to answer here.  I’m sure this has been a lifetime (or more) in the making, but here are some of the more recent guideposts.

First, people have been encouraging me to join Facebook for years … but I was scared that it would go against my ongoing efforts to simplify my life.  Had I never joined Facebook, however, I don’t know if the Universe would have found another way to inform me of this brand new school that I’m obviously meant to attend – I’d like to think that it would, but that it didn’t need to because it gradually led me into letting go of my resistance to being a part of the Facebook world.

You see, in the recent past, Facebook came out with their Pages to help businesses network with their clients – something that was in line with my priorities as an emerging artist in Newfoundland.  I soon found out that with just a Page, I could avoid some of the challenges I had feared while taking baby steps into social networking.  Interestingly, I did experience some frustration at the fact that I couldn’t explore the Facebook Energism Art Group that a fellow artist in Saskatoon had told me about when she informed me that there was a whole movement of artists out there with a similar purpose and energetic feel to their work. Joining groups is something only individual members can do – not business Pages. My curiosity was peaked, but still, that wasn’t enough for me to join.  Fear is a powerful thing…

Then, in January, I went to pick up an order of supplies at a local art shop and my friend Leslie, who gave me a ride, wanted to browse, so I did too (I’m not a browser, so that was unusual).  My eye caught sight of the book “Brave Intuitive Painting” by Flora Bowley, an artist whose process is very similar to mine. This was the kind of book I would have liked to have written– even some of the chapter titles were some that had been brewing in my mind and in my workshops.  When I found out she offered an e-course, I told one of my blog-followers in Hawaii about it since she had expressed disappointment that my workshops had been so far.  She immediately signed up.  At this point, I was extremely busy and so I didn’t even explore the e-course website, but I did contact the artist to thank her for her book and to tell her of the synchronicities.  Between her replies and my reading about the course, I ended up signing up and what an incredible journey that was (recorded on Facebook). To be able to network with my Bloom True classmates though, I needed to join Facebook as an individual, so this time I did (and my years of fear around that led to some weird technical challenges and a few stressful nights, but I’m over most of that now).  Just to let you know, I activated the settings that block “friend” requests in order to not be too overwhelmed all at once.  Instead, I focus my Facebook time on the “Energism Art” and “Bloom True E-Course” groups, and now also on the Vienna Academy of Visionary Arts private group, where I’m getting to know my future classmates and getting tips before moving to Austria for 4 months.  There are days when Facebook consumes several hours of my precious time, but it’s worth it, and I’m slowly learning how to filter what’s not needed or desired.  Life is truly an ongoing opportunity to grow, learn, and “feel the fear and do it anyway”.  So that’s my journey into Facebook, which led to my finding out about the school.

OK – let’s put Facebook aside as I bring in the magical world of vision boards.  As the year started, I made a consciously planned Vision Board outlining my priorities for the year.

Looking at it daily was instrumental in my joining the Bloom True E-Course, a decision I’ll never regret.  My art is my passion and my continued learning in that field is a top priority.  The visual reminders of that helps to make decisions in line with those priorities.  A few weeks later, my friend Corie asked to have another vision board gathering like I had organized in 2012, and so we got together and this time I created an intuitive board – the kind that gives no time or space for thinking and planning, and the type I’ll be teaching at the upcoming Body, Mind, and Spirit Retreat.  As you can see in this photo, there’s a strong focus on creativity, learning, and health.

After putting it all down on paper, I was able to interpret most of it readily to my friends …. all except one bit of text in the top right, under one of my photos of pelicans flying off into a dreamscape.  It says: “I don’t predict, I invent, I am a visionary”.  One thing you need to understand is that the term Visionary Arts was not one I used or was very conscious of, despite the fact that my main tarot deck was created by a Visionary Artist.

Ok – back to Facebook.  One day, someone posted a notice in the Energism Art Group that the Vienna Academy of Visionary Arts was publically launching on that day.  I followed the link, which led to chills down my spine and total awe at the teachers’ artwork and references to the sacred and beautiful.  For a week, thoughts of it would pop into my mind at the oddest times and a growing excitement in every cell of my body was sending clear messages.

Despite these feelings, however, I was experiencing some confusion on an intellectual level.  To begin with, I had spent an increasing amount of time being an artist since I moved to Newfoundland almost 2 years ago, and so the school’s 2 & 3 year diploma programs were way out of my budget.  In addition, their focus on oil paints (which are more toxic than acrylics), and on working meticulously on 1 painting for a whole year did not particularly attract me.  My current art flows from a much more spontaneous intuitive style which leads to highly prolific painting spurts.  Figuring all this out simply required a few more hours of research and some emails back and forth with Florence, the very helpful and friendly school administrator.  You see, their first trimester will be all about drawing, sacred geometry, and acquiring visions through energy work.  This does appeal!  Finally, I will learn to draw after years of frustratingly “trying” (even tracing out my simple yoga tree silhouettes causes me challenges)…  But more than the drawing, there is something about spending a few months with this group of people that is calling me.  As my friend Kim told me, this is a lot more than about drawing  – I could learn that here…

I told Kim about my decision the night that I had committed to it in my mind.  We were in the car outside of yoga class.  Of course I expressed my concerns about the finances of such a project (something I had calculated would require raising $30K in 6 months).  The moment we entered the yoga studio, however, I noticed a student looking at the artwork on the wall and before I knew it, she had bought a small painting.  To me, that’s a sign – I sometimes go months without selling something, so this was no coincidence.  Someone had also left money for me after purchasing some of the magnetic bookmarks I have for sale there.  I felt my decision was being clearly supported!  On the way home from class, I checked my emails and found another confirming sign.  A workshop leader from 2 years before was contacting me because she wanted to chat about the impact of her Hawaii “Communing with Dolphins” retreat on my artwork because her upcoming workshop was aimed at visionary artists. Definitely another sign.

So I paid my deposit on tuition and housing within days (helping me feel totally committed), and then I started working on my fundraising plans, all the while spending 3-5 hours a day on my Bloom True e-course on top of teaching English Second Language. 2013 has been a hoppin’ year so far!

So how did I arrive at my decision to go to Vienna?  That was mostly the job of my right brain – the intuitive, receptive side of me.  I have developed a strong awareness and trust in the messages I receive from my Higher Self/ God / The Universe (I use many names). Basically, I’ve learned to hear and answer the Spirit Calls.  How will I make it happen? That’s in part the job of my left-brain – the action and goal-oriented side of me that will work in unison with my creative self that is manifesting the support I need on this path. Luckily, I’ve spent a lot of time developing both the right and left sides of my brain in this lifetime– not always in a balanced or harmonious way, but that’s all part of the learning.  My biggest lesson yet, however, is that things always work out best when it’s the heart/intuition that leads and the pragmatic action-self that follows.  It’s not about forcing things though (a lesson I’m still learning) – it’s about knowing when to act on what needs to be acted on…. even when that meant joining Facebook 🙂

OK … long enough for one post, eh?  “I have made this letter longer, because I have not had the time to make it shorter.” Blaise Pascal