Creative Journaling

Friday Afternoon Playdate With My Dream

A few weeks ago I wrote my last weekly update post where I talked about how I wanted to start doing something different… less an update, more a practice.

I wasn’t 100% sure what this would be, but today I dove in to try my new idea: Friday after lunch I meet up with the heart and soul of my dream, open up my art journal and PLAY.

No agenda. No direction. Just dive in and be open to what shows up, letting the magic of creativity and imagination lead me to what I need to be led to.

(For Creative Dream Circle members: I shared more about this in the October 31 Creative Dream Sharing Circle thread.)

I can’t wait to see what happens with my dreams, with this as a regular weekly practice.


Friday Afternoon Playdate With My Dream Read More »

A whole year of Art Journal lessons from some of the most inspiring teachers on the planet.

Registration for Life Book 2015 starts today.

I’m doing two classes for Life Book (both of these will not be available anywhere else in 2015):

Intuitive Healing Session in your Art Journal: You?ll create a heartfelt art journal page as you learn how to use your creativity to navigate through the intuitive healing process.

The Magic of Presence: Discover how the magic of presence can help you to develop your unique creative voice.

PLUS you’ll get classes from my personal creative hero: Chris Zydel from Creative Juices Arts.? Chris has over thirty years experience as a creativity mentor and is definitely the real deal.? Chris goes way beyond art techniques to teach intuitive process – magical insights guaranteed.

I am so thrilled to be teaching with Chris and so many other gifted teachers in LifeBook!? And for those of you who do want art technique instruction – there are? a ton of wildly inspiring art teachers in LifeBook too!

It’s a really beautiful balance of inner work and art technique instruction with a focus on healing and self-acceptance.

 

Click here to read more and sign up today!

A whole year of Art Journal lessons from some of the most inspiring teachers on the planet. Read More »

How Drawing Mandalas Helps You Bring Your Dreams To Life

It?s Mandala Week on my blog!? Every day this week I?m posting about the magic of Mandalas, in celebration of The Mandala Class, which starts on Monday, September 15.

How drawing mandalas helps you bring your dreams to life.

This week I’ve been talking about how drawing Mandalas can help with intuitive development and emotional healing and transformation.

Ultimately all of this is all about making your dreams real.

Your dream is your soul calling you towards your purpose and your actual self.

Your dream is really not about the external thing, it’s about who you become in the process of making it happen.

Having your dream is about stepping up, shining your light and living your life as your actual self.? No excuses, no holding back, no fitting yourself into strange shapes to meet other people’s expectations.? Radiant authenticity and deep down soul integrity.

Most dreams are about:

  • learning more about what your heart really wants
  • finding the courage to let go of what doesn’t fit and go after what you want
  • learning how to trust yourself
  • getting creative about how you’re living your life
  • being more aligned with your soul truth
  • showing up more powerfully in the world

Heart. Courage. Trust. Creativity. Alignment. Power.

These are inner qualities.? But as you work with them things change in your outer world.

It’s like your world is a puzzle.? You are the puzzle piece right in the middle of the puzzle.? Other puzzle pieces can only click in to your puzzle piece if the shapes match.

So as you change your puzzle piece, through integrating the qualities of your dream like heart, courage, trust, creativity, alignment and power, the pieces around you change.

They have to!?

The old pieces that were around you have to fall away because they don’t fit anymore.

Then new puzzle pieces can come… these puzzle pieces can be different jobs, a different partner (or a new relationship with the old one), new creative projects or hobbies, entrepreneurial ventures or just a healthier outlook on like.

The new pieces might be really similar to the old ones, just lighter, happier and more at peace or they might be totally different.

Things change on the outside to reflect changes you make on the inside. This is how heart dreams come to life.

And where to Mandalas fit in this?

Mandalas are a way of working with qualities.? Looking back to the posts I wrote about how drawing Mandalas can help with intuitive development and emotional healing and transformation you see a definite theme: Mandalas are a way of focusing your inner work.

If you are a visual person, if you like to play with colour and pattern then Mandalas are a really perfect way of doing this because the more you enjoy the work the more engaged you’ll be with it.? The more engaged you are with it, the more fully you integrate the qualities of your dream and the more completely it will alter your whole world.

In The Mandala Class I’ll be sharing a process for working specifically with the energy of the qualities of your dream.? This will help make it easier to work with and integrate the qualities of your dream, so you can change your puzzle piece.

The Mandala Class happens inside the Creative Dream Circle, so when you sign up for The Mandala Class you also get all of my other classes, including the Creative Dream Incubator e-Course which is my master class in the art of bringing any dream to life.? In that class I go into loads of detail on every aspect of bringing your dream to life.

The Creative Dream Incubator e-Course will show you how it all works together.? Once you’ve got that part down, drawing Mandalas will help you stay the path.? They’re like Creative Dream Tune-Ups to keep your dream ship sailing smoothly towards the land of dreams.

We start Monday.? I hope you’ll join me for this.

How Drawing Mandalas Helps You Bring Your Dreams To Life Read More »

How Drawing Mandalas Helps You Be More Intuitive

It’s Mandala Week on my blog!? Every day this week I’m posting about the magic of Mandalas, in celebration of The Mandala Class, which starts next Monday, September 15.

how drawing mandalas helps you be more intuitive

Drawing mandalas helps you be more intuitive in two ways: they make it easier to access intuitive wisdom in the moment and they help with developing and deepening your intuitive gifts over time.

Intuition is simply being able to access inner wisdom. It’s something everyone can do.

Wisdom is a soul quality. Each of us has equal and infinite access to soul qualities.

Though just because everyone has access, does not mean everyone is connected to their inner wisdom.? The beliefs you live from, your habits and practices and your level of consciousness is going to determine how blocked or open the channel is.

The more you get in touch with your self and your soul, the more intuitive you’re going to be because you’ll be living closer to your inner wisdom.

Your intuition is not a crystal ball.

For example, you usually can’t use it to divine winning lottery numbers.

Remember that listening to your intuition is about connecting to the soul quality of wisdom.? Infinite wisdom is wise!? Wiser than we usually are.

Infinite wisdom sees the bigger picture, we tend to see the smaller picture.

We see how we really do NEED to win the lottery in order to make our dream real because how the hell else are you going to make this happen?

Infinite wisdom sees how the journey to the dream is where you develop the qualities you need to live the dream.? Infinite wisdom sees that the lottery is a shortcut, and shortchanges you on growing in the ways your dream is calling on you to grow.

Infinite wisdom sees that winning the lottery isn’t going to make you as happy as you think it will.

Infinite wisdom always has your best interests at heart.

Infinite wisdom loves you.

So of course, if winning the lottery is actually the right path for you of course your intuition will nudge you to buy a ticket and supply you with the right numbers.

Soul qualities are connected.

So your infinite wisdom is coming out of a well of infinite love, infinite joy, infinite creativity, infinite possibility, infinite peace.

Intuitive development is about connecting with the part of you who is connected.

When you learn how to do this it changes everything. It means you can make decisions from a larger part of you, which means you get to live from a larger part of you. You have access to more power, creativity, love, joy and inspiration,

This is not a small thing.

I took classes in intuitive development for years before I was able to reliably use my intuition to navigate through life.? Though I don’t think it necessarily has to take years.

Ultimately, creative people are going to be able to connect to their intuitive voice most effectively through their creativity.

This is something I wished I had known sooner – it’s a bit of a shortcut.

Creating Mandalas as a way of experimenting with how to listen to your intuitive voice makes it easier to get the hang of it.

Learning to access your intuitive wisdom is a bit like learning a new language – a language based more on feelings and sensations than on words.? Art is a language that is also based more on feelings and sensations than words.

Art comes from inspiration which is a soul quality.? All soul qualities are connected.? You’re already dipping into the well for inspiration, so it’s easier to pick up some wisdom while you’re there.

And that is how drawing Mandalas helps you be more intuitive.? It’s all in the way you approach your Mandala practice.

You actually draw your way into connecting with your inner wisdom.

This is what we’ll be doing in The Mandala Class, which starts next Monday, September 15.

And tomorrow and Friday I’ll be blogging about working with Mandalas for healing and bringing your dreams to life.? Of course, this is all connected to using Mandalas for intuitive development.? Really it’s all about using your creativity and imagination to connect more fully with your soul qualities.

How Drawing Mandalas Helps You Be More Intuitive Read More »

Mandala Week!

Mandalas have been a part of my creativespiritual practice for the last fifteen years.? When I first started doing creativity workshops almost 10 years ago I often used mandalas as tools for healing and transformation.

Back then, I did less drawing, more painting and collaging.

Last summer I challenged myself to draw every day, which quickly evolved into drawing mandalas every day which has become a favourite way to slip into my creative flow, open up my intuitive connection while simultaneously calming me down and filling me up.

And I want to share the magic of it with you.

So I’m going to be posting here every day this week, sharing the magic of mandalas and how they can help you develop your intuitive voice and bring your dreams to life.

Tomorrow I’ve got something super special: a Mandala blog hop!

I wanted to make sure to include other Mandala artists and teachers in Mandala Week, to share different perspectives and stories about the magic of Mandalas.

So tomorrow we’ll hop around the web to read their stories and drool over their mandalas.

.

Wednesday I’m blogging about Mandalas and intuition.
Thursday I’m blogging about Mandalas and healing.
Friday I’m blogging about a Mandalas and bringing your dreams to life.

This is all, of course, in celebration of The Mandala Class which starts next Monday, September 15, where you’ll learn to create mandalas you’ll fall in LOVE with.

If you’re wondering what Mandalas even ARE, check out my easy-peasy Mandala tutorial.

Mandala Week! Read More »

How is drawing mandalas different from drawing anything else?

How is drawing mandalas different from drawing anything else?

This is the number one question I’ve been getting lately.? It’s something that is hard to explain in words, because it’s not something you can understand with just your head – it’s something you need to experience in order to understand.

Drawing mandalas is not like other kinds of drawing, because drawing mandalas isn’t actually about drawing, drawing mandalas is about wholeness and connection.

Drawing mandalas is less an artistic style and more a framework for connecting with the wholeness within: with your inner wisdom and intuitive voice.

In other words: drawing mandalas is magic because YOU are magic.

When you learn how to draw mandalas through focusing on what’s happening inside of you instead of focusing on what’s happening on the page, you learn how to tap into your inner wisdom.? (Yes – this is what I’m teaching in The Mandala Class)

A lot of spiritual teachings are paradoxes – like you’ll find the answer when you stop looking for it.

Mandalas are like that.? You’re drawing, but it’s totally not about the drawing.? You’re only using the drawing as a tool for focusing your energy and attention.

The paradox is that as long as you are successfully using the drawing to focus your energy and attention you’re likely to end up drawing Mandalas that you love.? But if you focus on drawing a “nice” Mandala not only is there a good chance you won’t really adore your artwork, you also won’t get any intuitive messages from it.

And if you focus on “doing it right” you’re likely to miss the whole point.

But if you focus on what’s happening inside of you, drawing mandalas is like having creative magic and intuitive wisdom on tap, so you can turn it on any time you need some.

The framework you work with while drawing mandalas supports this beautifully.

The circle represents wholeness.

Drawing rounds around rounds, and having the circle grow on your page, represents expansion.

Repeating lines and shapes as you draw creates patterns – patterns which shift and change and come together in new ways.? Which shows you new perspectives on YOUR patterns and helps you shift the less-helpful patterns into more-helpful patterns.

As you go round and round, creating, shifting and re-creating patterns, and all the while focusing on the inner process – you journey to somewhere new in your inner world.

There is so much magic inside you and THAT is what makes drawing mandalas so amazing.

Mandala Resources:

I’ve got a pretty fantastic (and easy even for beginners)How To Draw Mandalas Tutorial.

And I’m teaching The Mandala Class online starting on September 15.

How is drawing mandalas different from drawing anything else? Read More »

Creative Planning AKA Why I LOVE Monday Mornings.

creative planning

creative planningcreative planning

creative planningcreative planning

This particular Monday morning I woke up with a sense of trepidation.

I have a lot of questions without answers and tangles to smooth.? More unknowns than knows tends to make me anxious.? Even though dreaming, my chosen profession, is all about bravely facing the unknown instead of staying stuck in the known (aka status quo).

This is why I invented Creative Genius Planning Sessions: less for creative planning, more for magic, miracles & healing.

Creativity.? Play. Heart. Truth. Deep Intuitive Connection.? In volumes high enough to propel you onto the path that leads to where you really want to be.

I took my trepidation, my worry about too many things to do and my fear that I can’t pull this off and I sat down with my Creative Genius Planning Sessions Kit

The beauty of having this all ready for you as a kit is that you do NOT have to ALREADY feel smart/together/awake/confident/creative in order START.

Hint: waiting until you feel ready is FORFEITING ON YOUR DREAMS.

Having creative planning kits like this makes it easier to start before you feel ready.

I know some days I DO feel ready and some days I DON’T.? I also know that my dreams need me to show up EVERY day.

So I actually created the Creative Genius Planning Sessions Kit for me, because I need it.?

Because I know my dreams can’t afford for me to get a slow start on the day because I’m feeling anxious about something.? My dreams can’t afford for me to not believe in myself enough to take the risk that needs to be taken.? My dreams can’t afford for me to not stay in the game.

So, this morning I took my trepidation and slowly growing anxiety and I got out my Creative Genius Planning Session Kit.? And it took me a little longer than usual to get through it, but that’s ok.

Creativity.? Play. Heart. Truth. Deep Intuitive Connection.? In volumes high enough to propel you onto the path that leads to where you really want to be.

Creative Planning doesn’t just help you get your shit together.

It’s not about making to-do lists and then forcing yourself to do the work.? Or figuring out the right steps that guarantee success.

It’s about staying in the flow.? Remembering your power.? Accessing your genius.

This morning my trepidation and anxiety melted by the time I finished the Creative Genius Planning Sessions Kit.? Now I feel sure and excited and inspired about what I want to create in my world this week.

Plus I have a clear plan that makes my heart dance around a little in my chest.

THIS is the fuel that brings dreams to life.
creative planning

Want to play?

You get my Creative Genius Planning Sessions kit inside the Creative Dream Circle – along with TONS of other kits, courses and resources for finding the magic even on the days when you’re NOT feeling it.


Creative Planning AKA Why I LOVE Monday Mornings. Read More »

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

show up every day

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?


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

I Want To Do Creative Journaling But I Don’t Want To Have To Get a Whole Bunch Of Materials!

This post is a part of the Dreamtastic Creative Journals ongoing (free!) e-course about using your journal as a tool for transformation, healing and dream-growing. The courses is full of videos, stories, photos, prompts and creative journaling processes that will help you discover the magic within.? Click here to check out what’s happened in the course so far.

Today’s question:

What keeps me from art journaling is my notion that it requires me to carry around huge amounts of materials, or to do wild shit while at home and I really don’t have the time energy and money for that. So if you could?address that, I’d love it.

artjournalqa

Good news!? You absolutely don’t have to get any materials you don’t want and you DEFINITELY do not have to do any wild shit.

Creative Dream Journaling is NOT Art Journaling.

Art Journaling is not wrong or anything, it’s just not what I teach.

This is about spending QUALITY time with yourself (like, actually being present with what’s going on inside of you) and with your dream.

That’s it.

It doesn’t matter what it looks like.

It only matters what it FEELS like.

How do YOU want your creative journal practice to feel?

For me, it’s important that it be: expansive, supportive, nurturing, inspiring, playful and transformative.? You get to pick how your practice will be for you.

Some of us looooove having a whole ton of art supplies to play with. Some of us prefer to keep things simple.

At home, I like to play with paints and tons of different art supplies.? But I also like to journal on the go, with just a few markers.?? Neither is better, they’re just different.

The only rule is: don’t do anything you don’t want to do!

Part of what you’re doing with this work is meeting and transforming those inner voices that say you have to do things “the right way”.

Another part of what you’re doing is learning more about YOUR way.? This is how you activate your inner superpowers.

So – get ONLY the art supplies you actually want to play with.? And do ONLY the things you actually want to do.


I Want To Do Creative Journaling But I Don’t Want To Have To Get a Whole Bunch Of Materials! Read More »

Make Your Own Creative Genius Inspiration Cards

cards

Inspiration cards are the bomb but your very own unique-and-just-for-you inspiration cards? Pure genius.

This is a video I made for the Creative Dream Circle.

Today I thought I’d share it out here so you can play too!

I’ll be leading a whole class on Inspiration Cards, starting May 8 called Let’s Make Inspiration Cards together.? This is a highly unique and a highly creative class.? You’ll make Inspiration Cards to fill your whole world with magic & inspiration. Each card is a tiny propeller – propelling you towards your dreams.



Make Your Own Creative Genius Inspiration Cards Read More »

When Inner Critics Attack

when inner critics attack

Yesterday I shared my Valentine’s gift with the world: the You Are Loved guided journal & mandala colouring book.? Happily, this has gone over so well, my web server has crashed repeatedly.

I know I create and share (and sell!) things all the time.

That doesn’t mean it’s easy for me.

It’s actually NOT easy for me to put my stuff (and myself!) out there.? For me to do this work for a living requires daily discipline for meeting with and transforming my inner critics.

My inner critics had a FIELD DAY with the self-love journal/colouring book project.

They hated almost everything about it and they were ridiculously mean in their reasons why this was a stupid thing for me to do.

It took A LOT of work for me to calm down.

I sent them love.? I listened to their complaints.? I negotiated.? I got all tense and afraid.? I did energy work and journaling.? I used the Un-Sticking Station in the Creative Dream Circle to transform them into helpful allies.

I spent a lot of time and energy giving them the time and attention and love they needed, so they could feel safe enough to settle down.

This work is a regular part of what I do when I launch new creative projects out into the world.

I wanted to make sure to share this part of the story because too often we focus on the shiny happy endings and dreams come true.? You may see that I put a lot of stuff out into the world and assume that this is all shiny happy fun for me.

This leaves you with this sense that “things just work” for other people and that if your dream doesn’t just magically come true on its own – that means you can’t have your dream.

This is EXACTLY what your inner critic wants you to think.? This kind of thinking stops dreams in their tracks.

Also – part of what makes inner critics so powerful is that we do tend to keep them hidden. They shrink in the light.

So I like to keep mine well-lit by sharing the truth about them.

Your inner critics freaking out is not a sign to stop.

Inner critics freak out.? That’s their job.? Your job is to go after your dreams anyway.

I know it’s hard.

And if you’re dealing with this I am sending you so much love…

But I’m also sending a firm reminder that you can’t STOP just because your inner critics freak out.

You have to take charge.? Do not wait for your inner critics to magically change on their own.

Unless, of course, you WANT to be miserable.

Your inner critics are scared wounded inner children who need love and healing.? They’ll freak out at the most awkward times.

They still deserve love because they are a part of you.

It’s like your dreams – all the things you want to do doing, the way you want to be living, the you you really want to be – live in the most amazing castle ever.

The inner critics are the sharks that live in the moat around the castle.? Their whole mission is to keep you from entering the castle.

Their mission is not fueled by anger or malice or anything – they’re just afraid of the changes that will happen once you enter the castle.? They simply don’t understand that you have the courage, integrity and wisdom to handle the changes.

So what are you going to do?

There are only two choices:

  1. Run away and live forever in the Land Where No Dreams Come True
  2. Figure out how to put the drawbridge down

Some people like to pretend that there is another choice, that you can somehow wait them out, and maybe tomorrow the inner critics will quiet down so they can have their creative play time.

These people are just in denial about living in the Land Where No Dreams Come True.

Yes, finding that drawbridge and putting it down really is hard work and it’s scary and doing it over and over again is a total pain in the ass.

But letting those sharks win is just stupid.? Your dreams are too important.

And the treasures that live in the castle are a gazillion times better than you think they are.

Sometimes my inner critics just freak out because they’re freaking out.

Sometimes they freak out because I am onto something that could change everything.

That was what was happening on Monday.

Now that I have made one small guided journal/colouring book, and now that I see that people really love it, I see this whole new path opening up:

BIG, DEEP, CRAZY MAGIC guided journals and colouring books.? A HUGE LIBRARY FULL OF THEM.

Once I get into the swing of creating these, I believe I can be doing one every month.? They’ll be available for sale on my website – and free for my darling Creative Dream Circle members.

Plus we’ll do live streaming video playdates to journal with them together!

The thought of this makes me want to dance and spray glitter all over everything.

Riding out the Inner Critic Freak-out on Monday, and taking the time to use the tools that work to transform the inner critics, means I get to this place: having a new idea, being inspired and excited and seeing that the path is clear ahead of me.

It means I can dive in to a new dream.? Totally worth doing the work of dealing with the inner critics!

If you’re a Creative Dream Circle member – you can use the tools in the Un-Sticking Station to deal with ANY inner critic attack.? It will lead you through the whole process of transforming your inner critic lovingly and effectively.

When Inner Critics Attack Read More »

FREE Guided Journal + Mandala Coloring Book for Self-Love.

What it is: 15 pages of journal prompts and hand-drawn mandala coloring pages to explore and colour.

Mandala Coloring Pages + Guided Journal for Self Love

 

It’s a beam of creativity & love, from my heart to yours.

This book is designed for people who want to lead creatively abundant lives ? and do ?impossible? things, with ease & joy, every day.

Filled with journaling prompts, unique energy alchemy processes and hand-drawn healing mandala coloring pages, this book will lead you through the process of learning more about your (amazing!) self.

>>> CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD IT NOW.

There is magic in this book.

You activate that magic by playing with it.

Play in whatever way you want to play. Use whatever art supplies are fun for you: glitter pens, crayons, collage, etc.? There are no rules here.

The journaling prompts are tiny little diving boards, for you to dive off of into your own adventure – go off on tangents and explore whatever thoughts come up in the process.? They will lead you to amazing places.

The healing power of the mandala coloring pages is activated when you colour them in, lighting them up with your unique creative expression and ideas.? (If you want to explore mandalas further and draw your own, I?ve got an easy-peasy anyone-can-do-it How to Draw Mandalas Tutorial right here.)

My hope is that this book helps you to fall more deeply in love with your amazing self.

mandala coloring pagesmandala coloring pagesmandala coloring pages

>>> CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD IT NOW.

If you like this book, I would sure appreciate it if you would SHARE this Guided Journal with Mandala Coloring Pages.

Use the Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest/email buttons above to post this on your networks or share with your friends.

If you REALLY like it, check out my full-length guided journals and journaling classes available inside the Creative Dream Circle.

FREE Guided Journal + Mandala Coloring Book for Self-Love. Read More »

Art Journal Lessons from Buffy the Vampire Slayer

art journal lessons from Buffy the Vampire Slayer

I’m re-watching Buffy right now.? I LOVE Buffy.

Last night I watched the episode where Jenny Calendar obtains an Orb of Thesulah in an attempt to re-ensoul Angel.

What struck me was the scene where Jenny is in the magic shop.? When she asks for the Orb of Thesulah, the shopkeeper drops his act.? “Oh, you’re in the industry” he says, and goes on to talk about how it’s sad that selling ouji boards and love spells to “tourists” is what pays the bills these days.

When he gives her the Orb of Thesula, which has the power to CALL BACK A SOUL, he mentions that they are most commonly sold as “new age paperweights”.

What I am noticing:

  1. shallow surface stuff sells, deep ACTUAL MAGIC stuff – not so much
  2. some deep ACTUAL MAGIC stuff is sold as shallow surface stuff

A lot of it comes down to levels of willingness.

To crazy-over-simplify it: we are like onions.? The ego is the surface layer.? The soul and all the dream goodies are in the center.

It’s simple: peel back the layers. Get to the goodies.

Except that ego surface layer has this trick it does.? It makes up stories about who you are.? Stories that live in that surface layer and are not actually connected to your core truth.

Stories that are carefully crafted to keep you playing whatever roles the ego thinks are going to earn you? _________ ( external approval, safety, love, etc,).

These are stories that the ego-onion has been whispering in your ear so long you form this attachment to them and start to mistake them for who you actually are.

So what happens when you try to peel back a layer?? The storyteller goes NUTS.

Of course it does!? It knows that if you start this journey, at some point you’re going to throw out the bullshit stories in your quest to discover your actual truth.

So this is where we get stuck.

Are you willing to look at what is ACTUALLY there in the many many many layers of who you are?? Even when it’s not pretty?? Even when the ego throws a tantrum?

Or would you rather stay in this “safe” story?

This level of willingness determines if you’re going to use magical tools as new age paperweights or if you’re going to use them to change your world.

Frankly, there is a lot of “surface stuff” in the art journaling world.? People take classes to learn how to make pretty pages with deep sounding quotes on them.

And their lives go on largely as they were before. Except now they have this hobby and their new hobby makes them happy.? Which is really great!

Except all that potential for transformation is just sitting there like a new age paperweight.

Or is it waiting for perfect timing?

Later on in Buffy, when they once try again to re-ensoul Angel, it is discovered that Rupert Giles had an Orb of Thesulah which he had been using as a new age paperweight all along.

Maybe there are no accidents and everything is unfolding perfectly.

Art Journaling is the ultimate Orb of Thesulah.

It’s sitting there as a new age paperweight, quietly beaming beams that call back your soul.

And you can keep learning how to make pretty pages and stay on the surface of the onion for as long as you want.? As soon as you decide that you want to dive in – it’s there for you.

This is why I call what I teach CREATIVE journaling.? It’s not about making art.? It’s about CREATING your LIFE.

It can call back your power, your courage and your genius.

It can transform the limiting beliefs and sad stories that hold you back.

It can show you clear roadmaps that lead to your dreams.

It’s all up to you and how you’re going to use it.? If you want some help finding the REAL magic in your journal, I do have a (FREE!) Creative Dream Journal e-course right here.

 

Art Journal Lessons from Buffy the Vampire Slayer Read More »

On turning 40 and being surprised.

40

So I am turning 40 this year.

I’ve never cared much about age, or worried about “getting old”.? I mean I’d rather age than die and those are the only options, right?

I don’t think “looking young” is better than “looking old” and I do think our society is incredibly sick when it comes to this and that sickness is at the root of why most people are not living radiantly happy and fulfilling lives.

But beneath all of that bullshit about anti-aging, I am turning 40 this year and I am really noticing a shift in myself.

I am entering a new decade.

I remember being so excited to enter my 30s!

I felt like I was FINALLY getting my shit together, I felt like possibility was everywhere and I had all the time in the world to do everything.

Entering my 40s feels really different.

It feels less like a celebration and more like an initiation.

A call to a new level of trusting myself.

But the biggest thing is my commitment to my dreams.

It used to feel like I had all the time in the world.? Now, when I think back on how much time I spend working in a job that did not light me up, I am kind of sad.

I know I cannot go back to that, no matter what.? It’s not about having a job vs running a business.? It’s about living in deep alignment with my purpose, my creativity, my heart and my soul.

I am here to live MY truth.

Not to follow anyone else’s rules.? Not to walk along the beaten path.? Not to conform or fit in or play it safe or play it small.

Facing 40 is pushing me to dig DEEPER into my dreams.

I have this urgent feeling about how precious my time here actually is and how little of it I can afford to waste doing things that don’t light me up.

It’s a really strong feeling in my body – a huge energy shift.

I’m surprised because I am already doing my best to be true to myself!

But now I see there is a whole new level, which I couldn’t even see before.

Which makes me giggle because I know that there is ALWAYS another whole new level.? Growth is infinite.? And yet I’m always surprised to find new levels.

I’m so grateful we’re starting the Creative Dream Incubator e-Course this week.? As I said before, it’s less of a course and more of a dream-growing bubble of love and it’s exactly what I need right now to help me sort through this new commitment I want to make to living this new level of being TRUE to myself.


On turning 40 and being surprised. Read More »

Journal Prompts for Overcoming Fear

Journal Prompts for Overcoming Fear

Earlier this week I shared some Journal Prompts for Finding your Dream. As I talked about at the end of that post - being honest with yourself about your dreams can be TERRIFYING.

You may have a fear that if you find out what your dream is, everything will change and change is scary.

Or if you go after your dream and you fail - that will hurt too much.

Or that if you know what your dream is, you still won't know how to make it real, and that will be too frustrating.

Or if you knew what your dream is, you might go after it with everything you've got - and that would be too selfish.

Or deep down inside, you might already kind of know what your dream is, but you're sure you're not good enough to make it happen. It's easier to just not know what it is.

This is scary stuff! How you deal with that fear will determine whether or not your dream comes true.

That's why you need to journal about your fear.

It's NOT about how gifted you are or how much training you have or whether or not people like you and support your dreams.

It's ALL about how you handle the inner work.

So today I'm offering some Journal Prompts to help (gently! lovingly!) meet your fear.

The important thing to know about dealing with fear is this: the scared parts of you are scared.

Obviously! But you forget this all the time and respond to fear as though it was not afraid.

You respond to it like it was a monster. And you try to overcome it by streamrolling over it - because you're also afraid.

You're afraid of being afraid.

And steamrolling doesn't work! It just flattens the fear so that you can stuff it deep down inside and pretend it doesn't exist.

Meanwhile, that fear, stuffed deep down inside you, becomes a Creative Dream BLOCK.

The secret is to meet your fear.

With love and gentleness.

Think of it less as a monster and more as a frightened child.? Oh sweetie, you're scared - what can I do to help you feel better?

These prompts will help you do this - I also have a free 90 minute video class where I lead you through the process of doing this. It's free and available on demand, 24-7. Get it here. 

These journal prompts for fear are for playing and creating with.

Use them as little diving boards to dive off into other things to explore - the most important part is to follow what comes up for you, not to answer every prompt perfectly.

Even when you're not sure about your answers stay in the process. If having pretend conversations with fear is new to you, it may take a little practice for this to make sense.

Journal Prompts for Overcoming Fear:

  • Explore your fear. Where is it showing up in your body and what does it feel like?
  • Imagine that your fear is a frightened child. What does it look like? Note every detail.
  • Ask this frightened child what it needs. List every answer.
  • Go through the answers and for each one, explore if it would actually bring a sense of comfort and safety or does it just numb out the fear or is it really about trying to control the world around you so that you can feel safe?? (hint: that never works)

Take your time with this. Really explore each question and notice where your thoughts lead you to.

You want to try and find an idea for something that you can do right now that will actually bring you a sense of comfort and safety.

When you are able to sit with the fear and journal with it, with an open heart and a willingness to understand what this part of you needs - healing happens.

And when you make this a regular practice - miracles happen.

I'd love to SHOW YOU how this works.

I did a free healing circle and inner work workshop where I lead you through the process of working with your fear.

Try it today:

Journal Prompts for Overcoming Fear Read More »

⚡️BREAKTHROUGHS GUARANTEED⚡️

Get the free journal for Creative Dreaming here: