Lessons from My Unexpected Artist Residency

When Letting Go Becomes Your Greatest Act of Creation

Dec 24, 2024

☕️ Settle in with your favorite cozy drink for this one (12 min read)

In this month's newsletter:

Manifesting Through Vision Boards & Sacral Energy
Exploring the Creatrix Goddess Within
My Unexpected Path to Becoming an Artist in Residency
Sacred Winter Wisdom & Rest
Soul Led Offerings for Your Journey

I’m a visual person so when it comes to manifesting, Vision Boards are always a fun activity for me. I’ve been doing them for years and it’s always a fun ritual that activates me to dream into how I want to feel in the year ahead. I pick a chakra to focus on, along with words/themes and go on from there. This year the chakra I selected was the sacral chakra.

For those new to chakras, the sacral chakra is an energy center that lives in your lower belly/womb area. This is where our magic as a creative beings truly comes from.

Connected to the water element, it flows like the tides of the ocean - sometimes gentle, sometimes powerful, but always and forever in motion. Think of it as your inner empress, the place where your ability to experience pleasure, creativity, flow and abundance all come together.

It's that feeling you get when you lose track of time creating something beautiful, or when you do a happy dance when you eat a delicious meal, or that power you feel when you twerk in front of your mirror like nobody's watching. The sacral chakra is all about embracing the sweetness of life and remembering that we're worthy of receiving all good things simply because we exist.

When we work with sacral chakra energy, we tap into themes that connect us to our most authentic, expressive selves:

Divine Feminine Energy: embracing our seasonal nature and trusting our deep inner knowing
Inner Child Magic: rediscovering that pure joy and wonder we knew before the world told us to "be realistic” and “grow up”
Creative Expression: allowing our ideas to flow freely, whether through art, movement, or however your soul calls you to create
Emotional Fluidity: feeling our feelings fully, honoring them as sacred messengers and letting them flow through us
Sensual Wisdom: coming home to the pleasure of being in our bodies and experiencing life's simple joys + delights
Sacred Rest: giving ourselves permission to rest, receive and be supported
Movement Medicine: letting our bodies guide us in dancing, stretching, and moving intuitively
Artistic Flow: creating from a place of pure love, without the pressure to produce and with zero expectations
Heart Wisdom: trusting the intelligence of our emotions
Playful Liberation: approaching each day with curiosity and childlike wonder

Connecting with the Creatrix Goddess

If you’ve ever taken my vision board workshop, you know I always suggest placing a photo of yourself in the middle with everything you want to call in that year surrounding you. This was the collage picture I placed of myself with the words “Creatrix Goddess” around me as a reminder that the Creatrix Goddess in me is the ultimate expression of divine feminine creative power.

Creatrix: A divine feminine creator and weaver of realities. She is one who brings forth new forms of life, art, and magic through her innate connection to creative force.

A Creatrix understands that creation isn't just about making art – it's about channeling universal life force through her being, whether she's crafting a meal in her kitchen, nurturing relationships, writing in her journal, or dreaming up her next move, she's not just doing random activities or moving through the world aimlessly - she's channeling universal life force.

This force is the same energy that runs through all of creation, connecting us to our ancestral wisdom. It’s thats sacred energy our grandmothers may have called by different names but knew deep down in their bones. Whether they called it the Holy Spirit, Chi, or Àṣẹ, they understood this power that flows through everything. A Creatrix knows how to plug into this energy as naturally as breathing.

Now, let's talk Goddess - and I'm not talking about that "put her on a pedestal" type of goddess. I'm talking about that Mary Mary "God in Me" energy (that song stays on repeat for me 15 years later lol). A Goddess knows that divinity isn't something outside of her - it's her birthright. It’s literally the God in her.

When I say Goddess, I’m not only talking about the divine force living within me, showing up in how I move, create, and love, but I am also acknowledging it. It's that innate power our grandmothers knew they had, even when the world tried to tell them different. A Goddess doesn't need permission to be a goddess - she already knows who she is.

When these energies merge, you get a Creatrix Goddess - a woman who fully owns her power as a divine creator. Unlike the more structured "creator" energy traditionally associated with masculine divine forces, the Creatrix Goddess moves in spirals, cycles, and waves – creating through intuition, feeling, and sacred receptivity.

She knows rest, surrender, and flow are part of the process and doesn’t force a damn thing because she creates/moves with intention and in sacred collaboration with source.

This archetype (ya’ll know I love an archetype and will forever study them) shows up in many forms across different cultures:

Tara in Tibetan Buddhism, who creates through compassionate action
The Celtic goddess Brigid, weaver of poetry, healing, and smithcraft
Oshun in Yoruba tradition, who creates through beauty and sensual pleasure
The Greek Muse sisters, who inspire all forms of artistic expression
Spider Woman in Indigenous traditions, weaving the web of reality

As a Creatrix Goddess, you're tapping into this lineage of divine feminine creators who understand that:

Creation flows through cycles of rest and action
Magic happens in the space between effort and surrender
Your body is a sacred vessel for creative force
Intuition and emotion are powerful creative tools
Rest and receiving are active parts of the creative process

Becoming an Artist in Residency

The Vision

In 2024, I wanted to feel like an artist in residency so I put this picture up on my board. I wasn't looking for acceptance into some formal program per say - I just wanted that feeling of being able to focus purely on creating while having my needs met. I longed for my only job to be exploring my craft, diving deep into my magic, and letting my creativity flow without worrying about survival.

What unfolded didn’t make sense then, but overtime I awakened to the fact that life itself became my residency, offering me the sacred gift of space and fully being in my own energy to explore my studies as an herbalist and tend to my inner Creatrix Goddess while having all of my basic needs met.

The Journey

Surrendering to this wasn’t easy. Especially because when it was happening I had no idea that was what was actually happening. It all just felt like tower moments aka sudden, unexpected, and often disruptive changes or revelations back to back.

You see, earlier in the year I was called to step back from social media which was my main source of income at the time. I also ended up having to downsize and simplify my life when I was guided to move deeper into the mountains to connect more intimately with the plants and earth.

I was in full on hermit mode going through the motions, walking by faith and not by sight and only being able to see one step ahead. My only task was focusing on myself and remaining curious to all that was unfolding.

The Lessons in Receiving

Wow. What a powerful ass lesson in receiving this year was. For the first time in my life, I worked less than ever, yet found myself more abundantly supported than ever before, in very unexpected ways.

Asking for help stretched me.

Receiving it so effortlessly had me shooketh.

I definitely had to get my reps in and I’m proud of the way I showed up and worked through what was coming up for me as everything unfolded. Sure, things looked very different from previous years but when I tell you that all my basic needs were met, they were ALL met.

Even my desire to travel and connect with my closest friends through intentional experiences and time together was fulfilled. Nothing was missing. I had everything I needed. What I didn't have, I didn't need.

As I sat with what felt like endless tower moments (never pulled so many damn tower cards from multiple decks in my life in one year lmao) it dawned on me that for all I know, the rest of my life could look like me not ‘working’, yet receiving more just by BEING and living my life as a Creatrix Goddess.

Why would I get in the way of my blessings to not ‘work’ and still be taken care of?

The universe has a wild sense of humor though. This summer, I made a new friend who is an incredibly talented farmer and artist. We claimed Wednesdays as our 'Art Day,' spending whole days creating together while our dogs played and lived their best lives. I learned so much from her - making paint from plants, creating an indigo VAT from scratch (yes, like the indigo used to dye jeans) with leaves she grew and harvested herself, and even dyeing silk scarves with our precious VAT creation.

Here's where it gets hilarious - I randomly came across an artist residency program in Asheville that seemed perfect for her and encouraged her to apply. Not only did she get accepted, but she'll be heading there this winter!

Our Art Wednesdays helped me realize something profound: I was already living my own residency. Our weekly ritual of creating together - making art freely, learning new techniques, taking turns cooking lunch for one another, letting creativity flow while nature held us - this was exactly how I had envisioned I wanted to feel on my vision board, it just came in an unexpected form.

On a deep cellular level, this journey taught me that my worth isn't tied to my productivity, and that sometimes the most powerful magic happens in the spaces between doing. And trust, I had a lot of spaces and for that I am grateful.

Here is an intimate look at my 2024 Artist Residency:

Not pictured are the sacred moments with friends that fed my soul just as much as any formal creation. Picture this: the kitchen table after a beautiful meal, all of us in matching white flowy caftans, markers neatly laid out in rainbow rows, losing track of time with our cozy coloring pages while Soulection filled the room with its magic and sweet incense drifted through the air. These simple moments of creative communion were just as much a part of my artist residency as anything else.

Connection to Creation

If you're struggling to create or manifest, have you allowed yourself to receive?
Have you created time and space for inspiration, sacred messages, intuitive whispers, full on spiritual codes, downloads, help, support, love, money, joy, etc to drop in?

Trust & Surrender

Can you trust yourself to rest, slow down, and receive what you need in order to create a whole new reality for yourself?
How can you honor your bodies need to create the energetic + nervous system capacity to actually step into new timelines?
How would you move differently if you knew you were supported just for being?

Divine Expression

How will you honor the Creatix Goddess in you?
What would an Artist in Residency year feel and look like for you?
What magic might emerge if you gave yourself permission to rest and receive?

Affirmations that got me through 2024

I am an artist in residency. My needs are met with ease. I create beauty daily. I am in flow with the creator. I am in deep gratitude for my life. I am rooted in stability. I trust the unfolding of my life. I want what God wants for me. And so it is. Àṣẹ

✨

I’m becoming more authentically myself. The veils are being removed. Surrender even more. Surrender even more. Surrender even more.

You know what's beautiful about the winter season? It's nature's masterclass in the art of sacred rest and dreaming. Just like the earth appears dormant while secretly nurturing the seeds of spring beneath the surface, you too are in a sacred cycle of rest and creation.

Remember - this stillness you're feeling isn't the absence of productivity in doing, it's the presence of power in being. It's that deep breath before the breakthrough, that quiet moment before the revelation. And trust me, something beautiful is getting ready to emerge.

Speaking of emergence, if you're feeling called to explore this magic deeper (because let's be real, sometimes we need a little guidance to trust this process), I have two special offerings to support your journey:

Self-Guided Experiences (Immediate Access)

✨ Good Vibes & Chill Vision Board Workshop - Rooted Visionary Experience

What if you could use your unique energetic code to manifest your vision board with more ease and flow? This self-paced 3-hour vision board workshop uses your Human Design (your energetic blueprint) to create practical manifestation strategies tailored specifically to you. Through soul-aligned techniques and our unique 15 year old framework, you'll discover how to craft a vision board that authentically resonates with who you truly are and your hearts deepest desires. Includes videos + workbook for $127

🌙 Awakening with the Ancestors Guided Meditation Journey

A 60-minute guided meditation that helps you connect with your ancestors through carefully engineered frequencies and sacred sound technology. Access ancestral wisdom, heal generational patterns, and claim your spiritual inheritance. Trust me when I tell you - they have messages waiting for you. Pay what you can, starting at $25

And if you're feeling called to go deeper with 1:1 support - whether that's personal soul work or business magic - I'd love to connect. Click here to learn more or feel free to email me at info@allthingsada.com for a custom package.

Wishing you all a restful and joy filled holiday break. Thank you for being part of my journey and allowing me to part of yours. Grateful for our constant evolution together.

See you in 2025!

With love,

Ada ✨

🔮 P.S If you’re looking for a new cozy show to watch while you rest and receive, get into Marvel’s Agatha All Along on Disney+. It follows Agatha Harkness's journey to reclaim her magical powers after being stripped of them. Think that chaotic family tía who crashes the party with mind-blowing stories and unhinged energy lmao. A perfect watch for anyone going through their own magical awakening. Meet me in the group chat after you’re done to discuss!