I have been doing A LOT of journaling and thinking and meditating about how I want to put myself, and my work, out there.
There have been a lot of tangles to work through around how the internet culture has changed over the last 10 years, and all the places where I DO NOT want to interact with "business as usual" and... well... I could go on and on about the tangles but I won't. (Not that they are not super valuable to explore but that I've already written about all of that)
Today I am ready to talk about what I want to do next
The Creative Genius Planning Sessions are changing.
When I started doing them I was trying to find a way to offer something useful in a "live on social media" format.
A lot of what happens in my classes is NOT appropriate for "live on social media" it's deep and personal and it needs space to incubate away from the public.
So I didn't know HOW to do it in a free, live, public format , and I really wanted to experiment with it. And I've done that.
At this point, what I want to do is make the Creative Genius Planning Sessions the best they can be.
They are still going to be free. But they won't be live.
I'll be posting them on Instagram, Facebook and You Tube. I'll also be posting them inside Dream Book, where they will come with extra resources plus private space for sharing your goals and getting support each week.
I'm going to post them on Sunday mornings, so they're ready for people in different time zones and people who want to plan on Sunday instead of Monday.
Because these will take a lot more time/energy - I might miss some weeks. Or I might figure out a way to be super consistent with this, at this point I don't know 🙂
I do know these will go MUCH DEEPER than I feel comfortable taking people in a "live on social media" format.
I know - I am still posting these on social media, but I won't be taking questions/comments from people as I go. The thing about some of those questions/comments is that they quickly start to hit places that feel too vulnerable to share in this way. So it feels restrictive because we DO need to be working in those vulnerable places to truly access our creative genius.
In a pre-recorded format, you do the work on your own, in your mind and in your journal, and I don't feel restricted in terms of where I go with it.
I am hoping to have the first one ready this Sunday. Watch this space.
I am working on the new DREAM SPREE!!! project.
I have a few hours in my schedule to work on implementing some of the amazing ideas I've gotten....
And....
I'm just sitting here.
Why am I not doing this?
My mind tries to grasp at multiple excuses, can't get a firm grip on any of them, and just freezes.
I don't know.
And I hear "I just don't want to do any of this"
This is soooo common.
I've coached so many people through the process of getting CLEAR on the HOW and making time and space and then that magical day comes when it's time to get work....
And they don't.
They don't get to work. They don't know why. And they say something along the lines of "I don't think I really want to do this"
And I ask "Well what would you like to do"
And they talk about going back to the drawing board, coming up with a new plan for a new dream.
They're lying to themselves. Just like I'm lying to myself right now.
It seems really weird that when we get to that moment when we have both a plan and a the time/resources to implement that plan, that THIS is when we get stuck.
In a sense, this is the EASIEST PART! It's the part where we get to finally DO the thing!!
But in reality, this is one of the HARDEST parts.
This part is VULNERABLE AF and so this is where your inner stuff will throw the biggest possible hissy fit to get you off track so you don't have to feel the discomfort of ACTUALLY FOR REAL STARTING.
I just added a video about this to our Library of Creative Dream Alchemy Videos.
I recorded the process of how I worked through this, and added it to the library of Creative Dream Alchemy processes.
So that the next time you're in this situation, you can work through it with me.
It is SO MUCH BETTER to not do this alone. Alone - your inner critic can hold you back forever while having you believe you have no other options. In Dream Book - we'll get you taking steps TODAY.
Dream Book members: the video is here
"I don't follow through" is not a part of who you are. It's not your inner truth.
Not following through is a symptom of something else.
And saying "I am just a person who doesn't follow through" stops you from figuring out the CAUSE of that symptom and exploring WHY you are not following through.
And it stops you from figuring out what would help you follow through on the things you really do want to be doing.
Listen. "I am just a person who doesn't follow through CANNOT be the truth of who you are because it means that your dreams are impossible.
And they are NOT.
This video leads you through a process of untangling some of this so you can make some different choices and create new options with your dreams.
Keep going.
"Not following through" is a SYMPTOM and to change this for yourself, you need to work on the CAUSE.
To start: You need to explore and work with the thoughts/feelings/ideas that came to you in this video.
This is the work that will detangle this "I don't follow through" story and give you space to create a totally new story for yourself.
Free Resource:
The Hard Parts Are Where The Magic Happens Healing Circle and Inner Work Workshop
Do this workshop using "I don't follow through" as your obstacle and you will find a way to work through it.
Guided journal!!
The Build The Path By Walking Guided Journal is ALL ABOUT the follow through.
It will guide you through the process of taking steps, and learning as you go.
If you're in Dream Book:
Remember that EVERYTHING you to in Dream Book is helping you to dissolve un-helpful patterns and create new nourishing dream-growing patterns.
So every time you show up for ANYTHING in Dream Book, you are doing this work.
Any time you get lost: Here is the checklist of everything in Dream Book. Go to the next thing on that list and follow the link.
But to go deeper into this inner work:
Check out The Library of Creative Dream Alchemy: Inner Work Practices
Start with the Un-Sticking Station but if you notice you are not doing that, then go to the video for when you are avoiding the Un-Sticking Station.
KEEP DOING THIS. The Un-Sticking Station will absolutely show you what you need to do to change this for yourself. You just need to keep showing up and working with it.
Also:
Read the daily mastermind posts for daily reminders to come and join me in doing the work.
Do the new moon alchemy calls to set intentions for what you want to focus on over the next month.
Try the Focus Pocus 21 day program for getting focused.
I am mentioning all these things NOT because you need to do them all!
It's just that creative people need options.
Pick the one that appeals to you now and just do it.
Your dreams are counting on you.
You got this.
Last week I started something new. I'm calling it the DREAM SPREE.
I've invited EVERYONE in Dream Book to contact me, to let me know where they're at with their dreams and what kind of support they need most right now.
I'm going through ALL of the Dream Book content, looking at where I can make improvements to make it more helpful.
I'm asking for feedback from members about what they'd like to see in the group.
To me, the DREAM SPREE feels like if a bunch of fairies put on a "dream work party" to help all of them all move forward with their dreams.
That energy of celebration and magic and enchantment and dreams and MOVING FORWARD MORE QUICKLY THAN USUAL.
I know this is what I need right now, and I don't think I am the only one.
The response has been amazing.
Obviously, Dream Book is full of really smart creative people, so they've already sent in a ton of really smart and creative ideas.
AND they're sharing about their edges - those hard places they are up against as they move their dreams to the next level.
I am offering to work with EVERYONE. To help make sure you get what you need from Dream Book. NOW.
If you've been thinking of joining, but aren't sure it can help with the things you are facing now - this is the ideal time to join.
You can use the DREAM SPREE to end 2021 on a really high note.
It's been a rough year and a half. I'd really like to see us end 2021 on the highest possible note.
As always, I believe that listening to our dreams can show us the way there.
This is NOT about hitting our goals or necessarily even accomplishing anything.
It's about ending more deeply in the process of listening to what we are being called towards next.
And then being brave enough to hear our most honest answers.
Are you with me?
I'd love to give your dreams a BOOST!
Join Dream Book today to get in in on the Dream Spree.
The Year of Dreams 2022 Weekly Planner, Visioning Journal + Creative Dream Playbook is here!
It's available as a full colour printed book from Amazon worldwide, and as a printable planner. (Details on both are here)
I am using the printable version, which is a little bigger and offers a TON more space for customizing.
I CAN'T WAIT for 2022 and to start using this planner.
It's got MORE open space than any planner I've ever used.
Once I printed it and held it in my hands it felt like such a gift. SPACE and SUPPORT for a much deeper process than just planning my weeks. It feels like exactly what I need for 2022.
Plus it will be RELENTLESS about reminding you about what's most important to you.
You can't forget your new year's goals when your planner keeps reminding you!
I just can't wait to use it.
I wanted my planner to be strong enough to paint on and bound in a way that makes it easy to use.
I always paint in my planners and they never hold up well to the paint and I wanted this to be paint-worthy paper. Also I like the idea of a HEAVY weight planner that can stand up to all sorts of creative play.
And I wanted it coil bound, so I could flip it over to make it easy to write in AND ALSO I want to be able to move pages around and especially ADD PAGES anywhere. Some weeks I need more planning space. And with the visioning journal at the beginning, I may want to add more pages there as I go through the year and my plans unfold and dreams grow.
So I used a disc-bound system. If you haven't tried it - it's a miracle!
I started with this paper punch from The Happy Planner - doesn't matter which brand you get, but you do need a "mushroom punch" and not a hole punch.
And then I got these discs, also from the Happy Planner, to bind it. You need to make sure you are getting the right sized discs - too big or too small and the pages won't hold together as well. Since I used such heavy paper, I needed the largest discs.
You could also just us a binder, or get this printed at a copy shop where they can coil-bind it for you.
The paper:
I looked around - A LOT - for paper that was the same texture on both sides and MUCH heavier weight than regular printer paper. There are a LOT of options out there - especially when you get into cotton and linen papers.
The options available will vary depending on where you are. So I'll share what I used, but know that maybe you can find something better where you are. You can also get actual watercolour paper in letter size to use - though depending where you are, that can get really expensive since you need almost 150 sheets for this and probably wayyyy more than you need for a good, sturdy creative planner.
I got Accent brand 100 lb paper.
Normal printer paper is 20 lb. My Staples has printer paper up to 32 lb.
100 lb is a LOT heavier. It might not work with all printers - on mine it did get jammed a few times.
If it gets jammed and you have to stop and re-start the printing - you have to be especially careful about where you re-start the printing, since it needs to be 2-sided printing and a lot of the pages are printed on the wrong side. I made a few mistakes when mine jammed, but only ended up wasting a few sheets of paper.
Still to come: Laminating the covers
I just started painting the covers and there's lots more I want to do still before I can laminate them. But it's an important step to make the whole planner sturdier to bringing around with me. I loooove doing my planning in a coffee shop (when we're not in a pandemic lockdown)
But honestly, it's so big and heavy I am more likely to take the week's sheets out, tuck them into my big journal, and bring that to the coffee shop, and then put them back into the planner when I get home. I do love that the sheets came come out and go back in like that.
Once they are decorated I'm going to laminate the covers really thick and 1" bigger around so that the covers protect the paper inside.
So far from what I have read, the easiest way to do this is to get self-lamentation sheets at the dollar store, or I may just take the pages to a print shop and have them do it.
It never ceases to amaze me how many different ways there are to get stuck with a project.
Like you write a brilliant blog post and then when you go to share it, you re-read it and suddenly it's crap and you wonder why you even bother to try.
Or you finish the whole first draft of your book but are paralyzed by the editing process.
Or maybe everything was going fine, or so you thought anyway, but you just don't seem to be making time to work on it anymore.
Or maybe you get to a part where you really have no clue what to do next.
Or maybe a global pandemic strikes.. and just never seems to end.
The thing is - stucks are a part of the process.
I know. This sucks.
But the faster you can ACCEPT that stucks are a part of it - and have a PLAN for working with them - the faster you can get back into the flow!
This is the Inner Work of getting your project done.
It's the part where you face your fears.
And re-write your old stories of "I can't do this because"
This is the part where you step into this BRIGHTER BIGGER ore CREATIVE and BRAVE version of yourself.
This is the part where you BECOME the version of you who can COMPLETE the project.
This is my favourite part.
This is what we do in the Get The Magic On Your Side Guided Journal.
You start with some simple tips & tricks for successful Inner Work
Inner Work can be discombobulating!
I won't tell you HOW to do this because this is really a practice in listening to your inner voice - but I will offer some structure and guidance to help you get the most out of your work.
✨✨THE REST OF THIS JOURNAL IS THE MAGIC✨✨✨
This is how you will ALWAYS have something to DO with your project - because you can always come into this journal and PLAY with your project.
Whenever you're stuck with the Outer Work, you've got a whole journal to fill with Inner Work that will guide you back into the creative flow with your project! There are also some all-blank pages for you to create your own processes, or continue what you were doing on the previous page.
* If you're doing the Build The Path By Walking Guided Journal for the Outer Work, this journal will give you enough Inner Work to go along with it.
This journal will, literally, help you get the magic on your side so don't stay stuck with your project.
Every time, ANY time, you get stuck with the Outer Work - you've got a whole journal full of processes for engaging with the Inner Work of making your project happen.
This makes ALL the difference.
Get The Magic On Your Side Guided Journal for your Impossible Projects
This is a guided journal for navigating the inner work of getting your "Impossible Project" done.
(Inner Work = The Stuff That Makes The Outer Work Possible)
It comes as a full colour printed journal from Amazon, or a black & white PDF file you can print yourself.
You know you're ready to DO this thing. So why are you not getting started?
This part, where the rubber meets the road, is just ridiculously awkward.
I mean - how could it not be?
How are you supposed to know HOW to do the thing you've never done? You can't.
You have SO MUCH inspiration and enthusiasm and you freaking LOVE this project - but all of those good things can't tell you HOW to do do it.
You can start taking steps, or just wait around for the path to magically appear.
This is what Build The Path By Walking means. That you recognize that this path isn't going to build itself, that there isn't a way to already know how to do a thing, before doing the thing.
So you dive in. You start trying thing, making mistakes and before you know it - you are learning as you go.
Easier said that done, right? That's why I made this guided journal.
Here's how it works:
This journal will offer encouragement to be awkward and make mistakes and not know... while also holding space for you to figure it all out.
This journal won't show you HOW to do your project because those answers are in YOU - it will guide you through the process of creating your own way.
I'll show you how to use the Build The Path By Walking method to NOT get tripped up by mistakes and fumbles along the way.
This can't be said enough: making mistakes and mis-steps and having it all fall apart is a TOTALLY NORMAL part of the process.
There simply isn't another way to do a thing you've never done before - other than to copy someone else's path, which is always a recipe for disaster.
Because YOUR project needs you to do it YOUR way.
So I PROMISE you that by trying the things you feel inspired to try, by respecting your ideas enough to test them, and by following your own creativity and inspiration, you WILL create your path.
These worksheets are the thing that turns "trying things, making mistakes and having no clue what to do next" into "learning and GROWING with each step".
You get detailed explanations on how to use each part and you'll see this shift is easier than you think.
Each time you finish 6 steps, you get a prompt for reflecting on your progress.
This is the second layer of "learning and growing as you go". These prompts have you looking at your process in different ways, to help you see different things in it.
All of this prompts are meant to spark new insights to help you with your next steps.
So, as you keep taking steps and reflecting along the way - each new step you take GETS EASIER.
This journal will coach you through the process of taking 54 steps with your "Impossible Project".
👉🏻 Once you've done that, you'll have both MOMENTUM and DIRECTION with your project.
You will have built part of the path and you'll know what to do next!
By using the Build The Path By Walking method to take each of these 54 steps, you'll learn an incredible amount about what your project needs, and what you need, to be able to complete it.
Build The Path By Walking Guided Journal for your Impossible Projects
This is a guided journal for taking steps, figuring it out as you go, and making remarkable progress on your project.
It comes as a full colour printed journal from Amazon, or a black & white PDF file you can print yourself.
It's normal to be all tangled up about whether or not you can actually do this thing.
EVERYONE feels this way at the start of a new project. And EVERYONE feels alone in it. Like their stucks are totally unique and unsurmountable.
I mean of course you also feel inspired and excited and ready to get to work... but you're not actually GETTING to work.
This is just how it is at the beginning stage, there are a lot of conflicting feelings.
And it takes time to work through them all, to get to that place of feeling grounded, clear and ready to DO the thing. For real.
When you first get the idea to do the thing, parts of it are supposed to feel impossible.
This is because your project will GROW you.
So yes, it's impossible - to the version of you that you are today.
But jumping in and ENGAGING with your idea will help you grow into the version of you who IS ready to do this.
That's why I made this journal.
Here's how it works:
The prompts lead you through the process of detangling the tangles.
Having a lot of conflicting feelings about your project makes it especially difficult to get stuck in them. Feelings need to MOVE and it's so hard for them to move when they're all tangled up together.
This journal will help you make space for ALL of your thoughts and feelings about this project, which will help you de-tangle it all.
Then you'll start to see the project, and your ability to DO this thing, in a new light.
You'll learn about your "Impossible Project" and how to work with it
"Impossible Projects" is another way of saying "Creative Dreams" which is something I have learned a lot about.
It's a thing you really, really want to do but you also aren't sure you CAN do it.
Impossible Projects tap into your most heartfelt wishes, truest inspiration and deepest self doubt and fears - all at once!
This journal will help you find ways to work on it, without making ANY of your feelings wrong.
You'll look at your project idea, and how you could do it, from a ton of different perspectives.
The thing about how your Impossible Projects grow you - it means if you just look at it from your currently-self everyday perspective, you're going to stay stuck.
You've got to stretch your mind a little and look at it in different ways so that the path can come into focus. You remember the "magic eye" art from the 90s where you'd stare at a pattern and then a 3D image would eventually appear? It's like that.
And the journal will encourage you along the way.
I know EXACTLY how hard it is to engage with a project idea that you really want to do, but also feel conflicted about.
I know EXACTLY how BRAVE it is to dive in and do this work.
So the journal offers all sorts of of encouragement along the way.
This journal will coach you through the process of getting ready to actually DO your "Impossible Project".
Once you've filled it in you'll have PROJECT CLARITY.
You'll either be ready to start taking steps with your project (which the next journal in this series can help you do) OR you'll know, for sure, that this isn't the right thing for you to do right now.
👉🏻 Either way, you'll stop all the ambivalence and what-ifs and you'll KNOW what to do next.
You Can Do This Guided Journal for your Impossible Projects
This is a guided journal for untangling doubts, freakouts, ambivalence, and getting ready to actually do your project! For real!
It comes as a full colour printed journal from Amazon, or a black & white PDF file you can print yourself.
I can't believe it's here.
I am SO in love with the Year of Dreams 2022 and can't wait for January so I can dive into it.
No one EVER starts out already knowing HOW to do their dream.
It's just part of the nature of having a dream.
And yet, something about not knowing how can easily trigger us into feeling it like it's impossible.
That's where Jacqueline Manni was just one month ago, about opening an Etsy shop to sell her gorgeous art.
And then last week she sent me this message:
I joined Dream Book a month ago because I really wanted to start an Etsy shop with my artwork in it, but didn’t know how or even if I should (unworthiness gremlins!).
Well, that first month of journaling, affirmations, coloring, and videos got me through it, and I now have a new Etsy shop!
It really does feel like a miracle because I didn’t know the first thing about how to do any of it, but working with you inspired me to take the leap even though I didn’t feel ready.
In Jacqueline's words:
I chose to share this painting, Morpho Eugenia, first because of all the palette knife work!
When I first wanted to paint many years ago I took a studio class, and would lay down about three brushstrokes an hour — I was petrified of making a mistake! My teacher noticed and told me to buy a palette knife and use it instead of my tiny brush. I warily bought it, stared at it for a few weeks, put it away, and didn’t start using it until last year! Now I can’t imagine working without it. It’s turned into a bit of a talisman, representing how much healing I've done around my artistic practice.
I also chose this painting because it incorporates another big love — literature.
It was inspired by the novella Morpho Eugenia by A.S. Byatt, which is one of my favorites. I finally got painting after studying literature, which led me sideways into Book Arts, which then led to painting. I incorporate so many things I learned in bookmaking into my paintings, too — this painting is backed with decorative paper as a reference to endpaper, for example. Plus the ephemera. I just love paper, and work on paper as much or maybe more than canvas.
Finally, I chose this painting because it takes into account my darkness as well as my light.
Although there is a fair bit of whimsy and butterflies and such in my work, there is also a gravitas and even a sadness. I’ve been letting that come out more and more, which feels really good and true. The reason I want to paint, and have a place where people can see my work, is because I want to make my soul visible. I can’t do that without both light and darkness.
Go check out her whole shop - it's gorgeous!
And I hope her story inspires you to think differently about what FEELS impossible for you right now.