Intuitive Painting was birthed to fight the Patriarchy.

In the 1970's, psychotherapist and feminist Chris Zydel was a part of the explosion of innovation we now call somatics and expressive arts. Chris spent many years studying a dynamic mix of cutting-edge practices, including Person Centered Expressive Arts with Natalie Rogers, Process Painting with Michelle Cassou founder of The Painting Experience, The Enneagram of Personality with Kathy Speeth and Evolutionary Astrology with Steven and Jodie Forrest. During her 28 years as a therapist, her work was focused on helping her clients heal their internalized oppression - the self-policing and abdicating of power we adopt to survive oppression.

What she discovered over and over again was that each practice/ philosophy was missing something that another provided.

Inspired by the potential for greater healing, Chris developed the Intuitive Painting Process as a rich alchemy of these powerful healing practices.

In 2013, Amy Alaman discovered intuitive painting and, as a Black woman navigating the intersectionality of gender and race, as well as classism/capitalism, Amy evolved intuitive painting to become a more intentionally intersectional and abolitionist practice in theory and practice. Amy has partnered with her sibling Leanne to co-facilitate somatic antiracism intensives that combine Leanne's somatic Liberation framework to unleash Aliveness and the somatic liberation practice space that is Intuitive Painting For Liberation. Amy's evolution of Intuitive Painting also intentionally weaves in the power of the DreamSpace, a critical component of Afro-futurist and abolitionist work, into select exclusively black and BIPOC classes and workshops. 

"My beloved student, Amy Alaman, has been painting with me for over 10 years. And that includes the year she spent participating in and completing my Wild Heart Expressive Arts Teacher Training Program. From the very beginning she dove into this way of healing through the expressive arts with such wondrous passion and a powerful alignment with the intuitive painting process. I always felt like she was absolutely born for this work. Her capacity to surrender to the creative mystery and to trust in her own intuitive knowing again and again and again has always been such a joy to witness and behold. She is deeply committed to the principles and practices of intuitive painting that include a devotion to creative presence and aliveness, releasing the need for performance and approval, letting go of a particular outcome and listening deeply to the wisdom of the painting as a living message from the soul.She has taken this work and made it her own and is not simply an intuitive painter and artist and an amazingly potent teacher and guide but a living, breathing, embodiment of creative liberation. And if you work with her, she will skillfully help you find your own way on your path to joyful creative freedom."   
- Chris Zydel, Founder of Creative Juices Arts

"I always felt like Amy was absolutely born for this work. She has taken intuitive painting and made it her own." 

The Fiery Origin of Intuitive Painting