I am Thea Sheldon and have danced with art and artists for most of my life, though I’ve not actually considered myself an artist. I studied photography with Nick Dean at the University of Minnesota and completed requisite art classes on the way to an elementary education degree. Early creative expression came through when I started to design and construct my own clothes at age twelve. An excellent teacher turned Junior High art classes into an exciting adventure and the place where I learned and experimented with the guiding principles of ‘good art’.

Doll-making came to me in a mysterious, round-about way. While on a year-long road trip with my husband in 2005-06, we often found respite from the long driving days in bookstores. We took plenty of time to page through new and different magazines. At some point I noticed my fascination with the publication, Art Doll Quarterly .I purchased several copies, with not a clue why or for what purpose.

When travels ended and we returned to our home town of Ely, Minnesota the dolls lingered in my imagination. I resumed my business as a professional life coach, working mostly with midlife women ready for a transformation. During a brainstorming session with a colleague about a retreat we planned to do, I said, “It’s about the dolls. We need to have the women make dolls.” It came out of the blue. I had never made a doll in my life!

That was the beginning. Soon, I constructed my first doll, Fire Dancer, and then another and another.  It was clear from the beginning that the dolls were Spirit Dolls and again, I don’t know where the name or concept originated. I learned as I created and was ready to offer the first Spirit Doll Workshop in 2007. To date I have mid-wived over one hundred Spirit Dolls with women in groups or individually.

What I know is that the act of making a Spirit Doll is sacred work and is a direct way for a woman to discover what I call her True Voice. The doll offers insights and important information about the what’s next question in a woman’s life. Doorways to transformation are opened during the making of the doll and the conversation continues long after the workshop day ends. Many women have returned a second or third time to gain valuable insight into the next expression her soul is yearning for.

Biography

Thea Sheldon, The True Voice Coach for Women is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach with training from The Coaches Training Institute in San Raphael, CA. She has owned her own business since 1990, first as an organizational development consultant in the Twin Cities and Northeastern Minnesota areas and now her business offers professional life coaching services, 2000 to  present.

Her business is Prime of Life Coaching, LLC based in a commercial office space at 34 S. Second Avenue East in Ely, Minnesota. Thea may be reached at:

218-365-0050 or PO Box 788, Ely, MN 55731   

Thea also completed The Co-Active Space Leadership year-long program in  2002; The Business Development Leader Training  in 2004 and Organizational  and Relationship Systems Coach Training  in 2005, all through The Coaches Training Institute

Formal training is with the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis  BS Elementary Education 1969

The Spirit Doll Workshop
Deep, Rich and Bold: A Retreat for Women
September 12-17, 2011

Tofte Lake Center, Ely, MN
All materials and guidance are provided for the workshop.

This creative retreat is designed with plenty of open time and dedicated space for artists to work. Feel free to bring your own materials/projects to work on during the week, if you wish.

Complete information and registration is at www.theasheldon.com

Or call Thea with your questions at 218-365-0050