Today is World Mental Health Day; the clocks are going back this weekend, which means shorter days, and even less sunlight! The short days and grey weather can have an adverse effect on the mental health of people of colour, because the pigment in our skin (known as MELANIN) needs the UV rays of the sun to function properly. When we don’t get enough sunlight we can lack energy, feel lethargic, unmotivated, and suffer from a form of depression known as SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), which is caused by a lack of natural sunlight.
We NEED the sun!
Symptoms of SAD can include:
A persistent low mood
Loss of interest or pleasure in normal everyday activities
Irritability
Feelings of despair, guilt and worthlessness
Feeling lethargic (lacking in energy) and sleepy during the day
Going to bed much earlier than normal yet finding it hard to get up in the morning
Comfort eating and gaining weight
The main treatments offered by the NHS are:
Getting as much natural sunlight as possible, exercising regularly and managing your stress levels
Light Therapy – where a special lamp called a light box is used to simulate exposure to sunlight
talking therapies, such cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) or counselling
antidepressant medication such as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
Colour Therapy Can Help!
Many of us are mis-diagnosed and prescribed SSRIs (antidepressants), when what we really need is a good dose of sun! I healed myself from SAD using COLOUR THERAPY, which isn’t even mentioned on the NHS website!
In the winter of 2009 I intuitively painted some bright, colourful paintings, and after putting them up around the house, I noticed I wasn’t getting my usual symptoms of wanting to stay in bed with the covers over my head, and not wanting to look outside at the grey sky and buildings, and generally feeling ‘under the weather’. The symptoms vanished! You can download my Art and save them to your phone or print them and put them up so you can benefit from the Colour Therapy in them too!
Come Top Up Your Melanin in the Gambia!
I’m now setting up a Retreat Home in the Gambia where I’ll be spending my winters, and you can join me there for The Self Love Retreat, an affordable holiday where you can enjoy Self nurturing workshops, cultural day trips, and a Pamper Day at the luxurious Coco Ocean Hotel and Spa!
This holiday will give you the opportunity to top up your melanin to see you through the rest of the winter, and to reconnect with your Motherland. I’ll be teaching Colour Therapy as one of the workshops, and you’ll return home with something you’ve created that you can refer to whenever you need a pick-me-up, click on the flyer above ☝🏾for details!
Heal Yourself in More Ways than One as You Read…
Order your LIMITED EDITION signed paperback of my Self-help novel Journey of a Sister, which features 9 of my paintings in colour, so you can curl up in bed and benefit from the Colour Therapy in them while you read! Pay just £14.99 which includes FREE shipping worldwide! Click here to pay using PayPal
Click on the flyer above to read Year One FREE! If you’re in the UK and you’re free this Sunday, join me for my last event before I return to the Gambia!
“Learning to re-connect with and nurture our inner child is one of the best gifts we can give ourselves in adulthood” ~ Cezanne
Join me in the Gambia for 7 days of nurturing your Inner Child!
‘All children are artists, the problem is how to remain one when we grow up’ ~ Pablo Picasso
We were all naturally creative as children, but somewhere between childhood and adulthood some of us ‘lose it’.
Is your inner child crying out to be heard?
I was a blocked writer and artist for over 15 years; on this Retreat, I’ll take you through the same processes I went through to unblock, based on the book I credit with helping me to unblock, ‘The Artist’s Way’ by Julia Cameron. The workshops are playful, nurturing, and designed to coax your inner child from out of the dark recesses of your mind, so that you can reconnect with your natural creativity. You will return home with something you created, and the tools to keep your creative juices flowing!
All materials will be provided, and I will always be on hand to guide you through this process.
I will also be teaching the benefits of Colour Therapy more indepth (I do an introductory workshop on The Self Love Retreat). I healed myself from Seasonal Affective Disorder (a form of depression caused by lack of natural sunlight) with the colours in my paintings. You will return home with something you’ve created using colours that will help you on your own Self-healing journey!
Leading up to the Retreat, I’ll give you two easy exercises that will help prepare you; your Morning Pages, and your weekly ‘Artist’s Dates‘. These will help you begin the process of nurturing your inner child! They are based on the book that helped me to unblock, ‘The Artist’s Way’ by Julia Cameron.
The ‘Nurture Your Inner Child‘ Retreat will held at my newly built 6 bed Retreat Home in Gunjur, which is 10 mins walk to the beach.
The total cost of the ‘Nurture Your Inner Child’ Retreat is only £599 per person (based on two sharing) which includes:
Airport transfers
Accommodation
Breakfast & Dinner
5 Self nurturing workshops
All materials, including paints/brushes
Artist’s Date to feed your inner child IMAGES!
(N.B. Flights must be booked separately). There are only 8 PLACES (max) available to ensure you receive individual attention, book early to avoid disappointment!
Download the >> Booking Form <<, complete it and return to me by email asap
Secure your place with a £100 deposit and flexible monthly payments thereafter
If you have any queries, fill in the Contact Form:
*Full payment must be made a month prior to travel*
This is a mixed holiday (men and women), you can also join me on The Self Love Retreator the“Let’s Build a Village” Retreat (if you like the idea of living in the Motherland in a village commUNITY)
After a 4 week delay, the paperbacks of my Self-help novel ‘Journey of a Sister‘ have finally arrived!
They’re now unpacked and ready to get to YOU! The printers sent me 100 extra copies for the delay, so I’ve decided to pass it forward!
Kwanzaa Offer: Get two books for the price of one!
Kwanzaa is all about sharing the first-fruits of your harvest, so I’m giving away 100 free copies of the book! Start the journey by previewing Year One FREE!
Buy one for your Self, and get a FREE one for a friend for just £9.99 (+ £4.99 p&p) – they make great gifts!
If you read the First Edition (titled ‘Single, Spiritual…AND Sexual!’), you can now read what happened after the way it ended, in The Sequel! (only in the paperback). Also, the Second Edition includes my artwork in full colour, so you can benefit from the COLOUR THERAPY in them while you read!
If you are on a journey of Self-discovery, this book is for YOU! (That goes for men too!)
After writing the First Edition I discovered the root meaning of the word ‘fornication’. When I was growing up in church, we were led to believe that fornication meant ‘sex before marriage’. Read what it really means in Year One FREE! (← click on the link to open PDF)
Alternatively, pick up your books at these Kwanzaa Events!
Read my blog post which explains what Kwanzaa is, and join us at two Kwanzaa events on the 26th and 30th December, where you’ll be able to get the same offer (Buy One Get One FREE), and framed or laminated prints of my art! For addresses visit my Events Page!
Download my Self-help book ‘How to Get the Ring On Your Finger‘ (with contributions from over 30 brothers) from Amazon!TODAY (Sunday) and TOMORROW FREE!
Today I’m doing a Presentation at the Launch of Kings & Queens United on ‘Re-creating Our Bond’, based on ‘How to Get the Ring On Your Finger‘:
I’ll also be performing my poem ‘R U The One?’ for the first time in a couple of years! This is a Dinner & Discussion type of event; the King/Queen theme features a lot in my books, poetry and art, so I was happy to accept the job of being Keynote Speaker! I will explain what it means to truly become a King or a Queen, and what we can do to re-build our Empire – our relationship! It’s not too late toBook your ticket, which includes a Caribbean meal! The event starts at 4pm @ Xquisite Caribbean Bar & Restaurant, 7a Station Road, Tulse Hill SE27 9BW (right next to the station on the left)
Next Sunday: SAD Workshop @ Brixton Library Sunday 18th December 2-4pm
I’m getting all excited; what I’ve been doing in the dark is finally coming to light!
The Revised Editions for both my Self-help books have gone to print, and I’m expecting 1,000 copies of each! It’s been a labour of love, patience and focus, to bring you these Revised Editions! (I’ll be explaining why I felt the need to revise them on the day).
On Sunday, we’re going to be discussing ‘How to Get the Ring On Your Finger‘ – some of the brothers who contributed to it will be on the Panel to answer your questions – get the FREE download so you can come and join in the discussion!
Watch a clip from the Book Launch of the First Edition to get an idea of what to expect:
BOOK Your Seat!
Visit Eventbrite to book your FREE ticket, or pre-order your book to guarantee your seat! (please only reserve a free ticket if you know you’ll be able to attend). Pre-ordering your book in advance means you won’t have to queue up to get it signed on the day!
If you bought the First Edition of my Self-help Novel, bring it with you to get the Second Edition for only £5! You can keep the first one as well 🙂
RAFFLE and Art Print Sale!
You’ll also be able to WIN Framed and Laminated Prints of my art in the Raffle, and I’ll also be selling them on the day! (They all feature in my novel).
Get a FREE copy of ‘Journey of a Sister‘ when you join my 30 Day Online Course!
(You can pay for books and the Online Course by Paypal, credit or debit cards.)
I look forward to seeing you there!
HOW TO GET THERE:
The Marcus Garvey Library is less than a 10 minute walk from Seven Sisters station, or you can get the 149, 279, 259, or 349 two stops. If you are coming on the underground, turn left when you come through the ticket barriers, and go up the stairs past the sweet shop. When you get off the bus (two stops), stay on the same side and take the path towards the Bernie Grant Arts Centre, you’ll find Tottenham Green Leisure Centre behind it (take the path to your right).
This is the last FREE download in the e-book series, get it NOW! (free until TOMORROW 20th Oct).
If you missed Years One to Nine, download this free e-book, then start from Year One FREE! (just click on the link to open PDF)
If you’re an AMAZON PRIME Member you can borrow the whole e-book series from their library FREE!
In the First Edition (previously titled ‘Single, Spiritual…AND Sexual!‘ it ended at Year 11, when they were celebrating their first year of wedded bliss, and expecting the imminent birth of their first child together. Then through a twist of fate, Suzanne learns the true meaning of the word ‘Love’. The Revised Edition includes TWO NEW CHAPTERS (Years 12 & 13) which are exclusively in the PAPERBACK! If you’ve enjoyed reading the FREE e-book series, order your personally signed paperback for just £9.99 + £2.99 p&p!
Join me on Sunday 6th November for the launch of my revised Self-help novel ‘Journey of a Sister‘ and its sister-book ‘How to Get the Ring On Your Finger‘! A few of the brothers who contributed to the latter book will be on the panel to take any questions, so come and join in the discussion! You’ll receive full details when you purchase your paperback in advance. (If you’re attending the book launch I’ll refund your p&p or you can use it against any of my other products)
LIMITED SEATING AVAILABLE
Order your book early to secure your seat! (only those who have pre-ordered their books will be guaranteed a place).
Hope to see you there!
For details of Events I’m taking part in, including Ava ‘Eagle’ Brown’s Phenomenal Book Tour this SATURDAY and the Natural November National Tour covering London, Birmingham and Manchester next month, visit my Events page!
Follow Your Heart!
Visual & Spoken Word Artist|Author|Blogger|Events Host|Black Love Promoter
In Year Three of my Self-help novel ‘Journey of a Sister’, she learns how to meditate in order to control her negative thinking patterns, and learns that all thoughts are either rooted in LOVE or FEAR. If THOUGHTS create FEELINGS, then learning how to root all her thoughts in LOVE will keep her feeling positive and loving! I have used my painting ‘Self Love’ to illustrate the front cover of the e-book, which is FREE to download TODAY!
The whole e-book series will be available to download FREE each day leading up to my Book Launch on Sunday 6th November, so you can come and join in the discussion! You’ll get a personally signed paperback when you purchase your ticket for the Launch! The price of the ticket includes your signed paperback: £9.99 for ‘Journey of a Sister‘, £7.99 for ‘How to Get the Ring On Your Finger‘, or £14.99 for both books!
Hope to see you at the Book Launch, if you are unable to attend, you can still order your signed paperbacks HERE!
Tomorrow, Year Four will be available to download FREE, to receive notifications in your inbox, ‘follow’ this blog! If you missed the free downloads of Years One & Two, visit the Books page to download them for only $0.99!
Are you an Amazon Prime member?
Borrow the whole e-book series of ‘Journey of a Sister’ from their lending library FREE!
Follow your heart!
Award-winning Visual & Spoken Word Artist|Author|Blogger|Events Host
Growing up, I had a natural ability to write and draw; my two favourite subjects at school were English Literature and Art. However, I never pursued a career in any of these areas because I lacked self confidence and didn’t believe in myself or my abilities.
As a child, I was constantly told I was worthless, good-for-nothing, didn’t deserve it (anything I wanted), and that I was ugly. These heterosuggestions went deep into my subconscious mind, and became the program I ran on as an adult. I subconsciousy believed anything I produced was also worthless, good for nothing, and ugly. 💭
I grew up with low self-esteem, lacked self-confidence, and didn’t believe in myself. I would screw up any piece of writing or drawings I did, because I thought they weren’t good enough – a reflection of how I felt about myself! 🤕
So instead of pursuing a career that utilized my natural God-given talents, I ended up doing Accounts, when maths was my worst subject at school! 🤦🏾♀️
By my mid twenties, I had stopped being creative altogether. This was the last picture I drew (using pastels) back in 1986:
Clearly you can see I was good at art, but my perception of myself was reflected in how I viewed my work. My boyfriend/lover/friend had asked me to do a portrait of his favourite singer, Alexandra O’Neal from the record sleeve; when he saw my creation, he threw the original on the floor!
Still, I remained a blocked writer and artist for over 20 years after that. My inner child was crying out to be heard, but I ignored her.
I was unfulfilled, and miserable in my job as an Accounts Clerk.
After the birth of my second ‘sun’ in 1995, I decided I wanted to do something that would work around them. I wanted to go back to being creative, but I didn’t know how. A book came into my life calld ‘The Artist’s Way’ by Julia Cameron, which helped me begin the process of unblocking.
This book literally saved my inner child’s life! I didn’t just read it, I did all the daily and weekly tasks (it’s a 12-week course). The first thing I was required to do was to start writing my Morning Pages, 3 A4 pages every morning of any thoughts that came to mind (it didn’t have to make sense). The second thing was to take my inner child on weekly ‘Artist Dates‘. This was fun!
Some parts of the process involved going deep into the recesses of my mind, to uncover where that critical voice in my head was coming from that kept saying “You? A great artist? LOL” or “You? A best-selling author? You could never amount to that!” . The exercises helped me get to the root cause of my insecurities, and to begin counter-attacking them with POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS like “I am a brilliant and successful artist”, “I am a prolific writer”, “I have rich creative talents”, “I am confident and competent in my creative work”, “I am a channel for the Creator to create through”, in order to get my creative juices flowing again.
‘The Artist’s Way’ taught me how to nurture my inner child, and to give her the freedom she desired to create. As the adult, I had to learn how to step out of the way, and allow her to be free.
Before the end of the 12 week course, I was writing and painting freely!
The first painting I did when I unblocked as an artist in 2009 was of my inner child, and one of the first poems I wrote was called ‘My Artist Child’ (inspired by ‘The Artist’s Way’) which explains the inner struggle I went through to set my inner child free:
Cezanne (my artist) is a child.
I call to her, and she answers me
With a poem, a dance, and a squiggle-diddy!
She loves to be free, my artist
Free to explore her creativity
With no limitations, or boundaries
So what’s stopping her?
Me.
Yes ME, the adult,
Constrained in what I can see
Stuck in my blocks, and adult mentality;
“YOU CAN’T DO THAT!” I scold,
As she tries to break free;
“I want to paint!” she says.
“NO!” I reply,
(frightened of what she may tell of me,
as she paints away freely)
“I want to write!” she cries.
“No, NO!” I squeal,
(At the thought of my thoughts on paper,
she may reveal!)
“I want to dance!” she pleads.
“No, no, NO!” my senses scream
“At your age, start to….PRANCE??”
“Please, can I sing?” she begs…
She wants to paint!
She wants to write!
She wants to dance!
She wants to sing!
How can I deny my artist-child these things?
How can I refuse her the right
To be free to express her creativity?
So….I give her the paints, AND the time of day.
I give her the dance classes she’s always craved.
I allow her to write when her spirit takes
And to sing, yes to sing with the voice that God gave!
I take her out on our ‘Artist’s Dates’
And feed her IMAGES for her to relate
Back to her play-play-work-day…
Now my child, GO and CREATE!
As you can see, there was a real struggle going on between my adult self, filled with ego, self-consciousness, and learned restrictions, and my uninhibited, free-spirited inner child. Thank goodness, my inner child won! 😅
So when I started writing my novel (now re-titled Journey of a Sister) my job as the adult was simply to step out of the way and let her be free. I used the painting My Inner Child to illustrate the front cover of the e-book for Year Two, because there’s a part in there where Suzanne inspires Charles to awaken his inner child! (in the section ‘Lace Seduction’).
Cezanne’s mission is to ‘Spread Love through Creativity’
The thing I love about my inner child is her ability to write about adult topics with the uninhibited innocence of a child, and to express herself in a way that I (the adult) wouldn’t dare to! When I was writing ‘Journey of a Sister’ I kept hearing that critical voice inside my head saying “You can’t write that!”, but I just ignored it and allowed my inner child the freedom to write whatever she chose…so in 2009 I felt compelled to write ‘Part Two‘ to my poem:
My inner child is wild and free – she has no boundaries!
When I decided to set her free I KNEW it would cost me my privacy!
(and anyone who’s had anything to do with me
so if that’s you, I’m sorry.)
She sits in the seat of my subconscious mind observing all I’m doing
Then she turns my experiences into a song, story or poem!
Thanks to her, my life is an open book,
Go on, open it, take a look!
And she’s left me (the adult) to deal with all the DRAMA she creates
She doesn’t know where to draw the line!
I know I should be embarrassed, but to be honest,
All I keep seeing are POUND SIGNS ££££££££!
Start by reading >>Year One FREE! << (click to open)
Did you enjoy the free read? Order your personally signed Limited Edition paperback with my artwork in colour WHILE STOCKS LAST!
Outside the UK? Order direct from www.lulu.com (ships worldwide)
Where Did the Name ‘Cezanne’ Come From?
Cezanne is my ‘spiritual’ name. What do I mean by that?
When I was around 14 years old, I was in the back of class one day at school, doodling on the back of my textbook (obviously bored!). As I was drawing randomly, the name ‘Cezanne’ appeared in the doodles! The name stuck in the back of my mind all the years I was a blocked writer and artist, and only came back to me when I had to name my inner child as part of the course in Julia Cameron’s book ‘The Artist’s Way‘.
I’ve now changed my name by Deed Poll, in the hope that eventually, my inner child will take over completely! Setting her free has enabled me to write and record over 30 poems, write 3 books (one is the Book of Lyrics to my award-winning poetry collection ‘Seeds of Love‘), painted 11 paintings, and I’m still creating, including building this website, writing my first speech, and developing workshops for my Retreats!
Join me on the ‘Nurture Your Inner Child’ Retreat!
Would you like me to take you through the same processes I went through to unblock as a writer and artist? Then join me for 7 days of work-play in the sun! This is essentially a 7-day holiday for both women and men, with 5 days of workshops thrown in (you can do as much or as little as you like!). All materials are included, as well as accommodation, daily meals, and 5 days of nurturing your inner child! You’ll return home with something you have created, and the tools to keep your creative juices flowing! As part of the course, I will also teach Colour Therapy (I healed myself from Seasonal Affective Disorder using the colours in my paintings!)
Visit my Art page to learn about the Colours & Symbolism in my paintings and to download them to your device so you can benefit from the Colour Therapy in them too!
Use the Contact Form below to register your interest in the Nurture Your Inner Child Retreat 2019 (monthly Feb to May) or email cezanne@journeyofasister.com
In your service,
Promoting LOVE through Creativity!
‘Follow’ this blog to receive an email every time I update it!
Join me for an exciting 5 day online experience where you can read the inspirational articles I’ve written for 6 different blogs! Today’s article ‘Why Am I still Single?‘ was written exclusively for www.sistahsplace.com (← click on the link)
FREE DOWNLOAD!
During my Blog Tour, you’ll also be able to download Year One of my Self-help novel ‘Journey of a Sister‘ FREE! If you love my articles, you’ll LOVE my books!
If you missed yesterday’s article ‘The Black Butterfly Effect‘, visit www.sheinspiredher.com to read it! (features my artwork & poetry)
I’ll be updating this blog tomorrow with the link to read ‘No TESTimony without a TEST!‘ – to get an email with the link, ‘follow’ this blog!
You can also order signed paperbacks of my Self-help books: ‘How to Get the Ring On Your Finger‘ (which has contributions from over 30 brothers) is only£5.00during my Blog Tour, and ‘Journey of a Sister‘, which has 9 pages of my artwork in FULL COLOUR is only £15! During this period you’ll also get my award-winning CD ‘Seeds of Love‘ (all 13 poems feature in the story). PLUS you’ll get a FREE INVITE to my Book Launch taking place on Sunday 6th November in Central London! Click on the image below for details:
Be inspired this weekend!
Visual & Spoken Word Artist|Author|Blogger|Events Host|Workshop Facilitator
Promoting LOVE through Creativity!
P.S. Visit my Events Page for details of Events I’m taking part in leading up to my Book Launch!
Today is DAY ONE of my online Blog Tour! Over the next 5 days you’ll be able to read exclusive articles I’ve written as a guest blogger for 6 other blogs; today’s article is called ‘The Black Butterfly Effect‘, which compliments my painting ‘Black Butterfly‘:
I actually found the topic ‘The Black Butterfly Effect‘ in an old journal I’d written back in 2012; at the time I was doing a ‘Mind Fast’ which inspired my writing. The article I’ve written is adapted from my journal, and also includes the inspired poem I wrote around the same time! Visit www.sheinspiredher.comto read it, and to listen to the poem! If you enjoy the article, join me on my 30 Day Mind Fast which starts next January (I’ll be helping you prepare for it in between!)
Over the next 5 days of the Blog Tour you’ll also be able to read Year One of my Self-help novel ‘Journey of a Sister’ FREE! The main character has a dream based on ‘Black Butterfly’, and the theme running throughout the whole story is of transformation; I’m aiming to print the Revised Edition with my artwork in full colour so YOU can benefit from the COLOUR THERAPY in them, watch the video I put together this morning to explain!
Help ME help YOU by ordering your signed paperbacks before the end of the Blog Tour!
If you identify with the story and want to continue the journey, order your SIGNED paperback – brothers, this is for you too!
Click on the image below to order your signed paperbacks! (please wait a few seconds for it to load)
BONUS ARTICLE! I only needed 5 articles for my Blog Tour, but I actually had 6 websites who wanted to take part, so I’ve included Caribdomain as a Bonus! Read my article ‘What’s in a Name?‘ (all 5 days)
I hope to see you at one of my Book Signing & Discussion Events, where we will be discussing the topics raised in my Self-help books; you’ll get a FREE ticket to my Book Launch taking place in Central London on Sunday 6th November when you order Journey of a Sister in my campaign!
In your service,
Visual & Spoken Word Artist|Author|Blogger|Events Host
Promoting LOVE through Creativity!
P.S. Visit my Events Page for details of Events I’m taking part in, leading up to the Launch!
If you would like to help me reach my target of raising £4,790 in the next 7 days, please share this page with people who you know will benefit from getting their books too!
