It doesn't have to be overwhelming to do the work you're here to do. Your creative work and how you offer service to the world can and should be nourishing to you as well. My art work is my grounding and my teacher- it takes me to the places I need to grow and provides tools for transformation and healing.
In so many ways I experience my creative work as my spiritual practice, a way to connect to the essential truths of my life and the collective life of the culture and the planet. If you resonate with this way of connecting to your creative work and you are longing to expand, deepen or reawaken your creative flow, or if you are ready to put it out into the world with integrity and pleasure, I may be able to help.
In so many ways I experience my creative work as my spiritual practice, a way to connect to the essential truths of my life and the collective life of the culture and the planet. If you resonate with this way of connecting to your creative work and you are longing to expand, deepen or reawaken your creative flow, or if you are ready to put it out into the world with integrity and pleasure, I may be able to help.
Services
Taproot Arts and Insight is built out of elements that have been weaving through my many previous life chapters and continues to grow as I push into the newest chapters. As a life coach I not only have training from an extraordinary coaching program, Psychosynthesis Center, but also decades as an artist and a college professor, as well as a deep training and ongoing practice in authentic movement and a previous chapter as a massage therapist.
This beautiful and deeply moving piece is cast in bronze. It is perfect as a point of focus for a contemplative garden or a sacred space in the home. She is a quietly powerful piece that invites an inner reflection and honoring ones deeper truth. This piece is made to order and takes roughly 3-4 months to complete.
A really great sculptural portrait is something that will affect your life in a deeply positive way for as long as it is with you. It is a reflection not just of what the sitter looks like, but also their character and presence. If it is a portrait of you, it can help you stay in touch with what is important to you over time, and to trust yourself.
Is it possible to be an artist or creative, make real and meaningful art work and still live a sane, healthy life?. Making art, if you do it with integrity and heart, is a vulnerable and all-consuming thing. And in our culture, there is very little support for it. In fact, there can be animosity toward you if you are doing work that is not standard fare.
Pursuing anything you care about can be quite challenging, and those challenges often provide really great life lessons?. While raw creative expression can be personally exciting and valuable, the work of a professional artist involves concept development, craftsmanship and compelling design?. Is this you?
Reviews (10)
Laumee Fries
Jan 19, 2022
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I loved the atmosphere Val created in this workshop: It was kind, open and energizing – with a lot of humor. This enabled all the participants to connect with the sometimes deep and personal stuff that came up - and to have a great time as a group as well. Her insights are immensely helpful – as well as her powerful meditations and visualizations. That and to be with a group of like-minded people gave me a lot of energy and inspiration.
Nissa Sorenson
Jan 13, 2022
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I've been in lots of workshops. This one got to something much deeper, which I appreciate. There are so many books and classes about creativity. But few help me understand what's actually happening in my mind and body - and how I can manage that. I already feel space opening up. I feel more playful and authentic as I approach my work. What a joy to come together with a group of open-hearted creatives. I walked away feeling connected to a community and much more aware of my inner-workings as an artist, with a tangible understanding of how to move forward when I feel stuck.
Michelle Marroquin
Jan 09, 2022
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I felt so uplifted after our last coaching session. Through the questions you asked and the self-reflection that followed, I got re-centered on why I do what I do and remembered that what I offer is something unique and authentic. I felt a boost of confidence when I taught a class the following day and felt deeply rewarded because I was teaching from a heart centered place. I wish I could always have you nudge me back to center when I veer off course. But wait, actually, I can! That’s what having a coach is all about!
Rebecca Ulyatt
Oct 04, 2021
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I have been working with Val since May of 2021. I reached out during a time in my life where I felt that there was a massive gap between what I was doing with my life verses what I wanted to be doing. To be perfectly blunt, working with Val has transformed my life. I am clear on who I am, what I am capable of and what I want from life. I have incredible clarity on my values and strengths and have become good friends with my inner critic (someone I have always struggled with). I have never truly invested in myself and my personal development as I didn't believe I was worth it. I am so grateful I
Laurie Helgoe
Sep 30, 2021
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With Val, you can expect to be heard, understood and supported. She will help ground your dreams in reality and transform them into achievable plans. She will give you insight and wisdom to enrich your artistic practice. She will at times feel like a shaman, at other times, like a therapist. But she will consistently add dimensions to the work that takes it beyond expectations and delights the soul.
Susan Lauffer
Nov 19, 2019
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Similarly to how Valerie manifests images in her sculptures, through her coaching work Val guided me to visualize positive inner awareness, curiosity and purpose, leading me to memorable insights which have since actualized in my life. Even though we worked exclusively via phone because of the long distance separating us, her method of having me close my eyes and imagine myself in various contexts and working with various mediums worked just as well as if she were sitting next to me. It is hard to put a price on this priceless work, but it is absolutely worth every penny.
Alexa De Los Reyes
Oct 12, 2019
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Val is a compassionate, thoughtful, and insightful coach. In a short time she was able to guide me towards some surprising and profound insights into my sense of self as an artist and gave me tools to clarify and align my artistic processes with my goals. Working with her left me feeling motivated, inspired, and most importantly equipped to make progress on my own. I highly recommend working with her!
Denise Howard
Sep 25, 2019
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Val is a sensitive and knowledgeable coach who understands the challenges artists face and shares her personal challenges and insights as a working artist. Her knowledge of psychosynthesis richly informs the work. She holds the space for the enfoldment of your true intentions and encourages experiential learning for understanding and making meaning of your challenges. She gracefully assists with creative growth from the inside out.
Natalie Picone
Nov 17, 2018
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Val is welcoming and open hearted, collaborative, as well as creative and talented. She create clear visions, offering gentle stepping stones, and planted seeds to think about with compassion and gentle fierceness. I have worked with Val and I felt nothing but self love, power, validation, and inspiration with my own artistic expressions."
Karen Novak
Oct 20, 2018
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I met Val Gilman when I was making an effort to get back in touch with my artist self. She has been a warm, empathetic and inspiring coach with a sense of humor (important!). Her listening skills are excellent and she is open to sharing some of her own experiences with "artist block". These interactions have been extremely helpful in my being able to reconnect with my creative energies.