“I have gained so much insight to my inner thoughts and been braver than ever with recording them. I particularly like that the lessons are based on seasonal celebrations and events. Even though I am from the southern hemisphere and the seasons are backwards, I have found a way to interpret them.

I have definitely delved deeper into my art practice than ever before, and experimented with new techniques and interpreted them in my own way. The lessons give me the inspiration to explore and play.

I am more excited about working on this class than any other I am currently involved in.

Vanessa’s teaching style is so easy to understand, and gives me the freedom and inspiration to interpret the ideas in my own way. I love her simple processes, and exploration of new mediums.”

Tanyalee Kahler, Graphic designer, artist, and Brush Magazine editor

“I often feel overwhelmed that things are moving too fast and before I know it the year has almost finished! The Rituals class is giving me the chance to reflect on what is happening in my life and to plant the seeds for the things I want to create. It feels very empowering to ground the vision I have of my life within the pages of my art journal.

I love how each month we are using different materials and techniques. This has greatly expanded my art practice in terms of the range of possibilities for expressing myself. I tend to get comfortable with my favourite supplies so this is a wonderful challenge and is really expanding my horizons. I also feel that the expressive quality of my art practice is deepening through the exploration of the different themes each month. We are looking at quite deep and personal areas of our lives and the ability to reflect and then translate this into art is more valuable to me than any technique. I love this dual approach of learning new techniques alongside the deeper themes we are exploring each month.

I love the fact that it is a year long because this is like a container for something to happen over time. There was an initial buzz of excitement, which has settled into a rich groove of exploration. Some months it has been easier to make my pages than others. This past month, for example, I have been travelling a lot and I am not sure if I will be able to do my pages before the new month begins. Here too, the fact that it is a year-long journey brings a level of relaxation. I can take my time and catch up over the coming month.

I love the way there are specific steps that we can follow when creating our page and yet at the same time Vanessa is constantly encouraging us to follow what feels good to us and to make the process our own.”

– Divyam Chaya Bernstein, Writer, cartoonist, and art journaler

“The Rituals class has helped me take time each month to center myself and reflect on both the past four weeks and where I want to be in the future. Rather than quickly putting together a page without any thought, I have learned the joy of slowly creating, taking the time to think about each spread and what it means to me. Vanessa’s use of new mediums and techniques each month have also challenged me and introduced me to new art techniques I wouldn’t have thought to use in my art journal before. It’s a practice I look forward to every month and it has helped me stay grounded as I struggle to establish roots in a new country.”

– Moriah Costa, Financial journalist and artist

“If I take my time and really put thought and effort into the pages, my art is so much better than I thought it was. It’s still a long way from where I want to be someday, but I think often the answer is just to be more patient and allow for the process to take time! Also, that I can express myself well with all sorts of media but some come more easily to me than others.

I have found that the pages sometimes take time and it’s important to go deeper to really express what I want to say. I never did this in art journaling, at least not to this extent. A part of me was always saying “hey but this is just for you and there are six more prompts this week and like a hundred from previous seasons that you never did, so who cares?”. So I would put the work down when it got uncomfortable or I didn’t feel an immediate connection to the prompt. With only two spreads per month, I have been going a lot deeper and pushing past uncomfortable and that has helped me tremendously.

People keep asking me about motivation recently for some reason and my answer is always the same – I may not be motivated in that bubbly excited way, because that takes a lot of energy I don’t feel I have. It’s more that if I really connect to a task or a plan, or in this case a class, I have a sort of quiet determination that I will keep up and make it a priority whenever that is possible among the other priority issues (work, university, boyfriend, etc.). So, I’m still absolutely into the class! I’m a month behind – just finishing up April’s spreads and it’s the end of May, but knowing that it’s only two spreads per month also doesn’t make falling behind seem as scary or daunting.”

– Judith H, University student and artist 

“The biggest thing I have taken away from Rituals so far this year is that when I make the time to really connect with myself and my creativity, and have courage to delve a little into the unknown, I feel stronger and more whole. I love what I have created so far and it is unique to me. You know when there is something you really want to do, but it is a bit scary, like walking in the dark when you worry what you might walk into? Well for me, taking the Rituals class, is about being brave, following my heart, but with the support and guidance of someone who I admire and trust and alongside other students who share the journey. For me, Rituals class is about creating from the core of me.

A year of having Vanessa as my teacher was never daunting for me, I knew that she had created the class to be manageable and I wanted to make that commitment to myself. Six months in, and I am still as enthusiastic. I’m actually a month behind, and that’s totally ok too. I am a university student, a mother, an employee and an art journaler and I’m human. I’ll be having my catch up in the semester break and I can hardly wait !!! Plus I have lifetime access so I can do it all again next year if I choose.”

– Emily Doddrell, University student and artist