Hi, This is Amanda Seyderhelm, and welcome to my blog.
I’m an artist and writer who believes that when we are connected to our own unique voice, we are more powerful than we could ever have imagined. We can walk through doors and not hurt ourselves. We can speak up without being silenced. And we finally stop silencing ourselves as we start to express ourselves productively and powerfully.
I blog about the many ways in which our voices are heard and silenced, through the portals of health, consciousness and art.
I’ve had several ‘defining moments’ in my life where I’ve changed direction, and each time that has happened, I’ve drawn on my creative resources to make the necessary changes. For example, I left a successful job in corporate publishing in 1999 because I wanted to go solo and get back to the creative coalface.
I set up my literary agency and coaching practice, and coached hundreds of first time writers to publication. My own life was changing in parallel, and it was spooky how often my clients mirrored back to me changes I needed to make. I came to trust this and recognise it as synchronicity. Now it is a guiding force in my life.
Another big change came when I realised my clients were using writing to express their soul purpose. That’s when I realised that creativity is a serious business.
My biggest ‘wake up’ was in 2002 when I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. This was my body and soul speaking up for me, and I was initiated into an intense healing journey. I had focused for so long on other people’s creativity that I had forgotten about nurturing my own. That’s when I discovered painting. It began as a therapy, a way to express my feelings, and now it has grown into a way for me to express my soul purpose with joy.
I have exhibited in group shows, sold my work, and received commissions, and continue to paint on canvas and now glass.
I teach a process called ‘healing art for kids’ to children who have lost their voice through conflict. This simple engagement with paint puts children directly in touch with their own voice and recovery. I love this work and seeing the children rediscover their lost and stolen voices. Like Harold and the Purple Crayon, I encourage and guide the children to explore their unique pathway.
Feel free to browse my blog, and be sure to sign up for my newsletter. Look toward the top right side of this blog, and sign up. You won’t be redirected to another site, and you won’t be subject to spam. Enjoy what you read and discover here, feel free to post your comments, and may you discover the joyfulness in your creativity and painting.
Warmly Amanda Seyderhelm
Artist. Educator. Soul Activist.
