How to plan so you actually follow through – even on those days when you don’t feel like working.

By Andrea Schroeder / January 17, 2017 / creative entrepreneur

How to plan so you actually follow through

Do any of these sound familiar?

I want to write a book, but I'm not sure where to start. Get an agent? Get a book deal? Write the thing? I don't know, and it makes me uncomfortable so I don't do anything.

(Books get written when writers write.)

I have a business plan for my creative business but, I don't know, I haven't done anything yet. I guess I'm not sure I know where to start, so I don't start.

(No one will find your creative work if you don't put it out there. Starting anywhere is better than not starting at all.)

I have this idea for a series of paintings I am CRAZY inspired about, but I can't seem to, like, get to work. I don't know, I just don't have time. How do you fit a really big creative project into your schedule anyway?

(You do the work by doing the work. There really is no way around that. If all you have is ten minutes a day - then do ten minutes a day. That will certainly get you there faster than waiting for your "ideal conditions fantasy" which is never going to come true)

What's going on?

First: there is this creative tension between planning for what you want to create in the future and being present in your creative energy in the moment.

You want to direct where you are going by having clear intentions. But you don't want to become a slave to your to-do list.

I mean you're an artist! You want to be free and creative.

This creative tension is why so many creative types resist planning, but on some level I think we all know that when you resist structure, you sabotage your dream (follow the link for a video I did on that).

Second: your creative project is likely connected to a creative dream of yours. So all the normal "OMG I HAVE A DREAM" stuff tends to come up, like: inner critics, limiting belief systems, comfort zones that are impossible to get out of, etc.

Whatever your personal issue with planning is - it's likely more about those two things than it is about planning itself.

Planning is simple. It seems complicated when something else is tangled up.

Usually facing that something else is so uncomfortable that we just say "Oh planning doesn't work for me, I'm too creative" and in doing that we shut the whole thing down.

So then you don't have to face the uncomfortable thing.

But you also don't get to move forward with your project. If you're willing to get uncomfortable in order to bring your creative projects to life, read on.

Here is how I handle it:

First, the completed project is my guiding light, the plan is NOT my guiding light. My plan is a map I draw of what I think the path to my completed project looks like.

But I keep in mind that I could be wrong.

Each time I take a step - my perspective changes and I know more about this project and what it needs. So the steps that I map out before I even begin the work are just guesses.

I need to make these guesses to give myself some kind of idea of where I'm going and how to get there but I have to be willing and able to change the plan as I move along that path. So I stay VERY flexible.

To keep my completed project as my guiding light, I connect with the essence of my project every day and find out what it needs.

This is similar to what I teach in my free class about learning how to connect with the essence of your dream. That process, done for 5-10 minutes a day, keeps the flow of inspiration, motivation and magic moving strong.

It's not a substitute for doing the work of course, but it helps make the work more possible on days when it feels impossible. That process is also how I get the intuitive ideas and information about what next steps to take to move my project forward. - and then I adjust my plan accordingly.

Staying flexible and able to adjust the plan is easier to do when you are super organised.

To organise my tasks, I group my work by different types.

For example, this is what is involved in most of my current projects: brainstorming planning writing: rough writing: editing/final copies admin prep: website, shopping cart, back-end stuff drawing/creating

(You will have different categories depending on the kind of creative work you do and how you like to group tasks together)

So when I talk about planning out the project, it means I have written out what needs to happen for each stage.

First I list everything I need to do. This includes writing out questions like "figure out how to do ____" and "research what is the best tool for _____".

Don't let "not knowing" stop you! There is no reason to already know everything before you start - you learn as you go.

And then I give each task a deadline. Some tasks have to follow other tasks. Some tasks have natural deadlines. Some tasks I have to pick deadlines for (if I put a task without a deadline into my planning system that means I’ll never do it).

If it’s complicated I draw out a flowchart first to help me see how it will all fit together, then I put everything into Asana (I like Asana but use whatever you like!) with sub-tasks and due dates.

This part of creative planning is boring and annoying.

I do it anyway because when all of the details are scheduled I can relax.

And when I can relax, I make space for my creative genius to come out to play.

Some people can be totally relaxed without being organsised. That's great - except that those people tend to get stressed out at the next step - when they start dropping balls because they're not organised enough to move the project forward.

So - get organised.

It's MUCH more annoying and time consuming the first few times you do this. Once you get used to organising your projects in this way it gets much faster to dump all of the details into some kind of project management software.

And be practical about how much work you can actually do.

I give myself lots of white space in my schedule. I set deadlines that don’t feel tight. I say no to a lot of opportunities in order to have lots of space for my own creative projects.

I put some of my projects on hold to give my attention to other projects. I do what I need to do to protect that white space.

I've also been working in this business full time for years so I have a good sense now of how long things will take me to do. When I started out I did NOT have that sense, and I consistently planned to finish work much faster than I was actually able to and then trying to keep up with my plans was a bit of a nightmare.

So I recommend being generous with your timing.

If your deadlines are too tight and something comes along and derails you (as life has a tendency to do) it's a lot harder to get back on track. Shit's going to happen, be committed to keep working the best you can anyway. It's the only way to get your project done.

One really cool thing about being super organised: you get to be super picky.

When I am uber-organised like this, that means I can pick and choose what I do on any given day. See, the deadlines are there to let me know when a task really needs to be done by, but, with lots of white space in my schedule, I tend to complete my tasks at least a few weeks before that.

This means I am free to choose each day what kind of task I want to do - so I get to work with where my creative energy actually is on my given day!

This is how you get more work done with less effort. This is also how you get to feel free and creative while staying organised and on track.

Some days I’m just in more of a brainstorming kind of space, I just want to drink lattes and explore in my journal.
Some days I feel like I am swimming in ideas and I want to organize them into groups.
Some days I want to take all the brainstorming and rough writing and put it together and edit it into something useful.
Some days I just want to drink tea and draw.

It really depends on where I’m at. Forcing myself to be somewhere I am not has never worked for me.

When my daily routine gives me lots of space to focus on the kind of work I want to do on a particular day - I don’t rebel against the tasks that I don’t like so much, like the admin stuff.

I do it cheerfully because I see how it’s supporting the rest of my work.

And because I’m spending most of the day doing what I feel like doing, so it’s no big deal to spend an hour doing something kind of tedious. And because I am still connected with the essence of my project every day, and deeply committed to getting the project done - I tend to gravitate towards wanting to do the things that most need doing.

(This is one of the magical side-effects of connecting with the essence of your project) Again - the key is being VERY organised while also staying VERY connected to the essence of your project.

I know - it's more complicated than this!

For one thing - your inner critics and (mostly unconscious) limiting patterns are going to influence both how you plan and how you implement your plans.

So doing the inner work is also necessary to keep your project moving forward.

And some projects have so many "unknowns" that there just isn't a way to make a plan.

I'm going to write about that in my next post - how to make a simple "anti-plan" that gets you moving forward anyway.

I mean - creative planning is SUCH a big topic.

If you want to explore this with me in more depth - get my DREAM PLAN KIT by joining Dream Book!

This includes a two hour class on creative planning + project management and a full dream plan kit for every part of the process - taking you from vague idea to final steps.

How to plan so you actually follow through – even on those days when you don’t feel like working. Read More »

Creative Planning: Why is it so hard sometimes?

By Andrea Schroeder / January 11, 2017 / creative entrepreneur

Creative Planning: Why is it so hard sometimes?

You want a plan that makes you excited to bounce out of bed in the morning and get to work.

Or at the very least, you want to feel like you know what you’re doing. Which is a pretty small dream to have so why is it so illusive sometimes?

We tend to think if we can just get our shit together and come up with a good plan - then we can make our creative dreams real. But it's a lot more complicated than that.

Planning is where the invisible ethereal essence and vision of your dream coalesce with outer-world action and work and transform into a real, live, fully birthed creative project.

I mean that's kind of a big deal.

So even thought we've all failed at creative planning I think we should pat ourselves on the back just for stepping onto the field and giving it a shot.

This is brave work. And over the next few weeks I'm going to be blogging about creative planning in hopes of offering some insight and ideas to help you brave the many pitfalls of the creative planning process.

Starting at the beginning: Before you can make a workable plan you have to know WHY you want a plan. I mean I know this seems obvious, but give this a chance - really give this some thought.

I want to feel sure about how to make this happen.
I want to feel organized.
I want to feel confident that I know what to do.

Then, once you have some answers that feel true - dig deeper.

I want to feel sure about how to make this happen BECAUSE: I’m worried that it’s not going to work out. I need to see it all planned out in black and white before I am going to believe that I can really do this.
I want to feel organized BECAUSE: I feel so disorganized and like I just don’t know what to do or how to do it. When I think about this I feel chaotic and frustrated.
I want to feel confident that I know what to do BECAUSE: I don’t trust myself to follow through. I have tried and given up so many times before.

You need to work with the uncomfortable feeling that gets triggered when you dig deeper, otherwise those feelings will take over and sabotage your planning process without you even noticing.

You want to create a plan that is supportive of you, your creative process and the result you are looking for. To get there you need to do your planning from a place of deep alignment with your inner wisdom, your creative genius and the heart and soul of your creative project. Because otherwise you are unconsciously planning from your inner critics, un-helpful patterns and limiting beliefs. So you start by clearing out those feelings, first by naming them. Everyone wants to skip this step but it’s the most important step.

So - go do it.

Now. Ask yourself WHY you want to plan. And then dig deeper into your answers. And, as I said, I'll be writing about creative planning for the next few weeks so we can keep exploring this together.

Then, on Feb 7, 2017 I'm offering a special Creative Dream Coaching Circle on Creative Planning and Project Management.

Crystal clear clarity on where planning mishaps come from and what to do about them.

This class is now a part of my library of resources that you get in Dream Book.

Creative Planning: Why is it so hard sometimes? Read More »

Let’s lift each other up.

By Andrea Schroeder / February 5, 2016 / creative entrepreneur

Helper-People Group Coaching is four weeks of live, weekly group coaching calls where we focus on the work of bringing your work to the world: making big plans, launching impossible projects, doing that thing you really want to be doing.

This can mean something different to everyone – I believe that all dreams, when brought to life, serve as a light for others to bring their dreams to life and in that way – all dreamers are helper-people.

You?ll start with a specific intention for what you want to do/learn/figure out/manifest during the month and, together, we?ll dig in and make it happen.

It’s going to be similar to Creative Emergence, the free 30 day course on making magic happen that I did on my blog in September 2015… but with the added element of ACTION. ?In Creative Emergence the practice was to connect with the heart and soul of your dream and journal about it every day.

For this I’m going to ask you to connect with the heart and soul of your intention for what you want to create every day (or as often as you can) and also TAKE ACTION towards it every week.

What action you take will depend on you – each Monday on the call (if you attend live or listen to the recording) you’ll come up with your own homework assignment.

We’ll use our private?forum for sharing our homework assignments and tracking progress – and for anything else you want to talk about as you do this 🙂

The group energy will help you succeed

Even though each of you will be working on something different, being a part of a group of people who are all taking action helps bolster everyone’s efforts.

Knowing that other people are out there, pushing themselves (reasonable pushing – we won’t bulldoze over our comfort zones or anything) helps you push yourself to keep going when you may feel ready to give up.

Hearing other people talk about their process will inspire you – we learn so much from each other.

We can literally lift each other up into our dreams. ?It’s going to be magic.

Each call?will start with a short meditation for connecting with the heart and soul of your intention for what you want to create during this program.

Then we’ll explore together – you can:

come on the line to talk to me about where you’re at and get cheering/advice/coaching
type your question into the question box while listening to the webcast
leave your questions here in the forum ahead of time if you can’t be there live (have them here before Monday in order for me to answer them on the call)

So essentially we’re going to get together and talk about the work of bringing your work to life – every Monday for four weeks. ?It’s going to be awesome! ?We’ll learn from and be inspired by each other.

At the end of each call I’m going to ask you to think about your homework for that week. ?What ACTION do you want to take to bring this dream to life?

You’ll make the decision about your homework from a place of deep connection to both the heart and soul of your dream and you own intuition – so you’ll be moving in the right direction, at the right pace for you.

If you get stuck I’ll be there to help.

If you can be on any of the calls live – come on the line and I can coach you through your?stuck.

If you can’t make it to the calls live, you can work with the un-sticking station and then post your?questions in our forum and?I’ll address them on the next call.

We start Monday, February 8.

This is free for all Creative Dream Circle?members – click here to?read more and join the Circle.

Let’s lift each other up. Read More »

There is room for everyone. No one can steal your dream.

By Andrea Schroeder / February 3, 2016 / creative entrepreneur

Last year I hosted?a free tele-summit. ?Every day for a week I had 2 coaching/teaching calls, and each call had a different guest-teacher – life?coaches, spiritual healers, teachers, artists.

During one of the calls, a woman came on the line to comment how amazing she thought it was that each and every guest was supportive and encouraging of me and my work, and I was supportive and encouraging of them and their work.

She could really feel the?love.

She was amazed that we were not competing with each other – that instead of fighting over potential clients we were working together and lifting each other up.

This is a pretty common fear for dreamers?and would-be dreamers: that there isn’t room for them.

That someone else is already doing the thing that you want to do.

And that because that other person got there first – it’s not there for you now. ?You’re just screwed so you may as well not even try.

But that’s not how it works. ?There is room for everyone.

And the only person who can steal your dream is you – by not giving it what it needs to grow.

See, I don’t see other coaches/teachers as competition – I see them as my colleagues + support system. ?Because we’re all in this together. ?We’re all trying to create a better world.

And no one understands what it takes to do what you want to do better than other people who are doing it too!

So when you band together with people who are doing what you want to do?you strengthen and grow everyone’s dreams – the more we support each other the more we all grow.

It’s not like McDonalds and Burger King both competing for the burger market.

I mean once you’ve had a burger you’re good until you’re hungry again. ?The burger satiates your hunger.

Really good coaching/inspiring/teaching?only grows your hunger for more.

I mean I am always taking classes and working with mentors to help me grow to the next level. ?The more I am helped by this work the more I want it.

Plus as I grow myself and my life the people around me notice this – and they want it too. ?So they sign up for classes and coaching too because they want what I have.?And so on, and so on.

It’s really not like McDonalds out there in the world of?competition. ?I mean McDonalds is actually harming it’s own customers – hardly a model for a stable healthy long-term business.

Of course they succeed because our society is sick.

And the life coaches and healers and teachers are working to change that. ?To create a new world. ?A healthy world.

It’s a totally different model.

And in this model, the more we support each other the more we all grow.

This is why I do helper-people group coaching. ?Because we are actually and literally stronger together.

For the last two years I?ve run this as a small coaching groups. ?In these groups I have helped people to:

Figure out how to start their helping business
Create marketing plans that feel good and inspiring?to implement
Narrow down their ideas and figure out where, exactly, to focus
Start blogging + vlogging (video blogging)
Find ways to factor self-care into their work day
Work on boundaries with clients?and customers
Find the courage to raise their prices
Decide if self employment is really for them or if there is a different way for them to help

This year I want to make it more accessible so I?m doing it as a bigger thing, free and open to everyone who is a member of the Creative?Dream Circle.

Starting this Monday, February 8 we’re going to gather together and help each other launch our projects out into the world.

These calls are for coaches, teachers, healers, therapists, artists – anyone who wants to put their projects/ideas/work out into the world.

You?ll start with a specific intention for what you want to do/learn/figure out/manifest during the month and, together, we?ll dig in and make it happen.

I?m not going to promise that I can make the path easy or anything like that (I think it?s hard for a reason ? we?ll get into that on these calls).

But I can help shine a light on the hard parts and help you navigate them with more ease and grace.

I can offer guidance, encouragement and?ridiculous amounts of inspiration and motivation to take some big steps towards your dream this February.

We?ll focus on two areas: helping you get better at helping people (grow your self/skills) and helping you help more people (grow your work/business).

Again ? helping the helper-people group coaching is going to be free for all Creative Dream Circle members. ?So if you want to get in on these calls just join the Circle.

The calls will happen?February 8, 15, 22, 29 (Mondays at 11am Central).

All calls will be recorded. ?If you can?t be on the calls live you can email me your questions and listen to my answers on the recording and participate?in the online forum.

If you?ve got any questions about how this can help YOU, just send me an email using the contact form on this page.

Looking forward to this!

There is room for everyone. No one can steal your dream. Read More »

How to bring impossible projects to life

By Andrea Schroeder / January 31, 2016 / creative entrepreneur

how to bring impossible projects to life

A few definitions to help explain what I'm saying here:

DREAM: A thing that calls/delights/inspires you. A thing you WANT.

PROJECT: A thing that you can do/create/work on to make your dream happen?- projects bring your dream into the physical world.

IMPOSSIBLE: The way all dreams feel when you're not giving them the love, time and attention they need.

Your dream is not impossible - you just don't see the way there yet.

So I wanted to design a deck of inspiration cards.

The logistics of this confounded me. Who prints them? What size could I make them in? How are they sold?

I imagined having a big box of decks in my loft and having to walk to the post office every day to mail off orders. I imagined that I wouldn't be making much money from these decks and having to spend all this time on them seemed like it would make it harder for me to do the work that I do get paid for.

It felt like there was no good way to do this.

But I still wanted it.

The dream of creating this deck of cards kept calling me no matter how much I tried to shut it up with "but it's impossible and I can't do it!".

I know you know the end of this story - I sorted out all of the logistics and I created a deck of cards.

You may even remember that it took many many months of working in it, including re-doing the artwork for the cards five times.

It was a long road and I was so happy to finally bring that project to life.

But the deck of cards I created last year is not the deck of cards I wanted to create.

When I tried to create the deck of cards I wanted to create, that deck told me that this other deck, the journaling cards, had to come first.

So I created this whole deck of journaling cards to lay the foundation for this other?deck of cards.

And you know what? I didn't know why.

I just know that when I connected with the essence of my project that it told me to make the other deck first, so I did.

Partnering with the essence of your project is the best way to bring it to life.

It's not the most logical way, that's for sure.

But it works.

And now that my first deck of cards is done, making the second deck, the one I really wanted to make, is much simpler.

I'm coming at this project from a totally different vantage point now.

Now I can see why I needed to do that deck before I could do this deck.

Your dream knows how to grow itself. Your project is an aspect of your dream.

For about twelve years, putting on a creativity workshop was another impossible dream of mine.

I wanted to do it so badly but just didn't know how. I mean where would it be and who would come and who was I to think I had anything to offer people anyway?

I just couldn't imagine standing in front of a room of people and knowing what to do to help them find the magic in creativity the way I had found it for myself.

I didn't trust my skills as a teacher yet. Which is good because I didn't have any skills back then.

But I had the dream and the dream led me to learn what I needed to learn and grow in the ways I needed to grow in order to bring that first project to life: my first creativity workshop.

Twelve years later my first creativity workshop finally happened in my living room. Two of my friends were the participants and we had a blast.

From there I kept learning, exploring and growing.

My last in-person creativity workshop happened in a church all lit up with beautiful stained glass, with 70 participants and a really amazing live band.

And I did it all with baby steps.

When you are connected to the essence of your dream, and listening to it and letting it guide you then it's easier to know which baby step to take.

Then the baby steps all string up together to become something bigger - your dream come true.

(When you're not coming from that deep connection to your dream then the baby steps you take may not all build on each other in the same way)

So what's your impossible project?

An art show?
A new blog?
A new facet of your creative business?
Finding a steady stream of clients for your coaching practice?
Teaching a new class or creating your first class?
Figuring out how to market your work in a way that feels authentic and generous?

No matter what your impossible project is, the process for bringing it to life is the same.

Your dream knows how to grow itself.

Your desire to do this thing comes from your soul - it's an aspect of your purpose and creativity brought to life. It's why you're here.

So working on your project connects you to all of that.

Bringing my projects to life has led me to where I am now: I have been helping people make their dreams real, as my full time job, for just over five years.

Putting your projects out into this world is a vital part of changing the world.

Which is why I started doing helper-people group coaching, to help others navigate the path so more of these impossible projects can come to life.

Because each project brought to life acts as a light that lights the way for others to bring their projects to life.

It's beautiful how we can support each other in that way.

The next session of this group coaching is starting next week (Monday, February 9, 2016).

We're going to gather together and help each other launch our projects out into the world.

These calls are for coaches, teachers, healers, therapists, artists - anyone who wants to put their projects?out into the world.

It's going to be amazing.

You'll start with a specific intention for what you want to do/learn/figure out/manifest during the month and, together, we'll dig in and make it happen.

I'm not going to promise that I can make the path easy or anything like that (I think it's hard for a reason - we'll get into that on these calls).

But I can help shine a light on the hard parts and help you navigate them with more ease and grace.

I can offer guidance, encouragement and ridiculous amounts of inspiration and motivation to take some big steps towards your dream this February.

We'll focus on two areas: helping you get better at helping people (grow your self/skills) and helping you help more people (grow your work/business).

This will be free for all Creative Dream Circle members.

So if you want to join us in launching your project - just join the Circle.

The calls will happen February 8, 15, 22, 19 (Mondays at 11am Central).

All calls will be recorded. If you can't be on the calls live you can email me your questions and listen to my answers on the recording and participate in the online forum.

If you've got any questions about how this can help YOU, just send me an email using the contact form on this page.

Looking forward to this!

How to bring impossible projects to life Read More »

Choosing to be a light in this world is no easy task. [free journaling + coloring page to help]

By Andrea Schroeder / January 26, 2016 / creative entrepreneur

We all have fear and self-doubt.

We all have that that?”who do you think you are???!?” voice.

We’ve all got stuff happening inside of us that makes it hard to shine our light.

Plus?we live in a world that is not exactly receptive to light. ?So even if we felt ready, it’s still a difficult thing?to do.

In other words: there are good reasons why you are afraid to put yourself out there!

When I made the decision to live my dream I was told – more than once – that I would definitely fail.

I was told by well-meaning people who love me that “I hope you don’t do this – you have such a good job. ?You should keep it.”.

I had friends stop calling me?because they couldn’t deal with their jealousy as I became successful at living my dreams.

I also had way more failure than successes, when it came to putting my work out into the world. ?And even when I started having more and more successes the weight of those?failures stayed with me.

It’s not an easy path.

But at the same time I would not trade any of it for anything.

The hard stuff helped me grow into who I am today: sure of myself, trusting of my dreams and grounded in living in tune with them.

Well – more like how I handled the hard stuff helped me grow into who I am today.

Which is what I want to talk about: your secret superpower.

Walking your talk.

Which is about trusting your light so much that you just have to live your life by it – no matter how hard it is.

What would that look like for you?

Really, sit with that question.

Anywhere where where you don’t trust your light enough to live by it – you are compromised.

You do this when you don’t take the advice you give your clients.

You do this when you pretend something?doesn’t?matter when really it does.

You do this when you don’t speak up.

You do this when you don’t believe?in the magic?of your dreams.

You do this when you let other people (or “the market”) tell your art is?worth instead of deciding for yourself.

You do this when you follow “expert advice” to get you to where you want to be instead of using your unique light to light your unique?path.

You, being as you as “you” can be, shining your light as bright as you can, being un-compromised in living in integrity with your heart – that’s what makes you magnetic.

That’s what draws people to you.

That’s the energy that builds dreams.

So how can you make it easier for yourself to shine your light more brightly?

That’s another question to sit with.

Because I realllly want you to sit with both of these questions,?I made a guided jounal + coloring page to make it more fun to do.

Click here to download the full resolution pdf file.? If you just save the image above you won’t get the full file.

Stepping up and choosing to be a light in this world is no easy task.

That is why I started doing??helper-people group coaching? to help navigate this path.

For the last two years I?ve run this as a small coaching groups. ?In these groups I have helped people to:

Figure out how to start their helping business
Create marketing plans that feel good and inspiring?to implement
Narrow down their ideas and figure out where, exactly, to focus
Start blogging + vlogging (video blogging)
Find ways to factor self-care into their work day
Work on boundaries with clients?and customers
Find the courage to raise their prices
Decide if self employment is really for them or if there is a different way for them to help

This year I want to make it more accessible so I?m doing it as a bigger thing, free and open to everyone who is a member of the Creative?Dream Circle.

This February we?ll do a four special coaching calls for healers/coaches/artists/helpers to dive into the work of growing your work.

You?ll start with a specific intention for what you want to do/learn/figure out/manifest during the month and, together, we?ll dig in and make it happen.

I?m not going to promise that I can make the path easy or anything like that (I think it?s hard for a reason ? we?ll get into that on these calls).

But I can help shine a light on the hard parts and help you navigate them with more ease and grace.

I can offer guidance, encouragement and?ridiculous amounts of inspiration and motivation to take some big steps towards your dream this February.

We?ll focus on two areas: helping you get better at helping people (grow your self/skills) and helping you help more people (grow your work/business).

Again ? helping the helper-people group coaching is going to be free for all Creative Dream Circle members. ?So if you want to get in on these calls just join the Circle.

If you?re unsure about spending the money ? then the first thing you?ll focus on in the coaching calls is to find a way to double your investment ? it will cost $147 to join so we?ll find a way for you to make a quick $294 helping other people.

(Also the next thing we?re doing in the Creative Dream Circle this year is my Creative?With Money class ? so if you join I?ll definitely be able to help you work through money blocks!)

The calls will happen?February 8, 15, 22, 19 (Mondays at 11am Central).

All calls will be recorded. ?If you can?t be on the calls live you can email me your questions and listen to my answers on the recording and participate?in the online forum.

If you?ve got any questions about how this can help YOU, just send me an email using the contact form on this page.

Looking forward to this!

Choosing to be a light in this world is no easy task. [free journaling + coloring page to help] Read More »

I want to help people help people.

By Andrea Schroeder / January 19, 2016 / creative entrepreneur

If you feel that call to help people then you are “one of the helper-people”.

Life coaches, artists, healers, therapists, teachers. ?We have that passion to make a difference.

It’s a really beautiful thing.

It’s also a really stressful thing because figuring out how to help is tricky.

The big questions usually are:

How do I help? ?How much training do I need? Am I ready/good enough?
How do?I help others without depleting myself?
Can I really make a living helping others? ?Really? How?

And?these questions have?dozens of other questions living inside of them.

For those of us who are called to help, figuring out how to do it successfully?is some of the most difficult and rewarding work we ever do.

I have been helping people make their dreams real, as my full time job, for just over five years.

And I was doing it on the side while working in an office job for about 5 years before that (back when I used to believe that it would be impossible for me to make a good living doing this work).

And for ten?years before that I dreamed of helping people without having any clue how to do it. ?All I knew is that I wanted to help make this world a better place, somehow, using my creativity.

Helping people is something I have always been called to do.

But the call didn’t come with instructions.

So I spent a lot of time stumbling around trying to figure stuff out,?which was frustrating and painful and awful.

Which is why I started doing?”helper-people group coaching” to help others navigate this path.

For the last two years I’ve run this as a small coaching groups. ?In these groups I have helped people to:

Figure out how to start their helping business
Create marketing plans that feel good and inspiring?to implement
Narrow down their ideas and figure out where, exactly, to focus
Start blogging + vlogging (video blogging)
Find ways to factor self-care into their work day
Work on boundaries with clients?and customers
Find the courage to raise their prices
Decide if self employment is really for them or if there is a different way for them to help

This year I want to make it more accessible so I’m doing it as a bigger thing, free and open to everyone who is a member of the Creative?Dream Circle.

This February we’ll do a four special coaching calls for healers/coaches/artists/helpers to dive into the work of growing your work.

You’ll start with a specific intention for what you want to do/learn/figure out/manifest during the month and, together, we’ll dig in and make it happen.

I’m not going to promise that I can make the path easy or anything like that (I think it’s hard for a reason – we’ll get into that on these calls).

But I can help shine a light on the hard parts and help you navigate them with more ease and grace.

I can offer guidance, encouragement and?ridiculous amounts of inspiration and motivation to take some big steps towards your dream this February.

We’ll focus on two areas: helping you get better at helping people (grow your self/skills) and helping you help more people (grow your work/business).

Again – helping the helper-people group coaching is going to be free for all Creative Dream Circle members. ?So if you want to get in on these calls just join the Circle.

If you’re unsure about spending the money – then the first thing you’ll focus on in the coaching calls is to find a way to double your investment – it will cost $147 to join so we’ll find a way for you to make a quick $294 helping other people.

(Also the next thing we’re doing in the Creative Dream Circle this year is my Creative?With Money class – so if you join I’ll definitely be able to help you work through money blocks!)

The calls will happen?February 8, 15, 22, 19 (Mondays at 11am Central).

All calls will be recorded. ?If you can’t be on the calls live you can email me your questions and listen to my answers on the recording and participate?in the online forum.

If you’ve got any questions about how this can help YOU, just send me an email using the contact form on this page.

Looking forward to this!

I want to help people help people. Read More »

Are you afraid to put yourself “out there”?

By Andrea Schroeder / January 8, 2016 / creative entrepreneur

On Monday I launched the Year Of Dreams Epic Playbool for Healing, Magic + Dreams Come True.

In the past, every time?I would put something new out there I would be super crazy nervous.

In fact, I would spend much of the day actually bracing myself for bad reactions. ?“This is stupid” “Who do you think you are, anyway?”?

Which makes sense!

Putting a dream out into the world is vulnerable and tender and scary. ?It’s like putting your heart out into the world…?what if the world doesn’t want it?

It’s terrifying.

But?now… now?I actually enjoy putting my ideas out there.

On Monday I flung?my Year of Dreams Epic Playbook out into the world, feeling fulfilled and happy and excited to be doing it.

Then I spent the day just being happy about it.

I got here by being there.

Each time I put something out there, and worked through my fears and doubts, that made it easier to do it again the next time.

I’m not saying to throw your dreams out into the world before they are ready. ?I mean if you want to be a life coach then get life coach training first. ?Coach people for free until you feel sure of your skills. ?Then put an offer out there and let people know it’s your first offer.

Don’t pretend to be an expert when you’re a beginner.

But?don’t let being a beginner stop you from beginning.

Every time I have an idea, and then carry it through to completion and put it out into the world I grow towards my bigness?which is just a really delicious thing.

I wanted to share that with you, in case you’re feeling unsure about putting your dreams out there.

You?don’t have to feel ready or brave or sure or anything like that. ?You just have to be willing to try – to take the step that’s in front of you to take.

When I put on my first creativity workshop I was absolutely positive that this work would never be able to generate enough income to support me. ?Absolutely positive.

I was just happy to do the workshops, that people would come and play with me.

My big dream at that time was to work down to 3 days a week at my office job so I could?have more time to explore this work.

And now I just celebrated my five year anniversary of leaving that job. ?My creativity workshops most definitely do make enough money to support me – it just didn’t happen in the way I envisioned it back then.

Taking steps towards what I wanted changed my perspective, opened up new possibilities and led me to live a bigger dream than I could imagine for myself back then.

It’s really magic how that works. ?One step at a time.

PS: If you want some help working through the fear of not being good enough or not being able to find the time or space to work on your dreams or simply not knowing how to start – I would love to help!

I filled the Creative Dream Circle with everything you need to navigate the inner and outer work of bringing dreams to life as a way of growing into who you really are.

PPS: In February I’m going to be doing a series of group coaching calls for people who want to put their ideas out into the world – healers, coaches, artists, teachers, etc. ?These calls will be free for all Creative Dream Circle members – I’ll have more details?to share about that soon.

Are you afraid to put yourself “out there”? Read More »

Balance is Bullshit. Real Self-Care Strategies for Highly Sensitive People with Big Dreams.

By Andrea Schroeder / December 1, 2015 / creative entrepreneur, innerwork101

Creating balance can feel like an impossible dream, or a never-ending task, because it is both of those things.

Balance has a crappy energy to it.

Ugh. I've just spent all day writing and re-writing this part. It keeps coming out way too crabby.

The truth is, I am anti-balance.

The only times in my life when I have been "super balanced" are the times when I was playing small, denying my real dreams and settling for less than what I actually wanted.

Sure I was balanced but no it wasn't worth it.

Life is messy. Dreams are messy. You're not always going to feel balanced and on top of everything. That's ok.

The truth is, a lot of growth happens in those messy un-balanced places.

So, if you can let go of wanting balance all the time - that's really helpful.

On the other hand, always feeling like things are out of control and like you can't balance it all is not healthy and won't nurture you or your dreams.

So, you need to be balanced in your need for balance.

Sometimes you'll have it, sometimes you won't.

Balance is precarious.

The energy of the word balance always makes me think of balancing on a balance beam. It feels awesome when you get it right but the threat of falling is always right there.

What is it that you want, when you say you want to be more balanced?

Take that question into your journal and really explore it.

For me, I want stability. The quality of stability feels grounding and helpful and safe for me. I want to feel stable in my life and in my dreams.

So I work with stability, not balance. For you it may be a different quality. Once you know that, then ask yourself:

What is it that you need, in order to feel balanced/stable/whatever quality you come up with?

Spend a lot of time with it in your journal. Go deep with this. Write out everything that comes to mind, even if it's super impossible.

For me, it's actually really simple.

I need to be organised for life to feel stable. In fact being super organised helps me be more present and free and creative - not just more balanced and stable.

Rushing to meet deadlines destroys my sense of stability so I don't do it. I plan everything out so that I'm working on things wayyyy in advance of actually needing them to be done and keep lots of empty space in my schedule.

This gives me a lot of freedom to handle unexpected things that come up.

And it gives me the space to be actually present with myself and my actual needs in the moment - I don't have to put that aside to meet a deadline.

And it means I can take full advantage of those times when my creative energy is high and I want to work a lot.

I've experimented a lot with this stuff over the years and this is what really works for me.

What actually works doesn't necessarily "look" balanced.

We all have stories about what a perfect, balanced life would look like. Those stories are mostly bullshit.

For me, having a real sense of stability means working 12 hours a day sometimes, and 2 hours a day other times.

It means having routines that change with the seasons, which includes adjustment periods at the beginning of each new season where I feel off.

There will always be trade-offs.

Part of why our culture has such a problem with balance is that we tend to want to have it all and balancing IT ALL is hard.

Stability, simplicity and spaciousness are important to me, so I keep them as my priorities.

I say no to a lot of projects and opportunities.

I say no to a lot of my own ideas, if they'll take up more energy than I feel comfortable giving them.

I don't do a lot of things I could be doing to make my business bigger.

And I am really happy with the choices I've made. It doesn't feel like settling, it feels like clarity, freedom and my perfect-fit life.

Luckily, there is a secret magic shortcut.

Creating balance is about trying to fit all the different things you want/need into your life in such a way that feels good.

Meanwhile you have all this power and magic beneath the surface.

So in a way, focusing on balance can be a bit of a trap that leaves you constantly chasing something you can never really hold onto.

But focusing on being happy and fulfilled and connected to your inner gifts makes you stronger and more capable - BIGGER.

Which means you can hold more and do more.

Some of the balance stuff that seems to hard when you're staying on the surface becomes really easy when you're working in your depths.

This has been my strategy as a highly sensitive business owner -the more I focus on nourishing self-care, the more I can do because I am more connected to my inner gifts + power.

When I focus too much on managing my time better and balancing it all then I wind up frustrated and overwhelmed because that leaves me feeling like there's too much on my plate, no matter how much is actually there.

In other words: it doesn't matter how much is on my plate, all that matters is how I feel about my plate.

Some things that are helpful for this:

1. Do the things that light you up. Every day.

Self-care practices really need to be daily practices to keep your tanks full. (This is why I share my bike rides and picnics and other adventures on my Instagram - as reminders of the delight of making self-care a daily priority)

2. Learn more about what you need.

Ask yourself "What do I need right now?" and sit with it until an answer comes. It's normal to not know what you want at first, the more you practice this the better you'll get.

3. Be honest.

It's amazing how much we lie to ourselves about how we feel. If something isn't OK for you, tell the truth. If it's too hard to tell other people at least tell yourself the truth about how you feel and what you want. Remember that your attitude creates the energy atmosphere that you live in. "I don't want this but I'm doing it because I don't know what else to do right now" is better than trying to convince yourself you're ok with doing something when really you're not.

4. Remember that your perspective is not The Truth and be willing to change it.

Like, if it makes sense to you that your self-care needs should always come last - change your perspective on that! Question your beliefs. Explore your inner world. Inner work is magic and it's amazing how much you can change your beliefs and attitudes which changes how you see the world which changes what?is possible for you.

5. Get creative about how you create your life.

If you're filling your life up with stuff you don't really want to be doing, stop it. Your dreams and your happiness are more important. You are a creative GENIUS and there is always a way to do things differently. (You may need to work on #4 in order to be able to do this)

Not that I am always super successful at this but this is my aim.

This means really diving in an exploring what's going on so I can find ways to get what I need while doing what I need to do.

So I meditate and journal and explore. I meet up with various inner critics and limiting beliefs that keep this situation all tangled up. And when I take the time to really explore all of that - I find simple perfect solutions to the things that overwhelm me.

If you're too quick to go into compromise-mode to create balance, you can lose out on finding a perfect solution.

That's why it's important to take the time to really explore what's going on in your inner world before taking action in the outer world - if you go right into action mode you are acting out of your limiting beliefs.

You are a creative GENIUS after all. And genius trumps balance every time.

There is always a way for you to create a perfect solution.

The key is to not put your energy into "creating balance", instead put your energy into creating a life that nourishes you and your dreams.

Which means being really committed to creating the life you want and taking an active role in creating it, every day - living from your genius.

Some days that will feel balanced and some days it will not.

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How to run a business by yourself while staying calm, inspired + happy.

By Andrea Schroeder / August 11, 2015 / creative entrepreneur

I went camping last weekend.? I left right after lunch on Friday, and came back Sunday night – to an overflowing inbox.

I did scan it for emergencies – if my students can’t access my classes or if I screwed up something for my clients or students I want to fix that right away.

But everything else can wait.

Because if I jump straight into my inbox then I’m allowing other people’s demands to shape my day.? Which means I’m giving up my power/ability to create.

Not that I never want to jump into my inbox – it’s that I want to go in with a plan.

So, I got up early Monday morning and went to the park. I sat down with a coffee and just appreciated everything.? This beautiful day, the amazing weekend I just had, how free and happy I was feeling in that moment and how free and happy I’d been feeling all weekend.

I breathed into all the places inside me that had softened and opened after a weekend away from other people and electricity and the buzz of the city.

I felt into the week ahead – all of my hopes and wishes and plans for what I’d like to create, experience and explore.

I did a Creative Genius Planning Session in my journal to pull out the qualities that are important for me to work with this week and I breathed them in.? (Circle members: there’s a Creative Genius Planning Kit with videos/meditation/worksheets in the Tools + Classes section)

I set my priorities.? I planned my schedule.

I got clear.

And then it was easy to zoom happily through my inbox and take care of what needed taking care of.

You create your life from the energy you carry.

If you don’t take the time to deliberately choose what energy you’re carrying, the outer world will just bulldoze all over your beautiful intentions.

Years of practicing being intentional about the energy I carry has led me to a pretty peaceful place where I have what I need to create what I want.

In my business, I get to do the work I love, share my ideas in meaningful ways and make the money I need to live the life I want.? Most days it feels like I am living a miracle when I think back to how I used to struggle as a starving artist, and as an office worker dreaming of a more creative life.

But everything in my outer is going so well because of how I put the inner work first.

Everyone wants to know what tools to use as though the right tools will guarantee success.?? The most important tool is the energy you’re holding and how you’re holding it.? It’s how you approach your work.

You are infinitely powerful.

You are infinitely creative.

When you work from this part of you – you work differently:

You set things up to be truly sustainable.? You don’t take on more than you can chew, you don’t leave things to the last minute and you look for ways to keep things simple.

You take responsibility for everything. You remember that your life is a mirror so you don’t waste your time cleaning the mirror in the hopes that this will make it reflect something more beautiful.

You use setbacks and obstacles as growth opportunities. Everything you need to learn about how to get to where you want is right there.

You’re really honest with yourself about what you need in order to be full, inspired and happy.? You understand that this is where your best work comes from and this is what fuels the whole thing so extreme self-care becomes non-negotiable.

You treat every part of your work with love, care and attention.? This is your heart and soul and purpose brought to life so you treat it as the precious thing it is.

You remember the true aim of your work: to serve.??In order for your business to become sustainable it’s got to meet your needs but it’s not ABOUT your needs.? This one is more important than it seems, really look at where you’re hoping that success in business will help you to feel better about yourself and do the inner work to clean up your energy .

Everyone wants to gloss over the inner growth that has to happen before you can have the business that you really want.

You can’t be all frazzled and disorganized and expect your business to run smoothly.

Yes, you can follow all of the rules and use all the right tools and you can make money but until you clean up your inner patterns more money is only going to magnify them.? So: more stress, more chaos, more self-doubt, more fear.? Not fun.

(I cover this at length in the Creative With Money kit in the Creative Dream Circle)

Focus on the inner stuff and allow the inner to lead.? When you’re clear in your inner world, when you create space inside of you for success and joy and living the life you want – then your intuition can easily lead you to the right steps in the outer world.

That part is the easy part.

For me, this means using smart + helpful apps that save time and keep things running smoothly with as little effort as possible.

Inside the Creative Dream Circle you get my Creative Business Incubator e-Course where I share EVERYTHING I did and learned in building my business – seriously, hours and hours of videos and links to resources.

Today I thought I’d just share the three tools I’m using the most these days.

Simplero for my Creative Dream Circle

After years of running my classes online, finding Simplero has been an absolute miracle for me.? The Creative Dream Circle memberships are 100% automated which means new members get what they need exactly when they need it and my time is free to participate and play in the Circle instead of managing memberships and dealing with problems.

The site is fast to load and members can download their videos, mp3s and workbooks easily and I never have to worry if everything is working right.

The price tag seems high – but this replaced some other apps I was paying for before – for email and the membership site – so in the end it’s not a lot higher but it takes a lot of work off of me.? Plus there’s a free trial so there’s no reason to give it a try.? (Just remember that there’s a steep learning curve to learning any app that’s going to do this much for you)

Zendesk for making email better

With 6,000 people taking my free course this is a necessity because it means those people can get the help they need with the course without me helping each person individually which would be impossible.? It took a lot of work to get it all set up, but it’s been totally worth it.

Asana for keeping everything I’m doing? ridiculously organised

Because being ridiculously organised helps me not fill my inner world with stress.? When my brain doesn’t have to hold the details it’s free to do more important stuff – like dream and be happy.

I love the feeling that Asana is holding everything for me.? I get notifications on my phone every morning of what’s up that day, but it’s much more than a to-do list, it stores all of my ideas and projects in ways that are easy to access when I need them, but don’t clutter up my calendar but still lets me see everything that needs to happen in the future.? And it’s simple to use.? And free!

I believe that you can succeed.

It’s never been easier for creative spiritual people to create their own empires.

Just don’t short-change your possibilities by trying to skip over the path.? You’ve got to grow into your most successful self on the inside, first.

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Update #2: Finding Flow

By Andrea Schroeder / June 18, 2015 / creative entrepreneur

Following my new plan, today the question I got from the journaling cards was:

What are you learning?

Oh my this was a good question.

As I listed all the things I am learning I also started listing the things I wanted to be learning and the things it would be nice to be learning which led me to some new questions, including one which was super helpful: “How do I want people to feel when they encounter the journaling cards page on my website?”

That question got me right into creative flow with how to put the cards out there.

I started writing out what I want to say about the cards.? Then the idea came to me for how I want to design the page in a way that would support how I want you to feel when you encounter the cards on my website.

I did a bunch of artwork for that – to make the page match the look of the cards.? I even got it formatted and uploaded to my website.

I worked on the design for the page.

And planned out the video I want to make.? These cards REALLY want a video, where I can show you the deck.

BUT I want to feel grounded and confident and happy about sharing them, before I can record the video.? So I’m doing the other stuff first while increasing self-care so that I get to feeling that way sooner rather than later.

Right now I’m feeling optimistic and inspired and still a little overwhelmed.? I know I could push myself, and record the video anyway, and it would be fine but it wouldn’t have the same energy it will have if I wait until I’m REALLY feeling it.

Plus, being so introverted and sensitive, I’m not always in a good space to talk, so my videos really are better when I wait until I am in a more extroverted space (and practicing extra self-care can help me get into that space faster).

With my work, I am ALWAYS being challenged to move slower.? To wait until everything is aligned on the inside before acting on the outside.? To give things the time they need to grow.

I am not usually very patient with this, but I am getting better.

A part of me really, really, really wants to finish this this week – this part of thinks I should already be done so she’s just really in a hurry and keeps pushing me to work all the time at this.

But, why?

In the grand scheme of things, what difference does it make if I put the cards out there tomorrow or next Tuesday?

None.

The idea that I “should” get this done quickly is just impatience-wrapped fear.? It has no substance.

I am REALLY enjoying writing these updates.

Just like the weekly updates I write on Fridays in the Creative Dream Circle to share my ongoing process of living my dreams (and if you’re a Circle member I really want you to participate in those weekly sharing circles with me – that’s where the magic happens!) writing these updates every day is keeping me grounded in the process.

When I feel grounded in the process everything is clearer and easier – the path smooths itself out.

See you back here tomorrow…

Update #2: Finding Flow Read More »

Update #1: Let’s Do This.

By Andrea Schroeder / June 17, 2015 / creative entrepreneur

This is from a deck of cards I’m working on for a Creative Soul Alchemy client.

It’s always amazing how the things I help others with are the exact things I need to help myself with.

So, after writing that post yesterday about my mission to share the process of becoming comfortable and confident and ready to put my journaling cards out there into the world, I sat down with my journal and the cards and picked this card:

What do you need right now?

Whoa.? I had been so focused on what the cards need that I forgot to think about what I need.

And as the only person who can give to the cards, in order for the cards to receive anything from me I need to be full so of course this is exactly the right place to start.

It turns out I need all sorts of space and permission.

Space and permission to let this take the time it takes.? To not judge myself for not being able to do it faster.

That comes in like a giant wave of crisp fresh air.

I hadn’t realised how tangled I was in the idea that there is something wrong with me for not being able to do this faster, or for not already knowing how to do this.

Which is super ridiculous because how can I know how to do something I have never done?

I can figure it out, absolutely.? And I’ve done so many similar things that it will probably be pretty simple to figure it out.

But I need permission to start here, in the place of not having a fucking clue.

Recognizing that it’s ok to not know puts me in a different position.? From here I can see what I need next:

A new routine.
To devote this week to figuring this out.

To remind myself that I am in the process of doing this new thing by not doing my usual things – as much as possible.

Which means, to still take care of the other things I need to take care of with my work, and to devote the rest of my work time to figuring this out.? And to get out of my usual routines as a way of signifying that I am moving into something new.

Then what came to me is that I need to ride my bike to the park with my journal and have journal picnic where I will brainstorm what to do next.

So I did that last night.

And things became a lot clearer.? I felt myself move from that overwhelmed feeling of “I don’t know how to do this” to that grounded and open feeling of? “I could do this, or I could do that.? I have a lot of ideas and I can figure out which one to go with.”

I feel like I have found solid ground. A place to begin.

I don’t think it occurs to creative people often enough that “putting it out there” is just as big a job as creating the thing in the first place.? This part of the process needs a different way of thinking, a different way of working.? It needs your time and attention.

This is a problem that a lot of creatives have – we want to just breeze through this part.?

We want to hold onto some kind of fantasy that all we have to do is make the art? – that if it’s good enough it should sell itself.? Which is bullshit.

This part does take time and love and attention.? If you want to actually sell your work, this part is just as important as the creation part.? And in fact, this part – the marketing piece – can be as fun and creative as the creation part.

I have a lot to say about how the way you market your work can (and should!) be a light itself, a way of sending inspiration and putting your message out into the world.? The way your market your work can be a GIFT to the people who experience it, which I think is the best way to build a sustainable creative business.

But I do have a Creative Business Incubator inside the Creative Dream Circle with hours and hours and hours of videos on this so I will digress.

Most of us want to breeze through this part because to give it love and time and attention means to be present with how we actually feel about selling our creative work which is fraught.? It’s fraught for EVERYONE.

Making a living selling your creative work is vulnerable and scary just as much as it’s fulfilling and thrilling.

And the only way through that (with integrity) is to be with it – all of it.

See, I keep thinking that it’s going to get easier.? That I’ve been making a living with my creative work for so long that I should be used to this by now and it should be easy by now.

But it’s not.

And the faster I step back into the real story, that it’s not easy but it’s not impossible, the sooner I can start walking this path.

The treasure is always right where you don’t want it to be.

Your gifts, strengths and sources of power are hidden/trapped inside the fears, doubts, limiting beliefs, inner critics, etc.

Through healing and transformation you liberate them so that you can use them to build the path that leads to where you want to be – in this case, successfully and happily selling your creative work.

When you skip that part you wind up working against yourself.?

You either will find reasons to not put it out there or you’ll put it out there in ways that don’t really support it in selling the way it wants to sell.

So today I am anticipating spending as much time transforming my fears, doubts, limiting beliefs + inner critics (using the Un-Sticking Station inside the Creative Dream Circle) and using what I learn in that work to start implementing my ideas for putting the cards out there.

My plan is to start with a bike ride. I always work best if I leave the house and either walk or bike for a bit.

Then go to a coffee shop with my journal, cards and laptop.? Pick a card to help guide my next steps, journal about it, and then get to work.

I’ll see you back here tomorrow for an update.

Update #1: Let’s Do This. Read More »

How to know when it’s time to throw in the towel on a creative project.

By Andrea Schroeder / April 21, 2015 / creative entrepreneur

I’ve been working on The Magic Journal Cards project for months now.? I LOVE these cards and want to give them my best and have really enjoyed working hard on them.

Last week I got completely stuck with this project.? Again.

To make a long story short: I have a pretty big, heavy stack of artwork that I thought were the completed deck of Magic Journal Cards and it turns out this is just another draft.? (And I had already done quite a few drafts before I started this one!)

Which means I have to scrap this work and start over.

Which is exciting because these cards are pretty cool so the next set is going to be even better.? I am getting closer to the essence of what these cards want to be.

And it’s frustrating because it feels like three months of work going down the drain.

And it’s overwhelming because how/where will I find the time to re-do all of this work?

And it’s sad because I thought I was almost done and I’m actually really far from done.

So how do I know that it’s time to throw in the towel?

I took this question to my art journal.

First, I wrote long and hard and HONESTLY about where I’m at with the project and how I feel about everything.

(This included writing about all these small irritations that I had been trying to avoid.)

Then, I connected with the energetic essence (AKA the heart and soul) of the project.? We had a good, long talk.

I have a lot of attachments to the work I’ve done so far.

But I have a even bigger attachment to doing the best work I can for this.

And this is what it came down to: I couldn’t feel good about putting them out into the world the way they were.

It wasn’t a “You’re not good enough” inner critic voice – though that was there too.? I took my inner critic into the Un-Sticking Station in the Creative Dream Circle and worked through it and transformed that fear and got to the truth underneath it: the work just wasn’t right for the project.

I really thought it was the right thing when I started.? It really felt like the right thing while I was working on it.? (And it was right, in a way, at the time – it was the thing that led me to know more about what the project needed.)

You don’t start out already knowing everything.? Knowing comes further along the path.

See – all those small things that were irritating me were signs pointing me in a new direction.? But I didn’t want to listen because I was so attached to the work I’d done and so sure that I was going in the right direction already.

I assumed they were just tiny inner critics and wanted to not let them slow me down.

But if I had carried on avoiding them their energy would have become prickly little bugs in the energy of the project.? It would have made the whole thing wonky – not just the creation of the cards, but the marketing and sales parts too.

This really is the path!

Doing the work, being present with what’s happening beneath the surface, exploring your relationship with the project, learning more about what the project needs, transforming the ick that comes up in the process, re-doing the work.

Otherwise, all of your un-processed stuff does wind up in the final work, giving it a wonky energy that will keep it from completing it’s mission – to serve the people that you are creating it to serve.

For me, what it comes down to is that I am deeply committed to the project’s mission.? So I want to do whatever I can to support it in getting there.? And in the process I do wind up all tangled up in my own stuff sometimes.

Each time I work through this process with a project I come out more connected to my intuition and creativity and I trust myself more.

This is how you grow into your potential.

So I started over.

The cards have a new look – less art and less colour and more space.? The cards wanted to be quieter, which they think will help you use them to sink deeper into your own experience while journaling.

The old deck was a combination of prompt cards and inspiration cards.? The new deck is questions.? (The inspiration cards will be done as a separate deck – which might have more colour and artwork in them.)

While working on them, I feel free and clear.

While working on the first deck, I felt delighted a lot of the time.? And sometimes I felt frustrated and unsure.? Sometimes I felt exhausted.

Now, I just feel free and clear.? The process of making these cards is quite simple and fun – a sign that I’ve worked through the stuff I needed to work through.?? And I am delighted by how it’s coming together.

This is the ultimate aim of what I wanted to do with Grow Your Depth, Nurture Your Brilliance this year.? To be more present in my inner world, to meet my resistance and fears more effectively, to transform my inner patterns more quickly… to create more space for more of my creative brilliance to shine out into the world.

While the path does get frustrating sometimes, I’m pretty happy to be here.

How to know when it’s time to throw in the towel on a creative project. Read More »

How I Talk To My Creative Projects

By Andrea Schroeder / April 9, 2015 / creative entrepreneur

A few weeks ago I stopped posting my weekly updates here on my blog – they’ve gone into some pretty personal stuff that I don’t want to share here, so for now I’m just posting them in our weekly sharing circles inside the Creative Dream Circle.

Instead, this week, I wanted to share an update on where I am with my Magic Journaling Cards.

This is a meeting I had with the heart and soul of the cards:

It’s a little (?) weird but this is how I stay consistently productive and get at my best creative ideas.

The heart and soul of my project shows up as disks of delight that want to fly out into the world.

I start by trying to look at what’s happening with the energy between me and it – what is our internal relationship like right now – but I can’t see anything.

A tiny sparkling fairy flies out of the disks and whispers “You’re so close to the finish line your logical self is trying to take over to handle all the details – it’s distorting the energy flow, the way logic tends to do.”

My logical self appears, wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase.? “We have a lot of details to attend to here.? I need to take over and handle this.”

“Oh no” my heart interjects “Surely even you can feel how special this project is.? The energies need to be aligned – heart to heart to heart. My heart, the project’s heart, the hearts of the people who will use the cards.? All decisions have to come out of that alignment.”

My logical self has lost this particular argument so many times that she just throws up her hands and says “Fine then.? Just get it done.”

Heart takes over.? “We’ll start by invoking the qualities of the cards.”

Insight.

Expansion.

Wisdom.

Delight.

Growth.

Creativity.

Magic.

Glee.

Discovery.

The qualities fill the space, ground our conversation and gently start to weave everything into alignment.? And I see it now.? Me.? The Cards.? The people who are going to use the cards. Perfect alignment.

It’s a clear, focused energy between me and the cards.? Concentrated.

Well yeah – years and years of exploration and study concentrated into the deck.? That’s what a good deck should be!? Concentrated.

Then the energy explodes from the cards out to the people.? Each person receives it in a different way, depending on what they want/need.? Just what a good deck should be!

OK, so this is all great.? But what’s stuck?

The fairy giggles.? “Why, you, of course!”

“Ha ha.? Of course.? A little help please?!”

The fairy takes me hand and flies me over to the cards.? “Let them grow.? Listen to them.? Let them tell you how they want to be.”

That’s when I realise that I’ve been trying to control this one part (the part I was stuck about!) and actually the cards want to be different from how I wanted them to be.? The cards show me what they want, and it’s kind of perfect.

This one part – the way that I was seeing the cards for myself as I was creating them – has to go completely.? The cards are showing me that it was a ladder, it got me to where I needed to be and I don’t need it anymore.

Kind of mind-blowing.? I thought that’s what the cards WERE but it was just a ladder.? Kind of amazing how much work I put into building a ladder that I was just going to discard, but if that’s what it takes, that’s what it takes.

Once I see it this way, everything is clear and I can get back to work giving the cards what they need.

How I Talk To My Creative Projects Read More »

When you don’t know HOW to put your creative work “out there”.

By Andrea Schroeder / April 1, 2015 / creative entrepreneur

I’m sitting here with a new thing that wants to go out into the world and WAY more questions than answers about how to put it out there.? Since I have a lot of clients who come to me with this very problem, I thought I’d write out my process here.

In this case it’s my Mandala Class, re-packaged as a 21 day self-guided e-course (currently you can only get this class inside the Creative Dream Circle).? The heart and soul of my business has been whispering to me for weeks to do this so I’m doing it.

It was easy enough to set it up as a 21 day course delivered via email, since I already had all of the class material done.

But now comes the hard part: putting it out there.

I don’t know how I want to price it. (Actually that’s a lie, but more on that later)
I don’t know how to market it. (Not quite a lie.? But not the whole story either.)

I start by connecting with the heart and soul of the thing.?? I set out a picnic blanket for us to settle in for what I am assuming is going to be a long conversation.

The heart and soul of the Mandala Class shows up as a mandala.? All star-like and sparkling and happy.

“So,” I say, “I actually do have this price in mind but it feels really confusing. I think I’m being too rigid or something.? Like my ego wants this price but it’s not the real price.? Or it is the real price but my inner critic thinks it’s too high.”

I sigh.? I really do hate this part sometimes.

The mandala says “You want the price that you want.? You’re also very concerned with offering high value for your people.? That’s cool.”? The mandala doesn’t seem to see that this is a problem.

“I feel like you are more connected to the people that this class will serve than I am.? What can you tell me about what the perfect price for them is?” I ask.

The mandala un-zips it’s smile (?) reaches in and pulls out a heart.? When the mandala hands me the heart, it explodes into thousands of tiny sparkling hearts.? I can’t hold them all.

I sit there, with one tiny sparkling heart in my hand.

And, surprisingly enough, this does tell me about the price that the people want.? The price that the people want worries me because it feels wrong to me, it feels like much, much less than the value of what the class has to offer.

Which is interesting, because I know that the price of the Creative Dream Circle is much, much less than what the Circle has to offer and that price feels good and sturdy and, well, perfect.

But now I am sitting here with two prices, feeling more confused than ever.

And then I realise that this other idea is bouncing around in my head and this could be complicating the value of the class.? I’m thinking I want to include one live phone call, so people can call in and ask me their questions, and do some mandala drawing in a group which is always magical.

And so the value of the class without the call would be different from the value of the class with the call so of course it feels wonky to try to figure this out without deciding for sure if I’m doing the call or not. Ha!

The heart and soul of my business interjects “Actually we really want to offer something simpler and smaller, something for the people who don’t want the class interaction stuff (there’s always lots of that in the Creative Dream Circle for people who want that) can we please keep this smaller and simpler?”

Oh, right.

So then I look at the number that is right between the two numbers.? Perfect compromise.

But it feels somehow less magical to me – like the two numbers each have something magical about them and this number just feels kind of plain.

I don’t want to offer something that feels plain to me.? I want to feel sparking and right about what I’m putting out into the world, and how I’m putting it out there.? So is there a number closer to this number that feels more magical?

Both the mandala and the heart and soul of my business perk up, as if to say “Finally! She’s getting it!”

“OK, it feels like you guys know what the number is, can’t you just tell me?” I ask, exasperated.

“We’d like to, but your doubts and confusion are clogging our communication channel.? But don’t worry, you’ll know it when you get there.”

Ugh, I do not like going around in circles like this.

I call in the heart and soul of clarity to join the picnic.? It shows up as a light in my heart that moves up to my third eye.

And a totally new number appears.? A larger number than the first number I? liked.? So I start re-watching the videos in the class and remember how amazing it is.

I want to pick the smaller number because I think more people will want it at a lower price.? Beneath that is a fear that no one will want it at the higher price.

I want to pick the larger number because I want to feel like the price is congruent with the value – this class has been just ridiculously helpful for so many people already!? Beneath that is the fear that people will think I charged too much.

Oh crap.? Both numbers are coming from fear.

What number doesn’t come from fear?? The new number, the one that clarity brought me.? The one that is higher than the one that already felt too high.? Ha.? No. I don’t feel good about this.

At this point I decide to put this down.? I pack up the picnic blanket, and schedule a meeting with the mandala and the heart and soul of my business for tomorrow.

I invite clarity to stay with me until then and help me melt through the doubt, fear and confusion.

I say a little prayer that once I find the price, figuring out how to put it out there will be a much simpler process.

A few minutes later, the price pops into my head.? It’s a totally new number and it feels totally right.

I put the blanket back out, and call the mandala and the heart and soul of my business to come back.? “OK then, let’s move on to step two: how do I want to put this out there?”

The heart and soul of my business says “It’s important that you do this in a way that feels good to you and is congruent with the core qualities of your business: trust, spirit, authenticity, creativity.? But what you do, like specifically, doesn’t matter.? Just having this be a part of your business is what matters, you don’t need some ideal launch plan or anything like that.”

The mandala says “I am just so happy to go out into the world!? Don’t forget that your mandala tutorial is the most visited page of your website.? Just put me there!? I mean tell your people about it too, but mostly just put me there! I want to be there!? And as you put your new journaling cards out there, more people are going to be interested in exploring Mandalas.? Put me there too.”

My inner Planny McPlanster pops up, clipboard in hand to say that I really should have a plan, like a detailed and elaborate plan – nothing guarantees success like a well thought out plan.? I give Planny a hug and a cookie and send him on his way.

Nothing guarantees success anyway.? But having my outer actions be in alignment with my inner self does guarantee that I’ll feel good about what I’m doing, which is all I really want.

So how do I do this in a way that feels good?

Well, I want to share this journaling – I think people will find it helpful to see this part, and not just see the part where I put it out there, all polished and done.? I’m not sure that really promotes the class much but it’s what I want to do.

I do want to re-design the mandala tutorial page with links to this class.
I want to re-write the Mandala Class page.
I want to let people know about it – via email and blog.
Find a place to add it to the main page of my website and on my blog.

So all that is what I want to do right now.? What else could I do?

I could:

Mandala blog hop
Some kind of “contest thing” to win the class
Post more of my mandalas on Instagram with a link to the class

Actually it feels like there are a lot of ways I could promote it that would be fun and creative but I don’t want to do any of that right now.? I want to keep my energy focused on the Magic Journaling Cards I’ve been working on.

It feels really good to just have it be out there without making a huge deal about it.

So I can keep brainstorming this and do it another time – if/when I feel inspired to.

…. Coming back to this later.

I started working with this list:

I do want to re-design the mandala tutorial page with links to this class.
I want to re-write the Mandala Class page.
I want to let people know about it – via email and blog.
Find a place to add it to the main page of my website and on my blog.

And it just got more confusing and overwhelming so I put it away for a few days.

Yesterday I had a meeting with the heart and soul of the Mandala Class in my journal and asked for guidance and clarity.? Then I held those qualities in my energy field and went about my day.

By yesterday afternoon I felt ready to do it.

I sat down with my laptop and everything magically came together – which always happens after multiple meetings with the heart and soul of the thing I’m working with.

The Mandala tutorial page and the Mandala Class page were merged into one new page – with the tutorial and class information.? I love the new page.

I added “Draw Mandalas!” as a menu at the top of my website, which links to that page.

It feels welcoming and warm and bright and clear.

It feels in alignment with how I want to be.

It feels simple.

It feels right.

When you don’t know HOW to put your creative work “out there”. Read More »

Creative Entrepreneur

Do any of these sound familiar?

What's going on?

Planning is simple. It seems complicated when something else is tangled up.

Here is how I handle it:

Staying flexible and able to adjust the plan is easier to do when you are super organised.

So when I talk about planning out the project, it means I have written out what needs to happen for each stage.

This part of creative planning is boring and annoying.

And be practical about how much work you can actually do.

One really cool thing about being super organised: you get to be super picky.

It really depends on where I’m at. Forcing myself to be somewhere I am not has never worked for me.

I know - it's more complicated than this!

I mean - creative planning is SUCH a big topic.

You want a plan that makes you excited to bounce out of bed in the morning and get to work.

So even thought we've all failed at creative planning I think we should pat ourselves on the back just for stepping onto the field and giving it a shot.

You need to work with the uncomfortable feeling that gets triggered when you dig deeper, otherwise those feelings will take over and sabotage your planning process without you even noticing.

So - go do it.

Then, on Feb 7, 2017 I'm offering a special Creative Dream Coaching Circle on Creative Planning and Project Management.

You?ll start with a specific intention for what you want to do/learn/figure out/manifest during the month and, together, we?ll dig in and make it happen.

The group energy will help you succeed

We can literally lift each other up into our dreams. ?It’s going to be magic.

If you get stuck I’ll be there to help.

She was amazed that we were not competing with each other – that instead of fighting over potential clients we were working together and lifting each other up.

And the only person who can steal your dream is you – by not giving it what it needs to grow.

So when you band together with people who are doing what you want to do?you strengthen and grow everyone’s dreams – the more we support each other the more we all grow.

This is why I do helper-people group coaching. ?Because we are actually and literally stronger together.

Starting this Monday, February 8 we’re going to gather together and help each other launch our projects out into the world.

I can offer guidance, encouragement and?ridiculous amounts of inspiration and motivation to take some big steps towards your dream this February.

So I wanted to design a deck of inspiration cards.

But the deck of cards I created last year is not the deck of cards I wanted to create.

Partnering with the essence of your project is the best way to bring it to life.

Your dream knows how to grow itself. Your project is an aspect of your dream.

So what's your impossible project?

No matter what your impossible project is, the process for bringing it to life is the same.

Putting your projects out into this world is a vital part of changing the world.

We're going to gather together and help each other launch our projects out into the world.

I can offer guidance, encouragement and ridiculous amounts of inspiration and motivation to take some big steps towards your dream this February.

This will be free for all Creative Dream Circle members.

In other words: there are good reasons why you are afraid to put yourself out there!

Which is what I want to talk about: your secret superpower.

You, being as you as “you” can be, shining your light as bright as you can, being un-compromised in living in integrity with your heart – that’s what makes you magnetic.

Because I realllly want you to sit with both of these questions,?I made a guided jounal + coloring page to make it more fun to do.

Stepping up and choosing to be a light in this world is no easy task.

This year I want to make it more accessible so I?m doing it as a bigger thing, free and open to everyone who is a member of the Creative?Dream Circle.

I can offer guidance, encouragement and?ridiculous amounts of inspiration and motivation to take some big steps towards your dream this February.

If you feel that call to help people then you are “one of the helper-people”.

I have been helping people make their dreams real, as my full time job, for just over five years.

Which is why I started doing?”helper-people group coaching” to help others navigate this path.

This year I want to make it more accessible so I’m doing it as a bigger thing, free and open to everyone who is a member of the Creative?Dream Circle.

We’ll focus on two areas: helping you get better at helping people (grow your self/skills) and helping you help more people (grow your work/business).

In the past, every time?I would put something new out there I would be super crazy nervous.

I got here by being there.

Every time I have an idea, and then carry it through to completion and put it out into the world I grow towards my bigness?which is just a really delicious thing.

Creating balance can feel like an impossible dream, or a never-ending task, because it is both of those things.

The truth is, a lot of growth happens in those messy un-balanced places.

Balance is precarious.

For me, it's actually really simple.

What actually works doesn't necessarily "look" balanced.

There will always be trade-offs.

Luckily, there is a secret magic shortcut.

This has been my strategy as a highly sensitive business owner -the more I focus on nourishing self-care, the more I can do because I am more connected to my inner gifts + power.

Some things that are helpful for this:

Not that I am always super successful at this but this is my aim.

You are a creative GENIUS after all. And genius trumps balance every time.

You create your life from the energy you carry.

When you work from this part of you – you work differently:

Everyone wants to gloss over the inner growth that has to happen before you can have the business that you really want.

For me, this means using smart + helpful apps that save time and keep things running smoothly with as little effort as possible.

I believe that you can succeed.

It turns out I need all sorts of space and permission.

I feel like I have found solid ground. A place to begin.

Making a living selling your creative work is vulnerable and scary just as much as it’s fulfilling and thrilling.

The treasure is always right where you don’t want it to be.

Last week I got completely stuck with this project.? Again.

So how do I know that it’s time to throw in the towel?

You don’t start out already knowing everything.? Knowing comes further along the path.

This really is the path!

So I started over.

This is a meeting I had with the heart and soul of the cards:

But now comes the hard part: putting it out there.