Who/what do you want to see when you look at this portrait everyday?
“Someone who is free and stepping into their own.”
“This was one of the most therapeutic things I’ve ever done. Thank you so much for this, I will cherish it forever.”
“You have moved me to tears. I need to sit and digest a little bit because I have so much to say about how thoughtful and exquisite your work is. Also.. I never told you but Wisteria is one of my favorite flowers… So I got chills when I saw them.”
______
Jamie came to me synchronistically during a tough point in her life and needing a little clarity, a little inspiration moving forward in the next phase of her life. Letting go of big pieces of her, and stepping into the new. After she answered the long form questionnaire and we had our zoom call, where we immediately felt connected and aligned in many ways, I went to the drawing board.
Her drawing holds the power of rebirth, of burning the old to make way for the new.
Drawing these portraits is a very special and intense act, I enter into a flow state where I allow whatever to come through to land on the page and listen to any inkling or nudge to add, for instance, a certain flower like the wisteria. I had never drawn wisteria before, so to have dramatically draped it from the corners and to find it meant so much to her was a huge validation of listening to my creative spirit.
What Jamie received:
“You are the Phoenix rising from the ashes, you’re being re-birthed and shining your light! Your fiery wings licking the moon, in touch with your feminine, you are naked and also blooming from a lotus. The lotus is a beautiful symbol of beauty in dark places. There is a lot of symbolism of light and dark here for you, the contrast of the dark, mysterious night sky behind the flames, and the lighter colors of the sunset/rise behind the mountains. It’s up to your own interpretation, are you emerging with dawn, or rising with the moon?
There is a little flame above your head, an illumination, an awakening? You are adorned with deer antlers, representing the gentle nature of your soul, but also a reminder that you can shed those antlers year by year, you are always in a constant cycle of death and rebirth. This seems to be such a theme that I’m noticing as I’m typing this (My process is usually that I draw first, find meaning later). The butterflies fluttering out of the flower, across your body, like little flickers of flames, are also representing that metamorphosis concept.
Now, the mockingbirds that are flying away from either side of you are up to you to look into. If they don’t hold a meaning for you already, have a look online or something for what they often symbolize (there was quite a lot of info but I feel like it wasn’t for me to interpret).
The circle of light around you, half of it is like a rainbow, a bridge, arcing from your hands, it’s a symbol of the creative energy that you give to the world. The more subtle half of the circle below you, are the other factors that complete that creative circle for you, it’s not just about what you share, it’s about the other half, maybe the part people don’t see as much, that is still important to close it.
The two white horses rear with confidence and defiance as their shining bright coats contrast the darkness. The dark wolves (or German shepherds) are guiding you from the shadows, the ashes, as you gain the courage to step into the world fully yourself. The meerkat is on lotus lookout duty. The hares in the top corners guide you on your adventures from above. Wisteria drapes down from the top, almost like a curtain, revealing this new chapter of your life.
There are sage bushes and desert mountains, but also snow capped mountains. You find yourself in a lot of different aspects of nature. It was important to have all of the elements included, the ocean, clouds, mountains, and fiery wings. The way that the sea is flowing away from you, it almost feels like you are causing those waves, your energy is pushing the tide out, as your flaming wings lift you up. There is so much power here.
I really hope that this image overall can give you that feeling of freedom, of breaking through, and really stepping into your next chapter, the next version of you.
Love,
Nica
A bit more on Jamie:
Jamie is an advocate and photographer, spreading awareness about the wild mustangs and what we can do to help preserve them.
A horse lover since birth, Jamie quit her job to follow her passion – photographing wild horses all across the Western United States. With a greater outreach from a growing Instagram following, she has been inspired to do even more. Utilizing her talents, Jamie created her own production company that concentrates on bringing animal causes to the public through film & photography. Jamie’s latest project, the docu-series “Wild Lands. Wild Horses” will help bring awareness to the wild horse cause.
www.jamiebaldanza.com
@thismustanglife
