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Nourish to Bloom: A Guided Journaling + Hand-building Workshop SM

  • ARTime Barro 302 Pico Boulevard Santa Monica, CA, 90405 United States (map)

A time to release and to evolve. Plants lose foliage to start conserving energy for the winter. They spend less time growing outwardly, like foliage and flowers, in order to focus more on growing strong roots in preparation for colder weather. Plants decide wisely where to place their energy, and intentionally choose what to let go of, for the sake of their long-term survival and flourishing.

“Autumn has rejuvenated me. Because when I was too overwhelmed, I felt the crisp breeze and watched it whisk away the leaves on the trees above. Heaviness flew of of them, and the burdens of my shoulders followed.” - Finding My Way Back: Poems on Coming Alive, Healing & Self-Discovery

Join ARTime BARRO and Nicole Smolinski for an experiential ceramics workshop combining open-ended inner reflective exercises with directive clay work to help you explore the symbolism of 'autumn' in your life & how to embrace change and letting go intentionally during this season of your life.

About Workshop:

Nicole Smolinski, MS Clinical Psychology, is a writer and Tedx speaker local to Orange County who hosts workshops and events in the local community with the intention of making mental health awareness and overall well-being more approachable and connective. She enjoys utilizing the intersection between psychology & creativity & is continuously dreaming up ways where the principles she's guided people through in therapy as a clinician can be brought outside of the therapy room & into our communities. She believes writing and self-reflection have the power to help us heal and connect deeper to ourselves and those around us in accessible & non-intimidating ways.

Key points of discussion:

  • intentional loss are you really losing something or is this leaf a representation and reminder of the change you’re going through and all of the beautiful things that might come out of that change

  • learning to let go and the rejuvenation and freedom that can come from letting go

  • embracing change instead of fearing it

Handbuilding exercise:

Incense holder, instructed by ARTime BARRO

Your experience will also include tea to sip on, moody vinyl music in the background from a record player to set the creative tone, and a pack of autumn-scented incense from a local, small business, Tend.

Dates:

  • 9/21/24 7:30 pm-9:00 pm

  • This is a seasonal workshop.

  • Sign up for our newsletter to be the first to know about summer, fall, and spring workshop dates!

Details:

  • Santa Monica Studio

  • Limit 9 Per Workshop

  • Must be 18+

  • Includes all materials

  • All levels welcome

Cost | $75 per person, 90-minute Workshop

 
 
 

Past Workshops From Nourish To Bloom Series

  • Join ARTime BARRO and Nicole Smolinski for an experiential ceramics workshop combining inner reflective exercises and conscious conversation with clay work to help you explore the symbolism of "release & rejuvenation." .About Workshop:

    Nicole Smolinski, mental health professional & author of Finding My Way Back: Poems on Coming Alive, Healing & Self-Discovery, believes we can learn from the earth's cycles and that this can symbolically be true for us, too. This session will incorporate hand-building, where you'll be taught how to create a leaf incense holder from clay, with open-ended questions to provoke more profound thoughts surrounding spring's teachings.

    Key points of discussion:

    intentional loss: are you really losing something or is this leaf a representation and reminder of the change you’re going through and all of the beautiful things that might come out of that change

    learning to let go, and the rejuvenation and freedom that can come from letting go

    embracing change instead of fearing it

    Handbuilding exercise:

    Incense holder, instructed by ARTime BARRO

  • Join ARTime BARRO and Nicole Smolinski for an experiential ceramics workshop combining inner reflective exercises and conscious conversation with clay work to help you explore the symbolism of "basking in the sun."

    This is an experiential ceramics workshop combining open-ended inner reflective exercises with directive clay work to help you explore the symbolism of 'summer' in your life & how to pause, rest and absorb all of the warmth you're experiencing during this season of your life. About Workshop:

    Nicole Smolinski, mental health professional & author of Finding My Way Back: Poems on Coming Alive, Healing & Self-Discovery, believes we can learn from the earth's cycles and that this can symbolically be true for us, too. This session will incorporate hand-building, where you'll be taught how to create a sunflower from clay, with open-ended questions to provoke more profound thoughts surrounding spring's teachings.

    Key points of discussion:

    basking in the sun

    enjoying simply to enjoy

    making a product that has no other use except that you made it - ties in with summer theme

    our goals are achieved piece by piece, and it's important to celebrate the small moments add up to larger ones --> symbolic of the petals we make in class to form a whole sunflower

  • About Spring Workshop:

    For plants, the spring season represents a time to plant new seeds and nurture the newer opportunities that were building up foundation in the winter. Nicole Smolinski, mental health professional & author of Finding My Way Back: Poems on Coming Alive, Healing & Self-Discovery, believes we can learn from the earth's cycles and that this can symbolically be true for us, too. This session will incorporate hand-building, where you'll be taught how to create a watering can from clay, with open-ended questions to provoke more profound thoughts surrounding spring's teachings.

    Through both easy-to-follow journal prompts and a guided group conversation, we'll get to explore the goals & dreams you have in mind for this year and how, much like water to both plant and clay, we can practice ways to nourish those goals & dreams in the ways we care for ourselves.

    This session is open to anyone wanting to feel more connected to themselves and who wants to practice caring for mind and body together. As another symbolic touch to the session, and a value for earth-conscious practices, the journal questions you're provided with are printed on seed paper so that you can keep your notes to reflect on later or plant them and watch them grow. Better yet - you can water them with the watering can we created together in class!

    Dates:

    Upcoming; 06/25/23 6:30pm-7:30pm, in Laguna

    03/25/2023, 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm

    This will be a seasonal workshop. Sign up for our newsletter to be the first to know about summer, fall, and spring workshop dates!

About Instructor Nicole Smolinski

Nicole Smolinski, MS Clinical Psychology, is a writer & mental health professional local to Orange County who hosts workshops and events in the local community with the intention of making mental health awareness and overall well-being more approachable and connective.

She enjoys utilizing the intersection between psychology & creativity & is continuously dreaming up ways where the principles she's guided people through in therapy as a clinician can be brought outside of the therapy room & into our communities.

She believes writing and self-reflection have the power to help us heal and connect deeper to ourselves and those around us in accessible & non-intimidating ways.

Find Nicole’s published work for purchase on Amazon!

 
 
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Kintsugi Workshop Santa Monica

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Pottery and Matcha Mixer