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This week's secret is Selecting Empowering Partnerships & Alliances.
There are some powerful words in this secret. One of them is 'selecting.' We get to be selective about who we are going to trust with our precious creative dreams. Many of us have had and have shared our experiences of being hurt by a thoughtless remark, shutdown by an insensitive teacher or discouraged by feeling unseen at all. Maybe we couldn't choose who are grade 8 art teacher was but we can choose now. Who do you want to connect with, to be amidst, to partner with?
Realizing that you are at choice in your relationships is empowering in and of itself, and even more so when you start to consciously cultivate partnerships and alliances that support and encourage you. We are each unique and it's important to know what you, yourself, find empowering. Does it inspire you to be challenged by others or do you work better with encouraging words? Does it depend on the stage of the game? Does working with people with similar ideas get you excited and raring to create together or are you stimulated by entirely different viewpoints?
What's an empowering partnership look like to you? If you were to make a list of 'characteristics of the dream support team' what would be on it?
I hope you enjoyed our interview with the lovely Leonie. A creative power e-pack of all 12 inspiring interviews plus over 122 pages of accompanying transcripts and bonuses are now available at Your Creative Spark.
Leonie Allan is a Goddess living in Canberra, Australia. She believes that inside each of us, there is a Goddess - a woman of wisdom, beauty and deep soul. Leonie creates art & events to help women discover and celebrate this Goddess inside each of us. She make artworks to celebrate your Soul Story and the Goddess In You. Leonie has photographed women as Goddesses from the desert centre of Australia to villages in India. She create e-courses and retreats for you to help experience the creative and spirited Goddess inside you. And she also runs Goddess Guidance coaching & oracle reading sessions for gorgeous women all over the globe, to help them find clarity, guidance and spirit on their journey.You can find Leonie at Goddess Guidebook.
Over the course of this journey, you'll be claiming, exploring and expressing your creativity. You're going to grow and share and stretch. And we know when that starts happening all those inner voices come out. You know the ones. You're hearing them already. "Who do you think you are?" "You'll never be an artist." "Grow up." "That's not really creative." Ouch!So, here's what I want you to do. Over the course of our journey together, any time you hear one of those soul-sucking, creativity-thwarting, heart-hurting phrases in your life, your mind or your memories, come and put it here in the vault. Leave it in the comments and let it stay there. Put it in every time it shows up. Leave it anonymously, if that's easier. Put it out of your mind and into the vault. Know that when you put it in the vault you are saying that limiting belief is GARBAGE and you don't need it anymore!Let all these trouble-making thoughts keep each other company while we get on with loving up our creative selves!
This week's secret is Consulting with Guides. I just love when it's a secret that I know we're already rocking out! As we listen to each of the interviews with Highly Creative Bloggers, we are consulting with guides. As we visit each other's blogs and take inspiration, we are consulting with guides. Let's expand our reach even further by sharing with one another guides that have helped us along the way - books, singers, websites, writers, poems, coaches, maps, videos. Let's spread the love.And know that every time you post to your blog, you are being a guide. Trust that. Know that. When you shine your light, the path is lit for others as well as yourself. Shine, beautiful you. Shine.
I hope you enjoyed our interview with marvelous Melba. A creative power e-pack of all 12 inspiring interviews plus over 122 pages of accompanying transcripts and bonuses are now available at Your Creative Spark.Melanie (Melba) McMullin loves...to write in her journal...to create collages with scraps from her life...to read...to be alone...to be present with her family...to think...to meditate...to listen to music...to share stories...to drink coffee, tea, or cocktails...to eat...to dream...to consciously create...to feel connected. Melanie lives with her loving husband and two very imaginative young children in Cape Cod, MA.
Melanie shares her art for sale in her newly relaunched etsy shop. Just until the end of February Melanie is offering all of her original collages for $25 with free shipping for her fellow Next Chapter participants. To receive free shipping enter the code "next chapter" in the notes section when you make a purchase and then wait for me to send you a revised invoice before paying.
Melanie shares her love for connecting with other creative bloggers on her collaborative blog justBeConnected.
How fascinating that after committing to self-focus, we prepare to deal with saboteurs. As you take time for your self and your work, are they starting to show up? What do yours sound like? I have some personal favourites. Let me introduce you to the "Who the Hell do You Think You Are?" gremlin and his cousin, the "You Are SO not Ready for That!" gremlin. Oh, and then there's the ever-articulate "You Suck" gremlin. Are they friends of yours too? Maybe we can throw them all a gremlin social in the vault this week!This chapter offers some strategies for dealing with these pesky critters and I hope you'll share your own. Andrea Scher has some awesome gremlin-busting tips in this week's interview. By next Friday you are going to be well-set to outplay, outwit and outlast these opponents!
One thing is for sure: saboteurs are a part of pursuing your aspirations. In fact, their appearance is a brilliant clue that you are in the territory of your dreams. They don't waste their time on the piddly stuff. So if they're starting to show up, celebrate the fact that you are stepping towards something magnificent.
photo credit, by Denise Andrade
I hope you enjoyed our Week 6 interview with Andrea. A creative power e-pack of all 12 inspiring interviews plus over 122 pages of accompanying transcripts and bonuses are now available at Your Creative Spark. Andrea Scher is an artist, mom and life coach living in Berkeley, California. Through her company Superhero Designs and blog Superhero Journal, she aims to inspire other creative souls to live authentic, colorful and extraordinary lives.
As I read this chapter about self-focus, I found myself engaged in intellectual debates with various assertions, vigorously nodding my head along with others. I rolled the word "self-focus" over my tongue several times to see how it tasted. I revisited my personal history with balancing intimacy and independence. There's a lot in here to explore. I look forward to seeing what catches you about self-focus and what you're inspired to share.And I'd love to celebrate with you that we are already taking on the final exercise of this chapter. Gail challenges us to help other women commit to their creativity. And here we are, doing just that! We're in this together, and it makes a difference. Sharing your story matters. Every encouraging word, shared experience, shed tear, heartfelt smile is a part of what we are creating here, together.
And since we've got one challenge down already, I hope you won't mind if I sneak in one extra. This week I invite you to not just think about self-focus but to experience it. Commit to some time for your self. Put on the answering machine. Ask a friend to babysit. Wake up a half hour early. Say no to washing dishes. Show up at the page. Take time to dance. Chisel out some precious space and time for your self and your creative explorations. Experience self-focus.Enjoy!Interview with Christine Mason MillerThis week Christine is here to inspire us. You can hear the interview here.
I hope you enjoyed our Week 5 interview with Christine. A creative power e-pack of all 12 inspiring interviews plus over 122 pages of accompanying transcripts and bonuses are now available at Your Creative Spark.
Christine Mason Miller is a Santa Monica based artist with nearly 15 years of art, design and illustration experience. She is the creator of the internationally recognized brand Swirly, and her work has been inspiring people of all ages worldwide to follow their dreams and passions since 1995. Her work as an artist has evolved far beyond the Swirly world, with collections of paintings and mixed media creations being sold and exhibited nationwide. Christine's work gives viewers a peek into a variety of details of her life, from travels around the globe to memories shared with her grandma. Using materials as varied as acrylic and oil paints, pastels, ink, vintage photographs and other ephemera, Christine's creations are full of color, texture and hidden stories.Her latest creation, Ordinary Sparkling Moments, is a full color self-published book that combines her mixed media work and writing, all aimed at exploring the joys of finding wisdom in everyday life. Ordinary Sparkling Moments was released in August 2008 and can be purchased on this website, Etsy and Amazon.com.Main Website: http://www.christinemasonmiller.comBlog: http://www.swirlygirl.typepad.com Swirly Website: http://www.swirlygirl.comEtsy shop: http://www.swirlygirl.etsy.com
A Year of Inspiration: http://www.sparkletopia.squarespace.com
You can reach her at christine@swirlygirl.com.
* Special Offer for Listeners: Order my book on Etsy through March 1st and enter the code SPARKLE for a free postcard set.
This week's secret is Selecting Empowering Partnerships & Alliances.
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