A Note on the Blog Archive and Content

A note on the blog archive and content:

Many of the blog posts you see below were written in 2018, at a time when I was just beginning to shift into dedicated time for “my own” creative impulses.

After many years as a shadow artist (a term I picked up from Julia Cameron), I was stepping back from creating for others to see what wanted to emerge from within.

I had spent much of my life in creative fields, but ultimately in service to telling others’ stories, launching others’ artistic dreams. I was just stepping out of journalism and content writing, fully into the unknown magic of pure creative channel.

Shadow artists tend to piece and patch together work that feels highly creative, but in truth does not come from within.

I had cobbled together all sorts of creative pursuits that didn’t really reveal anything about my truest artist self: creative, but ultimately side steps the risk of intimate vulnerability.

The origins of this blog, those initial posts, helped me develop a deeper understanding of where I was going. I almost took a turn right back into shadow artist; I thought when I first wrote them that I would help others recognize the power of creativity within themselves by urging it along. I thought “my work” would be for me, that the process would suffice, that to generate an income, it was imperative to focus on ushering others home to their creativity too.

I am so grateful that I did not stay there. Since then, I have listened deeply to my creative calling, and know that while I love to nurture creative community and hold space and time for fellow creators, it is also really important to me to show my own work. To create series that are meaningful, and to share my work with the world: in exhibitions, through classes, and through sales.

If you like to read about process and stories, my Instagram posts are the place to find most of the stories behind my artwork.

If you are an amateur or emerging or professional artist, and you love to talk process, please be sure to reach out or get on my mailing list. From 2020-2023, the best way to connect with me live was in {within} artist collective, where we gathered over Zoom for live, deep connection: open studio and weekly intentions and studio visits and more, several times a month. I closed the collective in 2023, but plan to offer gatherings again in the near future, both online and in person.

As you visit the blog archive, I have to be honest. I don’t recognize myself in the words of the earliest posts as much as I once did.

As the years go by, I think that’s a good thing. It means I’m growing and evolving, pushing myself and feeling out the edges.

But I still love that I was showing up, and maybe you can relate to that too.

I don’t have comments turned on, but if you like what you read or you want to chat about it, please do feel free to reach out via email. You can reach me at alana@ofloveandlight.org. I’d love to hear from you.

Enjoy!