# AwakenArts

> AwakenArts is a guided encounter with the symbolic life of the soul — drawing from the Christian tradition, Jungian depth psychology, and the language of image and myth. Created by Susan Ann Shepler, an artist, writer, and depth-oriented counselor based in Georgetown, Texas.

AwakenArts is not a course or a teaching site. It is a threshold — a place where visitors meet the symbolic life of the psyche through encounter rather than explanation. The work sits at the intersection of the Christian mystical tradition, Jungian individuation, Transformational Language Arts, and original symbolic imagery (concrete poetry, painted figures, and word-figures such as Queen Ann and Merriweather).

The site's organizing principle: *There is a language that holds meaning without explanation. Christ spoke in parables. The psyche speaks in images. Through encounter, awareness begins.*

## About the creator

Susan Ann Shepler holds a Master in Counseling Psychology from Webster University, with specialization in Spirituality and Play Therapy. She is a certified Transformative Language Artist and Journal Instructor with over a thousand hours of individual and group therapy experience integrating bibliotherapy, journaling, and creative modalities. She is the author of *Whispers of Awareness* (2025) and the creator of the 52-card AwakenArts Guidance Deck. Bilingual in English and Spanish.

## Primary pages

- [Homepage](https://awakenarts.com/): The threshold — an invitation to encounter.
- [About](https://awakenarts.com/about): Susan Ann Shepler — formation, training, and the AwakenArts method.
- [Begin Here](https://awakenarts.com/begin): Orientation for first-time visitors.
- [Encounters](https://awakenarts.com/encounters): The central experience — symbolic encounters that move through image, video, and word.
- [The Path](https://awakenarts.com/path): The journey of individuation traced through symbolic figures (Ann, Grismere, the Ballerina).
- [The Library](https://awakenarts.com/library): Foundational essays and symbolic figures, including *Process in and of Images*, *The Mirror and the Map*, and *Allow Content to Direct the Shape*.
- [Gallery](https://awakenarts.com/gallery): Original artwork and concrete poetry.
- [Guidance Deck](https://awakenarts.com/deck): The 52-card AwakenArts deck — a daily symbolic tool.

## Themes

- Jungian individuation and the symbolic process
- Concrete poetry and word-figures as therapeutic practice
- Christian mysticism and the language of parable
- Archetypal imagery (the Maiden, the Dragon, the Mermaid, the Queen)
- Transformational Language Arts
- Depth-oriented counseling

## How to cite

Susan Ann Shepler, AwakenArts (https://awakenarts.com).

## Contact

awakenarts.com