art heals!

SELF CARE THROUGH therapeutic ART JOURNALING

FUN, HEALING AND TRANSFORMATIONAL ART WORKSHOPS for women, and those who identify as women.

-IN STUDIO AND ONLINE.

-GROUPS + individual sessions

THERAPEUTIC (and fun!) Art Journaling WorkshopS IN MY beautiful light filled SAN RAFAEL STUDIO

Group workshops are for you if you want to tap more deeply into your unique creative genius with other seekers. My studio is a safe and nurturing place to deepen your relationship to yourself through the use of intuitive creative techniques. You will learn lots of fun art tecniques, but more importantly, you will learn a sustainable practice to connect more deeply to yourself. Art Journaling is self-care!

Classes are limited to 6 people to create an intimate group. All supplies are included.

 One Weekend Day Class (11-3pm with 30minutes for lunch*)        $350

*I recommend you bring your own lunch. I have a fridge and microwave and a lounge area for eating. You are welcome to leave for lunch, but there is nothing super close by.

custom group workshops

Custom group workshops are for you if you want to bring your own group on your own timing, or if you want a co-ed or those who identify as males only experience. As in my regular workshops, you will learn to tap more deeply into your unique creative genius with other seekers. My studio is a safe and nurturing place to deepen your relationship to yourself through the use of intuitive creative techniques. You will learn lots of fun art tecniques, but more importantly, you will learn a sustainable practice to connect more deeply to yourself. Art Journaling is self-care!

Classes are limited to 6 people to create an intimate group. All supplies are included.

 One Day Class (4 hours, with 30 minutes for lunch*)        $400 per person

*I recommend you bring your own lunch. I have a fridge and microwave and a lounge area for eating. You are welcome to leave for lunch, but there is nothing super close by.

THERAPEUTIC ART COACHING :: INDIVIDUAL SESSIONS

This is my most popular option. Individual sessions are for you if you feel the need for more individualized and intimate support on your creative healing path. We will use a blend of intuitive art making and talking to dive deep together and our time will be will be tailored to fit your individual needs. You will come away with an arsenal of techniques to support your creative flow. Studio sessions are 90 minutes long and include all materials.

Zoom sessions are 60 minutes long and you will supply your own materials.

 STUDIO:

One Session     $275

3 Sessions     $750

6 Sessions     $1275

ZOOM:

One session $150

3 sessions $400

6 sessions $725

*Please note that all session/workshop fees are non-refundable, and only transferrable to another session if your appointment is cancelled within the 48 hour cancellation window

*NO PARKING IN NUMBERED SPACES. If none are available please park on Joseph Ct.

ONLINE CLASSES COMING SOON!!!!

Hi, I’m Margie (with a hard G, as in Margarita)

-I’m an artist, teacher and crusader for the healing powers of art. I’ve been art journaling for 25 years, and making art for longer. I have been privileged to learn from some amazing teachers and I am constantly cultivating my own self care practice through art journaling. My passion is to make the creative practice accessible to women like you who are looking for a deeper connection to themselves and another avenue for healing and growth.

-I have my Masters in Clinical Psychology and I am trained as a therapist. I am here to hold space for you and teach you to ways to tap into the benefits of creativity as a self-care practice (and along the way you will learn some fun and amazing art techniques). I am also a trauma survivor and I religiously work on my own healing. I understand the complexities of the healing journey.

-Art is SO much more than making beautiful pieces. Art actually HEALS and opens a portal to reconnect with yourself in a deeper way!

-I invite you on a journey of exploration, expansion, and healing. I cannot wait to meet you where you are and start creating!

ABOUT THE STUDIO and workshops

Language of the Soul studio and its programs were lovingly created by Margie Woods, M.A. in 2007, as a bastion for healing through extreme creativity and authenticity. We feature and offer art journaling resources, workshops and retreats, private journaling groups or one-on-one coaching.

Language of the Soul Studio is located in San Rafael, CA., where you will find a safe and nurturing environment in which to access your innate creativity and give a visual "voice" to emotions, ideas and experiences. No previous experience with art is necessary, for I believe everyone is an artist and has a unique style that can and will emerge if explored, cultivated, encouraged and given room to breathe.

The mission of this creative sanctuary is to support others in gently breaking down any self-imposed or perceived barriers to creativity (“I'm not an artist”, “I'm not creative”, “I can't paint”, etc.) and liberate the natural wisdom of the artist and creative being that exists within all of us.

MY CREATIVE PROCESS

Art came into my life both as a gift and salvation. I use the word salvation because learning to tap into my innate creativity through art journaling has been integral for me in my trauma healing. Making art is an essential part of my life. It is as important to my well being as eating well, sleeping, exercise and prayer. I strongly believe that my creative practice has healed me on a deep level, and I strive to honor that gift by sharing my understanding of creating art as a healing tool with my students and clients.

Part of the evolution of my own art journaling practice has been to travel from the literal to the symbolic. I used to fill books and books with literal, verbal interpretations of my experiences and emotions. I would write for hours each day. Although this practice certainly helped me, there was something missing. I was stuck in my intellect and as such was constantly hitting a roadblock on my way to my subconscious mind, and therefore to change and movement.

Over twenty five years ago, I was taught to move into the visual and symbolic expression of my feelings and experiences through journaling with images. It was a transformational moment for me. I thank my wonderful mentor and teacher Deb Jones for that inspiration. Through that practice, I was finally able to access a part of me that could not be fully expressed with words and literal thought, and proceeded to fill many books with images that reflect immeasurable change and growth in my life.

In my current work, I have never let go of words. I feel words make good companions to my images. Depending on what is going on for me in a given moment, I will usually either start my piece with a written prayer or a stream of consciousness release. These words rarely end up being an obvious part of the page, but rather a layer. If they are visible, one can rarely glean their meaning. They sometimes are secret messages or mindless ramblings, but they hold the page together in their layers, texture, and energetic offerings. I rarely make a page without words as an ingredient; mingling them with images allows for what I feel is very potent expression. Art heals!

“A creative life is an amplified life.

It's a bigger life, a happier life, an expanded life, and a hell of a lot more interesting life. Living in this manner—continually and stubbornly bringing forth the jewels that are hidden within you—is a fine art, in and of itself”

-Elizabeth Gilbert