Bohemian Snow Day Play

“When life hands you lemons make lemonade,” the saying goes.  The first week of February life handed us school-closing snow and ice that kept many of us in Dallas/Ft. Worth homebound with kids that were soon bouncing off the walls. 

Bikini Snow Chick by Ashley Thames Brown

Snow Rita

What did we make with all that snow & ice? According to facebook posts, on the first snow day my friends made snow chicks in bikinis,  snow ice-cream and even snow-ritas. (The love of all things Tex-Mex runs deep down here y’all!) In other words, we made the best of it. We consumed mass quantities of hot chocolate and marshmallows, made fires, played games and watched old movies. 

Then came the second snow day…as my friend Juliana Finch would say write-play-repeat! We did it all again.

Next came day three. Insert *@*#*&&%%!!!* expletive of your choice. By the fourth phone call from school confirming that once again they would be closed due to inclement weather it was time to put on my get-really-creative-and-think-outside-the-box hat.  Thus “Boho Snow Day” was born.

I had several creative projects that I wanted to get to for a group class that I’m teaching here in Dallas called, “Welcome To Your Creative Oasis”, for a group teleclass I’m participating in with Jill Badonsky – “Blissfully Imperfect – Liberating Creative Joy” and for my Creative Oasis Day Trippers group.

Bohemian Dress Up

My daughter loves role-playing, so I figured if I offered to turn our dining room into a Soho-esque artist loft and us into bohemian artist-types (complete with the proper boho-chic fashions) I’d have a good chance of getting her to hang out and do some fun creative stuff with me for an hour or two and give video-chatting on her computer a rest. 

Scarves helped transform the
dining room into a Soho loft

It worked! The proof is in the photos. We had a blast dressing up, hanging scarves and shawls around the room (it helps that I have a slight Stevie Nicks fascination), lighting candles and playing with creative projects. We wrote in our journals. We made Artist Trading Cards. We listened to music. (The New Bohemians, of course!) And I got at least few things accomplished that I wanted to without locking myself in my office and leaving Riley Anna to her own devices.

Our Boho Snow Day was as fun for me as it was for her, and it was an excellent reminder that when we add an element of child-like play to anything we do – it becomes more joyful. Sounds simple…makes sense…but we can all use the reminder.

Journaling...

is fun!
(yes...we dressed up the dog too, poor guy)

As Bea Silly, Muse of Play, Laughter and Dance says, “Fun is an elixir of spontaneous ideas. Solutions that seemed so elusive earlier appear effortlessly in the midst of play. To engage in the kind of play that stimulates ideas, mortals need to take themselves less seriously and make room for making things up, kidding, and goofing off.” (Quoted from “The Nine Modern Day Muses and a Bodyguard” by Jill Badonsky.)

Artist Trading Card

Can you imagine how child-like play might open you up to the creative process? Why not fetch your feather boa out of the mothballs (or if you don’t own one – go buy one for heaven’s sake – everyone needs a feather boa!) and throw it dramatically around your neck then dive into five minutes of creative play. Write in your journal as if you’re a movie star from the days of the silver screen…create a collage like your Lady Gaga designing your next crazy costume…plan a menu for a dinner party for the rock stars you’re inviting over next weekend (and if you don’t know any rock stars…have your neighbors over to enjoy it instead.)

I’d love to hear how you choose to use child-like play in your creative process! (oooo…and send photos too please!)

All the best from my creative oasis to yours,

Jill

Visit The Creativity-Portal to find this article and many more written by me and other certified Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coaches.

Join Me On The Bridge, Tuesday March 8th

Please join me on the lovely bridge over White Rock Lake (Mockingbird Ln. & Lawther Dr.) Tuesday, March 8, 2011 at 1pm to celebrate the 100^th anniversary of International Women’s Day.  We’ll show our solidarity with our sisters around the world living in war-torn countries doing their best to create new lives for themselves and their families. This wonderful Women for Women International event was created by the Country Directors of Women for Women's programs in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo - two countries which have seen some of the most devastating impacts of war in recent years and where atrocities such as rape, torture and violence against women are commonplace. Women from different communities decided to come together on a bridge which borders their two countries, in the heart of the conflict; to stand up for peace and an end to violence against women.

Last year the first ever global bridge campaign in 2010 when over 20,000 women across four continents took part in 108 different bridge events. Here in East Dallas a small but passionate group of us gathered on the bridge over White Rock Lake, not letting the rain dampen our enthusiasm.

We heard moving words from the amazing Gorethy Nabushosi, founder of Congo Restoration.

We waved signs for peace that we made with our children. We shared umbrellas, tears, hugs and hope.  Hope that even this small group of men, women and children coming together on a tiny bridge in Texas could send a message of love and light to people half a world away. Hope that by taking a bit of time out of our almost-always-too-busy schedules to do something as simple, yet powerful as gathering together on a bridge; we truly facilitate change for the better in our world.

My hope is that this year we can gather at least 100 people on the bridge, and by giving at least one dollar each, contribute to the 100 for 100 fundraising effort to support Women for Women International.

Visit Women for Women to learn more.

I’ve been sponsoring women through this transformational program for three years now and have learned from the notes and letters I’ve received from my sisters in the Congo and Rwanda how profound an impact the Women for Women programs have on their lives. For just $27 a month you too can sponsor a woman who will then be able to participate in a year long training program to learn skills to earn money for her family and have access to other important educational and health programs.

                                                                                            

Last year, with the generous support of many talented friends and family, I was blessed to create an event, “Infinite Possibility – A Night of Music, Art & Women Helping Women” that raised more than $10,000 for Women for Women International. 

(Please visit the website here if you’d like to see the beautiful artwork created for the silent art auction of this event and meet the artists and sponsors.)

Zainab Salbi, founder of Women for Women International, was here in Dallas this past week to receive the Posey Leadership Award. Although I was unable to see her speak in person, I did listen to this wonderful interview she gave to my friend Krys Boyd, host of THINK on KERA 90.1 radio. (Krys graciously offered to host the Infinite Possibility event last year.) Listen to her interview by visiting this link to THINK and you’ll understand why Salbi is a force of good in the world worthy of our time and support. As she so eloquently explains, when you give women the means to create change for the better, everyone in the community benefits.

Please join me and other men, women and children as we support Women for Women International Tuesday, March 8, 2011 at 1pm over White Rock Lake. Bring signs of peace, friends and family and most importantly, bring yourself and your heartfelt wish for peace to embrace us all.

Wishing an oasis of peace, love and light for us all,

Jill


p.s. Please read my lovely friend, Ashley Brown's, blog post at Soul Flung Open on her experiences with Women for Women International.  Ashley was one of the 13 amazing female artists who contributed her time and talent the Infinite Possibility fundraiser last year. This is the fabulous piece she contributed below.

Mary's Song by Ashley Brown

Got a Good Reason…For You to Join Creative Oasis Day Trippers™

Do you tell yourself time after time that you’ll visit this museum or that gallery to check out an exhibit only to learn that the show closed two days ago? Do you hear about cool cultural happenings friends have attended and wish that you’d gone? Do you bookmark sites or cut ads out of the paper for interesting speakers, performances or workshops yet never actually make plans, buy tickets or attend them?

ME TOO! And the more I talk to friends and clients, the more I realize we’re not alone. So many of us agree that there’s an absolute cornucopia of fascinating, educational and inspiring things to do in and around the Dallas/Ft.Worth metroplex – and yet, with our busy lives and booked-up schedules – most of us simply don’t get around to experiencing them as often as we’d like.

That’s how the idea for Creative Oasis Day Trippers™ was born. Each month I offer an opportunity that will galvanize we intrepid creative lovers to get out there in a group and see what we’ve been missing!

Plus, as a certified creativity coach, I’ll enrich these experiences further by providing unique creative prompts before our trips, creative process during our trips and further reflection for possible creation after our trips. Can you imagine the joy and satisfaction of embarking on innovative fieldtrips with like-minded creativity–loving types?

Just browsing through the weekend guide section, the Art and Seek website or facebook events offers dozens of opportunities each and every week worthy of our investigation. Speakers, music, films, galleries, wine tastings, cheese-pairings, sketching at the Dallas Museum of Art,  exhibits at the Kimbell Museum, trips to the Dallas Arboretum, shows at Photographs Do Not Bend, performance art at the MAC, 

cooking classes at Central Market, yoga studios special events, unique restaurants, independent theater productions…the list goes on and on and changes with each passing day.

I send out an invitation to one or two Creative Oasis Day Trippers™ event per month. Here's how to join me:

#1 – Sign up to receive your Creative Oasis Day Tripper™ invitation each month. 

#2 – RSVP and pay the $15 fee by check or paypal by the deadline. (*Participants will also be responsible for their own entry fees or tickets needed for the trip.)

#3 – You’ll receive an e-mail creative prompt a few days before our trip. These will be specifically tailored to our event of the month with small questions and suggestions to dive a bit deeper into the experience.

#4 – We’ll meet at an appointed place and time for our Creative Oasis Day Trip™ of the month. In addition to the event, we’ll enjoy some sort of easy and fun creative process to enhance our experience.

#5 – You’ll receive an e-mail follow-up a day or so after our trip to recap any epiphanies we may have experienced and explore other possible ideas for creative fulfillment until our next meeting.

I can think of so many of good reasons why you should join Creative Oasis Day Trippers™ and here are just a few:

·    You’ll actually get out there and experience more of the creatively stimulating offerings in our area.

·    You’ll meet other interesting people like yourself who understand the importance of the creative process in living a satisfying life.

·    You’ll enjoy the benefits of a program run by a certified Master Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coach which can help you make the time and space for your own creative process on a more regular basis.

·     I am so excited about creating and leading this group! 

Are you ready to join me? Sign up to receive information about current Creative Oasis Day Trippers™and other Creative Oasis offerings here: http://www.creativeoasiscoaching.com/newsletter.html

(*One final note - a big thanks to my husband for designing the Creative Oasis Day Trippers logo just the way I had envisioned it in my mind! Now we're ready to roll!)

The Creative Soul Sisterhood of the Traveling Paisley Velvet Pants & Sparkling Skirt

Mabel's at Sunset
photo by Liz Fautch

I’m sharing a few photos and remembrances from my recent trip to Taos, New Mexico partially because I want to keep the luscious memories alive, and partially because I love living vicariously through other people's travelogues and hoped you might too.

The mere fact that I finally went to Taos ranks pretty high on my “hot-damn-this-is-cool-o-meter.” That I went to attend, perform and participate in a Creative Retreat and Salon hosted by Jill Badonsky amped things up to the “has-the-potential-to-be-one-of-the-coolest-trips-ever” status. But what shot the whole eye-opening, breath-taking, awe-inspiring, first-time Taos trip over the desert moon was traveling with my creative soul sister Jane Baldwin. (Pranasalara & The Double J Hacienda & Art Ranch)

Soul Sisters

No matter where we go, time shared tends to be part therapy session, part slumber party, part creative retreat – usually with a dash of wine, delicious food and chocolate sprinkled in for good measure. And so it was this January when we headed for New Mexico – me the Taos/Santa Fe/Chimayo virgin and Jane the enthusiastic, free-spirited, well-versed guide who knew the lay of the land and even came equipped with the CD from “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” which made for the ideal soundtrack for our drive from Albuquerque to Taos.

Thank the travel gods, the night before we left we decided to rent a car rather than take a shuttle. This gave us the sacred space of a car interior on a long stretch of desert highway to catch up, and dream, and share stories from our pasts and plans for our future.  It also granted us the freedom to stop whenever and wherever we wanted. (I LOVE road trips with people who don’t mind that I drink gallons of water and need to pull over at every third gas station.)

Jill at Santuario de Chimayo
photo by Jane Baldwin

Jane suggested we stop to visit El Santuario de Chimayo – a famous holy site nestled in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.  I was especially delighted to visit since Doug and I own a wonderful painting by our friend Tori Pendergrass that features the church.

By Tori Webb Pendergrass

After paying our respects, we made a beeline for the Ranchero de Chimayo so Jane could get her red-chili sauce on in proper New Mexico fashion.  Once we'd refueled with a delicious lunch we stopped at the Ranchos de Taos to visit yet another iconic church.

Feeling Blessed at Rancho de Taos

Things turned slightly less holy when stopped at Walgreens for the essentials (bottled water, dark chocolate and wine) before heading to the Mable Dodge Luhan Lodge for the retreat.

The two Jills sing the praises of Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coaching

Chilling wine the Taos way

Paisley Pants

Sparkly Skirt

It would take more space than I have here to share all of the wonderful experiences and inspiring people that infused the next three days. So I’ll share a poem and a few photos and offer this gentle reminder:

Set Free
photo by Laurel Aston

If you’re given the chance to step outside your comfort zone, visit some place new, try on crazy ideas (or clothes), and dance wildly like a whirling dervish with people you’ve never met before – DO IT! I promise your life will be better for it. 

Mabel’s Ghosts

by Jill Allison Bryan

Spirits speak through these old adobe walls

In the pops and crackles of the wood burning the fireplace

In the creaking of the floorboards

In the ghostly black and white photographs from another time

“Feel creativity in your bones” they say

“Make creativity your comfort zone” they say

“Go ahead – pretend like you live here – we don’t mind” they say

“Sink into your creative process like the cushions of this well-worn couch” they say

“Give yourself permission to see aliens, awaken sleeping dragons, make crop circles in your mind, and play all day – it’s okay” they say

So I do

All the best from my creative oasis to yours,

Jill

P.S. – Jane and I are hosting a retreat of our own – “Embracing Creative Momentum” –  this summer June 10-12, 2011 at the fabulous Double J Hacienda and Art Ranch. Stay tuned…

My Creative Oasis Looks Like This (What About Yours?)

My Creative Oasis™Mandala

The mandala above visually represents my own personal creative oasis. It encompasses all the things I strive to experience and share through my creativity coaching and my music. It also illustrates the central role that creativity plays in all aspects of my life. I truly believe everyone deserves to experience creative fulfillment, and whether or not you consider yourself to be particularly creative, you can easily make the time to discover your own Creative Oasis™ and lead a more joy-filled and satisfying existence. 

That's why I'm so happy to offer another round of my unique group creativity classes:

Welcome To Your Creative Oasis™ – 

7 Weeks Dedicated to Gently Lifting Creativity 
to the Top of Your To-Do List 

Whether it’s cooking, writing, painting, making music, scrap-booking, creating collages, blogging, dancing, gardening, performing – whatever it is that your heart longs to do – that’s your Creative Oasis™.  So often we let procrastination, perfectionism, and a general feeling of being overwhelmed by our busy lives stop us from making the time for the things that energize and delight us.  It doesn’t have to be that way. As a certified Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coach, I provide a treasure chest of easy-to-use tools and techniques that can help you consistently enjoy creative satisfaction. (The very same ones that changed my life, opening the doors to my creative coaching career and my lifelong musical dream come true!)


If you live in the DFW area, I hope that you'll join me for this transformative 7 week experience. (The enthusiastic participants from last fall's session suggested that I add one more week to the course and I agreed!) The group meetings provide camaraderie, support and gentle accountability and are a really fun way to jumpstart the creative process. Here's the low-down:

What:

“Welcome To Your Creative Oasis™ – a 7-week course dedicated to gently lifting your creative dreams to the top of your to-do list!”

When:

Class offered either Tuesday mornings 10:30am to Noon (2/15/11 – 3/29/11)

Or Thursday evenings 7pm to 8:30pm (2/17/11 – 3/31/11)

(No classes will be held the week of March 14, 2011)


Price:

$275 includes materials and e-mail follow-ups

Register by 2/1/11 or with a friend for just $250

(Discount price applies to all past and present clients as well.)

To register contact me at creativeoasiscoach@me.com.

Where:

Pigment School of the Arts

4605 West Lovers Lane  

Dallas, TX  75209-3133

(214) 352-2787

Are you ready to discover how your Creative Oasis looks?

Please feel free to contact me here if you have any questions or are ready to register today! All the best from my creative oasis to yours, Jill

Less Stuff – More Experiences!

http://www.caitlinkeegan.com/

Although I’m not one for making a long list of New Year’s resolutions, I am excited by the fresh start that a new year presents.  Some people choose a few key words or a phrase to serve as a guiding light for the coming twelve months, and now feels like the perfect time to give that a try. Diving into 2011 is particularly exciting for me because I’m finally setting into motion a plan that’s been percolating in my brain for many months now. I’ve even whittled it down into four words: 

Less Stuff – 

More Experiences!

What will this look like? My vision includes me letting go of lots and lots of stuff.  Letting go of old ideas and outdated ways of thinking, letting go of mountains of material belongings that I don’t need, want or use anymore, letting go of old habits that don’t serve me well, and perhaps even a few relationships and commitments that I’ve outgrown.

This notion of “letting go” absolutely thrills me because in the process of releasing all of the previously mentioned stuff, I believe that I’ll gain 

FREEDOM, SPACE, ENERGY, TIME, CREATIVITY, EXPERIENCES, JOY & LOVE.  

I actually feel lighter and a little tingly just thinking about having less and doing more.

This isn’t some plan I hatched while drinking copious amounts of bubbly on New Year’s Eve.  As I said, I’ve been contemplating making a few radical changes in my life for some time now. I’ve been discussing the idea with family and friends, reading books, blogs and articles, watching movies, listening to lectures and journaling the “what ifs” like crazy. Serendipity keeps flashing me two big thumbs up and a Cheshire cat grin the more I move in this new direction. A few examples:

While orchestrating my CD release/fundraiser last March, a serendipitous reconnection with Debbie Stinson of MakeMyLifeSimplified (Thanks

Facebook!) introduced me to the wonderful world of professional organizing and helped me tame the beast that was my office closet while learning valuable decluttering techniques.  I attended a teleconference offered by the wise and witty Jennifer Louden and  the topic turned out to be “Enough.” My dear friend, fellow certified Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coach, inspiring writer, photographer, (and so much more) Laura Hegfield shared a beautiful blog entry entitled, “Taming The Desire Dragon” discussing the desire we sometimes have to “do it all,” even when we know this isn’t possible. In different ways, the same message keeps showing up again and again – 

Less Stuff – More Experiences! 

Less “I Have To” – More “I Get To!”

I’m currently gaining even more inspiration by reading two great books:  

http://doingless.net/

Elizabeth Cogswell Baskin

I realize the idea of simplifying life and letting go of things is not a totally original idea. Real Simple has been on the stands for more than a decade. (Though I’ve always found the title ironic. I mean, does Martha Stewart ever do anything that doesn’t take at least a dozen steps and one utensil or tool that you’re sure not to own to complete?) Hell, even Oprah is giving up her wildly famous TV show after 25 years. (Though it doesn’t seem that starting up your very own behemoth TV channel (OWN) would necessarily simplify things.) Founder of Facebook and TIME Magazine’s person of the year, Mark Zuckerberg, lists “Eliminating Desire” as one of his interests on his own Facebook page.  Although he’s made billions with his game-changing social media platform, he drives an Acura and rents a modest house a few blocks from work. But enough of famous people I don’t know personally.

For me less stuff means less to pay for, less to store, less to take care of and less to keep up with – which all adds up to more time.  Less things on my calendar means more time to read, to make music, to bake, to meditate, to create, to write, to entertain, to walk by the lake, to be with friends and family, to think, to just simply be.

Singing & Having Fun at the Double J Hacienda
photo by John Parrish

2011 is just beginning. I feel as if I’m embarking on a journey to some new exotic destination.  Although I don’t know exactly what this year holds, I do know that it will involve Less Stuff – More Experiences and a whole new way of creatively living life that I’m thrilled to begin!

All the best from 2011 creative oasis to yours,

Jill

The Gift of Me

At the Double J Hacienda and Art Ranch over Thanksgiving weekend, I offered a holiday creative workshop. We had a cozy little group of wonderful women come together and took some time to stop and think about what we’d like this season to look like for ourselves. We began by quick-listing words and phrases from our pasts that brought up good memories of “Christmas” or “Holidays” for us: baking cookies, classic movies, looking at lights, etc… More often than not, our lists had nothing to do with shopping or gifts, rather our favorite memories revolved around shared experiences with friends and family.

We created mind-maps to expound upon the idea of intentionally creating a holiday season that would be fulfilling and joyful rather than stressful and filled with too many things that weren’t important to us or felt like obligations just to make someone else happy. From our mind-maps we created collaged postcards that I later mailed out as a fun reminder – a very personal Christmas card to ourselves. (That’s the front of mine above and the back below.)

What I realized was that I wanted to leave plenty of space and time this month to be with the people I hold dear and to share the gift of me with them – or rather, of my full attention and love.  I made myself a promise to cut back on multi-tasking and focus one thing at a time, especially when interacting with others. I also reminded myself that keeping enough time open for good self-care through meditation, exercise and journaling was a gift that I could give myself that would benefit me as well as my friends and family. You’ve heard the saying, “If momma ain’t happy – ain’t nobody happy – so true! And if I let self-care slide, I get pretty Grinchy pretty quickly. 

I’ll admit, it’s been a pretty jam-packed month, and there is still quite a bit left to do, but for the most part, I’ve enjoyed feeling in the flow of things rather than swamped, and that has been lovely. I'm so grateful for all of the special holiday memories I've experienced already: watching a young friend act in a wonderful production of "A Christmas Carol," seeing my daughter perform holiday numbers with her dance company at events around town, going with dear friends to see the musical "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas," hosting our extended family Christmas party, playing Monopoly with my dad and daughter while my mom baked cookies and my husband played guitar – the good stuff you can't buy at the mall.  I feel sure that by taking the time to ask myself what I really wanted my holiday to look like, and spending some time with this awareness I've enjoyed this busy season much more than I would have otherwise.

What about you? There are a few days left before Christmas and over a week before the New Year.  There’s still time to create the experiences that you desire. Do you want to string popcorn and cranberries? Do you want to drink hot chocolate and watch “Charlie Brown’s Christmas?” Do you want to give yourself the gift of ten whole minutes just sitting in front of your Christmas tree enjoying the lights? Even the smallest of things can bring us an enormous amount of joy, especially when we allow ourselves to really be in the moment and immerse ourselves in it.

I wish you a Merry Little Christmas and the time and space to create at least a few wonderful holiday experiences that you’ll treasure now and always.

All the best from my Christmas oasis to yours,

Jill