Art Practice, Moon Magic: Monthly New Moon Invitations for 2016 + January Theme

Art Practice, Moon Magic: monthly creative practice invitations with Hali Karla Arts

I've been wanting to get back to monthly creative practice invitations here at the blog for quite awhile now.

Some of you may remember when I did monthly prayer art invitations a few years ago - it was a win-win sort of offering in that it helped me stay in my own practice with spirited intention, and offered a free way for anyone who wanted to explore the theme in their own practice to connect with other artists doing the same.

I gained so many friendships and connections during that process, as well as took leaps and bounds in my creative practice and the way I dance with my natural style, expression and flow.

So when I fell head-over-heels in love with astrology last year (for solid reasons that surprised even me initially, and that I'll share more on soon) - one of the things that instantly resonated and turned my curiosity to pay closer attention was the way the moon phase can have potential effect on our moods, emotions and energy... how we relate, where we feel most in the flow and creatively inclined... on a day-to-day basis, as the phase shifts and grandmother luna changes signs.

I have found over the last few months that, at least for me - as a watery, moon-gazing, spirited woman - there is incredible insight and guidance to be known in a daily awareness of how the moon is showing up and reflecting her brilliance down upon us. Maybe because I have spent the last several years really exploring my own creative rhythms, this is where I almost immediately noticed an embodied expression of the connection.

My creative energy shifts with the moon, and somehow the wisdom of the sign it is moving through seems to offer spot-on focus for where I will find flow or growth. It becomes a helpful focal point, a gentle guidance.

Long story short, I am deep in learning more of the intricacies about astrology as a language of relationship and evolution - and I am curious to invite that awareness more consciously into my creative practice as I learn this year.

Then I thought a marriage of the Moon and Creative Practice would be a fun overall theme to guide the return of monthly contemplative art invitations! So here we are, in case any of you are curious about this, too, and want to gently explore, in a manageable way each month, an observance and response to the wisdom and effect of the moon on your creative energy, intentional practice and expression.

I'm betting you will notice correlations to all facets of your life and relationships along the way... but let's not get ahead of the practice. :)

So here's how the invitations will work:

Once a month, at or before the New Moon, I will post a free creative practice theme/invitation here at the blog that can be applied to your art journaling, painting or creative practice of choice.

Just take the prompt or theme to your creative and reflective practice (you could even integrate it into a practice or project you already have started with the New Year!). Make one thing or ten. Sit with it for twenty minutes or twenty hours. You design your commitment.

The New Moon is traditionally a perfect time for intention setting, seed-planting, and beginnings, and a good time to face the 'blank page' - to check in with where you are and what your soul and heart desire without noise from the outside world.

Then, on or near the Full Moon, I will share how my response showed up in my practice - and invite you to do the same in a Link-Up here at the blog on the original invitation post (see below).

This is how we can connect, celebrate and share, and see what has resonated or risen for those who participate.

The Full Moon is a great, energetic time for shining & reflecting light - sharing & seeing! - and noticing what has been completed or created, what is peaking in its prime process, and what else needs tending to bring closure for the next cycle.

So, here's the first Art Practice, Moon Magic Invitation - and you will find the link-up below, where you can come back anytime over the next month to share your response with a link to a blog post, instagram image, fb image, google image, or you can just upload a simple image right to the link-up itself.

The New Moon on Saturday, January 9th is in earthy, feminine Capricorn, and marks a time of year perfect for initiating change. 

The thing about this year's New Moon Capricorn energy, though, is that it's kind of about initiating change in things that already have a foundation set in place. What needs tending, shifting, fluffing, loving? So new beginnings for strengths and structures in-waiting.

So this month's Art Practice, Moon Magic theme is:

DEDICATION

For your practice, you may find resonance in exploring or applying the ideas of lineage, ancestors, maps, tending foundations and boundaries, or confidently declaring new beginnings.

Consider dedicating an area of your life, where you place a lot of energy, to something or someone else this month, or for the year. Maybe dedicate your creative practice, even. You don't need to necessarily tell anyone your dedication (even who it is for, if it is a specific person), but it might be helpful to write about it for yourself.

Listen in quietly to the essence of your heart and the energy of what you are offering or creating, and you will likely see clearly something or someone outside of yourself, to dedicate your work or play to, that will expand the richness and meaning of the experience for you.

So what do you think? Want to play along?

Keep your participation plans as simple or as devoted as you need to, and see if you can see it through the year with me. One visual journal spread or poem or painting a month, and the prompts are here for you - wa-la. It will feel so good.

I am keeping my responses simple so that I stick with it - integrating these monthly invitations into a special little altered book journal I made for creative practice this year.

I've actually started the art journal and have some pages going already, but my Art Practice, Moon Magic pages will happen wherever they fall in the sequence, since I carry this little book with me everywhere and that makes it easy-weasy for me to percolate with the theme and respond when the mood strikes me.

Art journal, altered book creative practice, Hali Karla

I can't wait to see what comes from the practice, and look forward to sharing some of the journey with you this year!

Do you have any questions or ideas? Just leave a comment below.

Or just come back to this post and share a link or image of your response between now and the next New Moon!

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LINK-UP is now over