For many months I have been creating on a rather haphazard basis.  I wrote a little, drew once in awhile, and hardly ever took a picture.  I missed the excitement of being creative but I knew that I needed to give myself a rest and that when the time was right my creativity would return and I think it has.  On Saturday I went to a writing bootcamp for three hours. It was just the inspiration I needed to get started writing and then painting and all of a sudden taking pictures again. Taking time to rest is an important part of the creative cycle.  We all need time to think, to be quiet, to reflect, and to remember who we are both as a person and an artist.  Knowing this and giving yourself permission to step back when you need to do just that is an important part of living a creative life. I know that there will be many times of rest in my future but for now it feels really good to be creating again.

As I continue to recognize and remember what brings me joy each day, I can't help but smile when I think of the beautiful colors that are starting to surround me each day.  When I get up in the morning the first thing I do is look at the blue of the sky, the green of the leaves that are starting to appear on the branches of the trees and the one lone tulip in my backyard that returns year after year. Nature continues to bring me joy and always amazes me with all that she has to offer.

                                                              What brings you joy today?

           When you share your dreams and your talent with the world, magic happens.  Let the magic begin!
                                                                                                                                                Ginny

Living a creative life is fun and rewarding but it can also be lots of work. It takes work to think outside of the box, to go it alone at times or to go against the current.  It also take a great deal of gumption, audacity, and courage to stand behind your ideas and your talent. As I thought about this today, I decided that my Wednesday's blog would once again be dedicated to living a creative life and all that it entails.

A is for awareness.  The more aware we are of who we are and what makes up happy the easier it is to create the life you want to live.  Once I realized that I was creating my life by the choices I made and the way I reacted to things that I could or could not control the more my life looked and felt like I wanted it to be. Knowing when I work best, if I work best alone or with a partner, or how much time I need to recuperate from a big project all helps me to make a schedule that works for me. Being aware of the environment in which I work best (really neat or a little messy or a lot messy) helps me to know whether to clean up my studio before I end the day or if that doesn't matter.  Being conscious about the materials that I work with and the processes that work for me all make my creative journey so much more pleasurable.  Knowing who supports my work and who doesn't understand it helps me to know who to share ideas with and who will be there for me when I need a sounding board.  

Here are just a few simple but important questions that can help you in building your creative life.

• What did you like to do as a child?
  
• What do you enjoy doing now?
  
• Are you incorporating these things into your life on a daily/weekly basis?

• Are you a morning or night person?  When do you accomplish the most?
  
• Is there a certain time of year that you are more or less productive?
  
• Do you need frequent breaks?
• Does your schedule reflect your answers?

• What color makes you feel alive?
  
• What sounds do you like?  How can you bring those sounds into your world?
  
• Who supports you?  How often do you see that person?
  

• What helps when you are overwhelmed?
  
• Do you need structure?
  
• Do you work well under pressure? 
  
• What helps you handle stress?
• Are you using what worked in the past to help you with overwhelm and stress?

• What do you do for fun?
  
• What kind of self-care works for you?
  
• What do you do for relaxation?
• Are you building play into your life?

Knowing the answer to these and many other questions can help you to create the life you want.  Awareness is the foundation to building a life filled with special moments and exciting adventures.  Knowing yourself and what you want makes it easier to make the difficult decisions that life often surprises us with.  Being ready is the key to moving forward when opportunity knocks.  So take time to recognize what makes you happy.  Then use that information to create the life you have always wanted to live.

           When you share your gifts and talent with the world, magic happens!  Let the magic begin.
                                                                                                                                       Ginny


One last question.  Have you ever thought of working with a coach?  It's a great way to get the support you need to move forward with your life. If coaching is something you have thought of but just haven't taken the step, email me and let's talk.  

                                            Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party."
                                                                                                               Robin Williams


For many it has been a long cold winter with lots of snow and ice. I know that everyone feels the difference when the snow begins to melt and the flowers begin to peep through the ground. Is there something that you do that means spring to you?  Is it opening the windows to let in the warm air or getting the flowerbeds ready for the spring flowers?  Is it taking a walk in the woods, painting a picture, or cleaning out a closet?  For me it's putting the top down on the car.  It's feeling the warmth of the sun on my face and the breeze in my hair. Each season brings with it a reason to celebrate.  Take a moment today to celebrate spring and then remember how very special that feels. 


                                                What simple thing do you do that means spring is here?


                   When you share your dreams and talent with the world, magic happens. Let the magic begin!

           "The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new."
                                                                                                                               Socrates

As I move forward through 2015, I do so with a greater awareness of what is working for me and what is not.  My phrase for the year is Living Joyfully and I try my best to notice the things that bring me joy each day.  Because it is so easy to move through 24 hours without really stopping and thinking about what I see or notice, I have decided to begin my day with an intention and to end it by taking time to reflect upon what I am grateful for. It takes just a few minutes to do both but it makes a big difference in how I feel about each day. 

The things that I am grateful for are also the things that bring me joy.  It's not possessions that make me smile but people.  It is the things they say, the things they do, the conversations we have and the experiences we share. It is the people I have known for years and the people I have just met.  It can be a simple hello, a quick wave or a beautiful smile.  It can also be a serious conversation that allows each of us to understand not only ourself but the other person in a deeper more meaningful way. I am always learning and changing and growing. But I hope that this practice of starting the day with an intention and ending it with a reflection of the things that I am grateful for will stay with me for a very long time. It is definitely a key that opens the door to living joyfully.

Is there something that you do each day that makes a difference in your life?  

         When you share your dreams and your talent with the world, magic happens.  Let the magic begin! 
                                                                                                                                 Ginny