squam....squamagic....squamalicious!

~sunrise over squam lake fall 2011~

 

I signed up for squam, a 4 day art retreat, early in january while I was inspired and in a bright patch.  Shortly thereafter I began slipping back into a dark place where life almost ceases to exist.  The loss of my father, being single, realizing I might not have children~ I was mourning all of these things.  As the deadline for submitting the balance of my tuition arrived~ I thought I should back out.  I hadn't felt creative in months~ no art work done, not even a photo taken.  I was hermitting and the idea of having to interact with strangers was more than I could bear.  Not to mention flying across the country in this mental state. 

~I was~

 

But I went.  I boarded that plane.  And little did I know what kind of magic and healing I would find.

~squam bound~

 

~sweet welcome by the beautiful & generous elizabeth~

 

~first glimpse of the lake in the am~

 

~feeling a little lonely & unsure~

 

~the pine-needle carpeted path beckoned~

 

~the lake welcomed me~

 

 

~with her stillness~

 

~our cabin, summit, from our dock~

 

~my first class, INTO THE WILD, with the mystical, grounded, wise and oh so talented pixie campbell~

Pixie was a fantastic teacher.  She knew when to push, when to hold us and when to step back and let it happen.  She was inspiring, humble, focused and silly.  Perfect!

 

~the white stag: my piece in progress~

 

~the white stag emerging from the forest~

 

~with pixie~

 

~squamess~

 

~sunset kisses on the lake~

 

~busted:  profiterole~

 

~building my first fire after having watched PA my whole life~

 

~brrrrrrr~

we bundled up in everything we could to brave the 38 degrees in an uninsulated, unheated cabin and went to bed.

 

~my cozy closet of a room~

 

 

~spotted:  mushrooms cuddling~

 

~second day of classes:  misty mawn & the iconic portrait~

 

~misty's demo painting~

The gentle, sweet and amazingly talented misty demonstrated how to paint a portrait upside down, while holding the canvas in under 5 minutes.

 

~with misty~

 

~busted:  hot chocolate with whipped cream and a fudgsicle~

 

 

~mary & marta~

These two sweet ladies were my shuttle mates and neighbors. They were celebrating 20 years of friendship.  Their laughter, sweetness and unabashed honesty was so refreshing.

 

~third day of classes:  alena & THE JOY OF INTENTION~

This sweet, supportive, sparkling, nurturing goddess of a woman created a safe place for us to break-down, break-through and create!  We shared hopes, fears, tears and laughter.  She will be teaching at the teahouse studio in berkeley in october, come join us!!

 

~into the light:  my mixed media piece from alena's class~

 

~cheryl:  we met in alena's class.  i adore her~

 

~germania & italiana:  me and my new friend jennifer~

 

~mary & marta on the docks~

 

~italiana:  sassing up the sunny dock~

 

~the summit ladies:  a new family~

 

~my new motto:  live free or die~

 

~about to go our seperate ways~

 

~my new mantra: let your light shine~

I chose this card in Pixie's class on the first day~ "let your light shine".  I didn't feel very bright, nor competent of shining any light.  But the magic of those trees, the stillness of the lake, the smiles and hugs of near-strangers, the classes that pushed & craddled us,  the instructors who accompanied us on this journey, and the open hearts of every being I encountered~ all these magical things collided and I did it.  I let my light shine.  And it amazed me.  I laughed, I shared, I cried and I listened.  It is amazing how fast and how deep you can go when you trust and believe that you will be seen & welcomed for who you are. 

special thanks...

thank you Elizabeth for creating such a magical place

thank you Pixie for your hugs, guidance and wisdom

thank you Misty for inspiring me, your blog is the reason I came to this place

thank you Alena for your generosity, support and sweet sincerity

thank you Jen Gray for welcoming me and being a love bunny

thank you Jonatha Brooke for singing your heart and soul out for us

thank you fire tenders and meal makers and shuttle drivers

thank you summit ladies who laughed, drank and shared of themselves into the wee hours by the fire every night

thank you cheryl for allowing us all to be vulnerable and true

thank you squam lake for your beauty, stillness and reflection

thank you italiana for being a new and true friend

thank you me, for showing up, waking up, opening up and allowing your light to shine again

 

~falling in love with the magic of squam~

 

~onward~

 

As I was waiting for my flight home I overheard a young boy say,

"Dad?  What is the point of life?"

Without missing a beat, the father said,

"To experience"

 

~homeward bound:  flying high~

 

~ready to take on the world~

 

~Pixie's Stag~

In her words:

Stag wears the antlers that connect him to Spirit and offer the gift of enhanced perceptions, tuning into the old teachings like marvelous antennae. He is able to detect the most subtle shifts in energy and this provides him with the intuitive guidance he needs to navigate the enchanted forests of life. Gently, softly and sometimes even quietly, Stag communes with the earth and the sky. This is a reminder to take excellent care of oneself, to gently love ourselves and those around us, and to honor the deep connections that welcome us home from our adventures in the wild.

 

Comments

[Jennifer Allison]

yes.

shine on, beautiful one.

~ italiana (wink)

[Marta Skluzacek Drew]

I love this, Elke...I love how brave you were to go, I love the work you did (both artistically and spiritually), and I love that I'm STILL unpacking everything I brought with me out of that experience...it was a game changer, for sure. Loved it and loved you. xoxo

[vivienne]

I am so glad you pushed through fear and went.

Your light shines so brightly in these photos...it seems like it was a truly incredible time.

xo
viv

[cheryl smith alvarez]

love, light and lots of memories! Elke, this was so, so beautiful ... there are tears in my eyes AGAIN. you captured the essence of squam! I am forever grateful that we met and can hardly wait to share more memories.

you radiate light and love!

Cheryl

[pixie]

This is so beautiful, Elke. What the dad said to his son brought me to sudden tears. I got the sense from you, after class and for the rest of the weekend, how much courage it took for you to hang in there and honor your commitment to come despite the pull to back out. You seemed truly illuminated in this space and I trust that you have some wondrous allies to work with to keep coming forward with your light. You are just so so beautiful and sacred a Woman. Thank you.

[Brandi Marie]

Elke,
I'm so taken aback by the similarity of our recent experiences. You must hop on over to my Squam post if you haven't had a chance to read it yet! Not only did we end up having our first two classes together, but the struggle to get there, the oppressive depression weighing down. And then the magic of Squam's healing effect. And both referring to our posts as love letters to Squam! I'm so happy to have met you, and only wish we could have chatted more. Where else can someone so easily meet a kindred soul? Thank you for sharing your experience.

Much love,
~Brandi Marie

[elizabeth]

holy god woman-- more when I have had my coffee just know -- you are PURE MAGIC

you = PURE MAGIC

I am so so so so so glad you reconnected with your spirit at squam and made SUCH love connections with people in this world who get you, who see you and who can support you with their friendship going forward-- pure magic.

[andrea]

Elke, I remember when you told us one late night in "Summit" that you almost didn't have the courage to come and all I kept thinking after that was "thank God she got on the plane"! Something real and special in you let you take that step and I for one am thankful that you came!! I wish you every happiness going forward Elke :) you have everything you need.

[Alena Hennessy]

definition of exquisite (this is you)

exquisite [ɪkˈskwɪzɪt ˈɛkskwɪzɪt]

a : marked by flawless craftsmanship or by beautiful, ingenious, delicate, or elaborate execution
b : marked by nice discrimination, deep sensitivity, or subtle understanding
c : accomplished, perfected

a : pleasing through beauty, fitness, or perfection
b : acute, intense
c : having uncommon or esoteric appeal

[Beckey Huddleston]

Thank you for getting on the plane.
I didn't want to, either. : )
I saw your light shining the moment I met you .....it has illuminated the path through your dim and dark hours and is sparkling like sunset kisses on the lake.

keep on shining......

[misty]

yes! yes! yes! i want to say everything everyone else said and so much more...
ahhhh, what a beautiful post. so much light radiating from your experience, from your words, from your spirit.

thank you for being there, for opening up and being brave.

this is for you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3X30r6Z4GE

much love to you, to everyone!

[deb fink]

Thank you Squam, and the goddesses of Squam, for my shining, brilliant, happy Elke May! I am full of wonder and gratitude for you you all...

[Valerie Tookes]

so beautiful!

[ember]

what Elizabeth said!
love you sister.
e