Dear 2022

Picture of a frozen puddle of water, representing this time of year where we look inside to our dear 2022

Respect your timeline.

Dear 2022

I didn’t feel it at first.
You know, clearing out what no longer serves me and making space for the New. Getting rid of the old and setting new year’s resolutions. It’s just that it always takes a little bit more time with me.

Respect your timeline

I seem to be having my own timing and it’s not always following the crowd’s timing. And that’s okay. Asia Suler poetically describes this in her book Mirrors in the Earth stating that some trees hold on to their leaves way longer than others. Just like us humans sometimes hold on to certain experiences or memories a lot longer than our life companions.

 “There’s a reason why your system isn’t done with it yet and chooses to hold on to it. Trust it.“

So, I didn’t feel it at first. While coming across other people’s elaborate (and beautiful) thank-you-2022-letters or wishing-and-looking-forward-2023-statements nothing moved inside me.
Until this morning, quite unexpectedly.

2022, the movie

Suddenly, a film of memories from 2022 started playing right in front of my eyes. Bringing up all kinds of experiences. To be honest, 2022 took off with a blast. I didn’t even fully realize we had made the transition into the new year when I suddenly became aware I was sitting on this fast speeding train that was definitely taking me someplace else than the previous year.

Time is such an incomprehensible concept when spending a lot of it living and working in otherworldly realms (not to be mistaken with not being grounded). Thinking back to January 2022 seems like yesterday and a decade ago at the same time.

In a nutshell

The 2022-train brought me:

  • My re-emergence on social media. And that had everything to do with starting up my new business as Art Sound & Medicine Woman. My urge to bring you my gifts itches! So I have found a new understanding with social media that works well for me and I hope for you too.
  • My new website artsoundmedicinewoman.com where I tried to create a warm and cozy corner on the internet for you to explore all of my treasures to enrich your life with.
  • Next level learning in Shamanic Healing through the Shamanic training with Frank Coppieters and Kathy Melcher.
  • A deep dive into Sound Healing with modules 2 and 3 at Akasha Retreat Center with Maarten Adriaenssens.
  • The birth of my very personal and handmade shaman drum guided by Greet Mermans.
  • Soul Tattoos, both my own and designs for dear friends of mine.

Thank you!

Obviously, lots and lots of dear people were with me on that train. I’m so grateful for their presence, patience, honesty, inspiration and love.

Last but not least, I’m deeply touched with your presence, dear reader. It’s you and future you whom I’m doing it for.

Who knows one day we’ll co-create your Soul Drawing or your Soul Tattoo. I’d be honored to and I just can’t wait to get started.

Or if you’re geographically close to me, you’re ever so welcome to join in on our upcoming Cacao ceremonies, Soul & Spirit Circles or Sound of our Womb Workshop.

And to those of you who feel the call to join us to the Peruvian jungle, don’t hesitate, you won’t regret it.

For now, I’m just going to be savoring all this a little bit longer before diving into the new adventure. I’m confident all will fall into place at the right moment, the right timing, my timing. If you’re ready for 2023, bring it on! I’ll catch up with you later.

Wishing you love and peace,
Frouke

Oh, I’m not a fan of New Year’s resolutions but what 2022 absolutely lacked for me was decent exercise. Apart from lots of dancing over summertime and the daily warmups for my voice, I have been way too lazy, so please 2023…come kick my ass!

“Dear 2022 and dear You, thank you!”

Come join me on social media:

  • Instagram
    • daily snippets of what’s happening in my life
    • inspirational Art reels
    • slow-down-reels
    • Altar-reels
  • Facebook
    • longer stories about things that touch me deeply or give me an abundance of joy
    • event updates

You’re ever so welcome

Dare to Be Creative

Drawing made by Art Sound Medicine Woman of Mother Turtle. The drawing has black line drawings in the back and a colorful turtle in the middle. The drawing serves as an invitation to discover the Creative Space inside yourself, on the website and here on the blog.

All you need to express how Life is running through Your veins is a dedicated Moment, a Canvas, a solid Intention and your willingness to Open up.

If you dare to be creative, you dare to be you and that’s a gift to yourself and to the world.

Dedicated moment

Now is perfect.

But of course you’re busy reading all this, so it’s probably a little less than perfect. Yet, you’re searching for something. You can feel it itching right beneath your skin or in the back of your throat. And perhaps…something is holding you back to just Be Creative.

Canvas

You could very well set up a creative space for yourself, select a canvas of choice and get to it with a sparkling intention. I have done that a million times and I’m sure you’ve done that before too. Remember singing in the shower? Drawing doodles on the rainy window? Or stacking the wood of an outdoor fire in a particular way?

Indeed! Your canvas doesn’t necessarily need to be a piece of paper or painting cotton. It might just as well be a Sound or 3-dimensional Space. Natural elements form great canvases too: Water, Fire, Soil, Leaves, Stones…

Intention and Opening up

Intention is key in almost anything you do in Life.  If you have read this far, I bet you have a solid Intention to Be Creative. May it be a need to express a certain emotion, to honor a particular event or to discover the Magic inside yourself.

In order to express what lives inside you into the outside world, you’ll need to Open up and Surrender. As scary as that may sound, as blissful it feels.

Whenever you feel ready to Be Creative, I’m here to support you.

Okay, lots of possibilities, but as with many things in life, it sometimes simply is more relaxing or more fun when someone else is taking care of everything, and you can lean back and surrender to the process.

Discover your options to set up your Creative space:

  • Artistic Date with yourself
  • Individual Creative session guided by me
  • Creative Flow session guided by me

Colorful blessings,
Frouke

“Dare to be Creative. Dare to be you!”

More resources

Act as if nobody is watching

Act as if nobody is watching. Out of nowhere this phrase comes up in my mind while heading off for my walk into the forest. With every step I take it sinks and eventually drowns in a puddle of new thoughts. Beautifully colored leaves, insects, people, clouds and what not distract my mind while I wander off.

Unconscious mind

Suddenly I find myself walking passed a bunch of tall pine trees. In the corner of my eyes I notice that one tree is cut, right in the middle, leaving a wide open space. I stop, take a few steps back and give the scene a closer look. I’m now sensing the trees and this particular composition with my belly and my outer bodies. The longing to go stand on top of the stump arises from deep within me. In the split second between me becoming aware of the longing and the moment my being is getting ready to come into action, my unconscious mind kicks in and loudly shouts inside my head: “You are not allowed to go off track!” followed by “What if somebody sees you?!”

"Act as if nobody is watching!"

Uhm…what??

The Trees are calling

That clearly came from the Trees themselves. I quickly decide to go for it before my entire “good-girl-programming” gets the chance to fully launch. Carefully I find my way to the stump. I’m standing tall, feet glued to what once was a giant tree, and I close my eyes.

Space

An immense space is surrounding me, a sky high field of forces. All in the Universe present in that little part of the forest. My heart picks up on a vibrational field built by the trees surrounding me.

Suddenly, footsteps were approaching. I don’t move. I stand tall as a tree, feel every footstep vibrate through the air. Notice how the sound changes as they walk passed me and continue their journey. The difference between the moving ability of that person and the standing quality of the trees becomes apparent. The sensation is massive. Magical. Peaceful. Timeless.

As I soak in every sensation this experience gifts me, more footsteps approach me but I don’t recall more details of them.

I become the tree.

Tree-full-of-love,
Frouke

Dare to follow your intuition, it will never cease to amaze you!

Dare to follow your intuition, it will never cease to amaze you!

Deepen your connection with Nature

We’re all capable of developing our “13th sense” (so to speak) through which we can communicate with Nature all around us. It just takes practice and patience (similar to training a muscle). And sometimes all you need is good company (getting started at the gym seems way more feasible together, right?). If what you read above resonates and makes you curious to experience these kinds of moments yourself, you’re very welcome to book a Shamanic Integration Session. We’ll dive into the forest, we’ll sharpen your intuition, and we’ll make sure you go home with the tools at hand to further practice your 13th sense on your own, or with friends.

More resources

  • more information about the Shamanic work I offer
  • the mesmerizing work of my dear guide and friend Maja Kooistra, a pioneer in bringing together Science and Spirituality, especially about Trees

Life Story Drawing

Life Story Drawing of Helena, an elder woman residing in an elderly home who loved waving at my friend when she passed by while riding her horse.

Our Elders carry true treasures about their personal history, our families, Life in general and our cultural inheritance

Once upon a time…

“I have had a good life, a very good life.” She looks up and smiles at us.

“Make sure to enjoy it, it goes by very fast.”

The last thing we’re curious about is what has been her most beautiful lesson in life. “No. No, I can’t remember,” she says, staring into a lifetime that stretches out over eight decades. 

Our Life Story chat had come to an end. The past 90 minutes this wonderful lady told us with a lot of enthusiasm about the 85 summers she’s lived. About the highlights (the many travels, her one-of-a-kind husband, her children, het favorite music, art) and the difficult parts (loosing her father during the war). But now she’s tired and starting to withdraw from the conversation. The paper is entirely filled with sketches and notes, except for one little corner. I promise her I’ll find something to complete the drawing.

When we arrived and called her out of the canteen, she was over the moon. These guests were coming especially for her! Her eyes were shining bright and her smiles was wide, while we took her somewhere quiet to talk. After providing her with a drink and an ashtray, we were good to go.

We didn’t have too many warm leads to start this conversation as neither of us knew each other. Moreover, this Life Story Drawing hadn’t been ordered by one of her relatives but by a ‘casual passerby’.

“Who is Heidi again?” she asks us.

Well…Heidi is the woman who passes right in front of your window with her pony two mornings a week. And when she does, she waves and you wave back at her. “Oh, yes!” she shouts out loud, “I remember that!”

It’s wonderful how this story of two strangers develops into a warm friendship as Heidi finds out where the lady lives and comes to visit her from time to time. This story could have been a fairy tale but is a true story and it’s getting more beautiful by the minute.

Before setting up our meeting, Heidi checked with her children to get their permission. But neither of them knew very well what it was we were planning on doing. So the surprise when the final A3 drawing was ready was big.

Her children let us know that the absolutely loved seeing their mother’s Life Story on paper. Not only did they liked it visually, they also discovered new elements the knew nothing about up until then. This is normal in most families because we’re not always used to talking about the past, we don’t take the time to sit down and really listen, or memory issues complicate our conversations.

Now, due to this drawing, their conversations were taking new turns. And so did the chats with the nurses in the retirement home where she resides. It gave them the opportunity to occasionally refer back to items from the past that felt familiar to her. 

It was a true honor to co-create this Life Story Drawing. Much gratitude to the family and of course to Heidi, who set this up. It may be clear, I knew exactly what should come in that empty corner: two lovely people, waving at each other, here and now and forever more.

Frouke

“Dare to be Creative. Dare to be you!”

Dare to be Creative. Dare to be you! 

More resources