Hurt feelings

Get the calendar of upcoming calls here. | Get your next Dream Book lesson here.

I started the day with a dumb argument with my partner. I was especially frustrated because I had such a great day planned, it’s finally warm enough in the early morning to make a coffee, ride my bike to the park and have coffee and journaling outside.

I’m trying to salvage my day and I get to the park and then I discovered that my favourite spot is not set up yet (they put all the tables and chairs away for winter) and it turns out that sitting anywhere else in the park doesn’t work for me! I felt too exposed anywhere else. The spot I like is under trees, along a wall that has a stairway on the other side going to a lower patio.

One of our members wrote to more recently and one of the things they said is how hard it is lately to get over disruptions to their routines.

I feel that so hard.

I couldn’t get into my morning journaling outside like I had been dreaming about. So I came inside the buildings (this park is an old rail yard, the big buildings are full of little shops and restaurants with a big open eating area and early in the morning there are quiet places I like).

It can feel SO HARD to get all the things in place to be able to focus on a dream. It's not just physically having the time, there are so many dimensions to this!

So I want to focus on feeling grateful that I have been able to work on it, at least in short bursts, five times a week, for quite a while now.

My practice today: meeting my dream which quickly turns into meeting my hurt feelings.

My hurt feelings were a tree in my heart raising tears. Drawing this out felt really satisfying, and my dream instantly appeared, as the knowing that my tears will nourish the soil.

I mean I don’t need to argue with my partner in order to nourish the soul, but since life happens, letting my feelings flow does nourish my dreams.

If you're looking for something to DO today in your own Creative Dream Alchemy Practice, I suggest....

Do the Meeting My Dream practice from the Dream Lab and see what that sparks for you

Want to try something different? Pop into the Library of Creative Dream Alchemy to find something helpful for where you're at today.

Or click here to get a journal prompt to get you started.

Community guidelines

It can be so vulnerable to talk about our dreams!

If it helps, remember that you can let us know EXACTLY what kind of feedback you want. Just put a little note at the bottom of your post to say: What kinds of feedback I am looking for on this post: Then let us know if you would like encouragement, or to hear stories of what we're doing with our dreams, or whatever you'd like. You can also say what kinds of feedback you are NOT in the mood for, or if you don't want ANY feedback.

Hurt feelings Read More »

Ready to burst and grow

Get the calendar of upcoming calls here. | Get your next Dream Book lesson here.

My practice today: meeting my dream

The Field of Creative Dream Alchemy is so soothing. I really FEEL - I have everything I need to do what I want.

My dream shows up as a seed inside me that is ready to burst and grow. I had a great time drawing this out, but it's too early morning to take a photo to share.

I am out all day today which feels TOO BUSY but having this image of my dream inside me ready to burst and grow is really helping.

 

If you're looking for something to DO today in your own Creative Dream Alchemy Practice, I suggest....

Do the Meeting My Dream practice from the Dream Lab and see what that sparks for you

Want to try something different? Pop into the Library of Creative Dream Alchemy to find something helpful for where you're at today.

Or click here to get a journal prompt to get you started.

Community guidelines

It can be so vulnerable to talk about our dreams!

If it helps, remember that you can let us know EXACTLY what kind of feedback you want. Just put a little note at the bottom of your post to say: What kinds of feedback I am looking for on this post: Then let us know if you would like encouragement, or to hear stories of what we're doing with our dreams, or whatever you'd like. You can also say what kinds of feedback you are NOT in the mood for, or if you don't want ANY feedback.

Ready to burst and grow Read More »

Distractions

Get the calendar of upcoming calls here. | Get your next Dream Book lesson here.

Lots of distractions today.

I've been trying to out-run them in a sense. Putting invigorating aromatherapy in my diffuser, playing upbeat music, etc. But it's a rainy day and I tend to feel low energy and easily distracted on rainy days.

This has felt like "I'm too sensitive" and a bit of a failing but what if... I am a part of nature? What if rainy days ARE rest days? What if something is happening that I don't know about, and I don't participate in it as well as I could because I am trying to push myself to be somewhere I am not?

WHAT IF rainy days are nourishment days?

These are good questions.

I do want to do my practice though, I do want to meet my dreams and I am getting distracted from that, so I decided to start WITH the distractions.

Like - how are the distractions, or distractedness, showing up?

They are buzzing around me, but as I sit with that, and feel into it... they are projection of my fears and self doubt. But they're just tiny projections, not very powerful. I send love to the fear and doubt who are projecting.

My dream shows up as a rainbow shooting out of my heart/throat. I know it's about putting my work out there.

Back to the "it's a rainy day maybe I am a part of nature and this can impact me" questions...

I DO want to work on my project today! I don't want to lay out like a blade of grass being rained on all day. And I don't want to play dumb games on my phone in "low energy easily distracted mode".

BUT I can get COZY about how I work. I can let the quality of nourishment guide my day which means:

  • make a pot of tea
  • put on soft cozy clothes
  • lay on the floor to draw pages for the book, don't focus on writing/editing today
  • I would like to add "bake cookies" to this because that feels sooo cozy and emotionally nurturing, but after a few days of birthday treats actual nurturing would mean less sugar... I was going to make a mushroom lentil stew later in the week, maybe I will make that this evening. That feels nourishing.

If you're looking for something to DO today in your own Creative Dream Alchemy Practice, I suggest....

Do the Meeting My Dream practice from the Dream Lab and see what that sparks for you

Want to try something different? Pop into the Library of Creative Dream Alchemy to find something helpful for where you're at today.

Or click here to get a journal prompt to get you started.

Community guidelines

It can be so vulnerable to talk about our dreams!

If it helps, remember that you can let us know EXACTLY what kind of feedback you want. Just put a little note at the bottom of your post to say: What kinds of feedback I am looking for on this post: Then let us know if you would like encouragement, or to hear stories of what we're doing with our dreams, or whatever you'd like. You can also say what kinds of feedback you are NOT in the mood for, or if you don't want ANY feedback.

Distractions Read More »

It’s my birthday! (Weekly Dream Status Report)

Get the calendar of upcoming calls here. | Get your next Dream Book lesson here.

What are you up to today? Let us know in the comments!

Tell us what you're working on, struggling with, ask questions, share your goals, etc, in these daily posts. This is a great way to put stuff "out there" where only people who "get it" are going to see it.

On Fridays I post my Dream Status Report which is a series of prompts I use every week to help me have more clarity, momentum and groundedness on my path. The prompts are here. You can do them with me, or do your own thing.

My Dream Status Report:

PART ONE: (sometimes these can stay the same for months at time, sometimes they change often)

My dream is: BEING the artist + writer I want to be. This is the "big picture" dream - this includes lots of different inner + outer things.

I want it because: This is what feels most enticing and interesting to me. I'm also noticing how BEING who I feel I AM is important for my mental health.

When I have it I will feel: Just a little more ME, more energized. More stable/sturdy. Excited about the new work I am doing.

My new moon intention: Focus on the book project - all the practices and routines that support my mental health which supports my creative process.

 

PART TWO: Invite your dream in (using the Dream Lab practice) to help you with the rest of the prompts.

My dream shows up as a tiny cheerleader with a big megaphone, in my heart, shouting "YOU GOT THIS!" and it feels really supportive and happy.

Today is my birthday! I feel really happy and grateful to have been born and to be here still and in such a celebratory mood. Usually Joseph takes the day off work and we have these things we do - like my favourite doughnut shop goes all out for Star Wars Day (May the Fourth be with you) and makes all these Star Wars doughnuts so we get that for breakfast, then all of our favourite things - coffee in the park, visiting garden centres and getting our plants for summer, etc. But there is so much going on at his work, and in both of our lives,  that he's at work and I have a day to myself which feels really good. I'm going to go to my favourite spot for coffee and journaling and do some reflecting on the last year and visioning for the next year. I am 49 today. My 40s have been hard in a lot of ways, and I look forward to leaving some of that behind in my 50s.

 

PART THREE:

Last week’s focus was: Do all the things that support my joy + creative process while putting myself out there.

 

What happened in the last week? I did it! I supported my joy and my creative process even though I had a TON of anxiety most of the week (it's gone for now).

 

What am I learning/How do I feel about this? My anxiety gets REALLY intense these days, but my good feelings get just as intense! And sitting with my anxiety, making space for it and offering myself love feels SO GOOD. Like - maybe I don't have a new anxiety problem, maybe I am just feeling all feelings more intensely and being more alive? This feels like something helpful to explore.

 

What do I need now? My relaxing birthday day today. Then family birthday dinner tomorrow and friends birthday dinner and games night Saturday. This feels really good, to celebrate that I am here. I have sewing projects I am excited about. I have my routines in place. I am good!

 

What does my dream need now? It nudges me to get back into sharing my work as I go, which I was doing and took a (totally reasonable!) break from, and now it is time to get back into it. And also: DO THIS IN NEW WAYS. Like, my old ways of sharing things online I was much more organized and scheduled. That doesn't feel right, keep exploring what feels right for me, NOW.

 

Ummmm I just re-read my focus for the week and realized I didn't even read the end of the sentence where it said "while putting myself out there" LOL! OK this week I'll work on the whole sentence:

Taking all of this into account, my focus for the next week is: Do all the things that support my joy + creative process while putting myself out there.

If you're looking for something to DO today in your own Creative Dream Alchemy Practice, I suggest....

Do the Meeting My Dream practice from the Dream Lab and see what that sparks for you

Want to try something different? Pop into the Library of Creative Dream Alchemy to find something helpful for where you're at today.

Or click here to get a journal prompt to get you started.

Community guidelines

It can be so vulnerable to talk about our dreams!

If it helps, remember that you can let us know EXACTLY what kind of feedback you want. Just put a little note at the bottom of your post to say: What kinds of feedback I am looking for on this post: Then let us know if you would like encouragement, or to hear stories of what we're doing with our dreams, or whatever you'd like. You can also say what kinds of feedback you are NOT in the mood for, or if you don't want ANY feedback.

It’s my birthday! (Weekly Dream Status Report) Read More »

I’m 49 today. Welcome to my birthday journaling.

I woke up feeling so grateful for my life.

The older I get, the trippier life gets and I am so here for this.

I've been reflecting on this last year but also this last decade, since this is my last year in my 40s. And then looking ahead to this new year but also this new decade I'll be starting. My 40s were so different from my 30s and I look forward to my 50s being completely different again.

I sincerely hope that this is my mid-point and I have 50 more years here. The older I get, the more attached I am to this life, and this world. I don't believe that death is THE end, but it is the end of this particular experience and I am just really attached to this one. This whole world is such a miracle.

I can't even explain how grateful I am to past-me for all of the hard work and risks she took to build the life I get to enjoy today.

I don't think of myself as a business owner or creative entrepreneur anymore.

Since I was 20 my art was about encouraging all of us to believe in our ourselves and our dreams because I desperately wanted to find a way to believe in myself and my dreams. I felt called, strongly, to be my most authentic self but I had no map showing me how to do this. Following this calling lead me to become a spiritual teacher, and develop my skills as a facilitator and healer. Bringing this all together into a business that could support me meant I could further deeper and expand my gifts because it was my full time thing.

And at this point, after over 12 years of doing this as my full time thing, it feels like the Creative Dream Incubator is less a business I run and more a sturdy supportive foundation for me to live my life as my true self, which is what's at the core of all creative dreams.

So going forward, I think of myself as an artist, writer and mentor.

This changes how I see myself, how I create routines, set goals, and move projects forward.

All in, I spent four years developing my Dream Book program and the Creative Dream Alchemy processes that it draws from to navigate the inner and outer work of following our inner callings. I created that map I needed when I was younger.

Online business people talk about building programs like this in order to scale up, but for me it's not about that. It's about having a study container, and not having to re-build it each time with each group. The people who have been with me in Dream Book for years keep going deeper and deeper. It's such a beautiful space - not so much for me to "scale up my business" but for people to go deeper and be braver with their dreams and to navigate all of the healing and growth this entails.

I don't have the words to explain how grateful I am to have this container to help me with what I want to do in my 50s.

(If you're not in Dream Book yet, join us here! You deserve this magic and support too)

The last few years have been hard. But here, today, turning 49, I feel like I have come back to myself, and I have come back to my strengths, and I just want to live the fuck out of whatever years I have ahead of me.

I’m 49 today. Welcome to my birthday journaling. Read More »

Getting real with myself

Get the calendar of upcoming calls here. | Get your next Dream Book lesson here.

Weird day.

I lay down on the floor with the Dream Lab meditation met my dream and my feelings. My dream is a very vague little light in my heart. My feelings are annoying bees (I love bees! But these things were buzzing in an annoying way) buzzing around my head.

I know drawing this out would be good for me and I just didn't do it. I'm crabby and bees are buzzing around me.

I sat with this for a while and then decided to do a coaching session with myself:

I've got to get real with myself here. What is going on with me?

I am so overwhelmed because this book project is hard to hold.

I keep telling myself this but is that even true? How could it be so hard to hold when I want to do it so badly? When I do know what I am doing? When I do enjoy the process?

Let's find out.

In the field of Creative Dream Alchemy. I invite the soul of the book to join me.

The soul of the book is a book that opens up an a genie floats out of it. It says "OMG girl you've SO got this. This is not the problem." it takes my hand and encourages me to look out at the world "That's the problem."

"This is a hard world to live in, as a sensitive creative person who is doing what they can to contribute to creating a better world."

"You get overwhelmed from thinking that all of the self care you need to do in order to be the version of you who does the book is EXTRA and TOO MUCH. But this is actually the amount of self care needed. It's the right amount. And you need to make adjustments about your expectations for other things. Yes - you have less time, energy and mostly MENTAL CAPACITY for other things, so be more committed to pulling back."

So interesting. I was thinking of getting better/more adaptogenic mushroom supplements to help with my mental capacity but now I feel like I need to exercise, eat well and get enough sleep, which I am doing, (but exercise should be increased because this is the thing that helps most with my mental health and I've been cutting back on bike rides for various reasons and that needs to stop) and then look at where I can lower expectations for what I do in a day.

OK this feels a little better. I am going to let this sit and see where it leads.

If you're looking for something to DO today in your own Creative Dream Alchemy Practice, I suggest....

Do the Meeting My Dream practice from the Dream Lab and see what that sparks for you

Want to try something different? Pop into the Library of Creative Dream Alchemy to find something helpful for where you're at today.

Or click here to get a journal prompt to get you started.

Community guidelines

It can be so vulnerable to talk about our dreams!

If it helps, remember that you can let us know EXACTLY what kind of feedback you want. Just put a little note at the bottom of your post to say: What kinds of feedback I am looking for on this post: Then let us know if you would like encouragement, or to hear stories of what we're doing with our dreams, or whatever you'd like. You can also say what kinds of feedback you are NOT in the mood for, or if you don't want ANY feedback.

Getting real with myself Read More »

Showing up in the mess

Get the calendar of upcoming calls here. | Get your next Dream Book lesson here.

Anxiety is in full swing now.

I'm doing all the things to soothe myself and still - here I am.

I was getting dressed for my morning bike ride and it got really bad - like, please don't make me leave. So I stayed home. I don't have to understand why I feel so anxious, I keep reminding myself.

I'm so glad yesterday I got the idea to draw out a dream meeting and a feelings meeting. This feels like a good place to start.

I lay down on the floor with the Dream Lab meditation and get into the Field of Creative Dream Alchemy and then just stay there for a bit. Soaking up the sensation of feeling more connected to myself and my inner gifts.

When I invite my dream in, I am looking for it above me but I can't find it but also I feel like it IS here, I just don't see it, so I look around me and there it is, below me. It's grass. Soft and supportive and sparkling. I am laying in it and it's holding me and it's fine for me to feel however I feel, it's still here and it's magic is supporting me.

I invite in my feelings and they show up as spikes like a stegosaurus' back, but on my front and mostly my chest.

The spikes don't want anything but to be allowed to be there.

And somehow it feels good to allow my feelings AND know I am supported by my dream. I stay with this a while and it's like my brain re-arranges itself.

Like OF COURSE I am too sensitive for the world some days, I am creating something new. OF COURSE I get anxious when I spend too much time out in the world and OF COURSE what is "too much" changes all the time. These aren't "weird anxiety symptoms" these are natural response to being a sensitive creative person living in this world.

Now I feel really inspired to work on my book. The anxiety is still here, but doesn't feel like it's "in the way" it's just a part of things now.

Drawing this out felt amazing!!!

Yesterday when I had this idea, I imagined that I would do the dream meeting on one page and the feelings meeting on the other page, like they were operate. But the way it happened they were definitely one thing. And putting it together like this feels so good.

 

If you're looking for something to DO today in your own Creative Dream Alchemy Practice, I suggest....

Do the Meeting My Dream practice from the Dream Lab and see what that sparks for you

Want to try something different? Pop into the Library of Creative Dream Alchemy to find something helpful for where you're at today.

Or click here to get a journal prompt to get you started.

Community guidelines

It can be so vulnerable to talk about our dreams!

If it helps, remember that you can let us know EXACTLY what kind of feedback you want. Just put a little note at the bottom of your post to say: What kinds of feedback I am looking for on this post: Then let us know if you would like encouragement, or to hear stories of what we're doing with our dreams, or whatever you'd like. You can also say what kinds of feedback you are NOT in the mood for, or if you don't want ANY feedback.

Showing up in the mess Read More »

Showing up when things get hard

Get the calendar of upcoming calls here. | Get your next Dream Book lesson here.

I am starting to feel anxious.

I thought anxiety was new for me, from the pandemic and peri-menopause, but as I live with it longer, I remember that I was "a nervous kid" and actually I was experiencing anxiety but no one knew how to identify it or help it.

I share this to say - these practices help me work through stuff, so it doesn't make sense to stop them when they get hard.

They won't "work" the same way, but they are invaluable. And the times when the practice feels super messy and like I'm definitely doing it wrong - those are the times when it's the most important to keep showing up.

And I want to be an example of that here.

As spring is finally springing and I am going out into the world more, I am getting overwhelmed which is triggering anxiety.

Some days it makes me feel overwhelmed by the thought of my dreams. But I want to sit with that overwhelm, and also sit with the soul of my dreams, to give myself space to process.

I want to remember that my dream is not a to-do list or pressure to accomplish! It's an invitation to growth and healing and becoming more who I want to be.

What I WANT this to look like:

Meeting my dream and drawing the meeting AND ALSO meeting my feelings and drawing that meeting too.

I don't feel ready to start this today but I do want to set the intention to start tomorrow.

Today my practice is sitting in front of my big window and watching the birds. Yesterday Joseph put out 2 kinds of birdseed so we've had more birds out here for our cat to watch, but I like to watch them too. This is so soothing.

If you're looking for something to DO today in your own Creative Dream Alchemy Practice, I suggest....

Do the Meeting My Dream practice from the Dream Lab and see what that sparks for you

Want to try something different? Pop into the Library of Creative Dream Alchemy to find something helpful for where you're at today.

Or click here to get a journal prompt to get you started.

Community guidelines

It can be so vulnerable to talk about our dreams!

If it helps, remember that you can let us know EXACTLY what kind of feedback you want. Just put a little note at the bottom of your post to say: What kinds of feedback I am looking for on this post: Then let us know if you would like encouragement, or to hear stories of what we're doing with our dreams, or whatever you'd like. You can also say what kinds of feedback you are NOT in the mood for, or if you don't want ANY feedback.

Showing up when things get hard Read More »

Easing back in (Weekly Dream Status Report)

Get the calendar of upcoming calls here. | Get your next Dream Book lesson here.

What are you up to today? Let us know in the comments!

Tell us what you're working on, struggling with, ask questions, share your goals, etc, in these daily posts. This is a great way to put stuff "out there" where only people who "get it" are going to see it.

On Fridays I post my Dream Status Report which is a series of prompts I use every week to help me have more clarity, momentum and groundedness on my path. The prompts are here. You can do them with me, or do your own thing.

My Dream Status Report:

PART ONE: (sometimes these can stay the same for months at time, sometimes they change often)

My dream is: BEING the artist + writer I want to be. This is the "big picture" dream - this includes lots of different inner + outer things.

I want it because: This is what feels most enticing and interesting to me. I'm also noticing how BEING who I feel I AM is important for my mental health.

When I have it I will feel: Just a little more ME, more energized. More stable/sturdy. Excited about the new work I am doing.

My new moon intention: Focus on the book project - all the practices and routines that support my mental health which supports my creative process.

(As I said during the call, I was really struck by how hard I've been working on my mental health, how proud I am of myself for them but also how sad I felt that it IS so much work. Then my Dream Self came in all "Girl! The universe doesn't owe you happiness! You have to do the work to keep yourself alive every day - food, water, rest, etc - this is just a part of that. Take care of it." and I've been sitting with that, all the parts of me who wish it was easier and the parts of me who are willing to do whatever work it takes.)

 

PART TWO: Invite your dream in (using the Dream Lab practice) to help you with the rest of the prompts.

My dream shows up as a rainbow striped star that folds out, or stretches out, from my heart, and it grows me and makes me feel confident and sure and connected to my magic.

 

PART THREE:

Last week’s focus was: Stay in my creative process with this book/journal - FOLLOW the process, don't try to CONTROL it.

 

What happened in the last week? Joseph and I went away Monday-Tuesday for our anniversary. It was lovely!! We went to a beautiful island and stayed at a hotel that has indoor/outdoor mineral hot tubs and warm pools. It was so rejuvenating and relaxing. I can see how easy it would be to go away to celebrate an anniversary and then end up irritated with each other, and I am so grateful that this didn't happen, lol. We enjoyed each other's company.

I maybe over-did the mineral pools, or likely didn't drink enough water as I forgot my water bottle and was just using the really small hotel cups. Wednesday I was feeling like I needed to rest and drink a lot of water and take a day "re-entry"

So not much happened, but here and there I did pick up the book project and just... work on it with no drama! Such a gift.

 

What am I learning/How do I feel about this? It was such good timing to have that little retreat right after a week of putting myself out there in such a bigger way, feeling vulnerable and overwhelmed, etc. Now I feel more grounded and ready to get back at it next week. (I did pull back from posting online this week.)

Also, we want to do this more often. It's only 2 hours away, we'd like to make it out regular anniversary thing. Also, that hotel is one I used to go to with my family when I was a kid. Over Christmas a few times, my parents and their friends would go and get a block of rooms. And I just remember it all being SO FUN. So being back there brought back that childhood sense of wonder.

 

What do I need now? Ease back into regular life.

 

What does my dream need now? It wants to remind me of my "bigness" and how important it is to put my work and ideas out there and encourages others to do it too.

 

Taking all of this into account, my focus for the next week is: Do all the things that support my joy + creative process while putting myself out there.

If you're looking for something to DO today in your own Creative Dream Alchemy Practice, I suggest....

Do the Meeting My Dream practice from the Dream Lab and see what that sparks for you

Want to try something different? Pop into the Library of Creative Dream Alchemy to find something helpful for where you're at today.

Or click here to get a journal prompt to get you started.

Community guidelines

It can be so vulnerable to talk about our dreams!

If it helps, remember that you can let us know EXACTLY what kind of feedback you want. Just put a little note at the bottom of your post to say: What kinds of feedback I am looking for on this post: Then let us know if you would like encouragement, or to hear stories of what we're doing with our dreams, or whatever you'd like. You can also say what kinds of feedback you are NOT in the mood for, or if you don't want ANY feedback.

Easing back in (Weekly Dream Status Report) Read More »

Too many feelings are getting in the way of my dream

Get the calendar of upcoming calls here. | Get your next Dream Book lesson here.

 

What I WANT my practice to be today: Meeting my dream and drawing the meeting.

But I am not feeling it, so I am following the principles of Creative Dream Alchemy and working with what is here.

For some context: I did updates over the weekend to get ahead a few days, as my husband and I are going away for our anniversary this week - just 2 days, 1 night. To a really lovely island that will be quiet this time of year, at a hotel with huge, indoor and outdoor, warm and hot mineral pools which we intend to spend a lot of time in.

So it's Monday morning and I went to a coffee shop for my usual morning routine, dream work, etc while Joseph sleeps in a little and then we are on our way.

Except I am so annoyed with him!

And I don't want to be!

And when I try to "put that aside" and do my Dream Work, I just can't.

And I could skip this whole thing, and just write this update when I get back, but THIS IS A PART OF IT, showing up for a practice even when you're annoyed with someone you love or something else is happening that makes it hard to focus.

Which is why "meeting yourself where you are" is such a huge part of Creative Dream Alchemy.

Otherwise it's like all of the magic and healing of my dream are only accessible when I'm in a good place. And I don't want that for me, or anyone else.

And I know there is magic here too.

There is so much I could say about the ways I get annoyed with Joseph and don't want to be. Being in any relationship is complicated and being in an interracial relationship adds another layer of complexity. But we have an excellent couples therapist who does understand the impacts of colonialism and racism and we've found ways to be supportive of each other and give each other space for our radically different lives.

Ha. Just writing this out, like explaining to you where it's all coming from, has eased my annoyance.

I always WANT TO be compassionate for where he's coming from, be understanding that he is doing his best and he's facing obstacles that I don't face. And some days I can't access it.

Yeah, just writing about my feelings has soothed them. Funny how that works, lol. MAKING SPACE for them is healing.

My feelings are totally valid and his feelings are totally valid too. When I think about the thing I am annoyed about, I see how I was trying to get him to do what I wanted, to soothe my feelings. And thinking "But I do things to soothe your feelings all the time why can't you do this for me?" but it doesn't work like that. And I was asking him when his tank was empty.

So where am I now:

Now that I have made space for my feelings, and written out a few things, the annoyance is gone. My body feels calm. I feel ready to start out fun mini-vacation together. This feels good.

If you're looking for something to DO today in your own Creative Dream Alchemy Practice, I suggest....

Do the Meeting My Dream practice from the Dream Lab and see what that sparks for you

Want to try something different? Pop into the Library of Creative Dream Alchemy to find something helpful for where you're at today.

Or click here to get a journal prompt to get you started.

Community guidelines

It can be so vulnerable to talk about our dreams!

If it helps, remember that you can let us know EXACTLY what kind of feedback you want. Just put a little note at the bottom of your post to say: What kinds of feedback I am looking for on this post: Then let us know if you would like encouragement, or to hear stories of what we're doing with our dreams, or whatever you'd like. You can also say what kinds of feedback you are NOT in the mood for, or if you don't want ANY feedback.

Too many feelings are getting in the way of my dream Read More »

My dream is INEVITABLE

Get the calendar of upcoming calls here. | Get your next Dream Book lesson here.

 

My practice today: Meeting my dream and drawing the meeting.

 

This one was SO COOL, it felt like a healing. My dream showed up as inevitability. A heavy, strong, dense, magnetic cube.

Drawing it felt so good. With the magic colours around it.

It didn't feel like I can just never take another step and it'll come. But it did feel like I can be calm and trusting and follow my inspiration without worry. Take little steps, don't rush, don't overwork, rest lots in between. It's happening.

If you're looking for something to DO today in your own Creative Dream Alchemy Practice, I suggest....

Do the Meeting My Dream practice from the Dream Lab and see what that sparks for you

Want to try something different? Pop into the Library of Creative Dream Alchemy to find something helpful for where you're at today.

Or click here to get a journal prompt to get you started.

Community guidelines

It can be so vulnerable to talk about our dreams!

If it helps, remember that you can let us know EXACTLY what kind of feedback you want. Just put a little note at the bottom of your post to say: What kinds of feedback I am looking for on this post: Then let us know if you would like encouragement, or to hear stories of what we're doing with our dreams, or whatever you'd like. You can also say what kinds of feedback you are NOT in the mood for, or if you don't want ANY feedback.

My dream is INEVITABLE Read More »

My dream is a shooting star shooting up from the earth

Get the calendar of upcoming calls here. | Get your next Dream Book lesson here.

My practice today: Meeting my dream and drawing the meeting.

I’m feeling so grateful for this practice of drawing my dream meetings. Feels like a lot is happening in the no-words place and I am just excited to fill a whole journal with them. 

In today’s dream meeting I just saw my dream as a shooting star, with a sense of a “tail” behind in, like to indicate that it was moving.

But once I drew it I felt very strongly that the tail was actually connected to the earth, to indicate that it was shooting FROM THE EARTH. That’s it’s a GROUNDED star.

And I just suddenly felt how all of the upheaval and healing, especially in the last three years, have helped me get more GROUNDED in this dream. 

If you're looking for something to DO today in your own Creative Dream Alchemy Practice, I suggest....

Do the Meeting My Dream practice from the Dream Lab and see what that sparks for you

Want to try something different? Pop into the Library of Creative Dream Alchemy to find something helpful for where you're at today.

Or click here to get a journal prompt to get you started.

Community guidelines

It can be so vulnerable to talk about our dreams!

If it helps, remember that you can let us know EXACTLY what kind of feedback you want. Just put a little note at the bottom of your post to say: What kinds of feedback I am looking for on this post: Then let us know if you would like encouragement, or to hear stories of what we're doing with our dreams, or whatever you'd like. You can also say what kinds of feedback you are NOT in the mood for, or if you don't want ANY feedback.

My dream is a shooting star shooting up from the earth Read More »

The creative process is HEALING and TRANSFORMATIVE and so I have to let it change things

(These updates will slow down now, my husband and I are going away for a few days next week to celebrate our anniversary, and I find there's always a burst of creative energy at the start of doing something new, and then I settle into a routine with it and everything settles down, which is what I feel happening here. I assume I'll be updating a few times a week.)

That love for my project (from the last update) starts to drip into my heart. Warm sticky light.

And then I know:

I know what I want it to be ABOUT.

But I need to get more clear on what I want it to DO.

Later in the day I am thinking about how TRANSFORMATIVE and HEALING the creative process is.

And how we push back against transformation and healing when we push through to get the outer results/timing that we want.

And how I want to be here for the transformation and healing, not only for myself, but to pour those qualities into the book so they can be received by anyone who works with it.

I’m not writing a book/journal, I am creating a container. It’s what I’ve been doing with my courses for over a dozen years and I know I can do it in book/journal format, too.

So all this means that I need to not try to control the outcome.

I need to LISTEN. To the soul of the project but also to all of my own thoughts and feelings.

And here’s a thought I’d rather ignore:

I think all the pages I’ve shared so far from this book (including the pages ready to go in my Instagram drafts) aren’t actually pages for the book. I think this might just be the writing + artwork that gets me to a place of being ready to begin.

I hope not, but I am willing for it to be true because I want to follow this process where it leads and not try to control it.

So I go back to letting the love I have for the project drop into my heart.

And the knowing that this brings that I need to focus on what I want this book/journal to DO...

This immediately feels uncomfortable because I think I am trying to DO too many things.

And I think this means what I really need to do is break this down into a series of books. Which is always what I was doing, this was the first in a series, but what feels like it is changing is that I need to break it down much more than I was thinking. Like each book is maybe three books.

The idea that is asserting itself the most strongly is: a guidebook for engaging with impossible dreams.

If I make it more specific like this, then it’s easier to create the container.

My next steps: revisit all of the writing, look at it through this lens, see what happens.

The creative process is HEALING and TRANSFORMATIVE and so I have to let it change things Read More »

Follow the creative process, don’t try to control it (Weekly Dream Status Report)

Get the calendar of upcoming calls here. | Get your next Dream Book lesson here.

What are you up to today? Let us know in the comments!

Tell us what you're working on, struggling with, ask questions, share your goals, etc, in these daily posts. This is a great way to put stuff "out there" where only people who "get it" are going to see it.

On Fridays I post my Dream Status Report which is a series of prompts I use every week to help me have more clarity, momentum and groundedness on my path. The prompts are here. You can do them with me, or do your own thing.

My Dream Status Report:

PART ONE: (sometimes these can stay the same for months at time, sometimes they change often)

My dream is: BEING the artist + writer I want to be. This is the "big picture" dream - this includes lots of different inner + outer things.

I want it because: This is what feels most enticing and interesting to me. I'm also noticing how BEING who I feel I AM is important for my mental health.

When I have it I will feel: Just a little more ME, more energized. More stable/sturdy. Excited about the new work I am doing.

My new moon intention: Focus on the book project - all the practices and routines that support my mental health which supports my creative process.

(As I said during the call, I was really struck by how hard I've been working on my mental health, how proud I am of myself for them but also how sad I felt that it IS so much work. Then my Dream Self came in all "Girl! The universe doesn't owe you happiness! You have to do the work to keep yourself alive every day - food, water, rest, etc - this is just a part of that. Take care of it." and I've been sitting with that, all the parts of me who wish it was easier and the parts of me who are willing to do whatever work it takes.)

 

PART TWO: Invite your dream in (using the Dream Lab practice) to help you with the rest of the prompts.

My dream shows up as a tiny star up in the sky. I can see it's cheering for me and doing what it can to light the path.

 

PART THREE:

Last week’s focus was: Keep working on the things I am working on, while vibing with my dream.

What happened in the last week? I had started my new thing - sharing bits of the book/journal I am writing out in the wild. I mean I had just started the week before and this week I was really doing it and HOLY SHIT THIS IS VULNERABLE AND UNCOMFORTABLE. Every day I got feedback from people that made me feel like they didn't see me at all (like one email I got saying "You are obviously very creative but you need to accept Jesus and your lord and saviour")

I felt too sensitive for all of this. Then I sat with that and all I could see was how if I don't put myself out there then the people my work is for can't find it. And that it's really on ME to have the boundaries I need to have around this. People are going to people! And since I hadn't been sharing as deeply or often in the last few years, there is an adjustment period here. Deep down, there is a part of me who knows this will all be fine.

What am I learning/How do I feel about this? One thing that I learned is that I need hand crafts, or some kind of analog art project, AT ALL TIMES. I had finished another embroidered dress, and cut out the next one, but I am still figuring out what to embroider on it. Not having a thing to pick up and work on with my hands is NOT GOOD. I knew that having this work was SO GOOD for me, but now I also see that NOT having is SO BAD for me.

Which means - I should brainstorm/prep more projects so that they can be ready to go. I got out my yarn stash last night to come up with some smaller projects to keep my hands busy while I figure out other projects.

Also, after all of the discomfort and vulnerability of really putting myself out there again, I am starting to find the magic in it. Sharing my process helps me really BE IN my process and I am finding/remembering all of the magic of that. This week I started writing about the process of writing the book, on my blog, along with sharing pages I am writing on Instagram/Facebook. That added layer of writing about the process is REALLY good for me.

I mean what keeps coming to me is that I need to BE who I AM in order to feel good. And who I am shares her work AND is a maker, and needs to share and make. Both of these things felt less accessible in the last three years, and I am so grateful to be doing them again.

 

What do I need now? Get a new project on my knitting needles! Make some time to brainstorm what I want to embroider on the next dress and/or explore my ideas to add to the butterfly dress. Self care and especially mental health self care are priorities, don't let any part of me tell me different!

 

What does my dream need now? It loves how everything changes - like the air around me changes - when I am DEEP in my creative process. More of this.

 

Taking all of this into account, my focus for the next week is: Stay in my creative process with this book/journal - FOLLOW the process, don't try to CONTROL it.

If you're looking for something to DO today in your own Creative Dream Alchemy Practice, I suggest....

Do the Meeting My Dream practice from the Dream Lab and see what that sparks for you

Want to try something different? Pop into the Library of Creative Dream Alchemy to find something helpful for where you're at today.

Or click here to get a journal prompt to get you started.

Community guidelines

It can be so vulnerable to talk about our dreams!

If it helps, remember that you can let us know EXACTLY what kind of feedback you want. Just put a little note at the bottom of your post to say: What kinds of feedback I am looking for on this post: Then let us know if you would like encouragement, or to hear stories of what we're doing with our dreams, or whatever you'd like. You can also say what kinds of feedback you are NOT in the mood for, or if you don't want ANY feedback.

Follow the creative process, don’t try to control it (Weekly Dream Status Report) Read More »

Asking the soul of my book for help

I ended my last update with three things:

  • I need this book to stay simple. A beginning book/journal about Creative Dreaming as a Practice.
  • How do I put this book into order, and give it some shape, and keep it simple?
  • Or am I not at that part yet? Should I just keep making pages and exploring my ideas?

I still don’t have any new thoughts/answers about this. So I am having a meeting with the soul of the book.

(For Dream Book members, I use the Dream Lab practice, and meet the soul of the project instead of the soul of the book)

The soul of the book shows up as… as book.

The book opens up and invites people in. Once people accept the invitation, it pulls them in deep, into this surprising new world.

It’s whimsical and magical and helps them see more clearly into themselves.

So I say: My thought was to keep it simple, but now that I see you, it feels like maybe I was off?

The soul of the book says: I am not simple but I am also not complicated, I am neither, I am magic.

Me: Right, that makes sense. I guess I brought in the idea of simple because the process feels so complicated right now.

The soul of the book says: Remember that the process and the book are two different things.

Me: That feels obvious. And it also feels like there is a clue in there, something I am not seeing.

The soul of the book: Your work here is VERY complicated. You are holding space - I mean CREATING SPACE THAT HOLDS SPACE really - for the people reading/doing the book/journal to create a whole new way of relating to their dreams. You need to let YOUR work be as difficult and complicated as it needs to be, in order to create this space properly. But you are ready, you know how to do this, and some parts will be difficult, like this part where you’re not sure how to proceed.

Me: So, how do I proceed?

The soul of the book: Where is your love for this project?

Me: I don’t know. Let me see…. 

(Scanning my body for the love I have for this project)

Seems like it’s mostly in my head.

The soul of the book: Right. So you know it needs to come down. Into your heart and body.

Me: 

(Trying to bring it down, but it’s like very very very thick honey. Sticky. Moving down at a glacial pace. I put a magnet in my heart to try to draw it in but I can’t quite get the honey (love) to touch my heart. I realize I am trying to rush through this, so I give myself more time to sit with it)

OK, my heart is starting to soften and open. It feels worried because this work will go out to a different group of people than my other work (Dream Book). There is a fear of being misunderstood.

The soul of my book: Well that’s not exactly an unfounded fear. Of course some people will misunderstand.

Me: Yeah. So how do I stay soft and open and also feel protected/ready to be misunderstood?

The soul of my book: Feels like that is your next step?

Me: But I wanted like a next step kind of next step.

The soul of my book: Well that’s ridiculous, don’t you teach people to always take the step that’s in front of them and not the step they wish was in front of them?

Me: Yup. Doesn’t mean I like hearing it any more than my clients do.

The soul of my book: You want to see outer progress.

Me: Desperately.

The soul of my book: Give this one day. Or two. Sit with your question: how do I stay soft and open and also feel protected/ready to be misunderstood? You know that this work creates a different foundation for the book to come to life, and you need this foundation.

Me: Yes, I do. Also, since I do want to do some outer work today, like writing and organizing, I can work on a different project.

The soul of my book: Perfect!

Asking the soul of my book for help Read More »

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