hi alchemists🪄🖤 i’ve been a little quiet this past week… i took a trip to the dominican republic to be with family, to rest, and to reconnect with a part of me that always feels like home. it’s a strange, beautiful feeling… being in a place you didn’t fully grow up in, a place that isn’t entirely familiar, yet something in your body just knows. like your soul recognizes it before your mind can make sense of it. like your roots are speaking to you in a language you don’t fully understand, but deeply feel. being here reminded me that home isn’t always about where you were raised… sometimes it’s about where your spirit softens, where something ancient in you exhales. there were moments where i’d just pause and take it all in, thinking… my ancestors once danced here. and now i’m here. it also made me realize how important it is to be fully present in those spaces. to not rush through them. to really feel them. because we don’t always know when we’ll be back… or if we ever will. coming back, i feel softer… more grounded… and really grateful. i wanted to check in with you all, not just to share where i’ve been, but to open up a moment for you, too. have you ever felt a connection to a place you couldn’t fully explain? where in your life are you being asked to slow down?

the most consistent artists i know don't wait for inspiration to strike, they create the conditions for it. that's what a creative routine does. it's not about being rigid or disciplined in a harsh way, it's about signaling to yourself: "it's safe to create now." for me, one of the first things i have to do before i create is write. not a song or lyrics, just whatever is on my mind. a brain dump. a stream of consciousness. because as a musician and songwriter, i can't access what i really want to say if my mind is cluttered with everything else. and oddly, sometimes i get inspiration from something i wrote. writing clears the space for me, like emptying a full cup before you can pour something new in. and once that's done, the creative channel opens up. i think every artist should have or does have something like this- a ritual, a habit, a "thing" they have to do before they can really create. even if it seems silly or superstitious. maybe it's making a specific playlist. or lighting a candle. or going for a walk first. or maybe it's making tea and sitting in silence for five minutes. whatever it is, it matters. because creativity isn't just a mental act, it's a full body, full soul experience. and sometimes we need a little signaling to get there. what's your creative routine? what's something you have to do before you can really create, even if it seems weird or small? or if you don't have one yet, what would you like to start doing? drop it below. i want to know!🪄

✨ welcome, alchemists ✨ i want to take a moment to welcome a couple of our newer souls in art & alchemy…who have also been showing up so consistently in this space- @Michael Edwards and @Melvinia Ford🎨🌀 the way you’ve been sharing, engaging, and being open here hasn’t gone unnoticed. it really adds to the energy of this community. this space is all about art, curiosity, transformation, and spirituality…and you both embody that so naturally. it means a lot to have you here, truly🤍 i’d love to open this up a little, ✨ what kind of art have you been feeling called to explore lately? ✨ what has your current season of life been teaching you? everyone feel free to share too👀 this space grows through all of us

it's here. it's FINALLY here! i am so excited to officially announce that art & alchemy's FIRST COURSE is now live in our community! 🪄🎨THE ARTIST WITHIN🎨🪄 this course is for you if: - you've lost touch with your creativity and don't know how to get it back - you have ideas, gifts, and things to express but keep getting in your own way - your inner critic is louder than your creative voice - you're a sensitive creative who's been waiting for permission to fully express yourself - you're ready to do the real inner work behind the art i poured so much time, intention, and love into every word, every module, and every homework assignment. i wanted to create something real. something deep. something that meets you where you are and helps you remember who you've always been as an artist. each module has a lesson and a creative homework assignment. you'll be making collages, writing stories, recording videos, creating rituals, and sharing your work right here in this community. and i'll be right here doing it with you. you'll see my posts alongside yours. i also want your honest feedback as you go through each module. what resonated? what didn't? what do you wish there was more of? your feedback helps me make this better for everyone who comes after you. this course is completely free! it always will be. because i believe this work should be accessible to every sensitive creative who needs it. so start when you're ready. go at your own pace. do the assignments. share your work. show up for yourself. uplift others. head to the classroom tab and click: the artist within 🦋 i cannot wait to see what you create, discover, and become. let's do this together. 🌙 with so much love and excitement, shaki 🦋

we are having a human experience our souls ultimately chose. each of us carries unique karmic lessons meant to be learned and integrated. truthfully, we may never fully know what these lessons are, or how close we are to learning them, at least while we’re here in physical form. lately, i’ve been sitting with a strangely comforting realization: if our souls chose this human journey, maybe there is purpose in pain. maybe it’s not meant to be pushed away or shamed, but fully felt and honored. i’ve heard that earth is the most difficult place for a soul to incarnate. the challenges here offer the greatest potential for growth, because this dimension holds the hardest lessons. knowing this, our pain, suffering, grief, confusion, loss, and hopelessness all make a different kind of sense. if we never felt hate, how could we truly know love? how would we understand light without first meeting the dark? i’ll leave you with this question- answer here, or simply reflect on it in your own time: if you could ask your soul one question about your journey, what would it be?