“I found Katie when I was having a tremendous amount of stress at work and needed a creative outlet, but I didn't know I'd also be connecting with such a fantastic teacher. Katie was able to instruct in way that was both detailed and relatable. Her patience and attention to her students, along with her sense of humor and the fun that she brings to her work made me look forward to coming back week after week.”
- Jacob Donnelly, Licensed Clinical Social Worker
“Katie is a fun, fierce and fabulous guide in all life things! She is a patient teacher with a ton of experience. She makes me feel confident in my art and in my body. I highly recommend her as a coach and teacher!”
- Tanya Rey, Writer and Editor
“Katie was a joy to work with. I came to her because I had a lot of goals and dreams that felt overwhelming to me to pursue. She helped me to feel very grounded and ready. She had tools that allowed me to check in with myself in new and different ways. Our session gave me clarity, an action plan, and replaced feelings of overwhelm with feelings of excitement and confidence. If you feel like your heart and soul have bitten off more than your brain can chew, Katie can help get your brain on board. That's what she did for me!”
- Judi Smolker, Editor and Yoga Instructor
“Katie Swan has been an inspiration and a motivator for my own creativity. We met back in 2010 when we were both teachers and have been working together ever since on various projects. Over the years, Katie has mentored me through my own creative blocks and helped me navigate rough waters, especially in times that I have lacked self-confidence. Every time I have had the opportunity to work with Katie, she has impressed me with her innovative ideas and her personalized approach. Katie truly sees the best in everyone and helps us find our true potential whether in expressing art or just moving forward in meeting our personal goals. I have full confidence in Katie's skills as a coach as well as an incredible artist and recommend her with highest regard.”
- Suzannah Cox, Founder of Elev8e Wellness Center
A note from Katie…
As an artist myself, I have worked in an array of media, and I started off in clay. I know that what works in one moment, may not be ideal for the next, because creativity is fluid. For the process to work, we must be malleable when it comes to finding unconscious language.
I have taught and led Art and Yoga classes for over a decade to an array of groups and individuals. I truly believe that each human, no matter your background or age, is fully capable of self expression. The “creative” self lives in our intuition, far from the logical brain where we think we should be. We explore what art media works best for you in the moment and we investigate where your blockages are. In a safe and held space, we practice letting go of self and socially imposed judgements and expectations. We will rewrite the narratives that hold you back from living at your greatest capacity.
I am a visual and performance artist with an MFA in Studio Art from Mills College and background as an NCAA athlete, Yogini, and dancer. I have my 500 E-RYT Hatha Yoga, Niroga Transformative Life Skills Training from Niroga Institute in Oakland, CA, and am Restorative Yoga Certified .
Score of Intention
Duration: ongoing and now...
Participants: self, community, witnesses
Intention: fabricate bodily ritual, explore process, collaborate
Things: clay, cloth/fabric, body, bodies, sound, water, buckets, chalk, remains, time, residue of time, poetry, folklore, totem
Actions: carry, sensational, walk, step, dance, gesture, exhaustion, wash, witness, hold space, ritual, procession, protest, endurance, labor, repetitive tasks, cleansing, clearing
Systems/Concepts: emotional/social labor, communication tasks, visibility, wicca, death, strength, partnership, reclamation, animalism, intimacy, consent, collaboration
Form: installation, performance, photography, video, interactions, happenings, guide, avowal
Shifts in the work:
I notice themes of polarities: body and spirit, cerebral and corporal. Through my practice of making, I explore my expression of spirituality. I bring a contemporary vantage point to the sacred bodily experience and the labor of existing. Clay allows me to explore a symbiotic relationship that feels authentic to my complex experiences with the fragility of body, place, cycles, and form.
Desires in developing practice:
How can I have a spiritual practice/ritual with self generated resources?
What does authentic spiritual practice look like without external conditioning?
What is the role of the witness?
Where does an emotional experience go when the body can no longer hold it and what remains?
How can we include the body in processing?
Can strength and vulnerability coexist?