The Painting Experience is a magical experience where what unfolds on the paper, though mysterious to the mind, is understood by the heart. We experience what emerges as a reflection of ourselves and our life. We feel its effects in our bodies and our soul. We may feel lighter and easier with ourselves – we sense our authenticity and rejoice. We have reconnected with something forgotten and familiar and we feel more whole.

Painting is a practical teacher. It fosters the practice of honoring our intuitive voice, which is often not heard amidst the roar of the busy mind. Painting draws us into a silent meditative state that is restful and healing. We learn to be still and to listen. We learn to quiet the critic and get out of our own way. We begin to see how we stop ourselves or hold ourselves back from engaging fully with our creative process and with our own lives. We learn to accept feelings instead of censoring them. Allowing them to arise unconditionally permits them to pass and we discover they no longer hold us hostage. We notice how pain moves away as we paint from the centre of it. We begin to take notice at a deeper and more profound level than before. We see what is true for us, and how it differs from the outer truths we unconsciously adopted. We become more centered and at ease, drawing on our inner knowing as naturally as a child.

Annie Rousseau is an international teacher with The Painting Experience and is offering a weeklong retreat at Hollyhock, September 18-23, 2009.