Push It!

My, my it's been a busy month. I cannot believe I've let this much time slip by since my last post--tsk, tsk. I have found myself to be wonderfully busy with many outlets of creative energy--which as you can relate, one must ride that wave as long as it travels! One thing I hope you'll notice in this post is that I am pushing myself beyond my boundaries, I'm moving past my comfort zones. This is a big deal in my relationships with clients--a willingness to stretch beyond our comfort zones--it is essential for our creative growth. Doing so makes me a better creativity coach, a better artist, a better teacher, writer, wife, mom, friend...a connected being with the inner confidence and motivation needed to follow my dreams. Here are 5 ways in which I'm pushing my comfort zones to keep me moving forward and growing in my creative spirit:

• For starters, I did something I was very uncomfortable about doing. For weeks, my anxiety and inner critic had their way with me until the big day came...and went. With no casualties. I'm talking about a radio show interview. My first radio show interview. It was for a blog radio show going out to the masses in the coaching industry. The show topic was connecting with nature for creative inspiration and I was very happy to be asked to speak about this. The 30-minute show will actually air in the spring, April 2011. Along with the air date, my interview will also be featured in Insights Magazine, an industry mag. Now, other than the moment it was happening, I have no idea how I came across. I will find out right along with you! I know I didn't crash and burn, but still a bit nerve-wracking not being able to hear it first, hehe. It was me in the exhilirating moment of living outside my comfort zone (yikes) and I ended up having a great experience! I'll keep you posted, be sure to tune in :)

• I've had the chance to participate in a show inspired by Dia de los Muertos (one of my favorite themes/celebrations) with a piece called "Spirit Messengers." I didn't know if my piece would be accepted, but I loved the theme of the show (called DEAD, Awaken), and I really like the gallery and the gracious encouragement of the gallery owner so I decided to make a call to find out. Turned out to be a great step forward as I'm thrilled to be part of the show. If you'd like to hear more about the exhibit, please check out where you can see it here. 

• I am also very excited about the countdown to the release of a new item I will be offering--only 2 days from now--a way to connect you with nature through a hands-on exercise designed to stimulate your mental focus and expand your creativity. This product is a fun, easy creativity booster based upon one of my most popular creative awareness exercises! Can't wait to go public with it on Oct. 22, 2010!

• More great news...I've decided to move forward with writing an e-book. As of now, it will include personal connections I've experienced with nature and how those encounters have guided my (creative) life. Along with themed chapters (possibly along the classic elements: earth, water, fire, air/wind, space), there will be related, nature-inspired exercises to do, each structured to open up our creative flow and expand our creative growth. Much material is gathered/written, but there is plenty to be done like the task of blending segments together, still plenty of re-writing to be done, and re-working of chapters! I've never written a book before, e-book or otherwise, so this will be a steep learning process for me.  Writing evolves as you write; code for these are the basic elements to my e-book,  it will be interesting to see how it truly evolves!

• I continue to experiment with new ways of creative expression and though I am often inspired by the mandala in work and play I have found another way to bring them into my art. I enjoy photography but only very casually. I have found an alternate way to integrate my favorite nature photos into my found art by taking images and creating digital mandalas. I've created some as prints, but I've also prepared others for unique found art frames or embellishments of which I'm really getting into these designs! Here is a mandala created from a picture I took of a flat of rainbow cactus for sale while at one of our Let Nature Be Your Muse meet-ups (this one from our latest, Moorten Botanical Garden "Sketch & Shoot"):

Nature continues to inspire...