Freebies for you!
Meet Rae Shagalov
Jewish Artist, Calligrapher & Author
Rae Shagalov is a Jewish artist, writer and master calligrapher, currently living in Los Angeles, who has been developing and refining her craft for over 30 years. In her sketchbooks is a rare and extra-ordinary journey of a Jewish artist’s spiritual journey. Over 3,000 pages of lively and engaging calligraphic notes contain Jewish wisdom from hundreds of Torah, Jewish mysticism and kabbalah classes on every major theme in Judaism. These calligraphic pages are, for the most part, copies of actual notes written during the classes.
I know you’re busy… but can you spare just 5-10 minutes a day?
I’m like your personal cheerleader, encouraging and inspiring you to keep moving forward! If I can help in any way, please let me know.
So many women are so busy taking care of everyone else, but their own inner spark is getting lost or moved aside.They feel depleted. Sometimes they feel like they’ve lost themselves and are frustrated and feel creatively unfulfilled. It doesn’t have to be that way!
I strongly believe that G-d endowed us with many gifts that can be used to energize ourselves, nurture our families and light up the world! Even if 5 minutes a day is all you’ve got. My goal is to inspire you to live a happy, fulfilling life, based on Torah and to help you energize your faith and connection to G-d through your own creativity (in whatever form that takes) and find support and solace in the midst of your daily challenges.
My Journey
I’m a bubby, artist, publisher and innovative educator. As a school librarian and gifted education specialist, I’ve had the privilege to guide more than 4,000 children and women to develop their talents and bring out their greatness through project-based learning and the Nurtured Heart Approach®.
You might have seen some of my Holy Sparks calligraphy posts or Joyfully Jewish books on Facebook, but you probably don’t know how I came to do what I do.
Now I love being Jewish, but I didn’t always. All I had really learned in Hebrew School when I was a child was how to read Hebrew – and not very well.
For many years, I had nothing to do with anything Jewish. I didn’t know that you could be Jewish and happy at the same time. I thought if you were Jewish, you had to be depressed and cynical. Little did I know the great joy that is the heart and soul of the Jewish experience!
I decided I wanted to try to figure out how to be happy, so I became a “spiritual tourist.” I checked out every religion I could find for 10 years but nothing felt like it fit. One day, at my university I saw a flyer with Hebrew on it. I tried to read it but I had forgotten how. Tears were rolling down my cheeks as I realized that I had lost something very precious.
I had just finished my first course in calligraphy and decided to do an independent study in Hebrew writing. I studied the books of Aryeh Kaplan and began going to Torah classes. Letter by letter, the alef bet led me to discover Chassidus, an authentic, HAPPY Judaism that was deeply satisfying to my soul.
That’s when my talent popped. I started writing Artnotes in calligraphy to review the amazing Jewish wisdom I was learning and share it with others.
Little-by-little, exhausting night after night, I went classes in Torah and Chassidus and wrote more then 5,000 pages of calligraphy Artnotes. I’m still working late into the night, with the help of G-d, to create books, journals, coloring books, videos & workshops with my art to inspire you and your children to love Torah, joyfully do mitzvahs (especially the hard ones), and bring out your creative talents to delight yourself and those you care about, and serve G-d with them. If I can help you with any of this, please let me know. It would be my great pleasure and honor.
Contact me to get your Passion Project out into the world!
My Philosophy
I believe the wisdom and beauty of Judaism can transform our lives. Every day of my life, I work to provide beautiful calligraphy inspiration and creative tools for you to color, write and doodle with meaningful reflection. My calligraphy Artnotes are based on Torah and Chassidic teachings from hundreds of very wise teachers.
Connecting to G-d is always about going higher and keeping yourself inspired which is why it’s so easy to fall when you don’t make time for yourself to reflect on your personal and spiritual growth. We are all growing two steps forward and one step backward (well, sometimes two steps backward and one step forward). As long as we are growing – no matter how slowly – there is hope in aspiring to be better…even if we aren’t quite sure yet what better is.
My Methods
A lot of us struggle to integrate the teachings of the Torah and mitzvot into our daily lives. My innovative self-help books, courses, and workshops are designed to inspire and delight you. I combine my calligraphy Torah Artnotes with creative journal prompts, coloring pages, guided meditation videos, and art tutorials to help you ignite your creative spark to energize and bring clarity to your day so you can do what you need to do and want to do with joy.
My Goals
You have a very special job in this world. There are certain holy sparks that only you can elevate. If you feel overwhelmed and uninspired, how can you lift up those around you?
Spiritual growth is hard work and a constant battle, but it’s very worth it in the end and fascinating along the way. My goal is to help you access your own inner resources – your intuition, your creativity, and you own holy spark so that you can live a rich, meaningful, and confident Joyfully Jewish life, fulfilling your G-d given mission.
Workshops & Author Events
Book a Joyfully Jewish creative, hands-on workshop, retreat, or Book-Signing event to inspire your community! Many transformational topics to choose from.
All workshops include calligraphy artnotes goody bags (like party favors for the soul!) and creative materials and supplies – it’s like walking into an art studio designed to uplift your life!
“Looking forward to the next time you have ANY workshop!” ~Cena Abergel
“The women loved it!” ~Mrs. Sara Labkowski, Director, Machon Chana
Custom Art, Calligraphy, Journals, & Workbooks
Want to commission a special quote or gift? Looking for a special honorarium gift for a donor? Have an important lecture or speech you’d like to make into an outstanding visual work of art?
Or maybe you’d like to increase the value of your telesummit or conference with custom workbooks and visual artnotes of the most important key takeaways for your guests and participants?
Hand-lettered artnotes of a Bar & Bat Mitzvah speech make great gifts, too! Find out how you can commission a unique, one-of-a-kind gift!
Coaching & Birthday Farbrengens
Find out how you can work with me to clarify your mission so you can life your life with joyful purpose.
I can help you brainstorm and plan out the steps of your creative projects or help you redefine yourself in the next stage of your true, authentic life, so that you can move forward confidently and joyfully in any area of your life!
Book a private coaching session or a birthday farbrengen (a special intimate gathering of close friends) to uplift and inspire you!
And you can also book a one-to-one or small group calligraphy or art class – local or online!