Events + Reading Group & Book Club
Our Reading Group / Lecture Series is dedicated to exploring the wisdom of renowned elder creatives. Through group discussion, we aim to find meaningful lessons that can shape our creative coming-of-age.
Whether you're an artist, writer, or simply passionate about creativity, join us as we learn from the masters and grow together in our creative pursuits.
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Workshops and Events are designed to help you get closer to the soulful nature of your own creativity, and build community in the process.
Book Club + Reading Group
A Survey of: Art, Culture, World Religion, Philosophy, Mysticism & More for wisdom about the creative process. How to pursue your art like a grown-up, your creative coming-of-age.
Divine Creativity in Action
For artists/creatives who feel responsible to a divinely inspired work, here and now. 3-week intensive to getting it done in a supportive community of people who speak this language. Answer the Muses’ call.
Creativity & The Dark Goddess
a two-part workshop & initiation for the modern creative woman
Book Club + Reading Group
A Survey of: Art, Culture, World Religion, Philosophy, Mysticism & More for wisdom about the creative process. How to pursue your art like a grown-up, your creative coming-of-age.
February Creativity Community
For those craving a community of like-minded creative women, femmes, gender non-conforming who hold themselves to the same uncompromised standards, and wish to release their life from the vicegrip of fear, once and for all.
Life Is Art: Love + Money in the Age of Aquarius
Free Workshop for Everyone: Saturday Evening 1/25 8pm ET.
These are your Saturday night plans. The elusive connection between love and money… what’s up with this? Let’s start with what we do know: Your endless therapy sessions about daddy issues and confusing chakra workshops aren't cutting it anymore. Why? said simply: These are old tools for liberation and you’ve outgrown them. Money trees and eating grapes under tables on new year’s eve is not enough to bring you a man. You are 35 years old and you’re still filling in worksheets about Daddy issues like a punished child. It’s basic bitch juice and you’re drinking it. We all are. And, that’s okay — I promise.
What if tapping into all of that nonsense is actually child’s play? What if you’re a warrior in wartime and these are dull fisher-price plastic toy weapons? Or — and more to my real point — what if you’re God and all this actually amounts to sacrilege, denying and preventing the Sacred from animating your life? What if it’s time to grow up? (clue: it is - it’s written in the stars).
In the Age of the Unveiling, let’s unveil. A revolutionary workshop for revolutionary times, exploring the hidden connection between love and money that the spiritual gurus get wrong. Not because there is no connection, but because embodying it belongs to the Age of Aquarius, and not our present, expiring, curdling paradigm. Join me and my impossibly stunning mentor, Madame Snowflakes, as we share the new magic for warriors who are done with band-aid solutions and ready to master the connection between love and abundance like gods. Attendees will be given discounted access to our monthly long course Life Is Art - the Masterclass.
The Villain Challenge - March Waitlist
The Villain Challenge - Jan 2025
75 Hard but for your creativity
Reading Group: Hélène Cixous “The Laugh of the Medusa.”
Reading Group Hélène Cixous “The Laugh of the Medusa.”
Dive into Hélène Cixous' intoxicating essay, "The Laugh of the Medusa." Reading, discussion, application
Devotion: A Virtual+ Community for Artists and Creatives
Just as nature goes quiet during winter, and momentum slows before the start of a new calendar year, your creative practice calls for a different rhythm in December. Sometimes what we think is seasonal blues is an invitation into what is actually the most creatively nourishing period of the year.
Artist's Profile: Morgan Leigh (Process & Creative Coming-of-Age)
Join artists Morgan Leigh and Vanessa Aldrich for an intimate exploration of unconventional creativity, and intuitive artistic guidance. A discussion about personal experiences becoming powerful vehicles for artistic expression.
The Villain Challenge (October)
The Villain Challenge - Oct 2024
75 Hard but for your creativity
Reading Group: James Baldwin's Wisdom for the Creative Path
Becoming an Adult Creative: James Baldwin “The Artist’s Struggle for Integrity.” $35
7:30-pmET 2 hours
In our next Reading Group + Lecture Series , we will revisit our most popular piece, James Baldwin's deeply invigorating reflections on the artist's path. We'll discuss his ideas on the universality of struggles like: doubt, humiliation, failure, isolation, fear, and how all of it serves your gifts.
The child artist is sustained by joy and success alone, the adult artist understands that art is a responsibility, and the power of transforming individual struggle into wisdom for other people.
Meeting will take place on zoom. Participants will be sent a pdf + audio recording as well as questions/thoughts to guide your exploration. The essay/speech is short and accessible. Participants will be sent recording of meeting.
discussion lead and guided by Vanessa Aldrich
Creativity Workshop: Myth, Fear, and the Creative coming-of-age
Fear and the Creative Coming-of-Age - $75
Dates / Times on Next Page
2-2.5 hour interactive workshop that explores how to transform fear to potent creative energy.
This workshop will show you the universal stages of the creative coming-of-age, teaching you how to see common experiences of fear, shame, failure, etc as guides through your creative rite-of-passage. In a world that wants you to be preoccupied with a narrow version of success, this workshop you understand the soulful nature of creativity, and to approach your work heroically.
Workshop will start with an interacting lecture on the mythopoeics of creativity, exploring common themes like Villains, Heroes, The Dark Goddess, Fear, Shame, and More.
Space limited.
Workshop designed and hosted by Vanessa Aldrich on zoom.
participants will be sent a recording of the workshop.
Creativity Workshop: Myth, Fear, and the Creative Coming-of-Age
Fear and the Creative Coming-of-Age - $50
6p-8p ET
2 hour interactive workshop that explores how to transform fear to potent creative energy.
This workshop will show you the universal stages of the creative coming-of-age, teaching you how to see common experiences of fear, shame, failure, etc as guides through your own person rite-of-passage. In a world that wants you to be preoccupied with a narrow version of success, this workshop you understand the soulful nature of creativity where difficulty is nothing at all to be ashamed of.
Space limited.
Workshop designed and hosted by Vanessa Aldrich on zoom.
Workshop: Getting Out of Your Own Way - Shadow Work for Creativity
Dates & Times on next page 2-2.5 hour interactive workshop all about creative blocks and getting out of your own way. - $75.
In this workshop I take you through my shadow work process, aimed specifically at creative blocks. Space limited. Workshop designed and hosted by Vanessa Aldrich on zoom. More details on next page.
Reading Group: Poetry for the Creative Journey
Poetry for the Creative Journey $35
7-9pm ET
"Find a beautiful work of art, admire it, and realize that it was created by a human being just like you, no more human, no less.” - Maya Angelou
In our next reading group meeting, we survey poetry all related to the creative process, and the soulful nature of living a life devoted to craft. Themes explored: fear, shame, doubt, inspiration, spirituality, process, commitment, and art as collective healing. The idea is look to art itself and elder creatives for wisdom about our own process.
Meeting will take place on zoom. Participants will be sent advanced copy of reading materials upon booking. All poetry selected will be short and accessible, and translated into English.
discussion lead and guided by Vanessa Aldrich
Creativity Workshop: Transforming Fear
Fear and the Creative Coming-of-Age - $50
6p-8p ET
2 hour interactive workshop that explores how to transform fear to potent creative energy.
This workshop will show you the universal stages of the creative coming-of-age, teaching you how to see common experiences of fear, shame, failure, etc as guides through your own person rite-of-passage. In a world that wants you to be preoccupied with a narrow version of success, this workshop you understand the soulful nature of creativity where difficulty is nothing at all to be ashamed of.
Space limited.
Workshop designed and hosted by Vanessa Aldrich on zoom.
Reading Group: James Baldwin's Wisdom for the Creative Path
Becoming an Adult Creative: James Baldwin “The Artist’s Struggle for Integrity.” $35
7-9pm ET
In our next reading group meeting, we will explore James Baldwin's deeply validating reflections on the artist's path. We'll discuss his ideas on the universality of struggles like: doubt, humiliation, failure, isolation, fear, and how all of it serves your gifts. Truly an essay on the meaning of being an adult artist. The child artist is sustained by joy and success alone, the adult artist understands the power of transforming individual struggle into their work.
Meeting will take place on zoom. Participants will be sent a free pdf + YouTube of the essay in focus, as well as questions/thoughts to guide your exploration. The essay/speech is short and accessible.
discussion lead and guided by Vanessa Aldrich
Creativity Workshop: Shadow Work for your Creative Coming-of-Age
Workshop: Shadow Work for your Creative Coming-of-Age.
2 hour interactive workshop taking your through my creative shadow work process.
10a-12noon eastern time.
Reading Group: Hélène Cixous “The Laugh of the Medusa.” (Copy)
Reading Group Hélène Cixous “The Laugh of the Medusa.”
Dive into Hélène Cixous' intoxicating essay, "The Laugh of the Medusa." Reading, discussion, application