APPENDIX: TRAIL MIX

FORMING A SACRED CIRCLE

When I was a little kid, one of my favorite heroes was
Johnny Appleseed. I loved the idea of a vagrant wanderer
traveling America, apple blossoms in his wake. It is my
hope that this book will also create blossoming, that artists
and circles of artists will spring into being. Trusting this to
be the case, the following essay is intended for use in
establishing your own artists’ circle. It is my experience as a
teacher that an atmosphere of safety and trust is critical to
creative growth. I have found these guidelines to be helpful
in establishing that atmosphere.

The Sacred Circle

Art is an act of the soul, not the intellect. When we are
dealing with people’s dreams—their visions, really—we are
in the realm of the sacred. We are involved with forces and
energies larger than our own. We are engaged in a sacred
transaction of which we know only a little: the shadow, not
the shape.