Do you believe in the healing power of the arts? How can art help you in finding your true self? In this episode of Wisdom of Ages, host Ayn Cates Sullivan and guest Jeri Rogers explore poetry and the healing power of the arts. Jeri is a photographer and a friend of Ayn’s mother since the mid-1970s. She has spearheaded the Artemis Journal that provides an honored space for artists and writers to publish their contributions for cultural enrichment. Tune in and join Ayn and Jeri as they discuss how art can help break away with the selfless direction and prioritize the inner self to truly save others. 

Ayn Cates Sullivan:

Welcome friends and mystical travelers. This is Ayn Cates Sullivan, host of Wisdom of the Ages where we invite the sacred into modern-day reality, and also some art. So each week I offer stories, interviews, and spiritual monologues to inspire, heal, and uplift the soul. Today, we’re going to explore poetry and the healing power of the arts. I think it’s time for us to re-wild ourselves a little bit. So you can listen to many more episodes on superpowerexperts.com/wisdomoftheages.

So what a day to ponder this world in a new way and to look back and see how the many paths that are behind us somehow help us with our unfolding destiny. There are certain people that we meet in our lives that just touch us in a way and they help us fulfill our life purpose and mission. So my guest today is one of these people. I met Jeri Rogers mid-1970s. So I’m dating myself here. But she is a person who has influenced me in a very positive way. I’m excited to have her on the show talking with us. She met my mother. I really want her to tell the story about meeting my mother, Gwen Cates who’s an international artist.

But Jeri was in search of a real-life feminist and she found my mom. So that was our connection. So I hope she’ll tell that whole story. That was great. I know it was the time feminism was beginning and I watched Jeri over the years work with women and find her own voice, her own inner wildness. She’s an incredible photographer. So what she saw in nature and what she brought into this world and just this sensitivity and kindness, especially working with women.

Anyways, what I felt that Jeri did for me was encourage me to find my own inner goddess, my Artemis, my inner feminine, that I remember when I just started to connect to that energy was almost like a tiny little snake was there. This little tiny Kundalini energy that wanted to awaken, that wanted to be creative. So Jeri was one of these people who have said, “Yes, bring her alive. Dance under the moon.” So she started the Artemis Journal, and I really want to talk about that path. She’s done it since 1977. Artemis is an amazing journal. It’s all kinds of poets, artists, writers from the Blue Ridge Mountains, but now all over the world. It’s beautiful. I really recommend people go out and buy it and re-wild themselves with this.

So I remember Jeri is saying, “Instead of trying to save the world, how about saving yourself?” So we’re going to get into that a little bit what that actually means because it’s something I think each one of us can do. So, Jeri, I think I’ll just bring you on. Jeri, thank you so much for joining us, and welcome to Wisdom of the Ages.

Jeri Rogers:

Yeah, after college that was my fun job. That was just like frivolous and silly and fun. But I could live in New York and not have to work eight hours a day and it was wonderful coming up from Texas. I learned a lot, believe me. So by the time, this women’s center interview came about, I was really determined to pursue my own bliss. Right before this interview, I had actually considered joining the Peace Corps. I’m one of the original ’60s hippies that I’m going to save the world. I have all the answers. But I quickly learned in DC when I was working up for the Committee on Foreign Affairs that nobody was interested in my ideas as a 23-year-old.

Ayn Cates Sullivan:

Right.

Jeri Rogers:

I had a very wise friend take me aside and he said, “Jeri, instead of saving the world, have you maybe considered saving yourself and rewrite the way you want to be in this world?” I thought, “Oh, that’s really interesting. I never thought of that.”

Ayn Cates Sullivan:

Because we think about it the other way, don’t we? Almost said that earlier, instead of trying to save yourself, how about saving the world?

Jeri Rogers:

Right.

Ayn Cates Sullivan:

Right? Do we go in this selfless direction? But really when it boils down to, we have to understand this inner world and come to peace with this inner world before we can do much in the external world. I just have always been moved by the way in which you chose to follow your bliss and that you committed to being who you’re supposed to be. So I have to take a quick ad break, but where can people find out about the Artemis Journal and where they can read it, buy it?

Jeri Rogers:

Great. Artemisjournal.org. There’s a store there if you want to support our small press. You can buy a journal or you can find out about us and find out how to contribute. We publish once a year.

Ayn Cates Sullivan:

Okay. So we’re going to take this short break. When we come back, we’re going to talk about Artemis, who she is as a goddess. I love Artemis as a goddess. Also, the healing power of the arts and why that’s really significant right now in the world that we’re finding ourselves in. So stay tuned. We’ll be right back.

To listen to the entire show click on the player above or go to the SuperPower Up! podcast on iTunes.