Soul Reflections: "Awakening to Me" by Lisa Gniady and Lisa Nomikos {as featured in Life Force Arts Ensemble}

written by Lisa Gniady

See original article in Pantheon: A Journal of Spiritual Art here

When you go deep within, there is a place that holds the answers to your deepest desires and needs in life.  Sometimes, though, one can be blind to that place. Meet the co-creators of the Soul Vision Journey, Team Lisa (Lisa Nomikos and Lisa Gniady), who create SOUL REFLECTION readings and portraits to connect you to your energetic imprint: impressions of what is needed to guide you through your current environment to a happier outcome. Soul Reflection readings and portraits are a tool to learn to LISTEN and LOOK. What we hear from others may catch our attention, but sometimes we doubt. Feel the undeniable truth in words,  and see the hidden messages in image to gain wisdom and guidance to live life in a happier, more harmonious way.

This powerhouse combination of intuitive reading and artwork made especially for your individual soul needs to be experienced to understand! Join us at Life Force Arts Center for an experience like no other on Wednesday,  August 23, 2017 for Soul Reflections Ceremony: Sound Healing, Soul Portrait & Reading

MEET LISA NOMIKOS “Spiritual, Energy Artist”

By Lisa Nomikos

Lisa Nomikos

For me the title “Spiritual, Energy Artist” brings up images from art history class, memorizing pages of artist names, dates and endless waves of details, input overload. This is the way others began describing my art. What does that mean? What makes it spiritual? The subjects? The intent? The method the work is created? Perhaps it’s all of those and more.

To explain why my art is “spiritual” it’s necessary to go back to a time where technically, it wasn’t.

As a child I drew all the time on any surface I could much to my parents’ shock. At 16, in a controlled anger, I walked out of my high school illustration class and dropped it for Typing 1 because my art teacher destroyed something I created. My parents recognizing this as a pivotal turning point knew I was serious when I said I would “NEVER” take art classes in high school again, and signed me up for semi-private oil painting lessons. That opportunity opened my mind to future possibilities and brought me in contact with people whose support propelled me into the artist I am today.

In May of 1991, I graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication’s Design for Illustration from Ray Vogue School of Design, Chicago. For eight years I worked as a graphic designer until the birth of my first son in 1999. I quit to freelance and raise my child. 12 years flew by, three children were born. Graphic design I did regularly. Rarely did I draw or paint.

IMAGES THAT BROUGHT ME CLARITY

January 31st of 2011, my oldest son’s new friend passed away at the age 12, sending shock waves through the school community. My heart hurt for her family and friends. A reoccurring mantra to paint her portrait kept nagging me. Fear clutched my gut but mentally I said “yes” and contacted the school’s principal. The painting brought up my insecurities about my artistic abilities. I even asked the principal to not mention it to anyone, just in case I failed.

The painting went slowly. I couldn’t get her eyes, nose, mouth, the details. Crying I prayed for guidance to paint her true spirit. I knew it was important not to fail at this—perhaps only important for me. It was the first time I had ever let go of the “thinking” while creating art and trusted my hands were being guided by the Divine. THAT is when her image flowed to life. It is now how I create ALL of my drawings. It was the first image that I ever prayed the entire time I worked. I completed the portrait on December 18, 2011 (coincidentally I later learned it was her birthday) and brought it to the school and family.

At the end of December, 2012 I was gifted the book by Paramahansa Yogananda “The Autobiography of a Yogi and in January, started studying Yogananda’s lessons. They opened my eyes to see I wasn’t the only one who believed in “more” than I was taught in Sunday school. In May, 2013 I began meditating daily and that’s WHEN life jumped forward in unexpected ways.

July of 2013 I did an exchange with another artist who I had just met that asked me to create an image of her true self. In looking back this was the beginning of my soul reflection portraits. I created a spiritual chalk pastel drawing with a glowing lotus flower, butterflies and the “Flower of Life” sacred geometry. This piece reminded me HOW MUCH I LOVE TO DRAW!

From that point forward the wave of drawings increased, slow but steady. I left my comfort zone in the dust taking Reiki 1, 2 and 3, and explored a meditation class. All drawings were created with prayers, without overthinking, worry, or being concerned about photorealism. I had the thought that whatever came out was a “happy accident” and stopped stressing about being perfect. That new way of being was freeing. Fear of making a mistake is limiting.

In 2014 I applied to be in the juried art fair, Art in the Barn of Barrington and was accepted! At that point I only had 3 drawings completed. Drawings took me months and sometimes years, so I wasn’t sure how or IF I’d complete enough for the show. I was used to being a graphic designer so I knew how to work my ass off for a deadline. By the September’s show, lots of praying and meditating, I had 20 drawings total.

Three years later I’ve created more artwork than I ever did even as a child. All have been with the intent of allowing the divine to flow through me and into the work for the upliftment of those who see them. I purposely do not do negativity. That’s what I focused on during college and even in my doodles during grade school. I believe there is enough of that in the world and images to teach or show any pain of my life journey, although valuable and valid, aren’t necessary from me. My job is to be the light and uplift through the images I feel compelled to share. That is what has shifted my art into spirituality. My art is now spiritual due to my intentions, the subjects and how they’ve been created with the vibrations of divine prayers.

MEET TEAM LISA

May of 2016 I met empathic intuitive, Lisa Gniady who channels Divine wisdom for people. Her friendship has propelled me to the next level of spiritual art.

Lisa Gniady channeled 44 guidance cards, originally called “Guidance from the Gong”. She asked if I’d be interested in illustrating her oracle deck. Although I knew it would take me years to do the 44 images she needed I agreed to create one. I chose card 27 called clarity and proceeded to live the lesson until I finished the drawing. She loved my drawing. I only had 43 to go! In November while helping me at a Holiday Bazaar in Elgin, we both realized that the 36 images I had already created, fit perfectly the 36 of the 44 cards she had channeled! I only had 8 more drawings to create! TEAM LISA WAS BORN! Our Soul Reflection Oracle Cards were designed and printed by February 2017, years sooner than I expected. A bonus “teach card” with a portrait from Kundalini Yoga’s Yogi Bhajan was recently added to the deck.

THE BIRTH OF SOUL REFLECTION PORTRAITS

In November, 2016, Lisa Gniady challenged me to create abstract soul reflection portraits for a group of people I had just met. With doubt and fear, I grabbed my chalk pastels, thought of each person, and drew. Repeatedly I tried this with other friends, surprised at what flowed from me. Together we started offering combined soul reflection events with Lisa’s channeled writing combined with my abstract spiritual drawings. We’ve offered these events at places like Courageous Living of Crystal Lake, Blue Heron of Dixon and The Salt Cave of Batavia.

I was astounded at the results. One portrait I found disturbing had a hand that looked like jail bars. The client came up to me after the Soul Vision Event to tell me she had been a corrections officer in a jail cell for over thirty years! The most amazing reaction to my portraits to date happened in California. While on the plane, I created a soul reflection portrait for Lisa’s mother that I had never met as a thank you for inviting me to stay at her home. Both her mother and I stood shocked, mouths wide open when I handed her the drawing.  Her mother’s shirt was almost IDENTICAL to the drawing!

Team Lisa’s Soul Vision Readings and Portraits are a powerhouse of divine proportion. I’m not sure where my artwork is leading me or the adventure of Team Lisa. I only know that as the years progress I will keep the intention of spreading love and light to the upliftment of those who enjoy my artwork.

MEET LISA GNIADY: “Empathic Intuitive”

By Lisa Gniady & Manjeet Kaur

Lisa Gniady

Who am I? How did I get the gift to be able to channel?

When I look back at my journey, I would never have expected I would wind up here. I began my career as a trader on Wall Street in New York City, living out my 20’s in a fast paced, jet set fashion. I am now living more quietly in the Midwest, still dabbling in the stock market, but my love and interests lie elsewhere. It all started when my children were young and I began to teach Vinyasa Flow Power Yoga.

Yoga changed me. It taught me to listen–deeply listen to what I felt and sensed all around me.

I transitioned to Kundalini Yoga which led me to the gong. Gongs are powerful healing instruments used to awaken creative potential. When Kundalini Yoga, meditation and gong are combined on a regular basis, they have the power to transform you. That is what happened to me!

I started offering events called “Guidance from the Gong” where I led people through meditations, preparing them for the gong experience. Gradually I began to feel people’s physical sensations and energetic patterns, hearing messages and seeing visual images in my mind’s eye. I discovered these had meaning to the attendees when I shared it with them. People would return again and again to receive and experience the transformative power of the gong.

December 31, 2015 I committed to chanting a poem called JAPJI, the Song of the Soul, that praises the Divine. On that day, everything SHIFTED. A virtual doorway opened in my mind and instead of the little snippets of info filtering through, full stories flooded my head. I noticed lots of coincidences, number patterns, etc. When put together they all add up to who I am now–a vehicle of service to connect people with their Divine guidance. With permission I can tap into your soul’s inner calling, giving you confirmation of what you need to know to move through the blocks in your life. The readings have been known to energetically lift the heaviness.

But the magic truly came when I met Lisa Nomikos. She walked into my class one day. I mistook her for someone else. We realized we had complimentary skills. My words and her art were channeling the same divine wisdom. We joined forces to create a deck of oracle cards. The words had been channeled in by me months earlier. With trust I was simply waiting for the Divine to bring me an artist. Last May that is exactly what happened. Our Soul Reflection Cards became a reality a year from the day I wrote them, February 11, 2016. They provide guidance to the hundreds of people who have purchased them from us over the last few months.

Lisa Nomikos and I also co-created the Soul Vision Journey. What I do in words, Lisa Nomikos does in images. This power combination needs to be experienced to be understood.

CHANNELED EXCERPT ABOUT LISA GNIADY:

So you wonder about me and I will tell you

I am a person just like you

I have gone through living to be in this place

And my job is to help the Human Race

Through teaching and yoga and channeling too

I am here to offer guidance in assisting you

To move through life in a more harmonious way

To help to uplift and support you on your journey

And the road may not be easy for you

But when you believe in yourself all will come to you

Trust in you and you will see

That I am a guide to help thee

My qualifications are Kundalini Yoga you see

As Kundalini Yoga changed me

I took my level one then was guided to continue

I followed with the 5 modules of Level Two

Because that completed the journey to help me help you

I took a course on the Sikh Dharma

And learned about giving

That was when my way changed and I moved to forgiving

Forgiving anyway that hurt me before

And to forgive myself for

Any mistakes I have made in my life

That might have caused any other person any strife

So my Hatha training was my base you see

To get me started on the path to be

A teacher and guide to whomever showed up

Because teaching for me is how I fill my cup

So I began to teach at Festivals, and Expos too

And that is when I began sharing the channeling I do

Soul Reflection readings have changed my life

I now have a way to help people remove their strife

So when I connect with a person and provide the words of truth

Then they have the proof

They need to move them forward in life

And that is the gift I offer each day

To anyone who asks I say

The words of guidance that comes to help you

And this is something I am destined to

I began writing and channeling to reach more of the masses

Because the information that is coming to me is something that passes

Through your membranes and changes your life

And that again will remove additional strife

So through writing, through Reiki, through Yoga and, of course the GONG

I HAVE CHANGED THE PATH I AM ON.

The gong was a must for me to open my channels

And when I play I open others too

To the internal wisdom that flows from me to you

Now I play the harmonium

I am channeling songs

And the words I write will carry on

To help people when they hear it over and over in their heads

And that is what the Good Book said

Follow your wisdom, listen within

And when you do all will win

So you ask who I am?

My name is Lisa

I am here to serve

I am here to provide

And this is my mission

From which I can’t hide

So thank you for listening.

I hope I can share

All the wisdom

That is coming through

Because I truly care

About each and every human on this land

And I hope that my abilities continue to expand

My job is service. I want to help all

And that is truly my call

So I hope we meet

I hope I help

I hope these words entice you to be

The best YOU, you can possibly be!