daily practice

Look what I’ve been doing in this journal!

Two new things for August:

💸 How To Make More Money Without Destroying Your Soul

Two sessions on Zoom: August 7 + 21 (with replays!) and a printable guided journal.

THE FIRST SESSION IS FREE FOR EVERYONE! (Not a promo or anything, this is the actual first session in this program) Full program (both zoom with the guided journal) is $33 USD - or free for Creative Dream Incubator Coaching Membership members.

Details + registration. | Membership members get everything here.

⚡️BREAKTHROUGH

If you want something to change and don't know how to go about getting that change - this one is for you.

Three alchemy sessions on Zoom WITH NO RECORDING. The group will be small enough for everyone to get attention. We’re being present, going deep and GETTING our breakthroughs. 

Three sessions: August 12, 19 + 26. The cost is $233 USD

Details + registration.

 

This is one of the things I've been doing in my journal lately and I LOVE IT.

This is a journal that I used for just bitching and complaining, lol. This is not a Dream Book! I started using it ONLY when I am upset, because I wanted to look back and see patterns and stuff. It was an extra journal I had and an idea to experiment with it.

It always felt weird, just all this bad stuff and no real resolution. Dream Book is where I would work THROUGH things, like using the un-sticking station.

Then I got the idea to go back through it, and paint over every page, and write out the transformation of the thing I was  bitching about and it just feels magic. Now I can flip through it and it's a journal of healing.

 

 

Come dream with us

 

Creative Dream Incubator Coaching Membership members:

Come to the forum to share your thoughts or start a conversation about whatever you're working with.

Get your next Dream Book lesson or get a weekly journaling + alchemy kit.

Go the Library of Creative Dream Alchemy to find a practice that fits for where you are or use the Dream Lab if you're not sure where to start.

Check out the calendar of upcoming calls. Make a plan to join us live or catch a replay.

Look what I’ve been doing in this journal! Read More »

The Breakthrough

Two new things for August:

💸 How To Make More Money Without Destroying Your Soul

Two sessions on Zoom: August 7 + 21 (with replays!) and a printable guided journal.

THE FIRST SESSION IS FREE FOR EVERYONE! (Not a promo or anything, this is the actual first session in this program) Full program (both zoom with the guided journal) is $33 USD - or free for Creative Dream Incubator Coaching Membership members.

Details + registration. | Membership members get everything here.

⚡️BREAKTHROUGH

If you want something to change and don't know how to go about getting that change - this one is for you.

Three alchemy sessions on Zoom WITH NO RECORDING. The group will be small enough for everyone to get attention. We’re being present, going deep and GETTING our breakthroughs. 

Three sessions: August 12, 19 + 26. The cost is $233 USD

Details + registration.

 

As discussed, I've been stuck and I've been circling around some stuff for some time. But this is good!

And as I shared yesterday, I had a high anxiety day and was having a panic attack - crying, upset, and that's when everything changed.

It FELT LIKE all of the intense feelings knocked something loose.

But as I reflect, I don't think that's what it is.

I think I've been paying attention in a deeper way to my feelings. For sure I've been going deeper into them in the divorce process and all the ways it digs up ALL THE STUFF.

But in spending more time processing my feelings, I am more familiar with all the different sensations in my body... and so when I felt stuck with my creative dream, and really sat with that feeling, and all of my feelings were magnified as it was a high anxiety day... well I FELT it. In my body. It felt the same as some divorce stuff I've been processing.

I didn't understand it in my mind.

I still don't fully understand it.

But I FELT it. And then everything I know about this feeling, in regards to my healing process with my divorce, I suddenly saw how it applies to my creative dreams.

And something shifted. And then I saw new options I hadn't seen before.

All because I sat with the feelings even when they felt too big to sit with.

Over and over I am reminded that the feelings that come up as we work on our dreams are not accidents. They are the path.

Come dream with us

 

Creative Dream Incubator Coaching Membership members:

Come to the forum to share your thoughts or start a conversation about whatever you're working with.

Get your next Dream Book lesson or get a weekly journaling + alchemy kit.

Go the Library of Creative Dream Alchemy to find a practice that fits for where you are or use the Dream Lab if you're not sure where to start.

Check out the calendar of upcoming calls. Make a plan to join us live or catch a replay.

The Breakthrough Read More »

Are you stuck or are you circling it and does it matter?

Two new things for August:

💸 How To Make More Money Without Destroying Your Soul

Two sessions on Zoom: August 7 + 21 (with replays!) and a printable guided journal.

THE FIRST SESSION IS FREE FOR EVERYONE! (Not a promo or anything, this is the actual first session in this program) Full program (both zoom with the guided journal) is $33 USD - or free for Creative Dream Incubator Coaching Membership members.

Details + registration. | Membership members get everything here.

⚡️BREAKTHROUGH

If you want something to change and don't know how to go about getting that change - this one is for you.

Three alchemy sessions on Zoom WITH NO RECORDING. The group will be small enough for everyone to get attention. We’re being present, going deep and GETTING our breakthroughs. 

Three sessions: August 12, 19 + 26 at 1:00 pm Central Daylight -5 GMT

The cost is $233 USD

Details + registration.

 

The whole thing about showing up for your dream as a PRACTICE as that the practice itself becomes a container that holds your PROCESS of becoming the version of you who can do the thing.

This doesn’t mean it feels like magic every time.

It’s boring or hard just as often as it’s healing and magically creative.

In yesterday's post I mentioned that tension or twistiness of being in that space where you can't just step into your dream.

Sometimes, like has been happening for me for a while - you are circling something. And you need that time to circle!

You need that process of circling to work through things you don’t even know you are working through.

And it’s really hard to keep showing up in those times. Because it doesn't feel like you are circling, you just feel STUCK.

I’ve been feeling like I know I’m resisting something but I can’t quite see my resistance. There’s just this vague sense of avoiding something and feeling stuck.

So, I kept showing up. Practicing. Noticing what’s happening. Being with these feelings of sensing out resistance beneath the surface but not being able to get at it or even understand what I am resisting.

And then that all blew up.

I was having a high anxiety day that turned into a panic attack. I was crying and trying to soothe myself when suddenly my whole perspective changed.

It’s like the intense feelings created a disturbance in me that loosened what was stuck. That’s how it felt.

And looking back I can see how long I’ve been circling this and I am embarrassed about that BUT ALSO we have to circle for as long as we have to circle.

Circling is actually PRODUCTIVE.

The only thing that is ever not productive is to stop showing up at all.

Come dream with us

 

Creative Dream Incubator Coaching Membership members:

Come to the forum to share your thoughts or start a conversation about whatever you're working with.

Get your next Dream Book lesson or get a weekly journaling + alchemy kit.

Go the Library of Creative Dream Alchemy to find a practice that fits for where you are or use the Dream Lab if you're not sure where to start.

Check out the calendar of upcoming calls. Make a plan to join us live or catch a replay.

Are you stuck or are you circling it and does it matter? Read More »

I am ready to step into my dream.

Note: this post is from my daily Creative Dream Practice and includes links to the tools I use which are a part of the Creative Dream Incubator Coaching Membership. You need an active membership to access those tools. You are always welcome to join right here!

This is the mantra I got in this week’s Dream Book journaling + alchemy kit: I am ready to step into my dream.

Use the meditation for the weekly mantras to dig in deeper to the mantra, or put your hands on your heart and take five deep slow breaths and repeat to yourself:

I am ready to step into my dream.

Notice where this lands in your body, what thoughts and feelings get sparked.

There is no right or wrong way to react. But your actual thoughts and feelings can tell you something about what you need right now.

My reaction: Ahhh! This one feels palpable in my whole body. Like a YES.

It’s time for this STEP.

I can’t articulate exactly what that means which is a little frustrating. To feel this whole body YES about taking a step and not knowing what that step looks like in any practical sense.

But during our Marketing as a Creative + Spiritual Practice call last week, the soul of my business did ask me: “Why are you not visualizing your goal every morning first thing when you wake up?”

And I didn’t have an answer to that question…

Not that I think visualizing your goals first thing when you wake up is VITAL. I do lots of creative dream practices. It only matters THAT you show up, not so much HOW you show up.

But the way the question came in, it felt like - this is the thing that is right for right now, so why aren’t you doing it?

BUT. AND. ALSO.

There was this twistiness in the question, in... well like there was something I was not seeing. Because that's a weird way to say "I need you to visualize every morning"

But to go off on a different little tangent...

Recently the mantra was "I am ready for my next steps" and I am noticing how different this one feels.

AND noticing the medicine of having a new mantra float in every week, bringing it into my body and consciousness and letting it have some space to see what takes root. And so new mantras can merge with the energy and shifts left from old mantras...

Because I am ready to step into my dream feels HUGE.

And I wouldn't be able to feel ready for anything HUGE without practicing being ready for little baby next steps.

Back to the twistiness...

I left that meditation in Marketing as a Creative + Spiritual practice feeling like there is something I am not seeing, that the Creative Dream Incubator really needs me to see.

I didn't feel like I am doing something WRONG. Just that I can't see something.

This is so uncomfortable to sit with.

So I AM READY TO STEP INTO MY DREAM feels palpable and powerful

AND

There is a frustration around not knowing what this looks like because I have been taking steps but none of them have, so far, landed me right in the dream.

AND IT'S LIKE

Do I just keep taking these steps or does something else need to change?

And it felt like the energy of my marriage. Where I was so in love with my husband, and so willing to work on it AND he was drowning, traumatic events kept happening in his life and he dependence on alcohol was becoming a bigger and bigger problem and it's like... do I keep trying or do I walk away?

Not that I want to walk away from my dreams!!!!

But it felt like the same energy.

Does something else need to change?

And then the message from the Creative Dream Incubator and the twistiness...

The step that lands me in my dream is different from the steps I have been taking.

Which is good information

AND

It's very difficult information because the steps I have been taking are the steps I see to take. Like I always say - take the step that's in front of you.

BUT/AND

Taking the step that are in front of me has led me here, to this place of palpably feeling like I need to make a change, and not knowing what the change is.

There is a tension in this.

And then the next step is: stay in the tension.

This is what I mean when I say to follow the rabbit holes.

Explore all the stuff that comes up from an affirmation or idea...

It won't all make sense!!!!

And the path may be so convoluted that no one would ever believe it's a path...

But giving it all space DOES bring you what you need.

(Because I write these ahead of time, I already know that STAYING IN THE TENSION brought me amazing stuff, I'll share more on that this week)

If you want to work on this with me:

If I am growing feels good and encouraging, hold it with you today. Look at problems, questions, stucks and obstacles through this lens and see what ideas it brings.

If it brings up some discomfort - that’s your stuff to work on today. To do that work, in the creative dream incubator coaching membership we’ve got the un-sticking station and the library of inner work practices. If you’re not sure what practice to use, you can email me, or post in our forum, let me know what’s going on and I will make some suggestions for tools you can use.

Come dream with us

 

Creative Dream Incubator Coaching Membership members:

Come to the forum to share your thoughts or start a conversation about whatever you're working with.

Get your next Dream Book lesson or get a weekly journaling + alchemy kit.

Go the Library of Creative Dream Alchemy to find a practice that fits for where you are or use the Dream Lab if you're not sure where to start.

Check out the calendar of upcoming calls. Make a plan to join us live or catch a replay.

I am ready to step into my dream. Read More »

More quality time with myself and my dream [Weekly Dream Status Report]

Note: This is a post about my daily practice with my Creative Dreams - I often link to the tools, courses and processes I use which are available to Dream Book members. If you're not a member, find out more + join us here.

🦄⚡️Creative Dream Incubator Weekly Coaching Call is today!!

Hope to see you there - or catch the replay over the weekend! Call details + replays are here. And after the call I'll start a thread in the forum to share your plans for the week and as a space for accountability and support.

If you can't be there live but have a question or there's something you are struggling with, send me an email this morning and I'll discuss it on the call and offer you some suggestions for things to do.

🦄

On Fridays I do 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. You can do them with me (Dream Book members: come post yours in the forum!)!

My Dream Status Report for this week:

PART ONE:

My dream is: I am calling it "my magical new life". There are lots of "outer things" this includes, but right now I am really thinking about... how do I want to FEEL in my life? What are the QUALITIES of my life? Where is the meaning and purpose and joy?

I want it because: I feel like I am in a transitional space and I want to build something more solid.

When I have it I will feel: More grounded and stable - like settled in my most magical life. Right now it feels like I am DREAMING and BUILDING my most magical life.

PART TWO:

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

It shows up as sparkling stars around me. I feel really soothed by them, and I start to feel more confident.

PART THREE:

Last week’s focus was: Letting go of old stories. Digging deep into the Inner Work - and doing more Dream Work to GROUND the inner work changes.

What happened in the last week?

I was sick for a bunch of it. BUT I did a ton of journaling and meditation and I feel really connected to myself and my dreams.

Journaling feels so extra magic and healing and necessary to me now. I am filling journals so quickly.

This morning I was anxious, and I sat down with my journal and started writing my feelings and felt my body calm. Like this journal is holding space for me to hold space for myself and my feelings and it was so beautiful. It's like I am getting to a new level in my relationship with journaling.

What am I learning/How do I feel about this?

I want to scream that I hate this mid-life time. I am just so stretched.

But I also want to be where I am. This is a powerful time of healing and shifting perspectives and it feels rich with magic BUT ALSO so heavy.

I keep feeling like "I need more space" but then I'm like... what does that even mean? I live alone and work from home. There are a few stressful things in my life right now but they're not overtaking everything... and yet I want to honour this "I need more space" feeling... And often "more space" isn't about more time alone or more quiet time, it's about less screens, less focus on productivity, and more quality time.

What do I need now?

More space, ha!

What does my dream need now?

Oh! I feels like my dream is giving me a hug, saying "I know this part is hard. Please keep going"

Taking all of this into account, my focus for the next week is:

Quality time with myself and my dream

Creative Dream Incubator Coaching Membership members:

Come to the forum to share your Dream Status Report or start a conversation about whatever you're working with.

Get your next Dream Book lesson or get a weekly journaling + alchemy kit.

Go the Library of Creative Dream Alchemy to find a practice that fits for where you are or use the Dream Lab if you're not sure where to start.

Check out the calendar of upcoming calls. Make a plan to join us live or catch a replay.

More quality time with myself and my dream [Weekly Dream Status Report] Read More »

I am replacing “productive” with “fruitful”

Even though I still have LOTS of stucks to un-stick, I am really feeling in the flow.

I am taking steps and making measurable progress and growing in my connection with my dream self who has completed this project.

And as I was working this morning I thought - oh this was such a FRUITFUL time.

Then, riding my bike home, I thought about the word fruitful and how I love it. I never really use it but I really embodies the qualities of what I want my creative time to be…

And then it hit me - I want to replace productive with fruitful.

I don’t want to be or feel productive. I don’t want to figure out how to make myself be more productive… which I have done a lot of in my life.

I want my creative time to be fruitful.

This feels more like a ripening.

An opening.

A blossoming even!

And less like a factory production line.

Productivity is one of the things I have been… struggling with? Exploring? Trying to transform? … since the start of the pandemic when overwhelm kind of took over.

I love how it feels to complete projects. I love putting my work out there. I depend on putting my work out there to support myself. I love how it feel to be in the creative flow…

But I have not been loving the whole vibe around “productive”

So, replacing that with fruitful feels really good. Like maybe some stuff can untangle on its own and I can bear more fruit without feeling like a factory worker.

Ohhhh

For people who have been reading my blog a verrrrrry long time, early in the Creaive Dream incubator's history I had this metaphor I worked with that was the creative dream factory.

And it wasn’t loads of workers working for piecework and needing to work as fast as possible or anything like that. It was a big spacious cool creative dreamy space for me to work in, with robots who took my ideas and helped turn them into, I don’t remember exactly, the stuff that runs the business I guess.

There were big bean bags and art supplies everywhere. Lots of permission to nap and dream.

But still, it was a factory and we were producing dreams.

And I’m not saying that was wrong! It was such a helpful way for me to see my work at the time.

But now I want the Creative Dream Incubator to be a meadow.

Things can blossom and bear fruit. So much fruit!

But some things also die.

Some things take long breaks for the winter.

It just feel more organic.

AND it feels like it answers a lot of my questions about how I want to be with my work. Like, I don’t want to go back to my pre-pandemic self. Not that I could I if I wanted to.

Same for my married self.

But who am I now and who is the Creative Dream Incubator now and how to we work together in service of dreams?

Some parts of that are obvious and fully functioning.

But there is always room for growth and change and new possibilities.

This just feels really good.

Come dream with us

 

Creative Dream Incubator Coaching Membership members:

Come to the forum to share your thoughts or start a conversation about whatever you're working with.

Get your next Dream Book lesson or get a weekly journaling + alchemy kit.

Go the Library of Creative Dream Alchemy to find a practice that fits for where you are or use the Dream Lab if you're not sure where to start.

Check out the calendar of upcoming calls. Make a plan to join us live or catch a replay.

I am replacing “productive” with “fruitful” Read More »

Another conversation with my resistance and “I’m not ready”

This year I wanted to explore my relationship with resistance.

And I’ve been a lot more mindful of it. And all sorts of things have shifted.

AND

There are still all these places where it feels tangly and murky.

Today here is this part of me who just wants to sink into nothingness doesn’t want me exploring bright new creative paths.

Sink into nothingness is the only way I can describe it. This part of me wants to numb and avoid.

And I get so frustrated with it. But I want to be curious about it instead, so let’s try…

Hey, resistance, part of me who wants to sink into nothingness, I’d like to understand you better.

In what way?

Well, I understand how much I want to DO the creative ideas I have and explore new things and just generally FEEL ALIVE in my life. And I feel like you don’t want that, and try to stop me, and I don’t understand.

I just sit with this, how I have these two parts of me, how I relate to one of them more than the other and how they don’t relate to each other at all.

So I ask her: Can you see the things I am dreaming of here? How do you feel about them?

Oh wow they look gorgeous. Yes I can see them. But they are for the future. They’re not here.

Right. So you need them to be here already before we can pursue them?

Kind of.

But you know it doesn’t work that way, right?

No. I mean - we are here. There’s a lot of heaviness and reasons to go slow here. Are you sure you aren’t trying to just leap ahead into the future to avoid being here? Are you really sure I am the one avoiding?

Umm ok this doesn’t feel fruitful. I mean - do we just point fingers and call each other avoiders?

It feels like my inner conversations are so convoluted lately.

But let’s keep going.

Yeah, I see where you are right! I am trying to avoid and avoidance, in a way. I do want to change what is happening right now. I want to be doing the things I want to be doing. I don’t want to be tired and heavy.

But I am SO tired and heavy.

OK but we agree about the future we are moving toward, right?

Right.

That’s good! But - are you saying you don’t want to take ANY steps now?

I need to feel ready.

Do you know how many things I have written about “waiting to feel ready is bullshit”?

She just looks at me.

Am I wrong?

Am I wrong?

Yeah, I think you are. I’m sorry! I think we can’t WAIT to feel ready, but we can WORK ON feeling ready. We can take smaller steps, take a gentler approach.

This doesn’t feel resolved in any way, but I do feel like this big sticky resistance is quietly considering other options. I love that we agree on the future we are moving towards.

A few hours, I felt into this in a new way.

This part of me who feels NOT READY does need a different approach. HEALING and ART and MAGIC as a part of the work.

I mean - this is what Dream Book IS

AND…

There are always more layers. And there are always time when I try to focus more on Outer Work - like right now because I know exactly what I want to do, I just can’t do it.

And this part of me comes to life when she FEELS SAFE ENOUGH to move forward. Journaling and meditation (and lately painting in my journals, but I don’t think that’s necessary, we all need to follow our own creative flow about what we do in our journals) I just spent some time journaling and now this whole dynamic feels different.

Lately, spending lots of time with my Dream Book is helping me grow self trust.

So grateful for this!

Come dream with us

 

Creative Dream Incubator Coaching Membership members:

Come to the forum to share your thoughts or start a conversation about whatever you're working with.

Get your next Dream Book lesson or get a weekly journaling + alchemy kit.

Go the Library of Creative Dream Alchemy to find a practice that fits for where you are or use the Dream Lab if you're not sure where to start.

Check out the calendar of upcoming calls. Make a plan to join us live or catch a replay.

Another conversation with my resistance and “I’m not ready” Read More »

Dream Work GROUNDS Inner Work

Triangle Dream Compass
The compass of Creative Dream Alchemy which helps you figure out your next steps. Creative Dream Alchemy is the art + magic of using what you have to create what you want.

Actually, Outer Work grounds Inner Work too...

But: Dream Work will help you ground all of this Inner Work was the message I got last week.

Each of the works - Dream Work, Inner Work, Outer Work, support each other. (Check out the Creative Dream Alchemy class for more on this)

And when you’re doing a lot of one of them, it’s good to think about how the others may help you, too.

Since I have so much Inner Work coming at me, spending more time with Dream Work is helping me GROUND the changes I am making with Inner Work.

For me, right now, trying to do more Outer Work to ground the Inner Work would only make me more overwhelmed. But sometimes doing more Outer Work is the thing you need to ground those inner changes.

What do you need?

Think about what's been happening for you with your creative dreams lately...

Do you have lots of inspiration and clarity? Are you feeling really in alignment with yourself, and the version of you you are growing into? (Dream Work)

Do you feel stuck? Are a lot of fears and doubts coming up? Or a sense of heaviness or fogginess? (Inner Work)

Are you getting stuff done? Making measurable progress? (Outer Work)

Whichever one you are most focused on right now - look at the other two.

Could doing more of those help you with the one you're more focused on?

Find libraries of practices for:

Dream Work | Inner Work | Outer Work

Come dream with us

 

Creative Dream Incubator Coaching Membership members:

Come to the forum to share your thoughts or start a conversation about whatever you're working with.

Get your next Dream Book lesson or get a weekly journaling + alchemy kit.

Go the Library of Creative Dream Alchemy to find a practice that fits for where you are or use the Dream Lab if you're not sure where to start.

Check out the calendar of upcoming calls. Make a plan to join us live or catch a replay.

Dream Work GROUNDS Inner Work Read More »

I am growing

Note: this post is from my daily Creative Dream Practice and includes links to the tools I use which are a part of the Creative Dream Incubator Coaching Membership. You need an active membership to access those tools. You are always welcome to join right here!

This is the mantra I got in this week’s Dream Book journaling + alchemy kit: I am growing.

Use the meditation for the weekly mantras to dig in deeper to the mantra, or put your hands on your heart and take five deep slow breaths and repeat to yourself:

I am growing.

Notice where this lands in your body, what thoughts and feelings get sparked.

There is no right or wrong way to react. But your actual thoughts and feelings can tell you something about what you need right now.

My reaction:YES! I FUCKING AM!

As you can tell from last week's posts, it's been A LOT recently. And then I got a bad cold at the end of the week.

BUT. AND.

Every time in my life when things have been harder for me, for whatever reason, it's like a bootcamp. I come out of it stronger and believing in myself more.

I am counting on this happening now.

But in all of this, I am noticing one DELICIOUS way that I am growing...

The way I am showing up for my SELF in my Dream Book practice.

I am filling pages and pages. And I have a whole second journal that I use for expressing feelings, un-sticking and just kind of a brain dump.

I have re-arranged my work space to be less "computer type work" and more "all my favourite art supplies for creative journaling everywhere".

I mostly use the computer on the couch, or lying on the floor, anyway.

I always have my little zipper pouch of paint pens with my journals, but keeping my messier art supplies scattered all over my desk just FEELS GOOD. It's such an invitation to KEEP showing up to express myself, and spend quality time with myself, and my dreams, in my journals.

So I am spending more and more quality time with myself.

And I am noticing that "first response" that wants to bury any doubt/fear/anxiety/depression that comes up and just power through.

Of course, sometimes I CAN just power through but...

I don't WANT TO.

I am NOTICING that response instead of just being right IN IT.

Now I want to sit with it, say "Oh sweetheart I'm sorry you feel this way! What do you need?" and take it from there.

This is growth.

If you want to work on this with me:

If I am growing feels good and encouraging, hold it with you today. Look at problems, questions, stucks and obstacles through this lens and see what ideas it brings.

If it brings up some discomfort - that’s your stuff to work on today. To do that work, in the creative dream incubator coaching membership we’ve got the un-sticking station and the library of inner work practices. If you’re not sure what practice to use, you can email me, or post in our forum, let me know what’s going on and I will make some suggestions for tools you can use.

Come dream with us

 

Creative Dream Incubator Coaching Membership members:

Come to the forum to share your thoughts or start a conversation about whatever you're working with.

Get your next Dream Book lesson or get a weekly journaling + alchemy kit.

Go the Library of Creative Dream Alchemy to find a practice that fits for where you are or use the Dream Lab if you're not sure where to start.

Check out the calendar of upcoming calls. Make a plan to join us live or catch a replay.

I am growing Read More »

Letting go of old stories [Weekly Dream Status Report]

Note: This is a post about my daily practice with my Creative Dreams - I often link to the tools, courses and processes I use which are available to Dream Book members. If you're not a member, find out more + join us here.

🦄⚡️Creative Dream Incubator Weekly Coaching Call is today!!

Hope to see you there - or catch the replay over the weekend! Call details + replays are here. And after the call I'll start a thread in the forum to share your plans for the week and as a space for accountability and support.

If you can't be there live but have a question or there's something you are struggling with, send me an email this morning and I'll discuss it on the call and offer you some suggestions for things to do.

🦄

On Fridays I do 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. You can do them with me (Dream Book members: come post yours in the forum!)!

My Dream Status Report for this week:

PART ONE:

My dream is: I am calling it "my magical new life". There are lots of "outer things" this includes, but right now I am really thinking about... how do I want to FEEL in my life? What are the QUALITIES of my life? Where is the meaning and purpose and joy?

I want it because: I've been wanting to feel like "Oh I'm over this divorce thing" but the truth is, I am re-building my life re-dreaming my future and this takes time.

When I have it I will feel: More grounded and stable - like settled in my most magical life. Right now it feels like I am DREAMING and BUILDING my most magical life.

PART TWO:

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

It's ME! A bigger version of me who takes my hand I feel grounded. She says "We got this because we ARE this"

PART THREE:

Last week’s focus was: Feel good. Stay fuelled up and keep taking steps.

What happened in the last week?

I was increasingly crabby and achy and not feeling good... and this morning I woke up with a full blown head cold. So - not feeling good, lol.

BUT steps were taken. I Am figuring things out. LOTS of Un-Sticking but it feels really rich and useful.

I had therapy this week and was talking about The Big Childhood Stuff really being up for me and said that I am right on time, developmentally speaking. Like - this is what mid-life is, a huge reckoning and perspective shifting. The ways I've held and dealt with this stuff up until now worked for me up until now, and now it's time for new ways.

Also, I was so thrilled that my therapist bought my Creative Dream Playbook for her partner! She said she didn't get it because she knows me, she looked around a lot for a journal like this to support him in new creative projects, and this was the best one she saw.

What am I learning/How do I feel about this?

I guess again I am remembering that I am in a really powerful time of healing. With the divorce and mid-life, it's feeling like time to totally re-create myself and my life. I don't want to stop what I am doing with the Creative Dream Incubator, but I want to be doing something else too and I can't put my finger on what that is. Right now, it's the lino cuts and printing fabrics, but I just feel like I want to be more creatively engaged somehow, that there is still lots to explore.

What do I need now?

Well, I woke up with a head cold, I need rest. And I need to keep digging with all of the inner work I have been doing.

What does my dream need now?

She says she wants me to let go of a bunch of old stories. It's time for my magical new life.

Taking all of this into account, my focus for the next week is:

Letting go of old stories. Digging deep into the Inner Work - and doing more Dream Work to GROUND the inner work changes.

 

Creative Dream Incubator Coaching Membership members:

Come to the forum to share your Dream Status Report or start a conversation about whatever you're working with.

Get your next Dream Book lesson or get a weekly journaling + alchemy kit.

Go the Library of Creative Dream Alchemy to find a practice that fits for where you are or use the Dream Lab if you're not sure where to start.

Check out the calendar of upcoming calls. Make a plan to join us live or catch a replay.

Letting go of old stories [Weekly Dream Status Report] Read More »

THIS. IS. HOLY.

NOTE: I am sharing a LOT of Un-Sticking work (inner work) this week! But don't worry about me, I promise I am not living in Stuckville as deeply as my posts show - good things are happening too!  I am working through a lot of STUFF and also starting to prep for a class I want to do called Your Self Doubt Is Not Yours, and I am looking more deeply at my own stucks, and how many of them are actually used by the toxic culture we live in, and not by my own failings and fears 😉 I an really excited to share this class with you, hopefully in September.

I am unbelievably stuck today.

I’ve tried everything, even several rounds of the Un-Sticking Station.

But here I am again, or still.

Hey, stuck.

The Un-Sticking Station itself is meeting me here. It’s some kind of temple, it feels holy.

My stuck is holy?

Yes, of course.

Hmmmm.

BE WITH IT. You keep resisting it.

I feel like you’re saying I am resisting my resistance? That doesn’t make sense.

Sure it does.

I want to do the things I want to do. I want to feel the ways I want to feel. My resistance, my stuck, my sadness, my fear - they are these heavy energies holding me back from this. I want them gone.

THEY. ARE. HOLY.

THIS. IS. HOLY.

WHERE YOU ARE IS HOLY.

I feel a wave of frustration.

GET INTO YOUR BODY.

Oh wow, I am so not in my body. I am barely even in my head - swirling around it.

I focus on my breathing.

Breathing deep.

Feeling my belly expand with each inhale.

I want to scream and cry.

I’m in a bad headspace.

What does this mean?

I am irritable.

It’s hard to focus.

 

And that's it. I left it at that, and worked on ACCEPTING that I wasn't able to focus in the ways I wanted to, TRUSTING that I won't always feel this way - and trying to take care of myself.

Come dream with us

 

Creative Dream Incubator Coaching Membership members:

Come to the forum to share your thoughts or start a conversation about whatever you're working with.

Get your next Dream Book lesson or get a weekly journaling + alchemy kit.

Go the Library of Creative Dream Alchemy to find a practice that fits for where you are or use the Dream Lab if you're not sure where to start.

Check out the calendar of upcoming calls. Make a plan to join us live or catch a replay.

THIS. IS. HOLY. Read More »

The Un-Sticking Station Brings Up More Questions Than Answers And The Process Is Completely Unfinished

NOTE: I am sharing a LOT of Un-Sticking work (inner work) this week! But don't worry about me, I promise I am not living in Stuckville as deeply as my posts show - good things are happening too!  I am working through a lot of STUFF and also starting to prep for a class I want to do called Your Self Doubt Is Not Yours, and I am looking more deeply at my own stucks, and how many of them are actually used by the toxic culture we live in, and not by my own failings and fears 😉 I am really excited to share this class with you, hopefully in September.

 

A lot of the times when I share my Un-Sticking Station sessions, there is a sense of completion at the end. Some progress or a way forward can be seen.

Today it's not like that.

Today's post is very disjointed but the is exactly how it was in my journal and this is how it is sometimes! Also, I did end up feeling much better about everything later in the day, so even though it all felt so unresolved, resolution was in process.

Today I'm too crabby to do this

Creative Dreaming takes an INCREDIBLE amount of optimism and belief that you can create a better future.

I don’t have it in me every day.

I am SO grateful that I have all of these practices and self care protocols for feeling my best - physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

But IT’S A LOT.

Sometimes it feels like a full time job just to feel UP enough to do what I want to do.

It helps so much to have a practice, all the ways the practice becomes a container to hold the process really do work like magic…

AND…

Some days, for a lot of different reasons, it’s going to be really hard.

I’m there right now.

So I am taking this into the Un-Sticking Station.

Oh hey there, part of me who feels like it’s too hard to do anything at all, what’s up?

URGHS

Yeah, I feel that.

It’s vague, but I am starting to see her. She’s laying on a mattress with no bedding on it. Is that a reminder from my subconscious that I want to wash my sheets today, lol?

She’s got books and snacks around her but she’s just laying there.

Awww hun, what’s wrong? Are you not feeling well?

Well, kind of, but not like I’m sick. I’m just… I don’t know.

Yeah, I get it. And we all feel this way sometimes! But I wonder if you are aware that you’ve already had a few days to laze around?

What?

Yeah, you’ve been doing this for a few days, and not that there is a time limit or anything, but you know how a lot of the time, you need to get moving before you feel better? It feels like we’re at that kind of place. Like you’re waiting for something to change, but you actually have to change something.

Oh UGH. No thanks.

Yeah, I know. UGH! But like, I need you to know that I don’t feel good staying here… I feel crabby. I want to enjoy my life, not rot in bed.

I want to rot in bed. Just one more day?

My brain feels heavy, like it’s tired and can’t do it’s work.

There is this push/pull pattern I get into with resistance that I don’t like.

It feels like more than resistance, it feels like a nervous system freeze response. Like my brain and body really can’t function at their regular pace.

And I’ve been so gentle with self care to support my nervous system.

And then sometimes I just get frustrated with myself for not being where I want to be.

And so sad! Because I WAS THERE for a few weeks, and now I’m not.

 

What do I need, right now?

To cry.

To accept that I am where I am.

To have hope that I will do the things I want to do, even if I can’t do them today.

I feel waves of sadness.

What does my sadness need?

It needs the world to not be such a fucked up place.

It needs it to be cooler outside.

 

This needs to not be a FIGHT.

There is this “one part of me just wants to shut down and one part of me wants to be creative and happy” collision, it’s not quite a fight but it’s conflicting energies.

Can we co-exist?

I’ve been giving my tired self a lot of space the last few days, but I see now I’ve been doing that WITH THE ASSUMPTION that she would get her rest and then get it together.

How can we collaborate better?

 

Come dream with us

 

Creative Dream Incubator Coaching Membership members:

Come to the forum to share your thoughts or start a conversation about whatever you're working with.

Get your next Dream Book lesson or get a weekly journaling + alchemy kit.

Go the Library of Creative Dream Alchemy to find a practice that fits for where you are or use the Dream Lab if you're not sure where to start.

Check out the calendar of upcoming calls. Make a plan to join us live or catch a replay.

The Un-Sticking Station Brings Up More Questions Than Answers And The Process Is Completely Unfinished Read More »

The Un-Sticking Station Brings Up Questions That Feel Too Big

This is from my journal from a few weeks ago:

The part of me who feels worthless is activated today.

This is so hard.

i’m using the Un-Sticking Station practice to meet with her.

She’s in this… land of tears is the phrase that comes to mind. Lots of icicles and icebergs.

But then sometimes the scene flips over to this really dry desert place.

She’s sitting on the ground, or an an iceberg.

Crying.

Alone.

And without hope.

I sit down in front of her and offer her flowers. Now the scene is staying pretty steady in the desert.

She asks: “Is loving myself enough? Can I really be the source of love?”

I just don’t see how it could be true that without external love and validation, we just shrivel up. And maybe it’s not the time to bring this up, but there are loads of sources of love. But also I am curious - why does self love seem like it’s not enough?

Suddenly, looking at her, the part of me who feels worthless, and I know that she is a great artist. Frida Kahlo vibes.

What if I haven’t been letting you be as majestic and amazing as you are because I was worried that no one would love me?

I don’t even know which part of me is speaking here but WHOA that feels like a good question.

Have I been trying to fit in in ways that betray my own truth, and has this minimized my creative potential, and has it also made it harder for the people who are really FOR ME, to find me?

Jesus.

These questions are landing.

BUT the part of me who feels worthless is no longer activated.

Like these questions are occupying her mind, and there is no space for wondering or worrying that she’s not good enough.

+++++++

As I move along this path of re-building my life after divorce, while starting a whole new decade.... and even though I FELT LIKE I WAS BEING ME all along, it feels like there are so many things I can shake off to BE MORE ME in how I live my life.

I feel more and more optimistic about my 50s being my best decade yet.

Come dream with us

 

Creative Dream Incubator Coaching Membership members:

Come to the forum to share your thoughts or start a conversation about whatever you're working with.

Get your next Dream Book lesson or get a weekly journaling + alchemy kit.

Go the Library of Creative Dream Alchemy to find a practice that fits for where you are or use the Dream Lab if you're not sure where to start.

Check out the calendar of upcoming calls. Make a plan to join us live or catch a replay.

The Un-Sticking Station Brings Up Questions That Feel Too Big Read More »

I release the obstacles

 

Note: this post is from my daily Creative Dream Practice and includes links to the tools I use which are a part of the Creative Dream Incubator Coaching Membership. You need an active membership to access those tools. You are always welcome to join right here!

This is the mantra I got in this week’s Dream Book journaling + alchemy kit: I release the obstacles.

Use the meditation for the weekly mantras to dig in deeper to the mantra, or put your hands on your heart and take five deep slow breaths and repeat to yourself:

I release the obstacles.

Notice where this lands in your body, what thoughts and feelings get sparked.

There is no right or wrong way to react. But your actual thoughts and feelings can tell you something about what you need right now.

My reaction: it feels a little magic, like sparkles around me and these that I CAN do this, but then it feels annoying.

Then I become fascinated with now much OBSTACLE WORK has been coming up for me lately.

And then I'm like - but Andrea, you know that THIS IS THE WORK. I mean - you can't have a dream without obstacles, and so of course working with obstacles is a big part of how you move forward and you've been moving forward!

RELEASE and WORK THROUGH are related, sometimes they are the same thing - but sometimes not.

If you can just let a thing go, then by all means let it go! But it's not always that simple....

But what if it was?

I'm going to try holding this perspective.

If you want to work on this with me:

If I release the obstacles feels good and encouraging, hold it with you today. Look at problems, questions, stucks and obstacles through this lens and see what ideas it brings.

If it brings up some discomfort - that’s your stuff to work on today. To do that work, in the creative dream incubator coaching membership we’ve got the un-sticking station and the library of inner work practices. If you’re not sure what practice to use, you can email me, or post in our forum, let me know what’s going on and I will make some suggestions for tools you can use.

Come dream with us

 

Creative Dream Incubator Coaching Membership members:

Come to the forum to share your thoughts or start a conversation about whatever you're working with.

Get your next Dream Book lesson or get a weekly journaling + alchemy kit.

Go the Library of Creative Dream Alchemy to find a practice that fits for where you are or use the Dream Lab if you're not sure where to start.

Check out the calendar of upcoming calls. Make a plan to join us live or catch a replay.

I release the obstacles Read More »

Feel good. Stay fuelled up and keep taking steps [Weekly Dream Status Report]

Note: This is a post about my daily practice with my Creative Dreams - I often link to the tools, courses and processes I use which are available to Dream Book members. If you're not a member, find out more + join us here.

🦄⚡️Creative Dream Incubator Weekly Coaching Call is today!!

Hope to see you there - or catch the replay over the weekend! Call details + replays are here. And after the call I'll start a thread in the forum to share your plans for the week and as a space for accountability and support.

If you can't be there live but have a question or there's something you are struggling with, send me an email this morning and I'll discuss it on the call and offer you some suggestions for things to do.

🦄

On Fridays I do 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. You can do them with me (Dream Book members: come post yours in the forum!)!

My Dream Status Report for this week:

PART ONE:

My dream is: I am calling it "my magical new life". It's traveling (a bit? or a lot?) in a camper or RV with my amazing cat Bear. It's exploring lino cut printmaking, for fabrics and paper prints, and any other art that inspires me. Feeling like "YES I AM IN THE PRIME OF MY LIFE" in a way that allows for LOADS of self care and staying far away from overwhelm.

I want it because: I just do? It's what inspires me and makes me feel happy. The parts of my life where I have this feel sooo gooood.

When I have it I will feel: More grounded and stable - like settled in my most magical life. Right now it feels like I am BUILDING my most magical life.

I wanted to start doing these by hand on the new printable sheets (these are free for everyone, not just membership members) and I am kind of ready... I printed it out but again this week I don't FEEL ready to make the change?

PART TWO:

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

I'm not working with my "big dream" I am focused on one thing I want to work on this month, from this month's New Moon Call (which was amazing! If you weren't there, get the replay!)

I see my favourite beach. This is funny because I am going there today so obviously I have it on my mind. But it feels like... this is the path. Do the things that light you up. Feel amazed and in love with how beautiful the world is because this is a part of your dream.

PART THREE:

Last week’s focus was: Inner Work. Meditation + art + being with the places in me that want to hold me back.

What happened in the last week?

I had SO MUCH quality time with my obstacles this week, lol! But in a good way, I chose to do pages and pages in my dream book of facing the obstacles. I meant to do the The Obstacle Is The Way Through practice but didn't get to it - there was so much richness in facing things I haven't wanted to face, and looking at... what what DOES feel possible here?

Some of the things I have been doing these last several months are just got getting the results I want. And that's been really difficult, and I tended to that hard stuff this week.

AND I looked at... well what is it? Am I doing something wrong? Do I need to be more patient? Is this actually not possible for me?

And I pinpointed three ways that I am doing things that are counter to how "conventional wisdom" would say to do them.

And I know that if I did the opposite thing that I am doing, if I went more with "this is how people do this thing" then I would probably get the results I want easier..

AND...

I don't want to do those things.

Really sitting with it, it didn't feel like resistance or avoidance. It just felt like my truth.

So them I was like... well if this is my truth, and if I WAS doing these 3 things in the opposite way then I would be getting more of the results I want... how do I find a DIFFERENT way. ACKNOWLEDGE the three things I am "missing" in a sense and look at different ways to get them.

It was a lot of twisting perspectives, I spent a few days with this, and then I found some other ways. Ways that feel LIKE ME. And as I started to explore what it would look like to make a plan with these ways...

Well, I feel excited about what I am going to do next.

And I know more than anything, that being excited/having the energy to take steps, and TAKING STEPS moves you forward in a way that staying still and looking for the perfect steps to take does not.

So I'm happy to be taking steps. I have lots of things to try now.

What am I learning/How do I feel about this?

I feel relieved, because I had been avoiding those three things that I know I "should" be doing and now I don't have to avoid that, so that frees up that energy.

AND I am not blaming my past-self for avoiding the things she wasn't ready to face! That's ok! It's a journey and a process.

I am proud of me for being where I am.

What do I need now?

Last week's dream status report, and work with my dream self, brought me all this good information about BEING LESS OVERWHELMED and changing my setpoints for "how overwhelmed I let myself get"...

It's not always that simple, but I can look at ways to put boundaries up SOONER, rather than deplete myself completely.

With summer here, we're in our first heat wave, and the heat exhausts me, so this is a good time to practice moving my set points for overwhelm.

AND SO... today I am going to the beach. A L O N E

One of the things I was SO SAD about in my divorce in the fall is missing beach days with my ex. We both loved the beach so much and went all the time and I just loved being there with him and I worried that it would be sad to be there alone.

Well, there are no words to describe how much I am looking forward to being there alone today, lol! It feels magical. Here's to healing and moving on!

What does my dream need now?

The beach scene feels brighter and more important. It's like - ANDREA YOUR SELF CARE, YOUR LACK OF OVERWHELM, HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR LIFE MATTERS. YOUR JOY MATTERS.

It actually also feels like the seal of approval of my new plan - saying feel good, fill up on joy, and KEEP FILLING UP and use that as fuel to do all this stuff you're going to do over the next few months.

It also has the feeling of "brighter days ahead" and I'll take that!

Taking all of this into account, my focus for the next week is:

Feel good. Stay fuelled up and keep taking steps.

Creative Dream Incubator Coaching Membership members:

Come to the forum to share your Dream Status Report or start a conversation about whatever you're working with.

Get your next Dream Book lesson or get a weekly journaling + alchemy kit.

Go the Library of Creative Dream Alchemy to find a practice that fits for where you are or use the Dream Lab if you're not sure where to start.

Check out the calendar of upcoming calls. Make a plan to join us live or catch a replay.

Feel good. Stay fuelled up and keep taking steps [Weekly Dream Status Report] Read More »

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