Awakening Creativity
Unleash the brilliance of your inner artist
a live online course for women & non-binary folx
with Suiko McCall, Founder of the Art Monastery
IMAGINE HONORING THAT STILL SMALL VOICE THAT CALLS YOU
IMAGINE A LIFE WHERE
- You consistently create art that expresses who you are,
- making art is a total joy, and
- the art you make touches & inspires others.
This is about making the art you were born to make.
And it's more than that.
It's about living the life you were born to live.
— Suiko Betsy McCall, Founder & Abbess of the Art Monastery, award-winning painter, certified meditation teacher, coach, author, and synchronized swimmer
AWAKENING CREATIVITY WILL HELP YOU
- Make massive progress on the creative goal or project of your dreams. The one that's been haunting you. The one that really matters.
- Make art with the sense that something is coming through you rather than from you
- Stop judging yourself all the time.
- Ignite the joy of your free expression.
This 10-week course is right for you if you're a woman or queer and...
- You have a creative project you've been longing to do, that you keep dreaming about, that you've been procrastinating on or just never seem to get around to.
- You have drifted from your artmaking and want to get back to it... and fear it might not be possible for you.
- You know your artmaking could be deeper, more connected. You've tasted the feeling of something "coming through you" and you want more of that.
- You don't have a particular project but want to live a creative life, to have making be a consistent part of your daily experience... and you just haven't been able to sustain that kind of thing so far.
What You'll Learn
Trainings are released in weekly modules inside a private, members-only portal. You'll get:
MODULE 1 - Opening to the Way: Bridging creative & contemplative practice
In the first module, you will learn the fundamentals of how to approach art as a spiritual practice, touching on both the inner work (mind training) and the outer work (tactical practical). You will discover:> The practical 4-step tool for connecting your creative and spiritual practices called "Way of the Artmonk"
> The four foundations of Mindfulness and how to apply them to your art making
> The three zones of growth
> How practicing embodiment is different for women, queer, and BIPOC people... and essential
> Reflection practice: Healing the Ancestral Line
> Guided Radical Self-Acceptance meditation
> Guided Artmonk Practice
MODULE 2 - Courting the Muse: cultivating your creative spirit & authentic voice
In our second session, we explore ways of developing and deepening your relationship with your creativity and how to identify the sometimes-elusive “authentic voice” (Yes, you have one and yes, you can find it!). In this module, you will discover:> The transformative power of focusing on process over product
> Authentic expression & cross-training for channeling
> Find your Flow Factors
> How to lay the foundations (or continue) to develop your style
> Guided Breathplay
> Guided Meet Your Creative Spirit shamanic practice
MODULE 3 - Stop Procrastinating: how to show up consistently
Procrastination, resistance, and perfectionism can make it nearly impossible to do the practices that are most important to us. In this module, we’ll dive into the practical and specific Dos and Don’ts of dissolving procrastination. You will discover:> Wake up to why you procrastinate
> The impact & science of procrastination
> How to overcome your procrastination
> The 6 Myths of Creativity
> The 9 Guideposts for Showing Up Consistently
> Guided mindfulness of feelings meditation
> Guided Earth Altars creative practice
MODULE 4 - Accessing Intuition & finding flow
In module 4, we will focus on our relationship with intuition, mystery and the unknown. You will discover:> The power of intention & ritual
> How to access your intuition
> The 4 pillars for Muse-Hosting
> The step-by-step framework for Hosting the Muse
> The Inner Child & her power
> How to design your own invocation ritual
> Guided Pillar of Light meditaiton
> Creative / Contemplative practice: Writing with your Inner Child
MODULE 5 - Dancing with the Inner Critic & other blocks
In this session we will explore how to stop judging ourselves, how to shake off the shackles of perfectionism, and let go of worrying about what other people think of what we make. You’ll discover:> Inner Critic & Imposter Quiz Show
> The 5 types of creative blocks
> How to tango with your Inner Critic
> 6 Strategies for cutting through Imposter Syndrome
> Practical tools you can use when you're blocked
> Guided R.A.I.N. meditation
> Guided Artmonk Practice to disrupt the inner critic
MODULE 6 - Playing with Possibility & enjoying the process
Sometimes we can really crunch down in our creative practices and the joy of doing it evaporates. In this module, we will look at why that happens and how to disrupt it. You will discover:> The power of play in the creative life
> The impact of lack of play
> The scientifically proven benefits of play
> Cultivating rest & play
> Creating opportunities to play
> Creative practice: Permission to make a mess
> Contemplative practice: Ingredients for joy & meaning
MODULE 7 - Finding the Inner Teacher: How to continually improve
Like teaching someone to fish, the ability to assess our own work with an eye toward growth & improvement is a potent skill that can continually open up possibilities for our creative lives. In this module, we explore how to do that — without activating the inner critic. You’ll discover:> How to evaluate your own work with honesty & compassion
> Three questions to identify and attain the skills you need most
> The surprising science of feedback & critique
> The insidious snares of “Comparison mind” and how to avoid them
> Creative practice: New life
> Guided mindfulness of thoughts meditation
MODULE 8 - Loving Yourself & Your Work
The paradoxical truth is that in order to manifest your highest brilliance in the world, you must learn to accept and adore yourself as you are now. In this module we will examine why we have so much resistance to that, and how to cultivate the transformative essence of self-love. You’ll discover:> The roadmap to self-acceptance
> Self-forgiveness
> Why it's so hard to forgive ourselves & how to do it
> The most powerful ritual I ever participated in
> A Self-forgiveness worksheet & ritual
> Creative practice: Write your (wo)manifesto
MODULE 9 - Sharing Your Work in the World & bringing the artist out of the closet
An essential — and sometimes terrifying — part of the creative process is to share your work with the world. Especially for women & queer folx living in a patriarchal heteronormative world, this can be a vulnerable move — but skipping it can leave the cycle of creativity stunted. In this module you’ll discover:> When the work is ready to share?
> How to identify the best modes for sharing your art
> How to dance with humility, pride, greed, and fear
> Guided Tonglen meditation
> Creative practice: Offering
MODULE 10 - Integration & Reflection
In our final module we will explore how you would like to move forward with your creative life and how to maintain the most effective practices for you. In this module you’ll discover:> The most common challenges to a life of fully embodied creativity
> Tips & tricks for overcoming those challenges
> The surprising science of the difference between “I will!” and “Will I?”
> Guided lovingkindness meditation
> Creative practice: Finding the Way
What people are saying
Suiko offers substantial value. After the first time being led by her in Artmonk Practice, I felt the power of her gift as an artist and teacher. I cried and processed on a level not always available in my other methods of meditation.
Jessica AmosFounder of StayWithYourself.com, meditation teacher & coach with 1.2 million students, Salem, ORThis program provided a safe place for my creative voice to emerge and find its unique self-expression. The practices Suiko shared with us have helped me to put aside my inner critic that had been blocking me from creating. Even more than that, her teachings have helped to connect art-making with my meditation practice, which I adore.
Alysia ThaxtonTeacher, Washington DC
I am now more confident in my making and my identity as an art maker. I've formed amazing friendships. I've deepened my understanding of what it means to make, why it matters, and possibilities of how to create community around it.
Shenandoah WeissLeadership & Career Coach, mindfulness teacher, and corporate learning specialist, San Diego, CAMore than a course,
it's a community.
In Awakening Creativity we build even more than community, we build sangha:
Sangha is a sanskrit word that means community but more than community it is a worldwide sisterhood (otherhood?) of deep connection, mutual support, and fellow travelers on the path.
This is a safe haven for you to be yourself, fully, unabashedly, and without apology. Where we link arms to show up for each other, again and again. Where we serve the mission of liberated, authentic self-expression, with courage and compassion.
We are a circle of women & queer folks who fully get it — the vulnerability, the courage, the humor, the frustration, and the joy of making from your heart.
How does Awakening Creativity work?
Trainings are released in weekly modules inside a private, members-only portal.
In the Awesome Package, you'll get:
10 modules of short training videos
Weekly pre-recorded videos that you can watch at your leisure. There are 3-5 videos per module and each video is less than 15 minutes. These videos are designed to help you create a progressively deeper experience of your creativity.
LIVE group coaching sessions, artshares, and work sessions
Six live sessions where you can bring your stumbling blocks and receive guidance and specific feedback from me. You can also opt to share whatever project you're working on in an intimate & supportive environment. On alternate weeks part of these gatherings will be a work session.
1:1 coaching with Suiko
Two 30-minute 1:1 calls with me to work closely on exactly what you need help with. This heart-centered laser-focused attention is part of what makes this course go deeper and more transformational than anything you've experienced before. These sessions can explore anything in your creative & spiritual life.
Art Sangha Pods
Small groups to be in contact with in a daily way for deep connection and mutual inspiration. This is a potent accountability opportunity to really move the needle on your goal!
Guided meditations
For each course module you can download audio recordings that you can practice with throughout the week. As you meditate, you can have me in your ear!
Creative practices & prompts
Each module includes invitations and guided activities to foster your creative blossoming and to integrate the week's teachings into your creative practice.
Private online community portal
Ad-free easy-to-navigate private portal for 24/7 access to the community. A powerful place to connect, share art, get feedback, find inspiration and make friends.
Prizes
To keep you swimming in motivation galore, build community, and to have some FUN, we'll play with prizes throughout the course.
Recordings & transcripts
All live sessions with be recorded and transcribed. You'll have access to these, as well as the prompts & assignments, in our private portal.
But that's not all!
With the Awesome Package you will also receive these
BONUSES
Instant Registration Bonus
This is only available for 24 hours after your 1:1 strategy call with me.
Enter code INSTANT20 at checkout.
Self-empowerment workbook
My full-color self-empowerment workbook "Live Your Dream: Become Who You Are" emerged from a collaboration with seven international organizations. I will mail a physical copy to your home.
Lifetime Access
When you join Awakening Creativity, you're in for life! Do the live program, then revisit the material as much as you want. The training videos, bonus workshops & courses, and recordings of live sessions are yours forever.
Workshop (live!): How to Design Your Ideal Creative Practice or Project
This live online workshop will take you through step-by-step to identify and hone a regular creative practice or concrete project that will be both inspiring and sustainable. I will offer the workshop live and stay on until all questions are answered. (You'll get the recording too).
Workshop (live!): Making Time for Making Art
Tired of not having time to make art? I will divulge all of my secrets and hard-won widsom on how to have a consistent and satisfying creative practice without giving up the rest of your life. (You'll get the recording too.)
Workshop (live!): The 3 Keys to Your Strong Artistic Voice
Do you feel like your creative work is all over the place? What's the common thread? And how does one develop a recognizable style? Better yet, how can you find your authentic expression? Find out how in this workshop. (You'll get the recording too.)
Course: Meditation & Drawing
Learn how to meditate while drawing and draw while meditating. An in-depth hands-on 4-session course makes the connection of contemplation and creativity concrete. (Recorded)
Course: Foundations of Mindfulness
Brush up on or discover for the first time the four foundations of mindfulness. An in-depth 4-session course features both talks and guided practices. (Recorded)
Guided Meditations
This bundle of my favorite Go-To Guided meditations for creativity and relaxation: from classics like mindfulness of breath to originals like "We never make art alone". Stream or download to your device.
Looking for even more?
You can upgrade to the Super Awesome Package and add on:
double the amount of 1:1 coaching with Suiko
In addition to the two 30-minute 1:1 calls with me included in the Awesome plan, dive even deeper with an additional two sessions, for a total of four 1:1s. Schedule them according to whenever suits you during the course.
bonus Live Training call after the course ends (90 minutes)
In addition to the six live group calls, enjoy an additional smaller group call after the course ends, for additional support.
more recent self-empowerment workbook
My second self-empowerment 64-page full-color workbook, a potent partner to the first one, will be sent to your doorstep (unless you prefer the digital version in interactive PDF).
Are you ready to feel more like you?
Join the waitlist by entering your info below. I'll let you know when the doors open to the next cohort.
Thank you for joining the waitlist! I'll let you know when the doors open for the next cohort. :)
- Prefer to pay in installments? At check out choose AfterPay for 4 interest-free payments.
- Absolutely NO RISK Money Back Guarantee: I am so confident that you will be deeply satisfied that I guarantee it. Follow the steps that I present in the course and if you are not completely satisfied, I'll refund 100% of your tuition. Make comments on each of the modules so I know that you've engaged them, give me some feedback on what didn't work for you (so that I can improve!), and I will reimburse you.
- Cancellation Policy: If you change your mind up to 2 weeks before the course starts, I will reimburse 100% of your tuition.
- 70% refund by the week before it starts or convert to self-study and apply $1000 to the next live cohort (not eligible for early bird discounts)
- After the first live call: no cancellation refunds available. If at the end of the course you have watched the videos, done the practices and are not satisfied, you can have a full refund.
- Terms & Conditions
- Questions or concerns? Email me at info@artmonastery.org.
- Not sure if the course is right for you? Book a 15-min call with me. I'll give you my honest thoughts on whether or not it's right for you.
What people are saying
Suiko has shown me how I can unlock my own creativity. What a meaningful gift! I really can't thank her enough for all the inspiration to practice and exercises she has taught me over the years.
Sarah SzewczykEngineer, PG&E, Sonoma, CASuiko’s creativity course set me up for a lifetime practice of creative connection with my inner voice and also with my young daughter. Suiko's nurturing support enabled me to fit a satisfying creative practice into the challenges of parenthood, linking it with my child’s creative journey, and building a bridge of connection that I believe will be powerful throughout all her developmental phases.
Kasaia LuckelLandscape Architect, Berkeley, CA
Photo credit: FuBao
This course helped me transition from focusing on the question “is it good or bad?” to living art in the moment, breathing the art, feeling that spiritual connection, loving it for the experience and not focusing on its marketable value. Suiko helped me to finally let go of the shackles of perfection in the eyes of someone else.
Sherri M., Juneau, AlaskaQuality Assurance DirectorMeet Your Host
Hey, I'm Suiko.
I am the Founder and Abbess of the Art Monastery, my monumental life-as-art social scultpure. It's an international arts organization dedicated to cultivating personal awakening and cultural transformation through art, spiritual practice, and connection with the earth.
I've published two books and two workbooks: Hosting Transformation: Stories from the Edge of Changemaking; Empowerment: A Guide for Facilitators; Live Your Dream: Start Here, Start Now and Live Your Power: Become Who You Are. I am tickled to report that the workbooks are now available in 14 languages. Che bello!
I hold degrees from Yale and San Francisco Art Institute. I've managed to get around quite a bit: my large-scale pattern-based paintings have been exhibited from San Francisco and New York to Budapest and Rome.
My certifications include: International Transformation Host, Morning Altars teacher, and Mindfulness Meditation teacher. I practiced Zen Buddhism in residence at Green Gulch Farm / Green Dragon Zen Temple for four years and focus my spiritual growth on studying the land, shamanism, and my own intuition.
I have worked with hundreds (thousands?) of professional and non-professional artists (and people who would not claim the title artist at all) for 17 years. It is my passion and my calling. I would love to work with you, too.
Frequently asked questions
I'm not sure what my project would be. Do I need to know ahead of time what I will be making?
If it is not immediately clear to you what you'd like to work on within this course, no problem. One of the course bonuses is designed to help you with exactly that: "How to design your ideal creative practice or project". I will offer that workshop live and you can bring your thoughts and I will help you figure it out. I'll stay on the Q&A at the end of that call until everyone has had their questions answered.Do I need any special materials?
Nope. This course is not about me telling you what to do. It's about you identiying what's most important to you (I will help you do that). That said, I will be offering prompts and assignments throughout. I might make recommendations but I won't require you to acquire any particular materials.How are the live sessions structured?
The flow of the live calls is:10 min — guided meditation
20 min — coaching and Q&A
30 min — work session or artshare
All live sessions will include the opportunity to bring your questions and specific situations for coaching.
We will alternate between work sessions and artshares for each live session.
The sessions are scheduled for 75 minutes to include breathing room and flexibility.
What are the dates and times for the live sessions?
The live group calls are most Saturdays between October 19 and December 21 from 10 to 11:15 am Pacific.October 19 — Opening Ceremony — 2 hour session
October 26 — Coaching & Conversation
November 9 — Coaching & Artshare
November 23 — Coaching & Work session
December 7 — Coaching & Artshare
December 21 — Closing Ceremony & final Artshare — 2 hour session
1:1 Coaching Sessions
You'll get to schedule your 1:1 sessions whenever works for you. You might choose to schedule those for the weeks where there is no live call. Totally up to you. :)
All coaching sessions must be complete by December 13.
LIVE BONUS WORKSHOPS
How to Design Your Ideal Creative Practice
Saturday, October 12
10-11:30am Pacific
Making Time for Making Art
Wednesday, October 30
10-11:30am Pacific
The 3 Keys to Your Strong Creative Voice
Wednesday, December 11
10-11:30am Pacific
You can subscribe to the Awakening Creativity GoogleCal to automagically add all these dates & zoom links to your calendar.
What if I miss a live session/Q&A call?
No problem! They will all be recorded and made available in the portal.I can’t attend each session live – what now?
No problem. They will all be recorded and made available in the portal. Also, you are welcome to submit questions ahead of time and I can answer you on the live call even if you aren't there. I have had people enroll in a course knowing they could not attend a single live group call. They watched all the recordings, submitted questions ahead of time, were deeply engaged with their Art Sangha Pod, and experienced profound benefits from the course. If you are called to be in this course but can't attend the live group calls, don't let that stop you.What if I need more support — are you available for additional 1:1 coaching?
Absolutely! The Super Awesome plan is just for you: double the number of 1:1 sessions with me, participate in an additional live (smaller) group call, and receive my more recent self-empowerment workbook.How much time will I need to invest in Awakening Creativity?
That's up to you. At the end of the day, Awakening Creativity is not ADDING to your To Do list. It is offering you a supportive container to work through what has been holding you back creatively.The first four modules are the heaviest with almost 60-90 minutes of recorded videos. After that, the modules total around 45 minutes/week. No one video is longer than 15 minutes. The weekly live call is 75 minutes, and you'll get the recording. Alternating live group calls will include a work session, so you can make progress on your project as part of the call.
You will design your own own creativity schedule, and I strongly encourage you to keep that under 20 minutes/day.
All tolled, if you watch all the videos and attend all the live sessions, it'll be around 3 hours/week, including your creative practice.
Do I have to finish the course in a certain time period?
You will be setting your own goals and deadlines. They do not need to conclude before the end of the course. You have lifetime access to the recorded materials and handouts, so you can revisit those again and again on your own rhythm.What about confidentiality?
I will hold everything you say to me in our 1:1 sessions with the strictest of confidences. We will make agreements as a group at the beginning of the course that we will hold each other in confidence. Our online portal is private.Do I need strong internet skills to do this course?
Nope. You will need a device so you can access Zoom and the portal. The portal is hosted on Mighty Networks, which has become increasingly clear and intuitive to navigate. I offer a live walk-through and introduction to the portal spaces. Mighty Networks has amazing customer support that you'll have access to as well.Do I need strong art skills to do this course?
This course is about growth. It's about practice. It's about digging in deep. No matter what your skill level is, you will end these 10 weeks at a notably higher level.I'm not a painter. Will this course be relevant to me?
Absolutely! While I am a painter and I teach from my own experience, I am also a coach and have worked with hundreds of artists in every imaginable medium. If what you want to do is creative, then this course will be relevant to you.I'm not an artist. Will this course be relevant to me?
How do you define artist? I define it as someone who creates with intention & personal expression. It does not matter what your medium is, if you have ever been formally trained, or if you have ever sold your art for money. What matters is that you feel the call to be a part of this.What is your refund policy?
I offer a no-risk money-back guarantee! I am so confident that you will experience a deeply satisfying transformation that I guarantee it. Follow the program I lay out that I present in the course and if you are not completely satisfied, show me your comments on the videos and I'll refund 100% of your tuition. I do ask that you offer me some specific feedback so I can learn and improve.If you change your mind within 2 weeks before the course begins, you can have a 70% refund. (I will apply the remaining 30% to the transaction fees, the mailed package, and lost income because there isn't time to offer the spot to someone else).
Another option is that you can convert your current membership to the Self-Study version. This way you have access to the course content and can dip into the pre-recorded videos & PDFs in moments that fit with your flow and needs. Next time I offer the course, you can apply $1000 to the cost of a full enrollment (but you won't be eligible for the early bird discount).