When people inquire as to what kind of artist I am, I like to tell them I’m an escape artist.
AMANDA'S STORY
I was 35 when I finally met myself.
It happened one Thursday evening in 2010 as I sat on my therapist’s floor, surrounded by crayons and paper; spilling my story into a sand tray.
It was in that session, I discovered what it meant to honour my own experience.
To have a voice.
To trust it.
Accepting the invitation to allow my creativity serve as a means of intimate self expression was an opening into my own truth and the beginning of a recovering that would encompass mind, heart, body and soul.
It would impact me personally and professionally.
In the years since, I have remained a diligent student of both the therapeutic and creative process, embracing what moves through them, as sacred.
I hold a first class honours degree in counselling & psychotherapy, certifications in various creative and self care modalities, as well as teacher and inquiry coach trainings.
Most recently, I graduated from An Chroí Wisdom Institute with a Professional Diploma in Spiritual Guidance & Soul-Centred Accompaniment, with a focus on the Anam Chara tradition rooted in Celtic Spirituality.
Neuroscience is teaching us that self-expression might be one – if not the most important - of ways for us to connect with, navigate, find meaning in and grow through, our lived experiences.
Leaning into my creative instinct for self expression has proven over and over again, to be nothing short of profound.
It wasn’t always like that. Mine is a story of lost soul to pilgrim. I walk my path, everyday.
Because it matters to me that I enjoy my life. That with it, I make a difference. It matters to me to live the story I want to tell. To leave a legacy of kindness and Grace.
Recovering the essence of who you are is a pilgrimage of the soul. It is an art form which takes time, patience and practice. It’s takes creativity, courage and compassion.
But essentially, it requires faith.
Faith in the process.
Faith in the learning.
And faith in yourself, above all.
My offering to you, is an invitation to learn and practice this art form. To give expression to your recovering.
You don’t have to be an artist. You don’t need a fancy studio or supplies. And you certainly don’t need to go it alone. I have established an online community of over 1,000 pilgrims on deck and almost 100 full time members of The Pilgrim's Way sacred listening community. We are doing the work and ready to welcome you.
All you need is a sense of curiosity, a bit of company and the instinctual pull toward a life of greater meaning, wonder and renewal.
I invite you to join us, wherever you are on the path.
May we give each other faith enough, to keep walking.
PILGRIM STORIES
"To simply say Amanda is a great instructor misses the magic of the experience. She is an amazing creative guide, a channeler of muses, and inspiration to spend creative time with. We laughed, cried, splashed paint, dug deep for intention, quieted our inner critics, embraced our muses, shared, reflected, and filled our creative toolboxes with tons of techniques to help better express ourselves through our art journals. I'm so excited to take this experience even further at Croi Retreat!"
Kat Gottfried
Oregon, USA
"Before tender I was on a continual search for “the answer”. I bought every book, did every course that promised any or all of these things. Tender unearthed revelation upon revelation for me - it was only through listening to my whole self through the Tender process that I could begin to heal."
Rachel Wade
Tender Participant
"Before Tender I struggled deeply with the anxiety and overwhelm. I struggled to express myself verbally, emotionally and creatively. Throughout the Tender course, I gained tools that have inexplicably changed how I interact with myself and those I care about. The support and guidance I received during Tender, from Amanda and our group allowed me to view my perspectives in a soft, safe place - without judgement."
Shawnnita Fairbairn
Tender Participant
"So some real revelation is magically happening here through this journaling process. I’ve always journaled and I can say that I used to write things bordering on my truth and what I REALLY felt inside. Only because I was terrified if someone found it and read it. I am in love with this ( new to me) way to write things down...I love overwriting! That way I can bloody well say what I want and none sees it. But it’s in plain site! So first came the pause, then the explosion and today was courage. Somehow this helps me voice my truth with no regrets and I’m stronger for it. Such divine work! Thank you Amanda Grace. "
Elizabeth Whitley
IN THE MEDIA
Binge. Diet. Recover.
Dec 2018 | Time: 45 min
In this Grapple Podcast with Joyce Fegan, Amanda talks about a demented life long pursuit of weight loss, how she thought dieting was her "duty" as a woman and how she’s growing to love the ultimate truth teller that is, her body.
How the pieces fit together.
??? 2018 | Time: 62 min
Amanda talks about her beginnings as a make up artist, why she is a ‘Pilgrim Soul’ and how her background in creativity, hospitality and psychotherapy, form and inform the pillars of her practice as a facilitator of the creative process.
The Unruffled Podcast
July 2019 |Time: 128 min
The Unruffled Podcast is a weekly show hosted by Sondra Primeaux and Tammi Salas. They talk about their fabulous Portland meetup and Amanda’s profound RAW workshop that Tammi and Sondra both attended, but they also catch up on Amanda’s unfurling transformation that has occurred since they last spoke.
Sligo Now Magazine
May 2017 | Kate Winter
Kate came to visit Amanda in her creative studio Pilgrim Soul as she talked about how she came to find herself in Sligo, facilitating creative recovery and intentional practice, for herself as much as others.
The Informed Creative Podcast
April 2018 | Time: 32 min
The Informed Creative Podcast, hosted by Irish Interior Architect Stephanie O’Sullivan, features conversations with a cocktail of creative interesting and inspiring people, from all walks of life, doing amazing things.
The Unruffled Podcast
April 2018 « Time: 120 min
The Unruffled Podcast is a weekly show hosted by Sondra Primeaux and Tammi Salas that explores all topics relating to creativity in recovery. This conversation is deep and revealing and speaks to the dichotomous humanity in all of us.
"Conversation with Amanda, is deep and revealing and speaks to the dichotomous humanity in all of us. "
Sondra Primeaux
The Unruffled Podcast
"Amanda is a highly engaging and fascinating person but also really funny...real and honest. Amanda normalises the human condition"
Stephanie O'Sullivan
The Informed Creative Podcast
"This lady might just change the way you look at art [and self], forever."
Kate Winter
Writer
