When the Pieces Begin to Come Together

One step leads to the next.  Just take the next step…

About ten minutes into a recent conversation with Wendy Manzo, prophetic artist, and author, my eyes welled up with good tears. (www.WendyManzo.com) I realized in that moment the reason why God started me on this healing journey with art, probably 14 years ago… Lying on my side in my bed, I was so tired of living that every breath became more shallow as it took everything in me to fill my lungs again.  As a sweet peace descended over me, I honestly thought I’d wake up in heaven in Jesus’s arms.  I had no energy left to fight the raging battles within my own mind, nor to raise the three precious babies peering at me over the side of the bed.  Yet, God had other plans.  Within a week, a friend’s words prophesied over me that I was sinking in quick sand, and the more I fought to get out the deeper I sank, but Jesus would throw me a life line and pull me out.A few days later, I heard the words of my Savior say, “Pick up your paint brush and start painting your freedom.” What I didn’t realize then was that when we partner with God in the creative process, it is spiritual warfare that breaks bondages off of us. It’s more than just a healthy way to process your emotions.  Creating is who God is.  Creator.  Abusers intentionally shut down the creative process for a reason. I’ve lost count of how many people have told me that their abusers threw away their art supplies as a child and forbade them to create.  Yet, when engaging with God in the creative artistic process they come back to life.  Why?  Because creativity is a powerful, God-given force to bring life and to set people free. I further believe out of my own experiences and out of others that the creative process in using our God-given imagination is a connection point between earth and heaven.  The part of the Lord’s Prayer where Jesus talks about “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”, is talking about manifesting the kingdom of heaven here on earth, and one way to do that is through the creative process, as we sense things of heaven and manifest an expression of that on earth.  As we do, we are yielding to the Holy Spirit in us, and allow Holy Spirit to work through us to release heaven here.   Flash forward from the almost taking my last breath moment to about four years ago… I wake up from a dream about saving a woman and her child out of sex trafficking, to seeing a vision in my mind’s eye of me teaching art classes to survivors.  As I focused in on that vision, I heard a booming voice inside, “Teach others what I’ve taught you.”I had no idea of how to do this.  I had no examples to follow.  But I’ve just taken a baby step forward, then God says step here, and then step there, and then step over here, I’ve started to see the puzzle piece begin to fall into place.   Somewhere along this journey, I’m finally coming to understand that one significant piece in my healing journey was the rope of the creative process in painting my freedom that helped pull me out of a pit of quicksand, and give me new hope for the future.  I began to heal.  And now so, I throw the rope out to others through classes, through the books, through the one on one talks.  And Jesus slips one more piece into the puzzle to wholeness.  Isn’t that wonderful! This is what my story, my business is all about.  It’s way more than just learning to paint a picture.  It truly is healing hearts through arts.   Won’t you join me on this journey?   Check out our sample class on the Encounter Class page on our website. I’d love to have you join us on this healing journey together. Much Love, Charismata

Catching Up – New Classes and More

Running the race well, keeping up the pace, sometimes lagging one step behind, focusing on the prize… My second daughter flew the nest two days ago, as she spreads her wings in college.  As those final moments ticked off, I found myself recounting the story of when I dropped out of high school for a semester.  Yes, my freshman year of high school, second semester, I stopped going.  My anxiety levels had skyrocketed into feeling like vomiting at the bushes every time I tried to leave the house.  My parents had just divorced. My insides were twisted up in a hot mess.   It came time for me to enter my sophomore year.  My mom was remarrying and continuing on with life, so she quite literally pushed me out the car door on the steps of my high school the first day, saying “Sometimes you just have to put the next foot in front of you.”   And so I did… Sometimes, life requires us to suck in the deep breath, and plunge into the next season.  Yet, we are never truly alone in that plunge.  God never leaves us or forsakes us.  Consequently, my mom’s hard kick that year thrust me into a new found season of confidence and discovery of life outside of the abuse I had known and pushed down in childhood. Now, I, in turn, nudged my second born into her new season, and thus am entering my own yet again.  This has been a good bit of our summer- preparation for the send off.  With new beginnings on the horizon, we take the next steps knowing God goes before us.I hope you will join us in some new adventures, as we grow together.

What’s New and Ongoing

Monthly Encounter Classes –  *Brief teaching on topics of heart healing *Meditative prayer encounter with God *An artistic expression of that encounter with instruction *Meaningful sharing with class participants and instructor We meet on the first Saturday of every month, from 9:00 am to 11:00 am est and are currently taking new members.  We are also planning to begin a second class, on Sunday evenings from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm est at the beginning of the year.

To sign up for monthly classes, click hereSign Up

Other upcoming events and offerings: *  We will be starting one more six week session of the Encounter online class based on “The Invitation” from Mon., Nov. 7th – Mon., Dec. 12th, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm est for the year. * I am in the process of doing the final edit on my new book.  So excited for this!* I am doing one on one heart healing sessions with those who are ready to take some next steps in heart healing. * We are adding more artwork for sale to our new store on Fine Art America.  Just check out our store on our website. *We will be joining in a monthly, local artisan market.  More details to come for our local friends. * I am doing commissioned art pieces when asked. * Hand accented reproductions of originals are available as well.  * I do teach special classes for different groups upon request. * And, yes, we are still monthly doing free classes at a local ministry that helps sex trafficking survivors receive healing.  Fruitful times for sure.

I think that’s about it for now.  Please email me if you have any questions or need more information.  As always, I so appreciate your support and prayers. Love,Carolyn

The Healing Flow of Creativity

I was the kind of child who was always looking for a way to escape my reality – looking for the ancient door to the wardrobe so that I could step into Narnia, where enchanting trees spirits, lively dwarfs, and talking animals made my painful realities all fade away.  

Somehow in the process of growing older, of coloring between the lines and living by the rules, especially the religious ones, the creative fantasies disappeared like a mist vaporizing.  Trauma, worries, concerns, cares of this world, even our logical thinking can bring the creative flow to a halt.  

But not so “In the beginning…” 

Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning, God created…” And a few verses later, mankind was made in His image.  We were created in the image of our creator who created all things.  The first instructions He gives His new creation is “Go procreate.  Go cultivate.  Go name the animals.  Go take care of all of this new creation.  Go be fruitful and multiple.”

This is what co-creating with God means to me – to allow His creative power to flow through us to bring His image upon the earth.

In a state of worshipful mediation, I heard the words, “You don’t live by the rules anymore.”  

When we are young, we have lots of rules to teach us, protect us, and to help us learn.  Yet, as we grow older, maturing into adults many of those rules aren’t needed anymore.  God says that He will write His law of love on our hearts, and that this is the new place to live from.  

It was the temptation to eat the forbidden fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil that brought death in the first place.  Mankind stepped away from the Tree of Life, and partook of the Tree of Knowledge: the tree of living by the rules, the regulations, of the law that kills, the knowledge of right and wrong.

Children are born with the ability to create and tend to be very creative.  We are made in the image of God.  He is the master creator.  I believe everyone has some God-given ability in them to create whether it is gardening, painting, cooking, working with computer, fixing a car.  It’s in us.  

Yes.  As children, we need rules and boundaries to help us to mature and to grow up healthy.  “Don’t touch the hot stove.” is a rule that can keep our fingers from experiencing the painful burn of heat.  We need to learn right from wrong, and that there is truth and laws that govern our world.   

As we grow up though, maturing into into adults, we come to a place in that maturation process where we should step into a new place of being governed by the law of love written on our hearts by the Holy Spirit.  When we learn to live from the law of love, there is the return of the freedom flow of living from the Tree of Life.  

However, children also learn at a young age, many times by a well meaning adult or maybe a not so well meaning, that thinking or coloring outside of the box or the lines is wrong, squelching creativity.  We learn to live and operate from places of fear of punishment.  We learn to live in boxes – in those self- or other- imposed boundary lines that are controlling us through intimidation.

Trauma, stress, anxiety, depression, fear, anger, unresolved issues in our heart cloud, suppress, and even destroy our ability to create.  

To create beautiful things, there must be some framework of trust in us.  Trust is built through loving, safe relationships.  In intimate, trusting relationships creativity flourishes, because the fear of failure evaporates.

I still remember the day I was teaching an art class to sex trafficking survivors.  One lady began to cry as we were finishing up a painting.  I thought somehow I had triggered her, but instead she began to tell a piece of her story.   As a child, she loved to paint and draw, but her abuser threw her art supplies away, and forbid her to be creative.  Through her tears, she said this was the first time since then that she had created something beautiful.  This unlocked something in her.

That’s what allowing creativity to flow happens in us.  It unlocks things.  It unlocks places in our hearts, beauty, our dreams, ambitions.  It also can unlock areas of pain, which we then can give to God in the process and let Him heal.  

Life is not about following rules of do’s and don’t or coloring in the lines.  It is about a free flow of stepping into the river of life, and co-creating with God.  The only boundaries of the river are His love.  

It might look messy.  It hopefully will look and feel child-like.  But most of all, my prayer is you feel encouraged and connected with the Master creator, learning to allow His creative power to flow through you bringing healing and wholeness to your heart, mind, and Spirit.

As I was spending time with the Lord today, I felt God whisper this is my ear for you.

Child,

I am the master creator.  I created everything with my breath, formed the mountain, hung the stars, spun out the solar systems with my words.  Be and it was.  Every living thing, every living creature was formed in my magnificent heart, hand crafted by me.

Mankind being my most glorious of all creation, after my own likeness, you are made in my image.  You are made to be creative, to create and bring to life the wonders I placed inside of you.  

The enemy wants nothing more than to destroy the creative process in you, to squelch the beauty within waiting to burst forth.  

Trauma, fear, anger, stress – all these things put you in a shut down, self protect mode which keeps you from engaging and living out of me, living out of the freedom of the creative life giving flow.  Like blocks damming a river, preventing the flow of life.

Your enemy comes swiftly at children to shut down their creativity to steal their God-given ability to connect with heaven, with good, with me through their imagination.  But I want to restore your child-like faith.  I want to clean your holy imagination screen, to fill your mind-eye with light, so you can see again.

In the creative River, there is a flow of ideas, light, life, freedom.  There is no right or wrong here.  There are no rules.  The only boundary is love.  Every creative drop flows out of love, out of life, joy, peace – from living in the tree of life.  

Don’t be afraid of making a mistake, of getting it wrong, of seeing something wrong or bad.  If you do, just bring that back to me, let me heal where ever it is that is causing you pain.  I’m not going to condemn you.  I simply love you.  I know where you are in pain, what needs my touch.  I am healing you.  

These are healing waters of creativity that are yours to step into.  So, jump on in. I’ll meet you in the middle of the waters to jump and play and to wash all the pain, sorrow, and lies away.  

I love you, little one.  You are sensing me.  Dance in the river of creative love.  Music, arts, books, all forms of creativity flow from here…

Engage.  Encounter me.

Love,

Papa

Check out the new monthly encounter art classes where we learn and grow in this creative flow together!

Here’s Why I’m Excited

The new monthly subscription Encounter classes are here!

I hope your excited like I am. Here’s why:

We are building on going community with each other while expanding in our relationship with God, others, and ourselves. 

We are experiencing the living God in our time together while exploring healing principles that will set us free as we encounter His amazing heart for us.

We are learning new skills, honing our current skills, and enjoying the artistic process together with no pressure to perform as we create a beautiful expression of what God did in our time together. 

We will be meeting the first Sat., of each month from 9:00 am est and usually run around an hour and a half to two hours. If the class needs to change for a given month, you will be notified.  Our first class will be Sat. May 7th. 

The class is only $15 a month (Intro. price) for the first 30 signed up. The price will be increased for future groups, so get in the first one, and get that price for as long as we do the class.

The class is in an online classroom setting on google meet. You will be able to interact with me and others in the group at different times. This gives us a better opportunity to connect with each other, ask questions, and build community.  I also am capping the class at a max. of 30 to begin with. I really want to be able to develop relationships with one another and that’s just not as easy to do in a large group.

You can join in at any time! Once you sign up, you will be sent an email with the class information, a list of supplies for the class (We keep that simple for you, but you are responsible to have your own.), and any any other info. you may need. So, when signing up, be sure to include your email address. You can always reach me at blossomingheartsstudio@gmail.com with any questions. If you need to pause or cancel your subscription at any time, you are free to do so, but you will miss out on the classes in those months. 

All classes will be recorded, and you will be given access to all classes for a life-time of the months you paid for. These will be available on Youtube through a private link. 

We will also be forming a secret facebook group, where only subscribers can see. Members only will be allowed to post in that group. I’ll be posting things throughout the month to encourage you in your creative, healing journey. 

So, if you are ready, just click the link here to sign up: 

SIGN UP FOR MONTHLY CLASS

Coming Up for Air: Updates and Other Fun News

Ever feel like you are coming up for air after holding your breath for a long time? Or like the buds pushing up through the cold, icy snow at the first beckoning of spring? The last few weeks have felt like that for us.After a couple of family emergencies, which took some effort and time to work out, and several other things that came all at once, the snow seems to be melting, gradually. Life can be like that sometimes.  Yet, we watched as the Lord faithfully guarded, helped, and provided. Faith building times for sure. Even today, I filed a police report due to a scam against our business. The officer I talked to just happened to be the husband of an old friend of mine. It was as if I could feel God smiling, “I’ve got this.”  Like a treasure hunt, I’m learning to look for how God will show Himself faithful. I’m remembering to ask the question, “Lord, who do you want to be for me in this situation?” I still forget in the moment. I still get caught up in the confusion and chaos when the storm rages at times. Yet, I’m learning to slow down, take the deep breath, ask the question, and trust God to come through.  Sometimes seasons are hard. Sometimes those waves feel overwhelming. Jesus is in the boat though. Whether He calms the storm or rides it out with us, He will never leave us, nor forsake us. So… What has been going on, besides police reports?   In January and February, I was busy teaching two amazing “Encounter” classes. Again, these classes have far exceeding my expectations in how God has shown up to heal brokenness, encourage us, and speak identity to us in ways only He can. I’m super excited to see how these will expand out. As a result of the success so far, we will be offering a monthly subscription for ongoing classes beginning with the first Saturday in May. These classes will be the first Saturday of each month from 9:00 am to 11:00 am.  You will have life-time access to all the monthly subscription classes, as well as access to an ongoing fb group where we can support each other on our journeys, and where I will be posting ongoing helps and resources.  The cost will be $15 a month, and will be available for sign ups May 1st on our website.    You can jump in at any point.  So, though we will be learning and growing together, they will be more stand alone classes, where you won’t be lost from one month to the next. I will also be doing a free fb live class around Easter, as well as I will be teaching an in person break out session at the upcoming Called to Peace Conference in Ridgecrest, NC.   They have a fantastic ministry to help domestic abuse survivors, so check them out at http://www.calledtopeace.org. Guess what else is coming? As far as The Encounter Class that is based on “The Invitation”, I will be teaching another six week session, beginning in June, and I’m starting the process of doing a prerecorded set that you will be able to purchase access by the beginning of June, if the online, interactive isn’t your jam.  I have to say though, we have had such beautiful encounters with each other and Jesus that I know I don’t want to miss out on that.   Guess what else is new?  Yes, there’s a little more! I also have a new place for you to order prints, mugs, cards, and even shower curtains (yes, that’s what I said) of your favorite paintings from our studio.  We even have some logo gear now.  I’m in the process of getting more artwork up there, but The Tree of Life and the logo gear is ready to go.  So, check it out!    You can access this through our home page. Well, that’s quite a lot for now.  😊.  Have a beautiful Easter, Resurrection Day!   May you be filled with all the love of Jesus and every benefit He died and rose for you to enjoy! Much Love, Carolyn “Charismata” Weaver

The Tree of Life Encounter Class

I hope you enjoy this free class on the subject of the Tree of Life. Our new six week class starts tomorrow. Today is the last day to sign up.

Burial Plots to Rose Beds

Many years ago, I sat across from my pastor as he pulled out a sheet of paper.  “What is your goal in life, Carolyn?  What do you dream of becoming one day?”  As a young married woman with little clue, I stammered.  

“We want to help families be healthy,” I paused.  “I always dreamed of having a healthy family, but also to help others.  We want to have a place where families have resources to help them.”

Sincerely, he looked at me with tenderness as he picked a pen. He drew one dot.  “This is where you are.”  Across the page, he placed another dot.  “This is where you want to be.”  

Then, he did the unexpected.  

He drew a crazy, curving line all over the page, until one dot finally connected to the other.  

“You expect point A to be a straight line to point B.”  He raised his eyes to meet mine, smiling mischievously.  “Carolyn, God always has different plans.  He has to take you on a journey with him to reach point B, and it will curve, twisting and turning, doing loop de loops sometimes.  Yet, it is always His kindness in leading the way He does, because it’s what we learn on the journey from point A to point B that prepares you to walk in that new place.”

This has played out in my life so many times that I could never have imagined then all the many twists and turns there would be.  

This blog is about one of those journeys – a new bed of roses from a burial plot.  

Last summer, I published my new book, “The Invitation”.  It’s a compilation of some very hard twists and turns – life lessons learned from my healing journey – in a story form, with artwork that goes along with the stories, along with letters from the Lord.  It’s personal.  It’s vulnerable glimpses into my heart from various encounters with the Lord on my healing journey.  

The letters from the Lord included are very precious to me, because He gave them to me at an extremely tender turning point in my journey, a point when I was finally beginning to trust Him, finally able to begin to feel His love and experience His joy.  

At that time, several beautiful friends came along side me, and were Jesus to me.  Some of them held me, cried with me, were true sisters to me as I processed out the pain of broken family relationships, extreme trauma, and pain.  

Previous friends promised they’d be family, and never leave, but when the path had gotten rough, they left me and my husband to walk it alone.  Yet, this time… this time it felt different. For the first time, I had a family of sisters, of friends who would stay by my side.  They wouldn’t bolt.  They had shared my pain.  They knew my story.

Shortly after the writing of those letters out – after finally reaching a place of trust again, things changed.  Leadership became abusive.  Out of obedience to the Lord, I spoke out to the leadership about the things that were careening out of control.  Instead of being received, I and my family were ostracized from our “Christian family”.  

The very ones who I had trusted, now would not speak to me.  My phone number was blocked, and I was unfriended on social media. My family and I were “blessed” to leave.  Other close friends were hurting as well from the fall out, so they chose to run.  Only two friends stayed along side me.  (I’m not saying this to gossip.  You can check out my friend, Rebecca Davis’s new book for help with.  “Untwisting Scriptures: Book 3 – Your Words, Your Emotions”.)  Those are just facts of what happened.  It hurt deeply, like a knife digging at my heart.  

Shortly after God had given the letters to me, the Lord instructed me to publish them and the stories.  Though it was painful, and I didn’t understand why, I choose to trust that God knew what was best and obey despite how I felt.  Truly, all I saw was a freshly dug pile of dirt and a tombstone.  

The day came for the proof copy to arrive on my door step.  As I anxiously ripped open the yellow envelope and held the book in my hand, I felt the pang of gut wrenching grief again.  Hot tears welled up in my eyes.  “This isn’t the way this was supposed to be,” I lamented.  

“I’m proud of you for obeying me,” I heard the still small voice.  “Place it in my hands, child.  You’ll see why I asked this of you.”

 A few weeks later, I found myself chatting with a friend who had just read the book.  “Carolyn,” she said.  “I loved your book and the encounters you had with the Lord.  I really feel you should make this into a class.  Do a class combining art with the concepts in your book.”

My mind raced back to the beginning of this year when the Lord told me that I was transitioning out of what I had been doing with my painting classes into something new.  

My whole business is based on a dream and vision He gave me on combining the things I’ve learned on my own healing journey, encounters with Him, and art.  Yet, the classes I had done before fell short of what burned in me to do.

All of a sudden everything became crystal clear.  “Lord, is this what you’ve been trying to tell me?  Is this the new direction?”  

I decided to reread my own book, pouring through the pages with a new lens.  Sure enough, it made perfect sense.  Each chapter was a different heart healing principle that I had learned, and the length of the book was perfect for the length of the class.  I could even see each art project in conjunction with the healing encounter the Lord desired to do. 

He inspired me with a new logo, tag line, and brought together wonderful participants for a beta class to help me work out the details.  He even met each of them in our times together with significant, life changing encounters of His love and identity in Him.

Now, where there was once intense pain, there is a dawn of hope. Excitement is beginning to grow over what is to come as I step out into this new direction.  

The path has held twists, turns, some loop de loops, deep grief, tears, forgiveness, encounters of love, and moments of joy.  At each turn, I’ve learned to release the process into the hands of my loving Heavenly Father trusting Him to help to learn and growing through the journey.  

I don’t even think I care much about where point B is anymore.  I just want to learn to love well, and receive love daily.  Cheek to cheek.  Face to face.  Heart to heart.

Where just a few months ago all I saw was a burial plot, now I see the first signs of verdant, strong stems popping up from the fertile ground and tender, little rose buds forming on the tips.  

Jesus transforms burial plots into rose beds.  I’ve seen Him do it again and again.  He loves creating beautiful masterpieces out of broken pieces of our of lives, breathing resurrection life into dead bones.  Trust Him.

To find out more about “The Invitation” or my new class called “Encounter Art Classes”, check out our website at http://www.blossomingheartsstudio.com.

Summer Art Classes

I’m so happy to announce that Rachel Weaver will be teaching elementary art classes this summer at the home studio! Rachel has been artistic since she was little, ( I know because I’m her mom.) and she has years of working with children at church. She’s really excited to be teaching these classes this summer. Your kids will have a blast! Mark your calendars for your kiddos.Classes will begin Wed., June 16th, and will run weekly on Wed., to July 28 at 10:30 am to 12:00 pm. at our home studio in Simpsonville, SC.  The cost per class is $15 with all supplies included. Discounts available for multiple children. If you pay for the entire summer, the total cost will be $95. (Savings of $10)This class is for rising first grade through 6th grade. Class size is limited to ten. The tentative schedule is Week One – Lines and Shapes – Crazy Hair Day Week Two – Color Theory – Lollipop Color WheelWeek Three – Cool and Warm Colors – Sea Creatures Painting Week Four – Foreground and Background – Landscape with Silhouettes Week Five – Pointillism – Sunrise Bursting Week Six – Watercolor Fun – Rainy Day/ Umbrella PaintingWeek Seven – T-shirt Painting Day (If you choose this class, please put your child’s t-shirt size in the notes when paying.)  You can PayPal us at http://www.paypal.me/blossomingheartsJust mark for Summer Classes.

It’s Tea Time

One of the biggest negative effects for me of this past year with COVID was the separation people experienced. “Tea Time” is a reminder of the simpler things, like a cup of coffee or tea with a friend or family member. It’s a celebration of those special relationships in our life, like mother/daughter, sisters, friends. So, grab a loved one and come paint with us.

“Tea Time” is available as an in person painting event this Sat., May 8 for 2-4 in Greenville, SC. See our calendar or fb page for details on how to sign up.

It’s also available in our online classes for those who can’t make it out, and prints of the original painting are available through our web store.

New Online Pour Painting Class: The Beginning of “Wonder”

I just wanted to share with you this new online class where you can learn the process of pour painting. This new piece was so fun, and the final piece with added elements turned out to be one of my favor pieces. Prints for it and another piece will be added to our store this week. This piece is all about mankind’s interaction with the God of creation. Check out our online class section for more details.

In this pour painting class, I demonstrate step by step how I did the controlled pour of this newest piece. I also demonstrate the swipe method on a different canvas, and talk about other methods of pour painting as well as how to add elements to your artwork once a piece has dried. We also journey into what the Lord may want to speak to you through the process. Included with this video is a supply list, as well as a couple of templates for you to try some stenciling on your own creation. Hope you enjoy this journey into a place of “Wonder”.