It is amazing how fast the weeks are going by.  It has been a beautiful fall and I hate to see it end.  But the good thing is that I know each year there will be another fall to celebrate.  And celebrate each day is what I intend to do.  This was a busy week of coaching for me.  I am almost done with my training to become a Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coach.  This has been a wonderful experience and I am so anxious to share what I have learned with others. We are all creative people living creative lives.  Some of us have just come to this realization and others have known since they were very young just how important their creativity is to them.  I can't wait to begin working with women of all ages who have a project they want to explore, a dream they want to pursue, need help writing or painting, or want to be sure that they are using all of the wonderful skills they have to live the most creative life possible.  The possibilities for all of us are endless but one of the things I have learned on my personal journey is how important it is to have that person or persons who are there to support us.  And that is what I am grateful for this week.  This has been a week filled with practice coaching.  It has been a week filled with possibilities, plans, and dreams.  It has been a week filled with laughter and maybe a tear or two.  It has been a week filled with excitement.  And for all of that I am most grateful.  I would love to know what you are most grateful for this week.
                      I am linking my post to Paint Party Friday and Creative Everyday.  I hope you will visit both sites.

There is always something to be grateful for, but some weeks it seems harder to remember this than others.  That is why I try so hard to stop and think each day about what has happened over the past 24 hours that was special in its own way.  This week as I drove home each day, I noticed the leaves changing colors. Each day more and more trees proudly displayed brilliant red, bright yellow, or vibrant orange leaves.  It's hard not to feel good when nature presents us with a beautiful gift each day.  And it is those gifts of color and beauty that I am very grateful for this week.  What made you happy or smile this week? I would love to know.

                      Please take a minute to visit the wonderful artists who share their work at Paint Party Friday.         
                                                             It is a great way to start the weekend.
                      

As I walked along this beach so many ideas that had been formulating in my head became so much clearer.  The classes I am taking to become a certified coach, the workshops I am planning to give, the coaching I want to offer to people who are following their creative path became so much clearer.   It is when I am walking alone, quietly thinking, that ideas begin to germinate, excitement begins to bubble, and action begins to take place.  Placing one foot in front of the other, listening to the sounds of the waves, and quietly living in the moment helped the future become an exciting reality last week.
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Do you have a favorite place to go when you need to be alone and to think?  We all need that quiet special place to go to.  It can be a corner of our bedroom, a special place in the backyard or a chair in front of the fireplace. I would love to say that a walk on the beach is where I always go.  But that is just not so.  I live six hours away from the ocean so I don't get there that often.  But on this particular day, I took advantage of the time I had with the sounds of the waves licking at my feet to think about the world that I am creating and to celebrate the day that I was experiencing. It was one of those special walks that I will remember forever.

When I started this painting I had nothing special in mind to paint.  I knew there would be water in my painting because there almost always is.  I also knew there would be a mountain or two because they too always seem to appear in my work.  Some people encourage me to branch out and to try something new.  And I do.  But when I have the chance to paint alone, just for me, the theme seems to stay the same.  And I am ok with that.  When we know who we are and what we like the choices become easier.  I know I love water.  I know I love mountains. I know I love soft colors.  We all know what we like.  We all know what challenges us and what provides those quiet soft moments.  Tonight I chose quiet and soft and that felt right.  I am grateful that I am able to experience this type of moment often and then share the results with you. 
                                             I would love to know what you are most grateful for this week.

Each Friday I share my paintings and my thoughts with the artists at Paint Party Friday.  Everyone is invited and I promise you that you will meet wonderful and supportive artists from all over the world.  It is great way to start the weekend.

                           "It's not what you look at that matters, its what you see."  Henry David Thoreau
I have been talking a lot lately about finding joy in what I do or what I see.  When I looked up at the sky on Friday night, it did matter what I was looking at as well as what I saw.  I was looking at an incredible sunset over the ocean.  My intention for the past several weeks has been to become more aware of the joyful moments in my life. This was one of them.  When I think of the term "creative joy" this is a moment I will always think of.  Standing on the balcony, looking at the beautiful colors in the sky was a moment of pure creative joy.  I did not have to do anything but be aware of the moment and enjoy what nature had created for anyone who was lucky enough to be there and took the time to look up.  When I paint this week, I will use this beautiful sunset as an inspiration.  I'll remember just what creative joy means to me.  It doesn't mean loud parties or lavish trips.  It means a quiet moment on a balcony, looking up at the sky, and being totally immersed in its beauty.  That is what a true moment of joy means to me.  What does joy mean to you?