Creative Entrepreneur

Too many soulful creative beings are STUCK when it comes to money. It’s time to change this.

creative with money

Money is an energy.

You are either using money to nurture your dreams or you are using money in ways that sabotage your dreams.?

There is no grey area.

It’s not about how much you have.? It’s about how you’re using what you’ve got.

It’s not about how much you have.? It’s about how you’re using what you’ve got.

I repeated that because the idea that If I had MORE money it would be easier to have what I want is keeping you from using what you’ve got to grow your dream NOW.

I’ve never heard of anyone saying “If I had MORE money it would be easier to have what I want” and then going out and GETTING more money and *pouf* dream life achieved, happily ever after.

I’ve heard TONS of people say “If I had MORE money it would be easier to have what I want” and then be annoyed and frustrated and stuck about it.? Myself included.

Money is a tool.? How you use that tool is everything.

Do you spend money every month on things that support you in living your best light and light you up with joy?

Or does that seem frivolous?

Do you feel like you have CHOICE when it comes to what you spend your money on, or is it all gone as soon as you get it?

That’s an ENERGY MANAGEMENT problem.? You do NOT have to wait until you have more money coming in to solve it.

In fact making more money won’t solve this one at all – the more money you’ve got coming in the faster it will be gone.

How does money FUNCTION in your world?

Money can either support DREAMS and GROWTH or it can support STUCKNESS.

We all have fear around money.

We live in a culture that is completely fucked up about money.? You don’t grow up in this world and magically end up with a healthy relationship with money.

It’s something you have to work on.

It’s something you have to consciously choose to create for yourself.

You absolutely have the ability to have a healthy and happy relationship with money – it’s in your nature.

You can start by getting out your journal and answering the three questions I asked in this post.? Next week I’ll share a whole bunch of creative journal prompts for exploring your relationship with money.

In the Creative With Money e-Course we use creativity, imagination and PLAY to make working on your relationship with money accessible and interesting and even (gasp!) FUN.


Too many soulful creative beings are STUCK when it comes to money. It’s time to change this. Read More »

Update #15: BREAKTHROUGH. Living gorgeously with my dreams.

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, it?s less about the numbers and more about growing my capacity to serve dreamers everywhere in living gorgeously with their dreams – gorgeously meaning in alignment with their inner truth.

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.

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gorgeous

So the last month or so this has felt stupidly complicated.

I’ve been exploring, and ultimately decided to totally recreate, my marketing plan.

This kind of stems back to the question I was asking when I first started this journey: To get a different result, do I have to do something different than I’ve been doing, or do I just have to do MORE of what I’ve been doing?

I’m not a marketing expert.? I’m really happy that I’ve learned enough about it to make a living doing the work that lights me up.? But my marketing has always felt a little murky.

Marketing is essentially being clear about who you help and how you help them and explaining that in a way that they can understand.? I’ve got a Bernina sewing machine.? When I run into trouble with it, I go to the Bernina authorized dealer & repair shop.? I know that they are the ones to solve my problem.? They help Bernina machine owners keep their machine running happily.

It’s never been that cut and dried for me to say WHO I help or even HOW I help.

The last few years my marketing message has been that I can help creative, spiritual people make their dreams real.

And that’s changing.? Sort of.

My job is to hold the space of where you want to be, give you the tools that help you build a path that leads to where you want to be, and hold the space for you to complete the construction.

That’s what I do in the Creative Dream Circle.

And that’s what I’m going to do in my marketing now.

So this is my new plan:

I’m going to talk about living gorgeously with your dreams instead of talking about how to get your dream.

Which is still talking about the same thing but with a different vibe.? It floats above resistance.? It’s more inspiring and encouraging.

People who believe that their dream is impossible are probably not going to want to listen.? People who are living gorgeously with their dreams, like the people in the Circle, are going to be inspired to listen more closely.

Until now, when I’ve tried to really dig down and get clearer on my marketing…? Blah blah fucking blah.? That is all I can think when I try to focus on it which is why I have not focused on it very much at all.

I want to admit here that when I first started taking business classes, when I was still doing my classes in-person and just thinking about moving it online, I cried, A LOT, about how hard it was to nail this stuff down.

But now, here I am on the other side of it.? These past few months I’ve spent a whole ton of time and energy focused on exactly this thing? – who do I really want to serve and how – and yes it was really frustrating at times but my results are INSPIRING.

My heart is actually sparkling with joy about the to-do list I put together for this week.? I want to EXPLODE with happiness about having a 2014 class calendar all set up (more on that below).

I want to sing and dance about how I feel about promoting the upcoming Creative With Money course I’m doing in the Circle.

Things are shifting, big time.

You have to be wiling to shift through the muck to get to clarity.? They’re both necessary parts of the process.

I also simplified & updated my website to align with how I’m feeling about this now, and added a welcoming new home page.? (I do plan to record a new video for it – hopefully soon)

The new header is one of my dream-bots, and let me tell you: he is THRILLED to sit at the top of the page and be able to welcome you here.

robot

This is one of the robots that keeps the dream factory humming happily.

He invokes ease, support & delight.

Another result of that digging is that I created a course calendar… FOR THE WHOLE YEAR.

I’m going to create SIX new courses and run a few of my old favourites.

The new classes are very much about living gorgeously with your dreams and LOVING LOVING LOVING the deliciousness of creative soulful exploration.? Lots of journaling and magic-making.? Deep, transformative processes and playful healing work.

And I feel amazing, having a solid schedule mapped out for the whole year. It’s an incredible relief to know what I’m going to be doing all year.? (Though it’s also spacious enough to accommodate change)

And the work I’ve set up for myself to do is inspiring the heck out of me!

Though the numbers are still small.

In terms of numbers, so far this year I’m not getting more sign-ups than I used to when I ran all of my courses separately.

The Circle is just over 80 members now, growing slowly.? I’m accepting that it may not grow fast enough for me to stop doing one-on-one sessions completely, but/and I’m feeling really optimistic and happy with it.

I love what I’ve built.? I love the people that have joined.? It is growing slower than I’d hoped but that seems so small in comparison to how happy I am.

And I do anticipate an upswing in new members as we get closer to Creative With Money (starting April 3) which is a really fantastically awesome class, if I do say so myself.

One thing I do need to do more of that I’ve been totally stuck on is SHARING PEOPLE’S STORIES.

Miracles are happening all the time inside the Circle and I know if more people knew about it they’d want to be a part of it.? I know that sharing these stories is fun and inspiring and the best selling tool I’ve got and I haven’t been doing it.

So that’s what I’m exploring now.? Not so much “why am I not doing this?” but more “how can I find a way to start doing this that I feel comfortable with?”.? There has got to be a creative, soulful, EASY entry point to doing that, and I’m going to find it.


Update #15: BREAKTHROUGH. Living gorgeously with my dreams. Read More »

Update #13. Unlocking a new level of Believing in Myself

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 – 13 weeks in – the goal is less about the numbers and more about stretching my capacity to serve dreamers everywhere in bringing their dreams to LIFE.

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 is a BIG week for me.

I feel like I’ve hit a whole new level of creative spiritual entrepreneurship and I am VERY happy to be here.

Inside the Creative Dream Circle, we’re working on module 4 of the Creative Dream Incubator which is all about transforming fear, turning inner critics into allies and shifting comfort zones to include less of what you don’t want and more of what you do want.

I’ve gone through this process many times, and each time there are new gifts in it for me.

And each time it gets a little easier to face my fears.

But this week it’s RIDICULOUSLY easy.

My fears are showing up TINY and with a sense of great spaciousness around them.

This has a such a radical impact on how I feel!

Which is giving me a clearer perspective, which is helping me see the things I wasn’t seeing before.

It’s not just that I have the courage to look at the things I didn’t want to look at before, it’s that I can look at them and see through the problem right to the solution.

I feel like I unlocked a new level of believing in myself.

believing

Of course, I’ve been working on my new Guided Journal & Colouring Book: You Got This. Dissolving Doubt & Bolstering Your Potential to Believe in Yourself and the book is working its magic on me, for sure.

(That book will be available on TUESDAY!)

And, this is update THIRTEEN – that’s thirteen weeks of focused attention to what I want to create.? Momentum builds over time.

Plus, I got some help from my friends this week.

I’ve got Hiro Boga‘s words ringing in my ears, something she said to me when I asked her a question that I am still working out the answer to.? I had a tea date with Jamie Ridler and as we chatted about what we’re doing in our businesses I got a HUGE piece of clarity.? Then I asked Kate James a question about marketing and her response brought me to exactly where I need to be.

Even though I work alone, I have such a rich network of creative support.? Feeling super grateful for this.

When I started this series, I shared the things I was going to do each week, including making time to revisit some of the better business courses I have taken over the years, like Unveiling the Heart of your Business (highly highly recommended if you are just starting out in business) and Become Your Own Business Adviser (much more expensive but highly recommended if you are a little further along) and the book The Creative Entrepreneur.

I’ve been doing that, a bit.?? But I was kind of just flitting around, reading things here and there, and not being clear on where to focus.

This week I saw where I need to focus: marketing.

To take apart my entire marketing strategy and re-build it.

It’s like I am looking at everything with much clearer eyes right now and seeing new possibilities, so I want to re-build.

What I’ve been doing has worked, so it hadn’t really occurred to me to take it apart and re-build it.

I was operating on the assumption that if you can get 10 people you can get 100, and it you can get 100 you can get 800 – it just takes more time.? And the most important part is to stretch your internal capacity, so that’s where I focused.

Well now that I have been stretching my internal capacity for 13 weeks I see things differently.

Also, if you’ve been following these updates you know I’ve been doing a lot of journaling and exploring what “working” means and what I want it to mean in my business, and how I want my business to feel for me and what kind of impact I want it to have.

It’s all coming to a head now.? I can see how and where things aren’t working – according to my NEW definition.? I can see how to take apart the parts that are not working.? I can see what I want to build.

I’ve spent two years building the insides of the Creative Dream Circle as my full-time job.? Now it’s time to build an outside that is worthy of the inside.

People join the Circle are are surprised by how much is there, by how powerful and transformational it is.

It’s a happy surprise, but still – I don’t want them to be surprised!? I want to be describing it better and I feel really clear right now on how to do that.

I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me, and I am super excited about diving into it.

PS: Remember if you join the Circle NOW – you get to come to next week’s Creative Journal Playdate!

Update #13. Unlocking a new level of Believing in Myself Read More »

How disappointment is LIBERATING

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)

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.

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When you have a dream, you almost always have things you know you could do about it, that you are not doing. Like – I want to write a book but I am not sitting down to write.

The things you know to do are not necessarily the things that are going to get you what you want. But doing them gets you moving.

When you stay in your stories of what you think it will be like, instead of diving into the process, you create an energy of resistance around you.

I had an energy of resistance around me about doing everything I could to promote my courses.? So last month I decided to do ALL THE THINGS I knew to do, to promote it.

Exhausting, yes. But it created movement and detangled the resistance energy around me. Totally worth it.

I discovered that doing ALL THE THINGS didn’t actually work!

liberating

While I was happy with the number of people who signed up for the Creative Dream Incubator last month, it was only a small increase over how many people signed up last January. And given that I dropped the price this year, it meant I didn’t make more money this January than I did last January.

That was disappointing. I still made more money than I need, doing the things I love most, so it’s not a total bust or anything.

And just a little time journaling about it showed that it was, in fact, liberating.

What if WORKING MY ASS OFF had doubled my income?

Wouldn’t I then be tempted to keep WORKING MY ASS OFF as my permanent plan, instead of temporary measures to get myself out of resistance and into movement?

Even though I was journaling in a coffee shop, I actually laughed out loud about this. Of course I didn’t want it to work!

But now I see all these new possibilities for how this can work, now that I am MOVING with this.

It’s like that process of doing everything I thought I “should” be doing was little a clarifying fire. It burned off all this bullshit and has left me so much more connected to my truth. The inner critic who says “You have to follow the rules” is probably not totally gone, but got a LOT smaller this week.

Such a beautiful thing and totally worth the discomfort of staying out of my comfort zone last month.

The most amazing thing this week is that there are miracles happening EVERYWHERE in the Circle.

People are opening up to their dreams and miracles are happening. I never get tired of seeing this happen.

The energy of the Circle is amazing and it is drawing new people in.

I’m also hearing a recurring theme from new members, that they have wanted to join for a long time, but they were scared because they knew that joining would mean dropping all of their excuses for why they can’t have what they want. And dropping your excuses is terrifying!

(Well, actually, I think getting to the end of your life and looking back to see you followed other people’s rules and didn’t get any of YOUR dreams is much more terrifying)

The Circle is a SAFE space for doing this work and for facing the hard stuff in the lightest possible way.? People are so relieved to find there is so much love and support for doing this work with LIGHTNESS.

Now I’m wondering – how do I create more of that safety out here? A public blog is not a clear, solid container like a private program is. But there have to be ways to invite more of those qualities in, there has to be a way to create a safer path.

This weekend I’ll be journaling about that, and exploring some exciting ideas that are springing up in the places where the “you have to follow the rules” inner critic used to hang out.


How disappointment is LIBERATING Read More »

Venturing into new Territory

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)

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.

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I remember the first time I read what Deepak Chopra said about the process of metamorphosis, how a caterpillar turns into mush and a butterfly is born out of that mush and how our transformation works in the same way.

You don’t just suddenly sprout wings.? You turn into mush and then emerge from the mush brighter, stronger and truer.

This week, I am that mush!
mandala creative journal

It feels like new space is opening up inside me.? Like my heart has more room now.

Good stuff happened this week which I’m not ready to talk about just yet, since I am in the mush.

mandala creative journal

So I’m just not in the headspace to share a detailed practical kind of update.

I can say that the Creative Dream Incubator e-Course started inside the Creative Dream Circle this week and it’s AMAZING.

We’ve got over 70 members in the Circle now which is buzzing and sparkling.

I worked hard this month, I kept the pedal to the metal.? I tripled my web traffic!? I welcomed really wonderfully fantastic new members into the Circle!

I am really happy with how this is going.

I don’t want to let the mushiness of transformation and shifting into something new that I am feeling right now to dampen the momentum I worked hard to build.

So, this weekend I’m spending some time with my journal, my analytics and these questions:

What worked?

What didn’t work?

How am I defining “worked”?? Am I clear on how much energy I want to be putting in to make things “work”?

What do I want to do more of next month?

What do I want to do less of next month?

If everything about running my business could be exactly how I wanted it to be – how would that be?? What do I really want to be doing?

… looking forward to exploring this.

PS: I’ve been getting a lot of emails from people wondering if they can still join the Circle now, even though the Creative Dream Incubator started on Tuesday.? The answer is YES.

There is one rule in the Incubator course: You are never behind!? This is deep transformation which you can only do in YOUR own time.

So if you’re feeling like you’d like to join us, join us!

Venturing into new Territory Read More »

Being Ridiculously Happy

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)

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.

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Today I am so grateful that I stayed with the discomfort of shifting my comfort zone these past few weeks.? It’s not that being uncomfortable is inherently valuable, it’s more like in order to hold a new intention you have to be willing to hold that new intention no matter how it feels or else you won’t be able to move into it.

And new usually does feel uncomfortable because it’s outside of our familiar zone.

The numbers I am working with, like having 800 members in the Creative Dream Circle, aren’t really about the numbers.? It’s more about the energy, feelings and qualities of it.

A business is a tangible thing and I wanted a tangible set of numbers to work with.? The number that best matched the energy, feelings and qualities is 800.

The other number I’ve been playing with is around 3,500 – 4,000.? This is the number of unique monthly visitors per month I have had for the last few years.?

For those who don’t speak analytics this means the number of different people who visit my site, this is not the total number of page hits.? Even if you visit once a week, you are only counted as one person – and everyone who gets my blog posts sent via email aren’t counted in this number at all.

Given how honest and vulnerable I am in what I share here – I was simply NOT comfortable with this number being any higher than 4,000.? Also – coaches don’t need huge audiences to have enough clients.

But my dream has been telling me that in order to grow the Circle I do need to grow my audience.

Substantially.? To about 20,000 unique monthly visitors.

Which terrified me!

I was barely comfortable with 4,000!

What has helped me the most is to keep remembering that it’s not about me.

I’ve studied how dreams grow WAY MORE than anyone I know.? I have so much passion and love for dreams.? I have created programs that literally GROW DREAMS.

I am not the point – DREAMS are the point!? I didn’t do this work to get attention for myself, I did this work because DREAMS MATTER TO ME.

I feel strongly that dreams are going to heal the world.? I am deeply committed to supporting this in happening.

When I sit with the desire to serve the whole world through serving more dreamers, I feel like I can do anything.? I feel like the whole universe (which loves dreams very much) is actively supporting me.

This feels amazing.

And I even feel safe bringing my work to a larger audience.

And it’s happening quickly!? Right now I’m now at just over 9,000 unique monthly visitors.?

My number more than doubled in a month.

And it’s happening in a sustainable way – at this point it would be hard for me to slow down that growth.? (For Circle members, I am sharing the details of what I’m doing to make this happen in the Creative Business Incubator)

Of course, traffic does not equal Circle members!? But having 800 members by the end of the year seems completely do-able with what the numbers are doing right now.

I feel like I was in a rut.? And I set my sights on going somewhere new.

And the process of getting out of that rut and creating a new path was awkward and uncomfortable and exhausting – but now I’m here.? Solid and steady on the new path.

I still have to walk the path – but actually getting on the path is harder than walking along it.? Such a satisfying feeling.

I am super in love with my dream, with the Circle, with the Circle members… all of it.

I know that love is a powerful magnet and light – helping draw more support and resources to me while lighting up my next steps on the path.

But that’s not what is making me happy.

What is making me happy is knowing that I am doing my best to make this work.

I’m not shying away from any of the things I usually shy away from.

I’m not avoiding looking at any parts of this.

I’m not wishing, hoping or praying things will change, I am being ACTIVE about CHANGING THEM.

I’m not letting my inner critics or limiting beliefs decide how things have to be.

Whatever the outcome ends up being – THIS feels amazing.

happy

This is my favourite part of Creative Dreaming: getting into FLOW

Bringing a dream to life is about this inner work of connecting more deeply to the core of who you are.

Bringing more of your soul’s presence (and power and magic) into your everyday life.

There are bumps in the road because there are hard things to face in this process. (If it was easy- everyone would be living with their dreams)

There are also times when everything feels so amazingly right it’s hard to not burst into song about how gorgeous it all is.

PS: The Creative Dream Incubator e-Course is starting on TUESDAY!? You guys!? This class is amazing.? It’s not even a class as much as it’s a transformational dream-growing bubble of love.

You can read what Incubator Graduates have to say about it right here.

You can read all about the course right here.

You can join the Circle – to get this course plus every other course I do all year long – right here.

Being Ridiculously Happy Read More »

Theft. Breach of Trust. Recovering from Mistakes.

This is not about stealing ideas, when you copy from others, or when others accuse you of copying them (I did talk about that here).

I wrote this about a situation I am in where I did business with someone, then they took my share of the profits and keep refusing to give them to me.? But really, it’s about any kind of breach of trust.? And it’s about making mistakes and recovering with grace and integrity.

creative journaling
From a page in my journal, kind of reflects how I’m feeling about this.

When something like this happens, it’s tempting to throw all the blame in their direction, but you’ve got to take a look at how YOU got there!

Why did you trust and un-trustworthy person?? What made you say yes to the deal?? Was your intuition trying to push you away from it?

Think back to how you made the decision.? What process did you use to decide?? Have you used this decision-making style in the past and does it normally work for you?? Or is there is a flaw in how you’re making decisions?

Exploring and owning your part in it will help you avoid a situation like this in the future.

It could be that you ignored your intuition because you thought you’d get ______ (easy money, amazing exposure, a huge opportunity, love + acceptance from people you respect, etc).

It could be that your intuition led you right into this because there is something important for you here.

Those are two VERY different scenarios.? And even though the results look the same on the surface, they’re not.

In scenario 1: this is a lesson.? The sooner and better you learn it the sooner you won’t have to keep taking this test.

In scenario 2: this is a gift.? Even if you have to look really hard to find it.

You’ve got to own your part in it, but that does NOT mean that you don’t place the blame where blame is due.

Anyone who steals is a thief.? If someone breaks a promise to you, that is NOT your fault.? That part is not your part to own.

A lot of spiritual people want to focus on forgiveness and karma and not, like, take action.? This is usually done under the guise of being a spiritually evolved person, but it’s really more about being afraid to stand up for yourself and own your power.

I’ve just been sitting with it.? Exploring and owning my part.? I’ve been talking with one other person that I know is in the same boat.? We’re both talking about how we feel as well as exploring practical options for how we want to handle it.

I’ve actually been hoping that, if given some time, this person would give me the money.

Because taking action is uncomfortable.

So I didn’t take action.? I decided to be patient.? I wanted to trust her.

What did I get for my patience?

I still don’t have my money.

But I do have a firmer commitment to myself, to be more careful about who I do business with, and to take action sooner should I find myself in this kind of situation again.

I wrote that part last week and decided not to post it.

It didn’t feel done.? And today I can see why.

What I really want to write about is making mistakes and recovering from them with grace and integrity.

Because that’s the part that is really bothering me about this situation – how she’s handling it and what the long-term impact of this is going to be for her.

Everybody makes mistakes.? Often making a mistake is the only way to learn!? The path of Creative Dreaming is FULL of mistakes, because you’re creating your own path… you can’t create a totally-new totally-unique path already knowing how to do it.? You have to try things to find out how they work.

The only way to not make mistakes is to not do anything that hasn’t been done before.? And Creative Dreamers are too creative for that!

Making a mistake is NOT a problem.

What IS a problem is when you don’t FACE your mistake.? You try to bury it.

You tell yourself (and those you hurt in making the mistake) stories about you as the victim, about how there is nothing you can do.

In time you might even start to believe these bullshit stories.

But a part of you always knows that they’re not true.? You’re not a victim, you’re a creative genius.

There is always a way for you to transform any situation.? But the way to do that is never by avoiding the discomfort of facing up to your actions.

See, I see what is happening for this person who keeps refusing to give me my money.? She’s going deep into denial about her ability to make more money and just pay me (and the others she owes).? She’s sabotaging her own business.? Worst of all, she’s concerned about her mental health.

She’s got layers of guilt and shame and hurt about this in her energy body.? She’s pretending like they’re not there.? She’s not taking responsibility and cleaning up the situation, which means those layers of ick stay with her.

Of course she’s going to be depressed.

Guilt and shame are toxic.

And that is why it’s important to clean up your messes.

As a Creative Dreamer, you CANNOT go on to create your dreams in your world until you clean up those energies.

Admit, at least to yourself, what you actually did.?

Let go of the victim story, let go of the excuses.? Admit what you did without going into those stories.? Own your decision.? It was the best decision you knew to make in the moment.

Be willing to own the consequences.

Don’t try to put them off on other people, that doesn’t even actually work.? In the case of this person who took money from me (and others), to carry on not paying us back through the holiday season is soooo NOT cool.? Borrow money even if you have to use credit cards, have a drastic crazy sale if you have your own business, take on odd jobs, work 18 hours/day – do what you need to do, even if you think you can’t.? This is the consequence of your action.? Own it.

Because then everything lightens up!

Guilt and shame will not stick around after you’ve let go of your stories, owned your decision and cleaned up your mess.

Now you can find the lessons and gifts in the situation.

Now you’re free to go on to create something new.

The longer you go on insisting that you can’t do anything about this or re-telling your victim story about how you had no choice, the longer you stay in that icky energy, cut off from your own creative genius.

You’re better than that.


 

Theft. Breach of Trust. Recovering from Mistakes. Read More »

If it feels wrong, don’t do it.

When something just feels wrong, that is your intuition speaking to you, letting you know that something is off.

The more you ignore that inner wisdom and just bulldoze through, the easier it gets to just keep on bulldozing…. which creates a gigantic mess in your inner world, and makes it harder for yout o re-connect with your inner wisdom.

Bulldozing is not a tool for successful creative dreaming.

But bulldozing is basically what built our world. There’s a lot of it out there and it can be hard to not fall into that pattern.

I planned tomorrow’s Calm For The Holidays Creative Playdate months ago. It’s one of those times when what I need and want I want to offer are one and the same, and I was really looking forward to it.

But as the date approached, something started to feel off. It was subtle at first, and then I became more and more uncomfortable every time I tried to work on it.

A few weeks ago I started to think about cancelling it, because it felt so wrong. But canceling it felt even more wrong!

I did a lot of journaling and a lot of sitting with my feelings and just waiting.

Sometimes I can’t prep for an event like this until the day before because the energy is shifting so much. As soon as people sign up for a transformative event, transformation starts. So sometimes I wait until the last minute so that I am working with the energy that will show up at the event.

But that’s not what was happening this time. Something was really off.

So, instead of prepping for the class, I did even more journaling, even more sitting with my feelings, even more waiting.

And the answer came.

I wrote last week about a huge shift I am making in my work.

As soon as I shifted things around, the Calm For The Holidays Creative Playdate changed.

The feeling of something being off was gone. I happily prepped for the calls and created the playbook and once again I am soooooo looking forward to this.

Calm

Calm is a doorway that leads you to whatever you need right now.
Calm is powerful.
Calm is magic.

Doing what you need to do to get into a state of calm, instead of bulldozing through your to-do list, always brings you somewhere amazing,

I am so happy I worked through the tangled parts to get to this place.? Now the Calm For The Holidays Creative Playdate is going to be amazing.? (It’s tomorrow! Come play with us!)

I wanted to share that story as a little reminder of the importance of listening to your feelings.

Don’t be so hell-bent on Making Things Happen that you stop listening to your inner guidance.

Even when it seems like your inner guidance is trying to direct you away from something you really want, listen to it and explore it. Often it’s just showing you a shortcut or an easier path.


 

If it feels wrong, don’t do it. Read More »

I (kind of) messed up.

Or, I feel like I messed up.? Even though really I didn’t.

When I started my Creative Dream Circle, I wanted to explore ways to work with dreamers on an ongoing basis (because dreams need ongoing support!) – outside of my classes and in a much-less-expensive way than coaching.

So I invited people who had been taking classes with me to join this secret private group, and started exploring how we could make this work.

The Creative Dream Circle was around for a long time before I ever mentioned it on this blog.

Over the past few years, it has evolved a changed A LOT as I have learned more about what does and does not work.

As I said, what I have wanted to do is offer dreamers rich, on-going support in growing their dreams, for way less money than ongoing coaching.?? And I figured out how many people I needed in the group to make it viable for the amount of work I put into it…

But what I did not include in that calculation was my internal overwhelm-o-meter.

That meter is what has kept the group small, even as I have wanted to grow it.

I have been doing so much energy work with this dream of mine and there has always been part of it that felt tangly… I knew I was doing something to hold this back.

No matter how tangled a dream is, consistent inner work will get the tangles smoothed out and then the dream will grow.? I know this is always true.? So I kept working at it.

And now I see it.? And while I would not change a single thing of what has happened over the last few years (and it has definitely served me ever bit as it has served the group members) I can’t keep doing it this way.

During our monthly (and often twice monthly) calls, I had a promise to make sure no one ever left a call with questions, I would stay on the phone as long as need be.? I love my dreamers, I love talking with them and it was time well spent.

But energetically, this promise meant I was holding space for each member.? Which is a beautiful thing that I loved doing. But my capacity for doing that is quite small.

And that is why the group needed to stay small.? So that I wouldn’t be in a state of overwhelm holding space for everyone.

And truth be told keeping the group small has served also my HSP-ness and introversion and my somewhat neurotic relationship with visibility.

I set things up so that I needed more people in the group than I was able to have.

I messed up.? Sort of.? I see it more as “this is the path I took to get to where I want to be” because as long as you’re doing your best to listen to your own heart – you can’t really make a mistake when it comes to creative dreaming.

You can’t know things before you try/do/experience them!? So I tried.? And I learned.? And now I’m adjusting.

Also: it feels to me like the way I grew this group was the exact perfect way to grow this group. This path has given me time and space to get grounded in my role, to feel sturdy and capable of steering the ship.

But now the group is ready to go from delicate seedling to sturdy tree.

I am happy!

As I make this change, I feel deeply connected to Trust, Generosity and Whole-Heartedness.

So I am re-structuring to make space for MORE dreamers, and MORE dreams come true.

This is where it gets a little convoluted.

I started working on this change a few months ago.

I shifted the pricing structure from monthly to annual, and made the Circle MUCH less expensive.

At the same time, I separated the monthly tele-events from the Circle, and instead offered Circle members 50% discounts on tele-events.

And now I’m seeing how I had it part right, part not-right.? Because to offer these monthly events, and promote each one, and the admin work of creating each one as a separate thing…. the energy doesn’t feel right.? I actualy feels downright WRONG to keep doing this (my stomach tightens up, my shoulders get tense – my body and intuition are screaming at me to stop), which is why I’m not going to keep doing this.

I’m going to go back to offering the events for FREE to Circle members.? At the new, way-low price.

As the group grows, I can’t promise to answer very single question on every single call.? I can promise that the calls will continue to be amazing and fun and they’ll help you get in touch with your dreams and figure out how to bring them to life.

This promise feels so much more energetically balanced.? I can hold this promise as the group grows.

I hold + support the group, instead of each individual member in it.

And I’m creating new coaching and intuitive healing programs for 2014, so when people want more individual support, they can get it there.

It feels like simplicity and spaciousness and ease.

I love it.? More dreamers + more dreams come true in the Circle.? More vibrancy, energy and movement.

Ever since I made this decision, I have felt light and happy – so happy my heart has been kind of sparkling.? A sign of making the right choice.

And I wish I had figured this out a few months ago when I made the first change, so I could have made one big change all at once.

But when it comes to creative dreaming, with each step you take you gain new perspective + understanding which lets you take the next step.? This is at once the most inspiring + the most frustrating part for me.?

It’s just not always possible to do this with neat, logical straight-line paths, the path curves and swirls all over the place.

So now when you join the Circle: you’re going to get EVERYTHING.

ALL the tele-playdates and treasure-mapping parties and group coaching calls.

ALL of my e-courses (yes, including the Creative Dream Incubator itself which we’re going to do together early in the New Year plus Creative With Money which we’ll do later in 2013).

ALL of it.? For just $100/year.

I hope you’ll come play with me, we’re going to have the best time EVER in the Creative Dream Circle in 2014.

PS: While the change itself is in effect now (if you join the Circle you’ll get all the extra stuff I’m adding) my website still has everything set up in the old way. I’ll be changing this over the next few days.? It feels like the whole internet slows down for American Thanksgiving, so this is a good time for me to work on this.

I (kind of) messed up. Read More »

Live Q+A/PARTY today!

Today! Creative Biz Facebook Party!

It’s happening at 2pm Central (click for to see what time this is in YOUR time zone).

We?re meeting on the Creative Dream Incubator Facebook Page (make sure to follow that link and ?like? the page so that you can participate in the party!).

When the party starts, I?ll post a photo of a unicorn and the party will happen in the comments on that photo.

At the party you can:

  • meet creative kindred spirits
  • share links to your business (if you have one)
  • ask me anything you like about creativity, soul + business (I’ll be answering questions live for 30 minutes).

Hope to see you there!

And remember: TODAY is the last day of the fantastically epic Don?t Lose Your Shit Sale.

Each product helps with either productivity and organization, health and wellness, general business improvement, or some combination of the three.

This entire sale will be going POUF by the end of the day (today being Friday, August 9).

Clickity click-click to read all about it.

Live Q+A/PARTY today! Read More »

How to Not Freak Out About Money

Money seems to be the #1 problem for creative solo-preneurs, and the #1 barrier that keeps creatives from starting their own business.

Money isn’t about money.?

It’s about your inner relationship to your creative power, your ability to take care of yourself and create your world.? It’s about energy.? It’s about trusting the process of life.?

I’m sure you already know this.

The trick is to REMEMBER IT.

If money is about an inner relationship, then when money problems arise, you’ve got to go to that source to smooth them out.

Money problems are a sign that something in that inner relationship needs your attention.

Not making enough money in your creative business does NOT mean that you’re not good enough, or no one cares about what you have to offer.? It just means something needs to change.

You find out what needs to change by looking at what’s happening in that inner relationship.

This is hard to DO because of how SCARY money problems are.

Energetically it feels like your very survival is at stake when money problems arise.? And sometimes it is.

It can also hit some very painful self-esteem issues, it’s easy for personal worth and net worth to get all tangled up together.

Money issues often hit several emotional hot spots at once, which is what makes dealing with it so hard.

But when you get it right?? It is sooooo so so so so so so RIGHT.

Making the money you need for the life you want doing the things you love most?? THAT’S THE BEST.

Which is why it’s worth it to work on your inner relationship with money, even though it’s scary and hard.

My Creative With Money Kit leads you through the whole process of not just making friends with money, but building a creative soulful partnership with money (from the inside out) so you can work together to bring your dreams to life.

Obviously, that’s a big job.? And sometimes, because it’s such a big job, starting can be scary.

So, if you’re not quite ready for the full journey of getting?Creative With Money I thought I’d give you a simple way to simply START working on your relationship with money.

Hold a weekly (imaginary) meeting with money.

Nothing fancy – just a quick 5-10 minute check-in.

The thing that I say the most often to my clients is: This is going to get weird.? And the weirder it gets, the better it’s going to work.

Your creativity is GENIUS.

Your imagination is GENIUS.

Your brain is GENIUS.

You USE that genius by PLAYING with it.? So let’s play.

Hold an imaginary meeting with money.??

Imagine a table, with two chairs.? You’re sitting in one, money is sitting in the other.? You’re facing each other.

While you’re doing this don’t force anything.? Trust the imagery and ideas your amazing genius brain is bringing you.

Notice how money appears – big/small, nice/mean, clear/fuzzy… how money appears is full of clues about what’s going on in your inner relationship with money, and as you keep having your meeting, it will probably start to appear friendlier and more helpful over time.

Notice what kind of room you’re meeting in – it’s full of clues, too.? Notice how your meeting space changes over time (it will probably become lighter and more spacious).

Notice how easy or hard it is to talk to money.? Even if it’s hard, say hello.? See if you can get a conversation going.

The process of learning how to talk to money and partner with money in your inner world to bring your dreams to life is a long (and sometimes strange!) process.

When you hold these meetings – anything can happen.? Maybe money won’t stay in his seat, or he’ll refuse to talk to you.? Maybe you won’t know what to say.? Maybe you just won’t be able to understand each other.

The point is not to have the meeting go a certain way.? The point is to establish regular contact.

This way, when money problems come up, instead of freaking out you can hold an emergency meeting.

You can look for clues in how money appears and what’s happening in the room.

And you can meet money as an ally in finding a solution, rather than experiencing money as the problem.? <— That changes everything.

No matter what happens for you, if you keep holding meetings every week, and keep being as present as you can with the energy of money – things will start to shift.

  • You’ll start to see your patterns more clearly and you’ll know what to do to change them.
  • You’ll get brilliant ideas for ways to bring more money in, or to do more with what you already have.
  • As you become more present in your inner relationship with money, you’ll become more relaxed in your external relationship with money (suuuuuuch a relief!)

I know if you’re reading this, and have never tried anything like this before, you’re all WHAT?!? right now.

It can be tempting to believe that you’ll relax about money when you have more of it – so focusing on externals and GETTING MORE MONEY seems like the only solution, and having imaginary meetings seems ridiculous.

But, well, how’s that working for you so far?

Changing things on the outside rarely changes things on the inside.

If you read my blog you know all about my conversations with my inner critics and fears.? This is like that.

Shifting your internal patterns, one little bit at a time, by consciously interacting with them – with heaps and heaps of creativity and love.

This is the kind of thing that often requires a guide, when you’re starting out. And of course if you’re interested – I am happy to be that guide for you.? If you want help navigating this process, all my best advice/processes/tools for this are in the?Creative With Money Kit.

With the tools in the kit you’ll be well on your way to using your creativity, imagination and spirituality to develop a gorgeously abundant relationship with money – and a strong enough connection to weather any financial storms that come your way.

This week only, Creative With Money is a part of the epic Don’t Lose Your Shit Sale – awesometastic offerings from 30+ experts wrangled into one mind-bogglingly valuable package worth $1,500 that costs only $97.

Each product helps with either productivity and organization, health and wellness, general business improvement, or some combination of the three.

Click here to read all about it + get in on the sale.

Otherwise, you can get Creative With Money on it’s own for $88.

How to Not Freak Out About Money Read More »

Why DREAMING + PLAYING are more important than PRACTICALITIES.

We all seem to get to this place where we think it’s time to stop playing, and to start working.

Like it’s time to focus on the practical action steps.? To get real.

Like creativity and spirituality and exploring brave new (inner) worlds are awesome and all, but at some point you’ve got to start being a grown-up about your life.

At some point you need to-do lists and practical plans and well, you know – work just has to come before play.

This is bullshit.

PLAY has to come before WORK.?

The amazing discoveries that can only come through play inform your work and make it sparkle in a way that makes work-first work look boring and dull.? (Do you think your fabulously sparkling work might sell better than your boring dull work?)

CREATIVITY has to come before PRACTICALITY.?

The amazing wisdom that is accessible to you through your creativity will shake up and light up your plans in ways that are so brilliant they’ll make your practical thinking brain reel with jealousy.

If you put work before play and practicality before creativity, life gets dull.

You lose out on being in the flow of your unique creative genius.

And no matter how “successful” you become, you’re not going to be happy. ?If you define what success actually means to you I’m positive it will be about much more than how much money you’re making, or how many to-dos you’ve ticked off your list today.

Except it’s SCARY

You live in a world that tells you that work comes first, that you can count on the practicalities.

Even though, well, is it working for you?

For myself and my clients I’ve seen it happen time and time again: putting practicalities first puts you on that horrible hamster wheel of frustration of working-so-hard-while-not-getting-to-where-you-really-want-to-be.

Still, it’s hard to go against that kind of conditioning.

But that’s exactly what you’ve got to do – if you want to create REAL success.

Dreaming, playing, exploring your inner world… this is the path to real success.? Grounded and lasting and happy success.

It’s not that work isn’t a part of it.? It’s just that when you put these things first – work flows like magic.

You’ll have better ideas.

You’ll get more work done in less time.

You’ll be happier.

Win – win – win.

PUT YOUR WORK DOWN.? GO PLAY.

 

Why DREAMING + PLAYING are more important than PRACTICALITIES. Read More »

Time Management is a waste of time.

You’ve got to have stellar time management skills to succeed as a creative solo-preneur.

THIS IS A MYTH.

Here’s the truth:

You’ve got to have stellar ENERGY management skills to succeed as a creative being.

Developing stellar energy management skills is all about self-care, be-friending-of-the-self, discovering + activating your creative genius so you can do what you want to do from a place of true creative and spiritual power – all the stuff of Creative Dream Incubation.

Time is both limited and unlimited.

Limited in that you can’t actually create more time, so any time you try to manage the time you’ve got, you’re dealing in lack, trying to make the most of your measly slice of the pie.

Unlimited in that all you ever actually have is this moment, but this moment is infinite and contains infinite possibilities.? So even though you’ve only ever got this moment, this moment is plenty.

Energy is Unlimited.? But kind of complicated.

As a Highly Sensitive Person managing my energy seems like a pretty complex thing, but really it’s just about understanding what is good for me, and then doing that.

I don’t function at my highest creative potential when I’m not properly nurturing my energy.

I can easily get twice as much done in a morning, as I can in an afternoon.

The later I go to bed, the less I’ll be able to accomplish the next day.

If I go to bed after midnight – I simply will NOT be functioning from my creative genius the next day.? The energy won’t be there for that.? And sometimes it may take a few days to get back into my creative flow.

If I have alcohol I am putting my creative genius to sleep for at least 24 hours.

Etc, etc, etc. I discovered that I am an HSP about 15 years ago.? Since then I have learned a lot about what I need to flourish – it started by not trying to do what “everyone else is doing” and embracing the fact that if I want to be able to access my creative genius, I have to take care of myself.

This is the trick: When you function from your Creative Genius you don’t need anywhere near as much time to get shit done.

Plus, obviously, when you work from your Creative Genius your work is better.? You’re not just getting shit done, you’re making magic.

As a creative solo-preneur everything is easier when you are consistently doing your best work.

And you can’t access your best work if you’re not doing what you need to do to nurture your energy. ?You just end up running on a treadmill of to-do lists that you’re never going to catch up on.

The way off the treadmill is to focus on energy-nurturing instead of time-managing.

  1. Make a list of the things that fill you up. For me, this list includes: beach days, creative journaling, sewing, aromatherapy, mineral spa days, crystal healing meditations.
  2. Make a commitment to do some of those things every day.? No exceptions.

The fill-up is the most important part!

How far would you get if you kept driving your car and never stopped to fill it up?

Time management is all about trying to make the most of your empty tank of gas.

Energy management is all about filling the tank with the highest quality fuel and keeping it full, so your engine purrs happily all the way along the path to your dream come true.

 

 

Time Management is a waste of time. Read More »

It’s possible. I promise.

We live in amazing times.? Closed doors have been opened, the playing field has been leveled.

We live in a time when any creative person can turn their creative joy into their livelihood.

Maybe, technically, this was always true.? But not really.

When I graduated from university, with a degree in fashion design, I wanted to be an artist.

My fourth year of university had been a time of creative flourishing for me.? I was expanding creatively while exploring the world of textile art.? And my work showed a lot of promise.? I made the top 10 list for Designer of the Year.? And I remember my surface design teacher asking me to not give up, to find a way to keep doing the art I was doing.

And I told her I would.? And I did.? I mean, to the best of my ability.? And I’m only 39, but still – but still the world was very different than it is today.

To sell my work I had to approach galleries.? I had to spend hours and hours and hours preparing to present my work to each gallery.? And then, even when they did want to represent me – everything about it was entirely under their control, which meant my career was under their control.? As I kept showing my work I did start to build up a very small following, and was lucky enough to start to get some commissions but still, it was a long, hard road.

The traditional gallery system serves gallery owners far more than it serves artists.? This isn’t news.

The internet has changed that.? As creatives, we can market and promote ourselves, build our own audience and be empowered in our creative careers.

In fact, the internet has made it so easy that with $100 or less you can set yourself up to sell your art online.

This is good. And bad.

While there used to be too many barriers to entry, now there sometimes too few.

It’s MUCH easier to set up a blog and an etsy shop than it is to master your art.? This means it’s possible to set up your online art business before you’ve really developed your work.

Which means you put it out there too soon, before you really know what you’re saying as an artist.? And your potential customers don’t buy because they also don’t really know what you’re saying as an artist.? And you give up and decide that you’re not good enough.

But really, you just needed more time to find your creative voice.

It’s possible.? I promise.? But it may take more time than you want it to.

Spend more time creating.? Don’t start to sell your work because you want to start making money from it.? Start to sell your work because it really honestly truly feels like it’s time to share it.

And when it’s time, spend more time learning about business than you think you need to.? Remember that anyone can set up a blog and an etsy shop.? If you want to succeed you’ve got to go deeper.

And as I’ve already talked about, once you get the hang of marketing – bring your creative genius to it.? Play with it.? Have fun growing your business!

Learn from as many different people as you can.

I’ve had a lot of different business teachers/coaches.? It’s really helpful to get different perspectives and ideas.

That’s why I’m so happy about the Don’t Lost Your Shit sale.

$1500 worth of business products for $97?? This is what I mean about how it’s getting easier and easier to bring your creative business dream to life.? There is so much help available!

Most importantly: Don’t Give Up.

It doesn’t happen overnight.? But it will happen as long as you don’t give up.

It’s important to seek out different teachers and mentors to get different kinds of help.

And to create support systems for your dream.

Because it’s not going to be easy and you’re going to want to give up and it’s important that you don’t.

Why is this important?

All of my adult life I have felt driven to create a meaningful soulful creative life for myself.

I was never able to find a job that really fit that.

Some came close, but I needed the wild creative abandon that I can only get from being my own boss and crafting my own unique flavour of success.

It’s NOT about BUSINESS.

It’s about creating a life that is true to who you are.? And the simple reality that money has to come into play there somewhere and somehow.

While some time and energy are needed to figure things out and to create the structure of your business, ultimately you don’t have to spend any more time than you want to doing “business stuff”.

You can built it in a way that fits your skills and preferences.

You can leave out the parts you don’t like.

You can hire out the parts you don’t like.

There are a lot of options.

The main thing is to be true to yourself.

This is what I’m “working” on right now: DELIGHTING IN DOING THINGS MY WAY.

Even when, especially when, this is different from how “The Experts” say to do it.

And it feels GOOD.

creative journaling

I am so grateful that my life is so GREAT FULL!

And a huuuuuge piece of that is my work.

Getting to do the creative work that lights me up and feels congruent with my purpose and truth and soul.? Sharing my creative essence with the world.? Working with people that inspire me like crazy.

There were many many many many many many times along the way when I was sure I wouldn’t get here.

I am so grateful that I didn’t get up.

 

It’s possible. I promise. Read More »

You’re invited: Creative Biz Facebook Par Tay!

Next week only, my Creative With Money Kit is a part of the epic Don’t Lose Your Shit Sale – awesometastic offerings from 30+ experts wrangled into one mind-bogglingly valuable package worth $1,500.

Each product helps with either productivity and organization, health and wellness, general business improvement, or some combination of the three.

 

To celebrate, I’m writing about Creative Business every day next week, and then on Friday we’re having a Creative Biz Facebook Party!

 

You’re invited: Creative Biz Facebook Par Tay!

On Friday, August 9 at 2pm Central (click for to see what time this is in YOUR time zone).

We’re meeting on the Creative Dream Incubator Facebook Page (make sure to follow that link and “like” the page so that you can participate in the party!).

When the party starts, I’ll post the photo above of the unicorn and the party will happen in the comments on that photo.

You can:

  • Share links to your creative business, or tell us about your creative business dream!
  • Meet + chat with other inspiring creative business owners.
  • Ask me your questions about turning your dream into your business, or anything to do with creativity + business.? I’ll be there until 2:30 answering live!

It’s going to be superfun!

For now: Like the Creative Dream Incubator Facebook Page? so that you can participate in the party next Friday.

You’re invited: Creative Biz Facebook Par Tay! Read More »