Christmas happened this week! I had a great time doing Christmas things, and did not make much progress with my dream.

Though I did spend some time with it – meditating and journaling.

And I spent making art, really enjoying getting into the flow of my creativity.

I took Samie Harding’s Gelli Printing class this fall and have really been in love with gel printing ever since.? So playful and fun!

While I was playing with my gelli plate this week, I got inspired to add something new to my weekly Creative Genius Planning Sessions.

Right now I’m using my large Moleskine planner with a page a week, with a blank page on the other side for journaling, which is perfect for Creative Genius Planning (I shared it in this video about the Creative Genius Planning Sessions).

Now I’m adding a sheet of watercolour paper, taped onto the edge of each page, so it folds out.? One side has fun gelli prints on it.? On the back of that sheet I journal about the inner work I’m focusing on for the week – affirmations and energy I want to focus on.

That leaves the whole blank page in the journal free for keeping practical lists of what I want to get done and journaling my way through the blocks I encounter in getting it done.

And it makes my planner more fun and creative looking, which just make it a happier thing for me to work with.

How art-making helped me grow my dream this week:

While I was making the gel prints for this new project, I was wishing I had a really cool feather stencil.

I’ve wanted one for some time, but I don’t ever go to places that sell stencils, and I guess I have not wanted one enough to go out specifically looking for it.

This morning, I was thinking about wanting one and thought… well why don’t I just try to make one?? I’ve never drawn a feather, but I do have a degree in fashion design which included 4 years of fashion illustration, visual communication and life drawing classes.? Surely I can draw a feather?

Surely I CAN draw a feather!? I made many feather stencils and I love them.

I was so happy with my feathers.? And then I sat with that story:

• I thought I couldn’t do it.
• I let that thought control the story and keep me from having what I wanted.
• When I questioned that thought, possibility opened up.
• When I brought my creativity and curiosity to it, everything lightened up.
• Just the act of being in creativity and curiosity was so fun it didn’t matter what the outcome was.
• Getting what I wanted, and finding out that I can do it was really delicious icing on the cake.

And I let myself marinate in that energy.

• When I am willing to question my story, possibility appears.
• When I approach my dreams with creativity and curiosity everything changes.
• When I approach my dreams with creativity and curiosity what I want is in my reach.
• When I am willing to change my story, miracles happen.

And I am reminded that as long as I stay connected to the heart and soul of my dream, EVERYTHING I do helps me move towards my dream.? I love that!

I also started making a deck of cards with affirmations specifically about this dream.? Not so much “I now have 800 dreamers in the circle” but juicy nuggets of inspiration that help me develop the bigger/stronger roots I need to grow this dream.? As I play with this, I am thinking of doing an affirmation workshop in the Circle later this year.

Discipline: Continued from last week

Last week discipline came up as I was exploring how to make this dream real.? This week I’m noticing how I move in and out of being disciplined.? And how I used to think being less disciplined was worse, and being more disciplined was better.

I’m seeing now that it’s more of a cycle.

Your desire to make your dream real puts you on the path.? Discipline puts you on the superhighway.? Sometimes you need to pull over and have a picnic.

And then when the picnic is done, sometimes it takes a little while for your car to back up to full speed.

I think that’s where I’m at – revving the engine and getting myself back up to full speed.

And that’s all the update I’ve got this week!

I’m feeling creatively all filled up and ready to GO in 2014.

I hope you’re having a gorgeous holiday season!? Next week we’ve got the Creative Dream HOLYday – a creative playdate and a virtual creative dream retreat.? I am SO looking forward to that.

I am nervous about posting this.? But I promised myself I would do this. So… deep breath….

Ever since I left university (15 years ago!) I have wanted to be an artist.? To follow my creative flow wherever it leads and have that financially sustain me.

When I first set out to do this, this was hard.? Very hard.

But in the last five years or so, things have really changed for us sensitive creative types – the way the internet has evolved has changed everything.

Three years ago I left my part-time day-job to be a full time Creative Dream Incubator and the past few years of my life have been amazing.

I always tell my students that you don’t just make a dream real and then you’re done. Creative Dreaming is a way of life.? As we evolve our purpose evolves, our creativity evolves, our desires evolve.? Our dreams evolve.? It’s a fact of life when you live in a universe of infinite possibility, as we do.

So now I’m reminding myself about this.? It’s time to dream bigger.

Though I want to include a GIANT CAVEAT about what I mean by bigger.? We live in a society that tells us that bigger is always better, unless you’re talking about your body in which case smaller is always better – these rules are childish, stupid and unhealthy.? That’s not the bigger I am talking about.

The universe is alive.? You are alive.? Life is alive.? Your dream is alive.? Living things grow.

My dreams are ready to grow.

My Creative Dream Incubator is ready to grow.? My Creative Dream Circle is ready to grow.

But they have always been ready.? They are sturdy containers for growth, transformation and magic and they work just as well with a million students as they do with one.

I, however, do not do as well with a million students as with one.

And I needed time to feel ready for this.

It takes a lot of preparation to teach transformation.? After 13 years of studying and exploring, I started an intensive 3 year program to become a teacher.? Then I did a 1 year internship and taught TONS of in-person classes… all this before I did a single online course.

Then, in the last 3 years of teaching online full time, my work has evolved.? A lot.

I’m really excited and inspired by what I’m doing.? It’s unique and heartwarming and imaginative and fun… and EFFECTIVE.? I’ve also become more grounded as a teacher and ready to hold a space for more dreamers and more dreams.

As I shared last week, I re-structured my offerings to make space for MORE dreamers and more dreams in 2014.? (From now on, you can participate in ALL of my e-courses and tele-classes AND be a member in my Creative Dream Circle for only $100/year.)

You won’t find this kind of high quality dream-growing support for anywhere near this price, anywhere.

I am doing my part to make it as easy and simple as possible for all dreamers to get the support they need to make those dreams REAL.

Because I am on a mission.

I am going to grow the Creative Dream Circle exponentially in 2014.

My goal: 800 dreamers.

That number makes my stomach jump a bit.? While I have had over 100 members in the Circle so far, I haven’t had over 100 at once.? And now I want to have 800 members in the circle, all at once, by the end of 2014.? It’s a stretch.

Under that stomach jump I feel a quiet sparkling.? I feel how amazing it will be for so many more dreams to be born.

And then… well I have layers of resistance and excitement and joy and fear.? All the usual stuff involved in taking on a new dream.

For the last few weeks I’ve been sitting with this decision.? Acclimating to it.? Writing about it, exploring my feelings about it.? It took some time to actually settle on the number 800 but now that I have it feels exciting and right and it scares me in all the right ways.

I’ve also been figuring out how to do it.

As I was planning away the other day a new idea dawned: to share this process, as I work through it.? I thought about how helpful this would be for people who are interested in how to make big dreams real… and about how it would help me solidify my commitment to myself, to commit to sharing it with others, too.

Sharing the process shines a light.? Fear and resistance can’t hide in that kind of light.

So, I’m doing this! I’m going to share the entire process over the next year, right here on my blog.

Every stumble and mis-step and success and joy along the way.? I’m going to write a weekly post (on Fridays) talking about where I’m at, what I’m doing (both internal and external stuff) and share lists of what I want to do next and keep myself accountable.

I’m excited.

What I’ve done so far:

Not a lot of tangible things!? As I said, I had to be with this decision for a long time before I could settle into it. I’ve been journaling and meditating and arting.? Connecting with the essence of the Circle, and the essence of my business and the Patron Saints of Creative Dreamers to make sure everything is aligned and ready to go.

I’ve been getting to know My Dream Self, the me-who-lives-this-dream and can give me the best advice about how to get there and what it really means to be there.

I gave my website a makeover (if you have my blog posts sent to you by email, do click here to visit the site and see!) to put my amazing new offer right at the top.

I wrote this blog post and made my commitment to this public (gulp!).

And I am asking you, right now, to think about joining the Circle in 2014.?

Imagine what would happen if you had a whole year of Creative Dream Support… e-courses, tele-courses, group coaching calls plus an entire library of resources and obstacle-banishing dream-growing tools and space to bring your dream from inception all the way to fruition.? The act of making that kind of commitment to yourself is MAGIC.

Creative Dream Circle members are using the Circle to work on things like:

• starting/growing creative businesses
• finding their creative dreams
• healing their hearts and finding new loves
• taking their art more seriously
• making more money
• learning how to make TIME for themselves
• developing a deep sense of believing in themselves, and their dreams
• being more productive
• being less productive, and having more fun
• practicing extreme self-care

…all sorts of delicious life-enhancing things!

What would you create with a whole year of creative dream support?? (click here to check it out)

My plans for next week:

Well, I haven’t actually thought about this!? I knew I needed to start this post series NOW even though I am not entirely ready.

I’m still swirling in all of the ideas for all of the ways I can make this happen.? I’ve got 4 journals and a giant roll of paper out, sitting beside me.? So I am going to keep doing that, exploring my options for the outer work.

And come up with some daily practices for the inner work.

By next Friday’s post I’d like to have a more detailed plan of what I’m going to DO with this for the next few months.

When you join the Circle, you also get FREE access to ALL of the e-courses and tele-classes I do? all year long. ? It?s going to be a CRAZY AMAZING year.

Click here to join today.