Thursday, December 13, 2012
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Bright Lights of Chihuly Nights
For the last Creative Oasis Day Trippers outing of 2012 we spent a crisp, autumn evening at the Dallas Arboretum exploring Chihuly Nights. But first, we began with a festive picnic of yummy appetizers, wine, chocolate and laughter. (Isn't that a great way to start any evening?)
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Sips and Nibbles to Start the Night |
We were going to visit each sculpture and create our own name for it before seeing the real title.
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I named this one "Electric Chiquita" |
That was a fine idea until the sun went down. It quickly became apparent that trying to carry our glasses and clipboards and see in the dark to write was not going to work as I'd planned.
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Clipboard Wine Holders |
No worries. Turns out our clipboards made great wine glass holders. We must have looked very official with our clipboards because people stopped us to ask questions about the sculptures. When we told them that we were having a creative field trip they seemed to love the idea.
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There were obviously lots of photo opportunities. In fact, everywhere you looked people were taking pictures with cell phones and cameras. Of course, not one photo I've seen captures the magic of actually being there in person. (especially if you're lucky enough to share the experience with fabulous women like these!)
Having visited the exhibit both during the day and at night, I'd have to say that though these glass sculptures are amazing anytime, my favorite was the night.
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Mist Magic |
It felt like we were walking through an enchanted fairy garden.
Anything could happen...like glass fireworks exploding over your head!
Another inspiring, fun outing with Creative Oasis Day Trippers. I wonder what creative adventures we'll have in 2013? Looking forward to whatever they may be!
If you live in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area and would like to know about upcoming Creative Oasis Day Trippers evets, drop me a line at creativeoasiscoach@me.com and I'll keep you posted.
Until next time, all the best from my creative oasis to yours,
Jill
Thursday, December 6, 2012
CRAVE Dallas Has Arrived
Creative Oasis Coaching is proud to be featured on pages 52 and 53 |
CRAVE Dallas 2nd edition features Creative Oasis Coaching |
CRAVE is a savvy lifestyle guide devoted entirely to local businesses owned by women. CRAVE Dallas will direct you to some of the best local spots – boutiques, spas, cafes, stylists, fitness studios, personal services and more. And you'll meet the inspired, dedicated women behind these exceptional enterprises.
If you'd like to purchase a copy for yourself or for a great Christmas gift for your girlfriends, email me at creativeoasiscoach@me.com and I'll send you a one ASAP. Each book is only $20, and I'll ship as many as you'd like to order for the flat shipping fee of $3.00. (*Be sure to check out the Creative Oasis Coaching coupon in the back for a special offer that adds one free coaching session to any package purchased.)
Personally, I found several businesses that I intend to check out immediately the very first time I flipped through this gorgeous book. The high quality photography captures the spirit of each business so beautifully. I'm truly honored to be featured with all of these inspiring women who are making their dreams come true with heartfelt passion and authenticity.
I had the opportunity to meet many of them at the CRAVE book release party and heard some amazing stories of how these businesses began and dreams for the future. I love supporting local business, and CRAVE makes it easy to do just that.
Hats off to Jenn Sprinkle of Jenn Sprinkle Creative for organizing this 2nd edition of CRAVE. Be sure to check out her fabulous selection of unique designs for journals, iPhone cases, posters and more! http://shop.jennsprinkle.com
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photo by Katie Cassidy of www.kcassidyphotography.com |
All the best from my Creative Oasis to yours,
Jill
Monday, November 12, 2012
Time Travel to Paris Late 1800's
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| Georges de Feure, Paris-Almanach, 1895, color lithograph, Milwaukee Art Museum, Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Milton F. Gutglass, Photo by John Glembin via www.dallasmuseumofart.org |
Last month the Creative Oasis Day Trippers traveled back in time to the bawdy, beautiful, decadent decades of the late 1800's of Paris. A fascinating Dallas Museum of Art gallery talk given by the curator of "Posters of Paris: Toulouse-Lautrec and his Contemporaries," Dr. Heather McDonald, transported us to a bygone era combining titillating anecdotes with historical context to bring the iconic posters and their stories to life.
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| photo of Dr. Heather McDonald via www.dallasartnews.com |
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| Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Aristide Bruant in his Cabaret, 1893, color lithograph, Milwaukee Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Harry Lynde Bradley, Photo by Larry Sanders |
Once you woven through the rooms filled with lithographs you'll find yourself in a poster-making studio complete with all of the supplies you need to create your very own poster. The Dallas Museum of Art provides such fun and inspiring hands-on experiences these days that add a wonderful interactive dimension to the museum-going experience.
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| Wall of posters created by DMA visitors |
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| Jill's "Stella" Poster |
I plan on returning at least once myself to spend more time soaking in the visuals and imagining what life was like in the dance halls and cabarets of the day. Speaking of which...a bit of wonderful serendipity (which many of you know I refer to as hee-mee-shee-mees) happened the day of the gallery talk.
That evening I went home to set up my newly purchased Kindle and I downloaded the first book on my wishlist which happened to be "Sacré Bleu" by Christopher Moore which stars Henri Toulouse – Lautrec in an humorous, historical fiction surrounding the death of Vincent van Gogh. Many of the interesting tidbits shared during the Gallery Talk were referrenced with the first two chapters of the book. I never would have known they were part of the historical tale rather than the fiction had I missed the talk. I'm enjoying the book so much that I'm down to savoring the last few pages and should be finished tonight. So fun to be introduced to a new writer in this sychronistic way. If you're not put off my salty language and a bit of low-brow humor (which I found wickedly funny in the context) I highly recommend this fantastical romp through time and art!
Until next time, all the best from my Creative Oasis to yours,
Jill
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Culitavting Abundance - guest post by author Brian Leaf
I'm happy to introduce you to Brian Leaf, author of the recently released "Misadventures of a Garden State Yogi." Here are his thoughts on cultivating abundance. Love the confidence/dating analogy! All the best from my creative oasis to yours, Jill
Cultivating Abundance
We’ve all experienced it. In our most pathetic, clingy,
desperate hour of need, the Universe delivers … absolutely nothing.
It seems a sick joke, but, in fact, whatever force or God
runs the show seems not to respond to disempowered displays of self-pity. She
seems, instead, to respond generously to empowered non-attachment (which
reminds me quite a bit of dating in my twenties – I always seemed to do best
when I was already feeling attractive and confident.)
So why? Why does God (and dating) reward confidence? Why is
it that when I am freaking out, feeling that I will just die if I don’t hear
from my agent, that I hear only crickets? But
that when I get to my cushion to meditate, and when I let go, releasing to
faith, that I return to my inbox with a fresh book deal awaiting me?
Here’s the answer. This place where we live is a gymnasium
where our souls do soul push-ups, and since self-pity does nothing to build
these spiritual muscles, it is discouraged. It is our path to find our true
selves while here on Earth. To drop into our hearts and souls. To experience
that we, ourselves, are each part of God. Claiming the opposite, that we are
helpless and alone, is incorrect and ineffective.
When we are lost in clinging and self-pity, we’re like
toddlers tantruming for chewing gum. And God, like a loving parent, won’t give
in to something that isn’t healthy or safe for us.
Nice idea, right? But how do you get confident and become
grounded in the seat of your true self? The answer: meditation, of course.
Meditation is the practice, over time, of switching from indentifying with our
thoughts and transient emotional states, to identifying instead with our deeper
selves. And when we are connected to our deeper selves, if even for only
moments, we can see more clearly and choose the path that works out our Karma
and brings us toward freedom.
When we get grounded, resting in the true seat of our
selves, in our authentic nature, seeing clearly and choosing that path of
vitality and freedom, energy flows unbidden, the world falls at our feet, and
God unlocks the arc.
Brian Leaf, M.A.
is the author of Misadventures of a
Garden State Yogi. He draws upon twenty-one years of intensive study,
practice, and teaching of yoga, meditation, and holistic health. Visit him
online at http://www.Misadventures-of-a-Yogi.com.
Based on the new book Misadventures
of a Garden State Yogi ©2012 by Brian Leaf. Published with permission of New World Library http://www.newworldlibrary.com
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| Glad to see Brian made it to the great state of Texas! |
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Bye-Bye Overwhelm - Hello Fun Bloggin' & Lots of Amazing Artists
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| Jill and Mosaic Butterfly by Juli Hulcy of www.Artquirks.org |
Luckily, today it dawned on me that I am, after all, a Master Kaizen-Muse® Creativity Coach and I have the tools to break down this overwhelm and get back to posting.
First, though I have three or four different stories I'm eager to share, guess what, I don't have to share them all at once. Once at a time will do quite nicely, thank you. (breaking projects down into small, doable steps is a wonderful part of this creativity coaching method)
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| Fun sign in Front of Juli Hucy's amazing chick coop (sad my photo didn't turn out - it looks like an old-fashioned circus car - super cool! Lucky chicken!) |
So today, I GET TO (no reason to tell myself I HAVE TO do something I really enjoy doing) write the story I want to share about the White Rock Lake Artists' Studio Tour here in East Dallas a few weeks ago. Creative Oasis Coaching™ was a proud sponsor of the 20th anniversary of this East Dallas tradition and it was a blast getting out to see as many of the studios as I could over the weekend.
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| My Sis-in-Law Shanny went with me, and I do happen to love her, so this photo opportunity at Juli Hucy's funky studio was perfect. (check out Juli's work at www.artquirks.org) |
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| I would love to wrap myself up in all of the super soft and colorful wool in the spinning room. |
Did you know there's such a thing as painting with felt? Check out this gorgeous, textile – so lovely to see and feel – a 3-dimensional depiction of a photograph created on canvas with soft felted wool.
We visited the inviting backyard studio of Sonya Shinn Edwards and enjoyed watching her work on a few canvases and sell one or two just in the short time we were there. (Yay! Love people who support independent artists!) And that's what the tour is all about – exposing people the fabulous variety of talented artists we have right here in East Dallas – many of them in my own hood.
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| www.Sonyaedwards.net |
I could have spent all afternoon on the funky and fabulous grounds of David B. Hickman and his eclectic sculptures. He and his wife have truly created an artistic oasis. Check out this brilliant mosaic fireplace in their back house. (I know it's wrong to covet - but I want one!!!)
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| www.davidbhickman.com |
I was able to find a few lovely things to buy for myself including a Japanese style vase created by Lynn Wilkes Armstrong of both hands studio.
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| www.bothhandsstudio.com |
I also loved the photography and mixed media pieces shown at silent G imagery. Their styles encompassed a wide variety of images and themes and were so engaging and magical!
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| www.sharonocallaghanshero.com |
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the woman who started this all 20 years ago – hosting the first event in her backyard with other artistic neighbors – Marty Ray and her husband Richard Ray. Marty creates beautiful pottery and her husband paints.
Check out his Vangoghesque painting of White Rock Lake. I love it!
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| www.martyray.com |
Richard's work shed in the back reminded me of my granddad's garage where he hung all matter of rusting treasures. I wonder if he realized he was creating art in his own way?
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Check out his Vangoghesque painting of White Rock Lake. I love it!
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| www.richardraypainter.com |
Of course there was no way I could visit all of the 50 artists and five art centers in just two days, but if you visit the tours' website at www.whiterockartists.com you can check out even more of the many talented teachers, artists and supporters that came together to open their studios and hearts to the Dallas community and do so each fall. I know they'd love for you to join them in 2013!
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| Fun sculpture made from an old tree stump, because that's what you get when you view life through a creative lens! Until next time, all the best from my creative oasis to yours, Jill p.s. - Last tool, I gave myself an hour to create a blog that was not perfect, but good enough to share, and that's what you have here. Hope you enjoyed! |
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
October Day Trippers Outings
Two fun trips coming up in October!
Chihuly Nights
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
6:30 to 8:30pm
8525 Garland Rd
Dallas, TX 75218
$15 Day Trippers fee
$20 non-member Dallas Arboretum fee
$12 member Dallas Arboretum fee
Advance registration is required (Chihuly nights do sell out, so please reserve your space asap)
E-mail creativeoasiscoach@me.com for more information
Hopefully the weather will have cooled down a bit so we can experience a delightful evening strolling through the gardens and visiting the amazing Chihuly glass sculptures. I think this outing calls for a picnic, so I encourage everyone to bring or buy something for dinner and a blanket or chair.
Posters of Paris - Toulouse-Lautrec & His Contemporaries
Dallas Museum of Art
Gallery Talk
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Noon
$15 Day Trippers fee
$14 DMA exhibition fee for non-members
Free for DMA members
(The first five people to register I can get into the DMA for free)
E-mail creativeoasiscoach@me.com to register
Join the Creative Oasis Day Trippers as we enjoy a lunchtime Gallery Talk about the Posters of Paris exhibit and then our own creative experience afterwards in the cafe.
Remember, the Creative Oasis Day Trippers experience actually begins before our trip. Once you've registered you'll receive a special creative prompt several days before our trip which we'll explore further in person on the day of our outing. The Day Trippers are always an eclectic, interesting and fun group of people who gather together in the spirit of creative exploration! I'd love to have you join us this fall as we trip through some of the best creative experiences Dallas has to offer.
Friday, September 21, 2012
Mandala Making Magic
This week the Creative Oasis Day Trippers headed to PigmentSchool of the Arts to make our own mandalas. I’ll be the first to admit that I
don’t spend as much time playing with visual art projects as I’d like. I tend
to gravitate toward writing and music for my personal creative time, but I
still enjoy making collages and water coloring, ect…
That’s why it’s so wonderful to have a group like the DayTrippers that gives me the opportunity to make a creative play date and dive
into something I normally wouldn’t – such as creating my own beautiful mandala
and inviting others to join me!
Tori Pendergrass who runs Pigment School of the Arts
provided us with a basic outline, loads of great art supplies to play with and
gentle guidance when we need it. I provided a creative pre-trip prompt that
asked us to consider what we may want our mandalas to represent. (and also gave
full permission to just have fun with it and forget the representative part if
that didn’t resonate) I’m very attracted to mandalas and their many meanings,
hence my Creative Oasis Coaching™ logo!
A few of Tori’s weekly adult students were also in the
studio space with us. The atmosphere was inspiring, congenial and chatty.
Creative camaraderie was another reason I created the Day Trippers. It’s so nice
to get out and meet other like-minded creative spirits. (I wish I had taken
more photos – but I was pretty wrapped up in making my mandala.)
Our two hours of drawing, doodling, cutting, gluing,
painting, chatting and sharing creative inspiration flew by and this is my end
result. I got to play with collage, tissue paper, watercolors, colored pencils
and glue! To me, my mandala represents organic growth, radiating positive
energy in life, natural balance (rather than perfection), and joy! But it was
also simply a blast to create. There was no pressure for it to be one thing or
another. All of our mandalas
turned out so differently and so beautifully. (again – I wish I’d taken more
photos!) Here's mine:
How would it be to make your own magical low-pressure
mandala? Lowest pressure? Simply draw a circle on a piece of scrap paper and
doodle it in. Have a little more time to play? Draw a circle on a piece of
cardstock and use a variety of materials to fill in the space. It can be asymmetrical
or not. It can use one medium or five. It can be one color or many. The main
thing is to just have fun. Time a concern? How would it be to set a timer and
give yourself just ten minutes to see what you come up with? If you’re having
fun and have the time – you can keep going. If you’re having fun, but need to
wrap it up, what if you came back for ten more minutes the next day?
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| My Mini-Mandala on tiny post-it note created in less than 30 seconds! |
For follow-up ideas as to what we might do with our
mandalas I shared these “what ifs”:
What if you posted your mandala on your fridge for the next
week to remind you how good it feels to take time out for creative play?
What if you cut your mandala up and created a collage or a
card to share with it?
What if you wrote a poem or song or created a dance inspired
by your mandala?
If you live in the DFW area, I hope you’ll join me and the
Creative Oasis Day Trippers for future outings. If you don’t, I hope you’ll
consider scheduling a creative trip of your own very soon.
Until next time, all the best from my creative oasis to
yours,
Jill
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Monday, September 3, 2012
What's On Tap for Creative Oasis Day Trippers this Fall
It's time for Creative Oasis Day Trippers to get back into the swing of things and out into the creative adventures that await us in and around Dallas! Here's what's on tap for this fall.
Create Your Own Mandala
Monday, September 17, 2012
7 to 9 pm
Pigment School of the Arts
4605 West Lovers Lane
Dallas, TX 75209
$40
(includes $15 Day Trippers fee and $25 art class fee)
We'll meet at the inspiring Pigment School of the Arts for an evening of hands-on creative fun and camaraderie. Tori Pendergrass will lead us in the creation of our own unique mandalas. All creative supplies will be provided. Feel free to bring libations and snacks. Advanced registration is required by 9/15/12. Send an email to creativeoasiscoach@me.com to save your space.
Chihuly Nights
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
6:30 to 8:30pm
8525 Garland Rd
Dallas, TX 75218
$15 Day Trippers fee
$20 non-member Dallas Arboretum fee
$12 member Dallas Arboretum fee
Advance registration is required (Chihuly nights do sell out, so please reserve your space asap)
E-mail creativeoasiscoach@me.com for more information
Hopefully the weather will have cooled down a bit so we can experience a delightful evening strolling through the gardens and visiting the amazing Chihuly glass sculptures. I think this outing calls for a picnic, so I encourage everyone to bring or buy something for dinner and a blanket or chair.
Posters of Paris - Toulouse-Lautrec & His Contemporaries
Dallas Museum of Art
Gallery Talk
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Noon
$15 Day Trippers fee
$14 DMA exhibition fee for non-members
Free for DMA members
(The first five people to register I can get into the DMA for free)
E-mail creativeoasiscoach@me.com to register
Join the Creative Oasis Day Trippers as we enjoy a lunchtime Gallery Talk about the Posters of Paris exhibit and then our own creative experience afterwards in the cafe.
Remember, the Creative Oasis Day Trippers experience actually begins before our trip. Once you've registered you'll receive a special creative prompt several days before our trip which we'll explore further in person on the day of our outing. The Day Trippers are always an eclectic, interesting and fun group of people who gather together in the spirit of creative exploration! I'd love to have you join us this fall as we trip through some of the best creative experiences Dallas has to offer.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Asked for Two Cents & Received Gold
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| photo by Elle Parks |
"If you've ever taken one of my classes, workshops, retreats, have been coached by me or gone on a Day Trippers outing, can you share one word to describe it? Thanks so much!"
The response was overwhelming, heartwarming and tickling – as in it tickled me pink. I know sometimes people have a little trouble understanding what it is that I do exactly as a creativity coach, a certified Master Kaizen-Muse® Creativity Coach to be precise. And even when I tell them that I help people make the time and space in their busy lives to enjoy creative fulfillment, they may still be left scratching their heads. So I'm thrilled to have this feedback to share. Perhaps it will help round out the picture of what Creative Oasis Coaching has to offer and how it touches the lives of those who choose to join me.
"Jill is an outstanding teacher. More than that.... she is a leader who has this wonderful way of bringing you back to yourself. Whatever it is you are thinking about taking don't hesitate. Sign up. Not only did I get tons of new ideas and information in her class, I also made new friends... kindred spirits. Run, leap, scamper, skurry, charge forward and sign up. You will not regret it. Sorry. I couldn't think of one word.... Ok FUN!!!" - Margaret Wolf, photographer
"nurturing" – Donna Wallace
"You are in for a delightfully insightful and enriching experience to be coached by Jill. Go for it!" – Twyla Smith
"Brain twisting, in the best way!! : ))" Rosemary Cingari
"The first word that came to mind was nourishing, so even though I'm half asleep I'm going with it - Nourishment for the artistic soul :)" - Polly Simon
"life-changing. does a hyphenated word count?" – Dawn McMullan
"Stimulating...motivating..
"illuminating... Hope you have an incredibly, stimulating, motivating, fun and illuminating day! ;)" – Linda Bourgault
So there you have it. I asked for their two cents and got gold instead! I love the words they chose, the sentiments and the women themselves. That's another wonderful bonus of attending Creative Oasis classes and workshops – meeting wonderful, inspiring, talented women like these!
Thanks so much to everyone who shared. I look forward to the next time we're together in the same creative oasis!
If you're interested in checking out the workshops and classes I'm offering in Dallas this fall click here for all the information and registration links. If you'd like to receive my monthly Creative Oasis Pages to keep up with all the creative fun we're having just send me a quick email at creativeoasiscoach@me.com and I'll be happy to bring you into the loop!
Until next time all the best from my Creative Oasis to yours,
Jill
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Creative Oasis Fall 2012 Classes & Workshops
Craving Creative Fulfillment?
This fall Creative Oasis Coaching is offering more ways than ever for you to learn and practice easy, effective ways to enjoy a creatively fulfilling life! These classes and workshops help you make the time and space for your creative passions – whatever they may be – even with your busy schedule! They're also a great way to meet other interesting creative loving types who find it challenging to get to their creative interests as often as they'd like. (Sound familiar? You're not alone!)
Pre-registration is required for all classes and workshops. Space is limited to 8 people per session, so please register to reserve your space as soon as possible.
#1 – "LIVING THE CREATIVE LIFE"
WORKSHOP
WORKSHOP
Saturday, September 8th
1:00 – 4:30pm
$99
(includes creative supplies and handouts)
A great introduction to Creative Oasis Coaching. We'll explore fun and effective ways to make more time for creativity
in your life. Writing, photography, cooking, painting, singing, gardening,
scrap-booking…whatever your heart longs to do, you’ll be introduced to unique
tools and techniques to help you easily enjoy the creative satisfaction you
desire.
Location:
4605 West Lovers Lane
#2 – "HOW TO LIVE A CREATIVE LIFE"
6-WEEK CLASS
6-WEEK CLASS
6-week course dedicated to weaving creativity into your busy life
Tuesdays – September 18th through October 23rd
10:30 to Noon
or
Thursdays – September 20th through October 25th
6:30 to 8pm
$275, plus $15 materials fee
A more detailed exploration of and opportunity to practice creativity coaching methods designed to help you to experience more creative satisfaction. No matter what your interest – blogging, photography, cooking, writing, collage, watercolor, needlework, gardening – whatever creative expression you love, you’ll learn and practice
innovative tools and techniques to help you enjoy the creative fulfillment
you crave. Choose the
morning or evening session.
Location:
9440 Garland Rd., # 138
Dallas, TX 75218
For more info or to register, please email creativeoasiscoach@me.com
#3 – "PERMISSION TO BE CREATIVE 101"
MINI-RETREAT
MINI-RETREAT
Saturday, October 13th
10am – 3pm
$85 for CAC members
$115 for non-members
plus $10 materials fee
(Please bring a sack lunch.)
Do you have a closet full of creative projects you haven't touched in ages? Do you long for the time to dive into creative endeavors – painting, writing, gardening, scrapbooking, dancing, singing – in short, whatever energizes and delight you while adding joy to your life? This mini-retreat, set amongst the inspiring classrooms of the Creative Arts Center of Dallas, is another great introduction to Creative Oasis Coaching and share great ways for you to get back on track with your creative passions!
Location:
2360 Laughlin Dr.
Dallas, TX 75228
For more info or to register, please contact the Creative Arts Center by calling 214-320-1275 or visiting their website at http://www.creativeartscenter.org.
Are you ready to stop making excuses and start making the time and space in your life for creative fulfillment? Then sign up today for the Creative Oasis Coaching class or workshop of your choice, and take the first small step to turning that dream into a reality.
Email me at creativeoasiscoach@me.com and reserve your space today!
All the best from my creative oasis to yours,
Jill
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Jill Allison Bryan
Founder of Creative Oasis Coaching
Certified Master Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coach
Singer/Songwriter
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