That time when I was offered a multi-million dollar publishing contract.

By Andrea Schroeder / June 5, 2014

This story happened a year and a half ago and I’ve wanted to share it because it was a part of my creative journey so it feels weird to leave this big piece out. And also to share the good news that there are some really cool opportunities out there.

I’ve realised that the reason why I haven’t felt comfortable sharing it yet is because whenever I talk to people about it, I feel like we’re not seeing the story through the same glasses. Which is true of everything – our perception colours what we see all the time.

In this case, because we’re talking BIG money, it feels like the difference in perception becomes magnified by people’s beliefs around money and success.

Plus, it seems like there is a bias in our culture towards fame, and the sense that fame is something that everyone naturally wishes for and that success and fame go hand and hand. People want to believe that as long as you do your best, you are guaranteed to have fantastic opportunities come your way.? And that fame will always come to gifted people.

In my perspective, that is SO not true. It’s possible to work hard, be ridiculously gifted and never become famous. In fact, as a highly sensitive introvert my personal preference is for me to never be “bestowed” with fame.

So when people tell me “Oh I just know you’ll be famous one day!” it’s a bit hard for me to hear since even though they mean it is as compliment, that is not something I actually want.? Also it feels like it somehow diminishes what I have now, as though earning the money I need to live the life I want while doing the things I love isn’t enough.? I am a little prickly about that.

Combine all of that with how uncomfortable I get sometimes with attention and you can see why I hesitated to share this. But it feels like time now, so here goes:

I was offered the publishing contract out of the blue.

About a year and a half ago, I was approached by someone to create a program for them, similar to the courses I create, something on helping people live happier and more fulfilling lives, but geared towards a very different audience: infomercial watchers.

So, to be clear, this was not a publishing contract to have my books end up in bookstores.? This was for my program to be sold on TV and online, like Proactive, Foreman grills, and the Thighmaster.? That’s why there was so much more money involved.

This person has worked with some of the biggest names in the personal growth industry, and has made billions (yes with a B) doing it.

They were planning a new campaign and wanted someone to create a homestudy program for them to sell as a part of it, so they googled it! They found me, looked over my videos and blog posts, saw the results my students are getting and thought I would be a good candidate.

We had a phone meeting where they told me about their project and found out more about my training and what I would be able to contribute to their project.? They talked about their past projects and about why working in the personal growth industry was so important to them.? They sent me their official cv so I could do some research on them.

They asked me to submit an outline of the program I would create for them, which I did – immediately.? They liked my ideas and offered me the spot. This happened very quickly, over a week or so.

I was thrilled and overwhelmed and apprehensive all at once.

This is the classic artists’ dream come true: someone coming in and offering to do ALL of the business stuff and leave you to handle the creative end. So it was pretty amazing to have this offered to me and I certainly did feel like I was walking on air.? I mean: I was offered a multi-million dollar publishing contract!

And while they were talking big big money, it didn’t feel all “pie in the sky”.

This was someone with the experience, contacts and resources to do these kinds of projects. While they could not guarantee how successful this particular campaign would be, they had done something similar that had brought in 55 million and was planning for this one to do better and to keep making money over time.

Also, it was clear that I was getting a small percentage of the profits, but I wasn’t being asked to contribute financially to the project in any way. I was contributing by creating the program which, frankly, is an easy thing for me to do.

It was also clear that this was not going to be MY project. My name would be on my work as the creator of the program and they wanted this to be a boost for my career, and I had creative control over how I created the program but I had no say in the direction of the larger project (like the infomercials and marketing campaign and who else would be involved in it).

So I wasn’t fooling myself about what this was, I was going to play a small role in a large project. And if it went well I was going to make a lot of money.

It was not a big risk and it was an exciting opportunity, so I went ahead and agreed to create the program.

They were super supportive & encouraging.

I got to work, created the program and started testing it with some of my clients.

Meanwhile, they were working on the campaign and I got to see the inner workings of a multi million dollar marketing campaign. Definitely a far cry from how I promote my classes!

More people were being brought in. As different elements of the campaign started to come together, they let me know what kind of image I would have to portray to fit with their campaign. I was (somewhat?) flexible.

I know that we all have different aspects to our personalities, so highlighting some while minimizing others isn’t lying or anything. I’ve had jobs in the past where I had to wear suits and look professional, this didn’t seem all that different.

I got a headshot taken while wearing a plain dark suit with a white shirt.? Even though, after blissfully getting rid of all of my “office clothes” when I left my last job, this was a little painful.

But – would you put on a suit for a 20 minute photo shoot for the chance to make millions from your creative work that you really believe in?

It’s not like they ever asked me to tone down my ideas, the program I was creating was deeply helpful and 100% me. It’s that the image of the work was more polished and professional and being presented to the mass market.

But I started to feel protective about the Creative Dream Incubator.

This business is my heart, my creativity and my purpose. I love what I’m doing and I love who I’m doing it with and I don’t want this to change.

The most amazingly brave & gifted people have been consistently drawn to my work, I don’t want that to change.? I don’t want to flood the Circle with people who were all hyped-up from this ridiculously inspiring info-mercial.

And this person said “Well yes, that’s just it. In your business, you wait for them to come to you. You’re leaving it in their hands, which will never guarantee big success. I’m going into their livingrooms, finding them where they are and showing them why and how to change their lives. It’s about US going to THEM.? It’s about making a much bigger impact.”

Yes, but I only want to work with people who are brave enough to step forward on their own.? It’s a seriously different vibe.

We were just never going to agree on that, and I didn’t feel like we needed to agree.

I was (and am) very happy to create something helpful and amazing and transformative that is geared towards the mass market. In fact I love the program I created for this, and how it can really help people.

I just didn’t want to start spending all of my time working with those people. I’m too happy doing that I’m doing.

Meanwhile, my new business partner was a very generous person and wanted to help my business grow into what they considered a success. They saw their project feeding my business, and were making sure that my business could handle the influx without it being crushed.? But I didn’t want that.? I wanted to do both (keep my business was it was AND do this new project) but keep them separate. I am really happy about how quickly I learned that.

The project moved forward quickly.

This person was really happy with what I was creating, and the project was very close to their heart. After a long and successful career in the personal growth field, they felt that this one subject that we were working with is key to helping people live happier and more fulfilling lives, so they wanted to get this out there.

It always felt like that purpose of helping people who struggle was their main priority, even though they were also committed to having this project generate massive profits.

Sometimes people (me?) look at the infomercial industry and it looks like it’s all about making as much money as possible.? That was not the case, there was deeper purpose and a desire to help.

I guess I want to stress that this person is a great person, I appreciate that they offered me this opportunity and I enjoyed working with them.

They kept expanding the scope of the project and bringing more people in. I got to meet so many people and learn so much about how a really big product launch is done.

We had a conversation about me touring North America doing big seminars.

Then the project fell through.

And I’m surprised by how easy it was for me to let it go.

I haven’t made any effort to stay in touch.

I was definitely feeling conflicted. Giving up that much money seems so ridiculous. Anyone who thinks it’s easy to stay true to yourself when people are offering you millions to be who they want you to be is deluding themselves.

But it just didn’t fit with what I’ve already built, and the further we went the less I was sure I could keep my Creative Dream Incubator totally separate.

(I want to stress again, that this person’s project is not BAD or anything! It’s about helping people live happier and more fulfilling lives, which is in alignment with my work. It’s just a different approach and I feel strongly that I am here on this planet to do the work of helping people live happier and more fulfilling lives in EXACTLY the way I’m doing it right now)

And the story ends there.

Earlier this year I was thinking about this and feeling grateful for the opportunity and grateful to see inside the process of how those things work and grateful to be 100% my own boss. Grateful for my tiny kingdom and grateful to do things MY way.

So, instead of millions of dollars, what this left me with was more gratitude and appreciation for being exactly where I am. And more love for what I’ve created here.

I’m really proud of how I did explore this and stay open to the possibility of it while remaining fully grounded in my inner sense of integrity.

While following your inner compass means you can’t just jump onto every opportunity that comes your way, I don’t think being all “Oh I’ll never sell out, I’ll never consider this kind of thing” is a good idea either. You never know when a collaboration will work really well.

It’s so super cool to know that this kind of thing happens!? And it was exciting to be a part of this! Creating the program was fun and it felt amazing to be offered that kind of opportunity.

Pus, for months I was creating this thing, and experiencing how it feels to be offered a multi-million dollar publishing contract.? That feels amazing and I’m so glad this happened.

That time when I was offered a multi-million dollar publishing contract. Read More »

You do not have to know what your dream is.

By Andrea Schroeder / June 4, 2014

You do not have to know what your dream is.

I was so delighted to read this, which someone posted last week in their Dream Journal in the Creative Dream Circle:

"I haven't had dreams for most of my life.

I have made damn sure my kids have nurtured their dreams. But I thought it was too late for me at 40.

Going through the Creative Dream Incubator now, and through every nook and cranny of the Un-Sticking Station almost every day since joining the Circle, I am learning that yes, it is time for me to have dreams of my own. 🙂

My dream right now is to figure out what my dream is.

And now I know, with the help of the resources in this Circle, that THAT is a valid and ok dream for me at this moment!!!!!!!!!

I feel so good and so "unstuck" right now."

You do not have to know what your dream is!

I would really like to hire a skywriter to write in all the skies, everywhere.

Finding your dream is a GORGEOUS dream on its own.

FINDING YOUR DREAM is work that will grow and nourish you.

Doing the work of finding your dream activates and energizes inner qualities that you're going to need once you know what your dream is, like trust and courage and inner strength.

Finding your dream is a part of the process. You do not have to know what your dream is before you can start!

Besides - working on your dream isn't really about your dream.

It's about healing and heart and soul growing into who you really are.

It's about feeling happier and more powerful and more peaceful RIGHT NOW.

And you deserve to have this now.

It's never too late. It's never too soon. You are ready right now.

You do not have to know what your dream is. Read More »

Creative Dream TV: Cranky “I don’t wanna” Creative Journaling

By Andrea Schroeder / June 3, 2014 / Vintage Creative Dream TV

Yesterday I discovered I really didn’t like the video I recorded last week for Creative Dream TV.? And I felt too cranky to make a new one.? But the thought of not posting anything made me more cranky.

As I was working through my feelings in my journal, I decided to share the process with you, so here it is:

A few announcements:

LOVE your LIFE Creative Journal Class is starting next week!? Come play!? You are seriously going to love this one.

There is ONE spot left in my small group coaching for teachers/healers/coaches/helper-people who want to help more people.? Get it here.

Creative Dream TV: Cranky “I don’t wanna” Creative Journaling Read More »

Feeling conflicted about your dream?

By Andrea Schroeder / June 2, 2014

Last week I did a really lovely live video playdate as a part of 21 Secrets Live art journal class. It was a really lovely group, and I was sharing how I use my journal to work with my dreams, which led to a really lovely discussion of the obstacles to dreaming.

A lot of people attending were feeling conflicted about their dream. Like: I want this, but I also want that. And this and that are not compatible!

Feeling conflicted leaves people feel frustrated and powerless and never knowing what to be giving their energy and attention to.

The most universal example of this is women feeling like they need to choose between motherhood and career. Or choosing to have both and then always feeling like they’ve got too many things to juggle.

But feeling conflicted about what you REALLY want is super common and comes into play in a myriad of big and small ways every day.

I want to have nachos for lunch but I like how I feel energized and nourished when I eat the kale salad.
I long for a clean, minimalist space to work in my but art is just inherently messy, there are tools and supplies everywhere.
I want to live in a tiny cabin in the woods but I’d miss my friends and fun city social life.
I want to travel but I also want to create my dream home and can only afford to do one.

We are complex multi-dimensional beings. We have a lot of wants, needs and desires. It makes sense that they’re not always going to jive perfectly together.

Or does it?

It’s important to remember that all dreams come from the same place: your soul.

ALL dreams move you towards purpose, authenticity, joy, wholeness by bringing you into richer alignment with your soul.

And all of your dreams are connected to each other through that soul connection.

Since they’re all connected they CAN and DO jive perfectly together. On a soul level, your desires are singing this gorgeous symphony together – the symphony of your unique self.

But sometimes you need to expand your perspective in order to see and experience that.

No one EVER likes when I talk about this next part. But bear with me…

The teachings behind the popular Law of Attraction include many other spiritual laws. Laws which are nowhere near as fun as imagining that the universe is a giant vending machine, so they don’t get as much air time.

One of them is the Law of Sacrifice. See? Not fun at all.

You can do/be/have anything but you can’t do/be/have everything.

People hate this and so they go back to… well they go back to juggling, frustration and powerlessness.

Most people don’t spend enough time exploring sacrifice to find the magic in it. There is this immediate “oh hell no I’m not sacrificing anything” and an unwillingness to really look at this any deeper.? But sacrifice will actually get you somewhere, whereas juggling will not.

Underneath this pattern of feeling conflicted is a lack of clarity.

Sacrifice demands CLARITY. You can’t sacrifice something unless you are super clear on what is going on: why you are sacrificing what and how and for how long and what result you expect this to bring you.

This is true clarity about what you are bringing to life, in your life.

A lack of clarity is a sign that you’ve got some fears/doubts/inner-critics/limiting-beliefs/old patterns-which-no-longer-serves-you that are in need of your attention.

Clarity terrifies us because it demands that we deal with the exact thing we’re afraid to face. That’s why people would rather just stay in that place of “my dreams are conflicted, I’ll just stand here and juggle with them”.

But not you, you are committed to your dreams so you’re going to follow the Law of Sacrifice.

Which does not mean that a sacrifice is ALWAYS needed. The really cool thing is that being willing to look at your shit, and I mean REALLY look at your shit, often opens up new possibilities for how it can all jive together.

At the very least, it gets you in tune with the soul symphony of dreams you’ve got going on so you can see and appreciate how it all fits together and how that does not mean you necessarily get to have it all, right now. Because time and space are a bitch! But we have to work with them. It’s part of the deliciousness of being alive.

But there is always a way to get what you REALLY want.

Underneath the physical aspect of your dream is its essence: the heart and soul of your dream. You can always integrate the heart and soul of your dream into whatever is happening in your physical reality.

This is when your perception shifts and either new doors of possibility open up for you or you see a way that your conflicting dreams can nest together perfectly, with a few small shifts.

All the conflicts are happening on the surface level. You need to be working with your dream soul to soul. (here‘s a video on that)

So if you’re feeling conflicted, know that this doesn’t mean you have to keep juggling and being frustrated about feeling conflicted. It just means that working out your inner conflict is your next step on your path.

HINT: Often what needs to be sacrificed is an old way of thinking/being/seeing.

I teach this in detail in the Un-Sticking Station in the Creative Dream Circle. Using the superpowers of CREATIVITY and LOVE you can work out the conflict and get back to smooth sailing with your dreams.

Because often what you think you want often isn’t what you actually want.

Other people’s expectations and society’s unspoken rules can dance around in your head and make you think you want this when really you want that.

Plus, your own limiting beliefs will distort how well you can see your dream.

This can happen in a million different ways.? For example, if you have an un-healed inner child who is crying out for external approval, that part of you is going to twist your dream into something that will turn you into someone who gets loads of external approval.? Meanwhile, no matter how well you do with you YOU are not going to feel satisfied because your dream is all twisted up.

And having this inner conflict is OK!

Working through your conflict is the path to your dream, it clears space for you to know, unequivocally, what you want and how you want it.

Feeling conflicted about your dream? Read More »

Update 27: Zoom and Bounce! My dream is ready to party.

By Andrea Schroeder / May 30, 2014

I set a big goal for my business for 2014: to welcome 800 dreamers into my Creative Dream Circle. And to do this not by getting super pushy about selling – but to do this with heart and soul and creativity and joy and LOVE.(you can read my original post about this here)

At this point though, I’m not interested in the numbers. I’ve been more interested in exploring how to grow my capacity serve dreamers in bringing their dreams to life. And now I want to explore more about how I want this all to work for me, and how I want to feel inside it.

In support of this goal, I am writing weekly updates on Fridays, for all of 2014. This is where I’ll share the story of all the ups and downs of bringing a big dream to life.

***************************************************

This week has been amazing.? It feels like summer is in full bloom, I’ve been having so much fun riding my bike and spending lots of time outside.? I was also ridiculously productive!? Yay week!

What happened in the last week?

Last week I shared:

I?d like to have a stream of MIRACULOUS PRODUCTIVITY happen so I can get my stuff done quick and make some time to explore a new idea that came to me this week, about doing some small group coaching program, working only with teachers/coaches/healers/helper-peoples to strengthen their superpowers and help them help more people.

And it happened! I put it out there!

I’m so thrilled with the response to this.? I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to go ahead with it, given how complicated it seems to get a group of international people together at the same time but I’ve (already!) got a fantastic small group of people coming together.? Plus we may be able to create a second group at a different time – most likely in the evening.

(So if you want to play but the times I listed don’t work – do get in touch with me!)

And this is more related to my goal with the Circle than I realised.

The more I get to know the essence (heart and soul) of the Circle and how it’s here to support people the more I learn about how the Circle wants to grow.? This is something it wants – having a small group doing more of a deep dive with weekly coaching benefits the whole – this creates a more solid foundation for the magic.

It’s like putting down deeper roots so the branches can sprout out taller.

Plus I’m getting the Love your Life Creative Journal Class ready.? I’m filling the playbook with mandalas to colour and juicy journaling prompts and healing energy processes.? I’m having so much fun with this!? (It starts June 12 in the Circle)

And I re-wrote the page for the Creative Dream Circle.? (I shared the process of writing the sales page here.)

I’m really thrilled with it.? It can be so awkward to know what I want to say to introduce people to the Circle, this version of the page feels the way I want it to feel, which I love.

Also: the weekly updates inside the Circle.

I am so in love with this!? Now that we’ve been doing this for a few weeks and people are starting to settle into the routine of it, the conversations and insights that are coming out of this are amazing.? It makes my heart so happy to see how the Circle members support and encourage each other.

Also, Circle members keep telling me how helpful it is to get these reminders to check in with their dream every week.? I am so glad that I started doing this.

And I often go back in to update my update which I find super helpful and super grounding as the process of learning more about what my dreams need is so non-linear it can be easy to get lost in it, or feel like I’m making less progress than I am.

How do I feel about this?

Really amazing.? My dream feels sturdy and strong.? All the work I’ve been doing recently on expanding capacity is really paying off.? Everything feels so much sturdier and capable of supporting more action.

A few weeks back I shared how my dream was a stream and there was this boulder which then turned into a smaller stone that I’ve been exploring for the past few weeks.? I learned some really cool things in exploring it (I’ve been sharing that mostly in the weekly updates that I post inside the circle, where I do go into more detail on the things I don’t want to share publicly) and then when I finished re-writing the sales page, the stone was gone.? Now the stream sparkles and flows.

What do I need now?

Self-care to stay strong to keep the flow flowing.

Daily bike rides.? Time in nature.? Quiet time for journaling.? Getting lots of sleep.? Being really present in the process of growing into who I am becoming as I grow my dream.? TRUSTING MYSELF TO HAVE THIS.

Space to settle into my newly stretched capacity inside my newly defined boundaries, of being able to hold space for more dreams to come to life.

What does my dream need now?

Right now, my dream is a bouncy ball!? It sparkles with delight.? It wants to ZOOM and BOUNCE.

Watching this sparkle ball ZOOM and BOUNCE in my imagination makes me very happy.? I have so much love for this dream.

I’ll keep exploring what this means, but what it feels like is that ZOOMING and BOUNCING are about being seen in new ways.? Moving into new spaces.? Attracting more attention.? It feels like promotion.? Not promoting the Circle, just promoting the Creative Dream Incubator website and letting people find their way to the magic.

What comes to mind is maybe advertising and some more work with SEO.? I have this one post that get 2,500 NEW people every month coming to it from Google. I’d like to have a few more posts like that.

Taking all this into account, my next mission is:

Keep preparing for the Love your Life Creative Journal Class.? Creating the most amazing classes for the Circle feeds the Circle.

Get the new small group coaching for teachers/healers/coaches/helper-people ready to go.

Explore the bouncing sparkle ball and find out how I can help it ZOOM and BOUNCE.

Update 27: Zoom and Bounce! My dream is ready to party. Read More »

I want to help teachers/healers/coaches/helpy-people help more people

By Andrea Schroeder / May 29, 2014 / creative entrepreneur, healing, Manifest Your Dream Life

One week ago today, I woke up with this beautiful idea: a small group mentoring program focused on helping teachers/healers/coaches/helper-people help more people.

Combining the benefits and attention of one-on-one coaching with the magic and synchronicity of a small group experience, the group is designed to support you wherever you are in the process of helping people.

Our goal: to enable your greatness, support your vision for what you want to bring to the world and and help you evolve into the best teacher/healer/coach/helper-person you can be. ?

This is for people who want to help other people: either help MORE people and/or get better at helping people.

Helping people is the BEST THING EVER, but it’s not an easy job!

Those of us who are called to this kind of work have unique issues to face.

You don’t want to tell people what to do: you want to empower them to create their unique path. Which is infinitely trickier to do than just handing them a set of instructions.

You don’t want to offer bullshit platitudes: you want to offer real, effective and grounded support. “Turn that frown upside down” doesn’t really cut it.

You don’t want to get depleted in the process. You know you need to nurture yourself and fill your own well in order to be able to serve from your deepest capacity. Knowing this doesn’t mean it’s easy to DO this.

Because people who feel called to help are innately un-selfish, sometimes we are TOO un-selfish and don’t set things up so our needs get met.? You may feel guilty about “charging too much” even though you know that your helping business needs to be profitable in order for you to be able to help more people.

What I’m seeing for this group: Support, Healing & Magic for the Way-Showers.

That’s a drawing I did in my journal last summer.? At the time when I drew it, it felt important but I didn’t know why.? This morning I flipped through that old journal to find it and when I saw it, I remembered the magic I felt in it.

I have so much love for the way-showers!

I mean, I am one of them, obviously.? But if not for other way-showers showing me the way I wouldn’t have found my way here.? And I just LOVE working with other way-showers/helper-people because we share the same mission: a heartfelt desire to help.

I would love to be offering these groups as a regular thing but have some experimenting to do to see how it fits in with the work I’m already doing.

Since this is my first time offering this, I am offering a Special Price For Brave Adventurers.? If you feel called to participate, you’ll help me shape this in return for receiving coaching + support at a special price.

This is not a program where I lead you through a bunch of steps and we work on the same things. This is custom-designed-for-you: you bring what you want to work with, and we’ll work with it together. You’ll have my guidance and support, but we’ll draw on YOUR unique skills, talents and approaches to create your path.

I’m seeing this group as a place where you can get support to:

strengthen your helping skills
step up your work to start helping MORE people
figure out what your next steps are in your growth as a helper-person
do your work with less depletion and more ease
find new ways of helping

But if there is something else you’d like to work with, send me an email and we’ll discuss if it will be a good fit for this group.? (Or if you’d rather work with me one-on-one, you can book a private session with me right here)

This is going to be amazing.

When I woke up with this idea, it felt so beautiful and healing and nurturing and needed.

I love that so many of us are feeling called to help others.? I know that helping others create happier & more fulfilling lives makes me feel so much happier and more fulfilled – it’s a self-fueling loop of delight. I want to invite more people into the loop!

And I want to encourage everyone who feels called to do this kind of work to get the support they need to help others effectively and joyfully and sustainably.

What you’ll get:

Four group calls: one call a week for four weeks.? The group is limited to 6 people, each person will get 15 minutes of coaching time on each call. Plus you get extra bonus insights from listening in on each other’s process.

Each week you’ll get a customized assignment/mission/challenge based on what’s going on for you and what you want to be working with.

We’ll have our own private forum inside the Creative Dream Circle for accountability and support. (The group will stay open for 1 week past our last call, then disappear – but you’ll still be connected to everyone through the Creative Dream Circle for the rest of the year)

You’ll get a playbook to help you get clear on where you are, where you want to be and what you want to work/play on during our time together.

The calls:

The calls are planned for Tuesdays at 2pm, Central, North America – June 17, 24, July 1, 8.

But if you want to participate and that time does not work for you, email me with some times that do work for you.? If I can get a group of 6 people together at one time – we’ll do it at that time!

The monies:

Membership in the Creative Dream Circle is the prerequisite for joining this group.

The?Special Price For Brave Adventurers for the first run of this group is $200.

So if you’re already a Circle member you can do this for $200, if you’re not a member yet the total cost is $300.

The Special Price For Brave Adventurers is a very special price!? A regular 45 minute session with me costs $175 for Circle members, $225 for non-members and does not include being a part of a gorgeous support group for 5 weeks.

There is only room for 6 people, it will be on a first-come, first-served basis.? The way to reserve your spot is to pay in full.? My regular coaching policies apply.? If you have to miss a call you’ll still get the recording, but you don’t get a make-up call.

Edited to add: Wheee! This group is full.

I want to help teachers/healers/coaches/helpy-people help more people Read More »

A peek inside my process: How I write sales pages

By Andrea Schroeder / May 28, 2014 / creative entrepreneur, journaling

Writing sales pages is hardly anyone’s favourite thing to do, me included. In fact, at one point I had most of my pages written by very good copywriter, who understood me and understood how to describe my offerings clearly. At that time it made me so happy to stop spending time on this.

But right now I am (mostly) happily re-writing the page for the Creative Dream Circle myself.

As I journal my way through the process I thought I’d share it here.

Since this is hard for many of us, it makes sense to me that we could all gain from seeing more of each other’s process.

If you don’t know – a sales page is a page on your website where you sell something. Ideally the page describes what the thing is, what the potential buyer can expect to get out of it, pricing details and a buy button.

For a lot of online business, the sales page is the make-it-or-break-it point for their business. The aim is to create a sales page that generates as many sales as possible. They use a lot of slimy tactics to make this happen.

I operate my business quite differently. Hardly anyone reads my sales pages for the first time and buys my stuff. Usually they get to know me, play with my many free offerings, and by the time they choose to read about my courses and coaching, they already know and trust me and are interested in working with me.

So I don’t feel like there is a lot of pressure on my sales pages and I don’t want anyone to feel pressured on them! I just want them to clearly describe what I’m offering and what you can expect to get out of it.

But that is more complicated than it seems! It can be hard to describe your thing in a way that is clear for your people because you’re on different sides of it. You know it from the inside out and they can only look from the outside in. You see the benefits of the thing are so super obvious, but on the other side, your people can’t quite see them at all.

Plus, if you are like me, you are always growing and evolving, and so the way you want to communicate all of this grows and evolves. This is why I update my pages regularly, so they are congruent with where I’m at.

The Starting Point: What do I want to do?

I want to re-write the Creative Dream Circle page in a heartfelt and clear and inviting way. I want people to feel uplifted while they read it. I want them to get a taste of what it’s like to be expertly supported and guided with your dreams and how that creates new possibilities.

I also want to encourage them to consciously interact with the fears/doubts/inner critics that get triggered while considering making this group a part of their lives, instead of allowing their fears/doubts/inner critics to derail the process with their bullshit… “this won’t work for you” ” you already know all of this” “you don’t have time for this” “you can’t spend money on your dream!” “sounds complicated, you’re not going to be able to figure it all out” “you won’t fit in, this kind of thing is for other people”

Plus I want this page to be a healing and a light, both for people who take the step into the Circle and for those who don’t.

How do I want to do this?

It seems to me we have to get on the same page about what we’re talking about really quickly so that should be at the top of the page.

The Creative Dream Circle is an online playground/creative superhero training center where creative people learn to bring their dreams to life.

Sigh. A lot of people are not going to know what that means PLUS it’s not descriptive enough.

I don’t just help you bring their dreams to life, I help you to do it with ease and joy, powered by authenticity and spirit and creative genius and inner wisdom, so that the dream appears in a miraculously perfect-for-you way even though it may look nothing like what you thought you wanted when you started.

This is because at the core this work is about soul healing, radical transformation and growing into who you really are which is a difficult thing to describe.

When I talk about living more deliciously and blissfully in tune with your own creative soul a lot of people have no concept of what that means. So I talk about it in terms of becoming the you who lives your dream. But this is not how the Circle members talk about it. They say it helps them do things like:

Feel more at peace with themselves and their lives (relief!)
Believe in themselves more (magic!)
Understand how to actually STOP letting fear stop them (momentum!)
Start making more time for the things that they love to do (joy!)
Understand how to start making small changes that bring them closer to their dreams (steady progress!)
Be inspired to go after bigger dreams (trust!)
Find new and/or unexpected sources of support for their dreams (right-fit support!)
See that the path to their dream is right in front of them and understand how to start walking along it (clarity!)
Understand more clearly where they hold themselves back, and what to do about it (freedom!)

So, using more of the language that circle members use would be helpful! This lets potential members know exactly what current members are experiencing.

I already have member’s testimonials on the page, of course. But I also have a lot of my own language. What if I use more of the Circle member’s language throughout the page? I like that idea.

OK, so I’m still on the first line.

The Creative Dream Circle is an online playground/creative superhero training center where creative people learn to bring their dreams to life.

So now I know that I want to write this in the kind of language that members would use, that speaks CLEARLY to potential new members. I also want to say something about how we work from the intersection of creativity, spirituality and human potential. I would like to highlight the fact that what I teach is unique, creatively engaging and remarkably effective.

Also: there is just so much love in the Circle. It’s amazing to be so fully supported and encouraged in your dreams.

So how do I want to say this?

It feels like I have journaled a million pages and am still on writing the first line of the page! I’m going to go make a lavender black tea latte and come back to this…

Well of course I didn’t just make the latte and come back. I wandered upstairs and lay down on my bed to enjoy the rain (I’ve got floor-to-ceiling wall-to-wall windows on both floors of the dream loft, perfect rain-watching conditions) then I took a shower, then I made my latte and gathered some supplies: my current favourite candle and an amazonite crystal ball which helps me write.

Obviously, I am in resistance.

ALL creatives experience resistance – how you handle it does determine the volume and quality of the creative work you produce. Of course, I’m going to handle it using the exact tools I teach in the Creative Dream Circle. The Circle includes an Un-Sticking Station which un-sticks any stuck, like resistance, procrastination, fear, doubt, uncertainty, etc.

Bringing my resistance to writing this sales page into the Un-Sticking Station, I discover:

I’m worried I’ll never get this right
What I have is working, what if I change it and it stops working?
What if my work just isn’t that special and doesn’t deserve a clear and inviting page?
What if I’m just not good enough?

So you can see why most creatives just procrastinate. This isn’t easy stuff to face.

And this is always how it is: a top layer of some questions/frustrations that seem kind of real but you quickly see what is beneath them, our basic and universal fear of not being good enough.

This is the stuff that stops most creative people from ever bringing their dreams to life. This is the stuff I am committed to helping people change. Every time I face it myself I am reminded of the importance of providing people with the tools that make it easier to face it and TRANSFORM it.

That bolsters my enthusiasm for getting this done.

Back in the Un-Sticking Station, bringing in love and creativity it is fast and easy (fast and easy just because I do this work so often) to dissolve limiting patterns and return to the truth: this is my work in the world. I am here to serve in this way. It’s my JOB to support my work in getting out into the world.

Now I feel like my inner world is in alignment with my mission. Ahhhh.

And I remember that I don’t need to find the exact perfect phrase to start this with, I just need to be as clear as I can be. Some advice out there is to just “speak from your heart” but I think that gets you back into problem #1: speaking from your side of the thing, instead of speaking from your people’s side of it, in a way that they can understand.

So speak from your heart, of course, but more importantly use your heart to connect with your audience and speak from where they are so they can hear you.

The Creative Dream Circle is….

What is important to have in this first part so that people get, straight off the bat, what we’re talking about?

it’s an online thing, not in person
it helps you activate your inner superpowers so you can: believe in yourself more, stop letting fear stop you, and make it easier/more fun to make positive changes in your life
it’s for open-hearted creative people
I teach from the intersection of spirituality and creativity and personal development, but encourage everyone to create their own unique ways of working with the tools, so you don’t need to adopt what I believe as your truth
The tools I teach are: journaling (art journaling or creative journaling or written journaling – up to you) and Creative Soul Alchemy (an energy healing technique I have developed using creativity + imagination + intuitive energy healing)

OK, using the term Creative Soul Alchemy is not the best idea because new people have no idea what it is. But since I do offer a free introductory course in it I think I can work that in. Plus I would prefer that people take my free class before singing up for the Circle so they can make sure they like my style. Also: do I really need to include this at the beginning?

Note to self + readers: I’m not going to give each sentence on this page this much attention. It just feels important to me to start right. This is creating that heart connection of meeting the reader where they are.

The Creative Dream Circle is an online training center for open-hearted creative people. Inside the Circle you’ll learn how to activate your inner superpowers so you can: believe in yourself more, stop letting fear (or doubt, or resistance, or inner and outer critics) stop you, and make it easier (and more fun!) to make positive changes in your life.

OK ewww, “make positive changes in your life” feels gross and task-master-y. And that’s not really what I mean, it’s not about external changes, it’s about living more fully in alignment with your heart and soul and creative magic.

The Creative Dream Circle is an online training center/secret playhouse for open-hearted creative people.

It’s full of tools, training + support for activating your inner superpowers so you can: believe in yourself more, stop letting fear (or doubt, or resistance, or inner and outer critics) stop you, and make it easier to live more fully in alignment with your heart and soul and creative magic.

BLISS! It’s about living your bliss. That’s what people really get out of it. For each person the path/specifics are different, but bliss is the direction we’re all headed in.

The Creative Dream Circle is an online training center/secret playhouse for open-hearted creative people.

Joseph Campbell wisely instructed us to “follow your bliss”. If you think that’s great advice but sometimes wish it was easier to actually follow – you’re in the right place.

Inside the Circle, you’ll discover effective, creative and engaging tools that help you believe in yourself more, stop letting fear (or doubt, or resistance, or inner and outer critics) stop you, and make it easier to follow your bliss in a really practical way.

Ahhh that feels more clear.

Sometimes when I talk about dreams I feel like people are only hearing me talking about getting what you want, in the external world.? What it’s really all about for me is the inner magic – the bliss of living in alignment with your heart, your soul and your creativity.

So then I can do on to talk about exactly that, and explain myself more clearly.

The Creative Dream Circle is dream generator. It exists to support you in the process of bringing your dream to life.

Dreams are important because your dreams are how your soul calls you into alignment with yourself. You can feel that, how having your dream isn’t about having some shiny new toy to play with, it’s about growing into who you really are.

Ack! Love! I have never put this together so succinctly and clearly before, I love this. And now we’re flowing:

While your heart and soul understand how important your dreams are, you live in a world that doesn’t understand this and you end up in a tug-of-war between external expectations and your inner callings.

And then stepping onto the Creative Dream Path starts to feel like this terrifying/impossible thing. Because you grew up in a world that doesn’t understand dreams, you wind up with all of these fears/doubts/beliefs that it’s not safe or possible for you to go after your dream. That you somehow just don’t have permission to live the way you want to live.

So painful! To want your dream, to know in your heart that going after your dream is what is right for you but running up against all these obstacles every time you try! No wonder most people just give up on their dreams.

I have failed many, many, many times. But something in me wouldn’t let me give up.

If you’ve just discovered the Creative Dream Incubator and don’t know me yet (hello! I’m so glad you found me!) you can read more about me, the creator + leader of the Creative Dream Circle, right here. I am a creative woman who lives her truth. I get to make my living doing the things that light me up. It’s not easy every day, but I do have freedom and joy and bliss.

It took me years and years and years of struggle to get to this place with my dreams. I am so grateful that I finally mastered the art of how to bring a dream to life in a world that doesn’t understand the beauty, power and important of dreams.

And I am so happy to share what I’ve learned with other dreamers, so that we can start to turn the tide. As more people start to live in alignment with their inner truth, we start to have a tremendous effect on the whole world.

OK, something is starting to feel off. I think I’ve given this all the time I can for today. I’m going to go play and let this marinate.

Next Day:

So today I am SUPER uncomfortable with quoting Joseph Campbell. Not that I don’t love him, and not that his work wasn’t a part of my training as a spiritual teacher, but the point of this page is for people to connect with the Circle. A quote from someone else doesn’t connect you to ME.

Next Day After That:

I want to delete ALL of this and start from scratch again.

I want to go back to my journal with my coloured pens and explore… what do I really want to say?

At that point I drew some mandalas about how much love I have for my students, then went right to the sales page and re-wrote it. Totally different from what I had above – speaking from my heart and, I think, speaking with more clarity.

I’m happy with how this went, you can see the end result right here.? I think it’s pretty awesome.

A peek inside my process: How I write sales pages Read More »

Creative Dream TV: Joy is important! Let’s have more of it!

By Andrea Schroeder / May 27, 2014 / healing, Vintage Creative Dream TV

Joy magnifies and magnetizes. Joy is the gas pedal for your dream machine.

And joy is an INSIDE JOB. That’s what this week’s video is all about.

The post I wrote last week about this is here.

You can read more about the Love Your Life Creative Journal Class right here.

Creative Dream TV: Joy is important! Let’s have more of it! Read More »

Today in my journal: Being in the hard part of the creative process.

By Andrea Schroeder / May 26, 2014 / healing, journaling

The Love your Life Creative Journal Class is in 2 weeks.? As I?ve shared here, my preparation is all about creating containers for the participants to receive what they need to receive.? As I’ve been doing this, I’ve been ridiculously happy.

Well – today I crashed.? I?m feeling lost. The doom and gloom feel bigger than me.

I?m sitting in a coffee shop wishing I hadn?t forgotten my headphones because it feels like I am extra sensitive today and I?m picking up everything from everyone and it sucks.

I feel heavy and like I can?t do the things I need to do.

This tiny, wise part of me is jumping up and down and saying: use the class!? Use the stuff in the Love Your Life Creative Journal Class!? It will make you feel better.

But I don’t want to. I want to mope and act like I don’t have the power to change this.? I want to eat nachos and watch a movie and try again tomorrow.

Wise me is not giving up.

She says:?you can go ahead and do those things if that makes you happy.? but it doesn’t, i can feel it.? being productive makes you happy.? shining your light makes you happy.? dimming your light is depressing.

Well, wise me is wise and I know it’s best to listen to her.? So I open up the Love your Life playbook…

(10 minutes later…)

OK, I did the first part in the playbook where I connect with joy and let joy do an energy healing for me and dissolve the gloom and doom in my energy field.? This shifted my energy enough that I decided to put earplugs in to block the sound around me and create a stronger boundary around my energy field so whatever is going on around me in the coffee shop doesn’t impact me.

Now I feel contained in a bubble of joy.? Ah, much better.? Now I see a list of things I want to do today, and I feel inspired and happy about doing them. I notice the sun is shining and the leaves outside are so gorgeously green.? I feel grateful for today.

Shift your energy, change your life!

Something I really want to say about the creative process:

I see images like these floating around online a LOT:

I hate posting any image without linking to the source, but these images seems to be posted everywhere with no one linking to the source so I couldn’t find it.

I think they get shared SO MUCH because they speak to how creative people feel and they reassure you that on those days when you feel the way I was feeling when I started writing this post.? They tell you that it’s ok, you’re not alone in feeling this way and this is totally normal.

That’s good, anything that reassures people is good.? And feeling resistance is totally normal.

But these memes reinforce the bullshit idea that you are powerless against resistance.

Notice what I did above, when I felt like eating nachos, turning on Netflix and giving up on today: I went to the tools I teach in Circle and did the thing I knew would get me back into flow IMMEDIATELY.? I took my power back, I didn’t let resistance steamroll my creative process.? I got back to work.

That is the secret to success.

You can’t wait until there is no resistance.? Or only work when you feel happy and inspired.? You’ve got to learn how to get yourself in the flow in the times when you fall out of it.

You’ve got to learn how to effectively and quickly deal with your resistance, fears and self-doubt.

This is the real work of being a creative person – creating fertile ground in your life for your work to happen.

So next time you see one of these memes, please remember that.? You’ve got superpowers.? Resistance is not bigger than you.

Today in my journal: Being in the hard part of the creative process. Read More »

Update 26: Where Letting Go Of The Goal Brings The Goal Closer To Me

By Andrea Schroeder / May 23, 2014

In December 2013 I set a big goal for my business for 2014: to welcome 800 dreamers into my Creative Dream Circle. And to do this not by getting super pushy about selling – but to do this with heart and soul and creativity and joy and LOVE.

At this point though, the Circle is steadily growing and I’m not interested in the numbers. I’ve been more interested in exploring how to grow my capacity serve dreamers in bringing their dreams to life. And I want to explore more about how I want this all to work for me, and how I want to feel inside it.

In support of this goal, I am writing weekly updates on Fridays, for all of 2014. This is where I’ll share the story of all the ups and downs of bringing a big dream to life.

***************************************************

Yesterday I wrote about how JOY is a SUPERPOWER.

This is really the sweet spot for me – using what I teach to stretch and grow in new ways.? I am committed to my Circle member’s growth and so I need to be even more committed to my own growth.? If I’m not walking my talk my energy containers don’t work and the magic dries up.? That’s not an option for me.

So in last week’s update I was delighted to find that I already have what I really want, which is 1-2 new members in the Circle most days.? I do want to just marinate in the magic of that, but at the same time the universe is always expanding and we are a part of the universe so if we attempt to stop expanding it gets uncomfortable.? So I want to be fully present in the delight of being where I am while looking forward at what I am growing into next.

I’m going to use the Creative Dream Check-In Journal Prompts from last week for my update.

What happened in the last week?

I’ve been exceptionally happy thanks to my Love Your Life Project, as I prepare for the Love Your Life Creative Journal class.

And I remembered how quickly I grow into things and become comfortable with them.

Two weeks ago I got my bike (!) and everything was new.? I didn’t really know how to lock it.? I didn’t know where to find the best bike paths.? I wasn’t sure about riding in traffic.? I didn’t know how far I can ride – what if I get too tired to make it back home?? I didn’t know that if I rode in the rain while wearing my brand new jacket I just made, that I’d get home with a stripe of rain and gravel up my back.? I didn’t know how to install fenders or a basket.? I didn’t know what to do when I got my first flat.

And now: I know all of those things.? Holy crap!? I’m surprised at how quickly I’ve acclimated to being a cyclist but really – this is what happens when you do something every day and ask questions about the parts you don’t know about.

So I’m thinking about that, and about welcoming 1-2 new members into the Circle every day.? I’m going to acclimate to this and want to increase the flow.

2-3 sounds ok.? 3-4 sounds ok.? 4-5 makes me take a deep breath.? I’m probably not ready for 4-5? new members every single day.

Some quick math shows that 5 per day gets me to well over 1,000 by the end of this year, which is more than what I want.? So no wonder that feels uncomfortable.

It’s not that 4-5 people in a day is too much, when I’m running a class I can get 10 or more in a day.? And I like that!? It’s that 4-5 new people every single day, day after day, feels like too much, energy wise.? It’s too much continual shifting for me to be able to hold the container sturdy and steady.

More math shows that 3 new people a day, from now until the end of the year, would get me to 800.? And 3 is only 1 more than 2 so that’s really not much of a stretch and it feels perfectly comfortable.

Isn’t that funny?? Letting go of the goal brought me closer to the goal.

Last week’s update was all about surrender.? I was feeling so happy about where I am, and letting go of reaching for 800 felt like a relief.?? Now it feels like the 800 are flowing to me with ease and delight!

STICKING WITH IT IS THE BEST.? So much magic happens if you just don’t give up!? Last week I felt like I wanted to let go of my goal but I didn’t stop being in the process – that’s the important part, staying in the process.

Next question: How do I feel about this?

Pretty fucking great!

Except… except something feels kind of off about what I just wrote, the part about how “It’s too much continual shifting for me to be able to hold the container sturdy and steady.”

I do believe I am lying to myself!

Telling the whole truth about how you feel feels different than telling yourself stories that come from your limiting beliefs and fears and doubts and inner critics.

But those stories are so familiar it is SO EASY to go along with them.? Oh yes – I am easily overwhelmed and must hold back on my dreams in order to be safe.

Yes, that’s a lie.? I do know that safety is not created by holding back or playing small.? That kind of safety is an illusion your inner critic tries to fool you into.

So, it’s not true that 4-5 new people in the Circle every day is too much for me.? What does that mean?

When I feel into this story, I can see that its roots are being nourished by my inner critic – desperately trying to hold me back so I can have what it thinks is safe.

So I take this whole scenario and put it into a bubble of love.

And my inner critic puts down her gardening tools and lies down to take a nap.? The gardening tools sparkle and disappear.? The roots shrink up, the story breaks down.? This story can’t live in a bubble of love because it’s not true or loving.

All that remains is the kernel of truth: my inner critic is a worry-wart and she would worry less if I was playing small so she’s always going to encourage me to be smaller because she doesn’t like worrying, even though she is basically an Olympic gold winner at worrying.

And I am left with the truth: Right now I’d prefer 1-3 new members each day.? I don’t need to make up a story about why this is better than 4-5 new members, I can simply love my preference.

This is what I want and I get to have it! I don’t have to have a reason!

Next question: What do I need now?

As I said, I am ridiculously happy thanks to my Love Your Life Project, as I prepare for the Love Your Life Creative Journal class.? It feels like things are flowing.? I need continued permission to relax and enjoy the process.

What does my dream need now?

Well this is interesting.? Last week I shared this:

My dream is a sparkling stream running through a forest.? It?s happy and bubbling.? But it?s got this one boulder it would like to be removed.? Hmmm. What is the boulder?? (that part I?m just going to share in my update inside the Circle)

I’m still exploring that boulder.? What I’ve learned so far is that I don’t need to remove it from the stream.? I just need to move it to somewhere where it would be more useful.? I’m not sure if this means putting it into deeper water, or using it as a stepping stone.? Trusting the complete answer to come in time, but some really helpful ideas have come to me as I’ve been exploring so far.

Taking all of this into account, my next mission is:

Keep doing what I’ve been doing!

And keep exploring this stream/boulder thing to learn more about what this emerging story wants to tell me.

I’d like to have a stream of MIRACULOUS PRODUCTIVITY happen so I can get my stuff done quick and make some time to explore a new idea that came to me this week, about doing some small group coaching program, working only with teachers/coaches/healers/helper-peoples to strengthen their superpowers and help them help more people.

We’ll see what happens there.

Update 26: Where Letting Go Of The Goal Brings The Goal Closer To Me Read More »

JOY is a SUPERPOWER: The Love Your Life project

By Andrea Schroeder / May 22, 2014

My next class is the Love your Life Creative Journal Class.

I’m not going to teach you about joy in this class, I’m going to create a container where you can get exactly what you need to move forward with your unique relationship with joy, on your unique life path.? This could mean:

a healing
a new perspective on what joy is
an idea that totally changes your life
permission to be happier, right now
encouragement to transform the limiting belief that is keeping you from being happier, right now

I never, ever, dictate what you’re supposed to get out of the class or force you onto a specific path.

Because it’s too beautiful to instead offer the thing you didn’t even know you needed, but now that you have it, it’s like you feel more whole.

Sometimes people get frustrated about this.? They want more direction and clear instructions.? But as soon as they start to play with it they see – there is freedom and possibility and, magically enough, they always find exactly what they need.

This is because my “classes” are actually energy containers for healing & transformation.? This is why my students are always telling me that my classes help them feel more whole.

This is the thing I’m proudest about, about my work.? That I have learned how to create these containers of magic + possibility so effectively.

Also, it means instead of spending lots of time doing lots of traditional “class planning” I get to spend my time working with the energies of happiness, joy and love.? That’s pretty rad.

And as a result, I joined a choir, I go biking every day (!), I’m having adventures, I’m making art that lights me up.

Most remarkably: Suddenly I’ve got a steady stream of new members signing up for the Creative Dream Circle without feeling like I’m working at marketing.

Not only is being happy awesome, joy is actually a superpower.

Joy magnifies and magnetizes.? Joy is the gas pedal for your dream machine.

So the happier you are, the more stuff you end up having to be happy about because you become a SUPERHERO OF JOY.

Joy is more powerful than obstacles.? Just like water is more powerful than stone, joy will wear down obstacles, smooth out rough patches and flow you towards a whole ocean of delight.

I mean – gosh! Imagine letting joy wear down the rough patches for you, instead of trying to power through or move boulders or figure it all out in your head.

It’s revolutionary.? It’s amazing.? It’s actually what we’re wired for.

And even though all this stuff is changing in my outer world, it’s totally not about the outer stuff.

Setting out to make changes in your life so that you can feel happier is a total drag.

Forcing yourself to play? Not fun.

Shaming yourself into making time for the things you love? Gross.

The frustration of trying to do more happy-things but they somehow always feel out of reach? So painful.

The solution is, of course, to focus on the INSIDE.?

Gently shift things around.? Carefully carve out new spaces for joy to hang out.? Send out clear invitations for joy to come and visit and maybe even shack up with you.

This is my Love Your Life project.

Allowing the changes that happen in your outer life to come out of the inner changes… gracefully and EASEfully and at the exact perfect pace for you.

A funny thing about the universe is that it can bring you something that is much, much better than the thing you think you want/need.

Because you decide “I want/need this” from your HEAD.? Your HEAD, cut off from your heart, your creativity, your inner wisdom, your power, your purpose…. and your HEAD, as beautiful and wonderful as it is, doesn’t know the whole story.

This is why this kind of work makes you somehow feel more whole.? Because it’s bringing you into deeper alignment with your inner wholeness.

It’s brings you more than you asked for and helps you be happier than you think you can be.

It’s so beautiful.? I hope you join me on this journey.? Click here to read about the Love your Life Creative Journal class.

JOY is a SUPERPOWER: The Love Your Life project Read More »

Creative Dream TV: How to make the big decisions about how to bring your dream to life.

By Andrea Schroeder / May 20, 2014 / Vintage Creative Dream TV

You’re going to face about a gazillion different decisions in the process of bringing any dream to life.? And often you need to make decisions where you’re really not sure what is the “right” move!? This can be so frustrating, but each decision is a opportunity to move closer to your inner power, creativity and authenticity.

For Creative Dream Circle members: check out the Crazy Smart Wisdom Council in the Creative Genius Mojo Dojo for tools for how to make it easier to get in touch with you inner wisdom.

Creative Dream TV: How to make the big decisions about how to bring your dream to life. Read More »

Creative Journal Prompts For Staying On Track With Your Dreams

By Andrea Schroeder / May 16, 2014 / Journal Prompts

I know taking the time to do these creative dream updates EVERY WEEK is deeply, deeply helpful.

And now that we’re doing these updates inside the Circle so everyone has a chance to participate, I’ve been thinking about the format of the updates and how to set it up so it’s easy enough to stay in the habit of doing it and also so that we’re doing it in the most helpful way.

The purposes of the updates:

so you don’t drop the many (many!) ideas and insights you find along the path
so you’re clear on WHICH ideas to act on RIGHT NOW
marking the path so you notice sooner if you’re just going in circles (more common than you’d think, on the Creative Dream Path)
acknowledging the many (many!) steps you’ve taken, which makes it much easier to contemplate how many steps are still in front of you
holding yourself accountable to your dream
reflecting on what’s happened as a way of learning from it and as a way of noticing things you didn’t notice while it was happening
documenting the process of bringing one dream to life show you all sorts of clues about how to work with other dreams
sweet sweet sweet delicious clarity about where you are and where you want to be and how you want to get there (this changes a lot more often than you’d think, holding onto clarity is difficult but important)

I’ve come up with these Creative Journal Prompts For Staying On Track With Your Dreams

It’s in two parts.

Part 1 is for when you’re setting out, so it’s your first update.?

But it’s also good to revisit it every week to see if it’s changing, because if it doesn’t fill you with delight to say what you want and why you want it – something has changed and you need to adjust.

Checking in with these three statements every week and making any necessary adjustments so that you remain filled with delight about this will keep your dream process calibrated in the right direction.

My dream is:

I want it because:

When I have it I will feel:

Part 2 is 4 questions to ask yourself every week, plus a mission statement.

What happened in the last week?

How do I feel about this?

What do I need now?

What does my dream need now?

Taking all of this into account, my next mission is:

Remember that moving forward is not always the answer.

In fact, there is no “forward” on the Creative Dream Path.? The path does not exist until you build it.? You build in the direction that feels right in the moment.

Most Creative Dream Paths go in spirals and if you’re not grounded and present in your process, you’ll think you’re going backwards.

So for my update this week I’m starting at the beginning.

My dream is: I can no longer say that my dream is to have 800 members in the Circle this year, because that doesn’t fill me with delight right now.? But it was the perfect starting point for this adventure in learning how to grow my capacity as a teacher.

What fills me with delight now: growing the Circle in a grounded and sustainable and DELIGHTFUL way.

To be more specific about what feels grounded and sustainable and delight to me right now: at least 30 new members each month, but not more than 50.? One or two per day is perfect.

I want it because: I’m so in love with everything I have learned about making dreams real and it really really makes me happy to share it.? I love the way people’s lives start to change once they join the Circle.? I love how it spreads HAPPINESS.? I am so happy I could burst at the thought that I am bringing this amazing thing to the world.

It feels like perfect alignment with purpose and heart and creativity and spirit.? It’s what I’m here to do.

Of course, the same could be said about my coaching practice.? But coaching takes a LOT of energy and running the Circle does not take as much.? So another thing I love about the Circle is that I can run the Circle without working full time.? This feels important not because I want to work part time (I love my work too much for that) but because I want the option to be able to do that if something happens and I need some time off.? I live alone and don’t have anyone to help with the bills (and am not interested in changing that), so building this kind of stability into my business feels important for the long term.

When I have it I will feel: This one is interesting, because right now I do have it.? 1-2 people join the Circle most days.? And right now I am super happy.? What I want is to sustain this over time and become more grounded in it.? Then I will feel more grounded and stable as the Guardian of Dreams.

And on to this week’s update:

What happened in the last week?

As I said in part 1, there are 1-2 new people joining the Circle most days and I really like this!? Before it was more larger clusters right before a new class started and I do much prefer have this small, steady stream.? It gives me a chance to get to know them a bit (if they choose to be chatty on the Circle website, lots of people prefer to stay quiet and that’s fine too!).

We started the Inspiration Cards class and it’s going even better than I’d hoped.? Members are having these delightfully healing experiences encountering the World of Inspiration and I am having so much fun hearing what they’re all up to.

I don’t think I can explain enough how much I love this group of people and their dreams.

The big thing that happened in the past week is my new customer service software.? I wrote here about boundaries and changes.? The past few months I’ve been increasingly overwhelmed with the amount of stuff coming at me.? Now I feel like I have room to breathe (and play! and create!) again.? It’s all sunshine and rainbows and setting things up in ways that support me in doing the work I am here to do.

How do I feel about this?

Everything feels on track and happy.? A part of me wants to hold onto the original dream I had for 800 members this year.? That part of me is small and young and thinks that it’s not ok to change her mind.

Wise me knew all along that I can set my intention and do my part but I do not control the timing.? Wise me knows that the work I did earlier this year of stretching into my goal was important inner work and will serve me well and that I am not giving up on anything, I’m moving in the direction my heart is sending me in.

Slow, steady growth is my style. I feel really comfortable and supported and happy.

What do I need now?

I’m feeling comfortable and supported and happy.? A lot of this is the new class I’m working on, the Love Your Life Creative Journal Class.? To create the container for the class, I start working with the energies of it ahead of time. Working directly with loving your life and being happy now is pretty amazing.

So all I need for next week is to keep doing what I’ve been doing.

What does my dream need now?

My dream is a sparkling stream running through a forest.? It’s happy and bubbling.? But it’s got this one boulder it would like to be removed.

Hmmm. What is the boulder?? (that part I’m just going to share in my update inside the Circle)

Removing the boulder won’t make the stream stream faster or anything it will just help it stream steadier.

Taking all of this into account, my next mission is:

Keep exploring the boulder and find out more about what it means and what I need to do to remove it.? Keep working/playing with the Love Your Life Creative Journal Class.

Wow, that feels light and do-able.

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New! Love Your Life Creative Journal Class.

By Andrea Schroeder / May 15, 2014

Hoo boy am I happy to share this one with you.

How happy can you be?

Let’s find out!? Clickity click for all the details.

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The Cure For Writer’s Block

By Andrea Schroeder / May 14, 2014 / healing, Manifest Your Dream Life

I’ve been wanting to share some of the super-inspiring stories of amazing things that happen inside the Creative Dream Circle but I haven’t known how to do it. Working with dreams is working with heart – so vulnerable and delicate. It’s no small thing that people trust me with their dreams and I’m not going to betray that trust by trying to force anyone into the limelight.

But some of these stories keep tapping me on the shoulder, demanding to be shared.

So I’ve decided to share bits and pieces – without naming names or sharing photos or anything like that. So people’s privacy is protected, their dream remains sheltered from public view, while the essence of the story can come out and play.

The cure for writer’s block:

I received the following message from someone who was in my free Give Your Dream Wings course:

I know what my creative dream is and what the soul of it is, but I’m lacking the joy and flow to do it with ease and happiness. It’s still loaded with fear for me. I need to write and I want to do it but boy do I delay it every single time. That blank page is tough! Would your Creative Dream Circle help with that?

That question really hit me in the heart.? So many creatives know exactly what they want to be doing, but their dreams are, as this writer put it, LOADED with fear.

I hate knowing that there are people out there in this situation!? So much so that I’ve made it my life’s work to help people out of this situation.

Writer’s block, like all creative blocks, is an emotional block.

Facing the blank page is terrifying.? Going after your dream is terrifying. Starting is a terrifyingly vulnerable thing.

The secret?? Meeting your fear with creativity and love.

My response:

Yes! The Circle will definitely help with that. Fear is the biggest obstacle to dreaming, so I have a lot of material about it in the Circle. In the Creative Dream Incubator course (which you get in have circle) there is an in-depth module about how to work with fear effectively. Plus there is an “un-sticking station” to get quick help any time you get stuck. I use that almost every day.

It’s totally natural to be afraid, I find that learning how to work creatively with fear is one of the most important skills to learn to bring any dream to life.

She joined the Circle and one of the first things she did there was listen to my hour long audio class on How Meeting Fear With Creativity And Love Means You Never Have To Stay Stuck.

And then: she started writing!

She found the cure for writer’s block and she started writing!? This is from one of her first posts in the Circle:

Hello! I’m brand new here and decided this morning to get right into it by listening to the recording of “meeting fear with creativity and love”. I found it extremely helpful [removed for privacy]. I went on to write the piece I wanted to write…

She went on to write the piece she wanted to write.

Being un-blocked and in the flow really is that accessible.

Does this mean our heroine is never going to suffer from writer’s block, ever again?

Of course not.

She’ll have to keep meeting fear with creativity and love and learning new techniques for transforming fear and doubt and all the things that hold her back.

This is the secret to bringing any dream to life: to stay in the process of transforming the blocks.? To meet them there on the blank page – every day or every week.? To keep showing up no matter how hard your inner critics start to fight back.

I can promise that if you stay with it, it does get easier.

When I first left my day-job to be a full time Creative Dream Incubator, I had a major fear freak-out at least once a week.? But now?? In my fourth year of doing this full time?? I’ve had ONE fear freak-out all year. And it wasn’t even major.

You can transform your inner landscape.? You can make more space for freedom and glee and creativity and delight and trust and dreams come true.? You do not have to let fear stomp all over your dream garden.

This is what we do inside the Creative Dream Circle.

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