Offering HeART and SoulCollage® workshops to inspire your creative spirit | | Awakening Creativity With Nature | | Harbingers of Spring - Mixed Media by GG | |
Dear Glenda,
April has arrived, and with it, the exciting and undeniable energy of renewal! Everywhere we look, nature is stretching awake—buds swelling on branches, birds singing their morning melodies, and the Earth herself softening with the warmth of longer days. It's a reminder that we, too, are part of this great cycle of growth. Just as the daffodils don't question their time to bloom, we can trust our own creative instincts to emerge, unfold, and take shape in ways we may not have expected.
Lately, I've been reflecting on how creativity, like nature, finds its own way. I look around the garden outside the studio and notice how last year's fallen leaves are breaking down, feeding the soil, making way for new life. It strikes me that our creative process works the same way; sometimes we have to let go, trust the unseen work happening beneath the surface, and allow space for something fresh to take root. Maybe this season is inviting you to start a new project, return to an old passion, or simply make space for curiosity and play as an antidote for fear and anger.
In a world that feels heavy with tragedy and uncertainty, art offers us a much-needed refuge. With so much political and social turmoil surrounding us, creativity provides a way to process, heal, and find moments of peace. Making art, whether through painting, collage, singing, writing, or movement, grounds us in the present and reminds us of our own agency to create something meaningful. The Down to Earth Studio is a space for this kind of restoration, a place where you can step away from the noise, reconnect with yourself, and remember that beauty, expression, and connection are still within reach.
In my studio I embrace this energy of renewal and invite you to do the same. I offer workshops that encourage organic creativity, whether through intuitive SoulCollage, artmaking, nature-inspired assemblage, or mindful reflection. Our time together will be about more than just creating; it will be about reconnecting with ourselves, with each other, and with the rhythms of the natural world. If you've been feeling the urge to make something, to express something, or just to be in a space of inspiration, I'd love to welcome you in.
This is how we're going to get through the next four years, by coming together to honor nature and create beauty in community. So step outside, take a deep breath, and notice the ways nature is reflecting your own growth back to you. This is a season of possibility, of new beginnings, fresh perspectives, and trusting the process. However creativity is calling to you this month, I hope you'll answer.
With warmth and inspiration,
GG
| | Art and SoulCollage® Gatherings at GG's Down to Earth Studio | | |
Wild Darling Spirit
Being Workshop
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Sunday, April 6, 2025
10:00 am to 4:00 pm
GG's Down to Earth Studio, Salem
This workshop is FULL. Email GG to get on the waiting list.
Would you like to reignite the wildness in you? Why not start by making your own Wild Darling Spirit Being? (With a bow to Rumi for the poem featured in this newsletter.)
Workshop fee of $95 includes all supplies.
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Some Kiss We Want by Ruimi
There is some kiss we want
with our whole lives,
the touch of spirit on the body.
Seawater begs the pearl
to break its shell.
And the lily, how passionately
it needs some wild darling!
At night, I open the window
and ask the moon to come
and press its face against mine.
Breathe into me.
Close the language - door and
open the love window.
The moon won't use the door,
only the window.
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Earth Love Treasure Box Workshop
Saturday, May 10, 2025, 10:30 to 4:00
Art Department Supply Store, Salem OR
Join us for a heartwarming craft workshop where we will create Earth Love Treasure Boxes -- beautiful, personalized keepsake boxes designed to hold the special natural treasures you've collected over the years, like feathers, shells, stones, and bits of wood.
This workshop is open to all ages and encourages a deep connection with nature and creativity. Using decoupage techniques, participants will transform simple book-board boxes into unique works of art using a variety of papers, ephemera, and textured materials, such as vintage maps, botanical prints, natural fibers, and handmade papers to create layered, meaningful designs.
Throughout the workshop, we will explore themes of memory, nature, and storytelling, making each box a reflection of the treasures and experiences it holds. Whether you're creating for yourself or as a gift, this experience is about honoring the beauty of the natural world and the special objects we collect along the way.
Workshop fee of $85
includes one 8"x8"x4" book-board box
Register with the Art Department here
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Friday SoulCollage® Gatherings at GG's Down to Earth Studio
"I am continuously amazed at the depth of the intuitive process of SoulCollage®. I love holding workshops and sharing this profound process with people. SoulCollage® has helped me have more faith in knowing that we are all connected and that the thing we long for the most is within us." — GG
Facilitated by GG and Kim Buller
Morning gatherings from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
Afternoon gatherings from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
GG’s Down to Earth Studio
240 Bush Street S., Salem, OR 97302
April 11 (2nd Friday instead of 3rd): Awakening the Soul - A Spring SoulCollage® Journey. AM Session: Kim. PM Session: GG
May 16: The Vibrant Colors of May - A SoulCollage® Celebration
AM Session: Kim. PM Session: GG
Sliding scale fee for Friday sessions $30 to $50. Venmo (Glenda-Goodrich), Paypal (glendaanne@msn.com). Please pay in advance to reserve your spot. Cancellation policy: Full refund 7 or more days in advance or if I can fill your spot
June 20: Summer SOULstice SoulCollage® Day Retreat.
Announcing a special Summer Solstice Retreat at GG's Down to Earth Studio - A Day of SOULstice Ritual, SoulCollage®, and Sisterhood. Facilitated by Glenda "GG" Goodrich and Kim Buller. Step into the longest day of the year with intention, magic, and creative soul-work. Join us for a day-long Summer Solstice SoulCollage® retreat, a sacred gathering where we will honor the fullness of light, both in the world around us and within ourselves. Through ritual, reflection, and creative exploration, we will deepen into our soul's wisdom, embracing the energy of the solstice as a portal for transformation and renewal.
Workshop fee: $145 (includes a yummy GF DF lunch with a vegetarian option, all creativity supplies, and a special gift!)
Email GG to reserve your spot at any of these gatherings, or to get on the waiting list for sessions that are full.
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Courting the Muse: Nourish Your Innate Creativity! 4-day Retreat
Explore, Express, Expand!
This retreat has 2 open spots due to cancellations.
Email GG if you are interested or want more information.
Imagine spending four days nestled in the sanctuary of a rich green forest next to a babbling brook, sleeping in a cozy bed, being pampered with gourmet food, playing with paint and collage, and renewing that spontaneous, juicy, creative, soulful part of yourself. It’s all yours to enjoy in a community of kindred spirits. “Courting the Muse” is an immersive arts retreat held in the heart of a Doug fir, pine, and fern forest next to a meandering creek, this workshop focuses on tapping into your subconscious mind and intuition to inspire and free-up your original creative expression.
GG and Cindy will be your midwives clearing the way for you to meet your muse and bring forth the creative impulses that have been stirring inside you as you step out of what you think is true about your creative self, and step into an environment where you feel free to birth whatever wants to be expressed.
$985.00 shared (with two people, two beds) lodging space that is available includes:
- 3 nights lodging and accommodations at Tipi Village
- Creekside dining
- 3 hearty breakfasts, 2 light lunches, 3 gourmet dinners
- Water, coffee, tea
- 18 hours of Art Doula guidance, creative activities, and experiential exercises to unleash and inspire your creativity
- 3 morning dreamwork sessions
- All painting, collage, and creative activity supplies
- Gift bag of goodies
- Outdoor soaking tub
- Evening fire pit
- Access to a fresh-water swimming hole
- Full moon gazing
- A large wood platform in a meadow by the creek for your personal morning practice (Yoga, Tai Chi, Qigong, etc.)
- Sanctity of an emerald Doug fir forest
Only one spot left. If you are interested, please don't delay. 10% discount for BIPOC community members.
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Fall 2025 Retreat
Soul Renewal withSoulCollage®
Coming Home to Yourself
with Glenda "GG" Goodrich and Ann Christensen
Breitenbush Hot Springs Resort
September 12 - 15, 2025.
What does it mean to come home to yourself? How does it feel to meet yourself at your core? And who is the person that resides there?
Life can bring many difficulties and traumas and can cause us to build up protective layers that keep us from truly knowing ourselves and being available to love. Coming home to yourself means stripping away some of these layers and rediscovering the unique essence of YOU.
Join us for a soulful retreat at the serene and healing grounds of Breitenbush Hot Springs. Soul Renewal with SoulCollage: Coming Home to Yourself invites you to reconnect with your inner landscape through the intuitive and transformative practice of SoulCollage®.
Surrounded by ancient forests and the soothing waters of Breitenbush, you will explore the deep wisdom that resides within you through guided meditation, rituals, sound baths, movement, contemplative card-making, reflective journaling, community, and heart-centered circle sharing.
Registration information is coming soon!
| | | MAKE IT AN EVEN 10! Solo Passage Book Awards and Placements. I have to say it... I am so proud of my awesome book! | | |
GG interviews GG
Here is a link to my latest podcast with Greg Gerber from Forward From 50.
| | Readers' Favorite Honorable Mention Award in Non-Fiction Inspirational | Next Generation Indie Books Award Finalist in Memoir | |
Bookfest First Place
Award Winner in Body, Mind, and Spirit
| Paris Book Festival Honorable Mention Award in General Nonfiction | | |
Firebird Book Award Winner First Place in Inspiration
First Place in Mind/Body/Spirit
First Place in Nature
First Place in Self-Help/Motivational
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Reader reviews of my book make a huge difference!
I would so appreciate it if you would leave a rating and maybe a few comments. You can leave a review on Amazon here. Thank you!
| Best Book Awards: Finalist in Nonfiction: Inspirational | | Foreword Indies Book Silver Medal Award Winner in Body, Mind, and Spirit | Global Book Award Finalist in Self-Help, Personal Transformation | |
NYC Big Book Award Distinguished Favorite
in the category of Nature.
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CIBA Hearten Book Awards
Semi-finalist in Inspiring and Uplifting Non-fiction.
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Are you curious about what it means to work with the Art Doula? Contact me for a free 30-minute consultation to see if art mentoring can take you to the next level in your creative life.
Here's a comment from recent client:
"I love how you think . . . and how you put questions to me. It's like there's gold at the bottom of the bucket and you are stirring the pot!"
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from my creative heart to yours,
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The Art Doula is here for you!
Come and discover, explore, and birth your unique creativity.
I am here to help you explore, discover, and birth more of your unique creativity. I'd so love to work with you to help your creative life blossom. Contact me for a free 30-minute preliminary consult.
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