I had therapy last week and my therapist talked about how she sees that I have actually METABOLIZED all of my difficult my feelings about everything that’s happened in my life these last few months. And how, when you do that, you end up free. Happy. This is healing.
My therapist said something like: "Your practices work. You had the rug pulled out from under you and you did not fall apart. You're doing great."
The next day I decided to go to the conservatory and butterfly garden and when I stepped in there I realised - now I’m am metabolizing my joy. Getting grounded in it. Breathing in joy. Appreciating the miracle that is my life. Optimistic for the future.
There is a part of me, which keeps getting smaller, who is waiting for this to be harder. This part of me is stunned at how I’ve moved on from my (only?) (first?) marriage.
This is an old story about fear and how hanging onto things is the only way to value or honour them.
That part of me is a little freaked out to see the rest of me living in a brand new story about how life is a gift and I don’t want to spend it being unhappy and holding onto things that don’t fit anymore. And how it doesn’t take away from how much I loved my life with my husband, to say that it’s in the past now.
The truth is, most of the time I feel deeply happy right now. There is so much space in my life for my healing practices and Dream Work, and I have been creating all new routines and habits for creative magic, self care and joy.
This is creative dreaming. Being deeply present with your life, not avoiding the hard parts but also not getting stuck in them. Using what you have to create what you want.
Dream Book members:
Come to the forum to share your thoughts or start a conversation about whatever you're working with.
Get your next Dream Book lesson.
Go the Library of Creative Dream Alchemy to find a practice that fits for where you are or use the Dream Lab if you're not sure where to start.
Check out the calendar of upcoming calls. Make a plan to join us live or catch a replay. Recent call: Centered Grounded Present. Upcoming calls: Goodbye 2023 Hello 2024
Note: This is a post about my daily practice with my Creative Dreams - in these posts I often link to the tools, courses and processes I use which are only available to Dream Book members. If you're not a member, find out more + join us here.
Note: This is a post about my daily practice with my Creative Dreams - I often link to the tools, courses and processes I use which are available to Dream Book members. If you're not a member, find out more + join us here.
On Fridays I do my Dream Status Report which is a series of prompts I use every week to help me have more clarity, momentum and groundedness on my path. You can do them with me (Dream Book members: come post yours in the forum!)!
I know doing the same prompts every week can be annoying sometimes but this is magically clarifying. The repetition helps you go deeper into the process and makes it easier to LEARN from your process as you go, and the apply those learnings right away.
This weekly practices helps me learn so much more, even when I'm just stumbling around trying to find my next steps.
Here are the prompts:
PART ONE: (sometimes these can stay the same for months at time, sometimes they change often)
My dream is:
I want it because:
When I have it I will feel:
PART TWO:
Invite your dream in (using the Dream Lab practice) to help you with the rest of the prompts.
PART THREE:
My goal/wish/intention for this New Moon is:
Last week’s focus was:
What happened in the last week?
What am I learning/How do I feel about this?
What do I need now?
What does my dream need now?
Taking all of this into account, my focus for the next week is:
My Dream Status Report for this week:
PART ONE:
My dream is: I had a big realization about this this week. I have been way too vague and all over the place thinking about everything I want. It's time to focus in one one specific thing. I want to write more about this next week.
I want it because: I feel ready.
When I have it I will feel: Optimistic and free.
My new moon intention: Self Care and Structure. Making space for progress on projects.
PART TWO:
Invite your dream in (using the Dream Lab practice) to help you with the rest of the prompts.
I see myself. Sitting on a couch in a coffee shop, journaling. I can just tell I am super focused and there is this energy of being really powerful. I feel " I GOT THIS"
PART THREE:
Last week’s focus was: Remember the magic.
What happened in the last week?
This was such a good week! While of course I had a lot of different feelings, most of the week I felt really happy and inspired.
It was a super productive week, but I feel like I made a lot of inner progress in terms of really aligning with my dream.
What am I learning/How do I feel about this?
I feel so optimistic.
What do I need now?
Settle into the routines and structure that I have been working on this last little while. I want to really ENJOY being in the process.
What does my dream need now?
My dream just smiles at me and is really happy about everything I am doing.
Taking all of this into account, my focus for the next week is:
ENJOY being in the process.
Dream Book members:
Come to the forum to share your Dream Status Report or start a conversation about whatever you're working with.
Get your next Dream Book lesson.
Check out the calendar of upcoming calls.
This question came up on our November new moon intention-setting and coaching call. (If you haven't watch it, get the replay here)
On one hand, this is a really BIG question.
But on the other hands there is actually a really simple answer:
Don’t ever give up while you’re feeling defeated (or scared, frustrated, in a state of panic, etc).
The whole point of Creative Dreaming is to act from your inner truth. Your intuition, creativity, your true self, your connection to spirit. To not be reacting to the world or following the path the world tells you to follow, to act from a deeper place within yourself.
So you know it’s time to give up, or make a big change, if that’s what feels right inside you. It may feel sad, but it feels right.
And sometimes “giving up” doesn’t end up being about actually giving up the dream forever.
It ends up being more about taking a break or giving up the way you were pursuing something and finding a way that works better for you.
There can (and probably will!) be times when you are doing you best but things just don’t work out. The obstacles start to pile up and it gets really, really scary.
There can be times when the things we need are always just out of reach.
We’re all going to feel defeated sometimes. We’re all going to panic about how slowly things are coming together.
There are big, uncomfortable feelings involved with creative dreaming.
And most of the work of creative dreaming is processing those feelings, alchemising them into fuel for for the path.
But what if that work just feels like too much?
If giving up feels like a relief, give up.
Give up on that particular approach to that particular dream.
Give yourself some space to rest and replenish and process your feelings and I believe your dream will come back to you when the time is right.
Sometimes giving up on a dream makes space for a new version of that dream to find you. Sometimes that new version is BETTER than the original dream.
This is all growth work.
Growth means change.
Our dreams shouldn’t stay static.
And there isn’t a way to do any of this wrong.
Just keep showing up. It's really about showing up FOR YOURSELF, not for any particular outcome.
Dream Book members:
Come to the forum to share your thoughts or start a conversation about whatever you're working with.
Get your next Dream Book lesson.
Go the Library of Creative Dream Alchemy to find a practice that fits for where you are or use the Dream Lab if you're not sure where to start.
Check out the calendar of upcoming calls. Make a plan to join us live or catch a replay. Upcoming calls: Centered Grounded Present. Goodbye 2023 Hello 2024
Note: This is a post about my daily practice with my Creative Dreams - in these posts I often link to the tools, courses and processes I use which are only available to Dream Book members. If you're not a member, find out more + join us here.
This is the journal page I made for Centered Grounded Present (which is today!)
I wanted to share it as another reminder that your drawings can look like a three year old did them! It doesn't matter what they look like, expressing how a thing feels in your journal is really really helpful.
The energy you're in when you are making a thing look how you want it to look is TOTALLY DIFFERENT from the energy of processing your feelings.
Your journal should be a safe space for processing your feelings.
There is nothing wrong with making art that looks how you want it to look and putting effort into that, but that's NOT the same as expressing and processing your feelings.
The CENTERED circle within a circle, and then the GROUNDED roots pulling down into the earth and then the PRESENT radiating out around it... this is how it feels for me today.
I felt the PRESENT as rays of light, but when I drew it, it looked like a flower and that felt right too.
I've been taking notes on what happens, how I feel, when I bring in these qualities. And I'll keep doing that on the call today.
It feels magical.
Like these qualities, together, pull me deeper into my body and into my magic. I feel powerful. And capable. And inspired. And all the good things.
I can't wait to practice in community, and then keep practicing this!
If you're in Dream Book: Get the call details here. (Replay will be here a few hours after we're done - leave your thoughts in the comments while you watch!)
If you're not in Dream Book: Find our more + sign up to join us here.
Dream Book members:
Come to the forum to share your thoughts or start a conversation about whatever you're working with.
Get your next Dream Book lesson.
Go the Library of Creative Dream Alchemy to find a practice that fits for where you are or use the Dream Lab if you're not sure where to start.
Check out the calendar of upcoming calls. Make a plan to join us live or catch a replay. Upcoming calls: Centered Grounded Present. Goodbye 2023 Hello 2024
Note: This is a post about my daily practice with my Creative Dreams - in these posts I often link to the tools, courses and processes I use which are only available to Dream Book members. If you're not a member, find out more + join us here.
Last week I got my first smart plug. I plugged a lamp into it.
Since the sun sets so early and rises so late now, I am often at the front door in the dark.
And there IS a light by the front door, but when I got married my husband built a big closet along that wall, which I am happy to have, but which put the light into the closet and so the entrance area is dark. And when I turn on a light, I have to go back and turn it off and I am trying to not walk around everywhere in my winter boots (there’s a lot of sand and salt on them). So it’s just awkward.
I got this smart light, thinking how great it would be to be able to turn the lamp on and off with my voice.
But when I set it up, this option popped up on my phone, to AUTOMAGICALLY turn on the light when I come home and turn it off when I leave.
Like, whoa.
I didn’t know it could be this easy.
I want more of this in more parts of my life. Not smart gadgets, but having things turn out easier than I think they will be. And feeling delighted and supported by that.
To that end - Centered Grounded Present is happening tomorrow.
Because everything DOES go better when you are centered, grounded and present.
AND because GETTING centered, grounded and present is so HARD right now.
Of course the harder things get, the more important it is that we do this work. But also the harder things get, the harder it is to do this work.
Both are true.
So we're going to recognize and be with all of the ways that this work is hard.
We're going to tap into the magic of not being alone in this work.
And we're going to PRACTICE, not perfect.
If you're in Dream Book: Get the call details here. (Replay will be here a few hours after we're done tomorrow - leave your thoughts in the comments while you watch!)
If you're not in Dream Book: Find our more + sign up to join us here.
Dream Book members:
Come to the forum to share your thoughts or start a conversation about whatever you're working with.
Get your next Dream Book lesson.
Go the Library of Creative Dream Alchemy to find a practice that fits for where you are or use the Dream Lab if you're not sure where to start.
Check out the calendar of upcoming calls. Make a plan to join us live or catch a replay. Upcoming calls: Centered Grounded Present. Goodbye 2023 Hello 2024
Note: This is a post about my daily practice with my Creative Dreams - in these posts I often link to the tools, courses and processes I use which are only available to Dream Book members. If you're not a member, find out more + join us here.
(Photo of me doing my planning for next week on Friday FOR THE THIRD WEEK IN A ROW??!!)
✨Weekly planning is a miracle✨
Dream Book Resource: Creative Genius Planning Sessions
During the pandemic I stopped doing weekly planning with any kind of consistency because it was week after week of NOT doing the things I wanted to do so why keep trying?
And while I feel like a broken record about this, it’s still on my mind so I’ll keep talking about it - I haven’t been able to get back on track since. Maybe I have long Covid, maybe it’s all peri-menopause, but I definitely don’t have the mental clarity, focus and drive I used to have.
But I still have creative dreams.
And creative dreams do us to take action and taking action is just really messy without a plan.
We’ve done some amazing, healing Zooms on structure and routines in Dream Book recently and it’s really helped me sort through this to find a way to do this that feels supportive and hopeful.
(Dream Book members: If you missed them, the replays are: Structure Habits Routines Call | Marketing as a Creative + Spiritual Practice Calls: Calls 12 + 13 about habits, systems + structure)
I started with 1 rule: plan next week at the end of this week.
This is not a rule I suggest for anyone else, I just noticed that by the end of the week I felt some momentum starting. And on Mondays I tend to feel pretty unsure of where to start my week. So I decided to use the momentum I had at the end of the week to plan the following week.
It’s working really well.
Which does not mean I am DOING ALL THE THINGS every week. Some things get moved into next week’s plan. That’s fine.
Sometimes we just can’t do everything we want and sometimes we are planning unrealistically and we become more realistic and effective at planning by… DOING IT CONSISTENTLY.
And the only way to be consistent at anything is to do it a small and easy enough way that you can actually DO IT.
Once you are doing it you can gradually ramp up if that’s appropriate. But often, we can make more progress than we think I’m with really tiny steps.
And it’s not about forcing yourself to do the things you think you’re supposed to.
I am astounded by how HEALING it is to follow through on my own ideas. To write the idea down and say: I will give this some time and energy this week. And then to do it.
It makes me feel so optimistic for my future.
If you’re not doing it, what’s the smallest way you could some weekly planning FOR YOUR DREAMS, not for the things you “need to do”?
Dream Book members:
Come to the forum to share your thoughts or start a conversation about whatever you're working with.
Get your next Dream Book lesson.
Go the Library of Creative Dream Alchemy to find a practice that fits for where you are or use the Dream Lab if you're not sure where to start.
Check out the calendar of upcoming calls. Make a plan to join us live or catch a replay. Upcoming calls: Centered Grounded Present. Goodbye 2023 Hello 2024
Note: This is a post about my daily practice with my Creative Dreams - in these posts I often link to the tools, courses and processes I use which are only available to Dream Book members. If you're not a member, find out more + join us here.
Note: This is a post about my daily practice with my Creative Dreams - I often link to the tools, courses and processes I use which are available to Dream Book members. If you're not a member, find out more + join us here.
On Fridays I do my Dream Status Report which is a series of prompts I use every week to help me have more clarity, momentum and groundedness on my path. You can do them with me (Dream Book members: come post yours in the forum!)!
I know doing the same prompts every week can be annoying sometimes but this is magically clarifying. The repetition helps you go deeper into the process and makes it easier to LEARN from your process as you go, and the apply those learnings right away.
Here are the prompts:
PART ONE: (sometimes these can stay the same for months at time, sometimes they change often)
My dream is:
I want it because:
When I have it I will feel:
PART TWO:
Invite your dream in (using the Dream Lab practice) to help you with the rest of the prompts.
PART THREE:
My goal/wish/intention for this New Moon is:
Last week’s focus was:
What happened in the last week?
What am I learning/How do I feel about this?
What do I need now?
What does my dream need now?
Taking all of this into account, my focus for the next week is:
My Dream Status Report for this week:
PART ONE:
My dream is: Being the artist + writer I want to be. For a while now a lot has been shifting around how much/what kind of art I want to make and working on creating more nourishing/robust/lively local creative community. Daily routines that help me feel creative and energized.
I want it because: I feel excited about it!
When I have it I will feel: Optimistic and free.
My new moon intention: Healing and expansion.
PART TWO:
Invite your dream in (using the Dream Lab practice) to help you with the rest of the prompts.
It's me! Wearing my lavender dress with the rainbow embroidered on it. And I can tell I am my Dream Self. Flowy and happy and optimistic and powerful. It feels like I have SO MUCH SPACE INSIDE.
Holding this feeling with me.
PART THREE:
Last week’s focus was:Cultivate a sense of aliveness, creative magic and optimism for my future.
What happened in the last week?
We got another BIG piece of good news about my step-son's health. He could be out of the hospital in as little as a week, though he'll need recovery time at home still, and the thing he likely needs in the new year will be a simple procedure. Such a relief.
And my relationship with Joseph keeps shifting. When we split up I wanted to see this as a transition and not an ending. But then a few weeks in of course it felt like an ending, I think a time of separation is needed to change such a close bond. But now it's starting to feel like a transition, something new is feeling possible there.
I'm thinking a lot about the state of the world and how important it is to not fall into despair and freeze or avoid in response. How it's not enough to want or pray for or visualize peace and a better world for everyone, we need to take action. There are things all of us can do. No one person can fix anything but together we can create a completely different world.
But also thinking about how natural it is that we DO go into frozen or avoidant states.
And feeling a little angry about how so much of the new age/wellness/coaching worlds are staying so stringent about spiritual bypass and unconsciously leaning into personal privilege and just generally not being a part of any kind of real solution.
And appreciating the ways I try to be different while and knowing that this anger is an arrow pointing to my next steps.
I guess, with so much happening in my life I've been retreated and maybe I am ready to look at un-retreating a little?
What am I learning/How do I feel about this?
I feel kind of amazed. I know that really staying with your feelings, giving them space to express so you can really listen to yourself is healing and magic but the amount of healing and magic I've been experiencing feels overwhelming. But I think I am too much "in process" to really know what I am leaning.
What do I need now?
It's the STRUCTURE and ROUTINES that have been so helpful for me. I need to keep it up. Every week I feel like this gets sturdier.
What does my dream need now?
I just get this sense of FEELING IT, like doing what I need to do to really be in my element.
Taking all of this into account, my focus for the next week is:
Remember the magic.
Dream Book members:
Come to the forum to share your Dream Status Report or start a conversation about whatever you're working with.
Get your next Dream Book lesson.
Check out the calendar of upcoming calls.
Yesterday is a good example of a day where I was stuck and didn't want to "un-stick". You know? As I always say, you do the work that's in front of you and if you "just can't" with dream work then that means you need inner work.
And I chose not to. I did some journaling which was good AND ALSO I just kind of sucky and stuck most of the day.
AND I decided to make sure today was not a sucky day by promising myself if I still felt I couldn't do anything with Dream Book, then I had to do the Un-Sticking Station.
Today I started the Dream Self Challenge. (If you're brand new you won't have access to this yet, you get new pages each month. But you do have the Dream Self Page)
This was soooo goooood.
Honestly, just the start of any of the Creative Dream Alchemy meditations is such an ideal way for me to start a day. A reminder that my feelings are ok, I don't have to change them in order to show up for my dreams and then connecting with the Field of Creative Dream Alchemy always shifts my mood if I start in a bad one.
My Dream Self was soooo helpful. Connecting with her felt like such a gift.
Then she gave me a crystal ball that felt healing and activating.
Dream Book members:
Come to the forum to share your thoughts or start a conversation about whatever you're working with.
Get your next Dream Book lesson.
Go the Library of Creative Dream Alchemy to find a practice that fits for where you are or use the Dream Lab if you're not sure where to start.
Check out the calendar of upcoming calls. Make a plan to join us live or catch a replay. Upcoming calls: Centered Grounded Present. Goodbye 2023 Hello 2024
Note: This is a post about my daily practice with my Creative Dreams - in these posts I often link to the tools, courses and processes I use which are only available to Dream Book members. If you're not a member, find out more + join us here.
I wasn't sure where to start today, so I went to the Dream Book Oracle again.
It sent me to the Dream Self Challenge, which felt like the perfect thing.
I printed out the cutouts and cut them out and sat down with journal and glue stick and then... just got distracted. The week after the time change I usually am pretty distractible and "off".
In the spirit of Creative Dream Alchemy (meeting yourself where you are and moving towards where you want to be) I am giving myself permission to be where I am.
Distracted. Foggy. Not in a place for this kind of focused Dream Work.
What I can do is... just journal. With no particular focus. Starting with the question:
What do I want?
Not necessarily to answer the question, but to let my thoughts wander on the page. So I am setting a timer for 20 minutes and going to do that for my practice today.
Dream Book members:
Come to the forum to share your thoughts or start a conversation about whatever you're working with.
Get your next Dream Book lesson.
Go the Library of Creative Dream Alchemy to find a practice that fits for where you are or use the Dream Lab if you're not sure where to start.
Check out the calendar of upcoming calls. Make a plan to join us live or catch a replay. Upcoming calls: Centered Grounded Present. Goodbye 2023 Hello 2024
Note: This is a post about my daily practice with my Creative Dreams - in these posts I often link to the tools, courses and processes I use which are only available to Dream Book members. If you're not a member, find out more + join us here.
Today I did Creative Genius Planning.
(If you’re not in Dream Book you can do this one for free here. If you are in Dream Book you can get it here - you get 7 different versions of it for different circumstances)
I forget how much I love the Creative Genius Planning practice.
All those weeks when I was struggling so much with structure and planning - THIS WOULD HAVE HELPED!!!
I wasn’t using it because I didn’t think I had enough clarity to do it, but it would have helped me have more clarity.
This is such a beautiful process. During the meditation, looking at my list for the week, I suddenly knew how to structure it! I created three categories: Admin Work, Creative Work and Visioning/Journaling.
I labeled each thing on my list with one of these. Now it’s easier to zero in on the tasks that match my energy at any given time.
This isn’t earth-shattering or anything but feels like a really solid step towards having a more supportive structure for doing all the things I want to be doing.
The end part of the meditation made me want to cry.
I am doing this in a coffee shop, otherwise I might have. Just so beautiful to feel that support and fuel and that radiating light.
To feel supported, by my own creative genius, to do the things I want to do.
I am also feeling like - that support was always there, even in the last little while when I thought I wasn’t “up for” being that version of me who felt like she could move forward. But the thing is, I was moving forward. It just looked/felt different because my life was changing so quickly.
Also tears for the magic of re-connecting with the part of me who feels ready to plan because planning only happens when you’re ready for action.
And it’s not all about “accomplishing tons of things” it’s about the healing magic of doing the things you feel called to do. And how hard it is when you can’t do them. And then how amazing it feels when you can do them again.
Over the years I have worked with so many people who, for one reason or another, couldn’t do the things they wanted to do.
It’s not that uncommon to sign up for coaching and then something happens where you can’t do the thing you wanted to do in coaching, or something you just have so much resistance come up you absolutely cannot do the thing.
BEING WITH the pain of that is a part of practicing your creative dreams. It’s healing and restorative to tend to it. And it is laying the foundation for being able to do the thing when the timing is right.
Sometimes, especially when it’s mostly our own resistance in the way, tending to that pain IS the next step, and you won’t be able to do the thing until you have done that work.
Dream Book Resources for that: Space-Making, Library of Inner Work Practices especially: For When You Are In Resistance and For When You’re Avoiding The Un-Sticking Station.
Dream Book members:
Come to the forum to share your thoughts or start a conversation about whatever you're working with.
Get your next Dream Book lesson.
Go the Library of Creative Dream Alchemy to find a practice that fits for where you are or use the Dream Lab if you're not sure where to start.
Check out the calendar of upcoming calls. Make a plan to join us live or catch a replay. Upcoming calls: Centered Grounded Present. Goodbye 2023 Hello 2024
Note: This is a post about my daily practice with my Creative Dreams - in these posts I often link to the tools, courses and processes I use which are only available to Dream Book members. If you're not a member, find out more + join us here.