Liegender akt mit lila Tuch by Egon Schiele
"What the muses tell us is that our inherent beauty lies in trusting our deepest natures and authentically expressing who we are in the world in wise and life-affirming ways."
Angeles Arrien
Angeles Arrien
MUSE
Enrolments for the august 2020 round have now closed. Sign up to my newsletter here to receive updates on future offerings of this course.
MUSE is a 9-week online course to explore your story within the mythic realms of soul and psyche, and experience the whole-hearted freedom of creative self-expression.
I believe that everyone has a story to tell, and that writing is a powerful medium to dive into the rich landscape of our deep imagination and bring back the treasures to our daily lives.
When we pour ourselves onto the page it becomes a kind of magic mirror, a tool for scrying into the unique nuances of our own being. Through its reflection we get to see those parts of ourselves that were previously hidden, allowing us to bear witness to our beauty, release the burden of carrying secrets that no longer need to be held, and alchemise past experiences into wisdom and insight.
Getting in touch with your inner voice helps you to not only tap into your unique creative expression, it also flows into other areas of life so that you feel more empowered to embody the fullest expression of who you are.
what you’ll learn.
This course is for you if you want to:
+ uncover your voice and creative self-expression
+ cultivate more self-awareness to deepen your relationship with self & others
+ find the gems hidden in the stories that make up your unique personal mythology
+ develop a regular writing or journalling practice
+ prioritise time for creative play across various arts mediums
+ reveal (and lovingly challenge) blocks and fears posed by the inner critic
+ bring more heart into the messages you share in art or business
+ cultivate a new level of meaning, imagination, beauty and authenticity in your life
how it works.
The course includes:
+ weekly teachings on themes inspired by the 9 muses of Greek myth
+ freewriting prompts from visual artworks for heart-led self-inquiry
+ experimental writing prompts and expressive arts exercises (e.g. dance/movement, drawing/painting, singing/voice, music, etc.) to encourage creative play
+ a curated selection of inspiration from diverse artistic mediums
+ extra resources for those who want to explore further
MUSE modules are delivered weekly, but as this is a self-study course, you're essentially able to work at your own pace and the materials are yours to keep.
You do not need any creative writing experience to take this course. It is focussed on expressive writing and arts, which means the emphasis is on providing an opportunity to draw out your deep imagination, and inquire into the contents of your inner life to glean greater awareness, insight and meaning from your life story.
When we pour ourselves onto the page it becomes a kind of magic mirror, a tool for scrying into the unique nuances of our own being. Through its reflection we get to see those parts of ourselves that were previously hidden, allowing us to bear witness to our beauty, release the burden of carrying secrets that no longer need to be held, and alchemise past experiences into wisdom and insight.
Getting in touch with your inner voice helps you to not only tap into your unique creative expression, it also flows into other areas of life so that you feel more empowered to embody the fullest expression of who you are.
what you’ll learn.
This course is for you if you want to:
+ uncover your voice and creative self-expression
+ cultivate more self-awareness to deepen your relationship with self & others
+ find the gems hidden in the stories that make up your unique personal mythology
+ develop a regular writing or journalling practice
+ prioritise time for creative play across various arts mediums
+ reveal (and lovingly challenge) blocks and fears posed by the inner critic
+ bring more heart into the messages you share in art or business
+ cultivate a new level of meaning, imagination, beauty and authenticity in your life
how it works.
The course includes:
+ weekly teachings on themes inspired by the 9 muses of Greek myth
+ freewriting prompts from visual artworks for heart-led self-inquiry
+ experimental writing prompts and expressive arts exercises (e.g. dance/movement, drawing/painting, singing/voice, music, etc.) to encourage creative play
+ a curated selection of inspiration from diverse artistic mediums
+ extra resources for those who want to explore further
MUSE modules are delivered weekly, but as this is a self-study course, you're essentially able to work at your own pace and the materials are yours to keep.
You do not need any creative writing experience to take this course. It is focussed on expressive writing and arts, which means the emphasis is on providing an opportunity to draw out your deep imagination, and inquire into the contents of your inner life to glean greater awareness, insight and meaning from your life story.
The frame by Frida Kahlo
I am my own muse. The subject I know best. The subject I want to know better.
Frida Kahlo
Frida Kahlo
muse modules.
Through the archetypal lens of the 9 muses of Greek myth, expressive writing and creative play become tools to awaken the unique language of your soul. It is here that our personal story mirrors the transformative tales of myth and folklore, weaving a sense of belonging with the Great Mystery and our other-than-human kin.
Through the archetypal lens of the 9 muses of Greek myth, expressive writing and creative play become tools to awaken the unique language of your soul. It is here that our personal story mirrors the transformative tales of myth and folklore, weaving a sense of belonging with the Great Mystery and our other-than-human kin.
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WEEK 1
Muse // CALLIOPE Theme \\ STORY Inspiration // storytelling We begin with the first-born muse. Through Calliope we explore creation myth, spider-as-weaver symbolism, and how to locate aspects of ourselves within folktales. WEEK 2
Muse // THALIA Theme \\ PLAY Inspiration // performance art We continue the adventure by activating your deep imagination and sense of play. We look at the archetype of the Puella/Puer (the "eternal child") and how it can create drama and havoc when we don't allow ourselves permission to play. WEEK 3
Muse // EUTERPE Theme \\ PLACE Inspiration // music Next we explore setting or stories of place- the song lines of the earth- through psychogeography and mapping. We also look at how sharing our unique voice or song gives us a sense of belonging to the wider ecosystem and orchestra of life. WEEK 4
Muse // TERPSICHORE Theme \\ BODY Inspiration // dance What are the tales that your body carries? How can we engage our senses and write with our whole being? This muse of dance encourages us to explore how grounding and embodiment is an integral part of self-expression. WEEK 5
Muse // CLIO Theme \\ ANCESTORS Inspiration // textiles & craft What is the legacy of your lineage? What are the plots passed down from your ancestors? Here we look at the stories (and secrets) we’ve inherited from our families. |
WEEK 6
Muse // ERATO Theme \\ LOVE Inspiration // poetry How has love shaped the biography of your heart? We look at the different types of love in your life as well as self-kindness practices to remedy the inner critic’s self-doubt. WEEK 7
Muse // URANIA Theme \\ SHADOW Inspiration // visual arts & photography This week we investigate the nature of shadow and where we sabotage our self-expression. We specifically look at the victim archetype and how to turn this around to empower our voices. WEEK 8
Muse // MELPOMENE Theme \\ DEATH Inspiration // film & animation Here we traverse the themes of death and rebirth. We explore the myth of Persephone, the ways these cycles of endings and beginnings manifest in different areas of life, and how cycles affect creative productivity. WEEK 9
Muse // POLYMNIA Theme \\ DIVINITY Inspiration // experimental sound art Mystics and poets tell us that the divine and creative flow are connected. By embracing silence and contemplation, we learn to listen to our muses and our wise self, and to ferry ideas between the intangible sphere of the sacred and the manifest world of matter. |
enrol.
Enrolments for the august 2020 round have now closed. Sign up to my newsletter here to receive updates on future offerings of this course.
Enrolments for the august 2020 round have now closed. Sign up to my newsletter here to receive updates on future offerings of this course.
Tree of Knowledge no. 5 by Hilma af Klint
The muse beloved is equally a devotee of sunsets and sunrises, storms and waterfalls, armadillos and rattlesnakes, watercolour and cosmology, jazz and poetry.
Bill Plotkin
Bill Plotkin
testimonials.
"Cherise Lily Nana is a muse for my muse. Her online course helped me weave experiences of life, death, love and place into a tapestry of story. As someone who often struggles to articulate my experience I feel much more able to freely express myself in the written word and actually write from my heart. I couldn't recommend this experience more highly.”
+ Ami Peluchetti
+ Ami Peluchetti
"This has been a breath of fresh air into my weekly schedule and spurred me on to be more curious, more thoughtful and playful through writing, dance and even in my close relationships.
I couldn't think of anyone better suited to create and facilitate this course than Cherise. She is truly an inspiration, and a gentle inspirer. Through her crafted words and her incredible breadth of experience and knowledge on all matters of the mundane, the mystical and the magnificent muses, I've discovered something very special. Thank you to Cherise for thinking up this wonderful experience and bringing it to life - I recommend it to all creatives at heart."
+ Natasha Mulhall
I couldn't think of anyone better suited to create and facilitate this course than Cherise. She is truly an inspiration, and a gentle inspirer. Through her crafted words and her incredible breadth of experience and knowledge on all matters of the mundane, the mystical and the magnificent muses, I've discovered something very special. Thank you to Cherise for thinking up this wonderful experience and bringing it to life - I recommend it to all creatives at heart."
+ Natasha Mulhall
"MUSE helped me think outside my box. That box we inevitably find ourselves in when our lives are busy. I felt lifted by the inspiration, and in the week that followed, each muse would sing out and resonate in all that I did. It helped me live a life more connected, more full. I felt the benefits with a calmer mind, a more enriched outlook and beautiful perspective."
+ Helen Haski
+ Helen Haski
"I found the course to be wonderfully mind-expanding and intriguing... you set me on a self discovery path, and I thank you for it. May many more enjoy what you offered me!"
+ Joanna Parish
+ Joanna Parish
your course guide.
Cherise Lily Nana is a writer, artist and creative mentor based in Naarm (Melbourne), Australia. Her essays on archetypal symbolism and the mythic imagination have been published in Dumbo Feather, Paradiso, and CosmoMuse, and in 2019 Cherise was a panellist on 'Contemporary Poetry' at the Bellingen Writers Festival. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Art History) and a Graduate Diploma in Professional Writing. Read more about her story here.
Cherise Lily Nana is a writer, artist and creative mentor based in Naarm (Melbourne), Australia. Her essays on archetypal symbolism and the mythic imagination have been published in Dumbo Feather, Paradiso, and CosmoMuse, and in 2019 Cherise was a panellist on 'Contemporary Poetry' at the Bellingen Writers Festival. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Art History) and a Graduate Diploma in Professional Writing. Read more about her story here.
Questions? Send them through to me at hello@cheriselilynana.com - all questions welcomed!