Very exciting news, my friends!!!

Hello Friends!

I have some very exciting news that I can finally share!  I've been holding it in for months!

The short answer(opposed to the long answer I provided via my 4 part IG post series, lol! But if you're interested, you can check that out - I'm "leahcb1" over in IG Land!) is that Simon & Schuster is coming out with an amazing, powerful new book this next September called "The Awakened Woman: Remembering & Reigniting Our Sacred Dreams." It's written by a larger than life woman and leader, Tererai Trent, that I am blessed to know and call my friend.

The other exciting bit is that I am in the book!

Tererai asked, almost a year ago now, if I would be willing to share some of my story about pursuing my sacred dream of becoming an artist. Of course I said yes - being in a book that exists to inspire and empower women to follow their own sacred dreams is a wild, beautiful dream come true, all on its own!

You can read more about the book and pre-order (which I highly recommend you do, of course!!!! :) <3 ) here on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/…/dp/1501145665/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0…

I also wanted to share here a little excerpt from the Amazon summary:

"Through one incredible woman’s journey from a child bride in a small Zimbabwe village to one of the world’s most recognizable voices in women’s empowerment and education, this manifesto inspires women to pursue their sacred dreams through nine essential lessons brought forth from ancient African wisdom.

Before Tererai Trent landed on Oprah’s stage as her “favorite guest of all time,” she was a woman with a forgotten dream. As a young girl in a cattle-herding village in Zimbabwe, she dreamed of receiving an education but instead was married off to an abusive husband when she was only eleven years old. When she was eighteen, and already a mother of three, she encountered a visiting American woman who assured her that anything was possible, reawakening her sacred dream. Tererai planted her dreams deep in the earth and prayed they would grow. They did, and now not only has she earned her PhD but she has also built schools for girls in Zimbabwe, with funding from Oprah. The Awakened Woman: Remembering & Reigniting Our Sacred Dreams is her accessible, intimate, and evocative guide that teaches nine essential lessons to encourage all women to reexamine their dreams and uncover the power hidden within them—power that can recreate our world for the better.

Tererai points out that there is a massive, untapped, global resource in women who have, for one reason or another, set aside their wisdom, their skills, and their dreams in order to take care of the personal business of their lives. Not only is this a type of invisible suffering experienced by countless women, this rich resource is our secret weapon for improving our world. Women have the capacity to inspire, to create, to transform and Tererai’s call to action will awaken hearts, give permission to recapture dreams, and provide the tools to forge a brighter path—for all. This is the movement of Sacred Sisters."

I hope you buy the book - if you do, I know you'll love it. And no matter what, I hope you do follow those sacred dreams! Tinogona!!!

Love,

SHE RISING

Leah Campbell Badertscher, 2014, All Rights Reserved
40x40 original, acrylic on canvas

"Now, I know we have still not shattered that highest and hardest glass ceiling, but someday someone will — and hopefully sooner than we might think right now.

And to all of the little girls who are watching this, never doubt that you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue and achieve your own dreams."
                                                    Hilary Rodham Clinton

I've have deliberated and deliberated whether to tell the whole, HOLY story of this SHE RISING painting (I've told parts of it, including what you can read here) for quite some time.  It's time.

I believe this is one of the most important, powerful paintings I've created yet.  While this movement has always been a long time coming and relevant, I think we are just now seeing profound evidence of SHE RISING - and the need for those of us who know this is our work to commit to it fully. 

Even though my throat started to close up the moment I decided to share this, fortunately my fingers still work.  I've decided it's time, because this is a story that I know is not just my story. 

At the same time, it is also clear to me that this whole, holy story is not for everyone right now and that it would be unwise to share everything with just anyone who has two eyeballs, a browser, and can read.  The telling of this story is an entrusting of this story and so I want to use the miracle of technology to connect with who needs to hear this while also giving the story the honor it deserves.  Ideally, this would be told face-to-face with someone who is ready to hear it and who needs what it has to offer.  Or it would be told sitting around the fire with a trusted circle of souls who, upon hearing the story, know it is a part of the story their own heart told from the moment it first started to beat. 

And I know, and I knew it with every cell in my body throughout the creation of this painting, that there is one person in particular for whom this story and this painting are meant.  Even if I don't know exactly who they are, I know very much what this person is about, even if they haven't entirely owned it yet, and I know why this painting is an important, pivotal part of their story, even if it's something they won't know...until they do.    

For now, I will share a greater part of the story here and if you need to know the rest, I would love to share it with you.  You can email me at leah@leahcb.com and we can set up a time to talk....

SHE RISING began long before I ever started painting, and I know that's because SHE RISING is so much more than a painting.  It is a movement, a swell in the conscious evolution of our human race.  It is a rising of the feminine, the divine feminine, not to overtake the masculine, but to allow for forgiveness, reconciliation, the possibility of wholeness (again, HOLINESS) and ultimately to create balance, peace, unity, higher consciousness and love as the norm for humanity and to the planet. 

When I first finished this piece a couple years ago, I first listed it for $5,000.  At that time, that was the most I'd ever sold a painting for but I knew there was something incredibly special about this one.  If you have been following my work for awhile or you really know me, I'm sure you are familiar with my beliefs and a way of being that you could describe as "practical mysticism" or "householder holiness."  So you probably also know that my approach to all of my creativity and art has a strong spiritual, mystical current to it.  But with this painting it was supercharged and so that's why, even though the ego part of me was freaking out to list a painting for that much money, my soul woke me up in the middle of the night and said, "It's not enough.  MORE is needed!" in a tone that was informing me that I should have much greater faith.  So, at 3 AM I changed the price to $10,000.  My ego continued to freak out but within two weeks, I had a face to face conversation with someone who was interested in buying it.  He wanted to know more of the whole story behind the painting.  I told him - not everything, because I still was trusting my intuition that I would know when it was the time to share the whole enchilada- and while he got it, we both then agreed that he was not the person to buy this painting.

Now my ego is freaking out that not only would I ask ten grand for a painting, but then I wouldn't sell it to someone who was willing to pay that.  And still my soul said, "We both know what we both know - you just won't admit it.  It's still not enough.  MORE is needed.  Can you be that courageous?" 

So, then, even though it felt like my ego was going to explode, I did what I teach all of my clients to do: 

"Know what you know, and you know who you really are, so now go BE it.  Go BE it, in the world out there, not just here tucked back safely in the dusty, dark recesses of your heart.  BECOME REAL in the world!" 

There have been many, many layers and different pieces - and triumphs and painful setbacks - in this BECOMING REAL process for me.  And selling a painting for $25,000 and telling the story here is only one part.  But a very significant part.

I realize for some that selling a painting for $25,000 and then sharing a story, on social media, that the art has mystical origins steeped in the divine feminine that are relevant to a massive invitation to shift human consciousness and move us all forward - women, men, children, all creatures, the environment- might be, to many people out there, including many people reading this, as far from "BECOMING REAL" as you can get.  I get that.  But I'm writing this anyway for those among you who know exactly what I'm talking about and for those of you who not only want to BECOME REAL for yourselves but who also understand the greater implications this has as you become the change you wish to see in the world and either lead from example and energy or from a more overt, visible, highly-leveragable position.

There is a reason and a story behind why this painting is $25,000 and why this painting is meant for a very particular someone who has it's core message and energies at the very core of their own deepest, greatest work in the world.  I will say this much, if you are interested in this painting, you are likely a leader in this SHE RISING movement.  My message to you would be that if you are currently holding back, now's the time to rise.  It's not enough, MORE is needed.  Be that courageous.  

And if you think this painting might be for you, please just message me at leah@leahcb.com and we'll set up a time when I can share the whole, holy story with you and then you can decide.  

If you don't think this is your painting but you still want to step more fully into yourself and become real out there in the world - maybe even taking part in this SHE RISING movement - I'd love to have you join my RENASCENCE CO. community by signing up for my newsletter.  

Finally, you may have seen me mention this elsewhere, but as of November 9th, I am committing 10% of all profits from my art sales to charities.  Near and dear to my heart are charities that support women and children, so in the past my donations have included organizations like the YWCA, UNCHR (refugee support), and educational programs.  I am doubling down on these efforts now and am deeply moved to make #artforgoodnesssake and to make an even greater difference in the world!

No matter your political affiliation, the politics I care most about are the politics that has at the root of that very word, which is "the work of the people."  No doubt I believe in the divine energy and the mystical properties surrounding what it means to be alive at this time in history.  And I also believe in getting down to business, getting to work, getting our feet on the ground and our hands dirty and doing the work we came here to do.  This is very much what I mean by BECOMING REAL.  I don't think you can do it without getting your hands dirty and I don't think you can do it without having faith that you came here as a spiritual being to do human works - and with ever increasing love and compassion.  No matter how difficult, messy, bewildering and sometimes futile it might seem.  It is worth it.  Keep telling yourself that.

I want to end with an excerpt from a recent speech I'm sure we are all familiar with by now and that I believe is infused with that spirit of SHE RISING becoming very real in the world. 

I've had successes and setbacks and sometimes painful ones. Many of you are at the beginning of your professional, public, and political careers — you will have successes and setbacks too.

This loss hurts, but please never stop believing that fighting for what's right is worth it.

It is, it is worth it.

And so we need — we need you to keep up these fights now and for the rest of your lives. And to all the women, and especially the young women, who put their faith in this campaign and in me: I want you to know that nothing has made me prouder than to be your champion.

Now, I know we have still not shattered that highest and hardest glass ceiling, but someday someone will — and hopefully sooner than we might think right now.

And to all of the little girls who are watching this, never doubt that you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue and achieve your own dreams.

Finally, finally, I am so grateful for our country and for all it has given to me.

I count my blessings every single day that I am an American, and I still believe, as deeply as I ever have, that if we stand together and work together with respect for our differences, strengthen our convictions, and love for this nation, our best days are still ahead of us.

Because, you know, I believe we are stronger together and we will go forward together. And you should never, ever regret fighting for that. You know, scripture tells us, let us not grow weary of doing good, for in good season we shall reap. My friends, let us have faith in each other, let us not grow weary and lose heart, for there are more seasons to come and there is more work to do.

(HRC)

 

Love,

Leah 

New Painting: "Secret Garden"

SECRET GARDEN SERIES (yet unnamed),
30x30 acrylic, pastel, and ink on canvas
Leah Campbell Badertscher
Copyright 2016, All Rights Reserved
(partial image, see below for full view)

Hello Friends-
I have a new painting to share with you!  This was one I started way back in 2015, had to pack it away in December for our temporary move to London, and I just unpacked it (and several others that are midstream) a couple weeks ago.  I went to an awesome painting workshop in Nashville last week with Felicia Forte, an artist I admire and have been following for a couple years, and came back more excited than ever to paint - and also with plenty of new tools in my arsenal.  More on that another time....

For now, I wanted to show you some pics of this painting which I finished a few days ago and let you know that through midnight September 24, 2016, I am offering this SECRET GARDEN SERIES painting at an early bird offer of $1250 including S&H (for the continental US & Canada, but will help cover partial expenses for international shipping if one of my friends abroad would like this piece!).  After Saturday, it will be available for $2,500 plus S&H. 

This painting, like all of them, has a story to it and I wanted to share that with you here.  I actually have several of these SECRET GARDEN paintings I've been dreaming up ever since I was on a retreat hosted by Tonya Leigh Rising and she told the story of how a French girlfriend of hers, a woman tres magnifique in many ways, shared with Tonya one of her secrets to a beautiful, charmed life - and that was that every woman should know she has and tend to mystery and beauty, every woman should have her own secret garden.  (I may be taking creative license with Tonya's story, but am interpreting it in the way that it struck me!)

My imagination ran with this - and what the possibilities for this metaphor physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.  And so this painting came about - as well as the others that are living just on the other side of my brush right now. 

When I was thinking of what to name these paintings, I wanted to give them names that resonated and landed with YOU.  YOU, out there, who may not believe you are a woman that can or does have a Secret Garden...but secretly, you want to.  Secretly, or maybe buried so deep beneath all the pressure to be mainstream, normal, ordinary, acceptable, toned down, less out there, blendinable and this or that - you just have the faintest sense of it, you know there is so much more beauty, mystery, sensuality, loveliness, grace, goodness, power, wildness, fierceness, tenderness, strength and complexity and nuance than you let on in your everyday life. 

And so I thought, what better way to show this than to name the paintings after women I know, but even cooler than that, I thought, would be to name the paintings after the women who bought them, or for whom they are purchased!

Of course, if someone wants to buy the painting but remain anonymous, then only she and I will know the painting's true, secret name.  And that is pretty cool, too, I think. ;)

Also, a little additional story on the creation process of this painting, when I was feeling a little stuck when I returned to work on it a couple weeks ago, I stopped and asked it and My Self - "what is this about anyway?"  And I "heard" immediately an answer that came so clear and fully formed, almost like a poem.  It was: 

Oh come, Beauty,
and nest in my Soul.

Together there we will make a garden
that feeds the world.

That poem contributes to some of the text you see in the images here.  And there was other poetry of mine in there as well - but those exact words are part of my secret. ;)

If you are interested in this piece or any other pieces I currently offer, please message me at leah@leahcb.com.  I will have many more original works coming soon, so please be sure to check back and sign up for my mailing list (and I promise not to bombard your inbox!).  Also, if you enjoy my work but are not currently in the market for an original piece, please be sure to check out the variety of prints, canvas reproductions, and other lovely products I offer through my Society6 shop!

Now on to the rest of the photos!
 

In this one you can see the oh-so-less-than-ideal current turquoise wall color of my studio - but the light was a little better in there and actually made for a crisper shot that is more true to the vibrancy of the colors!

Thank you for reading and for your interest in my art!  I really do appreciate it. <3

XOXO-

Leah

Dancing Flame, A Commission

DANCING FLAME, Leah Campbell Badertscher, Copyright 2015, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

I have quite a bit of catching up to do to fill you in on ALL the paintings/art I've made in the last year.  Now that my children are all in school, this is the most time I have had in seven years.  In the past, the most time I've had to myself (to work, is what that means, though I'm grateful to have work I love!) has been 12-20 hours of childcare a week, averaging around 15 hours, and until recently anywhere between 5-8 of those hours was spent teaching yoga.  Which I also loved, but between teaching, writing, coaching, painting, and family...something had to give!  That, in a nutshell, is why I have been a half-assed online presence in the past.  Well, that's not entirely true.  The other reason is that I am still conflicted about how much on-line presence to have (you'll notice how I'm so carefully avoiding the bl***** word - rhymes with "logger" and it's not because I don't love reading certain ones, I really do, it's just I have mixed feelings about whether that's what I should be doing myself!)  ANYWAY, I digress....let's go back to the paintings, shall we?! :)

Dancing Flame (above and below) is a commissioned painting I did for a beautiful, special woman.  This is probably a good place to mention a couple things.  1) That I do commissions.  The second thing to mention is that of the many ways I might describe my painting and painting process, one way would be to say that I am an intuitive artist. 

Confession:  I often work to avoid calling myself an "intuitive" painter simply because the first time I saw an intuitive painting is seared into my mind.  It looked like a swirly, tie-dyed colored, finger painting of lima beans.  Gah.  I am all about - ALL ABOUT- everyone being more creative and not judging, but at that point I have to admit I thought to myself, "I have no idea what intuitive painting is about, but if this is it, I want no part of it!"    

Well, sense of humor that God has and all, an intuitve painter is exactly what I have become.  Minus psychedelic legumes (though I do often paint with my fingers and my palette tends to be unconventional).  Intuitive painter was, for me, a WAY OUT OF MY OWN WAY.  It's a spiritual practice, it's the most fun for me, and I am pretty dang amazingly intuitive, that is definitely my wheel house, and so painting is a joyful, challenging, and powerful way to play with that, grow, and explore.  

So, the way I do commissions is also unconventional because it is this intuitive process.  I ask the person requesting the painting a bunch of questions (that have nothing to do with the kind of sofa or armchairs they have, I don't make paintings to match couches, because there are just plenty of other places for that (Target)) and I also might ask them for photos of something ("something" is very vague here but it depends on the person - could be a cherished place, travel photos, childhood photos, etc....).  And then I trust what I get and try to keep up with it, try to stay awake and try to do justice to it.  Some people say, "Ummm, sounds like a reading.  Is it a reading?"     Nope, but it is special and it is different.  I love doing commissions this way- it's fun and such a great honor to make something so personal and so meaningful that will be in someone's HOME, their sacred space.  And they are also quite a bit more taxing for me and requires a fair amount of mental/psyche real estate for me and in my art-making calendar, so that is why they are priced the way they are.  But I do love to work with people this way (it's like the work I do coaching, but like making a gift as well), I do love the process of creating them and have been so delighted at the way they take shape and turn out.  And, most, most, most, most MOST importantly - my clients have all loved their commissions. 

If you have ever wanted to do something like this, create a precious, sacred, powerfully soul nourishing heirloom as a gift to yourself or your family or a loved one (and something incredibly meaningful to pass down), then I am your girl.  I know there are other intuitive painters out there, but I don't know anyone else who does this like I do. 

If you are interested in a commission, prices are currently (as of 2019) $10/square inch and a 50% of the total, non-refundable deposit is required at the time of our initial, ummm, "non-reading" but interview-like-conversation (which is a lot of fun!). :)  I am currently working on a few commission projects right now, so the length of time to complete your project will vary depending on when you contact me and how large a piece you are requesting.  But I do everything I can to get the commissions to you in a timely fashion.

Here is one such commission, Dancing Flame, that I completed for a special client last year. I love how she turned out! 

Thanks for reading!

Love,

Leah

Failing Better

You want to know what I've been[pretty much secretly-until now] thinking about and working on for the past several months?

How to fail.  How to fail more often, faster, and how to fail better. 

I have been brainstorming ways to fail faster and better.  One specific way was through my #create1x100 project.  Another fail better project I'm committing to is having an intention and disciplined practice of failing more openly, and seeking the wise and compassionate feedback of trusted mentors, teachers, and community.  We ARE all in this together after all, and I do deeply believe that failing more openly, courageously, and together may very well be our path into greater and deeper humanity.

Below is a link to a brief video I made on the topic - or you can go right to the video at the bottom of this post.  I'd love to know your thoughts on the subject.  What part does failure play in your success, your creativity, and your humanity?

And what are you doing do fail better?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxAQrAUiRKQ

Love,

Leah

P.S. If it's your dream to unleash your creative genius, I can guarantee that failure, lots of it, is part of the path!  If part of your plan, then, to fail more, faster, and better is part of your strategy to make that dream a reality, then I highly, highly recommend giving yourself the right kind of support.  You don't have to do it all on your own - and the journey is so much more fun and well-traveled if you have support.  Find a coach or a community.  If you think we might be a good fit, you can check out my the current special I'm offering for single coaching sessions at:  https://leahcb.satoriapp.com/book

Create 1x100

"A small act is worth a million thoughts."
-Ai Wei Wei

In the spirit of this wisdom, I'm going to do one small act of creativity a day, for one hundred days, and then share it.  I most likely won't blog everyday (hahaha, who am I kidding?!  I KNOW I won't blog everyday!), but I will post to Instagram (and maybe FB and Twitter, too) using the hashtag #create1x100.  If you'd like to get your creative juices flowing, I'd love to have you join me!  I am feeling the need to create some new patterns in my life and break up some old - so the small act of posting this and beginning this one hundred day journey is one way I'm going about that.

My small act today is the first draft of this poem that was inspired by our family's first visit to the ocean while here in Portugal.  I've been to the ocean many times before and have long known that I'd like to live near a big body of water, but there was something about this particular visit that was more profound.  Here is my first stab at place-marking and trying to figure out what this experience was about:

The Ocean

I know now that this

this water
this depth
this color
this expanse
this room for sky
this sun glittering on the surface
this unknown power that drops so deep
this home to life
this mystery

this

is what I have been missing

***

And just like that...I'm sharing something.  Something that feels incomplete, something that my ego wants to rear up and say "Oh my GOD!  STOP!!! Do not share - it is not good enough yet!"

But I'm so tired of that song and dance - it's always the same- me and my stuff?  We aren't ever good enough. 

Okay, so fine.  I'm going to proceed anyway.  That voice has been saying the same thing since I was 11, and no matter what I've done, it's never enough for that voice. 

I've tried arguing with the voice, I've tried proving it wrong.  I've tried coaching, therapy, hypnosis, overachieving, law school, marathons, triathlons, degrees, programs, classes, certificates, you name it.  None of it has ever been good enough. 

So, whatever "good enough" is, I've decided I don't need it and I don't need to be it.

I do know I need creativity, I know I need to create.  If you need this as well (and I believe we all do), again, I'd love to have you join me.  Just hashtag #create1x100 and share to IG. 

You don't need to be good enough, you just need to get moving and make something.  One small act. 

Love,
Leah
 

For Giving

Continuing along the theme of how I'm way tired of how I guard/hoard most of what I write and think-

here is the first draft of a poem I wrote today...

For Giving

That dark weight I felt in my chest
I looked to see
a black rock, like coal-
but more dense, like obsidian-
Made of all the roses
I hadn't given away

I kept them, not for myself
Not for you.
I kept them because
they weren't good enough.
I didn't know if you'd want them anyway-

So I held them in,
My heart wrapped tightly around them,
Closed in on its self,
unforgiving.

That hand that should've been giving
instead was clenching,
holding on for dear life,
but crushing any chance of it.

But I breathed the other day,
like I haven't breathed in so long-
Maybe decades.

And felt
an unfurling

This time I'm giving it all away.


****
Thank you for being out there.

Love,
Leah

 

FILL LIFE WITH BEAUTY (and an email full of updates!)

                                                                  FILL LIFE WITH BEAUTY
                                              Leah Campbell Badertscher, All RIghts Reserved
                     I'm finding it's entirely too much work to fill life with beauty AND try to have it          all together.                      Something's gotta go... one guess which one it'll be.... ;)

In today's post I share an email I just wrote to a dear friend this morning.  I realized after I wrote this that it actually hits on a lot of the updates I've been meaning to share with my community of readers, people that follow my art work, and people who follow my coaching work.  I had the thought, "hey!  That was easy!  Why don't I just post THAT [email] to my blog!"

And then came the, "Oh no, you can't do that!  It's not nearly complete enough, good enough, what HAVE you, enough...."

But actually, I CAN do it.  And the whole protest in my mind is so laughable because in the past I have AGONIZED over writing a blog because it felt so impersonal - and then I felt like the writing just felt off, not like me at all. 

And what is MORE me than what I, earnestly, dash off to a trusted friend? 

I definitely want more me and I want that for you, too, so let's experiment with that here....

Below I talk about needing to shift, once and for all, from a paradigm of overwhelm to just playing bigger and flowing with things.  You can read a little bit below about my theory around one of the reasons I believe I experience overwhelm (I know this is a common thing for many people, and there is a particular flavor of it for highly creative people).  And this post and experimentation with this type of posting is one of my anecdotes to that overwhelm. 

Because I am so onto myself - one of the sources of my overwhelm is that I can feel such a powerful surge of ideas and inspiration, which is awesome, but for so much of my life I've tried to channel it through tiny straws.  Tiny straws with names like, "this has to be professional," "I don't want to waste people's time, so I should make sure this is really sparkly and tight," "there is ONE RIGHT WAY of doing this," "you're not good enough yet," "protect your(ego)self" - or just that oldest, most tired straw of all, "PERFECTIONISM." 

So anyway, let's get rid of the straws and all the other ways we filter ourselves in the name of being professional or having high standards.  I am all for high quality work, but I also know that so much heart and soul is sacrificed on the altar of trying to preserve the ego's appearances of being all grown-up, professional, normal and everything.  I have experienced it for myself and see a lot of other people waste precious time and energy trying to "get it right" or "be ready" or "be good enough."  I've had enough of that. 

So, here is the barely edited email I wrote to my friend and in it you'll see a bunch of updates on somethings I've been working on and thinking about lately!

Dear Friend,

It would be so wonderful to have a conversation over a glass of Rioja or tea (make mine a cappuccino :), but I will be grateful in the meantime for the wonders of modern technology!

Because I don't know how long I have to email... B [my husband] takes his students for a field trip to a soccer club and then goes to LSE in the afternoon to present a workshop - Blaise is currently "washing dishes" in the kitchen, and the boys are drawing pretty nicely.... I will hit the main points first!

One, are you feeling the ground beneath your feet yet?  Any more opportunities for your own space, quiet settling time, and reflection?  

Two, for the Blackberry Farm retreat date I am looking at November 10-12.   Am strongly feeling the nurture, nourish theme.  In spades.  Would those dates possibly work for you?  

Three, when my friend Mollie, the CEO of the National Resilience Institute was in town, I had a chance to get more caught up on all things NRI.  Among other things, I wanted to share with you these two dates - The NRI Summit is in Chicago on Nov 2-3 and she said the Africa retreat in collaboration with Tererai Trent and her foundation is also happening.  The dates are the end of Sept-beginning of Oct.  Both events are going to be incredible! For the African trip they are using a travel company and also partnering with a women's business/professional network in Zimbabwe.  There will be a a couple conference-type/learning days with community and business leaders/seeing the work that needs to be done/can be done, and there will also be adventure excursions - like waterfalls, safari, wonderful accommodations, and the opportunity to meet and network with leaders/kindred spirits in Zimbabwe and from within the group of retreat participants.  I think it is going to be around $10K to go for the week - both of which are things that will make it a challenge for me to go (being during the school year when Brad is teaching), but I am setting the intention and not closing off unforeseen possibilities.  I know you have your big Africa trip not long before this but I wanted to let keep you in the loop!

Fourth, Mollie also said she saw [ a friend] last week (she was at a university giving a talk) and that she said she's almost finished with her book [a book with a major publisher and I am featured in this book!] and will be sending my section back soon for any final edits.  

Fifth, I signed up for a workshop myself in Nashville in mid-September with an artist whose work and process I admire and am very fascinated in ( Felicia Forte).  A step in the direction of finding the right mentors and nourishing spaces and experiences.  

Sixth, I sent a letter to Almine Rech and Ai Wei WeiI haven't yet been able to find actual email address/physical address for either of them (not surprisingly) so have had to do my best so far just sending it via social media contacts and crossing my fingers....but also still looking (and trying to not feel like a stalker) for an address that might increase the likelihood of actually connecting with them.  These are just a couple of the many things I've been doing as a part of Susan's [Hyatt and Ellen Fondiler's] program - and I am equal parts excited about just reaching out, overcoming the "I'll never be ready" mental hurdle, and also working then on letting go of the outcome.  

Seven, continue to work on concept journal for THE show and other art.

Eight, experiencing overwhelm - deciding that NOW is the time for me to shift into a new paradigm.  Overwhelm is the old, and I think for me, the result of trying to squeeze myself into a very masculine, logical approach to things. I just need to let it rip. So, one thing I've done is start the Renascence FB group, of which you are my first member.  I will explain more about that soon, but that was the first step to take - creating a space and community, even a virtual one, where this kind of paradigm can have room to be.  A place for people who want to express the fullness of who they are, however that comes, moment by moment, and where people can put down the burdens of trying to appear or seem and can instead be, and grow and flower and flourish, as they were meant to.  A garden, of sorts.  I've got a ton more of thoughts on this, but am just going to get started without trying to have it fully formed....more sharpening the saw....

Nine, plan is to pull together soul revival at-home retreat book in portugal.  

Ten, trying to stay in the mode of soaking up every last bit of our time in London - and not wasting my energy being sad that it's drawing to a close.  Because I am also excited, though, to get the kids into a good structure and fun environment for them and to PAINT again!

Okay, sorry for the very long email!  Believe it or not, that is a shorter update than all I have in mind!  Gah!  

Please do let me know how you are doing!  Miss you!

Love,

Leah

********

And if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me or leave a comment.  All events I mentioned here - The National Resilience Institute Summit in Chicago (which I emceed last year in Iowa!), the Zimbabwe adventure/retreat, and my Blackberry Farm retreat- are going to be AMAZING!!!  If you'd like more information on these, just let me know.  You can also sign up for my newsletter as I"ll be sharing more info on these soon.

As for the Renascence FB group - that is evolving (and it is free) but I am taking applications to join.  I want it to be a very nurturing place - which is not to say that it won't be challenging in all the ways necessary to grow, though! Please contact me for more information if you are interested! 

Thank you, as always, for reading and for your support!

Love,

Leah

A Letter About Creativity

                                                            "YOU ARE NOT ALONE"
                                       Leah Campbell Badertscher, All Rights Reserved

Dear Readers,
If you've been following me, I think you'll start to notice that I've started to do things differently.  This is going to continue, in every possible way, anyway, that supports me in expressing- as fluidly, efficiently, honestly, effectively, and powerfully- what I feel I am meant to express.  I'm sure I'll explain more in coming posts and what not, but for now I'll just give you a brief intro to today's post. 

What I'm sharing today is a personal message I sent to a friend who asked a great question.  I feel like one of the best parts about what I do as an artist and a coach/mentor/teacher/facilitator/what-evah-you-wanna-call-it is the opportunity to have amazing, meaningful, useful conversations.  And I have many of these conversations in the form of emails; I feel like I do my best thinking when I'm writing responses to great questions or when I'm engaged in a fascinating conversation. 

I want to share more of these conversations with more people.  These are the conversations where I feel most at home in my heart and like I am, potentially, most useful. 

I might not always have something to teach (and I don't want to be confined as always being the teacher or coach), but maybe something here will affirm what your heart or your gut has already been telling you.  Or maybe it will spark a question or make you realize you know something or have a position you didn't know you had.  Maybe you will just feel like you are not the only one thinking these things, dreaming these dreams.  Maybe you will know you are not alone.

I do hope there is something useful here for you. 

The following is part of the message I received:

"You are an artist, first and foremost, yes?

And your coaching training and skills...and the support you seek out, like, for example, this workshop you participated in is in support of your art, yes?

I have come 'round to this for myself. That my art and self-expression must come first. And that all the rest of it is in support of that.

And then there's this from Elizabeth Gilbert, re motive:
"Oh, and here's another thing: you are not required to save the world with your creativity...."

If I am mistaken, let me know."

And then my response:

Dear Friend,
So great to hear from you!! And your question is timely - because I've heard it argued for both sides- should you make art for self expression or to help others, and I read and loved Liz Gilbert's book "Big Magic"*, but I guess when it gets down to it, I do believe that we are all essentially one, and a cell expressing itself fully and healthily and robustly is good for the cell and good for the body as a whole.  Does the cell have to think about motivation? I don't think so...(but we are just now learning more and more about the individual "intelligence" of cells), but if it helps us as humans to have one motivation or another, then I say "whatever works to set you free until you're off and running and you no longer have to think about it, your intended nature becomes second nature." 

There are aspects of making art that feel entirely like "ME ME ME!!!'" to me, though ironically it's in this delicious self-forgetting way- I feel like I have God's full presence and then again, like I don't matter at all (in the most liberating, sublime way).  And there are also times when the intersection of other people and my art feels like one of the greatest gifts I could ever have-to create something that connects and is useful to another, that helps another be uplifted and better off. But even if I didn't have those gifts, I know I'd have to make art anyway.

To your question about how I'd identify myself, that's also timely. I've had plenty of time and cause to think about that.  And while this answer would get an F from the marketing coaches/experts [because I'm being too broad, not specifying a niche], I know fundamentally what my life is about- and sometimes the best medium for translating that is painting, sometimes it's poetry, sometimes it's writing a novel, sometimes it's coaching, sometimes a conversation, sometimes preparing a meal, sometimes the way I dress or dance, and almost anytime it can be just the way of being with someone. 

I think I've almost driven myself crazy at times trying to "define" it because defining confines.  That's so the wrong answer as an entrepreneur, I know, but I'm coming to understand that's what's best for me is the understanding that I'm always an artist (or artist-mystic if you want me to get REALLY specific) and part of the amazingness of that is the freedom- I get to make it up as I go!  I don't know if that helps at all, but let me ask you- do you feel you have to choose? Xoxo

PS- another thing to consider, I know of countless artists/authors/creatives who have had an amazing positive impact on my life, and there are certainly countless more who have made many things about life I love but they are anonymous to me.  Their creativity was a gift for which I'm grateful. Their creativity makes life more worth living.  Do I require them to have had the intention to help me? Does it help me less if they just created bc they needed to?  Then, on the other hand, you have people who created terribly destructive things. So, the question of motivation /intention is a good one.  But going back to the cell analogy- a healthy cell doesn't express in a way that is unhealthy for the body...

*Big Magic is Elizabeth's Gilbert's latest book and for those who haven't read it, I highly recommend you do!   And what I'm referring to here is a part in which she talks about creating for your own sake and not because you are trying to help humanity.  That's a really quick and dirty explanation that doesn't do the book justice, but for our purposes here today, it will get you through.  Again, I'd encourage you to get the book- whether you consider yourself creative or not, you will be glad you did.  Your mind and self will grow.  I don't agree with absolutely everything, but that makes complete sense to me as there isn't just one way for all people.  But I do feel it is a special book, it's not just regurgitating what everyone else is talking about when they talk about "creativity" in the mainstream, and I've implemented many things she espouses since reading it.  I didn't bring many books with me to London in my one suitcase, but I did pack Big Magic!


****

So, there you have it!  The first letter post - I have (no joke) hundreds and hundreds of pages of correspondence like this, so I'm sure it will not be the last!

Thank you for reading and have a beautiful weekend!

Love,

Leah

AI WEIWEI SPEAKS

This book is incredible.  Reading it has unshackled possibilities I didn't even know I was keeping on lock down.  Including the way I write and share online.

Love,

Leah

"TRUTH RISING"

TRUTH RISING
Leah Campbell Badertscher, All Rights Reserved
 

If you have been following me awhile, I'm sure it is no surprise to you that I believe Art heals and is soul work.  But what I experienced last week at a small workshop with a man name Frank Kane, a master voice coach, affirmed these beliefs in a different and deeply profound way. (more on that in a bit....)

I also believe that art, in its many different mediums, is able to be different mediums of energy, thereby affects different aspects of the human spirit and even has the capacity to touch, activate, and evokes different aspects of human fullness.  So, for example, talk therapy can be awesome for many things, but talking cannot often touch a place that poetry, music, visual arts, story, are able to.  We too often "think" we are just our thinking minds and forget the depth and many dimensions of us - art touches and awakens and helps remind of us of these dimensions of ourselves (and art can go beyond to healing, nourishing as well....but these are different blog posts for a different time). But suffice to say for now this is not an airy-fairy concept.  It's real.  And that's one of the special powers of creativity and art - channeling the intangible (which too often gets discarded as "airy fairy") and creating something spiritual that resonates through our physical selves. 

The soul of the artist comes into greater fullness when creating in this way, and, too, the soul of the beholder can be beckoned to rise up as well.  I also witnessed this in action at the workshop I attended last week. I don't want to be melodramatic, but the word that comes to mind was, "miraculous." (again, more on that in a bit...)

And so, "Your voice matters" has been a theme that inspires my art and often times comes through in symbolic and literal ways.

It was a theme very much alive in the painting I did above for a remarkable woman, Angela Lauria, whose work - whose art- is to liberate the inner artist/author of her clients and help them bring their message to the world.

Until last week, I thought I completely understood this message, "your voice matters."  Of course I know I needed for myself to believe that what I have to share, my creativity especially, with the world matters, that I'm not just "an extra," and I also strongly feel that part of my mission is to inspire and empower other people to own, liberate, and share their own creativity/voice.  I'd been thinking about voice in a very symbolic sense, interchangeably with creativity.

I'd often sensed there was a piece I was missing, I just couldn't quite (ironically) give voice to it.  Particularly it would come up at times when my creativity wasn't flowing and I could feel that I was holding back and dimming down.  I could feel it in a tightness in my heart, chest, throat, head, neck, especially on my left side.  Over two decades of mind/body experience and over a decade of exploring all kinds of energy/body/healing/coaching/therapy work, over a decade of teaching yoga, five years of coaching, and I am well-versed enough to know what was likely going on and I did plenty to heal and release the constriction in this area.  It had become a focus area of inquiry for me, not only for myself but especially because many (almost all) of my coaching clients have expressed experiencing something similar - feeling that the essence of what they are and the energy that they have to share is so much bigger than what they are currently sharing with the world.  I've heard it said that pain is the difference between how you are in the world and who you know yourself to be.  I've found this to be very true and it's one of the reasons I am so passionate about helping others unleash their creativity.

Almost all of us have heard the saying, "Don't die within your music still inside of you,"  but almost all of us would also love to do that but something within us seems to be standing at cross purposes with that.  So, it was an incredible gift to attend Frank Kane's (beautifully hosted by a lovely artist I met recently named Ali Warner) workshop and not only witness the truly masterful way he helped to liberate the powerful, resonate voices of the other attendees (in a very short time) but also to experience this first hand for myself.  I'm realizing this post is already running long and I know I'm not going to do justice to the experience in this one post, but I wanted to start. 

What struck me maybe most of all was the way I was, in a very real way, deeply affected by hearing/experiencing the full, true voice of the participants.  I felt - no, I knew- I was in the presence of someone truly sacred and holy when I heard their true voices (Frank would say that there is no "authentic" voice, so I would describe it as there being so much more of THEM, of their essence, their soul, filling up and filling out their voice). 

The experience was that of bearing witness, through the experience of their voice, the breath-taking magnificence of a human being.  And one of the realizations that has had me just dumbstruck as I've been mulling it over since, is that we always really are this sacred and holy and powerful - and it is so close to the surface, so ready to be called up, evoked, released...and we are the ones that hold it back, because, just as Marianne Williamson said, "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.  It is that we are powerful beyond measure."   

I've long loved this quote (even my own personal mission statement was greatly inspired by it), though I will admit I've also held some skepticism about it - I long to come into the fullness of who I am and to do what I came to do - so why on earth would I fear my power? 

But when it was my turn, I got to experience the absolute truth of this.  When Frank asked what I would like to focus on, I had a thought of holding back what I really wanted and instead saying, "My speaking voice.  I've always been told my voice is so quiet, so that."  But I'm glad that instead I just, blushing beetred and all, asked for what I really wanted, even though it seemed over the moon.

What I said was:

"I've always so, so admired singers who can really belt it out.  Women like Adele, Aretha Franklin, Florence (from Florence and the Machine).  And I also heard a woman speak once who spoke with an energy so powerful and great that my bones were vibrating - she reminded me of Martin Luther KIng, Jr., but more powerful as herself.  I feel like I've got such a big desire to belt something out like this, but my voice always seems too strained and small."

What Frank said was:

"So, you feel like your energy is much bigger than what you're currently allowing your vibration (voice) to be?"

Me:

"Yes."

So then he asked me a few more questions and then we went to work.  Again, too much to explain here, but it was one of the most incredible things I have experienced.  Me.  Unleashed.  My own voice, for the first time ever, maybe.  And that was just the beginning.  My mind was blown.  (And I always love it when the spirit pulls off one of those... :)

So you.  You sense you have more in you.  You're not imagining it.  Stop discounting it.  It's true.  You have so much more in you.  And it is sacred and holy and powerful and healing and the world is waiting to hear and feel the magnificence that is your voice.  So, sing, write, dance, build, make love, raise your families - whatever dream is calling you, straining against your throat and chest, wanting to break out - belt that song out.  In whatever way you can, just keep going until you feel that soul-satisfying, "now that's more like it" feeling of belting it out. 

Your voice matters.

More than you can know. 

Love,

Leah

The Lotus and The Rose

THE LOTUS AND THE ROSE
Leah Campbell Badertscher, All Rights Reserved

I believe that the energy with which something is created (paintings, in my case), is the energy that flows through to the beholder or recipient of that creation. 

Part of the energy in this painting had very much to do with the process of spiritual growth and evolution.  A necessary part of this journey is to have a vision and then to trust that vision and then GO FOR IT.  Sometimes that journey seems linear, but at other times, when we are able to release the limits in our minds and allow ourselves not to be defined by our limits, but by the essence of our souls, by our limitless, that journey is less like a ladder or step-by-step and can feel more like leaps - or like you've discovered you've had wings all along.

Some of the messages that came to me while creating this piece (and which are still visible in the final layer) are:

You are not your limits.

Expand

Love

Move beyond your limits.

If you have a vision in your heart but are currently feeling weighed down or like your dreams have even become the burden - consider that you are focusing too much on your limitations and mistaking them for who you really are. 

A couple other things I like to remind myself of during challenging times like this are that,

"If I can dream it, I can achieve - TINOGONA!" (Thank you to my remarkably inspiring friend, Dr. Tererai Trent, for this one!)

and,

-again - Have a vision, go for it, and then....

"Do not take no for an answer from anyone - especially yourself!"

Love,

Leah

P.S. This original has already sold but if it speaks to you and you'd like an infusion of it's soaring, transformatively inspiring energy, please check out my Society6 Shop at www.society6.com/leahcb

WHY ART?

Thoughts on why art, design, the environments we inhabit matter, and matter deeply...

“Humans, like other animals, are shaped by the places they inhabit, both individually and collectively. Our bodily rhythms, our moods, cycles of creativity and stillness, even our thoughts are readily engaged and influenced by seasonal patterns in the land… Transfixed by our technologies, we short-circuit the sensorial reciprocity between our breathing bodies and the bodily terrain.”

– David Abraham  “The Spell of The Sensuous”

Love, 
Leah   

STAINED GLASS MAGNOLIAS

STAINED GLASS MAGNOLIAS
Leah Campbell Badertscher, All Rights Reserved

"God cannot do for us what we do not allow Him to do through us." 
-Marianne Williamson, from a live event she did in London, Spring 2016

I have been thinking about this ever since attending a talk  Marianne Williamson gave in London a couple weeks ago.  These words (and other wisdom she shared) gave me a lot to think about.  It also reminded me of this painting, which was the first I did (has it been 4-5 years ago already?!) where I felt like I really began to allow to let flow something I'd been longing for, and sensing within myself, for so, so long.  

You'll see words in it like "unfold," "attend," "flow," "trust," "your voice matters," "your story matters,"  and "Believe."  All words that I needed to heal and free myself and all representing the very real healing, liberating, creative, loving energies that I experienced when creating this painting and that I know flowed into it.  

I'm at a stage where I'm asking and feeling for what's next for my art - and the world- so it was a perfect time to hear these words and consider what I need to open up and allow to be done through me.

I wanted to share in case they are the words you've been needing to hear as well.  

Love, 

Leah

P.S. THANK YOU and BIG HUGS to those of you who have purchased reproductions of STAINED GLASS MAGNOLIAS and my other paintings through my Society6 shop and then sent pictures or tagged me in photos of where my artwork - now YOUR artwork- lives in your home, your office, your life!  I so LOVE that!  And for those of you who feel called by this piece or touched by another, I do currently offer high-quality reproductions through this site: https://society6.com/leahcb
XOXO

THE LOTUS

THE LOTUS

2015, Leah Campbell Badertscher

For private collection, Toronto, Canada

 

I'm grateful to have so much demand for commissions that I currently am unable to begin new commissions until October 1.  At that time, the fee for commissioned work will be $3.00/square inch plus S&H (for those of you who were looking into commissions before, please note that this is an increase, although if you have already spoken to me about commissioning a piece before October, it will be at that former price).  50% of the entire amount is required as a deposit in order to begin the piece and the balance is due before delivery. 

Also, the brief down low on how I do commissions is this: it's very intuitive.  I would love for you to know the size and please let me know if you have colors you love and if you know where you think the piece might go (though these latter two are not necessary), and from there I "interview" you to create an absolutely stunning, one-of-a-kind piece that is something that you will love and cherish!  I may also ask you for photographs, favorite songs, poems, places to travel, etc. - if that's what seems appropriate.  It's a different way of working, I know - but it works, like magic, and it is A LOT of fun!  I guarantee that the entire experience, from interview to updates to the final product, will be a beautiful, life-enhancing one.

If you'd like to get your name on the waitlist for October (in time for Christmas gifts!) , please email me at leahbadertscher[at]gmail[dot]com.  You can also sign up for my newsletter at www.leahcb.com to receive an occasional notice about new works and special offers. 

Thank you!

Love,

Leah

The Power of a Peace

SHE RISING 
Leah Campbell Badertscher, 2014
All Rights Reserved
$10,000

If you are a long time lover of the arts, it'd be preaching to the choir for me to tell you that certain pieces of art have special power.

But maybe you're new to art, or to my art, and you're not quite sure why you're drawn to what you're drawn to...but you're noticing more and more that you are.

Trust that instinct.  It is as real as anything could ever be. The power of art is as real as anything ever could be.  

For instance, take the painting above, SHE RISING.  

There is something so special about this piece, so powerful.  I've tried wrapping words around it but, of course, I can't (that's why it had to be painted).  

But today I was looking at this particular piece and wondering, "What IS it about you?  What makes you SO powerful??"

Then I went for a run.  I was still thinking about this painting, SHE RISING, and it was on my second lap around the lake when I heard her answer:

"My power is in my peace."

Love,

Leah

Welcome

Through the pursuit of beauty we shape the world as a home, and in doing so we both amplify our joys and find consolation for our sorrows.
—Roger Scruton

Hello and welcome to my online art gallery!  I’m so glad that you’re here!

I’d love for you to take a look around and browse the home page for newly released paintings that are still available for sale.  Maybe you’ll find a piece you’re immediately drawn to or that is “so you.”  Maybe you're looking for a piece that will be a special reminder of a milestone in your life.  Maybe you’re drawn to exuberant art with a unique and meaningful story and you cherish art that you can enjoy now and also have to pass down to your children or grandchildren as a family heirloom.  

If you’re a gallery owner or new to my work and would like to see a broader representation of my paintings, please be sure to check out the “Collection” page which features a selection of my work that has already been sold.  

Whatever reason that brings you to my site, one thing that I have learned from talking to my beloved patrons and those who follow my work is that the art really comes to life for them when they hear the story of a piece. 

There is SO MUCH I could say about the story of any particular painting and my creative process in general, but today I wanted to share something general to get us better acquainted.  

Creating art for me usually goes something like this…

Maybe I notice an imperfectly torn edge of a flower and, instead of rushing on to the next thing, something in me catches, tells me to look a little longer.  If I look long enough and look in the “right” way, something so simple as that will move my heart with its staggering beauty.  

Or maybe am overwhelmed by the beauty in the tilt of a mother’s head as she gazes at the baby in her arms.   Or maybe, seemingly out of no where, I am filled to the point of almost breaking with a sense of something - inspiration- that can be best described as a rhythm I can almost feel or music I can almost hear.  

This kind of beauty is everywhere.  Beauty is in the details, God is in the details, and beauty and God are everywhere.  

But you have to be paying attention.

It is when you are paying attention that you are able to fully receive the beauty and meaningful that you’re always being invited to experience.  And when you are fully receiving beauty and meaningful, you have this overwhelming sense that, “THIS is why we are here, this is what it means to be truly ALIVE."

I love to create art because it gives me an excuse to pay attention.  It gives me an excuse to stop, look, listen, and feel.  And it gives me an opportunity to create a way that others can’t help but pay attention, too.  

I hope you stop by my online studio often to check out what’s newly completed and to get sneak peeks into my studio and creative process.  Please sign up for my newsletter to become a member of my special studio community and you’ll receive a special monthly release of new paintings as well as be among the first to know about special offers.  

Also, I’d love to know whose visiting, so please say hello in the comments below and let me know what paintings are your favorites.

I create art because I love it and also because I can’t help it.  But it’s also an immense gift to be able to create art which others love and with which others feel a resonance, so to each and everyone one of you that is here, thank you so much.

With love & gratitude, 
Leah