Why you can’t separate money from creativity, spirituality and dreams

By Andrea Schroeder / Blog, Manifest your dream life

separatemoney

You use money every?day.

Money is real life. ?Grounded. Physical. Solid.

I mean, like real life it’s in a constant state of flux and can transform in any instant. ?But still you don’t get much real-er than cash. ?It has?universally-recognized value.

Just like if you’re walking through the park and you see a bench and you know that the bench is real, if you’ve got money in your pocket you know it’s real.

Which is?not always the case with?dreams, creativity and spirituality, which?tend to be more ethereal.

But having our dreams, creativity and spirituality be more real and grounded IS the dream.

Having a?spiritual practice that’s so solid it can hold you when things get hard.

Cultivating your creative gifts to the point where they can support you.

Turning?the dream into reality.

This is the point.

And money is one of the portals.

Money as a portal.

You have money in your life before the dream and you’ll have money in your life after the dream.

It may come from different sources. ?It may be flowed in different directions. ?But it’s still the same money.

So working with money now helps open it up and turn it into a portal that your dreams can come through.

Specifically – working with money as a part of your creative spiritual?practice.

You probably already know how you can combine your creative practice and your spiritual practice and how cool this can be.??(If you’re not sure what this means, I teach a simple creative spiritual practice for making dreams real in my free class Give Your Dream Wings)

Well imagine now bringing the magic of money into the mix.

Money takes all this stuff we dream about and makes it REAL.

So money tends to be scary because it’s so powerful.

If you had all the money you needed to make your dream real – then where would you hide?

Hiding inside of “I don’t have enough money” can feel like safety. ?Like it’s a giant relief that you won’t have to stretch and grow and be vulnerable and take risks to make your dream happen.

Because it’s so powerful we tend to make up all sorts of stories about it.

Figuring out how to have the money you need to do what you really want is just too hard (as though living with less is somehow easy?).
Wanting money means you sold out (as though there is something wrong with wanting to provide for yourself and your family).
Spiritual people don’t care about money (as though meditation will feed, clothe and shelter you).
Real artists don’t care about money (as though art supplies don’t cost money)
Happiness is more important that money (as though?you have to choose!)

These stories are bullshit but we do tend to live our lives by them.

Bringing the soul of money into your creative spiritual practice helps you see the bullshit more clearly, and then clear it away.

It doesn’t mean you become “money hungry” or anything like that, it means you see money as the powerful tool for creating your life that it is, and treat it accordingly.

It means seeing yourself as powerful enough to use this tool with creativity and soul and meaning.

Because yes, a lot of our money systems in this world are broken.

That doesn’t mean you can’t rise above them and use money in ways that nurture all the things that matter to you.

And I promise that doing this is closer than you think.

This is the work/play/healing we’ll be doing in the Creative With Money class, happening on April 21.

As a creative person – you can learn how to bring your creativity into how you manage your inner relationship with money.

And that will change everything.

Click here to read more and to join us.?

RADICAL healing and transformation

By Andrea Schroeder / Healing

radical

Healing happens all the time. Every time you give space for your actual feelings or are honest with yourself about what you really want or make art or feel love you experience a taste of healing.

RADICAL healing and transformation speaks to working at a deeper level and reaping greater benefits – a healing so complete it transforms you and your whole world.

This is the realm of miracles, enhanced possibility and impossible dreams made manifest.

Because you truly are capable of anything, but you’re going to have to get out of your own way first.

The opposite of radical healing and transformation is spiritual by-pass.

Unfortunately, spiritual by-pass is often mistaken for radical healing and transformation, but it’s just a fancy and spiritual-sounding way of sabotaging your greatest potential.

It’s a really insidious way of sabotaging yourself because it keeps you in denial about what you’re doing which keeps you, and your whole life, in a holding pattern.

Spiritual by-pass means you are using spiritual concepts and ideas to by-pass your actual feelings and experience.? The problem is that you’re not usually aware that you’re doing this, you just think you’re “being spiritual” and “thinking positive”.

Being pulled out of spiritual by-pass is crazy uncomfortable because you are suddenly confronted with all this stuff that you’ve been in denial about, plus you’re confronted with how you’ve been lying to yourself about being in denial, which is embarrassing if you think of yourself as an awake and conscious human being.

It really sucks.? And it’s totally liberating.

Because once you see it you can do something about it.? Once you see it you can see all the ways that you have been in your own way, so you can get out of your way, and get to that place where there is no need to “think positive” because you’re too busy being in love with your life.

RADICAL healing and transformation.

Going in deeper.? Opening up wider.? Surrendering to the process and discovering inner gifts more amazing than you ever thought were possible for you to have.

There is no substitute for living from this place and until you get there your heart is always going to be longing for it.

Though you don’t “get there” of course.

The heart will always continue to lead you towards living on your own edge of RADICAL healing and transformation – just beyond what you think is possible.

Can you see how this transforms not only you – but your whole world?

I wish this for me and for you and for everyone.

But starting with me and you.

Starting with the people who are already connected to their creativity and spirituality.

Starting with the people who are already interested in exploring the fullness of their potential.

This is deep, big, hard work and it’s only for the people who are genuinely ready to dig in.? Starting with us, and digging in deep, we can create a whirlpool of healing and transformation that can eventually engulf the whole world.

This is what I am doing in 2015, in Grow Your Depth, Nurture Your Brilliance.

Lights shine more brightly in the darkness.

By Andrea Schroeder / Online Classes

shine

When I decided to run The Peaceful Happy Holiday Season class, this was to grant myself a very big wish: to have my own peaceful, happy holiday season.

There is a lot of good stuff about the holidays. And a lot of stressful stuff.

This year I specifically did not want:

That feeling of buying gifts for people who don’t need anything, just because we’re supposed to buy gifts, and being stressed out about whether or not they’d like the gift.
That feeling of having eaten too much junk – you know that kind of stuff that’s at potluck parties or when I used to work in an office and there were sweets everywhere all the time and it’s like I was in a constant sugar coma.
Feeling rushed or busy, worrying that I “haven’t done enough”, doing things I don’t really want to do because this is what people do.

I got my wish.

I’m participating in The Peaceful Happy Holiday Season class, and finding my inner happy zen.

I’m making a point to appreciate the delightful things in my day-to-day life.

I’m doing yin yoga for an hour each day and appreciating sinking into the energies of this time of year that encourage stillness and turning inward and going deeper.

I feel peaceful, bright and expansive.

Lights shine more brightly in the darkness.

It’s so strange the way our culture in North America approaches the holiday season, because this is our dark quiet time of the year.

We’re fighting the natural energies by filling it up with parties and shopping and obligations.

Surrounding ourselves with artificial twinkle lights and ornaments instead of creating space for the brilliance of our inner lights to shine out.

Then again, it’s not so strange when you really think about it, because creating space for your brilliance means being more present in your inner world means dealing with your shit.? Nobody wants to do that, and so artificial twinkle lights and ornaments start to seem like a good substitute.

They’re not, of course.

There is so much magic in going into the darkness, being with the quieter, inward-focused energies that surround us at this time of year.

How can you give stillness more space in your holiday season?

And yes – if you join the Circle today you can still participate in The Peaceful Happy Holiday Season class.

Creating e-courses as an act of healing + transformation

By Andrea Schroeder / Healing

ecourses

In 2011, I created the Creative Dream Incubator e-Course.? This is an in-depth master class in the art of bringing ANY dream to life (I still get emails all the time from people thanking me for how that class changed their lives).

I actually created the Creative Dream Incubator for my own younger self.

The me who struggled with having enough time and money for her dreams.? The me who thought she was so good at thinking positive but was actually drowning in limiting beliefs and fears.? The me who thought she was following her heart but was actually vacillating between grasping at straws and listening to her inner critics.

Once I learned how to access and work with the magic within, I wanted to send this knowing back in time to me-from-then so that she didn’t have to struggle so hard.

Creating that course was deeply healing for me, and helped me close the door to the part of my life that was marked by struggle, and step more fully into the life I wanted.

And now here I am, creating another in-depth master-class.? And it’s just as big and healing as the first one.

Grow Your Depth, Nurture Your Brilliance is an in-depth master-class in the art of Creative + Intuitive Healing + Transformation.? It shows you how to go so deeply into the process of internal transformation that it changes your whole outer world.

I started working on this because I was becoming frustrated by how few people actually understand the depths, and how mistaking the shallows for the depths will limit your possibilities for your whole life.

But as I keep working on it I’m seeing that that’s not why I’m creating this.

I’m actually creating it for me.

Just like that love-wrapped experience of creating The Creative Dream Incubator for my past self, this time I’m creating for my future self.? The me who wants to go deeper into her own process next year.

I’m lovingly building a structure that will allow me to dive in deeper to my own depths, using the magic of creativity and intuition and deep soul communion I can see what I need next and build it before I get there.

As I’m doing this, I’m feeling so loved and supported.? All that love and support cycles back into my creative process, helping me build an even better structure.

So as I’m writing this program, I’m delighting in how these words are going to help lift me up when I need it.

That I get to invite people to join me in this adventure is the big juicy cherry on top.

Especially now that I have the experience of knowing that when I create something that deeply serves my own needs – that deeply serves the needs of other people like me, too.

Create what your own heart is craving.? I think this is the best way to work.

There is a special kind of magic in creating from this place, and all of the love and healing that you experience while creating the thing will be there for the people who buy it from you.

If you’re a teacher, it’s important to own your authority.? I’ve been studying this for 20 years.? I have in-depth training and accreditation as a spiritual teacher and energy healer.

When I place myself in the position of student, and create what I need, I’m still creating from that place of authority. You need to be in your own authority in order to create a space where people can really learn from you.

Your authority creates the container that holds the potential for transformation.

Teachers who don’t take the time to nurture and grow their own authority are not capable of holding space for deep transformation for their students.? Often they’re not even aware that they’re doing this, this is how shallow becomes mistaken for deep and everyone’s possibilities become limited.

So, holding your authority is important.

But putting yourself into the position of student at the same time is magical.? It keeps you vulnerable and awake and in touch with the needs of your students.

A teacher who isn’t willing to be a student can wind up being too harsh.? If your students don’t feel safe with you, they can’t go deeper into their transformative process and again – everyone’s possibilities become limited.

For me, the sweet spot with all of this is when I stay engaged in my own process and aware that my own work holds the space for my student’s work.

It turns the class into a living laboratory of healing and transformation – both for you and your students.

I am so deeply grateful that I get to do this.

On going deeper.

By Andrea Schroeder / Creative Entrepreneur

On going deeper
I’m doing a lot of writing and journaling and yin yoga and meditation as I explore what it means to open my heart deeper and then live and work from that place.

I’m noticing all of the ways that the whole universe supports me in this work and appreciating that inner sparkling feeling of being on the right path.

When something is off, when you’re hiding from yourself or staying too closed or avoiding your feelings, that inner sparkling feeling is inaccessible.? So I like to use it as a compass for knowing when I am on and off track.

So this is my main job right now: opening, deepening.

I have a dream for what I want to do next year.? And I need to offer this particular thing from a deeper place in my heart than I have offered anything before, which means I have to be deeper in my heart than I have ever been before as I create and share it.

Living and working as an open hearted person includes having the inner strength, power and sovereignty to be offering your creative gifts to others without collapsing into caretaking, over-giving and self-sacrifice.

Inviting other people into your creative work means being open and inviting and warm without giving them permission to stomp all over everything, or take more than you are offering or just generally make a mess of things.

That soft bright welcoming loving openness has to come through clear solid sturdy boundaries or else it can’t sustain itself.

And so, after having spent the last few years working more on power and strength and boundaries I am coming to a place where I can open my heart wider and deeper.

This means I can take my work deeper in 2015, which I am ridiculously excited about.

And what’s coming through that opening is so beautiful it is kind of amazing me: it’s Grow Your Depth, Nurture Your Brilliance which will be available in the Creative Dream Circle in 2015.

I’m hoping to actually be able to share what it is soon.? The deeper I go, the more everything needs to change about how I talk about it, so this is taking longer than I had hoped.

Why Art Journaling Is Not Enough

By Andrea Schroeder / Creative Journaling, Healing, Journaling

artjournal

Art journaling is becoming popular out in the world and this is very good! People are waking up to the inherent healing benefits of being creative and only good can come from that.

It?s true that just making art is healthy and good for you.

And it?s also true that if you want to actually dig in and transform your self and your life, more is needed.? And that part keeps getting lost in the shuffle.

Starting a creative practice is only the first step.

And the skills, techniques and practices that you need to get started are different than the skills, techniques and practices that take you to the next level.

It takes a special set of skills to successfully navigate the process of internal transformation.

Engaging in the creative process is beautiful and magical but it’s only a doorway to deep down healing and transformation.

Obviously the doorway is super important, but the doorway is not the journey, it?s only there to get you started.

Too many people are taking those tiny bites of healing and then mistaking those tiny bites for all there is – which means they’re settling for much less than the full-blown bliss of inner healing and transformation.

To get to the next level, your creative practice has to stop being about the art and start being about the inner journey.

You can tell where you are in this by how you feel about what you?re creating.

Do you want it to look a certain way? If so, you?re staying on the surface.
Are you so immersed in your own brilliant depths that you don?t care what your art looks like anymore? If so, then you?re on the real journey.

Creating a gorgeous art journal as a record of your life is wonderful. But it?s nothing compared to learning how to skillfully navigate your own brilliant depths.

That?s what I wish for you and that?s where we?re going in 2015, in the Creative Dream Circle.

Right now I’m thrilled to be working on something new for the Circle:

Grow Your Depth, Nurture Your Brilliance: 12 months of deep-down creative + intuitive healing + transformation.

I’ll be sharing more details over the next month.? The magic will start in January, but if you join the circle today you can use December to work through the amazing classes that are already there which creates the foundation for where we’re going next.

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Creative Dream TV: Creating A Self-Care Kit For When You’re In Crisis

By Andrea Schroeder / Creative Dream TV

How to make a self care kit

You need a self care kit because times when you really NEED self-care tools are exactly the times when it's the hardest to find them!

I'm doing something new - recording videos straight to YouTube instead of editing. With anything new, there's a bit of a learning curve, I lost the first 20 seconds and it's a little weird/wavy - not like my usual videos.

The best time to make a self-care kit for yourself is when you're NOT in crisis.

Because when things are rough it's harder to know how to take care of yourself.

But... I am editing this post in 2020 during a global crisis... if things are already rough for you - just do your best. Every bit of self care you do helps you get to a bit of a better place where you can do a bit of a better job of taking care of yourself... and so on and so on.

You can do this.

Your self care kit should be with you and accessible at all times.

I keep mine in my bag with my wallet. Those days when I don't take my bag with me, when I grab my wallet I also grab my self care kit.

It's in a handwoven zipper case, the same size as a pencil case. It's easy to have on me.

As I've gotten older, my self care kit has gotten more boring, lol!

This is for two reasons:

my body needs more attention to feel good
I know myself better so I can do better than aromatherapy, affirmation cards and little chocolate treats, which is what my self care kit used to be full of when I was in my 30s.

An ongoing commitment to self care over time WILL teach you what YOU need in your self care kit.

A question to ask while you're building your self care kit: What would be helpful, now?

Asking it at different times of day, in different places, in different situations, gives you different answers which give you different ideas for what to keep in your self care kit.

For example, in peri-menopause I can't always predict my menstrual cycle like I used to, so keeping Advil in my self care kit is helpful.

I have allergies to pollen and to some dogs. Having allergy meds in my kit is a must.

Some of the items in your self care kit should be boring! Just basic "how to take good care of my body" stuff that can help stop anxiety or overwhelm from spiralling.

Here's what's in my self-care kit right now:

ear plugs (I am super sensitive to noise)
Advil
allergy meds
a few packs of Emergen-C (a dose of vitamin C and electrolytes that feels good when I am overwhelmed)
ear buds (I usually have headphones with me, but for those days when I forget them, having the earbuds saves the day)
multiple playlists of brainwave music for different moods, like calm + focus (technically not in my kit, but I keep them on my phone)
favourite aromatherapy blends in small bottles (also convenient for days if I forget deodorant can use some EO instead and not feel self conscious - this is a small thing, but every uncomfortable feeling you've got going on adds a new layer of discomfort, so the more of them you can take care of, the better)
Kleenex in a tiny pack
Journal with paint pens and a huge assortment of ultra thin markers (also not in my self care zipper pouch, but I keep it in a separate zipper pouch, also always with me)

Other ideas for your self care kit:

chocolate
inspiration card or helpful affirmation/mantra written on a piece of paper
a meditation or visualization that works well for you, written down on a sheet of paper (it's easy to forget to use tools we know about, so this is a way to include them in the kit)
lip balm
moisturizer, bonus points if it smells like something that makes you feel happy
water bottle

This will help you create your self care kit:

The Self Care for the Pandemic e-course is free, you can get the whole thing right here.

It's five days of videos and journaling sheets, to really dig in and explore what kind of self care you need right now.

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Grief & Magic.

By Andrea Schroeder / Creative Dream Incubator, Online Classes

grandma — My grandparents: My grandmother made these giant loaves of bread every year for Thanksgiving, to show what she was grateful for.

Yesterday it was four years since my grandmother died.? My mom posted some photos on Facebook and I was all ” four years, has it been that long” and “no way it’s been four whole years already” at the same time.

It’s really hard to measure missing someone in years.

I thought back to four years ago, and how devastated I was.? My grandmother was 89 and in excellent health.? She was independent and creative.? She was living a full life and we were planning a big bash for her 90th.? Her death was very sudden.

I know everybody says this after people are gone, but she really was the best person ever.

And I was sad for me for losing her, but I was also sad for the world for losing her.

I was lucky enough to grow up with all four of my grandparents, and she was the last one I lost.? It changed things for me in a way I did not understand at the time.

It was my grandmother’s death that planted the seeds for me to leave my cushy office job and set out to live my life more fully on my own terms.

At that point I was already leading my own creativity workshops, doing spiritual healing & counseling and leading healing and meditation circles – all while working at my day job.? By then I had worked my way down to 4 days/week and was absolutely blissed out to have the opportunity to be doing what I wanted to do, even though I wasn’t able to do it full time.

At that time, I didn’t think I would EVER do my creativespiritual work as my full time gig.

But after my grandmother died it felt like something changed.

Frankly, it felt like time to grow up.? Which maybe makes sense – I was about to turn 36.

Though she was not the first person I have lost, her death really shook me up and reminded me of how precious life is and not to waste any of it.

And that happiness I was feeling about “only” working 4 days a week so I could spend 3 days devoted to my creative and spiritual adventures started to turn to annoyance.

It was only three months later that I moved down to 3 days a week at my job, and let my boss know that I would be leaving by the end of the year.

No one believed me.

It seemed to unlikely that someone would give up the security of a job with a generous pension and benefits package to strike out on their own to teach people about the magic of glitter and positive thinking (which is how my co-workers described my early workshops).

But I was determined. Not because I wanted to build a big business or become rich or internet-famous, but because I wanted to live my real life.

I realised that life was too precious to spend it doing anything other than what feels TRUE for me.? And I liked my job, but I couldn’t say that it felt TRUE, down to the depths of my being, for me to spend my days doing that work.

No matter how uncertain life as an entrepreneur is, it feels TRUE.

So yesterday I was taking that in.

How much has changed.? How much I have changed.? How I feel about my life today.

Yesterday I wasn’t feeling super-great.? So I was taking it easy.? Drawing mandalas, re-arranging my work schedule to suit my energy, extra meditation, lavender tea lattes.

Four years ago, if I wasn’t feeling super-great I’d have been drinking extra coffee and maybe get a cupcake or something as a treat to get myself through the day.

Pursuing your dreams is a risk.? There is no doubt about that.

But I think we don’t think enough about what kind of risk you take in NOT going for it.?

I was imagining what I’d be like today if I was still in that job.? My whole body kind of tenses up.? I’d feel further away from my purpose and my creativity.? I wouldn’t be practicing extreme self-care as a way of living.? I wouldn’t have the Dream Loft.? I wouldn’t feel fulfilled by my work the way I do now.

That’s not who I want to be.

At the time, I thought it was all about money.? About how I needed my job because I didn’t know how to make enough money to support myself without it.

I thought the life I really wanted was impossible because of money.

In hindsight, that’s ridiculous.

It wasn’t about money.? It was about courage, and learning to trust myself and my creativity.? It was about stretching my comfort zone.? It was about how much more powerful I am when I am living in integrity with my inner truth.

And I promise: the life you really want is possible.? But it’s not going to come to you, you have to go to it.

And if you want my help sorting this out – I’m here.? My Creative With Money e-course starts tomorrow.

I can promise you that in this course you?ll meet money in a totally different way ? this is not like anything else out there.? You’ll see new possibilities for how to live your REAL life.

And I can promise to be there with you on the journey.? I?ll be active in the class forum, answering your questions, helping you get through the stuck places and cheering you on.

The Creative With Money e-course? happens inside the Creative Dream Circle.?? Once you join the Circle, you’re in for a whole year.? This means you get this plus ALL of the other courses I run all year long – for just $100.

Creative Dream TV: Money & Healing

By Andrea Schroeder / Creative Dream TV

healing

Today I wanted to talk more about the magic of healing your relationship with money, and why this matters to me, why I want to help you with this and what kinds of things tend to come up for people as they explore healing & money.

You are invited to come and explore this with me, and with other committed creative dreamers, in my Creative With Money e-course which you get inside the Creative Dream Circle.? We use creativity, imagination and play to lead you around the very sticky terrain of exploring your inner relationship with money and laying the foundation to create a whole new money story for yourself.

I can promise you that you’ll meet money in a totally different way than you ever have before – this is not like anything else out there.

You Got This: Guided Journal & Colouring Book for Dissolving Doubt & Bolstering Your Capacity to Believe in Yourself

By Andrea Schroeder / Creative Journaling, Journaling

How to build confidence in those moments when all you feel is self-doubt?

If you’re swimming in doubt, trying to figure out how to build confidence doesn’t just seem impossible – it actually IS.

I know that’s not what you want to hear.? But the truth is you can’t move towards confidence without facing your doubt, first? Then you can look at how to build confidence.

Doubt is not a comfortable thing to face. But you have probably already found that avoiding it doesn?t make it go away and when you try to fight it you never seem to win.

So what?s a creative doubter to do?

Well, if you’re a creative and playful person: you have a big advantage!

When you bring the qualities of play and creativity into self-exploration – you can color your way to dissolving doubt and bolstering your capacity to believe in yourself.

You stop worrying about how to build confidence… because you find yourself feeling good about yourself.

That’s exactly what this Guided Journal & Mandala Coloring Book will help you do.

It’s especially designed for people who want to lead creatively abundant lives ? and do ?impossible? things, with ease & joy. Every day.

Filled with journaling prompts, unique energy alchemy processes and hand-drawn healing mandalas, this book will lead you through the process.? It will show you how to build confidence and expand what is actually possible for you.

How to build confidence coloring book and guided journal

You Got This: Guided Journal & Colouring Book for Dissolving Doubt & Bolstering Your Capacity to Believe in Yourself

30 pages long. Instant access – just download, print & colour your way to BLISS!

$15

~~Click here to purchase now.~~ This book is no longer available for sale on its own.?

Get this book for free when you join the Creative Dream Circle.

Curious about what my guided journals and colouring books are like?? Check out my free mini-journal, right here.

“I was avoiding the colouring book because of the questions, assuming I “shouldn’t” play with colouring until I was ready to look at and answer the questions, until I was ready to “dig deep” and “figure stuff out”.

I started just colouring and scribbling, not even worrying about picking good colours or staying in the lines (a la kindergarten).?

And now I can feel things opening up inside of me. Questions I didn’t know I had are getting answered without words. And things I don’t have answers for yet can be okay playing in the colours without me needing to worry about them.”

Irene Kehler, happy colour-er!