Judith Shaw, painter and writer

For as long as I can remember I have loved the natural world. I grew up in a time when kids ran wild through neatly trimmed suburban yards. I remember vividly my longing to lie down in the gently swaying grasses of City Park and merge with Earth. My love of Earth was expressed in a wide variety of creative expressions - from tumbling and dancing, to playing music, to painting and drawing, to acting…I was a river flowing with it all.

I settled on painting as my main form of creativity as a young adult.  I have always been interested in myth, culture and mysticism. My work, inspired by nature, myth and legend, and ancient wisdom traditions, combines whimsy and the esoteric.

For years, I was a closet writer, but in 2012, I stepped into the light, publishing monthly retellings of a goddess’s story alongside my artwork for the Celtic Goddess Oracle deck. After the five years it took to complete the Celtic Goddess deck, my approach to painting was changed. Now painting and writing are deeply intertwined.

I believe that creativity is a powerful tool for self-discovery and understanding the world around us. Living the life of a creative person, though often challenging, is extremely rewarding. As I have found such great joy through my work as an artist, I also offer tips and projects to help you establish or re-ignite your own creative practice and discover the Joy of Creativity.