A Summer Creative Mantra For You

Whether on a beach, in the mountains or in your own home town...time spent in places that set your spirit free is time well spent. 

Have you spent time in the places that set your creative spirit free this summer? 

Although I love to travel and thoroughly enjoyed my time in Colorado this summer, you don't need a trip to enjoy Creative Oasis Spaces. They can be found in your own backyard! 

A trip to your favorite bookstore, a museum, a concert or a new restaurant right in your own neighborhood can be just the ticket to inspire and delight you. 

Does the idea of exploring a few Creative Oasis Spaces and enjoying some more creative "me time" before summer comes to an end sounds good? Sure, you might be thinking BUT...

"Who has the time?" 

"The kids may be on vacation, but I still have to work." 

"My days are so full and fly by so fast, I don't even know where to begin doing something just for me." 

"I have too many responsibilities to do the things I'd really like to do ~ even in summer."

"Vacation ends up stressing me out more than relaxing me."

I invite you to experience more "me" time during the last few weeks of summer by tapping into summer memories of your youth. 

Simply click here to download a special Summer Dreamin' play sheet featuring prompts straight from my "Create the Summer of Your Dreams Kit" that you can use with right now.

Next set a timer for two minutes, fill out your Summer Dreamin' sheet and let the fun begin!

Before you know it you'll be well on your way to enjoying a few more quintessential summer moments and hopefully visiting a few fun Creative Oasis Spaces too.

That's the whole reason I created the "Create the Summer of Your Dreams" Do-It-Yourself Creative Oasis Kit ~ to help you quickly and easily envision and enjoy more delightful "me time" this summer. And the best part is, you can get started in just 10 minutes a day!

Click here to grab your kit and start today.

Here's what Marney K. Makridakis, author of Hop, Skip, Jump and Creating Time had to say about her experience with "Create the Summer of Your Dreams." 

"Now, THIS is the way to start summer! Jill's unique kit is ideal to guide people step-by-step to set summer intentions and, better yet, keep them. Her playful prompts and delightful presentation are inspiring but never overwhelming. Thank you, Jill, for this simple, fun way to turn creative summer dreams into reality."  

My "Create the Summer of Your Dreams DIY Kit" will be available for another two weeks this summer and then back on the shelf until next year so if you'd like some simple, step-by-step ways to enjoy more of the summer experiences you crave in just 10 minutes a day purchase your kit here. 

Until next time, all the best from my summer 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.

Why It's Healthy to Experience a Lull

(*Full disclosure: in order to practice what I preach and enjoy some "lull" time myself, I lifted the above graphic quote from one of my previous Mid-Week Oasis Moments. You're good with that, right?)

I post this from a lovely lull in the mountains of Colorado to remind you that taking a break is healthy for your creativity.

Here's how Brigid Schulte, author of Overwhelmed: Work, Love, and Play When No One Has the Time, characterizes this phenomenon:

Neuroscience is finding that when we are idle, in leisure, our brains are most active. The Default Mode Network lights up, which, like airport hubs, connects parts of our brain that don't typically communicate. So a stray thought, a random memory, an image can combine in novel ways to produce novel ideas. (You can read this entire Inc. article here.)

Remember, even if there's no vacation on your horizon, you can experience a mini-lull whenever you like. What if you give yourself permission to enjoy one the following? (Whether you have 10 minutes or an hour or more ~ any amount of lull time can be rejuvenating to your creative spirit!)

10 Ways to Experience Some Lovely Lull Time This Summer

1. Close your eyes and breath. (Yes, this could be called meditation...but it's also just relaxing to have zero stimulus coming in or out for a few minutes.)

2. Take a walk around the block.

3.  Doodle aimlessly.

4. Schedule a massage.

5. Flip through one of your favorite coffee table books. (We buy them...but sometimes we forget to enjoy them!)

6. Color in a mandala or coloring book.

7. Cut and arrange some fresh flowers.

8. Enjoy a solo trip to a museum, gallery or bookstore. (If you can find one!)

9. Peruse a favorite cookbook and choose a new recipe to try.

10. Spend 10 or 15 minutes completely lost in the Creative Oasis Moment of your choosing. (Remember: a Creative Oasis Moment is a creative experience that energizes and delights you ~ that makes time fly and your heart sing.) 

Wishing you some lovely lull time of your own this summer!

From my restful mountain Creative Oasis to yours,

Jill

P.S. - My "Create the Summer of Your Dreams Kit" will only remain available for a short time. Click here if you'd like to grab one while you still have plenty of time to enjoy more of the creative experiences you crave this summer!

One-Step Creative Self-Care Solution via Anne Lamott

"Have you tried unplugging it?" 

This is the standard reply you'll hear in my house when faced with an electronic device problem of almost any kind. Unplugging your computer when it freezes up is one of the easiest and most effective methods of solving the issue. 

Why not try this one-step solution for your own creative self-care?

As I enjoy some "unplugged" time in the beautiful mountains of Colorado these delightful (and true!) words from Anne Lamott seem most appropriate to share. 

Here's to giving yourself a break this summer...to unplugging for a day, an hour or even just 10 minutes to "reboot" your creative spirit. 

Here are a few prompts to help you get started: 

* When I visualize myself unplugged I see...

* When I give myself permission to unplug I feel...

* One of my favorite ways to unplug is to...

* Even if I only have 10 minutes to unplug I could...

* I'll give myself permission to unplug at least once this week by...

Find more ways to creatively unplug using my "Create the Summer of Your Dreams Kit" right here. 

Until next time, all the best from my "unplugged" 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.

O'Keefe, Van Gogh, Sunflowers and You

(*An update from last summer's post.)
If you're inspired by the outrageous, sunny beauty of sunflowers you're in good company. Artists Georgia O'Keeffe and Vincent Van Gogh were clearly taken with the hopeful brilliance of the sunflower. 

"When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it's your world for the moment. I want to give that world to someone else. Most people in the city rush around so, they have no time to look at a flower. I want them to see it whether they want to or not."

                                ~ Georgia O'Keeffe

"Great things are done

by a series of small things

brought together." 

~ Vincent Van Gogh

Why not enjoy some time playing with your own creative response to the sunflower?

You may choose to take O'Keeffe's words to heart and slow down for a few minutes to simply hold a sunflower in your hands and absorb its beauty. Or you may follow Van Gogh's Kaizen approach and choose a few small steps to take for a sunflower inspired creative piece of our own. 

Of course, you don't need to be a painter to enjoy a little sunflower power in your life. I've shared a few simple suggestions above and below to help you get started.

What if you:

* Add a dash of bold gold to your outfit for the day.

* Write a quick "ode to a sunflower" in haiku form.

* Doodle a page filled with sunflowers.

* Stay on the look out for sunflowers and notice how often you see them, letting each sighting serve as a fun reminder that creativity comes in all shapes, forms and sometimes in the most unexpected places.

* Download and print this free Van Gogh Sunflowers coloring page or google your own. (There are lots and lots of wonderful free coloring pages to be found on the internet.)

Click here to download your copy to color or paint. 

Since creating my Create the Summer of Your Dreams Kit with a sunflower as its symbol I see sunflowers everywhere! On my walks, in stores, on the side of the road, in a friend's headband, on billboards, even in my twitter feed in a Huffington Post story about 3D printing. 

Click here to learn more about the "Create the Summer of Your Dreams" Kit.

Until next time, I hope you enjoy your sunflower creations and inspirations whatever they may be and that they bring an added splash of color and creative play to your summer!

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.

Want More "Me Time" This Summer?

Memorial Day has already come and gone. Before you know it Halloween decorations will be showing up in stores. (That's true and truly scary!)

Remember the feeling of freedom the last day of school brought when you were a kid? Knowing there were weeks and weeks waiting before you with the tantalizing prospect of no homework, lazy mornings sleeping in, watching cartoons in your pajamas, reading book after book, hanging out at the pool, summer camp, road trips, picnics and more?

Those days may be gone, but you'd still like to savor summer moments and feel that sense of freedom and fun. But how when you're so busy and time flies by so quickly?

If you're anything like me you'd love to experience at least a handful of quintessential summer moments...lounging outside lost in a good book...sipping from a pitcher of homemade lemonade...diving into one of the hundreds (okay, maybe thousands) of summer recipes and creative projects you have pinned to your Pinterest boards.

Well, you're in luck!

I know just how you feel. That's why I created the "Create the Summer of Your Dreams" Do-It-Yourself Creative Oasis Kit ~ a simple step-by-step plan to envision and enjoy summers filled with creative delights, relaxation and fun. (That means more "Me Time" for you this summer!)

You don't have to wait much longer. The kit will be released for the summer of 2015 next Tuesday, June 2. (Wait ~ That means it's here! Woot! Click here to check it out.)

BONUS ALERT ~ If you purchase "Create the Summer of Your Dreams" during the first week of its release (by Tuesday, June 9th, 2015) you'll be invited to a free "Let's Get Started Q & A Call" on June 11th. (If you picked up your copy last summer, you're invited to join us too!)

I know it can be a challenge to get started on your own, even if it's something you're really looking forward to, so during our call we'll dive into the kit together. I'll help you take the first small steps to creating the summer of your dreams right then and there. (And no worries in you're unable to join us live, the call will be recorded for everyone who has registered.)

If you missed the chance to get download your FREE Create the Summer of Your Dreams Wish Lists, grab yours here.

Until next time, all the best from my "it's almost summer" Creative Oasis to your,

Jill

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.

10 Inspiring Ideas to Help You Create the Summer of Your Dreams

Click Here

Summer will fly by before you can say "fresh-squeezed" lemonade! 

Use my free "Create the Summer of Your Dreams" Wish List Fun Sheets to take your first small (fun) step to making sure your summer isn't over before you've had a chance to enjoy the relaxing and delightful creative experiences you desire. 

Click here to let the fun begin! 

All the best from my summer Creative Oasis to yours,

Jill

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.

Summer Oasis Moments

Sunrise runs along Blue River in Breckenridge, Colorado…

...hikes with my family in the fresh mountain air…

the penny-candy delight of reading a big ‘ole tween pop-fiction book (Ok, I admit…I finally read “Twilight” and loved every minute of it!)…a fabulous road trip with my husband playing DJ and hour upon hour to dream and talk about the future…watching my mom teach my daughter how to knit (Thank God for Nana! She teaches Riley Anna so many things that she’d never otherwise learn from her not-so domestic mother.)…sleeping late… 

Energy Effects at MCA of Denver

...exploring the amazing Museum of Contemporary Art Denver…a spur of the moment, 4-hour lunch with my sweet aunt who I don’t get to see nearly enough…yoga classes...watching Riley Anna and her friend be filmed for the video of our good friend, Jimmy Baldwin's new song ...

"Peace, Love & Chicken Fried Steak"

...extended family sleepover at Camp NanaGrandaddy with Grandaddy’s Famous Flapjacks for breakfast…painting and decorating Riley Anna’s new “big girl” room…ultrasound photos of my niece who should be making her appearance very soon.

In addition to all of these soul-nourishing oasis moments, I managed to play a few gigs to promote my new CD, “Dancing In Limbo,” coach some fantastic clients, share several Creative Oasis Coaching presentations and a teleclass, launch my new website and finally organize my office/music studio (with the help of Debbie from Make My Life Simplified it was actually fun!). I’ve also created a 6-week group coaching course, “Welcome To Your Creative Oasis™” which I’ll be sharing this fall at the inspiring Pigment School for the Arts (owned by my friend, gifted artist and teacher,  Tori Webb Pendergrass.) Tori was one of the 13 talented artists who participated in Infinite Possibility – A Night of Music, Art and Women Helping Women.

I’d love to hear about your favorite summer oasis moments.  Which sounds and colors and feelings still play in your mind? What smells and tastes and images will always remind you of the summer of 2010? Which experiences felt like an oasis to you?

Our lives are made up of many moments…it’s up to us to fill those moments with all the good we can. Let’s raise a glass of lemonade to the beautiful memories of summer that still linger in the not too distant past and to the infinite possibility in all the wonderful moments that await us this fall.

All the best from my creative oasis to yours,
Jill

Free teleclass - Wednesday, June 9th 11am central

presents

"Create the Summer of Your Dreams"

A Free Teleclass with Jill Allison Bryan

Wednesday, June 9th at 11am central

Summer is upon us. What do you want yours to look like? Have you given it any thought? So often we dive right into the season with little or no plan only to look up and find that - yikes! - it’s already July 4th and we haven’t even peeled a single peach or read a good book yet!


Whether you crave lazy days in the sun, a balance of work and leisure or ideas to jump-start a creative project or two – I’ll share some easy, yet effective ways to help you design your ideal summer and then make it happen. Join me Wednesday, June 9th at 11am central time to learn a few simple techniques from my Creative Oasis Coaching that can help you create the summer of your dreams while feeling truly relaxed and fulfilled. 

Whether it's visiting your local farmer's market, making homemade lemonade, dusting off your bicycle or finally unwrapping the sketch pad you bought last summer - together we can turn your summer into one filled with moments of joy and memories of a lifetime.

Join me for this special free one hour teleclass and if you like you can keep your momentum going with a paid 6-week follow-up series. These one hour sessions will provide support, inspiration and gentle group accountability while helping you make the most of your perfect summer plan. Only $75 for the entire 6 week series. For registration & information contact Jill at creativeoasiscoach@me.com.

All the best from my creative oasis to yours, Jill