The Magic Of Art Ritual
Art as a spiritual practice.
“If we look at art through the veil of spiritual practice, we can see every mark made as sacred. When we see every mark as sacred, we can be more forgiving with those that surprise us.”
- Lauren of Subnormal Child
Art rituals are about empowering authentic creativity for individual and collective healing.
By holistically reframing art as a ritual, we can work more thoughtfully, intuitively, and with a focus on fulfilling our purpose.
What is art as ritual?
In summary, an art ritual is a space where art is used as an emotional support tool and a means of self-reflection.
An art ritual is a session designed to give you an intuitive art experience. It uses tools such as Meditation, intuitive art, reiki, tarot, and astrology to tap into your creative magic as a tool of self-reflection and mindfulness.
(The image to your left gives an idea of what a session might look like regarding flow.)
In this space, you are the creator of your art, and I am here to support you in your journey of self-discovery. If you encounter any creative blocks or wounds, I will guide you through them. Tools such as Reiki and tarot can be used if necessary, but they are not a requirement in every session.
What Is Intuitive Art?
It can be seen as a form of channeling, almost like a stream of consciousness at times.
Art that nurtures our inner child - allows for play and pleasure over simply focusing on esthetics.
Art that allows for exploration of the self! Do what feels good!
Intuitive art is an intuitive healer because it gets us out of our heads and into our bodies. This is where we can reconnect with the flow state of creation, getting out of our own way and into channeling.
What supports this practice?
Understanding these three principles is crucial as they hold the potential to transform your relationship with art into a healing practice over time.
This is art about process, not product. - (Intuitive art)
Every mark is sacred. (even the “mistakes”)
Everything that comes up is honored. (Especially emotions)
With time, you can build confidence in this practice together. To the left, you can see a chart explaining the progression of sessions and the shifts that can happen over time. Use these principles in session together to build your practice and the benefits that come along with it. Ideally, you will get to a point where you can tap in without support in your home practice.
Your Needs First.
Each 1:1 session is designed to serve your intentions best. What do you want to focus your time on in our sessions? Over time, our work together can shift to support where you are. Some examples of intentions for a session would be:
Move through blocks/wounds in your creative life.
Reimagine your connection to art.
Support for your mental wellness.
Emotional regulation and reflection.
Participants can choose between one or two-hour sessions to best fit their needs.
Stay tuned for our upcoming packages and long-term support options!
What Art Ritual “Is Not”
It is not a replacement for therapy.
An art ritual session is designed to support you. Though our time together is intended to be therapeutic, it is not a replacement for any conventional therapy. I am not a therapist and am not comfortable or qualified to give you medical advice of any kind. I am here to support you with the tools I know and will not extend outside of that. I am a massive supporter of the idea of “make art, go to therapy,” so if you are seeking a session as a way to opt out of conventional therapy, please note that I do not support this. I think using both together is a powerful way to help yourself.
It is not art therapy.
I am an artist, Reiki practitioner, art teacher, and art ritual facilitator. I am not a licensed art therapist. Though we will be using art in a way to support your overall well-being, I cannot help you in the same way an art therapist would. If you are seeking an art therapist, I am more than happy to point you toward some very talented and qualified folks in the field.
It is not an art “class.”
With any art ritual session, we can discuss the elements of art or design principles if that is supportive. However, these sessions are not intended to focus on how to use materials or how to draw a specific image, as you might find in classic art classes. In our sessions, making art is a way of coming home to ourselves - creating a conversation with our creative self and the paper to deepen our connection with our intuitive self. - it’s not the materials that you have but how you engage with them—creating art that holds space for what comes up in the process.
Art Ritual Is:
Art as a form of emotional and nervous system regulation.
Art as a form of connection to the body and the heart.
Art as a form of channeling our intuition.
Art as a form of connection to pleasure and play.
Using art in this way is where we can create a transformation.
The Transformation
Ultimately, your experience with art ritual will be unique to you. It's all about the intentions you set and our collaborative work to create the most authentic experience for your needs. Depending on your specific goals, here are some potential benefits of consistent or occasional art ritual.
Support your mental health - Work through heavy emotions with art to support our well-being.
Inner-child play—Connect to your inner child through creative play, allowing yourself to engage in your curiosity in a way that ignites your joy.
Intuitive connection and creative ease - Work through creative blocks with confidence and more grace! Trust your magic and the life you are creating.
What People Are Saying
“Lauren really was able to create sacred space for us, even on zoom. She had such nurturing energy about her and guided me through the entire progress with ease. It was super fun to create with her! I loved that there was no judgment and that she created with me. As we were reflecting at the end of our session, I felt like a kid excitedly asking a loving parent, "Can I show you what I made?!". Her response was so nurturing and made me feel even more proud of my inner creative. 10 out of 10 would recommend. Super soothing!”
— Carlee Myers (Small business owner)
“I had such an amazing experience with this Art ritual. I was able to set my intentions for my piece of art, identify blocks and tension and where it stemmed from. I was also able to work through these blocks through the art ritual process. I would absolutely love to do this again. This was so therapeutic and necessary.”
— Zuwena Mshale (Art teacher and muralist)
“The containers held by Lauren are always caring, supportive & expansive. Thanks to her creative offerings, I've been able to reunite with practice of art for joy and pleasure – unraveling some wounds, blockages & mindset shifts within the safe spaces held for exploration & healing. Lauren really helps us connect back to the core of our creatives selves as both a spiritual vehicle & fulfilling practice that impacts all areas of life.”
— Rachael Amber (Artist and Graphic Designer)
Want to enter a creative container?
Discounted rates available
If you are looking to book a session at a discounted rate or wish to explore art as a ritual in a monthly group session, I highly recommend checking out my Patreon. This creative coven is here to support your creative magic. Click the link to the right to choose your adventure. You can also email me at connect@subnormalchild.com for more information on one-off discount sessions.
Why Subnormal?
It’s all about tapping into the potential beneath the surface of normal.