This Could Be Your Greatest Creative Project

I agree with Mr. Kaye! How about you? 

The way I see it, your life is your greatest creative project of all. 

As Kaye says, life's a big old canvas, so why not leave your own special mark?

And there are so many wonderful ways to do that in addition to using actual paint! 

Your preferred pallet might be a colorful array of fruit, veggies and spices in the kitchen, fresh cut flowers assembled in a bodacious bouquet, living room furniture and knick-knacks rearranged to greet a new season, or accessories and clothes combined in a new way to create a fresh look.

I fell in love with this quote as soon as I saw it and have been a fan of Danny Kaye since my first viewing of White Christmas as a child, so I was delighted when I did a little research and discovered the many different ways he practiced what he preached. 

In addition to being a beloved actor, singer, dancer and comedian, Kaye threw a lot of paint on the canvas of his life in many different ways:

* Conducting ~ He regularly conducted world-renown orchestras though he couldn't read a note of sheet music! (He once used a fly swatter as a baton while conducting Flight of the Bumblebee.)

* Cooking ~ His specialities were Italian and Chinese. He once taught a Chinese cooking class in San Francisco restaurant and even had the theater and demonstration kitchen named after him at The Culinary Institute of America in New York City. 

* Flying ~ Kaye was an aviation enthusiast and owned many different types of planes throughout his life.

* Baseball ~  A lover of the game, he was also part-owner of the Seattle Mariners for a time.

* Golfing ~ He was an avid golfer.

* Philanthropy ~ Kaye was an ambassador for UNICEF for many years as well. 

Clearly Kaye's life was filled with an amazing array of Creative Oasis Moments! 

When we give ourselves permission to color our days with creatively fulfilling experiences that energize and delight us, we create lives truly worth living. 

What's one small, doable way you can throw some paint on the canvas of your life this week? 

Need a little help moving past blocks like procrastination, perfectionism, inner-critic voices and feeling overwhelmed by your to-do list to enjoy more time in your own Creative Oasis? 

If you live in the Dallas/Ft.Worth area I invite you to join me for one of my fall classes, workshops or coloring parties. 

Live outside of Dallas or looking for more personalized guidance? Contact me in the comment section below to schedule a complimentary call to explore the option of one-on-one creative coaching with me.

Here's to adding a splash of creative joy to your life, whatever that looks like for you! 

All the best from my Creative Oasis to yours, 

Jill

P.S. ~ If you enjoyed this post please feel free to share. 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.

It's Never Too Late To Create!

Though I've shared this before, this is one of my favorite Creative Oasis Mantras and worth repeating!

It's a gentle reminder that no matter your age or stage of life ~ it's never too late to try something new or return to something you once loved and CREATE!

Helping people realize it's truly never too late to explore their creative desires is one of my greatest passions. I believe that spending time with experiences that make your heart sing and time fly (your Creative Oasis) can enrich your life beyond compare. (Creative Oasis Classes & Workshops are a great place to begin.)

Here are some people you may have heard of who found their creative bliss later in life:

* Julia Child was almost 50 when she collaborated on her first French cooking book.

* Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of the beloved "Little House on the Prairie" series, published her first book of her at age 65.

* Harlan Sanders (you may know him as the Colonel of Kentucky Fried Chicken) was 66 when he began his KFC empire.

* Dr. Ruth was 55 when she published "Dr. Ruth's Guide to Good Sex" and launched her radio show.

* Artist Louise Bourgeois was finally recognized for her contributions to the art world with a retrospective of her work on her 70th birthday at the Museum of Modern Art.

I once had the privilege to know an amazing woman named Juanita Powers. She went back to school and started her own successful business in her 40s after her husband died. In her 50s she took up ballroom dancing. In her 60s she began to paint and in her 70s started writing poetry. She wasn't famous, but wow, was she happy, fulfilled and an absolute inspiration to behold!

I love hearing stories of people trying new creative endeavors no matter their age. I was in my mid-40s when I jumped in and enjoyed several first-time creative experiences including recording my solo CD, "Dancing in Limbo" so I can relate to the joy, excitement and fear of diving into new creative pursuits a little later in life.

(Listens to samples of my songs here.)

Here's a quote that sums it up beautifully for me:

"For of all sad words of tongue and pen, the saddest are these, it might have been." 

~ John Greenleaf Whittier

What wonderful creative experiences are you putting off because you're too busy...because you're afraid you won't be good enough...because you worry what people might think...because you don't know where or how to begin?

If you're ready to stop waiting and start creating I invite you to join me for one of my upcoming classes or my next Creative Oasis Coloring & Wine Party.

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

Jill

Jill Allison Bryan

www.creativeoasiscoaching.com

P.S. ~ If you enjoyed this post please feel free to share. 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.

Fall 2015 Creative Oasis Classes & Workshops

I have crayons, colored pencils, markers, pastels, watercolors, paper, scissors, magazines, glue, writing prompts, handouts, low-pressure creative activities and a treasure chest of Kaizen-Muse Creative Coaching tools and techniques ready and waiting for my fun line-up of

Fall 2015 Creative Oasis Classes & Workshops. 

There's only one piece missing ~ and that's the most important one of all! 

Ready to make more time and space in your life for creative joy and satisfaction? 

Join me for a class or workshop, meet other creative loving people and add your own special presence to the mix. 

Fall 2015 Creative Oasis Classes & Workshops Line-Up includes: 

Mandalas ~ Mandalas ~ Mandalas!

Discover the magic of making mandalas in this fun, low-pressure workshop. No previous experience, skill or artistic talent needed ~ just the desire to dive in and experience the joy of the creative process. As you create different types of mandalas you’ll also receive a basic introduction to the Creative Oasis Coaching methods I use to help people around the world enjoy more creative fun and fulfillment in their busy lives. 

WHEN:      Wednesday, September 9th ~ 6:30 to 9:30 pm
WHERE:   Pigment School of the Arts ~ 4605 West Lovers Lane Dallas, TX 75209
COST:        $125 ~ includes all supplies

(Note: Class size limited to 8. Pre-registration required.) 

REGISTRATION NOW CLOSED FOR MANDALA WORKSHOP

Building Creative Confidence Workshop
Do procrastination, perfectionism and lack of time keep you from your creative passions? This unique workshop introduces easy and effective ways to move past those blocks and experience more joy and satisfaction in your busy life. Using writing prompts and fun hands-on activities you’ll learn a variety of ways to build your creative confidence and enjoy more creative expression in all aspects of your life.

WHEN:      Saturday, September 19th ~ 1:00 to 5:00 pm
WHERE:   Creative Arts Center of Dallas ~ 2360 Laughlin Dr. Dallas, TX 75228
COST:       $65 (CAC members) ~ $95 (non-members) plus $10 materials fee

(Class size limited to 10. Pre-registration required at www.creativeartscenter.org or call 214-320-1275.)

Living the Creative Life ~A 6-Week Class Dedicated to Embracing the Creative Life You Crave

Do you dream of painting, gardening, making music, cooking or writing? Do you long for more time and energy to play with your art supplies, fill your journal, finish that scrapbook, play piano, whip up epicurean delights, take photographs or finally plant a garden? Whatever your creative dreams, this unique class will teach you simple, yet powerful ways to move past blocks like procrastination, perfectionism and that awful inner critic voice inside your head and into a life filled with creative joy and satisfaction.

The relaxed group setting provides a camaraderie and gentle accountability while you learn and practice easy and effective ways to live a more creative life.

WHEN:       Wednesdays, September 23 through October 28th
                     (Choose one: Mornings 11 am to 12:30 pm or evenings 6:30 to 8:00 pm)
WHERE:    Pigment School of the Arts ~ 4605 West Lovers Lane Dallas, TX 75209
COST:         $325 ~ includes all supplies, handouts and weekly e-mail follow-ups.

(Note: Class size limited to 8. Pre-registration required.) 

Choose Class Time AM or PM

11am Morning Class $325.00 USD 6:30pm Evening Class $325.00 USD

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

Jill

Jill Allison Bryan

www.creativeoasiscoaching.com

A Surprisingly Colorful Way To Meditate Plus An All New Workshop

There's something so appealing about coloring mandalas...the continuous circle of shapes...the discovery or creation of patterns...the combination of colors...the relaxing act of coloring...all of this creates a very soothing, meditative experience.

In fact, coloring mandalas is considered by some to be a wonderful meditation technique.

If the idea of sitting on a mat and observing your breath for 30 minutes sounds like pure torture, then coloring a mandala might be just the meditation method for you.

As you may have noticed, I love mandalas! My Creative Oasis Coaching logo is a mandala and I regularly share mandala coloring sheets in my classes, workshops and coloring parties.

(*By the way ~ my August Creative Oasis Coloring & Wine Party sold out so quickly that I happily scheduled another one for September too. You can find all the details here.)

In addition to coloring, over the years I've discovered other ways to create mandalas that are simple to do and creatively satisfying.

I'm delighted to offer a new workshop devoted to creating mandalas this fall!

Discover the creative magic of making mandalas in this unique, low-pressure workshop. No previous experience, skills or talent needed ~ just a desire to dive into the creative process while playing with art supplies in a way that brings you creative fun and fulfillment.

We won't be meditating, but we will enjoy a great evening of creative camaraderie and chocolate!

WHAT

Mandalas ~ Mandalas ~ Mandalas 

Workshop

WHEN

Wednesday, September 9, 2015 

6:30 to 9:30 pm 

WHERE

Pigment School of the Arts

4605 West Lovers Lane

Dallas, Texas  75209

COST

$125 

(includes all creative supplies, handouts and yes, there will be chocolate)

*NOTE ~ Class size is limited to 8 & pre-registration is required.

To save your seat, purchase your class below. 

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

Jill

Jill Allison Bryan

www.creativeoasiscoaching.com

P.S. ~ If you enjoyed this post please feel free to share. 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.

5 Reasons You May Want To Pick Up Crayons Again

Did you know that 6 of the top 20 selling books on Amazon are adult coloring books?

Do you know why?

Adults who rediscover the joys of coloring enjoy a host of benefits ~ some of which may surprise you.

Check out 5 reasons coloring’s not just for kids anymore.  (And why I’m hosting my CreativeOasis Coloring and Wine Party on August 26th!)

1. Creative Expression.  Coloring offers a chance to experience lovely, low-pressure creative expression. The forms on coloring pages have already been created for you. They provide a gentle structure in which you get to add your choice of colors using your choice of medium…crayons, colored pencils or watercolors for example.

You can enjoy the act of coloring without any special skills, training or talent. And you can easily find inexpensive supplies at your local grocery store or pharmacy.

2. Stress Relief. We’ve learned that coloring serves as an excellent means of relaxation. In fact, some say coloring provides benefits similar to meditating.

Psychologist Antoni Martinez says, “I recommend coloring as a relaxation technique. We can use it to enter a more creative, freer state of being.”

3. Digital Detox. In a world where we’re connected to and communicating via electronic devices so much of the time, coloring offers a tranquil digital detox.

4. Free Thinking. When you allow yourself to become absorbed in the simple creative activity at hand, your mind becomes more focused and quiet. It becomes easier to release thoughts of your never-ending to-do lists and relax and truly experience the present moment. Meditation promises this as well, but coloring offers an easy, enjoyable alternative.

5. Good Old-Fashioned Fun! Many people haven’t touched a crayon since elementary school and they’re amazed to remember how much fun coloring can be.

For all of these reasons and more, I’m delighted to offer my first Creative Oasis Coloring Party on August 26, 2015.

Join me for some low-pressure creative play using crayons, colored pencils and watercolors while learning simple ways to weave more creative fun into your busy life and why creativity can be so beneficial for your overall health and well-being. 

What could possibly make a Creative Oasis Coloring Party even better? 

The location ~ the lovely times ten cellars in Dallas! (So we'll during our party we'll combine the health benefits of wine with the health benefits of creativity, how fun is that?)

Want to join us? Space is limited so please register online to reserve your spot. (*Pre-registration is required half the available seats have already been purchased.)

Here are all the details: 

NOTE: THE 8/25/16 PARTY HAS SOLD OUT

BUT GOOD NEWS, WE'LL BE HOSTING ANOTHER PARTY 

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2015 ~ 7:30 TO 9PM

TO PURCHASE YOUR TICKET FOR THE 9/16/15 PARTY 

USE THIS 'BUY NOW' BUTTON BELOW

What:

Creative Oasis Coloring Party

Where: 

times ten cellars

6324 Prospect Avenue

Dallas, Texas  75214

When:

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

7:30 to 9:00pm

Cost:

$25 (includes creative supplies and one glass of wine)

*NOTE: Tickets must be purchased prior to the event since there is limited space and we want to be to have enough of creative supplies for everyone attending.

I hope you'll join me for an evening of wine, creative camaraderie and coloring fun!

I'm also happy to share my Mid-Week Oasis Moment with you ~ bite-size bonbons of creative inspiration and motivation delivered each week. (Of course you can unsubscribe anytime you wish.) 

xo ~ Jill

These Summer Wishes Came True

(Original photo by Steve Poltz)

We wish on dandelions. We wish on stars. We wish on candles. In some rare instances, we even wish on trees.

Back in June many of you joined me in creating a Creative Oasis Wish List as the first step to setting your intentions for a summer filled with experiences that energize and delight you.

Many of you also purchased my "Create the Summer of Your Dreams Kit" and followed its gentle step-by-step guide to help turn your summer wishes into reality.

Here are a few of the fun summer experiences some of you shared with me as a result:

* You whipped up a fresh salad using in season berries. 

* You drank iced coffee from mason jars. 

* You planted flowers and photographed them. 

* You visited Farmer's Markets and bought fresh produce. 

* You hosted parties. 

* You blew bubbles. 

* You watched fireworks and chased fireflies.

As for me, three of my summer wishes led to some of my favorite experiences of the summer including:

* A girls' night sleepover at my sweet Aunt Suzy's house in the country.  

* An "adventure day" with my daughter that included our first ever trip to IKEA (an adventure in itself) and lunch at a Japanese restaurant. (She even tried the seaweed salad and liked it.)

* Attending a talk by the Dalai Lama. (We got to sing Happy Birthday to him for his 80th!)

When we give ourselves permission to make wishes and dream up ways to make those wishes come true we create lives truly worth living...lives filled with Creative Oasis Moments that make our hearts sing and time fly. And time does fly!

In fact, my "Create the Summer of Your Dreams Kit" will only be around for a few more days and then it will be gone. (Offer ends 8/13/15.)

There are still several weeks of summer left. Want to fill them with the quintessential summer moments you'll remember for a lifetime? Pick up your "Create the Summer of Your Dreams Kit" today.

I'll leave you with this lovely little video just incase you can't find any dandelions in real life...you can wish on this one.

All the best from my wishful Creative Oasis to yours,

Jill

Jill Allison Bryan

www.creativeoasiscoaching.com

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.

Join Me for a Creative Oasis Coloring Party!

Have you heard the good news? 

Coloring is the latest and greatest in stress-relief and adult creative recreation. 

Seems like every time you open a paper, read a magazine or check your Facebook feed there's a new article popping up about the benefits of coloring for adults. There are even a slew of new coloring books hitting the market designed specifically with adults in mind. 

Have you read those articles and thought, "That sounds fun. Maybe I'll give it a try someday," only to find that "someday" never seems to come around? 

That's why I'm inviting you to join me for a Creative Oasis Coloring Party! 

You'll enjoy some low-pressure creative play using crayons, colored pencils and watercolors while learning simple ways to weave more creative fun into your busy life and why creativity can be so beneficial for your overall health and well-being. 

What could possibly make a Creative Oasis Coloring Party even better? 

The location ~ the lovely times ten cellars in Dallas! (So we'll during our party we'll combine the health benefits of wine with the health benefits of creativity, how fun is that?)

Want to join us? Please register online to purchase your ticket and reserve your spot. (*NOTE ~ Tickets will not be sold at the door and pre-registration is required so I can be sure to have enough space and supplies. Thanks!)

Here are all the details: 

 

What:

Creative Oasis Coloring Party

Where: 

times ten cellars

6324 Prospect Avenue

Dallas, Texas  75214

When:

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

7:30 to 9:00pm

Cost:

$25 (includes creative supplies and one glass of wine)

*NOTE: Tickets must be purchased prior to the event since there is limited space and we want to be to have enough of creative supplies for everyone attending. 

I hope you'll join me for an evening of wine, creative camaraderie and coloring fun!

I'm also happy to share my Mid-Week Oasis Moment with you ~ bite-size bonbons of creative inspiration and motivation delivered each week. (Of course you can unsubscribe anytime you wish.) 

xo ~ Jill

Jill Allison Bryan

www.creativeoasiscoaching.com