Be Here Now = Be Happy Now

It's so simple. Right here...right now...this moment is our life, as so beautifully put by Omar Khayyam:

"Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life."

~ Omar Khayyam (1048 – 1131)

Khayyam was a Persian philosopher, mathematician, poet, musician, polymath, astronomer, physician and a bit of an overachiever if you ask me. (Just kidding.) Though Omar was definitely what I would call a multi-passionate creative! 

We all have memories of the past and dreams for the future...but it's only in the present moment that we truly live our life. 

So why does it often seem so difficult to "Be Here Now" as the western-born yogi Ram Dass was advised by his guru Bhagavan Das. (I googled it.)

Do you ever find the "if only" mantra playing in your mind? It sounds a little something like this:

If only my space was completely uncluttered and organized then I could finally make art...write my book...crafting...learn to play the banjo...take up tap-dancing...plant a garden.

If only I had more time then I could finally make art...write my book...crafting...learn to play the banjo...take up tap-dancing...plant a garden.

If only I was younger then I could finally make art...write my book...crafting...learn to play the banjo...take up tap-dancing...plant a garden.

Notice, the dreams remain the same...only the excuses differ. And I've got a million of 'em – don't you? A million dreams and a million excuses. 

But luckily, I also have the wonderful tools and techniques of Kaizen-Muse Creative Coaching to help me move gently past my million excuses as well as common creative blocks like procrastination, perfectionism, lack of time, overwhelm and get stuff done! 

Today my energy is zapped and truthfully I don't feel so hot. I'm shaking off the tail end of a head cold. Given how I'm feeling it would have been easy to go straight into "if only" mode...

If only I felt better I could write my Mid-Week Oasis Moment.

But by using a few of my favorite Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coaching methods and allowing myself to accept and embrace the moment for what it is, I'm in a pretty good place. In fact, I'm even creating this post! Here's how...

Small Questions

By asking myself questions such as: "What's one thing I am grateful for today?" and "How would it be if I'm be gentle with myself while I"m not feeling so hot?" I opened the door to practice permission and compassion. 

Permission/Self-Compassion 

By giving myself permission to be gentle with myself (which means rather than force myself to get up, get dressed and go work at my desk I get to remain huddled in bed wearing two sweatshirts with a cup of hot tea) I'm happily creating today's Mid-Week Oasis Moment in this moment. 

In the next moment I may be napping...and that's okay too. (self-compassion)

Small Steps/Timer

Since my energy is much lower than usual, using small steps is the perfect, low-pressure way to make it through my day. I'm setting a timer and working for 15 minutes or so then giving myself a break to close my eyes or make another cup of tea or read my Joni Mitchell book. 

I hope that you feel fantastic and healthy today, but the next time you're feeling under-the-weather or overwhelmed, I invite you to try using these simple (but so powerful!) methods to move past "if only" and into the now because for most of us, the now is a pretty wonderful place to be. 

All the best from my "Be Here Now" Creative Oasis to yours,

Jill

P.S. ~ If you enjoyed this post please share on Facebook and twitter using the buttons below! 
If you'd like to receive bite-size bonbons of creative inspiration like this Mid-Week Oasis Moments plus a free copy of my e-book "Permission to Be Creative 101" join me here: http://www.creativeoasiscoaching.com/newsletter.html.

3 Steps to a Creative New Year

In the spirit of celebrating the coming New Year, I invite you to try this simple 3-step process to help set your intentions and spark a year of joyful creative living in 2015.

Grab some colored pens or pencils (I love writing with colorful felt-tip markers! ) and a blank piece of paper or, better yet, a beautiful journal you haven't been able to bring yourself to write in yet because you don't know where to start. Click here to download the prompts in printable form below if you'd like.

Ready? Let yourself answer the following questions quickly and intuitively without overthinking them. Your first answers are usually your best and most true.

#1 ~ Give Yourself Credit ~

~ What creative projects, pursuits and experiences did I enjoy most in 2014?
~ What helped give me permission to enjoy these creative experiences?
~ What worked well when it came to living a creative life last year?

#2 ~ Give Yourself Ideas ~

~ Which creative projects, pursuits and experiences would I like to continue in 2015?
~ Which new creative projects, pursuits and experiences would I love to explore in 2015?
~ What's one small way I can experience creative joy every day in the coming year?

#3 ~ Give Yourself Permission ~

~ Where can I find compassionate support to help me make time and space for my creativity? (Think friends, groups, classes, coaching, etc...)
~ How can I practicing giving myself permission to enjoy creative experiences more often?
~ What's one loving way I can allow myself to experience more creative joy than ever in the coming year?

Here's to living the creative life in 2015! May your year be filled with many wonderful Creative Oasis moments, laughter, love and light!

Jill

Wishing You These True Gifts...

In celebration of the Christmas season I wish you peace, love, light

and permission to fully embrace your creativity in 2015! 

How have you delighted in your creativity this season? 

How will you embrace and enjoy your creativity in the coming year? 

How will you nurture your creative spirit? 

Here's to good self-care, laughter, love, light and

fabulous creative experiences that make life worth living ~
at Christmas time and throughout the year! 

Merry Everything from my Creative Oasis to yours,

Jill

Jill Allison Bryan

www.creativeoasiscoaching.com                                        

Why I’m a Happy Bad Ass 50-Year Old

This week I celebrate my 50^th birthday.

And I while not obsessed about it, 50 is something of a milestone, so I can’t deny it’s been on my mind.

Mostly I feel grateful to have my health, my awesome family and friends and a passion for my creative coaching business where I get to serve and connect with amazing people like you!

Winning two awards from my personal trainer, Pauline, at the annual Garage Fitness holiday party certainly didn't hurt either.

I won a "Gold" award (for a year-long challenge) and a "Hot Shot" award (for consistently showing up to the gym (Garage Fitness) at 6 am three times a week with very few exceptions) that I get to add to the "Bad Ass" awards I've won in previous years. What can I say? I love to work out and I’m grateful I’m wired that way!

To celebrate my birthday I saw Fleetwood Mac in concert yet again and let me tell you, they are back and better than ever!

They were all wonderful...energized...in good voice and seemed to be having a blast! 

Seeing one of my musical idols, Stevie Nicks, look and sound so good at age 67, doing what she most loves to do, was absolutely inspiring! 

Eleanor Roosevelt's wise words also inspire me to keep living a creative life and embracing my life as a work of art.

I believe your life is your greatest creative project no matter what your age and I look forward to embracing every moment of the beautiful non-linear path I’m on for decades to come.

I hope you’ll continue to join me!  

If you've been contemplating one-on-one creative coaching with me, why not let 2015 be the year you live the creative life you've been dreaming of? Drop me a line here so we can chat about the possibilities. 

Until next time, all the best from my "Celebrating 50" Creative Oasis,

Jill

Jill Allison Bryan

www.creativeoasiscoaching.com

P.S. ~ If you enjoyed this post and would like to receive bite-size bonbons of creative inspiration like this in my Mid-Week Oasis Moments plus a free copy of my e-book, "Permission to Be Creative 101" please join me by clicking here.

Recipe for a Dreamy Little Christmas

How are the holidays treating you so far? More importantly, how are you treating yourself?

I'm enjoying a rather smooth transition into the Christmas season. Not to toot my own horn, but I have to admit Create the Christmas of Your Dreams seems to be major reason for this!

Here are a few ideas that are helping me and the lovely members of our CTCOYD support group the most:

~ Any project, plan or party can be broken down into small, doable steps ~ or as I like to call them this time of year, Merry Little Movements.

Imagine my delight in realizing one Christmas project in particular could easily be divided into more than a dozen small steps. So long overwhelm ~ hello creative joy!

~ Enough really is enough. 

For example, I gave myself a decorating deadline. That meant any holiday decorating I intended to do needed to be finished by Sunday, even if that meant not putting out every single decoration I own. And you know what? It was not only enough...it was plenty!

~ Creative joy can be experienced in small little burst of creative play. 

Five or ten minutes coloring in a holiday mandala, creating a Christmas card or digitally enhancing a photo sparks creative satisfaction that lasts for hours. Here's a pinterest project using rolled magazine pages I'm creating during some of my brief of Christmas Oasis Moments.

~ Permission to embrace what's most important and release the rest. 

Rather than show up to a holiday gathering feeling frazzled and fatigued because I felt the need to create some gourmet dish from scratch along with everything else I had going that day, I chose to show up rested and ready to party with a store bought appetizer and a smile.

~ Good self-care is not optional ~ it's essential. 

With the social invitations rolling in, the pressure to finish shopping mounting, not to mention "end-of-year-everything," it's easy to tell ourselves we simply don't have time.

That's why it's so nice to be part of a group that knows the value of taking good care of ourselves, especially during the time of year we're often running on too little sleep, too many treats while dodging the omnipresent cold and flu bugs.

~ Good self-care is easier than you might think.

Something has simple as using some nice, rich hand cream, taking a walk around the block or enjoying a few deep breaths and stretches can revitalize you and keep you going strong throughout the holidays.

I invite you to use the recipe above with your choice of ingredients from the list below to create a dreamy Christmas of your own!

Click here to download your complimentary printable "Dream Christmas Ingredients" list.

Until next time, all the best from my Dreamy Christmas Oasis to yours,

Jill

Jill Allison Bryan

www.creativeoasiscoaching.com

P.S. ~ If you enjoyed this post and would like to receive bite-size bonbons of creative inspiration like this in my Mid-Week Oasis Moments plus a free copy of my e-book "Permission to Be Creative 101" join me here: http://www.creativeoasiscoaching.com/newsletter.html.

May Your Heart Shine Like a Peace Sign

I took this photo of our vintage marquee peace sign for Day 30 of my #100HappyDays challenge.

The idea behind the #100HappyDays challenge is simple and inspiring and that's why I love it so much! 

Each day I get to take a photo of something that makes me happy and post it. Easy-peasy! (Click here to visit my #100HappyDays pinterest board to see the crazy variety of things that have made me happy over the last several weeks.)

The purpose of the challenge is to help people realize that it doesn't take a lot of time to be happy.

As a result of #100HappyDays I'm focused on seeing something good in my life at least once a day. Even the simplest things like a fluffed up bird sitting in a tree or the fact that tasty orange cuties are in season bring me happiness. Focusing on what brings joy to my life, even for the few moments it takes to snap a photo and post it, also brings me peace.

This aligns so nicely with my philosophy that even small amounts of time spend enjoying your Creative Oasis (whatever makes your heart sing and time fly) is time well-spent! 

This is the time of year we often hear the message "Peace on earth ~ good will toward men." Ironically, it's also the time of year that can stress us out so much we end up spending much of the time feeling quite the opposite of peaceful! 

So, what can we do about that? How can we experience more feelings of peace during the Christmas holidays?

When we make our own self-care a priority that helps us handle all of the relationships and responsibilities in our lives with more grace, ease and joy. This in turn helps the people in our lives to also experience more happiness, grace and peace. And so on...and so on...and so on. (If you're of a certain age please pardon the shampoo commercial reference.)

As the Christmas season begins, I invite you to choose an easy-to-do, soul-satisfying, peace-inducing creative challenge of your own. Here are a few ideas to help you begin...

~ Join me for the #100HappyDays challenge 

(www.100happydays.com)

~ Choose one thing you're grateful for each day in December and

write it in your journal, post it on Facebook or simply keep it in your heart

~ Ask yourself "What's one easy way I can help myself feel peaceful today?" 

(*Hint ~ it could be as simple as taking a few nice deep breaths.)

~ Enjoy 5 minutes of "I Get To" creative time 

(Easy ideas: doodling, coloring in a mandala, writing a haiku, stringing popcorn & cranberries)

I wish you many peaceful moments and a season filled with lots of love, laughter and light ~ especially the kind that makes your heart shine like a big ol' peace sign!

All the best from my Creative Oasis to yours,

Jill

Jill Allison Bryan

www.creativeoasiscoaching.com

P.S. ~ When I began playing with words to add to my peace sign photo for this post, I was delighted to realize that the "earth and heart" are anagrams. This felt like a special heemeesheemee to me. (*Heemeesheemee ~ my word for a serendipitous occurrence.) 

An Alternative to Cyber Monday Craziness...An Invitation to Create the Christmas of Your Dreams

Like you, I’ve been barraged with emails and ads for Black Friday and Cyber Monday...for doorbusters and price slashers and midnight madness.

Sound more like horror films than the beginning of the Christmas season, doesn’t it?

If you’re already over the over-the-top commercialism and stress the holidays can bring, I invite you to join me for “Create the Christmas ofYour Dreams” ~ a creative teleclass and support group designed to help you embrace holiday happiness, creative joy and good self-care this season.
(*Note: Registration closes Wednesday 12/3/14 at 11am central)

This class if for you…

~ If using your creativity more than your credit cards sounds like a good idea.

~ If you’d like to make at least one handmade Christmas gift or card this season. (Perhaps one of the approximately 738 you have on your pinterest boards?)

~ If you wish you could release the need to meet other people’s holiday expectations. (Hint: Martha Stewart is not my role model!)

~ If you’d like permission to enjoy some good self-care, even when there’s so much else to do. 

(BTW - the top three self-care contenders from my holiday survey were meditation, walking and massage and we'll be discussing ways to weave those into your schedule too.)

~ If you look forward to doing some holiday baking and want to feel that using premade cookie dough & pie crusts is not a punishable holiday crime this is the place for you!

If you can relate to any of these Christmas wishes, then I hope you’ll join me for Create the Christmas of YourDreams.

Once a week beginning this Wednesday, December third, we’ll meet up by phone to enjoy some creative prompts and play and I’ll share simple ways to experience a Christmas season that feels the way you’d like it to feel.

Giving yourself the gift of just one hour of Creative Oasis “me-time” for the next three weeks will help you feel energized and joyful rather than Grinchy & stressed out this month.

For about the price of a mani/pedi ($49.94) you’ll enjoy three one-hour phone sessions, including a packet of interactive creative sheets for each call, lovely e-mail follow-ups.

   

Click the button below to register.

                            

I’m really looking forward to sharing these simple and fun creative coaching tools & techniques to help your Create the Christmas of Your Dreams. (*Note: Registration closes Wednesday 12/3/14 at 11am central)

Just click here to register and I’ll send your first creative packet right away. I’ll even send you the recording of the “Warm-Up” call we had before Thanksgiving if you’d like to get started before our call this Wednesday.

I look forward to sharing this special time with you. I know that together we can hit shift from feeling like “The Nightmare Before Christmas” to “It’s a Wonderful Life!”  

All the best from my “let’s all take a nice deep breath” Christmas Creative Oasis to yours,

Jill

Jill Allison Bryan

www.creativeoasiscoaching.com