Retreat Coach on the Farm

My Personal Creativity Journey ~ Day 74

To follow along with the 90 day challenge start with day 1

EXPLORE INTENTIONS

I was thinking about creativity and our ability to create. This set me off on an exploration! I dearly love to set an intention and then tend it with great care as I watch it develop into being.

I find that just the act of setting an intention helps me to focus on what my next step is, in my business as well as in my personal life.

Today, I not only set a rather large business intention, I absolutely believe it is possible. When we are able to truly believe it can remove all of our fears and doubts. TRUST is so important in all areas of our life.

I will set a new mini-intention each day for the next 9 days building toward my final goal.  The larger intention! I will write, in great detail, what my intention is each day in my journal and write a special daily affirmation. These affirmations I will recite out loud each morning and evening. Speaking it out loud can be powerful. Helps you own it for yourself.

BUT I will also take essential action along the way! Using all of my positive thoughts and words I will also take a mini action step each day that will move me closer to my bigger goal.

What do you want to create in your life?  I would love to hear.

Gosh, isn’t life exciting when we CHOOSE it to be!

I feel my passion rising!!!!!

My Personal Creativity Journey ~ Day 73

To follow along with the 90 day challenge start with day 1

Last night I was in the company of a very creative man Mr. Ken Blanchard. I had heard wonderful things about Ken and his lovely wife Margie for years but to actually meet them in person was a real treat.

I believe when we are working on our own creativity it is a marvelous strategy to surround ourselves with others who are on a creative path.

Ken Blanchard has co-authored a new book with Garry Ridge about compassionate (my words not his) leadership in the work place. He asked a group of us to read the new manuscript then invited us to a wonderful meal at the Skaneateles Country Club so we could offer him feedback. Ken has mastered the art of listening. He writes a book and I would imagine has a learned staff to assist him with whatever he might need to make the book just the way he would like it to be, yet he wants more. He wants input from others far and wide on their ideas.

He wants you to tell him the truth about how the book appealed to you. As he was recording the info the group was offering him you could see his own creative genius come alive. Someone would suggest something which would spark a fire in Ken and he would run with it. It was a true pleasure to watch a creative genius at work.

Keep an eye out for Ken’s new book. I’m (he’s) not sure of the title yet but you will know it when you see it is co-authored with Garry Ridge. It is a good read and not only for companies but also teachers, parents and more will benefit from these innovative ideas.

Have you surrounded yourself with creative people lately? I would love to hear.

Gosh, isn’t life exciting when we CHOOSE it to be!

I feel my passion rising!!!!!

My Personal Creativity Journey ~ Day 72

 To follow along with the 90 day challenge start with day 1

 

I would love to tell you about SoulCollage! I have made several cards of my own so far and it is so creative that I loose myself in the process.

Here is a picture of a SoulCollage (sample card) from Seena Frost’s site.

Quote below from the the SoulCollage website:

What is SoulCollage®?

“SoulCollage® is a process through which you contact your intuition and create an incredible deck of cards which have deep personal meaning and which will help you with life's questions.

Following the simple SoulCollage directions, your hands move fragments of cut-out magazine pictures around, fitting them together in a surprising new way and gluing them down on a card. Cards containing the images you select --- or the images that select you --- come straight through your Soul, bypassing the mind.

This is a multi-leveled, creative process which anyone can do. All you need is a good pair of scissors, pre-cut mat board cards, and images you can cut out from magazines, greeting cards, personal photos, postcards, catalogues, and calendars. It is wonderful to have other people with whom to share the process. The cards are fun to take to a friend's house, to work with in therapy or support groups, or to keep on your coffee table.”

When I gather all my materials to begin a SoulCollage card I do it in a retreat mode. I block out at least 2 hours of quiet time to work on my cards as I play soft music in the back ground. I might even light a scented candle. Anything is perfect that adds to a relaxed mood.

The way I usually do cards (we all do it differently, no right or wrong way) is to cut out objects that I am attracted to. I always make two cards at a time. I never know which card, I am going to put which imagine on, until the end. After I have several images I like I set them on the cards in a random fashion until some sort of a pattern emerges. This method seems to work well for me.

Others like to look in the magazines for certain imagines they have in mind. I prefer to just use my intuition and see how the card unfolds on its own.

Everything you could ever want to know about making SoulCollage cards is at Seena’s site. Check it out!

I make Vision Board Collages at my retreats. I have not done SoulCollage at my retreats, at least not yet! I am curious if there is an interest in the process. Maybe this blog could be a survey of sorts. Would anyone be interested in giving it a try? It is very powerful when done in a group!

Have you ever made a collage of any kind? I would love to hear!

 

Gosh, isn’t life exciting when we CHOOSE it to be!

I feel my passion rising!!!!!

My Personal Creativity Journey ~ Day 71

To follow along with the 90 day challenge start with day 1

Creativity has been my focus on this 90 day challenge. Even though I had to skip a few days posting, I have held the intention that I will not only tap into my own creativity but also pay attention to those around me. If I notice creativity that needs to be nurtured then I will do my best to assist.

This past weekend we were blessed to have our granddaughter staying with us. As we sat eating pizza and wings I noticed Athena was eating more celery than chicken and dipping it into her ranch dressing. Suddenly she became side tracked by the dipping process. As she dipped one piece of celery into the dressing, she was then brushing it onto the second celery piece lying on her plate. She began to do what she called painting. As she stroked the celery with great concentration it turned from green to white, each careful stroke added a bit more paint (dressing).

I questioned her about this and she explained to me in great detail how she is a very good painter. Since she is only 3-years old I didn’t give it much thought at first. Then I remembered my intention. I am purchasing paints for her next visit. Probably not as elaborate as the set in this photo but I want to encourage her with something she feels is a joy and also has a sense that she is already accomplished at it!

This has set me on an exploration of my own. What would my heart say; I am really good at, if I left my ego out of it as children do?

What does your heart tell you that you are really good at? Remember to leave out the ego when you think about your answer. I would love to hear.

Gosh, isn’t life exciting when we CHOOSE it to be!

I feel my passion rising!!!!!

My Personal Creativity Journey ~ Day 70

To follow along with the 90 day challenge start with day 1


"The Enchanted Wood by Ruth Sanderson"

Pictured here is Ruth's illustration from the book!

Today is the 70^th post of my creativity blog. I have searched my heart for what part of my own creativity is most important to me and how I can bring more of that into my life. I hope I have written some posts that have caused you to stop and think and move forward with your own creativity.

This morning I took my granddaughter who is only 3 now to the local library. I have a love for books that I want to pass on to her. I let her choose any two books she wanted. I did not influence her in any way, but when I sat with the two books she had chosen I was very much surprised how similar our tastes were.

I was absolutely blown away by a book entitled; “The Enchanted Wood” by Ruth Sanderson. I can not put into words what the illustrations inside were like. They were the most unbelievably beautiful paintings. They simply took my breath away!  As I sat in awe looking them over I began to realize that all of my passions were illustrated there. Huge trees, horses and castles.

This led me to Ruth Sanderson’s website where there were even more things that I love such as angels, fairies and Christmas. I know there are many wonderful painters and illustrators in the world but for some reason her pictures really touch my heart and I wanted everyone on a creative journey to be exposed to their wonder!

What creativity have you exposed your own heart to lately. I would love to hear.

Gosh, isn’t life exciting when we CHOOSE it to be!

I feel my passion rising!!!!!

My Personal Creativity Journey ~ Day 69

To follow along with the 90 day challenge start with day 1

I am feeling just like this boy playing in the leaves. My creativity has been soaring and it is so much FUN!

I have been working on my website by changing my homepage to accommodate the new tag line and adding a beautiful page that tells everyone about my personal women’s retreats.

 

Imagine a retreat with the view of skaneateles lake in the background, one where the entire 1-4 days is focused only on you and what you need. You will receive private coaching, rest and restore yourself to wholeness and do specific exercises that are designed to assist you to move your life forward. Oh, did I mention that you would also have a lot of FUN?

Check out on my site. I would love some feedback on it!

 

Is your creativity soaring? I would love to hear.

Gosh, isn’t life exciting when we CHOOSE it to be!

I feel my passion rising!!!!!

My Personal Creativity Journey ~ Day 68

To follow along with the 90 day challenge start with day 1

I am having a bit of a problem writing on my blog everyday to meet this 90 day challenge. Life has taken a turn and I am even busier than before so I will do the best that I can here. I will still commit to doing 90 days; they just won’t be in a row. Fair?

Rodeo

I have been working on some marketing language for my business. It was like pulling teeth. So this past weekend I set the intention to come up with a new tag line and then I let it go!

Instead of worrying about if the words would come I went out and had some fun! I went to the rodeo! It was fun except when a young man was knocked unconscious by a bull. Later he was doing fine and riding around the ring on his horse wearing a pink shirt to create awareness for breast cancer.  I do worry when they are so young, only 16.

The next morning when I was headed out to the barn to feed my horses I had to turn around and run back to the house for a pen. The tag line just popped into my head and I didn’t want to loose it. I find creativity sometimes needs to  be at rest and I need to have some fun in order for it emerge.

 

Where do you need to let go of creating and just rest awhile? I would like to hear.

 

Gosh, isn’t life exciting when we CHOOSE it to be!

I feel my passion rising!!!!!

 

 

New tag line for those who are wondering:

Adjust the wind beneath your wings with

Flying Change Coaching…..Soar Higher!

 

My Personal Creativity Journey ~ Day 67

 To follow along with the 90 day challenge start with day 1

The Moon

“See how nature - trees, flowers, grass - grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence...we need silence to be able to touch souls.”

Mother Teresa

Nothing sparks creativity in me like a big full moon. I took this picture of my horses and the moon. As nice as the picture is it does not capture how it made me feel.

The moon hung low in the sky just at dusk. It made such a calm and peaceful scene. I could have gazed at it for hours. The horses must have felt the same way because it was hard to get them in. Squeaky ran over to Willy and whinnied for him to make a run for it when my daughter went to get them in for the night. I warned her to get a halter on Willy first or she would be in for a chase. Luckily she was fast!

I hope the moon is shining brightly on you also! I would love to hear.

 

Gosh, isn’t life exciting when we CHOOSE it to be!

I feel my passion rising!!!!!

My Personal Creativity Journey ~ Day 66

To follow along with the 90 day challenge start with day 1

Yoga

I am always blown away by how focused and creative I become when I do Yoga regularly and yet I continue to let busyness take me away from the very things I love to do. I am walking each day so my little saboteur chimes in to say “waking is enough exercise today, since there is soooo much to do”.

The reality is that Yoga is not only exercise. It goes so much deeper than that. It is a moving mediation for me as well. My body and my soul feel alive after an hour or more of focused Yoga stretches. I love adding a scented candle and some soft music.

My youngest daughter is actually a yoga instructor who reminds me often that all we do is interconnected. We need to treat what we do each day with conscious awareness. I ask myself, when I am being mindful, “does this action take me away from or move me toward my goals?” Then I need to remind myself that whatever today’s goals are, my one main goal always is to be happy and at peace. No matter what else is happening around me.

For me Yoga brings me a sense of contentment and peace. I will vow today that I will be more aware of how I spend my time and make sure my Yoga practice gets a front row seat just like my walking does.

Namaste

I hope you are being aware of what gives you peace along your creative journey! I would love to hear.

 

Gosh, isn’t life exciting when we CHOOSE it to be!

                                                           I feel my passion rising!!!!!

 

My Personal Creativity Journey ~ Day 65

To follow along with the 90 day challenge start with day 1

When I think of creativity fun I think of Sark! She is the one who taught me to use colored pencils when I journal and that it was ok to color outside the lines!

As a child I was taught to be proper. Do not smudge (erase to hard) your paper or spill your milk! When I read Sark’s book I feel the rebel come out in me. Let’s dance on the tables and journal with large crayons. Put smiley faces all over the page or draw a magic garden. All is possible when we let our hair down while being creative.

If you have never read Sark’s books like; “Eat Mangoes Naked: Finding Pleasure Everywhere (and dancing with the Pits)” or “Succulent Wild Woman” then it will be hard for you to understand what I am writing about. So go to her website for a sneak peak at a truly creative woman! She will inspire you to get your creative juices going.

Are you inspired now? I would love to hear!

Gosh, isn’t life exciting when we CHOOSE it to be!

I feel my passion rising!!!!!