Ephemeral mask-making as a meditation on Shadow and Light

Join us for a 2.5-hour immersive workshop to slow down, breathe deep, and explore the beauty and wisdom that blooms at the very edges of our beings.

As Spring transforms into Summer, our world spins ever faster with uncertainty and Shadows. Each new wave of news and technological advances raises questions that shake the very core of our identities as human beings. How do we hold ourselves and each other through the chaos, pain, and paradox of it all? 

In this workshop, we will introduce the concept of the Jungian Shadow through a grounded, animist lens - not as something broken, but as a subterranean archive of potentiality, insight, and nourishment. 

Through guided prompts, quiet reflection, and tender connection with the land, you will be invited on a journey to discover the wisdom and vitality buried within the secret reaches of your own inner landscape.

Using fresh flowers, foraged treasures, and other natural elements you will create a botanical face mask - an ephemeral expression of that which dances just out of reach, ready to bloom forth into the the Light of Summer. Each mask will be captured as a photographic portrait to anchor your transformation.

We will close with a community ritual of witnessing, cleansing, and integration followed by optional self-guided time for further reflection. 

Our journey will unfold at the Verdancy Project -  an artist oasis of 4 wooded acres just outside of Portland, Oregon. The Verdancy Project is rich with both wilderness and carefully tended gardens, hidden coves, a bubbling creek, and living art installations. 

No prior art or movement experience necessary to attend. All materials provided.
Our aim is to make this work as accessible as possible to all who wish to be a part of it. If you are called to join us, but pricing is prohibitive for any reason, please to inquire about work-study or scholarship accommodations.

THIS WORKSHOP IS FOR YOU IF YOU ARE

• Craving to slow down, ground, and remember the wonder of everyday things
• Curious to gently and playfully dive into the Shadow Archetype
• Excited to learn new approaches to mask-making and personal adornment
• Drawn to the magic of working with plants, flowers, and other natural materials
• Searching for an intentional container in which your body and your breath can unwind in community with others

WHAT YOU WILL RECEIVE:

• A conceptual framework for understanding and relating to the Shadow archetype
• An introduction to local plants and ethical foraging practices
• Everything you need to create your very own botanical Shadow Mask 
• A photographic portrait capturing your ephemeral Shadow Mask creation
• Tools and rituals to integrate and anchor insights that emerge from your explorations
• A facilitated space to ask questions, dialogue, create, and play in community with others
• And much, much more

WHAT TO BRING

• Journal and writing/drawing utensils
• Something you can move in comfortably (we recommend layers for both cool and warm weather)
• Sturdy comfortable shoes suitable for wooded/uneven terrain
• Water bottle
• Your favorite facial cleanser and moisturizer (if you have one)
• A small clean towel
• Anything else you may need to comfortably spend 3-4 hours outdoors (sunscreen, snacks, etc)

Please note that The Verdancy Project is an outdoor, nature-based environment with uneven terrain and is not currently mobility accessible. We hope to welcome everyone and encourage you to reach out with questions before registering.
ABOUT SHADOW TENDER:

Shadow Tender is a creative project and a school of thought that invites you to dance with your demons through mask-making and creative expression. Unlike a traditional therapeutic or coaching environment, which encourages verbal exchange, the focus of Shadow Tender workshops is on creative play, embodied self-expression, and discovery.

Borne of many years of formal study, underground art experiments, old-growth wilderness, illness, healing, loss, grief, and joy, Shadow Tender is our path towards bone-deep knowledge that there are always ways to heal and remember, and that our inner monsters can hold the keys to our brightest light.

We believe that shadow work is a living process, a wild process, a dance - an unfolding of the self that has power to repair the very foundations of our beings. We believe that shadow work is a physical, social, creative act - stitch by stitch, gesture by gesture, story by story…embodied poetry carving a path to deeper connection through and beyond the self.

The Deep Bloom Workshop is part of our special 10-year anniversary programming designed to celebrate a decade of shadow tending, creativity, and collaboration.

In a world that continually seeks to lead us further and further away from ourselves and each other, it is our greatest honor to continue to share this work with you. 

You can read more about the story of Shadow Tender . Learn about your instructors .

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Host or Publisher The Verdancy Project