avg_rating: 4.46
name: Victoria Christian
about: Victoria Christian is the head editor of Feminine Mysticism in Art. She is also a contributing artist and writer and integrated the creative visions of over 65 contributors. Raised in the quaint town of Ashland, Victoria Christian was blessed to grow up in the emerald forests of Southern Oregon, learning as much as she could about the Gaian rhythms of life. Victoria graduated from Southern Oregon University with a Bachelors of Science in 1996, majoring in Sociology. In 2011, she graduated from Northern Arizona University with a Masters in Applied Sociology, emphasis in Social Theory, Sociology of Art, and Sociology of Gender. She did her thesis research on Women Artists and Identity Formation in a Postmodern Society, which is a major critiq Victoria Christian is the head editor of Feminine Mysticism in Art. She is also a contributing artist and writer and integrated the creative visions of over 65 contributors. Raised in the quaint town of Ashland, Victoria Christian was blessed to grow up in the emerald forests of Southern Oregon, learning as much as she could about the Gaian rhythms of life. Victoria graduated from Southern Oregon University with a Bachelors of Science in 1996, majoring in Sociology. In 2011, she graduated from Northern Arizona University with a Masters in Applied Sociology, emphasis in Social Theory, Sociology of Art, and Sociology of Gender. She did her thesis research on Women Artists and Identity Formation in a Postmodern Society, which is a major critique of culture and the art world. What emerged from her qualitative research was a developmental model of artistic identity development, which revealed the stages that most women go through in their identification process as an artist. She is in the process of compiling this rich research into a book as it has the potential to empower women artists in a rationally and scientifically oriented culture that is in some ways antithetical to creative development.Victoria started a second piece of research in 2002 on Feminine Mysticism in Art, which led to the creation of the book FMA. Upon interviewing several mystical artists (male and female), she discovered that most of them were extremely talented, but felt marginalized by the traditional gallery scene simply because their work was "too spiritual," "to political" and "too feminist." As a result, all of the artists felt it was necessary to harness their mission and "publish the map" in order to get their images into the world without compromising their spiritual, political, and visionary voices. The book evolved over 12 years and includes the creative visions of over 65 emerging and established visionary writers and artists.  In 2009, Victoria produced an animated visionary art DVD titled Feminine Mysticism in Art: Artists Envisioning the Divine, which has been featured at various music/art festivals, theatrical performances and spiritual conferences across the globe. You can purchase the animated DVD of visionary art and music on Amazon. To view the trailer, see the website: www.mysticspiritart.com.In 2015, Victoria received a second Masters degree in Social Work through Portland State University and has been working in the trenches as a home health medical social worker helping to empower physically disabled and financially oppressed people through counseling and access to community resources and mentors. Victoria has a thriving counseling and life coaching practice called Guanyin Healing Arts. For more information about her therapeutic modalities and counseling philosophy, see her website: www.guanyinhealingarts.comSusan Stedman is an assistant editor to FMA. She is a court reporter, editor, tarot/astrology counselor and the creator of oral histories documenting the lives of elderly people for future generations. She has raised three daughters, including Victoria Christian, and had many diverse life experiences that have contributed to her wisdom and ability to work with people, including her upbringing as the daughter of a prominent theologian and minister. She draws not only on her own rich history as a preacher's kid and single mom, but also as an anthropology student at Southern Oregon University, freelance editor, and twenty years as a freelance court reporter. Susan is a respected member of the Grandmother's Council in Southern Oregon and has devoted her life to pursuing acts of compassion in her local community. She reads prodigiously and is devoted to a spiritual walk. She and her husband currently reside in Southern Oregon. ...more