ANNOUNCEMENT: HUGE SAVINGS ON MAJOR EMBODIMENT OF THE TAROT! (24 Hours only) Merry Christmas to ALL!

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First of all, let me start with MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HANAKKUH, HAPPY YULE, HAPPY WINTER SOLSTICE… Whatever it is you are celebrating, just be happy! In the spirit of giving and living up to my own expectations for what makes me happy, I have a present for you…

Major Embodiment of the Tarot is ON SALE for $30 for 24 hours!  

To enroll, just click here.

It is just about midnight here in the Las Vegas desert, and I am feeling very LOVED and BLESSED on this Christmas Day…  And I sincerely hope you are feeling the same way.  Until the clock strikes midnight tomorrow (12/26), you can enroll in a year-long class that focuses on drawing and painting (mixed-media art journaling) with Tarot that has no due dates, no grades, no traveling, no physical building… You can chill in the comfort of your own home, sipping your coffee or even drinking your wine while you learn the Major Arcana of the Tarot and drawing/painting skills and techniques, all at your own pace.  You could set your intentions to finish all of the lessons in maybe two months or you could take five years. The content stays there and you can return to it again and again.  We will study 22 archetypes (Jung Psychology), Numerology, Astrology, crystals, the moon, and even some Sigils, as they relate to the Tarot.  With all of this juicy information, we will then create portraits or likenesses of ourselves as these characters.  You can choose to show your art in our private Facebook group, or you can choose not to.  You could even choose to take what you have drawn and painted and create a Majors only Tarot deck!  In this class, the main objective is giving yourself time to create and conceptualize as a form of SELF-CARE.

I WANT YOU TO HAVE FUN AS A FORM OF SELF-CARE!  Art is so good for you! Whether you think you are “good enough” or not! Click here for more information.

All kidding aside… That is what writing, art, and Tarot are to me- a way to care for myself. I can do art-inspired Tarot, just art, or even just Tarot and I am happy.

Art calms my soul and I find Tarot (and mostly all ancient systems) to be fascinating. The Tarot  is just artwork on playing cards. Yes, indeed… playing cards that never lie.  LOL! They certainly don’t have the capacity to lie.  They simply appear and it is the job of the Seeker to contemplate what that appearance may mean and how to make the most of it (or run the other way) based on how they interpret the card(s).  By combining all of the systems mentioned above, one can get a fuller understanding of the “what” and the “why” of Tarot cards.  And that is just it, I have to know WHAT and WHY, and since I have always been this way, I doubt that will change any time soon.

“He who knows others is wise; he who knows himself is enlightened.”

– lao tzu

Many people have misconceptions about Tarot, including what it actually is and how it can be of benefit to all. Even those who don’t buy in to “fortune telling” and “divination” use Tarot and its symbolism to gain far more personal understandings and inspiration. I personally do not believe (and have never believed) that a pack of cards could have  the ability to tell a person what is sure to happen in their future. That nonsensical crap is “fortune-telling”  and unfortunately many people buy into these beliefs.

Tarot is a great tool for critical thinking and multi-faceted, deep contemplation of one’s journey through life. When you see the visual imagery of the cards, the stories they present will relate to ordinary and dramatic real-life situations, feelings, and possibilities. Looking at a card layout and comparing it to what is going on in your life can give you a greater understanding, and help you look at things in new and creative ways that your brain may not have been able to process before. I have used this approach to Tarot for the past five years and I believe it to be an amazing tool for self-discovery and personal growth when it is approached with an open mind and without superstitious and religious beliefs. I recognize my view may not be popular. There are many who claim they can “see the future” with Tarot cards—and in many instances they just might be able to!

My argument is that it isn’t the Tarot cards that are telling the future, but instead, it is my own intuition, expanded mind, consciousness, and awareness that have developed over time from using the cards.

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I have always been one to worry.

Worry, worry, worry… Do I do enough?  Am I enough? Pretty enough? Still young enough? Smart enough? Strong enough, yet gentle enough?

AM I LOVING ENOUGH?  

Am I true to my life purpose enough?

Am I altruistic enough?

The list could go on and on.  In fact, even at age fourteen, I was keeping journals.  I found a numbered list from December 1, 1987 tonight, with sixty-three bullshit things I could do to improve myself.  At that tender age, I was always looking outside of myself for approval, thinking that is where it came from.  The thought didn’t occur to me that approval and acceptance of myself were all I ever needed until well in adulthood.  In all honesty, self-love has always been an issue for me, and this is obvious from reading what I have written in the past, even at the age of fourteen years old. We all know that Art is a healer.  I have found Tarot to be healing, as well, and not because it tells me of a certain future, but because it opens the door (my imagination and my thought processes) to so many possibilities and it reminds me that I am in control of my life.

 

If you have an open mind and you enjoy drawing and painting faces and people, even if you don’t know how, then consider enrolling in Major Embodiment of the Tarot.  Also, if you are reading this, don’t forget to like and follow my pages.  More classes are coming SO SOON! In addition, please share this blog post with your family or friends who might be interested in having a BLAST while learning Tarot.   🙂

Added Bonus:

Check out my Self-Love Tarot Spread: IMG_2856

1. Something my heart needs me to understand

2. How I can release old hurts

3. How to be more compassionate to myself

4. How to build more heart-centered connections

5. How to be a beacon of love and light

6. A message from my Heart Chakra

HAPPIEST OF HOLIDAYS to you all! May your joy and beauty touch another human today!

Remember, “Major Embodiment” is $30 for 24 hours only!  Enroll today!

 

 

What I’ve Got Planned in “Major Embodiment” So Far!!!

 

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This class is going to be so much fun and a huge learning experience for us all.  I am in the process of creating a free workshop called “Embodiment of the Fool” so y’all can get a taste of  fearless art journaling in your pajamas. I really enjoy art from Tarot cards and I have a blast creating it, trying to give it my “twist.”  I am throwing my whole heart into the creation of this class and I can guarantee it will be so much fun and so much more than just 22 artworks.  I have already added 3 bonuses and I am not even done recording The Fool art process videosor have I finished with the PDF’s, but I know all the extra things I want to do.  And of course you should not think that just because there is so much content that you have to do it!  I love options, and I am sure you do as well.  Think of it as a buffet, eat what ya want, when you want…

 

MAJOR EMBODIMENT IS ON SALE FOR $45 UNTIL DECEMBER 26th! CLASS OFFICIALLY STARTS ON JANUARY 1, 2018 BUT THERE IS SO MUCH TO DO AND ITS READY FOR YOU!

CHECK IT OUT, YO…

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Holiday Savings: “Major Embodiment” Only $45 for a Limited Time! (Regularly $99)

 

 

In the spirit of the holiday season, I have put “Major Embodiment of the Tarot” on sale for $45.  That is more than 25+ online, guided art lessons and more bonuses!  If you have any interest at all in learning about the Tarot and you like to draw and paint, then this class is for you.  It is self-paced and the content is available to you for however long you need.  You decide… This is a class all about you.

For more information and to enroll, visit CooptyLew Academy. If you are curious about what a Tarot-inspired art lesson might look like, watch the promo video.  I always have fun! 😍

 

Pull, Pen, Paint is officially starting December 15, 2018! Join me in the class!

Pull Pen Paint Logo 2018 Space For LinkPull, Pen, Paint is back for the second year (THANK GOD!).  I am so excited and thrilled to announce that I have been asked to serve as a Community Guide for the year.  I liked Tarot Cards before taking this class but after only one year in community with these lovely and generous people, I find I am a changed person.  I am changed in too many ways to count, but I am still going to try to name a few:

  1. I am an official DECK COLLECTOR.  I am going to be doing a weekly Tarot deck review and I am ecstatic.  Yay!
  2. I have learned Tarot. When I say that, I mean that I have created a lot of art and pulled a lot of cards and didn’t really have to rely on books.  Who doesn’t love that?
  3. It has been an encouragement in pressing on and learning the Tarot even further by getting certified.
  4. It has inspired me to teach my own classes around Tarot and other Ancient Systems because I have found so much love and beauty in it!
  5. It has taken my art to another level. 😊
  6. It has deepened my sense of who I am and strengthened my relationship with myself.
  7. It has given me a direction, a new way of thinking, and so much more!
  8. It has shown me good and bad things about myself, all of which should and MUST be taken into consideration for soul growth.
  9. It has made me laugh, made me cry, scared me, calmed me…
  10. Fact is, it has given me a reason to BLOG!!!!!!

Check out this great class hosted by Kiala Givehand! I promise you will not regret it. There are more than 20 teachers that will keep your creative juices flowing! Hit the little linky dink and don’t say I didn’t warn you! 😍

 

Self-Love is Not an Option!

Self-love is something that we often forget about.  Our body will remind us.  But, it always reminds us after we have pushed the limits too far.  We get that much needed reminder once we are broken and beat down.  Why not stop to think about yourself sometimes?  It makes all the difference in the world.

Check out my artist journey that is shared in my ebook and how I give myself LOVE, in spite of everything!

Self Love Guide for the Artist

Major Embodiment of the Tarot is starting January 1, 2018!

Do you like drawing and painting?  Do you enjoy conceptualizing and designing characters that you can crawl into and try to figure out?  Have you ever felt like you might want to learn the Tarot, but that it is just so complicated? Do you love looking at the many different ways that artists create Tarot decks?

If so…

 

Then this class is for you.

Https://.cooptylew.teachable.com

Major Embodiment of the Tarot is open for enrollment.
One year of monthly art lessons studying portraiture drawings (of characters and of self) as the archetypes of the Major Arcana. Guided meditations for each Trump and journal prompts will familiarize you with each character as you travel the journey of The FOOL. EMBODIED!

Expect fun and lots of extra goodies! $99 until February 1, then price goes up to $120. First month’s lessons will be uploaded to the classroom on Jan. 1, 2018 and continue every month, through the year of 2018.

Come join me for some creative and juicy learning experiences!

Cards For Your Review…

If you don’t mind, I’d like to ask you a question… Watn is your favorite Tarot deck and why?

Please leave comments for the decks that you know well and tell me about them. Tell me what you think is the best way to work with them.

Thank you in advance!

Facing a Whirlwind of Change- Raw Version

Approximately two years in the making… but this video gives you an idea of the changes I have lived through… where I have been and where I am going.  This was my first version of the video, but I felt it was just too raw, and I felt so exposed. So I added morphing and sped that shit up! In doing that, I lost the aunthenticity. This one is more altruistic to my experiences, but it makes me sad. Maybe it’s all about the eyes being windows to the soul. When I study it, I see great loss in those eyes. 😳 And there has been.

Enjoy these process photos for “Shakti Girl”

My art process photos for “Third Eye Prayer”

Oh, how I do love art process! This is my crazy art process for “Sacred Energy Spiraling!”

Facing a Whirlwind of Change: A Video Story

My Video Story

This is a study of my emotion through observation of my facial expressions that has been an ongoing project for over 2 1/2 years.

It hasn’t all been bad, nor has it all been good. But it has been… ❤️

CooptyLew

Yantra…

 

This is my Linga Bhairavi Yantra.  For more info about what a Yantra is, please visit this link:

For more info, check out this link:

 

 

My First Auction Ends in An Hour! (I’m so scared…)

It never feels good to expose yourself emotionally to a crowd of people you don’t really know.

But I did it.  I put myself out there, and I promised myself that I wouldn’t care if people responded or not.  But I do.  I care a lot.  Just like you would.  However, I do think I have sold two paintings, but I do not know for sure because I have been too scared to look at the Facebook thread and so I have been keeping myself busy working on an e-Book.

In all truth, I feel naked.  I feel vulnerable.  I feel like maybe I suck…

My inner critic is so mean.  I am trying really hard to IGNORE her.  She is so loud, though. So, I have determined that I will choose greatness, in an effort to ignore her.  I will choose to discover how my decision to try an art auction was GREAT, rather than dwell on what didn’t work.

Here is my greatness in the endeavor:

  • My capacity for learning is ever so strong!
  • My creativity has never been so present.  It never leaves and I thank God for that!
  • I won’t give up.  I am super strong-willed.
  • I know what I am trying to do is unique, and therefore, meant to be done by me.
  • I do not wait for things to happen for me; I make them happen, which shows drive and independence.
  • I am flexible and can adjust any situation to make it work in my favor. I will learn from this and try again.

There must be greatness in those characteristics, but there is even more in the LEARNING that occurred from the process. Here are some of the immediately noted lessons:

  1. Make a short and sweet video.
  2. Put an individual photo of each piece in the comments for people to bid on.
  3. Make sure all technological settings are correct.
  4. Post from the website to Facebook and not vice versa.
  5. Practice! Maybe even write yourself a script?
  6. Advertise a lot and often. Ask your friends to share.
  7. Try doing a piece of art live once weekly and change the format.  (I don’t think anyone really knows what all goes into these!)
  8. Start at $5.
  9. Have a buying/shipping policy.
  10. Get an Etsy store.
  11. Show yourself in the video.
  12. And way more… This list could go on and on!

If you checked out my art auction yesterday or today, THANK YOU so much!  If you were a bidder, let me just tell you this: I LOVE YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!  I APPRECIATE YOU! (And I am so excited that my artwork will be hanging around at your house!)

Love,

Shilo

CooptyLew Art Studio

Check Out My Art Auction on my CooptyLew Facebook Page!

IMG_9931Today, I’m having my very first art auction on my private fb page and I actually shared it publicly and on my social networks!   Talk about scary and feeling vulnerable. However, a great friend (and teacher) of mine told me about this thing called “greatness work.” It doesn’t mean that I’m great or that I make anything that’s great, but what it does mean is that I try my hardest to be great… which means banishing the fears of being vulnerable and of being exposed by being BRAVE.  To try to calm and let your heart speak over your brain. We have all been told that we are not good enough. We have all even thought it ourselves. Greatness means that you try to be your true self, a person of your own heart, no matter what anybody thinks or says, and you find your greatness, even if you fail.

So I woke up this morning with the intention of being brave and whether or not I sell a single piece, I can find greatness in the fact that I was brave, that I was vulnerable, that I put myself out there, and that I am learning from the experience. Much love to you all!

Check Out My Art Auction on my CooptyLew FacebookPage!

 

About the auction: It lasts from noon today until 6 pm (PST) tomorrow, Sunday Oct. 8.

The bids start at $1 USD.  You get a clear quartz crystal with each winning bid. You may also bid on the crystals themselves. If you  have any questions at all, please email me.

SaveSave

Art Heals.

IMG_9557 https://www.facebook.com/CooptyLew/posts/193129861719 

Heart Chakra: Mountain Heart Mandala

Yesterday,  I celebrated my parent’s 44th wedding anniversary by heading into nature. I collected 44 heart-shaped rocks on the ground and I assembled them into a Mountain Heart Mandala. It was so much FUN!!!!! Not to mention the fact that they LOVED it! Yay! ❤️

Hey Artists! Self Love… Ya Got It? (If not, follow these tips I created for the artist in all of you!)

1. Take a long, hot bath and light your favorite candle. You can also play some music here if you want the added relaxing spa affect. Don’t forget to add Dead Sea salts to your bath to get all of the tension out of your muscles.

2. Meditate as often as you can. Once you find mindfulness through meditation, you will enjoy it a lot more than you might think!

3. Have a mini-pamper session. Do your toes, your nails, your hair, your facial! Do whatever makes you feel good!

4. Put on some great music and dance like no one’s watching. Hopefully, nobody is… unless you want them to! Dance your heart out!

5. Sit down and think about a time in the past. Choose a day when something wonderful happened. Now grab your art supplies and draw what your inner child looked like on that day, at that moment.

6. Do something for the first time. It can be something very simple, like trying out a new art supply for the first time. Just do it! (Make sure to do this one often!)

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7. Create positive, loving affirmation card decks for yourself. You can use your picture and write a loving word or affirmation on the front. (I’ve shown you my deck in the background of the next page.)

8. Take an art class or art workshop, in-person or online. It is always fun to learn new things, especially when it doesn’t really feel like learning because you love it so much. 😳

9. Participate in a community art festival… or drive… or contest… or… You name it! Just participate!

10. Plan a staycation for yourself and/ or for you and your partner. It can be something as simple as game night and pizza. But while you’re on your staycation, make sure you explore something new in your community.

11. Visit an outdoor art event. It’s food for your soul.

12. Do something creative. Do anything that is creative often!

13. Do something you love. Or set your goals in the direction of doing something that you love as soon as possible.

14. Cuddle up to your pet or pets. No one can offer the type of love and attention that a pet does! I love my furry friends!

15. Go outside and paint nature! Just paint wildly, like the wind, and see what the brush makes of you!

Daily Tarot Pulls and Art!

IMG_9073Hello lovely and creative people!

I record my daily Tarot pulls by drawing and painting them. This helps me remember what the card means more effectively than writing down the meaning of the card and some notebook. Although it takes a little bit of time to do this,  I’m strengthening both my Tarot and my art skills .

You should try it!

If you want more ideas on how to use Tarot for creativity, check out my free eBook here:

https://cooptylew.atavist.com/water_ebook

Enjoy!

If you do use any of my ideas for creativity, please don’t forget to share by leaving a comment on this blog! Thank you in advance! 😘

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A Look in the Mirror…

Sometimes, I create artwork that is intuitive. That means I don’t know where I’m going or what I’m doing when I start… I just play with materials.  Tonight, I created this piece. I am calling it, “Sometimes I See You.” Often, when we gaze into the mirror, we see a distorted image.  Sometimes I see me and sometimes I see her. Who is she?

FOOD FOR THOUGHT.

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Artsy “Tarotisms”

 

 

Recently,  I have been creating artwork that is based on characters from Tarot cards. I am creating a deck of sorts. So far, I have embodied  the Fool,  the High(est) Priestess, the Moon (Control), the Page (Daughter) of Cups, The Magician, The Heirophant (Teacher), and the Universe.

Also, I am drawing and painting my daily pulls on this little bubble graph shown above! It’s so fun and it’s an interesting way to keep track of the cards I pull daily. You should try it!

😊Can’t wait to bring you more info! Came up with a great plan today for a class. It will be a blast! Information coming soon! Talk to you later. ❤️

CooptyLew

MMYX0361“Why CooptyLew?” you ask. Well… since you asked, it all began right after I married my husband. I am an art teacher and my students had known me for almost a decade as Ms. Cooper. They had resistance to change. And rather than force change upon my students, I told them they could no longer call me Ms. Cooper, but they could integrate the two names, my maiden and my married, into one name. And so it began. What was sort of a joke turned into an art studio and a great way for those same students to locate me later in life! ❤️

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