“I want to tell you that Andrea’s work, if you commit to it, is magic.
Honestly Andrea’s understanding of the Alchemy of bringing magic into the world defies description but I go on at every opportunity about how awesome she is and I am big on telling the truth!”
Jane
We start on Monday!? Just a few days away!? If your soul is calling you to create something in your world – that there is a Creative Dream and this can help you bring it to life, with EASE and JOY.
If you sign up today, you can have the whole weekend to get settled in the group and be ready to dive into the deep magics of Creative Dream Incubation on Monday.
If you have any questions about the Creative Dream Incubator, hit reply to this email to send them to me.
“Hey, Andrea,I just wanted to write and let you know how amazing the Creative Dream Incubator is being for me.
Crazy-awesome changes keep happening, and obstacles that I thought were surely blocks are just melting away like butter.“
Jenny
“Dear Andrea,
I just wanted to write and say thank you thank you thank you for the Creative Dream Incubator.
It changed my life.
I was stuck in fear and resistance and getting buried under an ever expanding pile of self-loathing because of it. And when we got to Module 4…everything shifted. I realized that my fear didn’t mean that my dream was “the wrong one” or that I wasn’t “good enough” or “brave enough” to go for it. I realized that my fear was just…fear. And if I moved through it everything would get better. So I did. And it did! And taking that first step shifted EVERYTHING else.
I meant to keep in touch in the final weeks of the CDI (and to write this sooner)…but everything was MOVING and I was trying to keep up with it. So much was…and is…happening. And it’s amazing.
I feel so different now than I did at the start of the CDI.
I see more magic everywhere. I’m handling setbacks with more calm and determination. I have more faith in my dream. Even my parents have noticed a difference!
Thank you for bringing this beautiful dream of yours into the world. Thank you for your gentle, kind, and supportive presence. You are amazing, and you are doing such important work.
Much love,”
Meg
You can see what other Creative Dream Incubator graduates have to say about the course right here.
?
PS: this week’s Creative Dream TV was the best episode yet: all about how to make the path to your dream EASIER, and more fun. If you missed it, watch it now:
This week's episode of Creative Dream TV picks up where that left off, and goes into more detail about how people who struggle a lot approach dreams differently than people who struggle less.
The *really great news* is that the people who struggle less don't have more time, money or support.
(This is good news if you are currently struggling because it means you don't have to wait until you have more of these things before you stop struggling.)
The *even better news* is that the people who struggle less take a more creative approach.? Along with creativity comes: play, imagination, connection to spirit, connection to genius, connection to intuition and a whole host of other supportive dream-growing qualities.
This is good news because it shows that the more fun you're having, and the better you're feeling the more successful you're going to be, which is a giant permission slip to HAVE MORE FUN, RIGHT NOW. Yay!
Watch this week's Creative Dream TV for the details on this success principle:
In November of last year I set out on a new mission: to give away 100 Mini Creative Dream Coaching Sessions.? This is what that experience taught me:
We are all so much more alike than different.
When you get in touch with the purpose and meaning behind your dream – it’s so beautiful and important it makes you cry.
When you turn around and face that fear – it’s always less “big scary monster” and more “frightened inner child”.
The thought that you might never “go for it” is more scary than facing the fear that’s holding you back.
The answer you’ve been searching for forever is right there, inside you.? You just have to get quiet enough to hear it.
Creative Dreamers tend to stumble in the same places.
Taking risks is scary. And 100% necessary for successful creative dreaming.
Being vulnerable is scary.? And 100% necessary for successful creative anything.
Creative Dreaming Is Scary!
Creative Dreamers stumble until they learn how to talk to (and transform!) those fears and critical inner voices.
This is, of course, at the heart of what I teach.
I teach this because I have yet to meet anyone who figured out how to deal with this stuff entirely on their own.
This is hard.
Plus – blind spots!? You have them.
Support is needed.
I have never heard of anyone who ever made a big dream real on their own.? It’s a BIG JOB!
And there is no path that you can take that gets you there.
You have to create it for yourself.
But you don’t have to do it by yourself.? In fact, going it alone is just another way of setting yourself up to fail.?
Your fears and inner critics do not want you to sign up for the Creative Dream Incubator, that’s for sure.?
Are you sure you should be listening to then?
In giving away 100 free sessions I remembered, more clearly than ever, why I do this.
I teach this stuff because it LIGHTS ME UP to see you succeed.
Not just in making the thing real, the dream come true is really only the icing on the cupcake.
The real magic, the thing that really lights me up, is that moment when the (inner) magic happens:
When you see you inner critic for what it really is and know exactly what to do to help her feel safe and love and so she stops screaming those horrible things at you.
When you C O N N E C T full-on with your soul purpose and all of the magic inside of you and that knowing, that K N O W I N G that you can do it (Best. Feeling. Ever. If only I could bottle it!).
When you hear a message and you know, you just K N O W -? this is your intuitive wisdom speaking and it’s time to TRUST it.
When you see how easy it is to live your truth – right here, right now (No, you really don’t have to wait for anything to change first, you can be the change and you can be it right now).
That’s what I want for you, more than anything.
Your dream is so important! Yes.
And even more important is being connected to your own magic, right here right now.? That will take you far beyond your dream come true.
But it does start with the dream come true.
And we are starting the Creative Dream Incubator LIVE Session in one week.? It’s going to be magic and fun and learning and growing and all rolled up into a giant cupcake of delight – with multi-colurd creativity sprinkles on top.?
One of the things I am learning about living and working in a dream factory, is that the dream factory is really super grounded in all of the qualities, structures and routines I need that support me in doing my best work.
This includes a fair amount of magic things, sprinkled around my environment.? You know, for the times when I forget that the magic lives inside me.
My friend Amy made me a magic potion (!) so I wanted to tell you about it in case you want her to make you a magic potion too.? She asked me what kind of magic I wanted, and then made it just for me.? She even included photos of all the things that went into the potion!
Magic Potion Ingredients
The magic potion on my desk (it’s the big blue bottle)
Living your magic is a big job.? It’s ok to get help!
Besides all of the tools of Creative Dream Incubation that I teach, I also use essential oils, flower essences, special teas, crystals, drums, crystal bowls, etc, etc, etc.
Amy’s Magic Potions are right here.? Just imagine – magic in a bottle you can spray anytime you want!
You + Me + Your Dream = Magic. Let?s play together:
If 2013 is your year to make your dream real, I am here to help.
Yes! Let?s play! And giggle, and find secret passageways that lead you right to where you want to be.
The main floor looks like a typical factory floor. BIG, big big space.? Concrete floors.? Big wooden posts here and there.
But it’s not filled with machines like a typical factory floor.? And it’s not all dusty.
There’s a lot of open space.? And the air practically sparkles.? There are bursts of colour and art. Affirmations and reminders about the true power of dreams.
There are some machines, they are kind of whimsical and complicated.
And beanbag chairs, not cheesy old beanbag chairs, really cool zen ones like these:
In the Dream Factory there are markers everywhere, so the chairs have doodles and patterns and little encouraging messages on them
Except there are no people in the Dream Factory.
Robots work here.? Dream Robots.
Dream Robots who need comfy places to relax and nap but are also really super committed to their mission: getting dreams ready to grow.
The Dream Robots take everything I do:
like teaching and writing blog posts and sharing cute pictures and figuring out marketing and sales and holding the bigger vision and experimenting and trying new things and coaching and creating spaces for miracles + magic and, most importantly, doing everything I can to live what I teach
And turn it into fuel for the Creative Dream Incubator.
Then, they open up this magic door and these sparkling shimmering colour-changing bubbles float out.
Then they clap and dance and sing and celebrate because these bubbles are dreams that are ready to grow.
The bubbles float up to the ceiling.
Oh, the ceiling of the Dream Factory is all glass.? The Dream Robots love to be able to look at the sky!
And, thanks to the delightfully supportive + helpful air currents, the bubbles float over to my office.
My office in the Dream Factory
My office in the Dream Factory is upstairs.? It’s a smaller square (but still a beautifully spacious space, just not gigantic like the factory) in the far left corner of the Dream Factory.
In this smaller square, there are 2 stories.? On the main floor is the room filled with all the things that support me:
My gifts, talents and natural abilities
My many many gazillions of hours spent in courses, workshops, retreats and training in all things spirituality, manifestation, intuition, meditation, creativity and personal development
My connection to purpose + spirit
My resources
All the experiences that taught me and showed and cracked my heart open so I could feel the magic
I don’t go into this room often, it’s mostly just there supporting me: it’s the solid foundation.
The second floor is my own Creative Dream Headquarters.
The walls that look out to into the factory are all glass, so I can see everything that’s happening down there.
And of course we have communication devices so the Dream Robots and I can talk to each other.
My space up in this loft in the Dream Factory and… this is where real life and the “imaginary” dream factory collide – this space looks exactly like my actual Dream Loft.? It’s a big creative play space that’s got everything I need to do anything I want.
Looking down on my office, from up in the loft within the loft.
Over in the corner, beside wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling windows – the creative zen tent of dreams.
Toys, altars + bits of magic everywhere.
My Playstation in the Creative Dream Factory.
Most importantly: my office is really super grounded in all of the qualities, structures and routines I need that support me in doing my best work.
And it contains all the tools of Creative Dream Incubation.? In my office is where dreams grow.
And, just like in my actual Dream Loft, there is a loft within the loft.
There is this silver spiral staircase that leads up to my retreat space.? The retreat space is an all-glass dome that sits on top of the Dream Factory roof.
It’s very Art Deco and GORGEOUS.? And being on top of the whole Dream Factory, it is where the Dream Factory reaches out and connects to the cosmos.
When I’m in the retreat space I’m connected to the whole cosmos and able to refuel and recharge and get all filled up on whatever I need to be all filled up on.
Of course, I sleep in the retreat space every night so the cosmos can work its magic on me while I sleep.
But, let’s back down the silver spiral staircase, back to my creative play space…
When we left the Dream Robots and the shimmering bubbles, the bubbles had, thanks to the delightfully supportive + helpful air currents, floated over to my office.
One of the windows that looks out into the main floor of the Dream Factory has this gorgeous sparkling cut crystal handle, and opens up to let the bubbles in.
The bubbles, of course, are dreams that are ready to grow.
And I get to play, in my creative play space, with the dreams that are ready to grow and the dreamers that are ready to grow them.
And that’s my business.
This has been my livelihood?since January 1, 2011?and I could not be happier about that. ?(Though I’ve been working on it much longer than that, while working at day jobs)
While understanding the unfolding story of your business is so important, (this is something we do in the Creative Business Incubator which comes free with the Creative Dream Circle)you can’t just make up a story.?
The story has to be a true expression of the essence (the heart and soul) of your business, and contain the qualities and relationships that are important to your business and your purpose and your creativity.
Whether your dream is a business or something else, there is this richness to your dream that is real and true and completely intangible.
Your dream needs to be plugged into this richness: the magic and the purpose and the heart and the soul of your dream – the beauty and meaning of why you want to do the thing in the first place.
You don’t need more time, or more money or more support.? You need a deeper, stronger, truer internal relationship to your soul, your dream and your creative magic.
When you understand the story, you can play with it.? You can learn from it.
Your intuition is powerful.
Your wisdom is powerful.
Your creativity is powerful.
Your purpose is powerful.
Plug all of that in to your business (or to any other dream!) and you’ll see the magic.
If you want my help,? I’ve set up the whole Creative Dream Circle with everything you need to SUCCEED.
I’ve spent the last few days exploring 2013, to learn more about what is possible here and how I want to be this year.
I started with my Create a Map kit which showed me that what I really want in 2013 is to feel satisfied + gorgeous.
Satisfied + gorgeous.
I was not sure what that meant, I was looking more for business direction, so it felt a little confusing – at first.? The longer I sat with it and explored it, the more sense it made.
And a few days later I can see how perfect it is.? Now I have this clear picture of what is happening in my life when I feel satisfied + gorgeous:
It means I’m not comparing.
And I’m not striving or trying to get somewhere.
It means I love where I am and what I’m doing.
It means I’m having adventures.
And I’m relaxed and filled up and taking exquisite care of myself – body, mind, emotions, soul.
And I’m being me, like really being me.? And my life feels true to who I really am.? And my business supports all of that.
But I can’t make any of these things the goal.
Because as soon as I do that, everything starts to collapse.? I start to look at how-to and what-to-do.? I get lost in the details.? My inner critics come into play.
When I think about feeling satisfied + gorgeous, right here right now in this moment, everything comes back together.
The first time I consciously took this approach to the New Year was in 2010.
After lots of meditating and exploring it felt like the energy around me was “Make It Happen” energy though I didn’t define what “It” was.? I led a workshop (I was still doing all of my work in-person back then) called Make It Happen In 2010.
In 2010 I was really very comfortable working part time and doing my creative soul work part time.? I needed that “Make It Happen” vibe to crack out of that comfort zone.
And by the end of the year – I quit my job to do my creative soul work full time.
I “made it happen” because deep down no matter how comfortable I was I always knew I had a much bigger purpose.? And that my job, even though it was just part time at that point (I spent years growing my creative soul work while slowly working fewer and fewer hours at my job) was holding me back.
But had I set that resolution/intention/whatever on Jan 1, 2010 – I doubt I would have Made It Happen ?I would have gotten too bogged down in how-to and what-to-do, not to mention the inner critic attacks.
Knowing how it will feel to be there is much more important than knowing what being there even means.
It gets you there both faster and easier.
The trick is to be working with the right energies/qualities.
That take into account your personal energy and the energy around you.
Your creativity, passion, spirit and uniqueness.
The direction that moves you towards your personal evolution.
The qualities that your purpose wants to express out into the world at this time.
There is a theme that will hold the essence of all of that for you.?
That theme holds the most powerful qualities for you to align yourself with at this time.
Aligning with those qualities is the shortcut to get to where you want to be.
The best way to figure that out? Creativity, imagination + play, of course.
Your ultimate trio of Creative Dreamer Superpowers.
This is what we’re doing at the Hello 2013 PLAYDATE on Jan 3.
PLAYDATE = 4 magical hours of miracles, healing, transformation and expanded possibility.
It happens on the phone, in our Creative Dream Circle forum and in your home.? Everything is recorded so you can play along in your own time zone, at your own pace.
Plus you get magical workbooks!
This goes waaaaay beyond intention/goal setting and right to the heart of the magic of what is really possible for you for 2013.
I’d love to explore this with you.
The Hello 2013 Playdate is a part of the Creative Dream Circle.? If you’re going to join for the Creative Dream Incubator LIVE Session, sign up now to get this too.
You + Me + Your Dream = Magic. Let?s play together:
If 2013 is your year to make your dream real, I am here to help.
Yes! Let?s play! And giggle, and find secret passageways that lead you right to where you want to be.
You are cordially invited to usher in ALL the magic of 2013 with me at the Hello 2013 PLAYDATE on Jan 3.
PLAYDATE = 4 magical hours of miracles, healing, transformation and expanded possibility.
It happens on the phone, in our Creative Dream Circle forum and in your home.? Everything is recorded so you can play along in your own time zone, at your own pace.? Plus you get magical workbooks!
This goes waaaaay beyond intention/goal setting and right to the heart of the magic of what is really possible for you.
I started 2012 in the most unlikely place: my parent’s basement.
I had sold my house in 2011 and bought the super modern, super green, super sunny loft condo of my dreams.? It was the perfect space, except for the repeated (and repeated, and repeated!) construction delays.?
I love my parents and they are completely lovely.? But come on now.? This was not exactly an easy time.
Luckily, winter 2011-2012 was exceptionally warm and I spent lots of time adventuring outside.
I wish this picture was scratch + sniff, those trees smelled so amazing.
And I learned a lot, like really very much a lot, about my new favourite sport: Extreme Self-Care.? So much so that I could win Olympic Gold medals, for sure.
I deepened my daily creative journaling practice.
Monday mornings are the best!
I sought out enchanted spaces.
I put an amazing costume collection together
I knit myself a rainbow superhero blanket
I had so many adventures.
and journal picnics.
I took 2 trips to Portland, OR, home of the best coffee in the universe, and lots of other magical things.
And re-learned everything I knew, only I know it BETTER now.
The problem with the condo delays is that there were so damn many of them.? It was always “one more month” and “one more month” and “one more month” and so I couldn’t get any traction in any of my business plans because moving was always just on the horizon.? And, as much as my parents really did create space for me in their home – I didn’t have quite the right kind of space to operate my business from.? I was working out of coffee shops and recording videos for my Advanced Creative Badassery group in my car.
And let’s be honest: it’s very hard to NOT feel like a complete looser when you’re 38 and living with your parents.? And I couldn’t find a place to rent because my moving date was constantly changing, and with VERY little notice each time.? So I felt pretty stuck.
In 2012 I did a TON of making lemonade out of lemons and finding treasures in the hard.
But I did not move my business forward in 2012 in the way I had hoped to.?
I left my job right at the end of 2010 with a fairly ambitious business plan.? 2012 saw all of those plans just kind of disappear, bit by bit, with each new delay.
Now, I didn’t move my business forward the way I’d hoped to in 2012 but I also didn’t have the expenses of, well, having a home and place to work out of.? So it’s not like this has spelled financial disaster for me or anything.? My money from selling my house is still sitting in the bank, waiting for the new condo.
And I have this grace period, of not needing a lot of money, to re-group and make new plans.
What happened, as my old plans fell apart, is that they opened up space for new possibilities.? And they taught me SO MUCH about SO MANY THINGS that I wouldn’t have learned about, had everything gone the way I wanted it to.
This is something that happens with Creative Dreaming:? You get what you need to get what you want, but not in the ways you expected – because the Universe can always see a biggerbrighter picture for you, than you can see for yourself.
When you are committed to your dream, and taking steps toward it – everything that happens as a response is happening FOR you, and not TO you.? I had to spend quite a bit of time reminding myself of that in 2012.
Looking back at 2012, I would say that the universe sent a strong, steady stream of grace my way.
I learned so much!? So many unexpected things! And I became a MUCH better mentor and teacher of the inner art of making dreams real because I was forced to be present with my own process in a much more concrete way – one of the many gifts of plans being derailed.
But, more importantly, in 2012 I spent more time than ever exploring how to stay in that beautiful space of not-being-in-charge-of-the-how while staying firmly connected to the magic of my purpose.
This is still a really uncomfortable place for me to be.? I’d much rather create a solid, success-guaranteed real PLAN and then follow it to the letter.
Except that’s not Creative Dreaming.? That’s just MAKING things happen.? That’s pushing and doing and striving.
Creative Dreaming is opening to possibility and being in the flow of magic and trusting the immense power of your purpose.
It’s so much bigger than making shit happen.? And more complicated and frustrating and painful and beautiful.
Some days it’s amazing and perfect and some days it’s really scary.
One of the coolest things that happened in 2012:
In the summer, I was able to get access to the dream loft so I could start using it as a workspace.? (If you’re wondering why I couldn’t just move in – it’s a long + stupid story)
I was so happy to have BIG SPACE to DRAW BIG THINGS in.? And I drew this:
And the solar system was about to come into this amazing cosmic alignment.? Or, re-alignment.? It was a coming home to the source of all magic + possibility + love.
It took me days of exploring to understand it all, and once I did I was stunned to see this is the cosmic alignment that happened on Dec 21, 2012.
And, the closer we got to Dec 21 the more upheaval it felt like there was in my inner world.
This has been an intense time of clearing out and re-aligning.
When I am listening to my knowing and wisdom, I know that this is paving the way for a deeper connection to my purpose, spirit, creativity and magic.? When I am listening to my inner critics, I worry that this is the beginning of the end, and that I was a fool to believe in dreams and I am a fraud for leading others down this path of destruction.
I know that my inner critics get riled when I’m following my inner compass instead of “doing what people do” and so I am taking this period of upheaval as a very good sign.
2012 was not what I thought it would be but I am grateful for all of it.? I am especially grateful for the amazing Creative Dreamers who are sharing this adventure with me in the Creative Dream Circle.? That is one thing that TOTALLY ROCKED about 2012: the quality of the people who are joining me in the Circle.? Amazeballs.? And I can’t wait to explore all of the magic of 2013 with you.
You + Me + Your Dream = Magic. Let?s play together:
If 2013 is your year to make your dream real, I am here to help.
Yes! Let?s play! And giggle, and find secret passageways that lead you right to where you want to be.
PS: Make sure to sign up BEFORE Jan 3 so you can participate in the HELLO 2013 Playdate we’re having in the Creative Dream Circle. It’s going to rock your world in a very good way.
Every Sunday in December I am writing about Visionary Visioning.? I?m creating this space for myself to step out of what?s happening around me, so I can explore what my greater vision is and how I can align my world with it.
Post one is here, post two is here, post three is here.
I know, it’s not Sunday.? I did write (a lot!) about visioning on Sunday but it didn’t feel right to share it and today I just deleted it.
This is what I think happened:? I realised I’ve been to caught up in the day-to-day details of being with my dream, and I’d stopped looking at the bigger picture.? I lost the bigger picture which meant, even though I was happy with where I was, I lost my overall sense of direction about where I’m going next.? I noticed this, and I started exploring vision.? Tons of supercool stuff happened (see visioning posts 1-3).
At the same time: we had this Believing In Yourself Playdate in the Creative Dream Circle on Dec 3 that blew my mind – showing me all the places where I have been believing my own bullshit excuses.
So I’m making time to step back to look at the bigger picture and my whole world has been turned upside down with this extreme injection of clarity about where I don’t believe in myself and where I pretend that my own bullshit excuses are actually legitimate reasons to not do the things I actually do want to do.
Confusing, yes?
Yes!? And I needed a few more days to sort through it all and be able to see where I am now.
Last week I fell into a hole.? Then I dug myself out.? In the digging out I became stronger, surer and magically obtained a shovel.? Now I can use that shovel to start working on the deepening.
This week I?m going to explore the deepening.? I?m going to draw it out and journal about it and talk to it every day and see what it has to teach me.
And I?m going to read inspiring books about success ? different approaches to success and stories of people who succeeded.
So I explored the deepening.
I drew it and talked to it and it has a lot to teach me, mostly about how I have been moving in the exact wrong direction (well, there is no “wrong” but I have been doing in the direction opposite of the one I would like to be going in).? And I read some inspiring books about success – one filled with stories of people with big dreams who made them happen, and one about how to use our brains differently, to foster success.
And in the process of exploring all of this, I also found sparkling crystal clarity about what I want to do next.
I now have three specific (and so awesome they are scary!) things to work towards in 2013 that lead me to where I want to be in 2017.
Clarity is beautiful.? In a terrifying way.
Because now, well, I’d really have to believe in myself to go after these big dreams.
At one time, I was convinced I could never own my own home – it felt too expensive and too far away and like I’d never figure it out.
At one time, (at this point I did own my own home) I thought working at my day job part time and doing my dream part time was the best I could do – there was no way my dreams could earn what I want to earn.
I could go on and on – I live with TONS of things that used to be impossible for me (I bet you do, too).
My next steps:
My job right now is to draw on all of that.? Remember how many impossible dreams I have already made real and use that remembering as jet fuel to make these new impossible dreams real.
And to spend more time with the mind-blowing realisations I had during the Believing in Myself playdate.? Daily journaling and tea parties with the goddess of believing in myself.? And with all the sad, scared beings inside who want me to give up immediately.
I feel like I should admit that I am SICK AND TIRED of talking to these sad, scared beings inside.? I would really like to just lock them away in a room somewhere where I can never hear them, ever again.
I know that isn’t how it works.
Pushing them away only makes them come in closer.
Ignoring them only makes them louder.
Fighting them only makes them stronger.
Not dealing with them only makes all of your dreams 100% IMPOSSIBLE.
Love, gentleness and compassion are the only effective tools to use here.
And I am feeling really dangerously low on all of them.
Huh.? I suddenly feel better having admitted that, to myself.? And I love how truth always shines a light on what is possible.
And today, Christmas day, I am going to fill up on love, gentleness and compassion.? I am going to let go of all of this and mostly I am going to let go of how hard I have been resisting the fear and doubt these past few days.? I’m going to tell those sad, scared beings inside that today I am filling up on love, gentleness and compassion just for them.? (Oh how they love when I do things just for them)
I hope you are having a lovely holiday, or if this week isn’t a holiday week for you I hope you are having a lovely week.
You + Me + Your Dream = Magic. Let?s play together:
If 2013 is your year to make your dream real, I am here to help.
Yes! Let?s play! And giggle, and find secret passageways that lead you right to where you want to be.
This week I'm responding to a question I received some time ago from Helen, about what to do about the nay-sayers, the people who roll their eyes at you when you talk about your dream...
Since I'm going to take a few weeks off from Creative Dream TV over the holidays I thought this would be a good one to leave you with.? We're all likely to encounter some of these people during our holiday celebrations, yes?
On the 3rd of every month, we have a playdate in the Creative Dream Circle, I call them Creative Dream HOLYdays.? These are days of celebrating and honouring our dreams, and also days of exploration, miracles and healing.
This month our theme is Believing In Yourself.? I picked this theme thinking how if were shore up our Believing In Ourselves skills this month, it will make it easier for us to bring our wildest dreams to life in 2013.? Makes sense, right?
So I wasn’t expecting it to turn my whole world upside down.
But it did.? And I’m still to figure out which way is down, and which way is up.
And as I do, I keep bumping into things.
Things that I know I used to see as SOLID.? True.? Real.? Un-Changeable because that’s just how life is.
THINGS that I am now seeing, thanks to my new friendship with the Goddess of Believing In Myself, are actually just bullshit excuses.
OMG!? So unsettling.? And so freeing!
You + Me + Your Dream = Magic. Let?s play together:
Every Sunday in December I am writing about Visionary Visioning.? I’m creating this space for myself to step out of what’s happening around me, so I can explore what my greater vision is and how I can align my world with it.? Post one is here, post two is here.
So, even before I heard the horrible news, this past week was complete crap – full of inner critic attacks on a scale I have not experienced before.
And now that I see that in words – inner critic attacks on a scale I have not experienced before – it’s really clear.? I’m stirring things up more than I realise in committing to explore my greater vision this month.?
Inner critics are naturally afraid of us stepping into our greater vision.? It would have been good to remember that ahead of time!? Maybe then I wouldn’t have been so totally knocked out by them.? But, as it is I didn’t remember that and I did get totally knocked out by them.
Not to be overly dramatic, but looking back to last week’s post feels like looking back on another lifetime.
I am so grateful to me-from-then for listening to the messages and acting on them.? Moving things around and giving things away and creating new space even though she could only see the teenytiny tip of the iceberg about why she was doing that.
I have to share this kind of ridiculous in hindsight quote from last week’s post:
Surprising discovery as I connect to Heart-Centered Richness + Fullness: I want to make less money
It felt surprising at the time but is really a natural extension of it?s not about about having lots of stuff.? It?s more about having what?s right and trusting your needs will be met.
It started to become clear that the only reason I want to make more money is to have more money socked away in case of an emergency.
And then, of course, this week presented a financial emergency on a scale I had not really considered possible.? Which then turned into a series of financial emergencies.?
Ahhhhh thank you universe you are so funny!? And you’re right.? I DO like having what I call cushions of money.?? Cushions feel entirely different from having money socked away in case of emergency.? Cushions can cushion emergencies, they can also create space for adventure and exploration and joy and anything else.
This is where visioning is kind of confusing.
When I set out to connect with the greater vision, of course I can only see what I can see.
Each Sunday, I sit with it and a new aspect of it gets clearer.? Then each week I do what I can to align myself with what I’ve learned about the vision, which makes it clearer still.
The process of getting clearer can be confusing.?
It’s like cleaning off a painting that is covered in whipped cream (the painting is safely under glass).? You start by clearing off one part and you see gorgeous flowers.? You’re all… oh yes! My vision is flowers! I want to be the greatest floral designer in the world!
If you run off and go with it and don’t keep coming back to get more clarity and wipe more whipped cream off, you’ll never discover that the flowers you uncovered were just a small part of the greater picture.? In the greater picture, which of course includes your love of flowers, the gorgeous bouquet is sitting on your desk where you are happily working away as the director of some superamazing world changing charity.
Last week what I was seeing is how important it is that I not be driven by money.? There is a part of me that feels strongly about that and wanted to assert that.
There is also the greater part of me that understands and knows that money is my friend and partner in making my dreams real.? Money doesn’t want to overshadow the dream, it wants to protect it.? This part of me trusts that I can easily grow my business without becoming driven by money.? This part of me remembers the years I spent working on developing my relationship with money and filling it with trust and support.
This part of me loves having extra cushions of money around.? More for in case of desire, than for in case of emergency.
So, even though this week it feels like I am going in the opposite direction from where I was with this last week, it’s actually a perfect continuation.
Sometimes, some parts of us need to assert certain things before allowing us to go in a certain direction.
This part of me who felt afraid that I would become driven by money if I tried to grow my business too quickly has made its case known, and has been assured that this will not happen.? And now there is more space to more forward.
And in conclusion: I don’t want to make less money, that’s ridiculous.
But it’s important to remember that I don’t want to let money drive me.? I don’t want to do things that aren’t in keeping with my greater vision and purpose just to get more money.? I don’t want to let money get more important than the mission.
Money is a beautiful friend and supporter of my dream and that is not going to change.
Because this week what I see when I sit with my vision is EXPANSION.
EXPANSION in all directions though.
It’s the most beautiful thing.
I see how amazing my work is now and how it has deepened over the past 2 years.? What we do in the monthly playdates in the Creative Dream Circle is nothing short of miraculous.
As a participant in the Circle: I am learning so much about myself and my dream, so quickly, and with so much FUN.
As the creator of the Circle: I am so proud of what I have created and how it can support dreamers and their dreams.
I’m seeing an expansion of this.? Letting more people into the Circle to experience this.? Bringing more dreams into the Incubator so that the obstacles can shrink and the dreams can GROW, NOW.
I’m seeing a deepening that sparks, holds and informs the expansion.
My JOB is the deepening.
My VISION is the expansion.
That’s where things are starting to come together and paint a clearer picture for me.
It’s not that I didn’t want my business to grow, it’s that I didn’t want growing my business to be my JOB.
There is a push and a strain and an energy of striving to that that doesn’t work for me.
What does work for me: grace and trust and a strong clear sense of purpose.? (With a solid understanding of business as one part of my foundation – it’s not that I want to leave the practicalities out of it.)
My next steps:
Last week I fell into a hole.? Then I dug myself out.? In the digging out I became stronger, surer and magically obtained a shovel.? Now I can use that shovel to start working on the deepening.
This week I’m going to explore the deepening.? I’m going to draw it out and journal about it and talk to it every day and see what it has to teach me.
And I’m going to read inspiring books about success – different approaches to success and stories of people who succeeded.
You + Me + Your Dream = Magic. Let?s play together:
Yesterday I made a very long video for the Creative Dream Circle titled: Creating safe space to work through the HARD when you’re completely freaking out.
That video title says a lot about how my week is going.
Monday morning I had to travel out of town to a funeral and my car wouldn’t start. Then things went downhill from there.
This is what I know for sure about hard times:
Hard times contain bright gifts
It’s when you face the things you think you can’t face that you discover how strong you actually are (much stronger than you think)
This is where you learn how to TRUST your magic.
Anyone can think positive when everything is going exactly how they want it to.
A Creative Dreamer sees the magic even when everything is going exactly how you don’t? want it to.
A Creative Dreamer remembers that they always have access to power, purpose, creativity, and spirit.? And trusts that these things are so much bigger than the obstacles and problems and stucks and whatever else that says you can’t do it.
Beautiful thoughts, but easier said than done, right?
Right!
Getting through this week with my optimism and creative spirit intact has taken even single bit of every single thing I’ve learned in 18 years of studying the spiritual art of wish fulfillment.
And I couldn’t do it alone.? I am grateful to have such supportive people in my world.
When I shared the Creating safe space to work through the HARD when you’re completely freaking out VIDEO in the Circle last night, we created that safe space in our forum together, so that it’s there any time we need it.? The space is filled with:
+ permission to be where you are and not have it mean anything about you or your dream or anything
+ acceptance and legitimacy for everything you’re feeling and experiencing
+ trusting your own unique process and timing
+ sovereignty, safety, spaciousness, healing and possibility
+ love, flowing in all directions to all parts of you
When you create containers, practices and spaces to work through the hard, rather than trying to avoid it or just letting it crush your spirit, that’s where you find the magic.
The magic has guided me out of some dark and icky holes this week.
It’s shown me some truths about where I hold myself back and how I might want to look at approaching things differently.
And it’s shown me an entirely new level of DETERMINATION to not compromise in living a life that is true to who I know I am.
And next week when everything isn’t so craptastic (do you hear that next week?? you are going to go easy on me!) I’ll still have all of this DETERMINATION – and it will be supercharged jetfuel for my Creative Dreams.
And I know that the magic is there to guide you, too.
You + Me + Your Dream = Magic. Let?s play together:
In honour of the Solstice, and how creative dreams = shining your light into the world, we’re doing a Visibility Teleclass on Friday, Dec 21 in the Creative Dream Circle.
Visibility terrifies me.? I’m also convinced it’s the only way for me to reach my goals.
This conflict has held me back and continues to hold me back and I’m sick of it.
So I’m holding a tele-circle about it.
Not to say “Hey I’m the expert, let me explain this to you” but to say “this is something we all need to explore and work on (me maybe more than the other Circle members) so let’s draw on the magic + possibility of our circle, invite Visibility to play with us, and see where it goes”.
In preparation for that, I invited Visibility into my day today, and with it has come an inner critic who wants it to be known that I have no time for this.? We’re in a disaster situation and I have important work to do and holy crap this is stupid.
And visibility is here, kind of like a ball of sunshine Smiling and Loving and not being even the slightest bit upset about the chilly reception she’s getting from my inner critic.
Visibility wants to pick me up and hug me and when she does, I turn into a very cuddly smiley face.? And she holds me up in the sky, like the sun.? And I get to shine my gifts for whoever wants to see them and it’s pretty amazing.
And then a bit of terror starts to burst through my little smiley face body… and it feels so big but actually it’s smaller than her smile.
Visibility whispers to me that the things I am afraid of actually have nothing to do with visibility.? The things I’m afraid of are just the things I’m afraid of.? I’ll be afraid of them with or without her.
That’s pretty mindblowing, in that well of course it’s true kind of way.
Visibility opens her hand to show me the story of what happens in my world when I let her in.? There’s success and ease and light and ohmygosh such gigantic smiles.? Who knew about the smiles?
Hmmm.? So visibility is not just a necessary evil like I thought it was, it’s a smile and a gift and a hug and I’m starting to want some.
The gifts of visibility.
I never even think about them. I’m always seeing the pain in the ass of visibility.
Which I am now seeing, is the pain in the ass of my own stuff, not the pain in the ass of visibility.? And that actually I can put that down now, if I want.? It’s time, it’s safe to do this, I’m ready to do this.
In fact, the “disasters” happening in my life right now are merely invitations to put this stuff down.
And again with the that’s so true it’s blowing my mind.
Want to play along?
You can invite any quality you like into your day just by pretending it’s there. Let it hang out with you, get creative with it and see what kinds of mindblowing true things it will tell you.
Or you can join the Creative Dream Circle and come to the Visibility Tele-Class which, now that I understand how to make friends with visibility, is going to be quite the party.
We’re listening to the Abundance Activator every day, which is a 6 minute supercharged meditation to activate your Creative Spirit.
What’s happening as we do this is we’re learning *so much* about our relationship with abundance and possibility and blocks and believing in ourselves and trusting and not trusting and etc, etc, etc.? It’s completely amazing.
And Josephine has been listening with her mom, and was inspired to create this:
Obviously, Josephine is completely adorable.
What really strikes me though – is how free she is, how connected she is to her own creative spirit and how willing she is to share it.
It kind of makes me want to cry for me-from-that-age. And then get all pouty about how amazing I’d be doing now if I had learned how to express myself freely and creatively at her age.
But mostly it makes me very, very happy for the future.
Thank you Josephine!? You are a light.
PS: You and your dreams are cordially invited to join the fun in the Creative Dream Circle.? The best time to start is always NOW.
![[IMAGE] She believed she could, so she did.](http://distilleryimage3.s3.amazonaws.com/1438ca3429d911e289dc22000a9f12b0_7.jpg)
