Years ago, I led a Soul Art workshop called ‘The Art of Sexuality’. I had the biggest turn out I’d ever had. The studio was full. I was nervous. The circle gathered and the workshop began. I started by going around the circle asking everyone what drew them to this workshop and what sexuality meant to them. The intention for the workshop was to create art that expressed their sexual energy.

By the time the third person had spoken in the circle, I could hear huffing and puffing from one of the ladies in the circle. I wondered if we were taking too long with the opening exercise, but I continued. By the time we reached the huffing lady for her turn to speak she threw her papers into the center of the circle, stood up, made some nasty comment about how distasteful this workshop was, and stormed off in a huff.

Oh my! What happened?  What to do?

Everyone in the circle fell silent and waited for leadership.  I think it was fair to say we were all stunned.

I was leading this workshop on ‘The Art of Sexuality’ and I had no idea how to deal with this?! Should I go after her to find out what happened, or let her go?

In the moment it seemed the best thing to do was let her go and stay present to the large circle of people who were interested in being in this workshop.  I acknowledged what happened simply by saying when it comes to sexual energy it is about honoring how you feel and sometimes you feel a Yes ,and sometimes you feel a No. In this case, this lady clearly felt a No energy.

After that workshop I was scared to speak about sexuality again as I knew it would be a huge trigger and I didn’t feel I had all the skills to handle the triggers as they came up. So I let it go, just like I let that lady go that day.

But, one after the other people who were deeply engaged and highly regarded in Tantra, Red Tents, Yoni Practices, Priestess Circles, Sacred Ceremonies for Womanly Arts kept approaching me asking me to speak at their sexuality summits, and sexuality events.  This intrigued and intimidated me.

I couldn’t understand why they were drawn to me.  I had not spoken of sexuality since that workshop years ago, I never even hinted at having any knowledge or skills in this area. When I asked them why they were approaching me to speak about sexuality, they all said it was because they saw me as someone who was liberated in my creative self expression and they viewed that as empowered sexuality.

Interesting!

I have always felt that being creative is a highly sexual act. To me, being an artist, is the experience of being in a Divine Love Affair. Creating art is about communing with spirit and allowing the swell of inspiration to fill my soul with pleasure. Being creative is an act of allowing life-force energy to flow through. Creating art is a sensual act, like love-making where you must tend to the moment and be present to your impulse and intuition to flow with the current of what is unfolding.

 

I decided to reopen the dialogue and exploration around ‘The Art of Sexuality’ and share 10 Lessons in Creative & Sexual Energy.

10 Lessons in Creative & Sexual Energy

1. Find your inspiration~ Find your turn on

In art, as in sex. you must know what inspires you, arouses you and turns you on.  Your ‘turn on’ inspiration is the fuel that guides the whole process.

What inspires you? What turns you on?

 

2. Be in the moment

You can’t contrive how a piece of art will unfold, you have to be present to it and discover how it wants to unfold. Similarly, you can’t plan how a love-making session will go, you have to be present to it. You have to show up to the experience and be in the moment of aliveness. The moment will reveal where it wants to go.

What allows you to be in the present moment?

 

3. Allow your sensuality to guide you

Knowing what pleasure feels like allows you to navigate the unknown. In art as in sex, you have to feel your way through, noticing the subtle clues and impulses that feel good so you can nudge deeper into those spaces. Feeling with your senses and attuning them to pleasure gives you a compass that makes sense to your soul.

What does pleasure feel like to you?

 

4. Indulge in the unknown

The unknown is scary when you don’t trust yourself, life and other people.  When you feel a foundation of trust it is fun to go on an adventure into new experiences. All art is birthed through the unknown, in order to allow a new creation to be expressed there must be a willingness to indulge in the spaces where you don’t have the answers and be willing to find out. Sexual expression requires the same level of trust if it is to birth magic and empowered circulation.

How can you deepen your sense of trust in yourself and others?

 

5. Surrender to your primal impulse

Creating art is a highly spiritual act, although in order for the spiritual energy to channel through into artistic form it must move through the depth of your primal nature.  Sexuality is very primal, although in order for it to channel through your whole body and reach an orgasmic experience of divine proportions it must merge with your spirit. Both art and sex require a merging of your primal self with your spirit self to be whole and complete.  The most effective way to allow this merging to happen is to surrender to your impulse, allow the full range of yourself to be expressed, from your raw, primal nature to your highly evolved spiritual nature.

Do you allow your primal self to express fully? Do you allow your spiritual nature to be expressed fully?

6. Be curious

Curiosity is an open state that allows for expansion, learning and growth. In the creative process it is essential to have a curious mind if you’re to keep the process in motion. As soon as curiosity stops, the creative process stops.  Same for sex, as soon as the curiosity stops your presence drifts away. I think this is why there is the famous 7 year itch stereotype, because many people stop being curious about themselves and others, and thus the life-force energy withers.

What are you curious about?

 

7. Take exquisite care of yourself

I’m not a believer in the artist stereotype that you need drugs or alcohol to open your creative flow. This may work a few times, but eventually the body will fall weak and the creative channel will be compromised. I believe the process of making art and being creative is an act of self care and requires healing foods, sleep, a clear mind, and a clear heart to be at your best.  Same is true for sex, sure drugs and alcohol could loosen you up, but what kind of connection would you really be creating, one that is based in false awareness. That does not honor your creative and sexual energy.  Taking exquisite care of yourself is about being mindful of your energy and doing what is necessary to be at your best.

How can you take exquisite care of yourself to honor your creative and sexual energy?

 

8. Release your judgements

Creating art is like having a baby, if it’s your baby you love it, even if it’s got some flaws.  Creating art requires your love, both your primal love and your spiritual love.  Having good sex also requires both primal love and spiritual love.  In order to open space for that kind of love, we must release our judgements and open the sacred space for love to be possible. Judgments constrict our channel and our capacity to love in our primal nature or our spiritual nature.

What judgements do you have about yourself or others that limit your capacity to express and connect with others?

 

9. Fall in love

Falling in love is about shifting the leadership from the ego mind to the pure love of your spirit.  Let yourself be led by spirit and your art will ignite! Let yourself be led by your true desires and your sexuality will blaze with passion! Let yourself fall in love!

What does it feel like to fall in love?  Are you willing to let yourself shift from the ego mind to your spirit?

 

10. Practice, practice, practice….

As with anything that you value, it requires loving attention.  If you want to increase your creative energy, practice being creative. If you want to be an artist, practice your art. If you want to feel sexually vibrant, practice being sexually vibrant. If you want to be a great lover, practice being a great lover.

What do you want to practice being?

 

 

Honor your creativity like you honor a lover.  Celebrate your lover like you’re creating art!

I’d love to hear how you feel about the art of sexuality.  Share your thoughts and feelings in the comments below.

Open the hearts and minds of the people in the world! Share The 10 Lessons in Creative & Sexual Energy with your friends!