Getting Support From The Creative Dream Garden

By Andrea Schroeder / October 12, 2023 / daily practice, Manifest Your Dream Life

I was feeling pretty sensitive for Monday's Co-Dreaming call. The day before, we had Thanksgiving in Canada and I didn't realize how strange it would be to have my first holiday without my husband and step-kids there.

So I was feeling all the feels when I went into the meditation.

Then my creative dream garden wasn't exactly a garden. It was me, in outer space in a space suit. Holding a plant which was also in a space suit - it was so cute, it was in the big bubble helmet.

It was a but weird but felt ok.

Then I panicked a bit "but where are my other dreams?"

And then I saw them, and then I saw that my dream and I were attached to each other and also attached to the orbiting ship that my other dreams were inside. And then I saw that the earth was right there too, we weren't THAT far away.

I was safe, just far away from everything and all alone up here.

The little potted plant of a dream I had with me was the healing and growth I want for this transition time.

And then when we got to the journaling prompt part of the process, my dreams told me to stop going to coffee shops first thing in the morning. Don't even go for a bike ride. Have a slower start to the day - do that stuff later if I want.

I've been following those instructions and thinking a lot about this meditation this week.

By repeating the same meditation each week, you create space where your intuition and your dreams can send you messages. It's much harder to receive potent and helpful messages without the kind of space that consistent repetition creates.

I'm sinking into the FEELING from the meditation - beyond my original feelings that day when I was already unsettled and feeling very alone. It doesn't feel ALONE so much now, it feels like giving myself SPACE.

It feels really magical and I'm using this as my guide to set myself up for the winter season. Like stocking up on pantry items and materials for creative projects so I don't need to go out for things. How can I turn this winter into a healing creative retreat for myself?

Dream Book 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.

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.

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

Getting Support From The Creative Dream Garden Read More »

Deeper into the magic of healing

By Andrea Schroeder / October 11, 2023 / daily practice, Manifest Your Dream Life

I have declared that I am in a season of healing.

I've refined my dreams - the dreams I was working with are still there, but focusing on self care and healing feel more important right now. So there are the immediate dreams, and then the bigger long-term dreams. It feels really good to feel like this is "organized" somewhat.

My new slower morning routine feels so supportive of this.

I'm also doing a longer meditation - the Dream Lab but I usually stop the meditation when I'm in the Field of Creative Dream Alchemy, and just stay there. Feeling connected to myself and surrounded by support feels like the right place to spend some time.

Today in the meditation, everything was black and white and it felt animated, like everything in the field was hand-drawn art, and the art was moving and it felt so soothing and expansive. And I was crying, and my tears created a river and I knew that in the spring, I could build a raft and float down the river to my new life.

Writing this out it may seem depressing but it felt SO hopeful and healing.

Dream Book 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.

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.

Deeper into the magic of healing Read More »

Creating New Routines

By Andrea Schroeder / October 10, 2023 / daily practice, Manifest Your Dream Life

I do switch up my routines somewhat when the seasons change. But right now, the weather is getting cooler AND I'm in this huge season of personal change with the separation from my husband and my step-son in the hospital.

I've been quieting my mind and letting my body guide me through this more than I usually do. As a result, I can't drink coffee in the morning, or on an empty stomach. I also don't eat until much later in the morning. My stomach just needs more time in the morning to adjust to the day before it starts working.

Making that cup of coffee and going into my studio. That was always the start of the routine.

Making a cup of herbal tea doesn't land in the same way. And decaf coffee is still too heavy for my stomach.

Sometimes when things change, we want to try to find the next most similar thing to replace it with.

Sometimes when things change, we need to figure out what else wants to change.

For me, this time, it's a whole new way of starting the day.

Today I did:

sleeping in - this was kind of disorienting but also needed, it was Thanksgiving this weekend and my first holiday without my husband was really hard.

aromatherapy - a supportive but also zingy fragrance

PAINTING in my journal not a lot of words

Following my brush around the page, just giving myself space to be and express. Having this really soft way to stat the day. This felt like THE THING I need now, instead of coffee + writing which used to be THE THING.

PS: October 18: Structure Habits Routines Zoom Call. This goes with the Structure Habits Routines journaling prompts we did a few months back, which are here.

Dream Book 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.

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.

Creating New Routines Read More »

Oct 9 Co-Dreaming Meditation + Journaling Class

By Andrea Schroeder / October 9, 2023 / daily practice, Manifest Your Dream Life

The Creative Dream Playbook is here!

It's a collection of advice, encouragement and teachings that I have discovered in my 13+ years coaching creative people deeper into their dreams.

Plus some of my favourite journaling prompts and questions I always ask my clients.

So it's a guide, journal AND oracle.

You can work through the pages in order and fill in the journaling prompts AND you can flip to a random page any time you want to get a message about your dream.

It's 83 pages, adorably hand-drawn with bright, full colour artwork. Plus a black + white printable version with my artwork removed so you can add your own in.

>> Get it here.

Now on to Co-Dreaming! I'm offering these live Co-Dreaming (Meditation + Journaling) calls every Monday.

I started doing these calls to help us all keep showing up no matter how messy things get because have you noticed how messy the world is right now?

And together we've turned it into this really beautiful community dreaming together. I'm so grateful for everyone who is showing up and Co-Dreaming with me. This is so special.

Dream Book 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.

Go the Library of Creative Dream Alchemy to find a practice that fits for where you are.

Check out the calendar of upcoming calls.

Oct 9 Co-Dreaming Meditation + Journaling Class Read More »

Tapping into the healing powers of glowing radiance [Weekly Dream Status Report]

By Andrea Schroeder / October 6, 2023 / Manifest Your Dream Life

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.

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!)!

I know doing the same prompts every week can be annoying sometimes but this is magically clarifying. The repetition helps you go deeper into the process and makes it easier to LEARN from your process as you go, and the apply those learnings right away.

Here are the prompts:

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

My dream is:

I want it because:

When I have it I will feel:

PART TWO:

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

PART THREE:

My goal/wish/intention for this New Moon is:

Last week’s focus was:

What happened in the last week?

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

What do I need now?

What does my dream need now?

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

My Dream Status Report for this week:

PART ONE:

My dream is: Being the artist + writer I want to be. Feeling really alive. I already have it AND it's an always-work-in-process... right now there is a lot shifting around how much/what kind of art I want to make and working on creating more nourishing/robust/lively local creative community.

I want it because: Divorce is a new beginning. Of course there is sadness but there are also all these new possibilities and I want to explore them, I want to explore who I can be next.

When I have it I will feel: The same as now - ALL the feelings 🙂 But, I think, more ALIVENESS. And right now, because everything feels unsettled and uncertain, I'd love to feel a sense of stability.

My new moon intention: Treat this transition time I'm in as sacred. (New Moon call was so good this month!!)

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

I do feel a real sense of stability while sitting in the Field of Creative Dream Alchemy. Like this field has been here, my relationship with the field was here long before I met my husband. This is like - my relationship with me, which includes my relationship with my divine self and all of my magic and power. Even though my life FEELS like so much fell away, and really so much DID fall away, here I still feel a sense of wholeness.

The field is like water, though I sit on it and don't feel wet. But I can move my fingers through it and it makes ripples like water. There are stars above.

I stay here and savour it before inviting my dream to join me.

When I do invite my dream in, I have a hard time holding in my mind what I'm really dreaming of. But the soul of my dream shows up as the sun. A glorious sunrise and then a gorgeous day, everything is illuminated and I see I have everything I need to create anything I want next in my life.

PART THREE:

Last week’s focus was: Be gentle with myself AND intention about what I want to be doing.

What happened in the last week?

The Marketing as a Creative + Spiritual Practice call on structure was soooo good! I got frustrated in my explorations on the call with so much stuff coming up but I've been working through it and getting some clarity on what kinds of structures I want now in my work.

I also - I MEAN HOLY FUCK I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS BUT - I FINISHED THE CREATIVE DREAM PLAYBOOK!!!! (Just waiting for the proof copy to get to me before I can say for sure I don't need to adjust the colours)

I started working on this last winter and it was starting to feel like it would actually take forever to finish it. BUT that's because I was figuring out a lot of things - not just for this book but for the many (dozens?) more I want to create next. It feels like this one is a doorway.

Also - I was so sad so much of the time. My step-son continues to have complications that baffle the doctors. It's so weird going through this experience with Joseph when we're not together.

But somehow my sadness didn't take over everything. I mean "somehow" - I've been working SO HARD at self care and taking good care of my nervous system. I feel so grateful for that.

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

I am learning next-level self care, especially around my nervous system regulation. I'm feeling ALL the feelings, but really noticing a sense of expansion. Like, this big thing is gone from my life and I can stretch out a bit. What parts of me want to take up more space now?

I think I had mentioned here, that we didn't finish moving J's stuff out of the loft. It was actually a really good self care move that I was proud of myself for, to say "let's not finish this last load today" because I needed to stop and rest.

But, honouring my needs in the moment doesn't magically bring me everything I want!!! I guess I hoped that it would. Because I was unhappy that it left me with the consequences of that decision - the couch and a few boxes still in the loft all this time.

Since everything is so up and down at the hospital, I couldn't plan a time with J to finish (the truck usually needs to be booked in advance) so I decided instead to take the couch apart (it's an IKEA daybed, none of the parts are heavy) and I booked the truck to move it myself tomorrow morning.

SO, once that is done, I'll have more open space in the loft to match the open space I am feeling in my life.

What do I need now?

Really more of the same. Focus on self care. Work on creating the lists/structure/organization that make it easier to also do the things I want to do.

What does my dream need now?

I hear the words: glowing radiance.

It feels like: remember how magic it feels in this meditation! Spend more time in this space!

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

Tapping into the healing powers of glowing radiance. I look forward to experimenting with this.

Dream Book 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.

Check out the calendar of upcoming calls.

Tapping into the healing powers of glowing radiance [Weekly Dream Status Report] Read More »

A peek inside my process: How I discovered clarity, power + joy in the middle of confusion + self-doubt.

By Andrea Schroeder / July 1, 2014 / journaling, Manifest Your Dream Life

Being engaged in a daily creative/spiritual practice always brings me back to my magic and helps me to receive whatever it is I need in the moment. This is why I teach so many different creative/spiritual processes, so that I always have something I can reach for that is engaging and fun enough that I’ll do it even when I’m SUPERcraky.

Treasure Mapping is one of those processes.? When I was feeling so confused and unsure last week, I knew that Treasure Mapping could help, and the thought of spending the next few weeks making maps every day made me so happy, I ran out and got myself a new journal to FILL with maps, and decorated it:

What happened when I started Treasure Mapping was so magical, I HAD TO make a video to share it, even though last week I went on a summer-long hiatus from making videos.

July 10 (next week!) I?m teaching a live-on-the-phone treasure-mapping class.

(It will be recorded and you absolutely won’t miss out on anything if you can’t be there live – you’ll still get to share your questions and stories and photos in our private forum)

You’ll learn a fun and creative way to GET the clarity you?ve always wanted about what to do next with your dream, without waiting for the answer to somehow magically come to you.? You?ll learn how to access deep and true intuitive wisdom right when you need it.

The cost of the Circle is going up to $147 this summer.? I’m still working out the details to share more specifically when the price increase will come into play, but this will be the last class you can join in for the $100/year rate.

A peek inside my process: How I discovered clarity, power + joy in the middle of confusion + self-doubt. Read More »

Update 29: Manure Makes The Flowers Grow (and dreams too!)

By Andrea Schroeder / June 13, 2014 / creative entrepreneur, intention, journaling, Manifest Your Dream Life

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

At this point though, I’m not interested in the numbers. I’ve been more interested in exploring how to grow my capacity serve dreamers in bringing their dreams to life from a place of delight and gratitude and plenty.

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

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

This week started HARD, capital H, capital A, capital R, capital D. HARD.

I did have to laugh at myself a bit – I know that doing a class specifically on happiness has a tendency to bring the things that block happiness to light.

The story was always there, rooted in fear and shame and lack.? But it was all tightly rolled up, like a stone.? A stone that was blocking possibility, but it had been there so long I didn’t notice it anymore.

Unraveling the story in preparation for Love Your Life, of course, makes it impossible to not notice.? It’s like the rock exploded and instead of keeping this story so neatly contained it was now… well it was everywhere.? Impossible to avoid.

The teacher and healer in me knows that this is good.

This is how those stories get broken down back to their essence and healed and transformed.

This is how the fear and shame and lack get released.? This is how new stories get written.

But every other part of me was not so welcoming of the situation.?

It’s painful and scary and hard.? I felt particularly freaked out to be getting ready to teach this class where we’d be working with joy, delight and love when I was feeling so much the opposite.? And I blogged about that earlier this week.

But I have the tools to work through it effectively and quickly.

And on the other side of that, things look really different.

I am more connected to the WHY of why I do this work and why I am moving towards this particular dream of growing the Circle.

I am more in love with my work, my life and my self than ever.

There is more room inside of me for trust and courage.? I feel indescribably amazing.

This kind of energy healing really is the best drug ever.

That’s why the Creative Dream Circle includes the Un-Sticking Station which is ALWAYS there to lead you through that process.? Because the shitty parts are a part of the journey.? And when you’re in the shitty parts it’s hard to remember how to get out of them.

But when you bring creativity and love and wisdom and power to how you handle the shitty parts – you grow your superpowers and make more space inside of you for more of whatever you want: abundance, joy, calm, delight, creativity, etc, etc, etc.

So as I write this on Thursday morning I am still in the afterglow of deep healing, and in the pre-glow-magic of the Love Your Life Creative Journal Class – we’re doing our live playdate this afternoon.

There is more that I would like to share, about shifting perspectives, but need to save my energy for our class today.? (I usually write these on Thursday afternoons, and this week that time is devoted to the Love Your Life Creative Journal Class.)

So I’m not going to answer the Creative Dream Update Questions (posting them here for Circle members so you can use them in our weekly update circle: What happened in the last week? How do I feel about this? What do I need now? What does my dream need now? Taking all of this into account, my next mission is:)

I am so in love with all of this, and so grateful for all the amazing beings I get to share this work with, inside the Creative Dream Circle.? If you’ve been on the fence about joining, I’ve got to say: DO IT.? If you like my work enough to be reading these update posts, you’ll totally love what I have to offer inside the Circle.

Update 29: Manure Makes The Flowers Grow (and dreams too!) Read More »

I want to help teachers/healers/coaches/helpy-people help more people

By Andrea Schroeder / May 29, 2014 / creative entrepreneur, healing, Manifest Your Dream Life

One week ago today, I woke up with this beautiful idea: a small group mentoring program focused on helping teachers/healers/coaches/helper-people help more people.

Combining the benefits and attention of one-on-one coaching with the magic and synchronicity of a small group experience, the group is designed to support you wherever you are in the process of helping people.

Our goal: to enable your greatness, support your vision for what you want to bring to the world and and help you evolve into the best teacher/healer/coach/helper-person you can be. ?

This is for people who want to help other people: either help MORE people and/or get better at helping people.

Helping people is the BEST THING EVER, but it’s not an easy job!

Those of us who are called to this kind of work have unique issues to face.

You don’t want to tell people what to do: you want to empower them to create their unique path. Which is infinitely trickier to do than just handing them a set of instructions.

You don’t want to offer bullshit platitudes: you want to offer real, effective and grounded support. “Turn that frown upside down” doesn’t really cut it.

You don’t want to get depleted in the process. You know you need to nurture yourself and fill your own well in order to be able to serve from your deepest capacity. Knowing this doesn’t mean it’s easy to DO this.

Because people who feel called to help are innately un-selfish, sometimes we are TOO un-selfish and don’t set things up so our needs get met.? You may feel guilty about “charging too much” even though you know that your helping business needs to be profitable in order for you to be able to help more people.

What I’m seeing for this group: Support, Healing & Magic for the Way-Showers.

That’s a drawing I did in my journal last summer.? At the time when I drew it, it felt important but I didn’t know why.? This morning I flipped through that old journal to find it and when I saw it, I remembered the magic I felt in it.

I have so much love for the way-showers!

I mean, I am one of them, obviously.? But if not for other way-showers showing me the way I wouldn’t have found my way here.? And I just LOVE working with other way-showers/helper-people because we share the same mission: a heartfelt desire to help.

I would love to be offering these groups as a regular thing but have some experimenting to do to see how it fits in with the work I’m already doing.

Since this is my first time offering this, I am offering a Special Price For Brave Adventurers.? If you feel called to participate, you’ll help me shape this in return for receiving coaching + support at a special price.

This is not a program where I lead you through a bunch of steps and we work on the same things. This is custom-designed-for-you: you bring what you want to work with, and we’ll work with it together. You’ll have my guidance and support, but we’ll draw on YOUR unique skills, talents and approaches to create your path.

I’m seeing this group as a place where you can get support to:

strengthen your helping skills
step up your work to start helping MORE people
figure out what your next steps are in your growth as a helper-person
do your work with less depletion and more ease
find new ways of helping

But if there is something else you’d like to work with, send me an email and we’ll discuss if it will be a good fit for this group.? (Or if you’d rather work with me one-on-one, you can book a private session with me right here)

This is going to be amazing.

When I woke up with this idea, it felt so beautiful and healing and nurturing and needed.

I love that so many of us are feeling called to help others.? I know that helping others create happier & more fulfilling lives makes me feel so much happier and more fulfilled – it’s a self-fueling loop of delight. I want to invite more people into the loop!

And I want to encourage everyone who feels called to do this kind of work to get the support they need to help others effectively and joyfully and sustainably.

What you’ll get:

Four group calls: one call a week for four weeks.? The group is limited to 6 people, each person will get 15 minutes of coaching time on each call. Plus you get extra bonus insights from listening in on each other’s process.

Each week you’ll get a customized assignment/mission/challenge based on what’s going on for you and what you want to be working with.

We’ll have our own private forum inside the Creative Dream Circle for accountability and support. (The group will stay open for 1 week past our last call, then disappear – but you’ll still be connected to everyone through the Creative Dream Circle for the rest of the year)

You’ll get a playbook to help you get clear on where you are, where you want to be and what you want to work/play on during our time together.

The calls:

The calls are planned for Tuesdays at 2pm, Central, North America – June 17, 24, July 1, 8.

But if you want to participate and that time does not work for you, email me with some times that do work for you.? If I can get a group of 6 people together at one time – we’ll do it at that time!

The monies:

Membership in the Creative Dream Circle is the prerequisite for joining this group.

The?Special Price For Brave Adventurers for the first run of this group is $200.

So if you’re already a Circle member you can do this for $200, if you’re not a member yet the total cost is $300.

The Special Price For Brave Adventurers is a very special price!? A regular 45 minute session with me costs $175 for Circle members, $225 for non-members and does not include being a part of a gorgeous support group for 5 weeks.

There is only room for 6 people, it will be on a first-come, first-served basis.? The way to reserve your spot is to pay in full.? My regular coaching policies apply.? If you have to miss a call you’ll still get the recording, but you don’t get a make-up call.

Edited to add: Wheee! This group is full.

I want to help teachers/healers/coaches/helpy-people help more people Read More »

The Cure For Writer’s Block

By Andrea Schroeder / May 14, 2014 / healing, Manifest Your Dream Life

I’ve been wanting to share some of the super-inspiring stories of amazing things that happen inside the Creative Dream Circle but I haven’t known how to do it. Working with dreams is working with heart – so vulnerable and delicate. It’s no small thing that people trust me with their dreams and I’m not going to betray that trust by trying to force anyone into the limelight.

But some of these stories keep tapping me on the shoulder, demanding to be shared.

So I’ve decided to share bits and pieces – without naming names or sharing photos or anything like that. So people’s privacy is protected, their dream remains sheltered from public view, while the essence of the story can come out and play.

The cure for writer’s block:

I received the following message from someone who was in my free Give Your Dream Wings course:

I know what my creative dream is and what the soul of it is, but I’m lacking the joy and flow to do it with ease and happiness. It’s still loaded with fear for me. I need to write and I want to do it but boy do I delay it every single time. That blank page is tough! Would your Creative Dream Circle help with that?

That question really hit me in the heart.? So many creatives know exactly what they want to be doing, but their dreams are, as this writer put it, LOADED with fear.

I hate knowing that there are people out there in this situation!? So much so that I’ve made it my life’s work to help people out of this situation.

Writer’s block, like all creative blocks, is an emotional block.

Facing the blank page is terrifying.? Going after your dream is terrifying. Starting is a terrifyingly vulnerable thing.

The secret?? Meeting your fear with creativity and love.

My response:

Yes! The Circle will definitely help with that. Fear is the biggest obstacle to dreaming, so I have a lot of material about it in the Circle. In the Creative Dream Incubator course (which you get in have circle) there is an in-depth module about how to work with fear effectively. Plus there is an “un-sticking station” to get quick help any time you get stuck. I use that almost every day.

It’s totally natural to be afraid, I find that learning how to work creatively with fear is one of the most important skills to learn to bring any dream to life.

She joined the Circle and one of the first things she did there was listen to my hour long audio class on How Meeting Fear With Creativity And Love Means You Never Have To Stay Stuck.

And then: she started writing!

She found the cure for writer’s block and she started writing!? This is from one of her first posts in the Circle:

Hello! I’m brand new here and decided this morning to get right into it by listening to the recording of “meeting fear with creativity and love”. I found it extremely helpful [removed for privacy]. I went on to write the piece I wanted to write…

She went on to write the piece she wanted to write.

Being un-blocked and in the flow really is that accessible.

Does this mean our heroine is never going to suffer from writer’s block, ever again?

Of course not.

She’ll have to keep meeting fear with creativity and love and learning new techniques for transforming fear and doubt and all the things that hold her back.

This is the secret to bringing any dream to life: to stay in the process of transforming the blocks.? To meet them there on the blank page – every day or every week.? To keep showing up no matter how hard your inner critics start to fight back.

I can promise that if you stay with it, it does get easier.

When I first left my day-job to be a full time Creative Dream Incubator, I had a major fear freak-out at least once a week.? But now?? In my fourth year of doing this full time?? I’ve had ONE fear freak-out all year. And it wasn’t even major.

You can transform your inner landscape.? You can make more space for freedom and glee and creativity and delight and trust and dreams come true.? You do not have to let fear stomp all over your dream garden.

This is what we do inside the Creative Dream Circle.

The Cure For Writer’s Block Read More »

Creative Dream TV: Creating A Self-Care Kit For When You’re In Crisis

By Andrea Schroeder / May 13, 2014 / healing, Manifest Your Dream Life, Vintage Creative Dream TV

How to make a self care kit

You need a self care kit because times when you really NEED self-care tools are exactly the times when it's the hardest to find them!

I'm doing something new - recording videos straight to YouTube instead of editing. With anything new, there's a bit of a learning curve, I lost the first 20 seconds and it's a little weird/wavy - not like my usual videos.

The best time to make a self-care kit for yourself is when you're NOT in crisis.

Because when things are rough it's harder to know how to take care of yourself.

But... I am editing this post in 2020 during a global crisis... if things are already rough for you - just do your best. Every bit of self care you do helps you get to a bit of a better place where you can do a bit of a better job of taking care of yourself... and so on and so on.

You can do this.

Your self care kit should be with you and accessible at all times.

I keep mine in my bag with my wallet. Those days when I don't take my bag with me, when I grab my wallet I also grab my self care kit.

It's in a handwoven zipper case, the same size as a pencil case. It's easy to have on me.

As I've gotten older, my self care kit has gotten more boring, lol!

This is for two reasons:

my body needs more attention to feel good
I know myself better so I can do better than aromatherapy, affirmation cards and little chocolate treats, which is what my self care kit used to be full of when I was in my 30s.

An ongoing commitment to self care over time WILL teach you what YOU need in your self care kit.

A question to ask while you're building your self care kit: What would be helpful, now?

Asking it at different times of day, in different places, in different situations, gives you different answers which give you different ideas for what to keep in your self care kit.

For example, in peri-menopause I can't always predict my menstrual cycle like I used to, so keeping Advil in my self care kit is helpful.

I have allergies to pollen and to some dogs. Having allergy meds in my kit is a must.

Some of the items in your self care kit should be boring! Just basic "how to take good care of my body" stuff that can help stop anxiety or overwhelm from spiralling.

Here's what's in my self-care kit right now:

ear plugs (I am super sensitive to noise)
Advil
allergy meds
a few packs of Emergen-C (a dose of vitamin C and electrolytes that feels good when I am overwhelmed)
ear buds (I usually have headphones with me, but for those days when I forget them, having the earbuds saves the day)
multiple playlists of brainwave music for different moods, like calm + focus (technically not in my kit, but I keep them on my phone)
favourite aromatherapy blends in small bottles (also convenient for days if I forget deodorant can use some EO instead and not feel self conscious - this is a small thing, but every uncomfortable feeling you've got going on adds a new layer of discomfort, so the more of them you can take care of, the better)
Kleenex in a tiny pack
Journal with paint pens and a huge assortment of ultra thin markers (also not in my self care zipper pouch, but I keep it in a separate zipper pouch, also always with me)

Other ideas for your self care kit:

chocolate
inspiration card or helpful affirmation/mantra written on a piece of paper
a meditation or visualization that works well for you, written down on a sheet of paper (it's easy to forget to use tools we know about, so this is a way to include them in the kit)
lip balm
moisturizer, bonus points if it smells like something that makes you feel happy
water bottle

This will help you create your self care kit:

The Self Care for the Pandemic e-course is free, you can get the whole thing right here.

It's five days of videos and journaling sheets, to really dig in and explore what kind of self care you need right now.

5K Shares

Creative Dream TV: Creating A Self-Care Kit For When You’re In Crisis Read More »

Update 21: Growth Spurt

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

(you can read my original post about this here)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So this week is a growth spurt week.

And I am really happy about this.

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

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

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

I feel like I have created the perfect welcome sign.

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

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

This shifts the energy, big time.

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

Update 21: Growth Spurt Read More »

On Being Afraid And Doing It Anyway

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

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

It was also totally outside of my comfort zone.

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

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

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

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

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

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

It’s NOT about steamrolling over your fear.

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

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

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

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

I’m so glad I did this.

On Being Afraid And Doing It Anyway Read More »

Give Your Dream Wings Blog Hop

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

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

I’m celebrating with a blog hop.

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

Here they are….

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

Amy Goetz, Amy Creates Stuff: Dreaming While Under Construction

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

Barbara Martin, Barbara Martin Art: Growing Creative Dreams

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kylie Bellard, Effervescence: My Recipe For Dream Fulfillment

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tamara Laporte, Willowing Arts: Giving Your Dream Wings

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

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

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

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

Let’s give YOUR dream WINGS.

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

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

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

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

What you’ll need:

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

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

Ready? Let’s do this.

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

Give Your Dream Wings Blog Hop Read More »

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

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

(you can read my original post about this here)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

TRUST. STABILITY. BLISS.

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

I thought about that a lot this week.

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

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

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

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

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

I’m happy about that.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The truth is, size doesn’t matter.

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

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

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

I think they’re missing the boat completely.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

EMPOWERMENT. TRUST. ALIGNMENT.

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

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

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

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

I know you can do this.

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

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

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

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