"We come to painting, to poetry, to the stage hoping to revive the soul . . . when art acts as an agent of transformation  we may correctly speak of it as a gift . . . the work will induce a moment of grace, a communion, a period during which we too know the hidden coherence of our being and feel the fullness of our lives."
                  - Lewis Hyde

The Archetypal Artist, now available on Amazon and Routledge with a special May-June 2022 online series sponsored by Pacifica Graduate Institute.
About Talisman~
​While creators must endure the tension of opposites found at the juncture between soul-making and making a living, they shouldn't have to do so alone. The word "talisman," from the Greek telien, refers not only to a sacred or magical object, but also to "an initiation into the mysteries," a critical exchange of wisdom between fellow practitioners. In this spirit, 
Talisman Creative Mentoring is dedicated to addressing the needs of individual creators at their own unique crossroads. Deepening your connection to the archetypal roots of your calling will enrich your work and imbue your life with renewed meaning. . . and magic!
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Mystery & Magic:
Deepening Your Creative Calling


​What Could Your Creativity Mean to This Moment in Time?

There's something remarkable about artists, and creators of all types - something enigmatic that continues to both fascinate and elude us. 

​At one time the artist (whether poet, painter, dancer, actor, storyteller etc.) was recognized as something of a shaman/magician/mystic, and even a healer.  Like Hermes, the Greek guide of souls, the creator was an intermediary between the mundane and the sacred, between the ordinary and the extraordinary. 

Throughout the centuries, many of these creator-guides have spoken of being guided themselves by forces they couldn't explain. Some have gone so far as to describe being driven by mysterious and autonomous forces - powers that the Greeks called daimons, and the Romans later called geniuses. Today, we generally don't take these experiences seriously, focusing instead on personal willpower and individual effort. But the experience of somehow being guided has not gone away--we know it when we feel it. Once experienced, we long for that powerful connection to something "other," something beyond ourselves, yet a part of us--something eternal and archetypal.

These guiding and shaping forces await our engagement. Sincere creators, whether full-timers, or part-timers (who must steal precious hours from other duties in order to answer their calling) have always been capable of creating works that both reveal and transform. They are our modern-day magicians and mystics. Creators are essential to our humanity, yet they are also often misunderstood and under appreciated.

"Art is not a luxury for any advanced civilization, it is a necessity. . . . A society that forgets art risks losing its soul." -Camille Paglia

This six-week series starts May 7, 2022! Visit The Retreat Center at Pacifica for more information.