5 Ways to Tap Into Your Creative Mojo
You, my friend, are a creative woman.
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You are. Whether you believe it or not. To be creative does not mean that you make ART, or are always doodling cute little things on whatever you can get your hands on.
Creativity is a state of BEING.
It’s a way to live, a place to think from and something you feel.
You seriously can be sorting laundry and have that be a creative act.
Don’t believe me?
Remember when you were pregnant with your first little one and it was time to get all their tiny little clothes ready?
You lovingly washed everything, folded and put it all away. And I would bet money that in that moment, you were being creative! You were present to the growing life in your belly, imagining how he/she was going to be. You were full of love and super eager for the big day to arrive! You had no idea what this little dude was going to look like, or what kind of mischief they would be up to at the bold age of six. But you held up those itty-bitty baby clothes and you imagined!
Those moments are ooolaalaa magical! When we are in that creative element, when the juices are flowing and we feel ALIVE, knowing that our lives have meaning and purpose, it feels amazing! And, we get to be amazing! Creativity is sexy and powerful and, I swear, it makes us look and feel younger!
Here are five easy ways to tap into your magical, yummy creative force:
1. Start the day with a few moments of quiet. Sip your coffee or your tea, sit down and just be. Let the goof balls run around being wackos and include that in this one small, still moment. Savor this moment in your life and everything that is happening. Forget the to-do list, the dishes can wait, just be.
2. Make stuff. Doesn’t matter what it is, but try to consciously make something every day. It could be a drawing, a fun snack for the kids, a family portrait, or even the bed! But allow yourself to experience the fact that YOU are MAKING something! Put your own fun little creative spin on things. Play! Affirm all the little things you get to make every single day.
3. Day dream. Imagine your life with you totally FREE, living exactly how you want to live, doing all the things you want to be doing. Feel it, experience it. Tap into what it is you really want for your life. Don’t be afraid of it! This is your daydream, you can have anything you want!!
4. Talk to people who get it. People that understand about dreams and totally get what you wish for in your life. Stop trying to convince the naysayers. Right now, they don’t get it. Hopefully, someday they will. But, until they do, find and create a little tribe of people that get it. Forge inspiring relationships with these folks, knowing that you have full on permission to create a really kick butt life and they will cheer you on every step of the way!
5. Just do it! Stop waiting for the inspiration to strike and just get started. I know, for me, I like to put things off, waiting until I feel motivated. And then that quickly turns into agonizing over how badly I need to do whatever it is. And then, I remember, “oh, yeah, I just have to START!” When I do, I usually get inspired and into it and it’s fun! Why? Because I’m doing something I love, instead of thinking about it.
And that is really the biggest thing about tapping into our creativity. It ain’t going to happen sitting on the sidelines watching everyone else have a blast playing the game. You have to stand up and walk out onto the field. Only out there is the magic going to happen.
What do you think? I’d love to hear from you!
How do you tap into that creative energy? How is it when you do? Do you consider yourself to be a creative person? Please leave a comment down below with your thoughts.
And, please share about this on FB or twitter!
Leave a CommentStepping Into Your Dreams: A Tale of Heartache and Possibility
If you are not working on your dreams, if you are not moving forward, stepping into them with courage and gusto, my guess is that you haven’t said yes to them. If you want your dreams to happen, you have to say yes!
And, more importantly, you have to say… NOW!
Thinking about stuff does not make things happen. Period.
Yes, there is all that yummy law of attraction stuff. But, trust me, the people who are making stuff happen with that are ALSO taking action. They are moving forward, stepping into their dreams.
And that, is THE key. You have to step into it.
You have to move toward it with your yes volume turned way up. It’s actually more like diving in, head first, with no guarantees.
I get alot of stuff done and I have done some pretty awesome things with my life. But, not from thinking about it. Every great adventure I’ve had started with a big, bold ~ yes!
My Story
10 years ago, when the company I worked for asked me to move to Sweden, I said HECK YES! I gave all my stuff away, flew home to say goodbye to my mom, and took off. It was just 3 short weeks from that invitation to me walking through the Arlanda Airport at midnight with a big, huge smile on my face.
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I lived there for 2 years and got my ass kicked! I worked so crazy hard and I failed. Yes, I failed! I did not accomplish what I was sent there to do. It was painful at the time. Heart crushing. I left Sweden defeated.
But, now, when I look back at my life, living in Stockholm is one of my most favorite memories. So much of who I am today is because of that experience. The failure and the disappointment were SO worth it! (even if they really sucked at the time)
When I met my husband, we rushed off to Las Vegas to get married. We only knew each other for a few months. I was wowed! Yes was oozing out of my pores! All I wanted was him and this life we were creating.
Now, 7 years later, we are divorced. It stings. It hurts. This was not what we planned. But, I now have these 2 amazing kiddos. And I know what it feels like to live and act from a place of pure passion. The failure of our marriage has taught me so much. About speaking up, asking for what I want and not tolerating junk in my life that is not working.
As I look out into the future and the hope of falling in love again, I remember that feeling of blissed out yes! And I know that I will do it all over again, given the chance. Why? Because I want passion, I want adventure, I want the thrill of living from a place of FULL OUT! I want love.
About a year before we separated, my ex-husband and I started dreaming about living on the road. We wished it and hoped it and “what if?ed it” for a good long year. Then, one day, we said, YES! Let’s do it. Nothing in the previous year got the ball rolling. But that day, the day we said YES, I remember it well.
Everything changed. We started to take action and within 3 months, we sold or gave away everything we owned, moved out of our house and into an RV. It was crazy! But that day we decided yes, let’s do it, the whole world of what was possible changed. We saw the way and we eagerly stepped onto the path and started moving toward our dream.
Alot of people around us didn’t get it. They told us it was a bad idea. But, we did it anyway. We followed our own bliss.
And we had problems.. the dang beast broke down, we froze our butts off staying in an RV park up in the mountains, crazy leaks galore, and we weren’t sure how we were going to support ourselves on the road, but we just kept moving forward. Knowing that we were making our dreams come true.
Then, as you know from above, our marriage fell apart. It wasn’t sudden really, it was a slow build, and that final straw happened. I packed up our small amount of stuff and moved in with my mom. Heartbreaking.
This big, awesome dream that I poured my entire heart and soul into, it crumbled at my feet. I was devastated. On so many levels. The marriage, the dream of living on the road, the sadness of my kiddos. I’m sure you can imagine.
But here I am, still speaking my truth and still dreaming. And, I’m pursuing new dreams. I’m saying yes to two big things right now…
I’m in school, studying art, something I have wanted to do for a long, long time. I am discovering this artist in me that has been begging to get out.
And, I am working for myself, doing something I love, making a difference and helping people to be the best they can be. Visionary Mom is such a huge blissful fulfillment for me.
Those other dreams? To live on the road, to have a mate that inspires me, to work and thrive in another country? They are still there. You better believe it! At some point in my life, I hope to start saying yes to those things and boldly taking action toward fulfillment. Even with the failure, the dreams are still there.
I know you have fear, mama. We all do. Your dreams? They may not turn out. Things may not go to plan, you may mess things up. True all that. Believe me, I know!
But, I ask you this? Would it be worth it? If you did fail? If you crashed and burned? If you got your heart broken? Would if be worth it if you got to experience, for that one moment, the YES! The yes of being alive and believing and going for it? Would it?
One thing I will tell you is this: you can and you will survive heartache. And heartache will happen. It sucks when it happens. But, you can also keep moving forward. And, with that, you will get to experience new dreams, new possibilities, and new hope.
Are you willing to take the risk?
Leave a CommentWhat do YOU want to be when you grow up?
Today was my son’s kindergarten graduation. Which, I thought was going to be a pretty lame ordeal. But, it ended up being totally inspiring.
We got to witness these cute little munchkins walk up onto the stage and declare to a huge audience what they want to be when they grew up. We heard a lot of princesses, soldiers, teachers, veterinarians, firemen, etc.
And then, it was my kiddos turn, and this is what HE had to say….
(if you are reading from your inbox, click here to watch.)
OMG. Seriously? I about fell on the floor. MY kid! And he is for reals. His room is often a super fly science lab and we have experiments happening all the time in our kitchen. His latest adventure? A formula that will bring dead people back to life. Love my kid. Man, I love him!!
So, What does this have to do with you? (besides me just totally wanting to show off my awesomely fun kiddo?) 
Well, all afternoon I have been thinking about how cool it is that he walked up there in front of all those people and boldly shared his dream. And, did they think he was stupid? Or that his dream was a bad idea? Or whatever you tell yourself about your own dreams? NO! He brought down the house. Wild cheering from all!!
When you are six, you are allowed to dream big and wish for anything that you want for your life. So, what about now?
What do YOU, really, really, no kidding really want for your life?
No matter if you are six or thirty-six, you can be anything that you want. You can do anything you want. You can dream and you can bring down the house with the bold declaration of what it is that you want to do!!
First step?
Share it. Grab yourself a microphone, open your mouth and tell the world what you want. Belt it out, proudly – passionately. We are listening and, I promise, we are going to cheer for you wildly.
My son totally made me smile today, with his courage to march to the beat of his own drum. He is totally not afraid to be who he is. It’s mad inspiring!
Today, I invite you to follow his lead. Share who you are with the world. Announce your dreams. Let it rip!!
Leave a Comment13 Qualities of a Visionary Mom
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1. You laugh a lot. You know that joy heals, is contagious and can turn a crummy day into one that’s worth remembering.
2. You plan for the future and learn from the past, all while paying attention to the present. Not only that, you breathe it in, savor it and appreciate the miracle of what is happening in your life right now, in this moment.
3. You listen to your heart and speak your truth, even when it’s scary or feels alarmingly vulnerable.
4. You know when to push yourself and how to dig in, but you also know when to stop and slow down when that’s what you need.
5. You embrace life’s ups and downs. The highs and the lows, knowing that you would not be who you are today without all of the experiences you’ve had.
6. You know that what you do with your life and even more importantly, how you live matters. It makes a difference in big and small ways.
7. You celebrate and use your strengths. You know what you are good at and aren’t afraid to use those skills to make things happen.
8. At the same time, you aren’t perfect and you know that. You are not embarrassed by your flaws and shortcomings. In fact, you embrace them, knowing that your imperfections are what make you you.
9. You openly and enthusiastically share your heart, your love and your passions. The people around you, especially your kids, know that they are loved.
10. You take actions. Bold, courageous action that has you fulfill your dreams. You don’t just talk the talk – you walk the walk right – toward whatever it is that inspires you.
11. You love your children so much and cherish your life as a mother, but you don’t use that as an excuse to neglect your dreams and needs. You put your own mask on first.
12. You know how awesome you are. You aren’t shy about sharing your ideas and dreams. You know that living a full, expressed, extraordinary life matters, so you work toward that. Your unique brilliance shines through in everything you do.
13. You know that all of this is a journey, a way to live, not somewhere to get to. So you have compassion for yourself when you “fail” but you also know that you haven’t really failed. You are living. You are alive and that’s the whole point. When you get off your path, you bring yourself back. When you move forward with speed and grace, you celebrate that. You love the journey you are on.
In what ways are YOU a Visionary Mom?
Leave a Comment
This One Thing Might Save Your Life
Ok, maybe not your life. But, for sure, your sanity.
Which is a huge thing you need intact if you are going to celebrate and enjoy your life. So, yeah, maybe your life.
What is this life saving thing?
Planning.
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Yes, I know, I’ve talked about planning alot, though not as much recently. That’s because I have been working on this project and a funny thing happened….
The project is a DIY workshop/guidebook about Planning Your Dreams.
It’s good. REALLY good.
I’ve taken all my experience with planning, all my tips, all my “how to” and advice for really good, effective planning and put it together in a workbook that you can use to plan out your dreams, your ideas, your awesome purpose and vision for life.
You’ll be able to just buy the workbook and work on it at your own pace, or you can purchase the complete workshop – videos, step by step guidance, email prompts, etc, so you don’t have to go diving into this on your lonesome.
I’ve been working on this since at least Christmas (though I think it was earlier than that). I had grand visions of a New Years launch, then something in February, then March and well, guess what? Here we are at the end of March and no workbook.
Why? (this is the funny part)
I had no PLAN!
Yup, I was just working on it when I had time (which is like, never), or when I felt like it (which is sometimes, but not very often) or when I remembered (oh yeah, I have that book I am working on).
Progress has been, well, slow.
And that slowness left me feeling frustrated, annoyed (with myself), and ready to throw in the towel.
Sound familiar?
We all do this. We have ideas and things we want to do, but nothing happens with them. Why? Because we don’t have a plan. That’s what I realized a couple of weeks ago with this project.
So, what did I do? I sat down and created a plan – a good plan – using all the stuff that’s in the book!
And now it is happening. And I love working on it. It’s not a source of stress and frustration. It is a fulfillment of a vision that I have. To empower each and every one of you to live your dreams. For ME to be living my dreams.
I’ve made more progress on the book in the past few weeks (even with taking a week off for spring break) than I have in the past few months.
The book is almost ready. And I’m so excited about it!
It will be available for you to purchase so you can get started on making your own magical dreams come true on April 18th. (more about that in a week or so)
Will planning really save your life?
It just might. If you are really, no kidding taking action on your dreams, connected to your purpose, shining your amazing brilliance on all those around you, then, yeah, your life is saved in many ways.
You will be thriving and that’s definitely worth something.
Leave a CommentTime For Some Spring Cleaning?
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Oh how I love Spring!
There is just something so yummy about the warmth in the air, the little buds on the trees, ants crawling around outside and sparkles of green poking up from the ground.
I think this time of year is a good time to take a moment to reflect and check in with yourself.
It is a time of renewal, of birth, of newness.
What are you giving birth to? Or what do you want to bring newly into the world? What are some of those ideas and dreams that (with a little love), might blossom and bloom into something magical?
Do you have a dream or an idea that has been sitting on the back burner gathering dust?
Now is the time to bring it out, clean it off and get started on making it a reality!
I think we can give a new meaning to spring cleaning. In addition to digging in to bring some new sparkle to our homes, we can also dust off our dreams, clean them up, and give them new life.
Plant some seeds.
Share your dreams! Schedule a tea date with a friend to share with each other what you are dreaming about right now. Leave a comment with what you are dreaming about down below or over on the VM facebook page. Or let the world know what your vision is on your own blog. However you do it, share your dreams. Dust them off, clean them up.
Put your amazing ideas out there and see how they grow!
Leave a CommentPersonal Power
This is the first of a new video series that I’m starting. Twice a month (maybe more) I’ll be doing a short (less than 10 minutes) video talking about some of the aspects of living your dreams.
What are the components of powerful living? And what are some of the things that might get in the way?
To kick things off, I decided to talk about Personal Power. Because without it, there will be very little dream come true type of living, which is what we all ultimately want for our lives, right?
I hope you enjoy it!!
So, what do think? How do you access your personal power or where do you struggle with this?
Leave a CommentMy Magic Wand
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I wish that I could wave a magic wand that would once and for all have you get just how amazing you are.
We all (me too!) deal with not feeling good enough, or creative enough, or whatever enough. And I get it. I really do, like all the way from the trenches I get it.
However, there is this thing about all that talk about “should I?” “shouldn’t I?” “will it turn out?” “who am I to do this?” etc,… it is robbing you of your full self discovery and passion and loving your life with the kind of gusto that just can’t be stopped, no matter how doubtful you are about your abilities.
You see, I think you are amazing. Yes, YOU! And I have a message for you that I really, really want you to hear. So, please pay attention… listen up. This is important.
YOU are a gift.
Your ideas, your vision, your dreams. They are a gift. What you have to contribute to us, to your family, to the people and the world around you is a unique, amazing, precious gift.
And no one – NO ONE – is going to share this gift except you. Because it is yours to give. It’s yours to share. It’s yours to express and put out there and nurture and release.
Every time you entertain all those yucky conversations about how you aren’t good enough – or the worry – or the uncertainty – you rob us.
You rob yourself.
From that amazing feeling of giving. Of sharing. Of celebrating the very essence of who you are.
So I wish I had a magic wand that could lift away all that internal nay saying garbage and free you up to shine. Brightly and boldly.
And, maybe I do have a magic wand?
It is this space. This moment that I am holding for you, listening, waiting, welcoming.
Be still for a moment and listen.
Can you hear it? That delicious creative force blowing in your ear, nuzzling your neck, beckoning you to dance?
All you have to do is say yes, except her invitation and share who you are with the world, your gift, your vision, whatever it is that inspires you.
Right now, in this moment, I am celebrating the magnificence of YOU!
Leave a CommentHow It Feels To Dream
Real dreams will make you feel at home.
Inspired.
Fired Up.
Alive.
When you are really engaged, there is nothing else you want to do.
Except to work on the dream.
The thinking, the planning, the plotting.
It will take you over.
And fuel everything else.
A juicy dream will seep into all areas of your life.
Making everything feel juicy.
The dishes are not even a pain when you are in the zone.
You can feel the blood moving through your veins.
Aliveness is not a question.
It is who you are.
You wake up in the middle of the night with ideas galore.
And then you don’t feel tired in the morning.
Because the dream is invigorating.
There is no time to be tired.
Or to feel sorry for yourself.
There is just the need, the desire – the uncontrollable urge.
To get in action.
To create.
To make it happen.
Life becomes a celebration.
You are awake – connected – vibrant.
And all is right in the world.
And when something happens that threatens the dream, you fight.
You rise to the challenge.
And you don’t stop.
Oh, you may shed a few tears, the frustration unbearable.
But then your heart opens wide and you can feel the dream again.
Healing you.
Uplifting you.
Calling you to come play.
And the joy fills you up again.
Once again, you feel at home, like yourself. Alive.
And, there is no stopping you.
So, my question to you is this:
Is this how it is for you? Are you engaged in your life this way, dreaming and engaged and full of life? If not, why not? The floor is open. How can I help?
Leave a CommentSome Thoughts About Permission
Because it *may* be that you are not giving it to yourself.
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If you have a dream, anything you think about and wish for and wonder “what if?” But, you aren’t really doing anything to make that dream a reality – a huge, super duper important ingredient that you may have forgotten is permission.
Last night I was chatting with a close friend, who moved away and we don’t chat as often as we should. Her big news was that she is going to India later this year. By herself . Without her 2 young children or her husband. For SIX weeks!
What?!!!!
That was all I could think when she told me about it. How can you go for so long? What about the kids? Who will take care of them? How are you going to manage that?
The idea seemed totally crazy to me. Exciting and wonderful, but crazy.
The nuts and bolts, in case you are wondering, is that her husband is taking some time off work and the rest of the time they will be with a nanny. He is even going to take them to Mexico for a few weeks to visit family while she is gone. Pretty awesome papa, huh?
Well, after oooohing and aaaaahing over the details of her trip, I got to thinking….
This has been a long time dream of hers, and something she wished she could do, but for all the normal reasons that most of us would have, thought of it as something that would happen some day – later – maybe, hopefully. But not right now.
The dream was always there and she would bring it up from time to time.
Then one day her husband said, “You should go.” And he was serious. (oh we should all be so lucky to have someone get us like that and know what we need.)
Anyway, his giving her permission opened up the possibility of her giving herself permission to go. And now, not later.
So the planning and plotting and googling and ticket buying began.
For those of you who are married, I am not saying – at all – that your partner has to give you permission first. That is just how it happened with my friend. His doing so made some space for her to give permission to herself.
Which, is what needs to happen if you are going to make your dream real.
You have to say yes to it. You have to say now to it.
Then, from there you can work out the how. The details. The plans.
But, without that permission, nothing much can happen.
For my friend, even with her husband’s support and encouragement, she easily could have said, “Yeah right?! I can’t do that now, it’s crazy.” And the dream would have stayed a good daydream to visit every so often.
Instead, she said yes! Her tickets are purchased, her little cabin is reserved and she is going.
She gave herself permission and the details have worked themselves out.
Now, I know that it may not always be this easy. The spouse may say no way in heck are you leaving us here for 6 weeks. Or maybe you don’t have the money or the time, or whatever.
My answer to that is give yourself permission anyway!
Say yes and go for it. To whatever juicy dream you have brewing in your mind. That doesn’t mean you say to your family, see ya – deal with it. Getting them on board may take time. Saving up enough money may take awhile. Carving out the room in your busy schedule will take some practice and getting used to. But, all of that. ALL.OF.IT. will work itself out if you are a yes and you really, really want to make your dream happen.
So, give yourself permission to have what you want, to do what you want and to go for it!
And, if you are waiting for someone else to say, go ahead, you can do it. Well, here I am.
