Is there something you want me to help you with?

By Andrea Schroeder / March 13, 2013

I am happy to help!? Book a short (15 minute!) phone call and we’ll un-stick the stuck and get you happily grooving along the path to your dream.

The beauty of a MINI session is that you narrow in on one thing, the one thing that’s super stuck right now, and you get it un-stuck.

This works because even though your dream is this big expansive thing, you can only actually do one thing at a time.

Focusing in on one thing you can shift right now is the most effective way to move yourself and your whole life in the direction of your dreams.

“Between my personal and business life, I had a lot on my plate. I was truly stuck with Time Management Skills.? My thought process at the time was to have a perfect schedule/itinerary. You helped me to realize that Time Management is more of being *effective* with your work within that time frame.

I was very overwhelmed and frustrated.? All the time I did have, I would just sit there in total frustration due to perfectionism.

After our session, I had to ponder. I had to reflect. Take it all in – then I got it!

Now I am getting everything done!? If I only work for One hour – that time is highly effective. I have jumped full throttle into my creativity.

Now, nothing stands in my way.”

Teresa Brouwer, Willow Creek Studio, www.teresabrouwer.com

Yes, all that from a 15 minute phone call!

You can read what others have to say about me and my work here.

A Mini Session is perfect for when:

You know you have a dream, you just don’t know what it is.
You know what your dream is, but you don’t know how to move towards it.
Or you know what your dream is but you don’t have enough time/money/support to be working towards it right now.
You’re working on it but keep running into this one thing that stops/terrifies/confuses you.
You just want a dose of magic, sparkles and I CAN DO IT positive energy.

In 15 minutes you’ll get sparkling crystal clarity about what steps to take right now? to get things moving.

You’ll leave the call with:

An answer to whatever question you had.
Clarity about what will support you the most right now.
An enhanced sense of possibility.

We can?t make your shining big dream real is 15 minutes (that?s what the Incubator is for) but we can clear what?s in your way right now and get you moving towards it in a smoother, more ease-filled way.

“You are sooo inspiring dear Andrea.? The mini session was very powerful and revealing and has opened up a new door marked potential.”

Heidi Jones, Alchemy of the Arts, alchemyofthearts.blogspot.co.uk

You’ll also get:

A recording of our call (I’ll send you a download link to access your recording within 48 business hours, the link will be accessible for 7 days)
My notes and recommendations for the easiest way to implement what we talked about (to keep the magic flowing beyond our 15 minutes together, also sent to you within 48 business hours)

“Very helpful consult!? Thinking about my project in a whole nother way.”

Max Daniels, Weight Loss and Money Coach at www.maxdaniels.com

You’ll LOVE this if:

You are both creative and spiritual, but in your own unique way.
You think of yourself as a dreamer.
You’re open minded and ready to try something new and kind of silly.
You understand that it’s the inner work that gets outer results.
You wouldn’t mind working on your stuff in a way that’s fun and creative.

This is definitely NOT for you if:

You’re uncomfortable being creative/imaginative/silly (in order to be effective, the call is going to get weird).
You’d rather not face your fears or feelings.
Deep down inside, you don’t actually want to change anything.

How it Works:

In these super-short sessions we don’t have time to dive into your story, which is actually part of why they are so surprisingly effective.

We’re going to step out of your story and into your inner world where we can transform and dissolve the stuck at its core.

We’ll begin with a questionnaire.? A lot of people report that they feel less stuck just after filling in the questionnaire.

The combination of questionnaire (aka spending some time getting clear on what’s going on) and the commitment to transformation (aka you don’t book a session with me unless you’re ready to Make Your Dream REAL) is super magical.

After you send your questionnaire, you’ll be ushered over to my online scheduler to book your session.? Our session will happen either on a conference line (it’s a US number even though I’m Canadian) or on Skype (audio only).

Do not worry about not knowing what to say!? Thanks to the questionnaire, I’ll already know what’s going on and I’ll lead you in diving right into the magic of how to get what you want.? In the process, I’ll ask you some strange questions, I’ll have you visualize really silly things, we’ll giggle a lot, and there may be tears.

There will also be: relief, a-hah moments and the magic of connecting with your infinite creative potential.

And the cost?? It’s MINI too!

The introductory price for Mini Creative Dream Coaching Sessions is ~~$37.~~

Let’s do this: You, me, your dream + fifteen minutes of magic.

I’M SORRY, MINI COACHING SESSIONS ARE CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE.

If you want to find out how I can help you grow your dreams, send me a message.

Helping you get what you WANT is my life?s work?and play.

I help CreativeSpiritual people create success on their own terms.

I?ve studied the spiritual art of DREAM-FULFILLMENT for eighteen years, and have counseled & coached people into jobs they adore?homes they treasure?relationships that light them aglow?and creative adventures (large & small) that color their lives with joy.

Everyone suspects that their dream is impossible, too far-fetched, too big. Happily, everyone is wrong.

I have the tools to help you get what you want. And I?m literally wiggle-dancing with excitement to share them with you.

The introductory price for Mini Creative Dream Coaching Sessions is $37.

Let’s do this: You, me, your dream + fifteen minutes of magic.

Policies for Mini Creative Dream Coaching Sessions:

Creative Dream Mini Coaching Sessions happen on my Conference Call Line.? We’ll both call in and meet there.? Even though I’m Canadian, it’s an American phone number.? I can also meet you on Skype (audio only) if you prefer – just email me after you’ve booked your session with your Skype ID.

Creative Dream Mini Coaching Sessions happen during the day (North American Central Time Zone) on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.? If you absolutely must book your session outside of this, email me before signing up to see if I can accommodate you (you can use the contact form on this page)

Your session is good for 8 weeks from date of purchase, and then it expires.? There are no refunds for expired sessions.

Your session can be rescheduled with 48 hours notice (just send me an email).? Sessions cancelled with less than 48 hours notice cannot be rescheduled or refunded.

If you haven’t called within 5 minutes of the start time, your session is cancelled and cannot be rescheduled or refunded.

If you call in a few minutes late our session be a few minutes short.? It’s best to call into the conference line a few minutes early to be ready to go on time.

This session does not include follow-up support.? You are free to book another session, or join my Creative Dream Circle, if you want ongoing Creative Dream Support.

Is there something you want me to help you with? Read More »

My Vision

By Andrea Schroeder / March 12, 2013 / Manifest Your Dream Life

This is how it feels:

A glowing pink heart with golden wings.

In a circle of wide, open sky.

Held by a ring of love.

With light rays shooting out beyond it.

So magic and amazing it glows.

This is my vision for my Creative Dream Circle and this is how it feels for me to hold the vision.

My vision: 200 Dreamers in the Circle.

200 dreamers who have all the tools they need for SUCCESSFUL Creative Dream Incubation.

200 dreamers who have all the SUPPORT they need for successful Creative Dream Incubation.

200 dreamers staying engaged in the process of activating their MAGIC.

200 dreamers DELIGHTING in the POWER of their creativity, spirit and purpose.

200 dreamers making a HUGE difference in the world as they are held in the magic in the circle.

I breathe this energy in and let it light the way.

In reading this post and meditating on the essence of my dream every morning I trust the path to unfold in front of me.

I trust the love I have for this vision to light the way for these 200 dreamers to find me.

I trust the passion I have for this vision to fuel the process of bringing it to life in perfect timing.

ps: If you are one of the 200 I’m looking for (yay!) you can join right here.

My Vision Read More »

Hello, Money.

By Andrea Schroeder / March 7, 2013 / creative entrepreneur, healing, money

As part of my post-Creative With Money Playdate Assignments (fyi I am working on a kit version of the Playdate!) I have a monthly meeting with money.? Not like, spreadsheets and budgets, I look at the financial stuff in my business all the time. ?These meetings are different, this is where I meet with money, soul to soul.

Right now the Soul of Money appears to me as a peacock that lays golden eggs.

The backstory: It started out as a dam that first just confused me and then allowed me to profit from flow, and has since morphed into a few other stories and has been the peacock since last fall.? As I did my best to do what the peacock was asking me to to, in the winter it started laying golden eggs to show me possibility but I didn’t have a way to turn the eggs into anything useful.

When I tried to pick up the golden eggs, the gold peeled off and turned to dust.? Abundance was right there but I couldn’t pick it up.? But I kept working with the peacock and then this amazing golden art deco carriage showed up right behind the peacock that turned the eggs into coins.

And now, this month, there is a lot more gold sparkling in the air than last month, like the peacock has this permanent gold glitter backdrop.

But the peacock looks tired, and a little annoyed.

And so we begin (peacock’s words are in italic):

Honey, you’re not picking up all the coins!

What? I’m supposed to pick them all up?? How?

[We both sit in silence. I’m imagining running around exhausting myself trying to pick up the coins. The peacock is looking at all the coins strewn about on the ground and feeling sad about them going to waste.]

The carriage needs an accessory that gathers and holds the coins.

No, that’s your job.? Seriously!? I am laying the freaking golden eggs plus got this amazing cart that turns them into coins!? All you have to do is pick them up!? You won’t even gather the gold coins I have brought to you?

It’s not that I won’t.? I just don’t know how. Or… I guess I didn’t know that I was supposed to.

Honey, you have to receive me.

I thought I already did.

Well, you do.? But more is coming your way so you have to beef up your receiving.

How?

You know how.? Those thoughts in your head right now… act on them.

OK, I can do that.

Remember: Don’t worry about how to do it, just do it.? The how will work itself out like it always does as long as you do what feels right and don’t do what feels wrong and LOTS of creative journaling BEFORE acting.

I should go buy some new art supplies.

YES! Get that stuff you need that makes creative journaling more fun.? Also: drink lots of tea, listen to music and fill the fridge with delicious and nourishing things.? Create the perfect container to bring all of this to life.? Picking up the coins is not the chore you’ve been making it out to be!? It’s a party, sweetie.

I see that now.? OK! I want to go shopping and then get journaling.? Thank you for this.

Clear Direction!? What a gift.

And I started to paint….

And it turned into a money compass.? Excited to see where it goes.

Hello, Money. Read More »

How Meeting your FEARS with CREATIVITY and LOVE Means you’ll Never Have to Stay STUCK

By Andrea Schroeder / March 5, 2013 / healing

Every time I talk to a client who is really stuck about something, once when we get a clear picture of what’s happening, the problem is? that they are listening to their inner critics.

There is no other cause of stuck.? It really is as simple as that.

I know it seems like it’s got to be more complicated than that, but it isn’t.? You can only do one thing at a time, and that one thing can either be what your infinite creative potential is suggesting or what your inner critics are suggesting.

What makes it seem more complicated is that most people’s infinite creative potential speaks to them in a whisper, while their inner critics are screaming.? Your infinite creative potential is actually much more powerful and much louder – but if you’ve spent your whole life tuning it out of course you’re not going to be able to hear it!? Meanwhile, if you’ve spent a lifetime of listening to your inner critic of course you’re going to hear it loud and clear!

This is the stuff I wish they taught in schools.

Learning how to tune into the voice of your infinite creative potential and turn down the volume on your inner critic is the secret to success.

Every minute you spend listening to your fears, doubts and inner critics is a minute in which you are NOT building your Empire of Creative Dreams.

You may be so used to listening to them that it feels so natural that you don’t even know you’re doing it.

You know you are listening to your inner critics if:

You see a LOT of obstacles in your way.
You’re waiting for things to change before you can go for your dream.
You’re pretty sure if you did go for it, you’d fall flat on your face.
You have a lot of other obligations right now and don’t have time to dream.
Your dream is a nice hobby but there’s no way it could be a Big Serious Thing.? Best to hold onto that day job.
You totally want to go after your dream, you just don’t have enough time/support/money.
You have no idea what to do about your dream.

Now wouldn’t it be nice to be listening to your infinite creative potential instead?? You know this is happening when:

You see the obstacles, and you see ways to work around them.
You’re passionately mapping out a way to get exactly what you want.
You’re willing to fail but deep down inside you believe in yourself and you believe in your dream.
You’re seeing ways to set up your life to make room for everything that’s important, including your dreams.
You sometimes surprise yourself with how BIG you’re dreaming, and you love it.
You are determined to find a way to make this work, you don’t need to wait until you have the time/money/support.
You are filled with inspiration and really amazing ideas for how to move forward.

Learning how to make this internal shift is the most important thing you can learn.

Read that second list again and imagine what your life would be like if all of these things were true for you.

Here’s the secret: you can’t do this by OBLITERATING your fear.

Or ignoring it or burying it or fakin’ it ’til you make it

Because your fear is a part of you too.

Your fear, doubts and even your meanest inner critics are actually just a freaked out inner child.

Meeting that child with love calms it down.
Meeting that child with creativity transforms the situation.

You give it a hug and say “Oh sweetie, I see you’re upset.? Let’s see what we can do to make you feel better” and you explore.

The beauty, magic and power in this approach is that in order to meet your fear in that way, you automatically align yourself with your infinite creative potential.?

When you’re plugged into creativity and love you’re plugged into your magic and you’re in that place where everything is possible.? This disengages the energy dynamic you’ve been in with your fears.

Meeting your fears, doubts and inner critics with creativity and love will transform the situation, every time.? It’s the fastest way to getting un-stuck.

With love and compassion you work with your fear to create a new possibility.

Deep down inside, your inner critics, fears and doubts (AKA frightened inner children) want the same things you do.?

When you enter into a loving and creative energy dynamic with them you can now work together to get those things.

Want to experiment and play with this?

This is the essence of what we do in the Un-Sticking Station in the Creative Dream Circle.

You even get a recording called: How Meeting Your Fears With Creativity + Love Means You Never Have to Stay Stuck, where we create a beautiful safe space for exploring fears, I talk about how this works and then lead a few volunteers through the process so you can see how it actually works.

This is so abstract, it’s kind of hard to explain.? But once you experience what it’s like to see people work through the process, you’ll totally see the magic.

What you’ll get:

A deeper understanding of how to handle fears/doubts/limiting beliefs/inner critics
A simple process you can use to gently and effectively disarm your fears whenever they strike
Deep down knowing that you are not alone in this, which makes it a gazillion times easier to deal with.

I believe we are always either listing to our fears or listening to our creative genius.? Fears are good at masquerading as a lot of other things, like logic and sensibleness, and the better you get at working with fear, the better you get at identifying it so that you can spend more of your life being guided by your genius, instead of by your fears.

In other words – meeting your fears with creativity and love is HOW YOU CREATE MAGIC.

The world needs your magic.

PS: That longer How Meeting Your Fears With Creativity + Love Means You’ll Never Have To Stay Stuck recording is in the Creative Dream Circle.

How Meeting your FEARS with CREATIVITY and LOVE Means you’ll Never Have to Stay STUCK Read More »

Creative Depletion + Filling The Well

By Andrea Schroeder / March 4, 2013

Me, wrapped up in my rainbow superhero blanket.

Monday morning is usually my favourite time of the week.? I love mornings, I love new beginnings.? I love what I’m doing with my work so it’s always exciting to dive into a new week.

This Monday is different.? This Monday I’m starting from a state of creative depletion.

The past five weeks I’ve undertaken what I have been calling The Mystery Project.? This is the biggest project I’ve ever done and I broke ALL of my own rules for creative nurturing and extreme self-care in order to do it as quickly as I did.

Sometimes you have to break the rules.

When it comes to creating my own courses and everything I do in my business, I have learned how to schedule and plan in tune with my creative needs and cycles.? I give everything what it needs to incubate FIRST.? When you give the creative dream incubation process what it needs FIRST, the creation process becomes so much easier – everything works like magic.

Speaking of magic -? this amazing opportunity came my way.? A once in a lifetime kind of opportunity.? The kind of opportunity that, if I hadn’t jumped on it and given it everything I had I would have regretted it for the rest of my life.

So I chose to work myself into a state of creative depletion knowing that depletion is temporary and I am skilled at filling the well.

There are schools of thought (and I used to agree with them) that say that balance is key and you have to focus on maintaining balance at all times.? I now think that’s horseshit.

Creativity is flashes of light and wild creative abandon and stillness and deep incubation.?? You don’t balance it, you dance with it.

Every part of the cycle is part of creativity.? Trying to stay in a state of balance can mean softening the edges of that natural cycle and dimming your light and dulling your results.

Success comes in being actively engaged in all parts of the dance.

And also seeing the beauty and joy in all parts of the dance.? Even though I actually feel better when I’m being actively creatively productive, remembering that the refilling times are just as important for productivity helps me relax into the decadence of exquisite self-care.

Right now, for me this means: naps, bubble baths, aromatherapy, journaling and lots and lots of tea. Oh! And some molasses cookies dipped in tea!? Mmmmmm.

PS: I’m doing TWO group coaching calls this month:

March 15: How Meeting Your Fears With Creativity + Love Means You Never Have To Stay Stuck

March 26: Creative Business Q+A Call

Click here to read more + sign up.

Creative Depletion + Filling The Well Read More »

This is who I am and what I stand for.

By Andrea Schroeder / February 26, 2013 / Manifest Your Dream Life

I am an artist.? My canvas is my life.

My tools are adventure, play, possibility, love, deep healing work, transformation, authentic power, glee, creativity, connection to spirit, expression of purpose and being a ray of light.

Also: journals, rainbows, crystals and mineral spas.

It’s important to me to live my life in a way that feels true to who I am and to contribute what I feel I am here to contribute.?

This is more important to me than anything.? More important than finding a partner, having babies or making a million dollars.? I can do without pretty much anything else, but if I didn’t have this I would wither and die.

Even before I had the tools to be able to do this effectively, I was still practically allergic to seeing people hiding their true selves.? They mirrored the places where I didn’t know how to not compromise and it made me itchy and uncomfortable.

I stand for being who I am and supporting others in the process of becoming who they are.

I believe this, and only this, will save the world.

When you can be who you are you have access to infinite wisdom, infinite strength, infinite creativity, infinite love, infinite inner power and infinite ingenuity…. when you can be who you are anything is possible, in a tangible way.? And anything that harms or belittles? anyone or anything else just seems like a stupid waste of time.?

When you can be who you are you become a light.? Most of the world is in shadow right now.? When most of the world is in light – things will change.

So when I talk about making your dreams real I am talking about changing the world.? One awakened creative being at a time.

I just read this blog post and it inspired me to write out who I am and what I stand for.

PS: I’m hosting an amazing playdate this weekend and you’re invited! Read more + register here.

This is who I am and what I stand for. Read More »

How DELIGHT Can Rev Up Your Superpowers

By Andrea Schroeder / February 25, 2013

DELIGHT:

1. Which is delight: how delighting in your dreams helps give you the energy and enthusiasm you need to make them happen. Delight can fuel you up and fill you up, so you become BIGGER than the obstacles in your way.

2. And it?s also deLIGHT: how your dream is how you shine your light out into the world and exploring what kinds of things can help you do that more effectively.

Your dream is your dream for a reason.?

That reason is so jam-packed with delight it it can power the lights that light up the path that leads to your dream come true.? Shining your light out into the world is what you came here to do, it’s a basic part of everyone’s programming.

It’s also COMPLETELY TERRIFYING.

And the ways we react to that terror are fascinating.? We block the light, we turn away from the light, we pretend we don’t have as much light as we do – all while desperately searching for ways to shine our light more brightly.

Creativity = shining your unique light into the world.

It we were just blocking/avoiding/ignoring our light (like most of the world is doing right now) we would go numb and settle into lives that don’t quite fit and accept that this is the best it gets.

When you’re blocking/avoiding/ignoring (and we’re all doing this on some level) while at the same time trying to bring a creative project to light it’s like two opposing energies colliding.

I want it so bad.

But I’m scared.

But I’m ready.

But I’m not, really. I mean – who am I do to this?

But I am ready! I want this so bad!

But I’m scared.

etc.

Depending how conscious or unconscious this all is, you may actually recognize this conversation or you may just find that you really want to do something but no matter how you try it just doesn’t work out the way you wanted it to.

Either way you both LOVE THE THING YOU WANT TO DO SOOOO MUCH and also GET SO FRUSTRATED AND SCARED SOMETIMES.

It’s really hard to hold intense energies that are moving in the opposite direction from each other.? But this is the path of bringing a big dream to life: Dealing with the fears, freak-outs and stucks while growing your Creative Genius.

This inner work stuff is so hard sometimes.

Cue: PLAYDATES!

On March 3 I am running a Virtual Playdate (AKA How To Fill Your Life With So Much Magic It Actually Sparkles).

The theme will be: deLIGHT

This is where you imagine me grinning like an idiot.? I am still slightly stunned and amazed by my Playdates.? I have been running them monthly in my Creative Dream Circle since September and very month they deliver: magic, miracles and life-changing shifts in perspective.

Playdates are filled with:

Creativity. Play. Gleeeeful Explorations.

Looking inside for direction, guidance and fuel.

Exploring ways to trust those inner messages.

Opening up new layers of what is really true, for you.

Figuring out how to apply all of this to how you live your life.

Surprising True Fact: With the right approach, you can actually play your inner work better than you can work on your inner work.

Ready? Let’s play!

Registration: $37 (US)

We shall Playdate On March 3, starting at 11am Central (click here to find out what time this is in your time zone).? It will be 3 hours long and include 4 phone calls, with breaks in between for playdating on your own.

It’s amazing if you can be there live, but people do report having just as much success working with the recordings.? You’ll still love this, even if you can’t be there live.

Registration includes:

access to the live calls and recordings of the calls
four Playdate ~~workbooks~~ playbooks

You’ll leave the Playdate with:

a new understanding of how delight can rev up your superpowers
clarity about what your dream needs right now
unique + effective ideas for how to make the path to your dream more delight-full and less scary

?What you need:

phone line and computer to access the calls, hear the recordings and download the playbooks
journal and whatever art supplies feel fun for you
three uninterrupted hours (or you can break it up into segments and playdate over a couple of days or weeks)

I hope you’ll join me, I’d love to play with you.

I might offer another playdate in the future but I never do the same one twice.? So if this speaks to you, join me now!

Questions? Check out my policies page.

PS: If you want access to regular Playdates and Teleclasses at a lower price, (plus a ton of extra stuff like my Creative Business Incubator and Advanced Creative Badassery Resource Library and an ongoing private forum) you are welcome to join the Creative Dream Circle.

If you are already a member of the Creative Dream Circle don?t register for this playdate! You get it all free in the Circle, of course.

How DELIGHT Can Rev Up Your Superpowers Read More »

Creative Genius Planning Session

By Andrea Schroeder / February 18, 2013

Every Monday morning in the Creative Dream Circle, we have a Creative Genius Planning Session.? We invite in the qualities we want to play with for the week, intentions for how we want to be and what we’d like to accomplish and receive, we bring our creative genius into planning so that things so easy and smooth, we inspire each other and we make magic.

This week I felt like posting mine here, so here goes.

For the last little while, I’ve been working on a Mystery Project which has basically taken over my regular schedule.? This week I’d like to start to shift back, with maybe 50-50 split of Mystery Project and regular Creative Magic Headquarters Activities.

So what would that look like?

Ha, that seems so confusing at first but actually it’s simple – smaller containers for Mystery Project naturally means more space for other stuff.? But thinking about doing that feels uncomfortable and tight…

….cue discussion with Mystery Project…

Mystery Project – what do you need?

More than 50% that is for sure!? Why is it that you want to shift back into “normal” before I’m done?

Oh, good question.? Oh!? That’s an old pattern.? It’s how I react when external things try to swoosh in and change my plans.? I protect what I want.

Do you really need to protect yourself from me?

No!? I’m seeing you as external but really you are a project I chose to say yes to and you are a project I love and am excited about.? I guess I worry that I am dropping too many balls in the process of spending all this time with you.

….cue discussion with Other Stuff That Is Being Left Behind…

Hey!? Other Stuff!? I miss you!

Oh man, (blinking) can you turn down the light?? You woke me up and I was having such a delicious sleep.

Oh, so you’re not jumping around impatiently waiting for me to come back to you?

Dude!? Mystery Project is awesome!? We’ll have so much more fun together after it’s finished.

Oh, that makes sense.? OK, enjoy your sleep and just let me know if you need anything.

Hmmmm….. So I guess planning this week is simpler than I thought.

Important:

(Created list of important things this week and added in to my journal page in purple marker)

Yes, everything else can continue to sleep and I can give Mystery Project most of my attention this week. (Created list of priorities for Mystery Project for this week in hot pink marker)

Also, in keeping with our Creative Dream Incubator work in the Circle this week, added a list of things I am doing to nourish myself, my creativity and my dreams, in turquoise marker.

Invitations

I am inviting trust, ease and flow to hang out with me this week.? I am making my (inner + outer) space a welcoming container for these qualities by remembering them in my meditations and leaving myself reminders about them.

OK week, I am ready to rock you!

Creative Genius Planning Session Read More »

Your Creative Dreams don’t need support.

By Andrea Schroeder / February 14, 2013

Every month we do this amazing playdate/tea-party-of-miracles in the Creative Dream Circle.? And every month as I’m preparing it I think we’re going to learn x and then we end up learning abcdefghihjklmopqrstuvw.

This month I wanted to create space for us to create? Support Systems for our Creative Dreams.? You know what I’m talking about, that system or product or way-of-doing-things that makes everything magically easy, always, forever and ever.

How embarrassing is that?? I have been doing this for how long and I am still looking for that magic bullet?

Luckily, the playdates are a container and an invitation for magic + miracles to occur.? So it doesn’t matter what I think we’re going to learn, everyone’s going to learn what they need to learn, including me.

So when we invited the heart and soul of SUPPORT to join us in the circle, I was completely blown away.

My Creative Dreams don’t need support.

They are already perfectly and beautifully supported by spirit and purpose.? Nothing I can create or find or buy would add to this in any noticeable way.? My creative dreams are already completely supported, perfectly whole and complete and real on the spiritual plane(s).

It’s me who needs support!? You and me and all the other creative dreamers.? Bringing a dream to life is a big job that demands internal growth.? Internal growth almost always requires a different kind of support than you think it does.

This is part of the nature of being in the process of change, you can’t properly anticipate what you need because you’re thinking from where-you-were and the support is needed at the level of where-you’re-going.? That’s why I playdate these things instead of attempt to teach them – playdates open you up to your creative genius and divine intuition so you can get the answers you need.

During the playdate the heart and soul of support asked me to let go of some old dreams, and old ways of seeing myself, to free up my energy to be more supportive of the dreams that want to come to life now.? This is NOT even close to what I was expecting.

I was expecting stuff like: spend more time working on it, be more organised and productive, have a better system, get expert advice, hire the right help, blah, blah blah.? In hindsight, those do sound like things my inner critics would say, not my inner genius.

So I wasn’t expecting, even a little bit, to be asked to let go of dreams that I’d held for so long they feel like a part of who I am.? When I received that message, I felt totally blown away and confused.

But now?? Not even two weeks later, I think it’s AMAZING the way our dreams can lead us to discover new aspects of who we really are.

Of Course(!) it’s time to let go of some of those dreams.? I have been feeling like it doesn’t all fit.? Letting go makes space for what’s really important right now.? And it’s not like I destroyed the old dreams – I can always go back to them if I want to.

Right now I feel free.? Like there is enough room for what matters, like there is even enough room for my dreams to grow bigger than I think they can.

So thank you playdate!? And thank you to my fellow Creative Dreamers in the Circle who help make the playdates so stunningly transformative, healing and FUN.

This is the soul ~~work~~ play of bringing a dream to life.? I am blown away grateful that this is also the work work I get to do every day, and that I get to do it with such amazing and inspiring people. I have so much love for all of you.

Your Creative Dreams don’t need support. Read More »

The world needs your light. Shine bright.

By Andrea Schroeder / February 12, 2013

Getting yourself to a place of being able to shine your light, and then making the necessary adjustments to keep shining the brightest light you can reach for is an ever-changing dance.

My dance, over the past few weeks has included:

solitude, lots and lots of glorious solitude
so many mugs of tea
re-arranging the furniture (both literally and metaphorically)
45,000 words written
journals and art supplies scattered all throughout the dream loft
getting to know my most menacing inner critic yet – a huuuuge beast, a cross between a bird and a wolf.? (And then finding out it was just an inner child in a costume – which is why you NEVER yell at inner critics or tell your fears to fuck off.? No matter what they look like they are always your sweet, scared inner children)
the discovery of a whole new level of radiance + joy and the ability to plug into it in a whole new way

The quiet times are when all the best stuff happens.

The world needs your light. Shine bright. Read More »

YOUR dream is important.

By Andrea Schroeder / February 7, 2013

Make it real in the Creative Dream Incubator.

YOUR dream is important. Read More »

Things I Know (Dialogue with my inner worry-wort)

By Andrea Schroeder / February 6, 2013 / healing

When I’m a little dazed and confused, it’s always helpful to write out a list of things I know.? This is a random list of what I know today:

1. All Signs Point To YES.? Just because this new thing is a “way bigger deal” than anything I’ve done before, my inner critics are convinced it can’t succeed.? But nothing has actually happened that suggests this isn’t going to go exactly as planned.

2. I am clearly exceeding my current limit for what I feel comfortable receiving.? I have been here before and it has never meant anything other than it’s time to expand my limit.

3. My intuition is clear. My intuition has never led me astray.? Following my intuition has always proven to be safe.

4. I don’t have to see it to know it’s there.

5. I have so many options it’s ridiculous.? There is always a way.? And I have so many tools for finding ways!? I have The Best Tools, actually.

6. The work I’m doing right now lights me up like nothing else.? I’m definitely on the right path.

7. My mission is much bigger than me.? (The top of my head tingled when I wrote that.)? The support for me mission is also bigger than me.

In light of all this, sweet tiny part of me who worries, are you sure the worry is needed?? It’s ok to take a break if you want, I’ve got this.

Yeah, I’m pretty sure I need to worry!? What if no one is worrying?!? What will happen when things start to go wrong if I wasn’t worrying in advance!! Disaster!? I wouldn’t be able to fit all the worry into the time left! And then what?!?!?!

Yeah, and then what?

I wouldn’t worry all the worry!

I know, but what would happen if you didn’t worry ALL the worry?

[No response for a while, she just looks kind of stumped and confused.]

If there is too much un-worried worry, doesn’t it fall to the ground and ruin everything?

I don’t think so sweetie, has that ever happened?

I don’t know.? I just want to be READY!? When disaster strikes I don’t want to be surprised, I want to be ready.

Do you think worrying in advance is the best way to get ready?

Yes?

Yes?

Yes!? Worry makes you look at other options!

But worry isn’t the only thing that makes me look at other options.? What about the Creative Dream HOLYdays we do every month in the Circle?? So many options, ideas and possibilities come out of those, much more than worrying has ever created.

Oh my gosh! Worry might not be the best tool!? The HOLYdays DO give you the best ideas.

You don’t have to worry about whether or not you’ve been using the right tool, sweetie. See worry actually makes it harder to move forward because it’s got kind of a heavy vibe.? Worry slows things down which I think you like because it feels safer to you to slow things down.

If I was cataloging all the ideas, possibilities and options instead of worrying I think that would be more helpful.? I could respond faster in an emergency.? And… well, you’re right that I do feel safer when you are moving slower and I could still slow you down by showing you the catalogs.

Huh.? I am very inspired by my little worry-wort!

I’d love to create this catalog!

I do have journals upon journals filled with this stuff but if I put it into a binder where I can organise everything that actually would be very helpful.

Excited! I’m off to get a latte and get started cataloging my many options, possibilities and ideas.

Things I Know (Dialogue with my inner worry-wort) Read More »

The puzzle is too small or the pieces are too many

By Andrea Schroeder / February 1, 2013 / healing, Manifest Your Dream Life

We’re on Module There of the Creative Dream Incubator in the Creative Dream Circle which is Expression: The Magic + Sparkle of Making Dreams Real.? Creating space in our lives so the dreams have somewhere to grow into.

The first few weeks of the Incubator is about tending to the more invisible aspects of creative dreaming, working on your relationship with your dream and your relationship with possibility and magic, so that those relationships are strong enough to bring the dream to life.? In all of that, two dreams came to the forefront for me but many others are right behind them.

And my relationship with each one of them is AHmazing.? And I can’t wait for them to be here!

But when I step back and look at the whole, look at where and how I can fit all these different things into my life it’s all GAH.

GAH!

So I sat with the GAH to discover what it has to teach me and here it is:

I am being stretched, so that I can contain all of these dreams at once.? It’s ok that I don’t know how it all fits yet because I am in the process of being stretched and I won’t be able to see that until I am stretched enough for it.? And then *pouf* everything will make sense and everything will fit.

The message is for me to be ok with not knowing.

Which makes me want to GAH again but instead I’m taking a deep breath and reminding myself that every time I have been in a place of not-knowing that has lead me to something new – bigger, better, brighter, whatever.? If I never go into that place of not-knowing I never get to experience anything new.? If I never allow myself to be stretched I never get to have more.

And the GAH is now is a hug filled with comfort and reassurance and familiarity and trust.

And when I step back and look at the whole instead of that GAH of not being able to see how it all fits I see a lot of fog and mystery.? Before it felt like it can’t all fit and now it feels like it does all fit – I just can’t see how.? But I trust the fog and I trust the mystery so now it’s exciting to watch and find out how it’s all going to fit.

The puzzle is too small or the pieces are too many Read More »

Creative Flow. Why Aren’t You Here Yet?

By Andrea Schroeder / January 30, 2013 / healing

So I continue to work on this project.

My heart is full:

DELIGHT? in the magic of this project

CARE for all the little details

GRATITUDE for being offered something that is on a scale far, far beyond the level I’ve been working on

LOVE for the project itself and how it’s going to help people

And still. Progress is beautiful and slow. MADDENINGLY SLOW.

Hmmmm.? Seeing that there in black and white I feel I should add: it’s probably not slow at all.? It’s more like I WANT IT TO BE RACING CAR FAST.

Something amazing is coming to life here and it needs whatever time it needs to do that.? And I know that is true about every single thing that comes to life but that doesn’t change how annoyed I am with this for being so slow.

And *pouf* my Creativity Fairy Godmother appears right beside my laptop.

Oh honey, you know, right?? You know that your annoyance is actually slowing things down?

Yeah, I know.? But it’s how I feel!

Oh of course!? We would never tell you to feel differently than how you feel!? But, well, you know better than to try to push and work on a thing that you are annoyed with while you are annoyed, right?? I mean you’re not exactly a beginner …

Right.? If I am annoyed my attention naturally wants to be going to taking care of the annoyance.? Instead I am trying to force my attention to remain on the project, which is the source of the annoyance and YIKES yes I am compounding the annoyance and turning it into a bounder which blocks creative flow.

Yes sweetie Creative Flow is Flowing. That’s what it does.

And here I am – throwing boulders in its way while demanding it to show up faster.

Right so, would now be a good time to stop doing that?? You’ve got that lovely soup waiting for you at home. What if you go home, enjoy some soup, and take care of your annoyance before coming back to this project?

And *pouf* a little devil appears on the other side of my laptop.

Hello – are you my annoyance?

Hello yes!

What do you want to tell me?

There is a reason why I’m here.? I’m annoyed that you are trying to rush – you’re playing into that old people-pleasing pattern of yours and it SUCKS.? I HATE IT.

Ohmygosh!? I totally didn’t see that.? But you are so right, I did slip into that old pattern and I can see why.

Yeah I can see why to – it doesn’t take a genius.? And seeing WHY doesn’t change anything.? I want you to change something!

(Little devil actually pushes me out of the people-pleasing pattern and I can feel everything shift)

Wow, thanks for the push.? Now I can see so much clearer.? I actually do want to finish this quickly, that is my truth not just my people-pleasing pattern.? That’s funny, my people-pleasing pattern and my truth both want the same thing, I’m not sur that is ever happened before.

We both want the same thing, we just need to take a different approach.

My truth is that I want this to come together quickly and I know better than to think I am in control of the timeline.

And the little devil and my Creativity Fairy Godmother are gone.? It’s just me and my project and everything seems kind of sunny.? My project looks apologetic, like it didn’t mean to annoy me or to throw me into that old people-pleasing pattern.? My project loves me like I love it.

I think I will go home and have some soup for lunch and take a little break and come back to this later.

Creative Flow. Why Aren’t You Here Yet? Read More »

I Am Stuck.

By Andrea Schroeder / January 26, 2013 / healing

Recently I was offered a really incredible opportunity.? (No, I can’t give any details.)

In order to move forward with this opportunity, I have to create something.? I create things all the time – so no biggie, right?

Ha.

The first draft was no biggie actually.? The enormity of the project hadn’t quite sunk in yet, I was super excited and so I wrote and wrote and wrote and wrote.? And what I wrote is pretty good.? It’s nowhere near what I want it to be and what I know it can be, but it’s a great start.

And here I am, with a weekend free to work on this and I. Am. Stuck.

So, hello there stuck.? Can we talk?

Yeah, I guess, I mean sure but it’s kind of hard for me to talk.

Why is that?

Well, I’m stuck!? I’m crammed into this space that is too small for me.

Oh, can I help?

Maybe.? I don’t know.? It’s probably easier to just stay stuck.? I can curl up in here and never leave.

Really, is that what you want?

(pause)

No, I don’t know. Yes. I want that right now, getting out just seems so hard!? But I don’t like the idea of ALWAYS being here.? I want to have the option to leave.

That makes sense.? How can we give you the option to leave?

Well, just understanding HOW to get out.? Oh!? I could stop trying to go straight ahead and inside go sideways.? Maybe that is how?

Yeah, it seems like you could kind of roll sideways and get out of there.

(Stuck rolls sideways and gets out of there.? The feeling of stuckness inside of me lessons noticeably but doesn’t totally disappear. Stuck just looks at me, then curls up in a ball right beside the small container he had been stuck in)

Ah, so now I can see that we’re in a meadow at the edge of a forest and you, dear stuck, are a bunny!? And you were stuck in a barrel.

I went in there looking for a safe space because it was dark and rainy and scary out.

That makes sense.

So now what?? Now I feel free, I’m out of the barrel, but I want to stay right beside it because I may need to jump back in which means I may get stuck in there again.? I don’t want to go hopping around in the forest, it’s scary out there!

I know.

Like that project you are working on – that is terrifying!? I want to go nowhere near there.? And if you go near it, I will jump back in the barrel.

Well I understand your fear but I don’t want to let you hold me hostage.? Not only do I really want to do this because I think it will be fun (omg! do you remember last week when writing was fun?) I want to do this because it’s going to help so many people.

Oh, yeah,? It’s hard to remember the good parts when the scary parts are so big.

So why are the scary parts big right now?

Because you’re out of the flow.? You’re looking at where you’ve gone off-track in order to bring the project on-track.? Looking at the off-track parts wakes up fear and doubt and makes the good parts shrink.? It’s not that it’s wrong that there are some off-track parts – that’s a natural part of the creative process.? It’s more like you’ve got to just focus on on-track.? I don’t know – start over fresh instead of editing?

Start over fresh instead of editing. Oh that feels like a pit in my stomach, like I’ll never finish if I do that.

Sometimes you have found a lot of freedom in that approach.? Everything you wrote is still there, you can grab parts of it but put it together fresh. Actually I think you’ve done that with every major thing you’ve ever done.

Yeah, maybe.? And this feels different.? The timeline for one.? Not seeing the whole scope of the project for two.

No, those things are not so different. Sweetie, remember the good parts!? Remember the fun and how amazing and helpful this will be!? KISS!? KISS! (Keep It Simple Sweetie)

Simple.? I could stand to simplify this whole thing.? OK yes. I feel a little less stuck now.

And I want to go hop around in the forest!

(Bunny hops off.? I kind of lean against the barrel and a snake slithers out.)

Oh!

(Snake does not respond.? It just stares at me.? This is the part of me that Does Not Believe And Never Will.? I see a pile of hay lying on the ground and take a tiny bottle of love, comfort and peace and pour it on the hay, creating a nest of love, comfort and peace for the snake.? Snake curls up in the center of the nest.)

Yeah, I can do this.

I am taking the fact that this is a HUGE DEAL and putting that in the barrel.

I am taking the timeline and putting that in the barrel.

I am sealing up the barrel.

I am taking the fact that I am really excited about this project and putting in a heart-shaped locket and putting that around my neck.

I am taking how helpful and useful this is going to be and spinning it into yarn and knitting myself a soft, soft hat out of it and putting it on my head.

Yeah, I can do this.

I Am Stuck. Read More »