Creative Metamorphosis July 21 - August 18, 2024
Grow your creative project and Monarch butterflies in community. Join us for a 5-week accountability group in service to pollinators and creative spirits during an astrologically potent window this summer.
What
* A Monarch raised for you or by you
* You choose a creative project to work on that others get to witness
* Weeks 1 - 4 we keep in touch as a group via Whats App and week 5 is an in-person gathering and a group butterfly release
Who
All projects/people belong.
Fun fact, a group of butterflies is called a kaleidoscope.
My experience raising monarchs: I grow milkweed in my home garden and have a summer practice of looking for eggs under the leaves and feeding the caterpillars that I bring into my home to raise. I will share best practices that I was taught through a course with Schlitz Audubon Nature Center in 2018 - I have been raising them since then. I love sharing what I have learned in an effort to raise healthy Monarchs.
“From my perspective, healing is essentially a creative process, we create a new state of health. ”
Why
Monarchs are an endangered species and need our help because of damage we have caused to the environment. Habitat loss, climate, pesticides, natural enemies and more, contribute to an alarming stat that only 2-10% of monarch caterpillars survive in the wild. Odds increase to 95% when raised with best practices.
I have been an artist that primarily makes things for others and am working on prioritizing my own artistic explorations. I need community and accountability to accomplish this for myself and I bet I’m not alone in that need.
When I release the butterflies after raising them and when I make art in tandem, I feel connected to something indescribably powerful, restorative and sacred and hope to share that experience with you.
How
The cost to participate is $20. We all start with a caterpillar egg at the same time. I will share how to find one. If I raise one entirely for you it is an additional $5.
* It is summer. Let’s connect when it works for us each week via a group Whats App message. Ex: Share a photo, video, voice memo of your creative work and your caterpillar. We cheer each other on and share our experience with/receive feedback on our creative work.
We will agree to shared boundaries for our group thread to foster an enjoyable experience.
Each week I will introduce a theme in the group chat and we will creatively flow from there.
Week 1 Theme: Egg
Week 2 Theme: Instars
Week 3 Theme: Shedding Skins
Week 4 Theme: Chrysalis
Week 5 Theme: Emerge/Release in person/in nature gathering with our Monarchs at a special site within 2 hours of Milwaukee. I’m making a temporary enclosed altar space for us to picnic with our butterflies - because it will be epic - and we all deserve epic experiences.
The date/time of the in person event will be determined by the dates the monarchs emerge and people’s availability. Alternatively, if you’re out of town, you can always synchronize with us for a release at the same time as our local group.
Hope to see you this summer!