"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."
                                                                                                                            Anais Nin

I like to begin the week with a quote that will inspire me to move forward, or to be still, or to look for the magic in each day.  I've read the quote above many times but this morning it was the perfect quote for this week.  I'm working on recreating a workshop I gave several years ago called  Circle of Dreams.  I loved facilitating it at the time but then other projects began to take its place. But, now it is time for Circle of Dreams to blossom. 

The concept is not new but it is powerful.  Circle of Dreams is all about women coming together, sharing their dreams and their goals, and supporting eaching other on their journey.  I will share a creative principal each week that will help us take the next small step in reaching our goal.  As we create there are times when we need to move forward, times when we need to step back and take a break, times when we need to be silly and have fun, and times when we need to shout out to the world, "Here I am - I'm an author, or I'm a painter ,or I'm a Mom who loves to take pictures."  Circle of Dreams will help you to claim who you are or who you are dreaming of becoming.  Being part of a circle is fun, it's creative, and it is 90 minutes a week dedicated just to you. 

This is not what I had to planned to write this morning but part of my creative process is knowing when it is the right time to take a step forward.  When I read the above quote, I knew it was time to share what I was dreaming.  I always end my post with,  When you share your talent and dreams with the world, magic happens.  Let the magic begin.  Today, was my day to share a little of my dreams with you. 

The details will follow soon.  I do know that the circle will be offered both in person and through a teleconference and that it will be very affordable.  I want people who thought it would never be possible to work with a coach to have the opportunity of seeing how powerful the support of other creative women can be. 

On another note I have decided to join the Index Card A Day challenge along with Summer of Color.  One of my goals for this summer is to try new things.  I joined the challenge late but as they say, "better late than never".  My card for the day is below.  My flower is not perfect, because life never is, but it is letting the world know that it is here and ready to blossom.

Do you have a dream that needs to blossom?  Are you ready to take the next step?  Circle of Dreams might be just what you are looking for.

              Magic is believing in yourself.  If you can do that, you can make anything happen. 
                                                                                            Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Friday has always been special.  It's the end of the week and the beginning of the weekend. When I was working it meant time to rest, to be quiet, and rejuvenate.  Today it means beginning the day with a perfect yoga class, visiting friends at Paint Party Friday, and having lunch with friends I met several years ago in a writing class.  When we met three years ago, we had no idea that one of us would publish a book, another would start a blog and become a coach, while the third would become a grandmother to a beautiful baby boy while continuing to write her book.  Life is filled with wonderful possibilities, if we continue to be open to them. 

I love the quote above.  When you are learning something new it is sometimes hard to believe that you ever accomplish all that you want to do.  But when you believe in yourself, and give yourself the gift of time, you can make anything happen.  I have been learning about social media this week and how it can help to grow a business.  It was interesting, overwhelming, fun, and fascinating all at the same time.  The real "magic" will be when it is all up and running just the way it is supposed to.  I really believe it will be fun to make the magic happen.

As the world continues to change right before my eyes, I am grateful for every minute that I am able to be a part of the changes that are happening.  It is fun to learn new things, to meet new people, and to take on new challenges.  It makes life interesting and exciting.  As you look back over your week, what have you experienced that you are grateful for?

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

It's Wednesday which means its time to take a walk and share a coaching tip, time to check on all of my new friends at What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday, and time to link up with  Color of Summer 3. 

As you can see my desk is really neat and clean which leads me in a round about way to my coaching tip which is, When you need to take a break - take it.  There are many principles of creativity which are important but I consider self-care one of the most important.  We all live in a very busy world.  It's natural for us to take care of others but so often we forget to take care of ourselves.  I had a wonderful weekend. We were busy doing lots of fun things with our grandsons but yesterday I was tired.  I had planned to get out my pastels and begin a new painting but decided to take a day off and just enjoy my clean desk and the painting I created last week. 

When I create something new I really like to enjoy the process.  If I'm tired, I can't do that so I am learning to take a break and step back for a minute or two when my body signals it needs a rest.  My original plan for Monday was to create something new for Summer of Color.  This week's colors are lime green and purple. When I took my picture for WOYWW, I realized that there was a lot of lime green in my painting, that the perfume bottle that I always keep on my desk is purple, and that the parrot on my special cup is a beautiful lime green.  Just the colors that are part of this week's challenge.  So without having to do a thing everything I needed was on my desk just waiting to be noticed.  It always amazes me how the universe provides just what I need if I take the time to be still and notice what is right in front of me. 

I still plan on painting something special using lime green and purple but because I have taken the advice I so often give to others, I will enjoy what I am doing.  So once again (I think it is worth repeating)  Be kind to yourself.  Nurture yourself as you would others.  When you need a break take it.  You will be so glad you did!

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

It's Friday.  Where does the time go?  It seems like you blink twice and the week is over. This has been a busy week.  I've decided its time to move forward on my creativity coaching.  Since creating my own business is new to me it can be lots of fun, exciting, and scary all at the same time. Today I created my Facebook Coaching page and that went well.  For some reason Twitter was another story but the result was the painting above.  When I decided it was time to turn off the left side of my brain and turn on the right, I quickly got into the flow of painting and it felt really good. 

This week I am grateful for something that happened many years ago but which still effects me today.  Part of my job as an assistant principal was to develop and plan workshops for the teachers.  Something that always frustrated everyone was that we were always jumping on to the latest and greatest teaching methods.  Please do not misunderstand - that is good if you have had time to really understand and implement the method.  But that wasn't always the case.  One year we decided to read the book Who Moved the Cheese as a staff book study. It was a short book, simple to read, and had a great message. It was a reminder that the world changes and if you don't change with it you can at be left behind feeling very frustrated. You don't have to jump on every bandwagon but it is good to be flexible and be able to change when it is necessary.  We all got a lot out of that book.  I still think of it when things change and I am trying to decide how to react to the change.  When my husband was diagnosed with Pulmonary Hypertension the cheese was really moved but we were determined to move with it and make the most of what we could do each and every day.  So this week I am so glad that I read Who Moved the Cheese so many years ago.  It left a strong impact on me.   Is there something that you have read that has changed the way you look at things each day? 

I hope everyone has a wonderful week filled with only special moments.  Remember to share your dreams and talents with the world. That's when the magic begins!
                                                              Ginny

Each Friday I link my post to Paint Party Friday and Creative Every Day.  I hope that you will stop by and say hello to all of the wonderful artists who will inspire you to be creative each and every day.

It has been raining here alot and so the leaves on the trees are a gorgeous green and the flowers and plants are lush and beautiful.  I have been wanting to paint outside for awhile and so I decided today was the day.  I have a patio with an overhang so I knew that even if it rained in the middle of what I was doing I would be ok.  It was really nice being outside.  I could hear the raindrops on the roof and listen to the soft breeze as the storm went through.  It wasn't like last night with all of its thunder and lightening.  Today it was just a gentle summer rain and it was actually lovely.  So my workdesk this week is my backyard.  Because I am a creature of habit I tend to paint in my studio.  It only took me a few minutes to set my things up outside but the enjoyment I had will last me for much longer than that. 

I wanted to paint something using the colors that are featured in this week's Summer of Color 3 challenge.  The color combination that we are to use this week is orange and pink.  These are two colors I like together but do not use often when painting.  It was fun painting loosely, using colors that I love, but do not often use.  I like how the colors make me feel and I know I will use them again soon. 

Each Wednesday I share a coaching tip.  I try to pick something that everyone can do and that does not cost any money.  I've written about giving yourself credit for your accomplishments, about the importance of taking a breath when you are stressed, and about keeping a reminder journal to help you remember the things that are working for you right now.  My tip for today is to change things up once in awhile and see what happens.  It was fun working outside.  It didn't take long to set up and the rewards were great. I loved using orange and pink and I know I will use them again soon in a painting.

 I am a creature of habit.  I am very aware of what works for me so I tend to do those things.  But I have learned that just as it is important for me to have routines, it is also very important to try something new.  It doesn't have to be a big change to make a big difference.  Sometimes just walking down the aisle in a store in a different direction helps you to see things you have never seen before.  So as you go about your busy life this week is there a small change you would like to make?  Is there something you have always wanted to do but haven't tried yet?  This may be the week.  Remember small changes can lead to big differences. 

I am linking today's post to WOYWW (What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday) and Summer of Color 3.  Both are wonderful places to meet exciting and talented artists.

I was recently asked,"What does a Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coach do?"  Kaizen means to take small steps.  As a certified Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coach, I hope to inspire you to take small steps that will help you to move forward with your dreams.  At some point or other in our creative journey, we all  face blocks such as fear, perfectionism, or procrastination.  I love to share simple strategies with my clients to help them knock down those blocks and have fun while they are doing it. If you would like to know more about my coaching philosophy, please don't hesitate to contact me at ginny.lennox@comcast.net

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

                                     "Adapt the pace of nature, her secret is patience."  Ralph Waldo Emerson

Creating something new takes time. It takes patience and perserverance.  It takes commitment and a belief in yourself.  Last week I watched my grandson ride his scooter. He put one foot on the scooter and off he went.  No fear, not any hesitation.  It was as though the wind was behind his back and was there just for him.  His body language said,"I'm free and I'm having fun!"  But it wasn't the first time he rode his scooter.  It was the 100th or more.  After his scooter ride I watched him ride his bike alone without his Dad running next to him.  He looked different this time.  His body was tighter, his hands grippped the handlebars, and as he went to turn we could him hear call softly, "Dad".  But when he made it back to us his body language had changed again.  There was a smile on his face, his hands were a little looser, and his body not so tense.  I have a feeling when I see him this week things will have changed a little more.  Because he is being patient with himself and riding a little each day, it won't be long before he will be hopping on his bike and riding as if the wind was there just for him pushing from behind.

I hope that as you start to create something new this week you will be patient with yourself. I hope that you will take your time and enjoy the steps involved to become really good at what you are doing. When you are patient and work at your craft a little each day, before you know it, you too will be flying with the wind at your back as if it was there just for you. 

Have a wonderful week filled with only special moments and lovely breezy days that are filled with laughter and fun.

Remember:      When you share your dreams and talents with the world, magic happens.  Let the magic begin today.
                                                                                                                                                 Ginny

Patience and taking small steps are a large part of the Kaizen-Muse coaching philosophy.  If you have ever thought about working with a creativity coach or would like to know more about what a creativity coach does, I would love to talk to you.  My email address is ginny.lennox@comcast.net

The pastel above started my painting journey for the week.  The artists who are participating in Summer of Color chose citron green and turquoise as the two colors that are to be used in our work this week.. They are two of my favorite colors and I use them in most of my paintings so I was excited to get started. I loved the colors in this painting but I definitely did not feel like the painting was finished.  My next attempt at completing the painting was to add grass or weeds to the foreground and it looked like this:

It drove me crazy that the weeds on the left were leaning to the right while the weeds on the right were standing straight up.  So I changed the painting again.  I am starting to have the confidence to change things that I don't like about my paintings.  In the past I was always afraid I would make the painting worse so I would leave it alone even if there were things that I did not like. But my confidence is growing and hopefully my skills will follow along. 

I am happy with the final version of my painting because it represents a tiny step forward on my artistic journey.  I am learning to see what I want to change and then I take the steps necessary to make those changes. Making a change, whether in life or in a painting, is not always easy.  It takes time, it take patience, and it takes confidence.  I have the time, I have the patience, and I am building the confidence.  For that I am very grateful this week.

As many of you know each Friday I share what I am grateful for during the week.  Yesterday I found this quote and I thought you might enjoy it as much as I did.  

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.  It turns what we have into enough, and more.  It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity.  It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense out of the past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.  
                                                              Melody Beattie, author, from Gratitude:  Affirming the Good Things in Life

Have a great weekend filled with lots and lots of special moments.

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

                                Please be sure to visit the artists at Paint Party Friday.  You will be so glad that you did.

Wednesday's Walk began as a way to share a Kaizen-Muse Coaching tip each week.  It continues to be just that but along with my tip of the week I am also including a picture of my desk so that you can see what project I am working on as part of WOYWW.  It has been fun sharing my desk with the other artists at What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday. Now I am going to add one last thing to my Wednesday's blog just for the summer.  While traveling through the blog world I kept reading about Summer of Color and how much fun it was to participate. So I looked into it and decided to challenge myself and join.  Each week two colors are picked by the artists to be used in any creative project of your choice.  This week the colors were citron green and turquoise.  They couldn't have picked two better colors for me.  I use them all of the time.  They make me feel calm and energized at the same time which is why I like them so much.  On my desk are several paintings using these colors.  The paintings are all pastel but I used different materials to paint on which makes them look very different.  I am anxious to see what next week's colors will be. 

Now on to the Kaizen-Muse tip or strategy for the week.  Using a TahDah List.  Many of us use a to do list.  We write things down, we check them off, and then we begin a new list for the next day.  That's a wonderful way to get things done but it is even better if the final thing you do is recognize what you have completed.  That's right a TahDa List.  Our brains naturally go to what we haven't completed or what we need to do next.  But if we stop and celebrate what we have completed, we can retrain ourselves to remember and celebrate all that we are accomplishing.  Success builds one small step at a time.  If you keep your TahDah list where you can see it each day, it can be a great reminder of what you have accomplished.  Your TahDah List can be as simple or as extravagant as you like.  It is important to celebrate each success along our journey. Keeping a TahDah list is a fun way to do just that.    

                When you share your dreams and talents with the world, magic happens.  Let the magic begin!
    
I love sharing the strategies that I learned becoming a certified Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coach.  In our daily lives it is so easy to feel overwhelmed or to put things off for another day.  If there is a project you would like to start or finish, or if you are going through a transitional time in your life and have thought about working with a coach, I would love to talk to you. You can reach me at ginny.lennox@comcast.net  Let's begin the magic for you today!

                                                     "Be open to the magic."  James Cameron
I like to start each week with a quote that reminds me of all of the wonderful opportunities that are available to me each day.  The words "Be open to the magic" are a great reminder that there is magic to be found each day if we are open to seeing it!  Watching a flower grow, a baby laugh, a puppy run are all magical when we slow down and experience the event and the emotions that go with it. Spending time creating something and losing yourself in the flow is magical.  When you look up and realize that the picture is completed, the story is written, or the photograph has been taken but you don't know where the day has gone because you have been so completely involved in the process of creating - that  is magical. 

I love the word magic.  For me it brings forth a feeling of something special, something I am fascinated by but can't quite figure out, and something that I would like to recreate over and over again.  But I also know that many times something magical happens only once and so I want to be really present to experience it.  This week my goal is to be open to the magic and see what happens.  It is exciting  just thinking about all of the possibilities.  I hope that this week you will join me and allow yourself to "be open to the magic."  New adventures might be right around the corner for all of us.

         Remember:  When you share your dreams and talents with the world, magic happens.  Let the magic begin today!

Each Friday I join the artists at Paint Party Friday to share what I have created that week.  It has become something that I really look forward to.  This week's pastel is painted on velvet.  I ordered a sample packet of pastel paper which turned out to be really interesting.  I found that I like working on colored paper better than white and that I probably won't be using velvet very often.  I like soft dreamy colors and when working on velvet the colors are much more intense.  It was definitely interesting to experience all the different effects I got just by changing the paper that I use.  

Each Friday I also share what I am most grateful for that week.  Some weeks it is a simple but perfect cup of coffee, other weeks it is something little more special and once in awhile it is a very special event or celebration.  This was one of those weeks.  On Tuesday my husband and I celebrated our 46th wedding anniversary.  I am not really sure how that happened because we both feel like its just been a few years since we walked down the aisle in Orange, New Jersey.  The past 46 years have been filled with lots of wonderful memories. They have been filled with every emotion a person can experience, with highs, with lows,and everything in between.  We were married in the days when people didn't write their own vows, when almost everyone said,"in sickness and health through good times and bad."  Whoever wrote those vows that we all said knew what they were talking about. I think the thing I am most grateful for this week is not only the wonderful memories we have but the things we still have to look forward to.  For example, my husband wants to teach me how to drive his motorcycle. I am not the most coordinated person but he was able to teach me to snow ski at 50 and snorkle a little later than that.  No luck with scuba diving but I am willing to try to drive the motorcycle.  The only reason I share this with you today is to remind everyone that it is never too late to try something new especially if you trust the person who is teaching you. So if you happen to see someone who looks like she would answer to the name Nana on a bright yellow Honda driving down the road, don't forget to wave.  It just might be me.

Remember:  When you share your dreams and talents with the world, magic happens.  Let the magic begin today!