Testimonials

SOUL CIRCLES WORKSHOP TESTIMONIAL

“I want to express my delight at my progress during the Soul Circle.  I am 73 years old and, while I’m still working, I’ve been looking for what lies ahead.  I’ve always been a somewhat creative person but have not expressed myself in that way for quite a while.  I really had no idea about what I was getting into but trusted Shira’s experience and background and decided to give it a try. Shira began each session with a message or poem and a visual meditation to get us all into what’s next.  We each came up with a word that helped guide us through the session and then we were on our own to create something using the art supplies Shira suggested we get. 

My biggest takeaway was learning that when I judged myself, my creativity was left in the background.  Once I was able to trust myself and the process, I was able to create pages that went beyond my expectations – sometimes it took me a while to even understand what they meant.  Sharing our work with one another was also a large part of the process, enabling us to see things through the eyes of another.  I am so grateful to have experienced seeing things in a different way and sharing it with others.”

SOUL CIRCLES WORKSHOP TESTIMONIAL

“I initially hesitated about enrolling in the group because of the amount of time required each week and the fact that my schedule is so busy. The cost also caused me to pause. But after thinking about it, I decided that I needed and deserved the artistic outlet and group support for good mental health, and it proved to be a good investment of time and money.

Shira has strong boundaries and good leadership skills – she keeps us on track. She helps people explore connections with supportive reflections about their pieces – she guides us. The group was also supportive, and I felt inspired by the varied and different works of art everyone created and the stories they shared. I haven’t ever considered myself an artist in the past because I have a lot of artist friends who can draw and paint beautifully and I don’t have the same gifts. But I started to think of myself as an artist in a different way while in Soul Circle because I was more focused on the act of creating and how therapeutic it felt. Brushing vibrant colors of paint on a page combined with found images and words to express the way I was feeling was so healing, and although I’m proud of the art I created, I found that it wasn’t so much about the end result – it was more about the journey.

We gather to create art together and share our pieces once a week. We spend time supporting each other and noticing ways that we are growing and changing through the guidance of artistic expression. Shira leads us with portal words and inspiring poems which connect us to nature and the soul. We listen to beautiful music while we pour our souls out onto the page. It’s a soul-connecting journey, a much-deserved break from all the heaviness in the world.

The first few times I was in a Soul Circle group, I was dealing with processing my mother’s illness and death. This time I felt much freer and noticed that the themes and colors I chose were more hopeful.

I feel much less bogged down with sadness and regret after participating in Soul Circles. My grief process changed.

I think this work is perfect for the person who isn’t finding time for their own creative expression. Having a specified time and place each week where you know you’ll get to focus on taking care of yourself through creating art is very healing for the soul.”