Creative Spotlight: Veronika Bond

December 17, 2014 Nichole McVeigh

I met Veronika Bond through, yet again, Jen Lee's Indie Kindred Community. If you can't tell by now, this is a very vibrant, creative community! Since meeting Veronika, I've found that she writes for Rebelle Society, a favourite online magazine of mine! Her latest post is "7 joys of living your truth". I hope you'll check it out!

On her website, Veronika says that she spent the first 40 years of her life searching for a home in various cultures and countries and eventually found what she was looking for within herself. The last 17 years of her life have been spent mainly writing about the creative process, but she doesn't write about the process in the way of ideas; rather, the ways we constantly create our own lives and the universal principles of the process of creation. She is working on a series of books that will be four volumes in all when finished (plus workbooks) - The Solo System - that speaks of human consciousness and the creative process happening naturally within us. She says it can be used as a companion for the heroic journey.

Creative Spotlight: Charity Daw

November 12, 2014 Nichole McVeigh

Charity Daw's work was introduced to me by a friend of mine who was just recently featured - Alicia Maynard! I was instantly in love with Charity's feather crown (first photo below), and knew I had to delve further into her work. As you will see, she is incredibly creative, and mixes mediums with ease.

Charity made her first hat while pursuing song writing in Nashville not so long ago, and and the art of hat making clearly took off for her. She moved to L.A. in 2011, and has been able to exercise her passions - hat making and writing - daily. Charity illustrated the book "Up Down the Front Back Door", a children's book, which was published in December of 2013. As you will see in this interview, she paints as well! Artists that work with multiple mediums sure inspire me...

Creative Spotlight: Michelle GD

October 29, 2014 Nichole McVeigh

I met Michelle Dzema through Jen Lee's Indie Kindred group, and knew right away that she would be a great fit on Embody Your Muse. As writer and photographer, Michelle's work is calming, and deeply intentional. She "believes there is beauty in tiny moments and healing power in image and word," and that shows up consistently in her work. Michelle contributes to some interesting spaces online, and you can find links to them here.

Artistic since youth, Michelle became serious about her art a few years after the birth of her children. Photography and writing were ways for her to mark time - practices in creativity and meditation - and could both be done in small packets of time. And the opportunity to do just that was, and is, very welcome in her busy days; inviting a slower, more meaningful approach to life. Ultimately, becoming a mother inspired, and continues to inspire, her creatively.

Mindfulness is very important to Michelle, and it's something she aims to practice day-to-day. Gratitude Week 2014, a free program Michelle facilitates, runs Monday, November 10 to Sunday, November 16. I hope you'll check out this special way to practice mindfulness.