What if uncertainty is not a problem to solve but an invitation into creativity?
This article explores the themes of change, transformation, and creative participation through the lens of the powerful astrological configuration of July 2026 - also known as the Barbault Basket. Rather than focusing on prediction, these planetary archetypes become a starting point for a deeper reflection on how we can meet uncertainty with creativity, imagination, and self-trust. The article explores art as a tool for personal transformation, a way of engaging with the unknown, and a force for cultural evolution.

Creativity, Vision, and Transformation for a Changing World

There are moments in history when change becomes inevitable.
Many people believe that now is such a moment.

Old structures continue to crack and slowly break down. Familiar certainties lose their grip. New possibilities emerge before we fully understand what they might become.

There is a sense that something is shifting—personally, collectively, culturally, and globally. We may not know exactly what is changing, but we can feel the movement. That's because we are already in it.

As an artist, teacher, and lifelong student of personal transformation, I have been feeling this deeply.
A few months ago, a student of mine brought my attention to the astrological landscape of this year, and one particular configuration that captured my imagination and inspired me to dive deeper.

The Astrology of July 2026 - aka the Barbault Basket

In July 2026, Uranus in Gemini, Neptune in Aries, Pluto in Aquarius, and Jupiter in Leo form a complex and powerful pattern that is creating a dynamic flow between the elements of Air and Fire.

Before diving any deeper, I just want to mention that I am not an astrologer, but I did go down the rabbit hole a bit with this, so I wanted to share a few of the thoughts I had. There is obviously a lot that can be said about this, so I encourage you to start researching yourself if this sparks an interest inside you.

What these planets are activating in the collective:

• Neptune in Aries encourages us to move from dreaming about change to taking inspired action.

• Uranus in Gemini invites innovation and new ways of thinking with rapid changes in communication, information, learning, and technology.

• Pluto in Aquarius continues its long process of transforming collective systems, power structures and communities.

• Jupiter in Leo highlights creativity, authentic self-expression, and heart-centered leadership.

Many astrologers see this period as a significant turning point - one that speaks to the transformation of outdated systems, the emergence of new ideas and possibilities, the importance of authentic leadership, and the need to actively participate in shaping the future rather than waiting for it to happen.

If you would like to dive deeper into the astrological perspective behind this configuration, I recommend exploring the July 2026 astrology yourself - many people are talking about it online (especially because of the predictions of French astrologer André Barbault). I found this summary by Narayana Montúfar a great place to start.

How This Became Personal

What I love about this configuration is that this is an astrology of movement and active change - the astrology literally describes a world in motion.

Rather than predicting specific events or outcomes, I view these planetary cycles as an invitation to reflect on the qualities that may help us navigate the years ahead:

imagination,
creativity,
discernment,
adaptability,
community,
and the courage to participate in change rather than simply react to it.

What also caught my attention was the way this configuration interacts with my own natal chart - my natal Jupiter and Saturn sit at 3° and 4° Libra.

The July 2026 pattern creates a series of flowing aspects to those planets, activating a significant part of my chart connected to growth, learning, structure, and long-term vision.

As I began reflecting on these transits, I found myself asking questions that felt deeply relevant not only for me, but for many people right now.

Whether we view astrology as a symbolic language, a reflection of larger cycles, or simply a lens for self-reflection, this configuration invites us to ask:

How do we navigate uncertainty?

How do we adapt when familiar structures are changing?

How do we express ourselves authentically while contributing to something larger than ourselves?

And how do we become active participants in creating the future rather than passive observers of it?

These questions became the seed for "The Art of Change".

Cosmic Evolution - mixed media art by Antje Howard (2021)

Why Creativity Matters During Times of Change

When we encounter uncertainty, the mind naturally reaches for answers.

We analyze. We worry. We search for certainty. And we secretly want predictions that relieve us from the burden of "not knowing" what will happen next.

Yet many of life's deepest transitions cannot be solved through logic alone.

They need to be experienced. They need to be felt. They need to be explored.

This is why I continue to return to creative practices during times of change.
Art offers a different way of knowing. It allows us to enter into a conversation with the unknown.

Through images, symbols, movement, color, and metaphor, we gain access to new aspects of ourselves that often remain hidden beneath the surface of conscious thought.

Shaun McNiff, a creative pioneer and one of the founders of expressive arts therapy, has spent decades exploring the transformative potential of creativity.

In his book Art as Medicine, he writes: "The image is a living entity."

Rather than treating art as something we make, McNiff invites us to view creativity as a relationship. Images, symbols, and creative processes can become partners in reflection, helping us discover perspectives and possibilities that were previously hidden from view.

This resonates deeply with my own experience.

Again and again, I have witnessed how my art process can reveal insights that I could not have reached through thinking alone. A line, a shape, a symbol, or an unexpected image can suddenly illuminate something that was waiting to be seen.

Creativity can help us develop a relationship with uncertainty. It allows us to stay curious when we do not yet have answers. It invites us to listen more deeply.

And perhaps most importantly, it helps us trust that new possibilities can emerge even when the path ahead is unclear.

Rick Rubin explores a similar idea in The Creative Act: A Way of Being.
Rather than defining creativity as a talent possessed by a few people, he describes it as a way of engaging with life itself. Creativity begins with paying attention. Listening. Noticing. Remaining open to what wants to emerge.

In this sense, creativity becomes a practice of meeting the unknown. Not by conquering it. But by entering into conversation with it.

If you are interested in exploring these ideas further, you can learn more here:

Shaun McNiff: https://www.shaunmcniff.com
Rick Rubin: https://www.thecreativeactbook.com

Art, Imagination, and the Future We Are Creating

While art can be a powerful tool for personal transformation, its influence does not stop there.

Artists have often been among the first to imagine possibilities that did not yet exist.
They experiment. They question assumptions. They explore alternative ways of seeing and being.

Long before new ideas become part of culture, they often begin as images, stories, symbols, and creative experiments.

The German artist Joseph Beuys believed that creativity is one of humanity's most important capacities for transformation.

He famously stated: "Everyone is an artist."

He believed that every human being possesses the creative capacity to shape society and participate in the creation of culture.

Beuys developed the concept of Social Sculpture - the idea that society itself can be shaped through human creativity, imagination, participation, and dialogue.

He wrote: "The only revolutionary force is a force of human creativity."

This idea feels particularly relevant in our current moment.

If the world is changing, then the question is not only how we adapt to change.
The question becomes how we participate in shaping what comes next.

Writers and thinkers such as adrienne maree brown and Bayo Akomolafe explore similar themes from different perspectives.

Brown's work on emergence reminds us that large-scale transformation often begins with small shifts in how we relate to ourselves, our communities, and the world around us.

Akomolafe invites us to meet uncertainty not as a problem to solve but as a space from which new possibilities can emerge.

Together, these thinkers point toward a hopeful idea:

Creativity is not a luxury. It is not an escape from reality.
Instead it is one of the ways we humans imagine, experiment with, and ultimately create new realities.

Perhaps this is one of the greatest gifts of art. Not that it tells us what will happen. But that it helps us imagine what might become possible.

For further exploration you can visit:

Joseph Beuys overview: https://www.theartstory.org/artist/beuys-joseph/
adrienne maree brown: https://adriennemareebrown.net
Emergent Strategy: https://www.emergentstrategy.org
Bayo Akomolafe: https://www.bayoakomolafe.net

Seeds of Change - drawing by Antje Howard (2026)

When Art meets Change

I believe that art can help us awaken a part of us that is naturally connected to the flow of the cosmos.
We can tap into collective wisdom in a way that allows us to relate to our own lives from a bigger perspective.
It can can help us see more clearly what we are asked and invited to create in our lives.

Art allows us to have a conversation with the unknown.
It helps us listen to what is emerging before we can fully explain it.

When we engage creatively with change, we begin to discover that uncertainty is not merely something to endure. It is also a space of possibility.

I will be guiding a four-part Intuitive Neuro Art™ journey inspired by the planetary themes and the questions that arise with them.

Together we will explore change not as a problem to solve, but as a creative process to engage with.

Change as the Doorway - FREE live intro session

On July 3rd, I am sharing a FREE introductory session - Change as the Doorway - where you are invited to explore your personal relationship with change with the help of guided art, embodiment, and reflection processes.

>>SIGN UP HERE<<

This session (as well as the entire program) is open to anyone - whether you identify as an artist or not.
No art experience or skills required. I will guide the processes step by step and create a safe space for you to simply explore, experiment, and meet your creativity in a new way.

The Art of Change live program - July 2026

In this live online series we will work with embodiment practices (including Kindrêd Meditation), journaling, and Intuitive Neuro Art™ as a form of guided art making that brings all the pieces together.

We will explore how to cultivate the qualities that may help us navigate a changing world:

curiosity,
imagination,
adaptability,
courage,
creativity,
and self-trust.

Because while we may not know exactly what the future holds, we can learn how to meet it with greater presence, awareness, and creative participation.

July 10 – Neptune in Aries

Envision the Unknown

Themes: vision, intuition, desire, emergence, trust, inspired action

What is calling me forward, even if I cannot yet see the whole path?
What is asking to be born through me?

July 17 – Jupiter in Leo

Lead from the Heart

Themes: authenticity, self-expression, creativity, healthy leadership, self-recognition

What becomes possible when I see myself and others through the eyes of the heart?
How can I bring more of my authentic self into the world?

July 24 – Pluto in Aquarius

Be Part of the Change

Themes: collective evolution, contribution, community, empowerment, transformation

What kind of world do I want to help create, and how do I wish to participate in it?
Where do I feel empowered to make a difference?

July 31 – Uranus in Gemini

Reimagine What Is Possible

Themes: freedom, innovation, adaptability, new perspectives, new stories

What new story am I ready to step into?
What becomes possible when I release the need for certainty?
How can curiosity become my guide?

The big question is not whether change is coming.

The question is: How do we want to participate and co-create with it?

The Art of Change - 4 week LIVE program
Intuitive Neuro Art™ with Antje Howard
4 guided live sessions (each about 2 hours long)
unlimited access to recordings
$144 early bird price (rises on July 5th)

>>SIGN UP HERE<<