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Updates From The Journey

Journey to the Center of Yourself…

Always remember to take some time to yourself, to care for yourself, to LOVE yourself. I know this , and with the chaos of the last months, sometimes it’s been a challenge to re-member. I am always struck by the belief that somehow overtakes – that I should be done, that all those tools that I’ve amassed over the years can now be put away in some mental closet.

WRONG

Those wonderful tools passed to us from mentors, and traditions of self awareness, contemplation, meditation, affirmation, exercise and self care – more important than ever as I/we move beyond the comforting communities of faith and support. Re-membering over and over, even being willing to start over, ALL a part of the process. Or so we’ve been taught. So Here’s to the toolbox. Here’s to the starting over again. Here’s to Loving yourself by taking care of yourself – because WE DESERVE it!

Caring, original Painting, Take Care of yourself, Love yourself First, Painting, St LUcie Cultural Arts Alliance

The Book Club Is Now OPEN!

The Self-Empowerment, Self-Development,  Self-Exploration Book Club…

Has completed another journey through THE ONE THING, by Gary W Keller, and Jay Patterson 

It’s taken us several months, reading and discussing each chapter a week at a time, and, it was sure worth it. The take-a-ways have been impactful to everyone who participated. As is our process, we now reopen the club to folks who would like to explore with our process before committing to the next book journey. We call this our “Palette Cleanser.”

For the next couple of weeks while we choose our next book, the participants offer to share mini versions of their programs, ideas, and processes – generally giving us all the opportunity to enjoy exploring their offerings, and giving all of us the opportunity to get to know each other better. This week (Jan 16th) Laverne Wilson will be taking us through a taste of her new program, “Unlocking Your BLISS – Find Joy in the journey.”     The following week our resident #Decluttering expert, Alana Whylie, will be sharing some very effective hints and processes.

We meet on ZOOM, Tuesdays at 10AM ET

The book will be chosen by a prayfully blind draw from our magic box with a list of suggested books. After about a week (maybe 2) after starting the book we close the group again until the next completion. We find this adds to the depth people are willing to engage the material with. There is a reason it’s called the Self- Development, Exploration, and Empowerment Book Club, we really “work the book” together as we go through the weekly readings. Leadership is rotated on a volunteer basis so everyone has a chance to lead if they are interested.

 

If you are interested in hearing more, have questions, or just want to say, “I’m IN!” please send and email with SELF DEVELOPMENT BOOK CLUB in the subject line to: [email protected] or reach out on Social Media to InnerVoicesOuterVision

on Facebook or on Instagram

 

Jack Canfield, Jen Sincero, Artists Way

Upcoming Events in 2023!

Studio Spa, St Lucie Cultural alliance, Ft Pierce Art, Artmaking and Soul“Utilizing Artmaking to open deeper conversations with ourselves, so that we can access our own wisdom to guide us forward in our lives.”

So Excited!

 

And a little nervous… to be publicly offering both online an in person events at THE NEW STUDIO!!!

The St Lucie Cultural Alliance has graciously allowed us to have a space that can be used for live events, as well as my own art projects – I am in HEAVEN! After multiple years in very small spaces (or other peoples homes) I finally have a place that I can spend concentrated time doing my own art explorations. In addition it’s a wonderfully intimate space for either individual coaching and consulting, but small group explorations as well. I am announcing a full slate of events – most of which have a hybrid or online component for those who are either out of the area, or desiring the ease of working from home. Please check them out, and if you have any suggestions or ideas for me feel free to reach out as well.

Hope you can join me/us on our explorations! 

Coming up May 7th:  Purpose Passion and Soul, a collaboration with Suzanne Oliwa, Certified SoulCollage(R) facilitator

SoulCollage(R) and Exploration event

Books and Other Teachers, The Journey

Jack Canfield, Jen Sincero, Artists WayBooks and Other Teachers

Along the way of this 55+ year ride, I have spent much of my time learning from books. Teachers and mentors of the human sort have often seemed messy, flawed, and not always entirely trust worthy. As a result I found most of my wisdom in books. I read anything from science fiction stories of authors like Spider Robinson Marge Piercy, and Robert Heinlein to philosophers like Thoreau, Jack Kerouac, and Camus .  I explored the “WooWoo” worlds of Carlos Castenada, Joseph CampbellClarissa Pinkola Estes and so many others whose basic premises were the acceptance that our perceptions are mere agreements, not the Newtonian reality we have been trained to accept. While these explorations have always carried for me the seeds of greater potential, I have, up until most recently enjoyed them with a semi hopeful, passive view.

This transitional journey seems to be bringing me back, full circle, or perhaps more accurately, full spiral, towards those more “WooWoo'” or spiritual explorations, but this time with a less passive bent. I am feeling called to harness the lessons of the commercial worlds of advertising, marketing, and networking and blend them with a deeper call. A call towards exploration, and authentically sharing these explorations with fellow travelers. It is a call towards connecting with a tribe of courageous, & wholehearted  explorers who want to dig deep, share encouragement and wisdom, and be willing to engage truth with compassion in an effort to be more, and affect more of our world(s).

Our teachers are everywhere, in books, on You Tube, podcasts, Facebook & other Social media venues. They are just outside our door in our brushes with the natural world. They are our neighbors, and coincidences, joyful moments, unexpected encounters, and even our houseplants.

Working with a Mastermind Group

The Mastermind process has connected me to a new type of investigation, into exploring some of the so called gurus of Personal Growth. Despite some trepidation I have found that working through these processes within our group, has been both fun, and life changing. For those that are unfamiliar, a Mastermind Group is an intentional and committed group of people that agree to, “meet weekly, monthly, daily even if it makes sense, to tackle challenges and problems together. They lean on each other, give advice, share connections and do business with each other when appropriate. It’s very much peer-to-peer mentoring.” (Forbes: 7 Reasons to Join a Mastermind Group). Our particular group allows for the sharing of leadership roles. We rotate who leads, and vote on the subjects we explore which alleviates some of the ego and power struggles that can distract from growth work.

We started with the Jack Canfield book, “The Success Principles.” This is a book that every person in transition should be gifted with. Though little of the information is truly new, the progression of principles, and the compassionate way they are presented will have you believing that you can actually succeed at changing your life. Working through this process has be a literal life changing event. I have often thought where our world could be if every school child had access to these techniques and principles.

Our latest book to work through is Jen Sincero’s, “You Are A Badass At Making Money”  Written in the irreverent style you would assume from the title, Ms. Sincero challenges your attitudes about money, where it comes from, and how you can get it. It’s a fun read & let me note that it is most important to actually work these books. If all you do is read them,  and even highlight all your favorite passages without doing the exercises, you will likely get less than what you would hope out of them.

Another classic “workbook” for creatives is Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way  “A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity,” Though her book was originally published in 1992, and she has taught these principles of creativity recovery since 1978, the concepts and techniques are still as potent today as they have ever been.

For fun reviews of various “Self Help” books check out “By the Book” podcast, “Join comedian Jolenta Greenberg and her skeptical friend Kristen Meinzer as they live by the rules of a different self-help book each episode to figure out which ones might actually be life changing.” Sometimes helpful, sometimes full of their own #AhaMoments , often hilarious, these two women commit to each process for a 2 week period, and report back with their results.

Self Help books are easy to make fun of, easy to dismiss with a knowing and cynical wink. It’s a huge industry. When using them as tools, & being willing to share your vulnerabilities and dreams with others (& yourself) they can be a powerful way to move you in new directions. Ultimately, it’s up to you, & it sure helps to have voices of support holding you up when it gets hard.

Our teachers are everywhere. A teacher is one that for that moment, lights a fire, or opens a door to new awareness.  Let each door opened bring with it it’s own challenges and joys. Allow us to muddle through our own next steps as we “Dance towards our greater becoming.” Here’s hoping that your journey brings you joy and heart-opening awareness as well. Happy Exploring!

 

Of Art, Soul, Self Care, & Family

We Came , We Saw, We Painted, and We Set Them Free!

Painted rocks, Family Art project, love your familyI truly love my family, even though over the years I’ve chosen to live over a thousand miles away. Since the recent death of my youngest brother who lived in their vicinity, and the realization that my beloved mom is almost 88 I have been making a more concerted effort to “drop by” to visit more often. The challenge I have is that despite my love for them, it can be difficult to maintain the positive attitude that I am learning is of fundamental importance to growing this new life I am creating.

My mother’s view is that the world operates by Murphy’s Law. For those unfamiliar, Murphy’s Law states that, ” Everything that can go wrong, will go wrong, and at the worst possible moment.” She has trained all her children to actively assume that dreadful things are guaranteed to happen, so why try to accomplish anything. She is however, extremely intelligent, funny, creative, caring, an excellent writer, and knows who she is & what she wants. My disabled brother Allan lives with her. At 88, she is his primary caretaker. For them it works. Allan has multiple physical challenges (he had a stroke at 2 and was paralyzed on his right side). He has difficulty walking and controlling his right hand and arm which is very frustrating to him. As such he is more than content to be waited on. He has other issues, & don’t we all… He is also wickedly funny (if you pay attention), very artistic, loves puzzles and word games, is somewhat of a cross dresser, and is so used to being ignored that he has learned to always carry some form of game or puzzle with him to entertain himself.

It is always with some trepidation I head down to visit them. They live in an apartment so packed with STUFF, there is no place for a visitor to sit. The TV is on constantly, this is as far as I can tell their only form of entertainment, besides grocery shopping, Dr’s visits, and occasional dinners out for family events. Neither is physically able walk any distance which eliminates most other outings. This truly creates a challenge for connecting as the only opportunities involve one restaurant visit after another, expensive, challenging, and fattening.

The last time I was down for a visit, I arranged to do a small art project with them so that we would have an opportunity for some actual quality time. I was staying at my older brother’s house, so I had the time and space to spread out (Thanks Ken!). It seemed to be a success, everyone one got their hands a little dirty, and was pleased to leave our ‘Gifts’ in the garden there. This trip I was determined to do something similar. #PaintedRocks seemed to fulfill all the criteria, art, positivity, creativity, and above all letting the STUFF go at the end.

To back up a moment, my introduction to the Painted Rocks craze was inspiring. I had signed up to do the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Run/Walk last Fall. It is a 6.5-mile course that takes you over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Having been very out of shape my goal was to make it as far as the middle of the bridge, able to look down and take pictures of the water below. As a Bay sailor I had often been under the bridge, this time I wanted to be on top. I had been assured that if I couldn’t make it to the end, there would be transportation from the organizers to the finish line. I was delighted that I had made it up and over the bridge only to find that there remained an additional mile to be traversed. Yikes! As I rounded the corner at the end of the bridge, exhausted, and a bit worried I wouldn’t make it, I looked down and saw this…

It was a small smooth rock with this message painted on it. “You are so close to the victory, don’t you dare give up now!” I giggled and took the message to heart. Even though no one was monitoring me (I could have taken a short cut, or given up, I continued around that last mile to my own internal cheer, all from the gentle chastisement of that rock, and the person who had placed it there. I didn’t keep it, I did take this picture to remind me of the difference a little encouragement at the right time can mean.

So back to the family trip. I gathered some supplies, paint, brushes, and even bought some rocks (they sell the smooth ones at Michael’s), picked up my mom & brother & headed back to Ken’s house. I proceeded to tell them the story of my experience while spreading out newspaper & putting out the supplies. They both seemed a little dubious as I explained the criteria for the sayings, short enough to paint on the rock, and a positive message.

We brainstormed a bit coming up with some funny but not very inspiring, “The Fashion Police are Everywhere.” The more esoteric, “Life is a Bubbling Brook,” a saying favored by my late stepfather (A story for another day). And finally coming up with a list of acceptably interesting sayings. We voted for our favorites, and while doing that, unbeknownst to me Allan had already begun painting a few of his own. We ended up with 7 rocks, painted legibly. Even more important we had a conversation. We talked about might happen to Allan when my Mom passes, what his living situation might be. We talked about the school my mom had with my stepfather, and she shared the evolution of their deciding to start it, we talked about my brother David and how we missed him. All in all, we had a couple of hours of quality interaction, an anomaly of late.

As we finished up Allan started to gather up the rocks to take home. I explained that the point of the exercise was to send our messages out in the world, he relinquished his hold and let me keep them.

Two days later, I came by and picked them up, and while I drove I encouraged them to direct me to the spots we would leave the rocks. This was an important completion, the letting go.

We had a rock that said, “Are We There Yet?” and Mom determined the bus stop would be a good spot. Another said, “To Plant a Garden, is to Believe in Tomorrow,” that of course was placed in a public garden. At their condominium there was a perfect location by the community mailbox where a rock regularly was used to hold down flyers and such. Allan put his, “Thank God” rock there. You get the idea.

We had fun, spent 2 days together uncomplaining, laughing, connecting, and hopefully also spreading painting rocks, my brothers keepersome laughter and joy in the world. It was a powerful paradigm shift, at least for me. It was a concrete way for me to share time with them in a positive, uplifting, and creative way.

So often doing art together gets relegated as something only for small children. Doing art together is an activity that is a part of our tribal past. Making allows us to step outside of our regularly scheduled programs of interacting and connect in a more meaningful way. For me this art activity allowed my family and I to spend time together that was more satisfying than chatting over a pastrami sandwich surrounded by curious onlookers. Try this with friends or family next time you get together, you might be surprised.

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A New Beginning…

Each new door…

Each new door opening includes leaving behind the last cushy, or at least comfortably familiar world view. With trepidation, and some actual excitement I have chosen to exit my connections to the advertising agency I helped grow to it’s current proportions.Trasition, starting over, new beginnings, begin again

Leaving aside all of the choice points, and disappointments that led to that “break up” I bless the opportunity and learning I have received from each and every entrepreneurial vision I have pursued in my life, including this one I hope.

This concept feels like a long held , deep undertow in my life, the idea of bringing people together to explore their creativity together, and grow. I so look forward to dancing, painting, drawing, writing, and singing together with all of you. Here’s to the journey!