Firstly, this is the first time I have publicly shared a reading with you all. Whatever your belief system, if you do decide to continue to read, I want you to do so with an open heart and mind. For those that have had a commissioned Guide Drawing done for them before you will know there is part channeling, part symbology and part intuitive as I am gently guided when I start to write or paint. This is how it works for me.
This painting may mean different things to different people, and that is totally okay. I am an interpreter of my own work and how she resonates with you will be your truth. Feel free to screen shot her and take her into your home. Meditate with what this painting means to you and just allow the images to reveal themselves. I have had several requests for Guide work however I am not offering personal Guide Drawings at the moment as I am choosing to protect my own energy. However, if a little way down the track I feel guided to open up my books again I will be sure to post it on my Social. As always take care and #stayathome.
Namaste
Michelle
As I began writing this reading I was reminded of the song ‘He has the whole world in his hands.’ This song is a reminder that God (The Divine, Universal Energy or however you choose to identify with Source) is in control of all aspects of creation and we should take comfort in this knowledge. From the birds in the air and the fish in the sea to “little bitsy babies”, everything is in Gods hands.
This beautiful Guide introduced herself to me as Marla. When I looked up the meaning of the name Marla it is a variant of the name Marlene, which comes from Mary Magdalene, the biblical woman to whom Jesus Christ first appeared after his resurrection. This may mean something or nothing, but I believe a name holds weight especially when a Guide shares this with me, as they do not always reveal this detail. Interpret this as you will.
For those that know about power animals, Hummingbird symbology represents one of joy, love, healing, happiness and timelessness. ‘Hummingbird also possesses an unusual hovering pattern, and is able to move its wings in a figure of eight pattern, a symbol for infinity., This holds a message for us – often we find ourselves stuck in time, regretting or longing for the past, or hoping that the future will bring better things, building castles in the sky. We are shown how to view the past and then let go, rather than be continuously caught up in it, we learn how to appreciate that the past creates our future, and that even at the time some lessons were harsh and hurtful ones, we wouldn’t be who we are without these lessons today. We need the past to create the future, but mustn’t dwell in it, yet we may reflect on it bur not in a bitter cant-let-go manner. If we become the observer of our lives by moving back a step, our lives will be viewed differently. Hummingbird teaches us to go beyond time and to see that what happened in the past and what may happen in the future is not nearly as important as what is occurring now. Remember to hover in the moment, and to appreciate its sweetness. Drink deeply of the nectar of life. The vibrating hum of this birds wings and their lightness seem to symbolise the subtle energetic healing which essences can provide. Their physical lightness is a powerful reminder for us to lighten up. When weighed down with worries, our spirits cannot soar.’ – Inna Woolcott
Your prayers are heard sweet children of planet Earth. You have not been forgotten. Trust me when I say that a solution will come but not in the way you expect. Allow this time to plant seeds for what is to come, for this is the change that was always going to happen. If you want to see a different world then you are going to have to create this together. Some will soon forget the difficulties in which you are all facing, and others will find it difficult to move forward with the weight of their grief and sorrow. Hold fast awakened ones, as you are the anchors that will allow the space for the new world to enter. Grieve not for the souls that are ascending for they are simply coming home. You are surrounded by pure unconditional love. There is no right or wrong, it ‘just is’. Can you feel the energy building? It is sending out impulses that are reaching galaxies far beyond yours. We hear the call and we are coming. You do not have to do this alone, so with unseen hands we are holding space for you while you transition. Much like a Mother will watch tenderly knowing her babe will fall, but also waiting to see them stand up on their own. There are times when we need to step back to allow you to grow, this is that time. Remember, remember dear ones. Remember where you come from and why you are here at this very moment in time. You chose to help with the evolution of this planet. Return back to love and you will remember. You will remember.
If you follow my website and Facebook Page you may have noticed some gradual transitions over the last twelve months. These changes have occurred as my higher self has been calling and I have been listening. Slowly implementing changes and moving back into studying as I have had a yearning to fully integrate all that I know I am.
The term Visionary Artist was an identity someone else tagged me and at the time I accepted it. If you are told the same thing over and over for many years, no matter what it is, at some level of consciousness you are going to question yourself and perhaps even start to believe it.
Calling myself a Visionary Artist never felt quite right. There is no doubt I am an intuitive Artist, but I am also lots and of other things. Having this label was like locking myself in a room. The same script repeating in my head that I had to find that one thing I was good at and to excel at it.I have learned so many skills and I will be forever grateful for the lessons and the teachers in my life. Without them I would not be who I am today. My mentor at the beginning of my awakening and art career was constantly telling me to focus. Be the bee, stop getting distracted by other things and concentrate on what I was good at. Go deeper within myself, heal, build a structure, an identity and create. It made a lot of sense at the time because when you are on the start of a spiritual awakening and truly searching for who you are, you are often open to suggestion and seeking trusted mentors that are knowledgeable and wise. Learning to work with and see the teacher for who they are, at some stage may also become the lesson. If your mentor has a God complex (believe me there is plenty of them out there) or is not evolving with you it’s likely the student at some point in time will surpass the teacher.It is us who must learn and awaken to the knowledge when it is time to thank them and move on.
When you are in the right flow with Spirit then opportunities will open up. Synchronicity just happens, the right people and situations come across your path so you can achieve your visions and be rewarded with the abundance you so deserve. It’s like driving to a new destination. You still control the vehicle, but you make all the right turns and get a lot of green lights along the way. Its Spirits way of letting you know that when you are aligned to your true pathway even the Stop signs are opportunities for you level up energetically so your light shines brighter, and your purpose becomes clearer.I thought I was in the flow and I would occasionally see small glimpses of the possibilities awaiting me, but they were short lived and never seemed to build momentum. It has pretty much been uphill all the way and I seemed to be getting a lot of red lights!At times it made me question who I am and at what point do I say the path of the Visionary Artist is clearly not the direction that Spirit wants me to take. That time is now.
Stepping back from my Artist identity last year and getting really honest with myself I discovered something.The Stop signs have been necessary for me to understand that life is happening for me, not to me. That everything that I have been through has given me a collection of experiences and such a deep level of understanding that there is absolutely no uncertainly in my heart of who I am and what I came here to do. Hence the change of my business logo and what I identify with in my current reality.In order to become all that we were born to be we must be prepared to evolve and lose the tags that others put on us as well as those we put on ourselves. Know that we should not be the same person we were last year, last month, last week. From the wise words of Muhammad Ali – “The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.”
Most of us make life so complicated, like a pressure cooker of expectations all thrown together in a massive soup of exhaustion and stress. Then all of a sudden, your body screams STOP and you have no choice because the Universe does it for you.
If you have ever been through a cancer journey, then you would understand the weight of getting through another year.I rarely announce it anymore, because those that don’t understand may look at the celebration as an opportunity of glorifying my own self-importance.Lots of people get through cancer right? Just get over it already.Quoting Kerwin Rae ‘ Your problems don’t make you special because everyone’s got them.’ *BTW actually a really good article. The problem is, this is not like a cold or flu.You don’t just get over cancer and get on with life like it never happened.
The fall out from my surgery has been huge, more than anyone around me can appreciate let alone understand.Not only did I discover that I carry a genetic predisposition for gastrointestinal cancers, I have gone ahead and had preventative surgery to eliminate some of them.Do you know how many organs the human body can live without? I certainly do because I’m missing quite a few of them.
I never thought that becoming a Light-worker would be quite so literal.I joke about being a pure chancel of light and that the only thing they cannot surgically remove is my sense of humor.I even like to tell people if I was abducted by aliens they would transport me back thinking they’d accidentally picked up one of their own!
So lets fast forward to 2018. This was the first year in 7 years (colonoscopy/endoscopy excluded) that I did not have to go under any major anesthetics.I managed to keep all my organs and only lost a few nasty polyps, good riddance to those.Then in November I started to develop tinnitus. A constant ringing in my ears that would drive anyone crazy.One night I went to bed and the ON switch in my brain got stuck.
If there is one thing that my cancer and gastrectomy taught me it was to be my own advocate.To be aware that there are many options out there to try and to never give up if one thing doesn’t work.Even when the experts in the field tell you ‘There is nothing further we can do, go home and learn to live with it.’ I consider myself a walking miracle so if I can find my way through to a solution then I will do everything I can to find it.I have become a seeker.
Not all questions can be answered with Western medical solutions and other times we have to wait for technology to catch up.In the meantime, it is important to find new ways of being.If this new condition has taught me anything it is that I really need to look after myself more.Its like a forced holiday but with self-care. I now sleep with BOSS Sleep buds.An expensive but necessary part of keeping my sanity.I have been meditating, soaking my feet in epson salts, fine tuning my supplements and giving myself time to ground my feet in the Earth and sit in nature.
Being your own best advocate also means being pro-active.Go to the doctor, have all the required tests.Anxiety and PTSD in cancer patients can take an enormous toll on your mental health and well-being.To many sleepless nights and I know I am unable to function as a human being. Seek help where you need it but do not look to others for the answers.Sometimes its about listening to your own inner voice and following your intuition.
Remembering each experience, good or bad is just an experience.If you can learn what works for you then you can share your findings with others.Sometimes just having one person who understands you can make all the difference in the world.
I do not understand why this is happening to me now, but I can tell you it is making me step out of my comfort zone and forcing me to seek out new and different things.It is hard work, annoying, frustrating and uncomfortable because I like routine, organization and knowing what tomorrow is going to bring.I’m not going to lie, when this first started it completely sucked the sparkle out of me and I just managed to grab hold before I went into an uncontrolled tail spin of depression.
I have to remind myself that every time I am forced to jump in feet first I learn something incredibly new about myself.As Gabby Bernstein suggests there are many moments where obstacles are opportunities to see things differently and I choose to see this as a detour in the right direction.
Every time someone unsubscribes from my mailing list my heart dies just a little. When Mail Chimp sends me my stats and someone has hit that unsubscribe button (and I see you, name and all) my inner child silently says goodbye, grabs a box of tissues and has a quiet cry in the corner.
You see, I’m lucky if I send about four newsletters a year so it’s not like one of those annoying promos that you sign up to and then your inbox gets a constant stream of unwanted notifications. And yes I have my days where seeking a more permanent source of income would be far easier on my bank account than trying to make myself stand out in a sea of other artists. Social media seems to be a big black hole of never ending self promotion and finding the next ‘best way’ to be seen. I find it all absolutely exhausting and days like today I just want to throw my hands up in the air and open up the SEEK app.
I’ll be the first to tell you I undercharge, much to my own detriment. ‘Why?’ To get business, hell I even do stuff for free to get my name out there. The last mural that spanned across four full days…….yep zip, zero, zilch. Who works for free these days, practically nobody. It frustrates me when I see people pay a lot more for what I would consider very mediocre work. Meanwhile the bills keep piling up on the fridge and my husband is working his fingers to the very bone so we can keep our heads above the water. I feel an enormous amount of guilt not being able to contribute anything substantial to the family income. So I concentrate on expanding my knowledge, stretching my skills and I work on improving my craft every single day. Every single day.
Don’t get me wrong I absolutely love what I do and the expectations I put on myself are enormous. There is always a hope that perhaps that next painting, that next Facebook post, that next Instagram picture is going to be my big break. It’s completely exhausting and some days (like today) soul destroying. Yes sure, I have some small wins but it feels a bit like body surfing. You think you’re about to catch the perfect wave but the water recedes just before the wave has its chance to break. It’s like the Universe gives you a glimpse of all the possibilities but never enough traction to make the difference.
So just for today I’ll give myself a bit of self care and tomorrow I’ll put my big girl panties on and start again.
……… and if you want to hear from me feel free to join my mailing list!
I was reminded last week that when we fear success we actually block it from happening. This can happen with so many things that our hearts desire. Loosing weight, a loving relationship, a fantastic career.
We find subtle ways (and not so subtle ways) to self sabotage so we don’t reach that success. Why? Personally, I feel its because we don’t like to embrace change. Perhaps we think we do, but when we get down to the nuts and bolts most of us like living in our familiar comfortable discomfort. Maybe loosing weight will make you feel and look more attractive. This might make you unconsciously uncomfortable. In your mind you don’t know how you are going to deal with accepting compliments or maybe you are afraid of attracting the wrong attention. So a cycle begins. A committed week of 3 gym sessions and monitoring every morsel ends with a big piece of cake and a large glass of wine. You deserved it right? We can justify this sabotage because we look at it as a reward.
My fear of success stems from the feeling that I actually don’t deserve it. This has been reinforced throughout my life by others who have taken it upon themselves to put me down (probably just stemming from their own insecurities). From my younger years as a ballet dancer, to my short drama career, a massage therapist to finally finding my creative outlet through art. It gets embedded into your psyche even though as an adult I logically see things for what they are.
How many of you have positive affirmations that you look at daily? How many self help books have you read (or have sitting on your bedside table collecting dust.) How many courses have you done and yet you are still the perpetual student. Until you step out of fear and actually start to implement everything into your life they are just words not worth the paper they are written on. This in itself makes me want to take the horse by the reins.
I have come to realize that if I don’t step through my fear and just let go of controlling the outcome then how can I possibly inspire other people? By simply blogging about this it might light the spark in someone else. What if I had decided to just keep all this in my head this morning and go on with my day?
Being a creative, emotional critter I wear my heart on my sleeve. A nasty comment can have me retreating back into my shell quicker than a tortoise being poked with a stick. My reality is I have had an extremely hard life. If every sin carries its own punishment then I have worked through life times of karma this time around. This has made me a sensitive soul, and I have to be very vigilant in protecting my sovereign space. Stepping out onto the stage leaves me open and vulnerable to the opinions and judgment of others. My adult self is very encouraging and fully supportive, my inner child however is teetering around the edges of the pool (and has been for a while).
If I jump in what is life going to look like on the other side of success? I’m not really sure yet but I’m about to leap in and see. 3, 2, 1 JUMP !
Welcome to my website. My name is Michelle Potter and I am an Australian Artist based in Melbourne, Victoria.
I am a keen student of life and a self confessed butterfly, however there is nothing more grounding than lived experience!
There are so many avenues for creativity and healing and I feel grateful that my life has presented opportunities to explore what works for me, and in turn pass this onto those who want to create positive life changes.
I believe there is no greater moment than when you stand in your creative power.
