I’m Turning 40 Today: May the Fourth Be With Me

By Andrea Schroeder / May 4, 2014

It feels kind of strange to say that this has sneaked up on me.

I mean, how could I not know that I was turning 40?? But still, it feels like a surprise.? Like, Oh, 40, I can’t believe you’re here already.? I knew you were coming but I didn’t think it would happen so soon.

You’re here, I’m here, today I’m 40.

So far, every year just gets better overall even though each year also brings its own unique challenges.? Every year I get to know myself and my dreams better.? Every year I am better equipped to care for myself and my dreams and that makes life better.

So I’ve always looked forward to turning a year older and having another year of experience being me.

But something about entering a whole new decade feels, well it feels like turning 40 is supposed to mean something, but I don’t know what it means.

It feels like I’m growing up a bit more and that’s good.? But it doesn’t feel super important and I don’t really want to do anything to celebrate, other than eat pizza and cake with my family, and let them give me a BIKE (!).

But there is this part of me that was getting all stressed out about how this BIG MILESTONE is happening and I’m supposed to do something with/about it.? To celebrate in a big way or become a grown-up or something.

The truth is: I’m happy.? I don’t have anything to freak out about.? Nothing needs to change just because I’m turning 40.

I’m living with my dreams as my teachers which is exactly where I want to be right now.? I’ll hit the next transition when I hit the next transition – not when I turn some arbitrary age.

It’s ok for turning 40 (or any other number) to not mean anything.

I keep writing and re-writing this post.

I wanted to have something inspiring and meaningful and helpful to say about entering a new decade, especially to people who are feeling uncomfortable about getting older.

But the truth is if you’re feeling uncomfortable, it would be good for you to sit with that feeling, rather than try to inspire yourself out of it.? Your feelings hold your genius.

I’m also noticing more and more how fucked up our society is about aging and our perspectives on “old people”.? The way the elderly are often portrayed is dehumanizing, which is really strange giving that the more years you’ve been alive the MORE human you are – you’ve got more experience and wisdom and gifts and stories to share.? But society is fucked up about a lot of things.

Mostly I’m thinking back to my thirties as I lovingly say goodbye.? My thirties were amazing!? So much growth and delight as I learned how to stop fumbling around with my dreams and start living in them.

SO MUCH happens in a decade and I am looking forward to opening up a new one.

One thing is changing for me: Grey hair.

I started getting grey hairs in my late teens.? But had I started colouring my hair for fun and self-expression before that.? So I never intentionally set out to colour/cover my greys.

About a month ago, I stopped enjoying colouring my hair, so I decided to stop colouring.? At this point, I am about 50% grey and I’d like to have my real hair.

Also – at 50% grey I can use hair chalk to play with colour, which is harder to do on dark hair.? I mean – come on, of course I want this:

So I am going to start streaking my hair super-light, to play more with colour as I grow out my greys.? I’m not sure when I’ll start – right now I’m just letting my roots grow until it starts to feel awkward.

I used to do Birthday Journaling on my birthday but I’m not sure if I’m even feeling that this year – we’ll see.? Mostly I just want to appreciate being where I am.

I’m Turning 40 Today: May the Fourth Be With Me Read More »

Update 23: Working Through a Big Fear

By Andrea Schroeder / May 2, 2014

I set a big goal for my business for 2014: to welcome 800 dreamers into my Creative Dream Circle. And to do this not by getting super pushy about selling – but to do this with heart and soul and creativity and joy and LOVE.

(you can read my original post about this here)

At this point though, it?s less about the numbers and more about growing my capacity to serve dreamers everywhere in bringing their dreams to life.

In support of this goal, I am writing weekly updates on Fridays, for all of 2014. This is where I’ll share the story of all the ups and downs of bringing a big dream to life.

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Last week I shared how I couldn’t share last week’s update here, that my dream and I were feeling too exposed and needed a smaller, more sheltered space. So I posted it inside the Creative Dream Circle instead.

And OMG! When Circle members joined me in sharing updates last week it was amazing! I want to keep doing that and inviting them to join me in the weekly updates, which is such a helpful habit to have when you’re in the process of bringing a dream to life.

So, me feeling awkward and unsure about how to share the update last week ended up creating this beautiful new thing in the Circle. I love that.

From now on I’m going to write the updates for inside the Circle. Then I can edit my updates as much as I need to, before posting them here on my blog. Some weeks I may edit nothing, some weeks I may edit everything or re-write things or whatever feels right.

This creates a new container of safety for me as I grow my dream.

In my many travels to Portland, Oregon I was really struck by how BIG the trees are, much bigger than trees in Winnipeg, Canada. It being so rainy and damp, those trees must have some happy root systems.

Imagine taking one of those tress into the desert and planting it in the sand with no rainy dampness.

It would be too big, too heavy. It would fall over because the sand couldn’t support the roots so the roots couldn’t support the tree.

It’s like that with dreams and safety. Dreams need to be planted in safe ground in order to be stable enough to support big growth. And each dream needs it’s own kind of safety, so you have to learn about what your unique dream needs.

Sometimes I forget that every time I want to take my dreams to the next level, I need to re-adjust my safety levels (among other things).

This week got off to a really rough start.

On Monday my fears and inner critics totally took over. I completely believed that I CAN’T do this, that I don’t have the capacity. I’m too sensitive. Underneath that fear was a lot of sadness and pain about doing it all on my own and not feeling big/strong/brave enough.

The fear was not that I won’t reach my goal, the fear is that I’ll be totally burnt out and overwhelmed. Like I am small and this dream is big and the demands of my growing business will crush me. I felt completely helpless.

Once I journaled about it and cried about it and took a hot aromatherapy bath, I could see that this is good because this means I found the edge of my capacity. Last week when I felt uncomfortable about sharing my update on my blog, that was about capacity, about wanting to shrink in a bit and stop feeling so exposed. But I felt confused and foggy about it.

Even though facing your feelings isn’t fun, it’s always easier to shift something that you are clear on. Which means shining a light into the fog to figure out what is REALLY going on.

So that’s what I did in Monday, I found the me who believes that she’ll get totally burnt out and overwhelmed, and is terrified about it. Then I took her into the Un-Sticking Station in the Creative Dream Circle and spent a LOT of time with her there, learning more about where she lives and what she needs, which is safety.

As I filled her world with safety, her world changed.

She had been living inside this old castle. Well, not a castle exactly. It’s like it was supposed to be a castle, but really it was this tiny space, with tall tall tall tall grey stone walls, but grass as the floor and sky as the ceiling. She couldn’t see out because of the walls, which she thought she needed for safety. But really they were just limiting her possibilities.

As I filled her energy body with safety a window opened up and she could see all the cool stuff happening out in the meadow outside the wall. Then we discovered the miracle of how much support there is for her out there and how safe it really is to step into a bigger dream – how actually it’s safer than staying in the smaller dream.

And with that done, the walls were gone and she had this amazing new world to play in.

And suddenly everything seemed easy and obvious.

I set up my business to be primarily a coaching practice, with regular classes. Classes having 50 people maximum and coaching happening with 1 person at a time. I had systems that supported this.

Suddenly I saw how creating the Circle and lowering the price of everything and having more people and offering less one-on-one support changed my business model. So of course my systems need to change with it!

After spending so much time crying about not having the capacity to do this, I actually laughed about how simple it would be to solve the capacity problem by switching to new systems which will support growth and actually make everything better for EVERYONE as more people join the circle.

And there are LOTS of delightful options for right-fit systems I can use as my business grows.

But I couldn’t see that before because of this part of me hiding behind that giant stone wall.

Figuring this out makes the path in front of me feel smooth and clear and sunny.

So that feels good.? And I am excited about moving forward and switching some of my systems.

Update 23: Working Through a Big Fear Read More »

Creative Dream TV: Inspiration is an inside job

By Andrea Schroeder / April 29, 2014 / Vintage Creative Dream TV

Today I’m talking about how INspiration is NOT something that you should be looking for OUTside of you.

And how looking inside for inspiration is the first step in living in the flow of inspiration.

I’ll be showing you exactly how to find this kind of inspiration in the Let’s Make Inspiration Cards Together class in the Creative Dream Circle – click here to join today!

Creative Dream TV: Inspiration is an inside job Read More »

Update #22: So This Is Awkward.

By Andrea Schroeder / April 25, 2014

(you can read my original post about this here)

At this point though, it?s less about the numbers and more about growing my capacity to serve dreamers everywhere in bringing their dreams to life.

In support of this goal, I am writing weekly updates on Fridays, for all of 2014. This is where I’ll share the story of all the ups and downs of bringing a big dream to life.

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I had a post written for this week, it was about increasing internal capacity and identity shifts.? A lot happened this week!

But then more happened this morning and I found out that I can’t post that update here.

This morning I was doing my meditation/creative soul alchemy energy work/dream work and in looking at my relationship to this dream, there was so much energetic gunk around it I couldn’t connect clearly to it.

So I explored the gunk.? It was unfamiliar, which is strange because normally my energy is VERY familiar.

It turns out that this gunk is not mine.? This gunk is other people’s reactions to my dream.

I now have 10,000 visitors a month.? And for the past little while my traffic was stalled (while I was quietly freaking out about 8,000 people reading my private thoughts) but now it’s increasing again and I have a really solid plan to keep doubling it.

Everyone doesn’t read very post but still, that’s a lot of people and that’s a lot of reactions for my little seedling of a dream to be exposed to. Not that exposure is always bad for dreams, just that this dream needs quiet, clear space right now.

This is a part of stretching capacity and identity shifting: it’s no longer right for me to share things here on my blog that I used to share here.

This is new and I am still learning about it and I don’t know what to do about it right now.? I said I would post a weekly update every Friday this year.

I am not a person who doesn’t follow through on her word.? I am also not a person who ignores her intuition.

I have found that there is always a way for these two things to work together, but it usually takes some time, exploration and creative thinking to find that way.

What feels right to do today is to post my post in the Creative Dream Circle and invite the members to share their own weekly updates with me there.

I have been looking for a way to make the updates more of a group thing, but I haven’t wanted to ask people to share their vulnerable dream process publicly.? So that part is a really good move – we can share privately, in a community where everyone 1) loves & supports dreams 2) has the tools and support to make their dreams real.? It’s a really different atmosphere than a public blog, and of course you are welcome to join us.

Plus, making it a habit to write a weekly update helps ground you in the process of bringing your dream to life and opens up new channels of support.? I think it’s a beautiful addition to the Circle.

And I’m going to have to think of something else to do out here in public.? I’ll be exploring that more.

Update #22: So This Is Awkward. Read More »

Without my creative dreams, I shrivel up.

By Andrea Schroeder / April 24, 2014

Growing a business is hard and sometimes in that hardness I lose sight of why I’m even doing this.

I teach open-hearted, creative people how to live a RIDICULOUSLY inspired life, filled to the brim with dreams come true.

I teach what I teach because this stuff makes me happy.

This stuff makes me deliciously and consistently and reliably happy.? Which is kind of a miracle.

And the times in my life when I did NOT have this stuff have been pretty bleak.

I didn’t set out to become accredited as a spiritual teacher because I wanted to teach.? I was taking those classes it because I needed them for me.

I needed healing.

Even though I wouldn’t have used these words at that time: I desperately needed to find a way to live in tune with my own creative soul.

First, art and design helped (I have a degree in fashion design, half of a degree in interior design and a decade working as a textile artist) but were not enough on its own.

Then, spirituality helped (I am an accredited spiritual teacher/counselor and energy healer and spent years leading healing & meditation groups and classes) but was not enough on its own.

It’s only when I bring it all together and stay engaged in my creative AND spiritual practice that I am truly, like right down to the core, happy.

Without my creative dreams, I shrivel up.

I need this stuff.? This stuff changed my life.? I teach it so I can share it so it can change more lives.

I built this whole world full of tools that help you activate the magic because I know what it’s like to live without the magic.? I know I never want to go back to that place and I don’t want you to live there either.

Once I learned how to create a life that is in tune with my creative soul it was like… whoa.? No wonder I wasn’t ever really happy before.

I need my creative dreams, in order to live my real life.

If you’re reading this, I suspect the same is true for you.

Unfortunately, we live in a world where the odds are stacked against dreams and there aren’t a lot of places you can go to get help with this.

That’s why I built the Creative Dream Circle – to help stack the odds in your favour.

And because my biggest dream is to live in a world where everyone has the option to live with their dreams.

I know we’re a long ways off from this.

I know this is a huge huge tremendously huge job and I am only one person but I’m doing what I can with what I’ve got to move towards this.

Just imagine what happens when everyone lives in tune with their hearts, when everyone believes in their creative purpose, when everyone on this planet feels safe enough to dream.

That’s why I do this.

Do you know that I do energy healing for the Creative Dream Circle and all of its members?

I do this often. Dreaming is about healing, and transformation and moving towards your inherent wholeness.? It’s a big job and it’s never really done.

I have so much love for the people I play with in the Circle.

I check in every day.? I send love and energetic healing attunements.? I offer support and encouragement and ideas.

Love for the dreamers and their dreams fuels my work.

That photo above is a chakra energy healing I was doing for the entire Circle, earlier this week.? The day after I did that members started reporting tiny miracles happening in their lives.

This stuff works.

I can’t make any promises about timing, like how fast you can have your wildest dream come true, but I can promise to make it easier and more fun to stay in the process of getting there.? I can show you how to make the ride smoother.? I can help you rev up your power source.

Without my creative dreams, I shrivel up. Read More »

If you’re not showing up every day, how can you expect your dream to?

By Andrea Schroeder / April 21, 2014 / daily practice

So here I am, showing up with my art journal for my creative dream practice this morning, even though I didn’t want to.? Even though doubt built a stronghold in my stomach overnight.? Even though I’m tired.? Even though I’m not sure what my next move is.

My dream is a radiant ball of light.

My doubt is a rough block of concrete.

I’m giving them both space in my art journal.

Exploring possibilities.

Doing my best to ground myself in my truth.

Last week, my Daily Practice was a bliss-generator.

This week it’s a container that is keeping me from falling.

Because I stayed in it last week, this week it can hold me.

Daily Practice matters so much for dream-growing.

It’s like your life-line to your dream.? If you’re not showing up, how can you expect your dream to?

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If you’re not showing up every day, how can you expect your dream to? Read More »

Update #21: Daily practice is ridiculously bliss-making.

By Andrea Schroeder / April 18, 2014

(you can read my original post about this here)

At this point though, it?s less about the numbers and more about growing my capacity to serve dreamers everywhere in bringing their dreams to life.

In support of this goal, I am writing weekly updates on Fridays, for all of 2014. This is where I’ll share the story of all the ups and downs of bringing a big dream to life.

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I am happy.? Very very happy.

Give Your Dream Wings really changed things for me. It created a more comfortable space for me to be, inside my business because I can trust that new people will get a warm welcome and thorough introduction to me through this free course.

And it means I can talk on my blog about how I live with my dreams in a different way.? The practice I teach in Give Your Dream Wings is the start of the practice I do every day.? I bring a lot more into it from what I teach in the Circle, but the basic principle is the same so I feel more free to talk about that now that I am explaining it in detail in this course.

I’m not sure I can explain that part in words, but energetically it shifted something in me that feels amazing to be shifted.

Plus, new members have been steadily joining the Creative Dream Circle.? The free course really is the perfect introduction to my work for people who want to work with me to make their dreams real.? It helps them feel more safe & sure about choosing to join if they enjoy my free course.

And I’m making inspiration cards every day in preparation for next month’s Let’s Make Inspiration Cards Together class.

Inspiration Cards as a daily practice is ridiculously bliss-making.

Really looking forward to sharing the magic of this with my Circle members.

Not just the fun of collaging and painting and glittering, but the magics of diving deep into new worlds of inspiration and finding new ways to connect with the truth that what you need is always accessible to you – you’re swimming in it.

The past 2 weeks have been a little chaotic in the dream loft with construction workers doing some finishing/fixing – nothing major, but furniture had to be moved and things got dusty and it’s really nice to have that stuff done and have an air of peaceful spaciousness return to my space.

Basically, I’m feeling on top of the world.

I’m remembering how making a deep commitment to a dream opens up the pathway for its fulfillment.? And how there are challenges but the challenges are short and small and the journey and long and deep.? As long as you are committed for the long run you’ll get there.? And I am committed for the long run.

Update #21: Daily practice is ridiculously bliss-making. Read More »

Update 21: Growth Spurt

By Andrea Schroeder / April 11, 2014 / creative entrepreneur, Manifest Your Dream Life

(you can read my original post about this here)

At this point though, it?s less about the numbers and more about growing my capacity to serve dreamers everywhere in bringing their dreams to life.

In support of this goal, I am writing weekly updates on Fridays, for all of 2014. This is where I’ll share the story of all the ups and downs of bringing a big dream to life.

***************************************************

A lot of my update posts have been about giving my dream space to quietly marinate.? Some weeks I feel kind of ridiculous providing an update when there is really nothing concrete to report on.

But that’s kind of the point.? This is how dreams grow: there are looooong quiet periods in between growth spurts.

But we compare our long quiet periods with other people’s growth spurts – only because the growth spurts are all we see.? And we feel frustrated and defeated when it looks like its easier for everyone else.

That’s part of what I wanted to address in writing these updates – to share the ACTUAL process, including all of the quiet periods.

So this week is a growth spurt week.

And I am really happy about this.

I updated my website.? I am 100% in love with this.

I launched my new free E-Course: Give Your Dream Wings.? There are over 4,300 participants.

Everything I have been doing since December, in terms of exploring what’s going on in my inner relationship with my goal and looking at how I want to grow my business, has culminated in this.

I feel like I have created the perfect welcome sign.

Welcome to the world of the Creative Dream Incubator.? Let’s do this.

Give Your Dream Wings is amazing.? I feel so happy to have this as the front door to my business – a warm welcome.? Instead of me saying “Hello, I believe in you” now I am saying “Hello, I believe in you… here let me show you, step by step, where to find the magic.”

This shifts the energy, big time.

And that is all the update I have energy for right now!? This week really wiped me out, in a very good way.

Update 21: Growth Spurt Read More »

On Being Afraid And Doing It Anyway

By Andrea Schroeder / April 9, 2014 / creative entrepreneur, Manifest Your Dream Life

Yesterday I hosted by first blog hop.? It was totally rad.

It was also totally outside of my comfort zone.

I am seriously introverted.? And seriously HSP.? Just the volume of emails needed to pull off something like that was/is outside of my comfort zone.? Nevermind all the other things that scared me about it.

I felt overwhelmed at the thought of it.? I also felt inspired and sure.

There is this thing in the Creative Dream Circle called the Crazy Smart Wisdom Council.

When the right thing for you is outside of your comfort zone (which is where most, if not all, dreams live) – you will tend to try to talk yourself out of it because who wants to be uncomfortable?? The beauty of having a Crazy Smart Wisdom Council is that it roots you back into your truth.

Not the small truths: I’m scared. I’m unsure. I don’t have time.? The Big Truth: When I both LISTEN and ACT ON my intuitive wisdom, anything is possible.

Yes, it’s scary.? Yes, I will probably do it wrong.? Yes, I will feel overwhelmed.? Yes, it would be much more comfortable to just not do this.? Yes, I know this is my right next move.

It’s NOT about steamrolling over your fear.

That is a bad idea, always.? “Leap and the net will appear” is bullshit.

Steamrolling over your feelings is really different from sitting in the discomfort and being willing to be vulnerable in service to your dreams.

When I was willing to be vulnerable in service to my dreams:

I asked for help even though just the thought of asking for help makes me uncomfortable. I reached out to other bloggers and asked them to offer their time, talent & energy in support of my project.
I moved forward even though I was sure I was going to do it wrong.? I have met SO MANY amazing talented bloggers – hundreds of them.? I couldn’t ask everyone I wanted to ask.? I was afraid of asking the wrong people, of other people feeling left out or pissed off, of everyone saying no.
I facilitated something really beautiful.? There was a lot of magic in this blog hop, in sharing people’s honest heartfelt stories of how they nurture their dreams.? It inspired people all over the world.? It introduced people to interesting & amazing new bloggers.? And it got attention for my new free course.

I’m so glad I did this.

On Being Afraid And Doing It Anyway Read More »

Give Your Dream Wings Blog Hop

By Andrea Schroeder / April 8, 2014 / Manifest Your Dream Life

Today I’ve got some pretty ding dang BIG news for you: a new (free!) course that shows you how to nurture, support and grow your dream… in only 10 minutes a day.? It’s called Give Your Dream Wings.

I’m celebrating with a blog hop.

The Give Your Dream Wings Blog Hop is a peek inside the process of how inspiring people make the magic happen. We?ve got some of the internet?s most inspiring bloggers sharing how they give their dreams wings ? what they do that supports, nurtures and encourages their tender dreams to come to life.

Here they are….

Amanda Fall, Persistent Green & Sprout Magazine: Love or Fear?

Amy Goetz, Amy Creates Stuff: Dreaming While Under Construction

Angel Sullivan, Bringing Soul to Solo-Preneur: Giving My Dream Wings

Barbara Martin, Barbara Martin Art: Growing Creative Dreams

Connie Hozvicka, Dirty Footprints Studio: Big Dreams, Small Packages

Effy Wild, Effy Wild Love & Glitter: Give Your Dream Wings

Gretchen Miller, Creativity in Motion: Giving Your Dream Wings Through Creative Practice

Hali Karla, Hali Karla Arts: Give Your Dream Wings {[Hop-Flap-Fly}

Jamie Ridler, Jamie Ridler Studios: Giving Your Dream Wings, One Feather At A Time

Jane Cunningham, Numinous Jane: Furnishing My Dreams With Wings And Other Daedalus Like Activities…

Jo Anna Rothman, Conjurer of Electric Creative Wholeness: Magic Middle

Kylie Bellard, Effervescence: My Recipe For Dream Fulfillment

Laurel Bleadon-Maffei, Illuminating Souls: 5 Tips For When Your Dreams Feel Too Big & Fear Tries To Talk You Out Of Your Destiny

Lisa Sorona Beam, The Adventures of a Creative Entrepreneur: Creative Dream Visual Journal

Liv Lane, Human Sparkler: The Big Reveal: My New Dream

Liz Lamoreux, Be Present Be Here: On Living Dreams Into Reality

Max Daniels, Better Your Life: Keep Calm And Ask For More. And Then Some.

Shannon Wilkinson, Perception Studios: How I Give My Dream Wings

Tamara Laporte, Willowing Arts: Giving Your Dream Wings

Tara Leaver, Art, Words and Creative Encouragement: The Simple Way To Bring Your Dream To Life

Victoria Brouhard, The Practical Art Of Letting Your Soul Lead The Way: How to Come Back to Your Dream After Heartbreak

Violette Clark, Violette’s Creative Juice: Give Your Creative Dream Wings

If you’re a pinner, you can find all of these posts on the Give Your Dream Wings Board.

Let’s give YOUR dream WINGS.

Living with your dreams is about living your truth: shining as the bright star you are, open hearted, deeply connected and ridiculously inspired.

Give Your Dream Wings is a FREE 10 day e-course. It’s where I’ll show you how to, well, give your dream wings. Like, right now. In ten minutes a day, for zero dollars.

You’ll get a lesson every day for 10 days, delivered via email.

Once you get to the end of this course, you’ll have a simple but magically profound technique for accessing your genius, nurturing your dream and making the MAGIC happen, in 10 only minutes a day.

What you’ll need:

A computer with internet access for receiving emails and watching videos.
A journal (or a bunch of sheets of paper) and a pen (I’m pretty sure it will work better if you use glitter pens, but that’s up to you).
10 minutes/day that you can devote to this.

You do NOT need to already know what your dream is, or believe that it’s possible for you to have what you want. Just give this a try and see what happens!

Ready? Let’s do this.

Once you’re signed up, you’re also going to get my inspiration-filled weekly emails with links to my latest videos, updates about what’s happening inside the Creative Dream Incubator and other treats. Of course, you will be free to unsubscribe from the emails at any time, with a simple click of a button.

Give Your Dream Wings Blog Hop Read More »

Update #20: Finding Magic In The Places Where Things Overlap

By Andrea Schroeder / April 4, 2014 / creative entrepreneur, intention, Manifest Your Dream Life

(you can read my original post about this here)

At this point though, it?s less about the numbers and more about growing my capacity to serve dreamers everywhere in bringing their dreams to life.

In support of this goal, I am writing weekly updates on Fridays, for all of 2014. This is where I’ll share the story of all the ups and downs of bringing a big dream to life.

***************************************************

So yesterday Creative With Money started inside the Creative Dream Circle.

Not to be all Pollyanna-y about it, but I got nowhere near my goal for registrations for this course and I am completely happy with that.? Some really awesome people signed up and it seems ridiculous to be sad that more people did not sign up.

Unconscious money stuff is the main thing that holds people back from living the life they want to be living, so offering this class to help with that is important.

But this course is a healing – not the kind of thing you just jump into, the timing needs to be right.

So when people were not tripping over each other to sign up for it, I was not thinking that something is wrong with my work or with me or that maybe this is the beginning of the end.? I was thinking that the timing isn’t right and it didn’t feel like a big deal.

This is new for me, to not have the worrymonster jump up and try to take over, and I like it very very very very very very much.

TRUST. STABILITY. BLISS.

In last week’s update I mentioned how not meeting my goal this year would not be such a huge problem.? All it would meant is that I would keep working with people one-on-one.

I thought about that a lot this week.

The thing is, I LOVE working with people one-on-one, there is a lot of magic in those deep dives. And yet, those deep dives need a LOT of energy and I want to free up more of my energy for new, unknown projects.

But a part of me is all… but I love working with people in this way.? And I can feel that part of me kind of fighting me on my goal.? Of course – that energy creates a stuck!

Even though sometimes I resist this process, when I give all parts of me the space they need to express what they want, instead of trying to bulldoze through to “meet my goal”, magic happens in the places where everything overlaps.

Last last year, when I re-structured the Circle and lowered the price to $100/year, my idea was that as the Circle grew, I would add small group coaching circles that would be available to Circle members only – so they’d have a private space inside the Circle to connect with each other outside of our calls.? So for those times when people need it, really in-depth Creative Dream Support would be there.

So remembering that idea kind of solves everything, group coaching circles are something I really do want to be doing.

I’m happy about that.

And last week I talked about exploring all the things about business that I do not want to do, and finding the places where the essence of those things overlaps with the essence of what I want to bring to the world.

I made some progress on that and am finding all sorts of things I can do for my business that I feel happy and delighted to do.

Also, I’m working on a Big New Thing which I’ll share next week which I am so excited about I can hardly think straight.

Overall – on the outside my dream seems to be moving verrrrrrrrry slowly.? But on the inside it’s 100% amazeballs.? I am so happy about where I am with this.

Update #20: Finding Magic In The Places Where Things Overlap Read More »

Wheeeeee!

By Andrea Schroeder / April 3, 2014 / healing, money

The Creative with Money e-course starts today.? (There is no end date, since this is an adventure of healing & possibility – everyone is going to work through it in the timing that works for them.)

I know exploring money can feel scary/boring/superficial/sad and it’s natural to want to not look at it.

But not looking at it is not helping you.? You know that.

And healing money stucks is absolutely liberating!? Healing money stucks fertilizes your dreams and makes them grow like crazy.

The Creative with Money class is happening inside the Creative Dream Circle.? So when you sign up – you get a whole year of follow-up support.? With the tools and resources you’ll get in the Circle, one year from today you could be living inside a miracle, which is how I feel about my life right now and let me tell you – it’s the best thing ever.

The Creative Dream Circle is positively oozing with warmth and love and healing and possibility and support and creativity.? All the things that make exploring money easier and more interesting and more fun.

I hope you’ll join us today.

Wheeeeee! Read More »

Grief & Magic.

By Andrea Schroeder / April 2, 2014 / healing, money

grandma — My grandparents: My grandmother made these giant loaves of bread every year for Thanksgiving, to show what she was grateful for.

Yesterday it was four years since my grandmother died.? My mom posted some photos on Facebook and I was all ” four years, has it been that long” and “no way it’s been four whole years already” at the same time.

It’s really hard to measure missing someone in years.

I thought back to four years ago, and how devastated I was.? My grandmother was 89 and in excellent health.? She was independent and creative.? She was living a full life and we were planning a big bash for her 90th.? Her death was very sudden.

I know everybody says this after people are gone, but she really was the best person ever.

And I was sad for me for losing her, but I was also sad for the world for losing her.

I was lucky enough to grow up with all four of my grandparents, and she was the last one I lost.? It changed things for me in a way I did not understand at the time.

It was my grandmother’s death that planted the seeds for me to leave my cushy office job and set out to live my life more fully on my own terms.

At that point I was already leading my own creativity workshops, doing spiritual healing & counseling and leading healing and meditation circles – all while working at my day job.? By then I had worked my way down to 4 days/week and was absolutely blissed out to have the opportunity to be doing what I wanted to do, even though I wasn’t able to do it full time.

At that time, I didn’t think I would EVER do my creativespiritual work as my full time gig.

But after my grandmother died it felt like something changed.

Frankly, it felt like time to grow up.? Which maybe makes sense – I was about to turn 36.

Though she was not the first person I have lost, her death really shook me up and reminded me of how precious life is and not to waste any of it.

And that happiness I was feeling about “only” working 4 days a week so I could spend 3 days devoted to my creative and spiritual adventures started to turn to annoyance.

It was only three months later that I moved down to 3 days a week at my job, and let my boss know that I would be leaving by the end of the year.

No one believed me.

It seemed to unlikely that someone would give up the security of a job with a generous pension and benefits package to strike out on their own to teach people about the magic of glitter and positive thinking (which is how my co-workers described my early workshops).

But I was determined. Not because I wanted to build a big business or become rich or internet-famous, but because I wanted to live my real life.

I realised that life was too precious to spend it doing anything other than what feels TRUE for me.? And I liked my job, but I couldn’t say that it felt TRUE, down to the depths of my being, for me to spend my days doing that work.

No matter how uncertain life as an entrepreneur is, it feels TRUE.

So yesterday I was taking that in.

How much has changed.? How much I have changed.? How I feel about my life today.

Yesterday I wasn’t feeling super-great.? So I was taking it easy.? Drawing mandalas, re-arranging my work schedule to suit my energy, extra meditation, lavender tea lattes.

Four years ago, if I wasn’t feeling super-great I’d have been drinking extra coffee and maybe get a cupcake or something as a treat to get myself through the day.

Pursuing your dreams is a risk.? There is no doubt about that.

But I think we don’t think enough about what kind of risk you take in NOT going for it.?

I was imagining what I’d be like today if I was still in that job.? My whole body kind of tenses up.? I’d feel further away from my purpose and my creativity.? I wouldn’t be practicing extreme self-care as a way of living.? I wouldn’t have the Dream Loft.? I wouldn’t feel fulfilled by my work the way I do now.

That’s not who I want to be.

At the time, I thought it was all about money.? About how I needed my job because I didn’t know how to make enough money to support myself without it.

I thought the life I really wanted was impossible because of money.

In hindsight, that’s ridiculous.

It wasn’t about money.? It was about courage, and learning to trust myself and my creativity.? It was about stretching my comfort zone.? It was about how much more powerful I am when I am living in integrity with my inner truth.

And I promise: the life you really want is possible.? But it’s not going to come to you, you have to go to it.

And if you want my help sorting this out – I’m here.? My Creative With Money e-course starts tomorrow.

I can promise you that in this course you?ll meet money in a totally different way ? this is not like anything else out there.? You’ll see new possibilities for how to live your REAL life.

And I can promise to be there with you on the journey.? I?ll be active in the class forum, answering your questions, helping you get through the stuck places and cheering you on.

The Creative With Money e-course? happens inside the Creative Dream Circle.?? Once you join the Circle, you’re in for a whole year.? This means you get this plus ALL of the other courses I run all year long – for just $100.

Grief & Magic. Read More »

Creative Dream TV: Money & Healing

By Andrea Schroeder / April 1, 2014 / creative entrepreneur, healing, money, Vintage Creative Dream TV

Today I wanted to talk more about the magic of healing your relationship with money, and why this matters to me, why I want to help you with this and what kinds of things tend to come up for people as they explore healing & money.

You are invited to come and explore this with me, and with other committed creative dreamers, in my Creative With Money e-course which you get inside the Creative Dream Circle.? We use creativity, imagination and play to lead you around the very sticky terrain of exploring your inner relationship with money and laying the foundation to create a whole new money story for yourself.

I can promise you that you’ll meet money in a totally different way than you ever have before – this is not like anything else out there.

Creative Dream TV: Money & Healing Read More »

What I learned from my (former) naivete about making money online.

By Andrea Schroeder / March 31, 2014 / creative entrepreneur, Manifest Your Dream Life, money

When I first set out to learn about how to take my small creativity and meditation workshops and put them on the internet and let them be my, like, real actual income, I sought out coaches and mentors who were making real money.

That was one of my main criteria for wanting to work with someone: how much money do they make?? Because if they have figured out how to make a lot of money online surely they can help me do the same.

Now all I can do is smile in embarrassment about how naive I was.

The truth is, size doesn’t matter.

What you need to live a happy, inspired and meaningful life is different than what I need.? More is not better.? Just right is best.

I’ve stopped reading all blogs where people talk about how much money they make, and use it as a selling point.

Not only am I not interested,? I am turned off by the energy that’s driving it and the message behind it.

I think they’re missing the boat completely.

The trick to money isn’t about hitting certain numbers.

It’s about being in right relationship with it.? FLOW. LOVE. CREATIVITY.

About how much easier it is to grow a dream when you can give it the material things it needs.? About how much sparklier life is when you’re indulging in the exact kind of soulful self-care that fills your well, and not making compromises in order to save money.

Because when you’re making compromises in order to save money, you’re out of alignment with the richness of your soul.

You can feel it, how you’re pinching yourself off and collapsing your brightest possibilities. And it hurts.

But you live in a world that is profoundly fucked up about money, and you don’t want to go over to the other side where it’s all about the money and not about the love, so it’s hard to even know that another way is possible.

Most of the problems of creative dreaming are actually money problems.

Like wanting to earn a certain amount and getting caught in a pattern of needing external validation.
Or playing the martyr.
Not having time for your dreams because you’re giving all of your energy to a job that does not make your soul sing.
Dulling your dreams down because you don’t have the right space for the kind of creative work you really want to be doing.
Playing small, thinking this is financially safer.
Putting your dreams on hold until that magical day when you’ll suddenly have more money.
Not quite trusting yourself to do that thing you really want to do and find a way to make it work financially.
Not seeing the infinite possibilities that swirl around you in every moment of your life because you’re afraid of what may happen if you go after them.

What it really comes down to is trusting yourself to create an outer life which is in alignment with your inner magic.

EMPOWERMENT. TRUST. ALIGNMENT.

I’m not going to promise you some ridiculous 3 step program for overcoming all of this, but I do want to invite you to come and explore it with me, and with other committed creative dreamers.? Together we can bring in the superpowers of love and healing and transformation.

My Creative With Money e-course uses creativity, imagination and play to lead you around the very sticky terrain of exploring your inner relationship with money and laying the foundation to create a whole new money story for yourself.

I can promise you that you’ll meet money in a totally different way – this is not like anything else out there.

And I can promise to be there with you on the journey.? I’ll be active in the class forum, answering your questions, helping you get through the stuck places and cheering you on.

I know you can do this.

Creative With Money e-course starts on April 3 (this Thursday) inside the Creative Dream Circle.

When you join the Circle you get an annual membership.? This means you get ALL of the courses I run all year long.

One year from today you could be living in your new money story – the one that’s all about love and flow and creativity and possibility and magic.

What I learned from my (former) naivete about making money online. Read More »