Quarterly Zine - December 2022

In the Northern Hemisphere (the place where MUSEA Sonoma is located!) Winter Solstice happens on December 21 and marks the shortest day of the year with the longest night. For many, it is a time of slowing down, turning inward, and cozying up to a warm fire with a good book and your coziest blanket. Of soups, hot chocolate (with or without marshmallows and whip cream), more time spent lounging inside with the people and/or animals you love the best, surrounded by the meaningful and nostalgic objects of your home. It is a time when mother nature does the same, as Lewis Carroll captured in this whimsical passage. Nests have been woven, dens have been claimed, nuts, seeds, and berries have been stashed away, all for their gatherers to prepare for “settling down for a long winter’s nap.”

Winter Solstice means that the earth’s axis is tilted from the furthest point of the sun, making it at its lowest point in the sky. For humans, this day also marks the formal calendar beginning of Winter, and for many civilizations and cultures, it has been a centuries-old time of celebration. Some of the traditions include the following: St. Lucia Day in Scandinavia, Dongzhi in China, A Stonehenge festival gathering in England, Shab-e Yalda in Iran, Winter Lantern Festival in Vancouver, and Toji in Japan, just to name a few. From wearing all red with handmade floral wreaths to acts of purification, and dancing, to tossing citrus fruits into warm baths, each celebration has its own special and unique traditions. However, one of the common threads underlying each of these celebrations is the idea of honoring and celebrating the year that is completing its cycle and planning or dreaming into the future for the new one that will begin its unfolding. For those in the Southern Hemisphere, the completion of the year comes with the bright shining sun and longest days of the year, bringing an amplification of warmth and heart that energizes year end reflections and planning!

With both the Winter and Summer Solstice energy occurring for our community, it is a fortuitous time for self-reflection. Looking back over the course of your year, taking stock, and choosing how you would like to plan for the new one. Why is it beneficial to engage in this process of contemplation? One reason is that it honors your life. Spending time soul-searching how you have spent your time allows you to cherish happy memories and process the sad ones. If we are only ever pushing forward, we could miss the opportunity to take time to allow for the integration of the significant moments of our lives. Another reason is that we can make a personal assessment about whether or not we are satisfied with how we’ve spent our time, energy, and finances. Often we may want to avoid this part because maybe we are afraid that we will find we haven’t spent our time in the ways that we would prefer, but if we skip it, then we could miss out on the opportunity to reassess and pivot where we need to. We may find that what seemed crucial to us last year isn’t going to be so important for the new year and that we may need to let go of some things. Or, we may learn that our values have shifted, and we need to open space to bring in something new. The most important part of the process is to do it with self-kindness and non-judgment.

It is with this “end of the year, self-reflection energy” that the co-curators have created this issue of our Quarterly Zine in order to honor our Musea Museum and our beloved membership. To assess the path of where we’ve been, how we’ve journeyed together, and where we will be going.

Included is a lovely article by MUSEA Tech Diva, Sumaiyah Wysdom Yates about what she has learned from beginning a new creative process of Weaving, a heartwarming personal report by VP of Progreamming, Milagros Suriano-Rivera about her experiences over the past year with her #CreativeConversation interviews and Museum Program Planning, an inspiring summary by Guild Coordinator, Virginia Masson about the exciting road the Guild has traveled over the course of this past year, and a touching article by Member Guide Marnie Dangerfield about what she has learned and personally been inspired by from working with you, our community members, throughout our year of a Membership journey within the framework theme of “We are All Related.”

We hope you enjoy this heart-warming read and feel glad for having been a part of our wonderful 2022 museum journey!

By Jessica Richmond
Co-Curator &
Museum Communications Coordinator

Wisdom beat into every pick

Each pass of the shuttle through the shed of warp threads (called a “pick”) weaves wisdom. The meditative trance of passing that shuttle back and forth through the up and down sheds created by the heddle is a metacognitive drawing of sorts. “Metacognitive” is thinking about thinking. I use metacognitive drawing with my Intentional Creativity students as a means for them to access what wisdom they have lying within. This allows the information to arise organically, without forcing the thoughts and thereby giving ego the edge. When ego gets the advantage, the thoughts that arise will be what they want to hear rather than what wisdom is truly present.

As I am weaving metacognitively, the wisdom that is within me and the wisdom gifted me by my Ancestors is woven into the cloth. It arises unrestricted – unhindered by the Self. That wisdom is passed along to each person who draws themselves into a Wysdom Wrap. A sacred cloth designed to allow their own wisdom to arise. The natural fibers used allow the natural flow of thought. The interlacement of warp and weft create the perfect playground for your own wisdom to arise and dance through and around your BE-ing.

But back to the beast…

You see, this particular warp was extremely challenging. At 30 inches wide – basically the full width of my 32 inch loom – it would be inherently challenging.

First, keeping the threads taut as I wind them onto the back beam can be difficult when warping alone. The middle threads will naturally have more slack as I grasp the bundle to hold tension as I’m beaming. Even tension is one of the keys to an uneventful weave.
Along with the need to keep even tension, I must also keep the threads evenly spaced and untangled as they are wound onto the beam. Twisted threads and a lumpy beaming can wreak havoc, causing problems as the fabric is being woven.
Then there is a need to sley the reed – separate the threads into slots and holes in the pattern necessary to achieve the finished project design. Here is where the biggest problem arose.

I realized as I am combing the yarn to lessen the tangles as I beam it that there are several threads that are super loose. They are coming right through the slot and becoming a tangled mess, apparently not attached to the back beam. How did this happen? I still don’t know… I’ve just chalked it up to an improper attachment of those threads. But at this point I cannot stop the beaming process. There are hundreds of threads which are beaming beautifully. No way was I going to unwind that beam for a few loose threads.

There are tricks to “fix” those loose threads…

Although there is no way to get them rolled onto the beam with the rest of the threads, there are things that can be done to secure them so they can still be used. No need to un-beam, attach the loose threads, and re-start the beaming process. I mean – who has time for that crap? I want to get to the weaving! So I used a trick I learned from my weaving mentor, Kelly Casanova, to weight the loose threads once I finished beaming the rest. TIP: If you use the link attached to Kelly’s name and enroll in her Online Weaving School, you will receive a 10% discount! (Yes, I receive the same discount; but I’m a subscriber to the School already so there’s nothing to get discounted. This gift is for you.)

I needed a day to rest – I was fried.

If you know anything about weaving, once you beam the threads you need to sley the reed. That means you have to take a thread (or more depending on the pattern) out of the slot and put it in the hole next to it. For me, this process is very soothing. I’m sitting at my loom, soft lighting and meditative music playing, and taking my time to sley. It is a methodical process which some find tedious. I find it relaxing. Am I weird? Probably…

Good! Normal is boring.

But after beaming a more than 3 yard long warp with 4 threads in each of 140 slots (560 threads if you do the math), and after the “disaster” of loose threads tangling about, I did not have the capacity to sley the reed the same night. For me, weaving – including the warping process – is part of my creative spiritual practice. My creative spiritual practice is an Intentional Creativity path of practice designed to allow clarity and conscious co-creation to arise as it may. If I had sleyed that reed in the frustrated state I was in, it would have been the direct opposite of all that is calming and spiritually connecting.

My state of mind would not have been in a place where metacognition can take place. It would have been full of angry, frustrated thoughts of just “getting it done!” That is not what I wanted woven into this sacred cloth. That was not my intention for this fabric, or for any thing that I create with my own hands. So I took a step back so that I can breathe and begin again when my state of mind would allow clarity and flow.

Finally the beast was sleyed!

After a night’s rest and much contemplation and journal writing, I was able to sley the beast the next day.

Outside of the bit of clutter that is part of any Creative’s life, take a look at that sweet warp! Evenly beamed – no lumps and bumps. Great tension with evenly spaced threading. Tight as a drum! So tight, in fact, that I had to loosen the tension a bit to be able to move the reed in the up and down positions so I could weave! Part of that is the glory of 100% cotton yarn – it usually gives great tension if warped properly because it isn’t a very stretchy yarn. Some people dislike the tightness of the tension on a cotton warp. I welcome it!

And by taking time to rest before sleying and tying on, I was able to come to the process calmly. This gave me the opportunity to get into a meditative state while I was threading the holes. And this, in turn, gave me the opportunity for metacognition. It opened the portal for my thoughts to flow uninhibited – for the wisdom of the Ancestors to be embedded in the very fibers that will make the cloth which composes the wrap.

And the composition is beautiful…

The picture doesn’t do it justice. A beautiful warp of purples and blues blending in and out of each other. Gently softened by a light purple weft, beat gently so that the warp still shines through while adding texture and depth to the whole. I can only imagine the beauty that will be realized once the project is finished and off the loom. That’s when it’s true, final beauty will shine.

Meanwhile, I am happily weaving along. Grateful for the beastly warping experience because it taught me that patience and perseverance will always prevail. Even if you need to pace yourself…

Over the last year, I have been honored to weave our community into the rich, multifaceted, inspiring offerings and events featured as part of our Museum and Membership Programming and as the host of Musea Museum’s Facebook Live Interview Series called #CreativeConversations. This, of all our member benefits, is my favorite because it felt integral to our yearlong membership journey. It was inspired by the theme We Are All Related in honor of our Art Ancestor and Elder Carmen Baraka, and the legacy she gifted us. Some of the topics that were highlighted in our #CreativeConversations as part of our journey include:

Cultivating spirituality and honoring our relationship with creation (Emily Grieves)
Engaging with Mystery through Creative Acts to Unlock our Inner Knowing (Lisa Martin Naimi)
Nurturing Nature -Wisdom of the Dancing Trees (Janiese Wesley)
Introducing our NEW POP day and OPEN STUDIO + The power of Artists Supporting Artists with Milagros Suriano-Rivera, Marva Colins, and Sumaiyah Wysdom Yates
Announcing our Carnaval of Spirit Love Museum Show and NEW #POP OPEN STUDIO, MemberZine Insights + How art informs our Identity and sense of self and catalyzes interconnectedness and activism with Milagros Suriano-Rivera
Honoring World Peace Day and the power of art to invite peace in our world! (Virginia Masson)
We Are All Related and the impact of cultivating intentional awareness of our personal relationships with our sense of connectedness. (Chatelle and Marnie)

You can visit our #CreativeConversatisons YouTube playlist here!

Favorite thoughts:

What I loved most about these conversations is not that I got to host the interview but that I got to hold my piece as a witness to the deep work of these amazing women committed to art through Intentional Creativity. CreativeConversations allowed our community of members and non-members alike to witness the power of Intentional Creativity as a creative and spiritual practice through the eyes and hearts of our guests. Co-creating space for these amazing women to share their hearts, journeys, and insights in their own authentic voices about how choosing to be in a relationship with their relatedness was the greatest gift for me. In this way, both the women and I were catalyzed more deeply through our sharing! Most started off with some hesitation, but once they opened up and leaned into our Red Thread Connection, they stood in their sovereignty and self-agency because they knew that their piece matters to the collective. I love how CreativeConversations has become a beautiful container for our community to get a taste of how choosing to embrace Intentional Creativity as a sacred practice transforms our framework, for we are choosing to be in the world and how we can positively impact it through every creative act.

Sharing our Guild Member and Student Journeys and process through these Creative Conversations with our community has been such a wonderful experience for me. Such as when a bird suddenly flies into the room and your guest is actually doing energy healing on the bird while you are interviewing them, as was the case with Guild Member Lisa Martin Naimi. One of the most potent examples of living into relatedness I’ve experienced.

One of my dreams and goals as a Color of Woman Teacher is to impress upon, inspire, and impact other women through my creative acts as a way to catalyze them into living their own legends. As Vice President of Museum Programming, I feel that by being a hearth tender for our Museum Membership, I impress on their hearts that they are seen, heard, and matter to us. I inspire our membership by creating Art Actions as invitations for creative exploration as a path of practice. I impact how they show up for their creative practice by hosting our Monthly #POP Open Studio parties along with my beloved co-host and Guild Member Sumaiyah (DJ Wysdom) Yates every last Friday of the Month as we shake things up with dance party energy!

As I write this, I can only say that it has been an incredible year full of discovery, commitment to the work of Intentional Creativity, and a lot of laughter.

My Cup Overflows in Gratitude…

Written by: Milagros Suriano-Rivera
Co-curator &
Vice President of Museum Programming

We’ve certainly had an exciting year with our ever-growing Journeywomen Guild. With members across the globe and in every time zone, we continue to grow and evolve. Guided by our focus on Infinity Mind, we have worked together to move to a Circle Leadership model and have taken bold steps based on the desires of our membership.

I’d like to take a moment to thank all the people who have been so supportive of the Guild. From our wonderful Constellation Guides, our Technical gurus, the beautiful faces who shone from the screen at every call, and those of you who shared your hearts, desires, and disappointments with us so honestly. Together we are building a beautiful Guild container that will carry on into the future.

In 2022, we learned how much we all long to connect heart to heart and simply be in circle together as women with common dreams. We welcomed new members, pondered our vision for the Guild, and received such generous inspiration and tools from Shiloh Sophia. Amber Gould’s beautiful heart and music grounded us and created a container filled with energetic coherence. Her wisdom and deep love for the Guild were so evident in her guidance.

We were also delighted to welcome Milagros Suriano-Rivera as a Guild support team member. Milagros will be working with our Constellation Guides to weave a Universe of Constellation offerings for the Guild moving forward.

2023 will be a year of continued exploration and expansion. As graduates, teachers, and practitioners, the Guild is the center point of all things Intentional Creativity. We are honored and blessed to be in circle together as we lend our wisdom and hearts to the future of this incredible work we are doing.

Written by:

Virginia Masson
Guild Co-Ordinator

(from Carmen’s Solo Intentional Creativity Musea Museum show which can be viewed
at the this link: https://imusea.org/exhibit/spirit-warrior/)

We closed our final Artist Circle of 2022 with this message from Carmen Baraka. I am curious about what it means to you.

As I reflect on her words and get curious about what living my joy means to me, here is what comes to mind; getting to connect, being kindly curious, and the opportunity to create with you, those in our Musea community.

Also, at this moment, I remember that after our Community Celebration with Shiloh and Jonathan, I was able, with great joy and love, to plant some seeds in my garden, which is vital because Mindful, Heartful gardening is how I choose to live my joy.

Truth be told, I don’t recall ever planting seeds outdoors this late in the year, but thanks to some mild temperatures and an amazing local nursery that specializes in native plants to our region, I was able to get some Native Plant Pollinator Seed mix. Thinking of our native bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, it was with great joy that I planted these in my garden. Nine different future plant beings in seed form. It’s hard not to be giddy while planting! Hoping, knowing there are no guarantees, but hoping these may start to support greater biodiversity near me.

This tends to be a time for reflecting and restoring where I live, and now there is a layer of snow covering those seeds. As I sit here, I feel connected to them. Knowing, trusting, that they are resting and eventually rooting and then rising in the Spring. By connecting with them, I am connecting to the cycles and rhythms of our ecosystem. Knowing I belong and I matter and that my actions matter in this ecosystem.

As I reflect on the year we’ve just had and think of these seeds, I also dream and sense into the year ahead. Then I return to this moment. Yes, remembering to come back to this moment, this precious moment, to this precious breath, to live and love in this moment. I can’t change the past, none of us can, but we can plant seeds for the future by living, loving, and creating in the present moment as much as possible. As I reflect on our year and our “We are all Related” exploration, I am truly grateful to you, to the plant beings, to the pollinators, and always to the magic of photosynthesis. Well, the list gets quite long so I will leave us with this passage by Maria Popov.

Something happens when you are in a garden, when you garden — something beyond the tactile reminder that, in the history of life on Earth, without flowers, there would be no us. Kneeling between the scale of seeds and the scale of stars, touching evolutionary time and the cycle of seasons at once, you find yourself rooted more deeply into your own existence — transient and transcendent, fragile and ferociously resilient — and are suddenly humbled into your humanity. (Lest we forget, humility comes from humilis — Latin for low, of the earth.) You look at a flower and cannot help but glimpse the meaning of life.

Perhaps because the life of a garden is also a vivid reminder that anything of beauty and radiance takes time, takes care, takes devotion to seed and sprout and bloom, gardens have long been living cathedrals for the creative spirit.”

-Lewis Carroll

And the composition is beautiful…

Favorite thoughts: