Practicing what I preach. Where is the gift in this shitty stuff?

By Andrea Schroeder / August 14, 2015

Yesterday I wrote this post about How To Become A Dream Magnet which is such a beautiful idea and such a hard thing to practice.

So here I go, practicing.? This shitty thing happened:

There is this service which I am paying for.

It’s doing the thing it’s supposed to do, but it’s not attending to all of the details in the way that I feel the details should be attended to. (I don’t like when loose ends are left dangling)

The person who provides the service agreed (with their words) that this detail is important but is not agreeing (with their actions) to do something about it right now. (I don’t like dealing with people whose words and actions do not line up)

I cannot do anything about it.? Or maybe I can – I have been trying and have not been able to figure out how.? (I don’t like feeling helpless about it)

This service not attending to all of the details means that I have a harder time honouring the agreements I’ve made to people who really matter to me. (I don’t like letting people down)

This is stressful for me and I am having a hard time seeing this situation as a gift.

Why?

Well, because I am determined to believe that the thing that happened is WRONG.? I don’t want to accept it, I want to change it.

So, if instead of trying to do something to change it, what if I assume that it’s a gift? What happens then?

Well, it’s like I (reluctantly!) turn away from this frustrating wall of frustration and turn towards an open, sunny field.

And there’s this baby bunny there and he hops over to me and I am very resistant to him.? Because yeah I’m seeing something that could possibly be a gift in this now but I don’t know that I am ready to receive it because I’m not sure I’m strong enough to take care of it.

So, am I committed enough to seeing the gifts that I’ll give it my best shot?? Or do I want to turn my back on the gift?

Well, shit.

I can’t turn my back on the gift because I know that just brings me back to the frustrating wall of frustration.

But receiving the gift?? No, I don’t feel ready for this.

So I just sit here for a bit, holding the baby bunny.

And in sitting with it, it starts to feel true that life is always supporting me.? I remember how clear and sure I felt earlier today.? And how feeling clear and sure leads in the right direction even though I don’t always recognize the right direction when I am looking at it.

I remember how I often I fight the path when it doesn’t look how I want it to look.

I remember that I actually almost never feel ready for things before I do them, that it’s in the doing that the growth happens – that I will grow into being ready.

Then I remember that when I’m not all tangled up in my frustrations I can pretty much always find a simple solution.

And then a simple solution popped into my mind.? It’s not perfect, but it’s a good layer of duct tape on the problem until the person who can do something about it does something about it (they said they would, just that they can’t do it right now).

And actually I am ready for the gift, I’m just afraid because it’s NEW and new things almost always scare me. But I can do this.

Thing #2

I feel like getting on a roll with this so I’m going to explore the other thing that’s bugging me from this lens:

I knit this amazing sweater to go with ALL OF THE DRESSES I like to wear.

I knit it out of SUPER FUCKING DURABLE yarn, sock yarn that can stand up to lots of washing and wearing because I wear this sweater all the time and I love it so much.? It’s perfect.

I usually air dry it just to keep it nicer longer.? But one day I was in a rush and I threw it in the dryer and 1/3 of it felted.? ONE THIRD.? The sweater was knit with 3 huge skeins of yarn, one of them was obviously not the durable sock yarn it was labeled as. So the middle third of my cardigan is literally felt – thick and small, and now the whole thing is too short and too narrow to fit.

The sweater is ruined right at the end of summer when I’m going to want to wear it every day.? And the only similar light sweaters I’ve got to wear are old and store-bought and just not right.

So I’m sad and frustrated and sad.

Can I look for the gift in this?

Halfheartedly, if I peek over in that direction, I can see that I can re-knit the sweater in slightly darker yarn which would be more practical.

But I’m super resistant and want to jump up and down and say IT’S NOT FAIR that I have to re-knit it.

So I sit with that.? And I invite in my true heartfelt desire to see the gift in life in general, if not in this situation.

That desire kind of softens everything.? It shows me a new possibility – that knitting a sweater is actually what I need right now.

Hmmm, see I think that’s wrong.? HAVING a sweater is what I want right now!

OK so I am totally being a two year old throwing a temper tantrum about this.? Why?

Because something can come along and destroy something I created.? I want that to not be true.

Because I paid a lot of money for that yarn and the people who made it should have been more careful.? I am careful with my resources and want that to be respected.

Because having just the right hand-made clothes meant a lot to me and the loss of this sweater means going back to not-hand-made so I am losing my dream and that’s always hard on my sensitive heart.

Oh, and because of what that sweater represented.? It was the last thing that was missing in my new creative hand-made wardrobe.? So it felt like I had completion of a dream and now I have non-completion.? I slid down the dream hill and got all bumped up in the process.

And because I would really like to just be a grownup, suck it up, accept that shit happens, this is far from the end of the world and move on but I’m not feeling that way.? So I’m judging my feelings which makes them harder to be with.

Urgh!

So regardless of how I feel right now – I’m choosing to assume that knitting a new sweater is what I need.

If I treat the re-knitting of the sweater as a gift – what could I learn?? I guess I’ll find out.

I’m off to the yarn store.

UPDATE:

I wrote this yesterday and then left it.

Thing #1: Someone offered me a perfect solution!

Much better than the duct-tape idea I had yesterday, something that actually solves the problem once and for all.

I’m not saying that just because I was doing my best to have a good attitude about it my problem magically got solved.? But shifting my perspective did help me feel a lot better and who knows – maybe I wouldn’t have been able to the solution that was offered if I was still all cranky about it.

We really don’t see as many possibilities when we’re all tangled up in our stories about what’s happening.

Thing #2: I’m in love with the new yarn

I really loved how that sweater felt on my skin, so I went looking for something really similar (that yarn store doesn’t have that exact kind anymore).

I found something maybe even a little silkier – in watercolour hand-painted shades of lavender.? Super dreamy.

I started rolling it up into balls last night and as I worked with the yarn I was so happy.? The colours are so perfect and it’s start to feel like my “trust sweater”.

That knitting this sweater is a way of working on my relationship with trust.

That re-knitting the sweater I already knit in a state of trust that this is the right thing to do helps ground me in this decision of looking at life through the lens of “where is the gift?”.

Yes, today I see how it is good for me to have to re-knit my precious sweater.

Practicing what I preach. Where is the gift in this shitty stuff? Read More »

How to turn yourself into a Dream Magnet

By Andrea Schroeder / August 13, 2015

The big theme in my journaling practice for Grow Your Depth, Nurture Your Brilliance (the year-long journaling program I’m doing in the Creative Dream Circle) this week was this: there are 2 ways to pray.

One way is how most people do it.

The other way is not just more effective – it actually turns you into a dream magnet.

The first way: From a rigid ego place of asking for what you want then waiting until it shows up in your life exactly as you expect it should look like.

This doesn’t work and can make you pretty miserable in the process.

But for some reason, we’ve all got a part of us who really seems to think that this is the way.? That we somehow have every right to expect the universe, in its infinite wisdom, to bow down to us and our limited vision and to hand it over and to have it look exactly how we think it should.

The second way: From a place of openness and wonder and connection to the miracle of life where you ask for what you want and then stay in the process of receiving it.?

The real work here is in building an internal sense of trust and deepening/maturing your relationship with your spirituality.

Trusting that your prayer was heard and granted, which means remembering that the universe has an infinite perspective and you have a teeny tiny extremely limited perspective and so trusting that the universe can respond to your prayer in the most appropriate way.

In other words, remembering that you don’t control the universe.

Not only is giving up on trying to control the universe a huge relief and a big energy-booster, it means you can open your eyes to all the ways your prayer has already been granted.

When you let go of what you think it “should” look l like you get to have what you want, right now.

Because it’s already here for you.

In a decade of working with people to help them bring their dreams to life this remains consistent: what you need is already here for you.? The essence of your dream is ALWAYS accessible to you.

You just have to crawl out of your bullshit stories and sit with the truth long enough to see it.

Taking this approach also means being willing to do your part.

You don’t just stand back and wait for your package to arrive before you believe that your prayer was granted – that’s the childish relationship to spirituality.

When you really believe that it’s on the way you act differently.? You do all the things that are in front of you to do in service to your prayer.? You deal with your fears and doubts.? Physically and energetically – you clean up make space for the thing in your life.? You take steps to meet it.

You turn your life into a welcoming atmosphere for dreams.? You turn yourself into a dream magnet.

Here’s the kicker: once you say your prayer you have to accept that whatever happens next is the prayer granted.

Everything in your life is happening in response to your clear intention.?

I’ve got a lot of stuff coming at me right now.

Nothing earth-shattering or anything, just a lot of things (good things and not-good things) are coming my way both personally and professionally, causing me to feel overwhelmed and stressed out.

Until I remind myself that everything is happening in response to my clear intention.

So I must NEED to have a lot of stuff coming at me.

Why?? Where’s the gift/lesson in this?? How can I work with it?

How do I unwrap this gift?

Am I willing to sit with my discomfort long enough to even see the gift?

Looking at it in this way immediately changes my relationship to it.

Everything that happens is a gift.

How you respond to the gifts determines what your life looks like.

Not that this is easy – this is the advanced practice of living an openhearted life.? And the thing about practice is that you have to keep practicing.

I want to write more about that – about how hard it can be sometimes to practice as a way of living.

Right now I can say that the more you keep practicing the more you become a dream magnet.?? And that the more evidence you see in your life that it’s working the easier it gets to stay in the process.

And that making the practice as enjoyable as possible really, really, really helps.

All of my training as a spiritual teacher was dry, dry, dry.? All of the emotional healing work I did was scary and hard. So when it came time for me to set up my classes and services I knew I had to bring in the stuff that helped me stay in the process: CREATIVITY and PLAY.

That’s where the fuel comes from for me to stay on the path.

What fuels your path?? What keeps you going when it’s too hard?? If you don’t know – explore, find out.

How to turn yourself into a Dream Magnet Read More »

Today in my journal: Overwhelm, Changing The World + Embarrassing Realisations

By Andrea Schroeder / July 14, 2015

I?ve been feeling extra-easily overwhelmed lately so I took it to my journal and then my journal asked me to share it with you so here it is.

(Yes you can still get my Journaling Cards for Magic + Insight right here)

My journal showed/reminded me how the world is chaos – the outer world.

We made the outer world this way because we (I mean we, the human species talking in very general terms) are disconnected from our truth – the truth of who we are, the truth of what life actually is.

Spirit is calm.? Peace and love and all the good stuff.

I live in between, in this quiet, calm space.? I built my life as it is today out of qualities like simplicity, spaciousness, order, mindfulness, creativity, quiet because the power to change the world doesn’t live in the world.

That power lives closer to spirit.

We created this world of chaos out of a place of disconnection.? Re-connection is the path to changing the world in a sustainable and lasting way.

Re-connection is my job – my own re-connection and helping others with their re-connection.

This is the first step in moving the species towards the power to create the new world, one where we’re all free and safe and happy.? A world where we recognize the beauty of the world, of ourselves and each other, and live in alignment with that instead of living in alignment with a weird corporate nightmare.

I believe we can only create that world from a place of deep connection to the qualities that we want that world to be full of: freedom, safety, peace, joy.

But I know when I get too close to the chaos I find it hard to remain deeply connected to these qualities.

So it’s like I stay a little separate from it in order to be of service to it.

But then sometimes I wind up too separate to be of service.

This is the same process through which all dreams come to life.

I’m talking about a global scale right now – how we have to tend to the needs of the world as it is now while also creating space for a new way of living to emerge.

But it’s the same thing for anyone who wants to leave their corporate job and live a more authentic life and can’t figure out how to pay the bills in the meantime.

You have immediate needs that need to be taken care of.? But if you spend all of your time taking care of your immediate needs you’ll never move towards the life you actually want to be living.? You keep yourself stuck where you are.

If you want a new life you not only have to devote time and energy and attention to building it – you have to build it from a place of already being there, energetically anyway (for Creative Dream Circle members I show you how to do this in the Creative Dream Incubator e-Course).

Anyway, back to my journaling today.

Really what life is pushing me to explore is how do I bring my inner peace and calm with me as I move closer to the chaos?

Because the chaos isn’t all bad.?

Hmmm, well this is embarrassing.

I know how to do this already working with energy and Creative Soul Alchemy.? I don’t just know how to do this already I teach this for a living.

So why has it been feeling so complicated and overwhelming lately?

Well, change is hard.

And if I’m really honest it’s because I’ve been lazy with this stuff lately.? Well, not lazy exactly, but my life is set up with so much intention and deliberateness that my routines and ways of being support me in living in deep connection almost on auto-pilot.

I don’t have to think about what I need because I already have it.

And as life changes what I need changes and I most certainly do have to think about it.

So, here I am thinking about it.

And I can see that the secret to how to do this actually lies in the overwhelm.

Every time I get overwhelmed I just want to cry and I’m embarrassed for crying and just want to run away from the whole thing.? Then, days later as I sort through what it was that got me so triggered I learn something new about what I need.

So what if I see the overwhelm as the gift that it is?? And stay present with it right then when it comes to me?? And bring clarity in to show me exactly what the overwhelm wants to teach me?

Then the overwhelm can show me how to create what I want here, closer to the chaos where a whole new set of possibilities live.

Hmmm…

Today in my journal: Overwhelm, Changing The World + Embarrassing Realisations Read More »

[feeling lost] What I am doing, anyway?

By Andrea Schroeder / June 30, 2015

In January I started a year-long adventure in personal growth and conscious life design: Grow Your Depth, Nurture Your Brilliance (GYDNYB).

The point of GYDNYB is to do exactly what it says: grow your depth and nurture your brilliance.? To shine the light of your gifts out into the world in whatever way you want to do that.

In GYDNYB we do this by taking all the things I teach and USING them and DOING them… EVERY DAY.? To go deeper into your practice than you have gone before and see what happens then.

So here I am at the halfway point of this adventure. At the starting point, I had specific, clear intentions for what I wanted to create in my life through GYDNYB.

And now I have those things.? All of them.?

(Even the secret dream I had that I was sure was actually impossible.? Turns out it WAS possible and having it in my life is better than I’d hoped it would be.)

And so I don’t know what’s next and I’m feeling lost.

Which is not a way I like to feel.

I’m still showing up for my journaling practice every day but I don’t usually know what to write about.? The Journaling Cards are helping a lot… this is the one I picked this morning:

Which, through some convoluted journaling, led me to discover what my real problem is: I’ve been avoiding dreaming new dreams.

Dreaming is terrifying. For everyone.

I can’t even count how many emails land in my inbox about this.

I feel like I’ve written a million blog posts that say don’t wait until you’re not feeling afraid because that will never happen.? That learning how to transform the fear is the secret to moving forward.

That you actually build the path to your dreams out of your fears and doubts and inner critic voices.

I know this, I know this so well and yet I forget all the time.

And so I walk around feeling lost until I remember.

My journal practice helps me remember sooner.

Because I can’t keep writing the same bullshit out day after day without my memory being jogged.

I feel lost.? I don’t know what I want.? I’m tired.? There’s too much happening.? I need more space.? I feel lost.

It’s just hard to lie to yourself repeatedly in writing.

Of course I know what I want.? Of course I know where I am.? Of course I’m not tired and the only thing I actually NEED in this moment is to pull my head out of my ass.

The truth is, I FEEL lost when I’m avoiding my dreams.

But I’m never actually lost because my dream is a lighthouse – it’s how my soul calls me into alignment.? It will always lead me home.

So – hello there, new dreams.

Rather than feeling lost I can choose to celebrate the fact that all of the things I wanted to get out of Grow Your Depth, Nurture Your Brilliance this year are ALREADY HERE.

I can choose to believe that hey – I must be ready for more then.

I can choose to ask myself: what do I really want?? I can give myself time and space to really explore that.

I can pick new dreams and start moving towards them.

It’s not about accomplishing more.? It’s about choosing to stay in alignment.

I am in love with the way I feel when I am in alignment with what my soul is calling me towards next (AKA my dreams).

I feel present and open and connected to this deep deep well of unspeakable joy that lives inside me.

I feel on the right path.

I feel sure.

I remember that I’m stronger than my fears, doubts and inner critics combined.

It doesn’t matter what happens – if I “make the thing happen” or not.? It’s all about being on the path, feeling this alignment, and trusting where my creativity and intuition lead.

So if you’ve been feeling lost, or unsure, or uncomfortable in any way – I hope this helps remind you of your truth.

Because I know that YOU are stronger than your fears, doubts and inner critics combined.

[feeling lost] What I am doing, anyway? Read More »

Update #3: Meet the JOURNALING CARDS!

By Andrea Schroeder / June 19, 2015

I’m so grateful to all of you for following along with my story the past few days as I got the cards ready to sell… and today I’m so happy to share that they’re here.? Click here to see them for yourself.

OMG!

Update #3: Meet the JOURNALING CARDS! Read More »

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 »

Why you can’t buy my journaling cards (yet). And what to do if your dream gets stuck.

By Andrea Schroeder / June 16, 2015

The big thing on my to-do list this week is to release my journaling cards out into the world.

I’m excited about this!? I’m holding the cards in my hot little hands and I am IN LOVE with everything about them.? I’m ready to do this.

But I have no clue HOW to do it.

I mean of course I can just say “Hey, here they are”, give you a link to order them and be done with it but that doesn’t feel right.? After all the love, time and attention that went into the creation of the cards I want to send them off into the world in an appropriate way.

In order to do this, I have to work on my inner relationship with the cards, and with the purpose behind the cards, which is connected to my purpose and to my own evolution.

I want this relationship to be all clear and sparkling and love-fueled because this relationship builds the path that leads the right people to the cards – the people who will adore the cards, the people who the cards are here to serve.

Right now this relationship is a bit muddled up with my fears and self-doubt.

I’m afraid people won’t “get” the cards.
I worry that the cards are amazing but I am not good enough to be their creator.
I worry that no one cares.
I worry that people will love them and talk about them and that I’ll wind up with too much attention (being an introverted entrepreneur is complicated)
I’m afraid I’m going to mess this up in a way I can’t quite articulate.
I feel exhausted at the thought of working on this, which is a signal that I am in resistance to facing some other fears that I don’t know about.

This is the stuff that stops us.

It’s different flavours of the same fears which come up every time you want to move towards any dream.

I’m really bored of talking about this stuff, and yet I know that not wanting to look at this stuff is a dream killer.? So here I am, telling the truth about what goes on behind the scenes.

I have all of these worries and fears and looking at them makes me uncomfortable so I want to avoid it. But avoiding my feelings means avoiding getting this work done which means avoiding putting these cards out into the world which I just can’t do.

So I’m going to use the cards to help me work through it.? I’m going to sit down with my journal every day, pick a card, and let it guide me through the process of putting this project out there.

And I’m going to use the Un-Sticking Station inside the Creative Dream Circle to un-stick the stucks.

And, for accountability, I’m going to post an update here on my blog every day.

Well, not just for accountability but also as a little story that shows that it’s hard to put your creative work out there into the world – but not impossible.

It’s a scary and complicated process and, for most of us, it happens behind the scenes.? Alone.? Hidden.

Since my job as a teacher and a guide is to help you move along that path that leads from where you are to where you want to be it feels important that I share the truth about this part of the journey and how I navigate it.

I don’t know how long this is going to take.? Often these things feel totally impossible, but then I have one good conversation with my fear and all the tangles get untangled and suddenly it’s fast and easy.? I’m hoping this will work out like that.

But maybe I’ll be blogging every day just to share how stuck I still am.

Either way, I’ll see you back here tomorrow.

Why you can’t buy my journaling cards (yet). And what to do if your dream gets stuck. Read More »

New Art Journaling Classes

By Andrea Schroeder / June 10, 2015

I do have a free art journal class that you can get right here, though I don’t teach any kind of art technique there, it’s all about the inner stuff of journaling.

But I know some of you want to learn how to make gorgeous art journals and there are many lovely people out there who do teach art journaling and can show you how to do really cool art stuff.? And I am happy to be collaborating with some of them.

Right now I’m working on two new art journal classes.

The first one is How To Do A Creative Intuitive Healing Session in your Art Journal. It’s a series of videos where I explain, exactly what I mean by using art supplies to do inner healing and transformation.? I talk about how art-making is different from creative healing and how to approach your creative healing practice so that you get exactly what you want out of it.

Then I’ve got a visualization and playbook that lead you through the process of how to heal and transform ANYTHING.

You can use it to work with an inner critic that’s beating you up or a fear that’s holding you back or anything in your life that you would like to change.? And you can use it over and over again – in fact, the more you use it the better it will work.

This class will be available as a part of Tamara Laporte’s Life Book.? You’ll also get a bonus class from me, a half-hour video about how the magic of BEING PRESENT can help you find your unique creative voice.

Life Book is a year-long Art Journal class, where you get new classes from new teachers every week.? You get to learn, like, EVERYTHING about Art Journaling.

The second one is more personal.? I’m sharing, in surprising detail, how I journal when I’m working through really hard stuff.

The questions I ask myself, the processes I use.

I filmed the process of creating a really emotionally-charged page, and then created a workbook that leads you through the process so you can learn how to move yourself THROUGH the hard thing.

See, I don’t think journaling should just be about documenting your life or visioning your dreams.? For me, the magic is in using the journaling process to actually CREATE your life – by transforming the bad stuff, activating your inner strengths and walking the path to your brightest future.? So that’s what I’m sharing here.

This class will be available as a part of Effy Wild’s Radiant Art Journals.

In Radiant Art Journals you get to learn from fifteen different teachers and to see how they approach their personal journaling practice.

When it comes to art journaling I HIGHLY recommend these kinds of group classes where you can learn from lots of different teachers.

Because there is no “one right way” to do this, learning a bunch of different ways really helps you find YOUR unique way.

New Art Journaling Classes Read More »

The real reason why you avoid your journal.

By Andrea Schroeder / June 1, 2015

Every week I write an update and invite everyone in the Creative Dream Circle to share their updates.

It’s an update on walking the path to a dream, and on being in the process of transformation.

Being in the process is hard, sometimes.? Sharing updates is a way of grounding yourself in your process – plus it helps you notice things you wouldn’t otherwise notice.

Last week, in writing my update, I noticed that skipping my first-thing-in-the-morning journaling session is really, really bad for me.

I need this practice as the doorway into my day.

Like, this doorway leads to the day I want to be having.? Other doorways – like skipping my practice and getting right to work – don’t lead to the day I want to be having.

So, I discovered this while writing last week’s update.

Then Monday came, and my inbox was overflowing.

And I thought, well, I’d like to just get to those emails first.? So my mind is clear and I don’t have any energy going towards “all these emails I need to respond to”.

And it won’t take that long, really…

Which is bullshit.

I know that it’s important for my self-care that I start my day with my creative journaling practice.? Any reason I have for not doing that is just a bullshit excuse.

I know this because later on in the morning, once I’d already had my bike ride and coffee and the day was bright, I opened up my journal and hit a huge wall of resistance.

I snapped my journal shut and put it away.

And I knew that I hadn’t skipped my first-thing-in-the-morning practice because I wanted to get to those emails.

I skipped my first-thing-in-the-morning practice because I was afraid of what I’d find when I dove in.

Meeting resistance.? This is a part of the practice.

Some days it’s terrifying to open up a journal because of what you’ll find when you start writing.? You can feel it, sitting underneath the surface, and you’d like to leave it there, hidden, where you can’t really see it.

Except, of course, you’re carrying it. In your mind and your body and your energy field.

You look at the world through the lens of the things you carry, so when you leave it there, hidden beneath the surface, you’re letting it alter your possibilities.

You resist looking at the thing because you’re afraid of how it’s going to feel to face and you worry that you can’t change it anyway so why bother.

But in avoiding the sharp pain of dealing with your stuff you are choosing to live with the dull ache of letting your stuff dull your possibilities.

We all do this, on some level.

Committing to your practice is a commitment to live from your brightest possibilities, and a commitment to doing the work to get there.

It’s messy and hard and some days you just fall down and don’t get up but that’s ok.? Get up when you can.? Keep going one baby step at a time.? Come back to it.

Your practice is a container that holds this process of you being more and less committed, always inviting you deeper into it.

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The real reason why you avoid your journal. Read More »

A peek inside my Grow Your Depth journal

By Andrea Schroeder / May 15, 2015

The “other video” I talk about is here, the first peek into my Grow Your Depth Journal.? I also did a video tour of my Nurture Your Brilliance journal, here.

The beauty and magic of this work comes from your commitment to do the work consistently over time.

So the whole point of Grow Your Depth, Nurture Your Brilliance (the class I’m teaching this year which you can still join today!) is to create a container than helps you hold your commitment to your creative personal growth practice.

For me, the main benefit of this work is in how I feel right now.? It makes me happier and more connected to myself.

Of course, when I’m happier and more connected to myself I’m more powerful and creative.

And when I’m more powerful and creative in my life good things happen.? Like:

I’m making more money and I’m having more fun doing it.
Really cool opportunities keep coming my way (like – I was offered an artists’ residency at the beach this summer!).
I’m now able to work on a project that I have dreamed about for 20 years.
After a long time of being single and thinking that maybe there’s just no one out there who is a really good match for me, I’ve started dating someone I’m pretty excited about.

Inner work does spark outer change.

If there is any change you want to see happen in your life, I promise you the path is INSIDE you.

A peek inside my Grow Your Depth journal Read More »

Hello 41

By Andrea Schroeder / May 4, 2015

I kind of don’t want to post this because it seems too cheesy and pollyanna-y but this is where I’m at.

It’s Sunday night.? I’ve got a belly full of my favourite pizza which I just ate in the park with my family for my birthday dinner.? I turn 41 on Monday.? (I’m thinking that having birthday pizza the day before my birthday may be a good tradition to start – so that I’ll have birthday pizza for breakfast.)

I’ve got my laptop in bed and the windows are open.? (Normally on my birthday it’s a bit too chilly for picnics and open windows at night and I am super grateful for this.)

My life feels fuller than I am used to which is sometimes overwhelming but mostly my heart is happy.? Life just feels like a great big celebration and I am so grateful to be here.

When I think about turning 41 all I can think of is wanting to go back in time and hug past-mes and let them know that it’s all going to be OK.?? That my creative work will one day be happily received by the world and I’ll be able to make a living doing things that make my soul sing.? That I’ll figure out how to live at peace with myself.? That I’ll learn how to really trust myself and take care of myself.? That all the love I need is right here.

And I want to hug all the past mes for doing the work that got me to this place.

And then I want to marvel about what could come next.

Life is so short, but so deep and I am grateful for another year.

I’m also grateful for YOU, reading this.? Thank you for being here.

Hello 41 Read More »

How To Draw AMAZING + ENLIGHTENING Mandalas.

By Andrea Schroeder / April 7, 2015

Imagine opening up your journal to find it filled with colours and patterns that make your heart sing and whisper helpful messages from the universe.

In my Mandala Class you’ll learn how to create inspiring and enlightening Mandalas you’ll Fall In LOVE with.

You’ll get a series of 21 videos where I share EVERYTHING I know about creating a wildly fulfilling mandala practice.

You’ll skip through all the hard parts of learning how to draw mandalas and discover the secrets of how to receive (and understand!) the message behind your mandala and how it can help bring you whatever it is you need right now: healing, comfort, insights or brilliant flashes of inspiration.

You know how amazing it is when you get just the right message at just the right time and the feeling is so electric the little hairs on your arms stand up?

I get that feeling ALL THE TIME from drawing mandalas and that’s exactly what I want to share with you in this class.

?Get it right here (with a FREE uber-helpful tutorial).

How To Draw AMAZING + ENLIGHTENING Mandalas. Read More »

Why Journal?

By Andrea Schroeder / March 18, 2015

I was out with a friend, eating delicious cake and chatting and laughing when she asked me “So, why journal anyway? What’s so special about it?”

I was so surprised, I nearly spit out my cake! Why journal? How could anyone not see the magic of journaling?

But as I tried to answer I realised I didn’t really have an answer. I mean, it’s not easy to explain with words – it’s a feeling. It’s about diving into the magic in your heart.

I told her I’d think about it and come up with a better answer so here I am.

Why journal?

Well, there is a different reason for every person asking the question.

Barack Obama, President of the United States of America:

In my life, writing has been an important exercise to clarify what I believe, what I see, what I care about, what my deepest values are. The process of converting a jumble of thoughts into coherent sentences makes you ask tougher questions.

In my friend’s case, she had a lot of questions about how she really wants to be living her life. But, in the whirlwind of daily life she feels like she has no time to step out of her day-to-day routine and take a look at what’s going on and what needs to change.

This is where a journal can totally help! By spending just 5-10 minutes a day with that question:

What do I want it to be like?

She can start to discover the answer. If she keeps coming back to it, for just 5-10 minutes every day, looking over what she has written and adding new ideas, she goes deeper into the question each day.

The depth of clarity you can find using this process is startling.

(And you can do this with ANY question you face in life.)

Why journal? Because your journal can help you go from having no clue about how to do something to mapping out a clear path to it, in only 5-10 minutes a day.

This is a way of accessing your creative genius.

Why journal?? Because daily journaling, over time, can help you:

Get to know yourself better
Process, heal and transform difficult situations in your life
Uncover your creative gifts
Feel more confident about yourself
Get clear on what you really want
Find your intuitive voice (and the courage to listen to it)
Make positive life changes

Just through the simple act of taking your thoughts, ideas and feelings out of your head and putting them down on paper.

My students continually report being STUNNED by how much magic they find in their journals.

Why journal? Because it makes you get clear.

Keeping your thoughts, ideas and feelings swirling around in your head keeps them vague. The act of writing in a journal turns confusion and uncertainty into clarity and vision.? It brings you back to your center, your power and your inner magic.

Of course, it won’t all be glitter and rainbows.? The act of getting clear includes getting clear on what needs to change.? It means facing your fears.? It means working through some really hard stuff, which is why I recommend taking quality journaling classes that can lead you through the hard parts (like mine!).

?Why Journal?? Because it brings you back to yourself.

Writing in your journal is quality time with yourself, you real self.? Not the roles you play or the patterns you? live in, but the real you.? It’s a spiritual and creative practice that will transform your whole life.

Want some help getting started?

Check out my free class on how to grow your dream – which comes with a printable guided journal to get you started – Your Dream Is Waiting For You To Come True?.

Or my free ART journal class about how to get more creative in your journal – Dreamtastic Creative Journals.

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What To Do About Negative Inner Voices That Shoot Dreams Down

By Andrea Schroeder / March 3, 2015

This post is a part of the Dreamtastic Creative Journals ongoing (free!) e-course about using your journal as a tool for transformation, healing and dream-growing. The courses is full of videos, stories, photos, prompts and creative journaling processes that will help you discover the magic within.

Click here to check out what’s happened in the course so far.

Today I’m going to answer a question I get often:

I’m curious about how to tap the deepest level without the negative inner voice shooting the dreams down. That’s my biggest issue.

No one is going to like this answer: there is no way to get to the deepest level without encountering the negative inner voices.

Being more present in your inner world means being more present in all of your inner world.

Learning to activate your inner superpowers and make your dreams real is actually all about learning how to transform the negative, fearful voices that get in the way.

Because your inner superpowers already exist.? You already have everything you need, to do anything you want to do.? It’s just a matter of believing in yourself, untangling the tangles and healing your limiting patterns and beliefs.

Then your superpowers can shine through, so bright they change your whole life.

Which means if you want your journaling practice to be a space for healing and transformation then you have to welcome these voices in when they show up, you can’t be trying to avoid them.

This is the biggest part of my practice: welcoming what shows up and working with it.? Trusting that the negative voices that show up are the path – that healing and transforming these parts of me is exactly what I need to be focused on right now.

Often I think I should be focused somewhere else – and exploring something more comfortable and happy.? But I’m always wrong.

The thing that shows up is always the right thing to be exploring.

How, exactly, to do this deep and effective transformative work is beyond the scope of what I can offer in this free series, but you’ll get all the help you could possibly need to do this inside the Creative Dream Circle.

But the first step is definitely to welcome them.

What To Do About Negative Inner Voices That Shoot Dreams Down Read More »