Limitless Project: Keelie Suzann

If you go to our website and land on the first page, the "About Page" the very first sentence reads:  Open Way Yoga is a gathering place for people interested in yoga, mindful movement, holistic health and the arts.  

Yoga... mindful movement... holistic health... these things make total sense, but if you haven't been in our studios (which are filled with art and creative expression) you may be wondering: What's the art doing in that statement?

At OWY we understand that creative expression is one of the pillars of well-being and health.  Life itself is a form of creative expression, so we don't put creativity into a special category that is only accessible if society agrees you are an artist.

Elizabeth Gilbert talks about this idea in her book Big Magic.  The premise of the book is that humans were born to create.  

We agree.  Creative expression is as human as walking upright.  (Though you don't need to create -or walk upright- to be human.)  Somewhere in history, something gave us the idea that creativity is reserved only for children, people who are paid for their work or those who everyone agrees is an artist.  

We disagree.  We reject the idea that creativity is exclusive. A good half of our teaching staff are active artists and crafters.   In fact, for some of us, creativity ranks with movement as necessary for our mental and physical health.  For those OWY teachers who don't self-identify as artists most consider creating yoga classees to be an active expression of their personal creativity.  Creativity is LIMITLESS and it is for everyone.  We're going to prove it to you this summer.  

The Limitless Project is a series of blog posts we'll be unrolling throughout the summer months featuring the art and creative expression of different teachers at the studio.  For this first we're featuring the art work of Keelie Suzann.  Scroll to see a few of her pieces and read her thoughts on her art and creative process.    -Shannon

Atlas was forced to carry the celestial sphere for eternity and has thus become a symbol of strength and endurance. In this piece, I wanted to depict the burden as a strange & floating balance on the apex of a triangle. Whenever I have placed myself at the edge of my comfort zone, there is this moment of soul crushing vulnerability that makes me want to run back to safety. I have learned that when I sink into the sensitivity, life naturally leads me to the community I need to be surrounded by and the projects that I’m meant to be a part of. The more I accept my inevitable truth and the story that I was meant to carry, the easier it is to share it.

Keelie's thoughts on the Limitless Theme:

when I am in a creative flow I am infinite
there are no bounds to the potentialities
that lay beneath my fingertips
the power of my hands, my gaze, my voice
I am limitless
when my mind aligns with my soul
when my body move in rhythm
through a journey of familiar shapes
the boundaries of coulda shoulda woulda 
collapse
I surrender myself to the creator
to myself
to limitless potential

I am Keelie Suzann, Ohio-born artist who loves to travel. I spend most of my time teaching & taking care of the people that I love--my husband, my daughters, my friends. Any free moment I have, I go to the water & connect with the natural world. I paint, draw, write, and collaborate with other artists. I would say that I am a spontaneous artist. I don’t have structured time to create, or much free time to explore my expression like I did in my early twenties but when I have the space for inspiration, I dive in and get lost in the process. Most of the time I am creating a series of work at a time, rather than just one piece. My greatest inspiration comes from raw “in the moment” emotion. When I can process how I feel through my art I feel vulnerable and alive. I use meditation to help me slow down and inform me on what creative adventure to spend my time on, but it doesn’t always work. I am prolific, scattered and passionate about the inner workings of the spirit, women’s rights and public art. I have had artwork at Carrington Art Gallery, Negative Space Art Gallery, and other local shows & festivals. I have a B.S., M.A., Montessori Certification and 500+ hours of yoga and meditation training.

Keelie Teaches at our Norwalk Studio and is the online facilitator of The Creative and Compassionate Women's Group. 

Monday:
All Levels Yoga 6:00-7:15 PM

Wednesday
Yin Yoga 6:00 - 7:15 PM