kelly, of Sweet & Simple Jewelery Design has offered this gorgeous giveaway to our community!  enter to win this lovely silver sparrow necklace with adorable matching earrings. kelly is a wife, a nurse, and mother of three busy boys. she’s been making jewelry for several years and always enjoys creating new pieces and sharing them with others.  visit her shop to peruse more of her lovely creations, and take advantage of free shipping just in time for valentines day!  also visit kelly’s blog at sweetandsimplejewelry.blogspot.com

to win this jewelery set, please leave one comment on this post sharing what you are finding sweet and simple in your life these days.  you will have until wednesday, february 2nd to enter, and the winner will be announced on this post at the end of the day.

good luck everyone!

**************************************************************

…and the winner is…

heather! from a quilting mother’s journey (YAY!)

please email me with your mailing address by the end of the month
so i can send you your lovely jewelry.

Read more >>

it’s been so cold and i’ve been feeling a bit depleted and in need of some simple TLC (tender love and creativity!), so here are a few tips to replenish your well and keep the soul fires burning!

• happy feet. wear your warm and wooly striped socks (my favorite by smartwool) and take some cute footsie shots :)
• stack a colorful pile of blankets and vintage quilts by your couch to grab and snuggle family and friends in
• have a tea party. make a huge pot of steaming tea, tea sandwiches and little treats then invite your favorite friends (teddies and tutus included!)
• treat yourself to a week of delivered groceries! save time and money staying home (bet you save more by cutting out all the impulse buys than paying the delivery fee!)
• make a big pot of homemade soup. really all you need is a broth base and whatever carb (beans are great), spices and veggies you like! easy, economical and fun to make. warm crusty bread is a must too
• have a planning day. break out the calendar and planners, stickers, post-its and markers and have fun getting all of your ducks in a row. kids can have fun too adding their activities too!
• move and groove. have a dance party in your living room! put on your favorite twirling skirt and crank up your happiest tunes – dance til you sweat and drop
• create some spa time. draw a hot bath, add your favorite bubbles and scents, light some candles and play  relaxing music. breathe in all that so good-for-you steam
• bake something. cookies, shrinky dinks, sculpey, a cake, hot spinach and artichoke dip, recycled crayon tarts… the hot oven will warm the room
• crank up the heat. you are usually so good about keeping the heat at a reasonable temp, but for just one day make it as hot as you want, go barefoot and enjoy! guilt free.
• host a swap and get cozy with your girlfriends… books, clothes, magazines, purses and bags, crafty supplies… whatever! girl time always does the trick
• graffiti time. tape a large piece of paper to the wall (the backside of leftover christmas wrapping paper works great!) and have fun painting, stamping, writing to your hearts content. not just for the kids – a great way to brainstorm from a new angle!
• cozy cocktails. make hot buttered rum, mulled wine, hot cider, spanish coffee… and don’t forget the whipped cream
• good ol’ family movie & game night. pop a bowl of popcorn, play a mad game of monopoly, then snuggle up to a family classic with sleeping bags and pj’s
• accessorize with knits. over the knee socks (great with boots), leg warmers, arm warmers, or a colorful scarf. pretty and warm
• give to your local food pantry. warm your heart and someones tummy!
• work from bed. grab a glass of wine, your laptop and your fluffiest pillows for an evening of productive lounging
• read a bedtime story to your mate – not your kids! tuck in and read something spicy (or not) with lots of snuggling too.
• hug someone. and hold on tight

by merete veian

I registered for Mindy’s “THIS moment” class last fall.

I wrote Mindy and told her that my fall had been energy-draining and that her class would be my before-Christmas gift to myself. I knew that I could need to get some help with finding the right focus on a daily basis, and what better gift would there be than finding it in every moment of the day?

It felt good to start the class. Mindy has a voice in her writing that spoke directly to me, and I felt I got the message from the daily posts. I have to admit, I was an eager class student waiting at the door for the class to open.

Let me just tell you that I also had “From Bija to Bloom” with emily perry and “Simple Soulful Photography” with irene nam in my backpack, both classes i took here in the wishstudio, when I went to Mindy’s first session. I had a vision of more moments to capture with a camera or maybe a list of where to look for and how to create happy moments.

The first posts gave me no lists of happy moments, nor any assignment of situations and objects to create or photograph. Soon I realized this would be more soul digging than before. The workpages helped me reflect even further and was encouraging me to look at my day, my moments, and to grow into a kind of confidence that this little life of mine had. I was creating for myself and that was good.

And then it wasn’t.

It first began with a small check-up at my gynecologist over the summer, the one every woman should ask for every year. Mine was long overdue, but all looked fine I was told.  Then I had to go back for some tests followed by an operation, and Mindy’s class started as i was recovering.

Halfway into the class the phone rang and I was told more bad news, and this time it was for real. I had to prepare for further tests and another operation, then wait for the results before the doctors could tell what would follow as the winter season came around.

It is never been easy to get a message like that.  I tried not to speak of the big C-word.  My ground was shaking just when I felt I had recovered nicely and had started to get the message from Mindy’s class. I loved every new post she put up there for us. I had taken notes for a bright future with the focus on more loving moments in my life.

I could have turned around and not shown up for class. Instead the class helped me tackle the blue moments in my day – the rather dark ones, too. I had felt so proud of myself for doing so well in her class, growing and learning what it was all about to live right in ”THIS moment”,  and I loved every second of it.  Should I let it all go because of a telephone call with a message I’d rather not hear? Maybe now was a good time to really put what I was learning to the test and let every new lesson help me manage each day of mine.

To speak of happiness and joy when you’ve got to deal with an unsure future sounds like almost a joke, but I could not let the bad news drain every drop of happiness out of me; I still had many days to come, no matter what. ”THIS moment” became a mantra for me, helping me to deal with what life was serving on my plate right here and now.  If I could just Be, find joy in a moment, a stream of light in a dark day and a rainbow in my multicolored world then my steps would tread softer and leave less dark footprints behind.

I went through the tests and into the Holidays not knowing what to expect. Luckily for me my family is not the party kind, so the holiday came and went by quietly and without a lot of fuss. Focusing on the small moments and bringing the camera along made me savor every moment, each one more than the last. When family time became hard, I had the courage to admit my situation, breath and let go.

As I write this, there will be another ”THIS moment” class. Though I won’t be attending, I will reread my lessons and dig deeper into my workbook. Right now the doctors predict that one more operation will restore my body back to health, and right now I choose to believe and take it one step at the time, one loving moment after another.

I never thought that signing up for ”THIS moment” would make such a difference in my life. It really put every moment into perspective and really was a life changing experience for me.

—–

Merete Veian is an inspirator, creative artist and thinker with fabric, photography and writing as a passion. Her quilting journey has led her into editing the Norwegian Quilt association’s magazine. She blogs in Norwegian about creative moments and steps through everyday life at mreteveian.blogspot.com

by kim mcmechan

a little gift for you… download kim’s song, “Happy” for FREE here!

My bags and my guitar are waiting by the door.  I hear Ella, my five year old, stirring in her room.  Too early.  It’s only 6:15 am.  She should still be sleeping.  If I’m going to catch the 11:00 ferry, I’m going to have to leave NOW.

I open the front door and haul everything onto the front steps, thinking that if I can just get it outside, and load it into the car from there, she won’t have a teary breakdown watching me go.

It’s too late.  She’s up, she’s shuffling down the hall toward me looking forlorn as she sees me standing there, the guitar swinging from my left hand, my suitcase in the other.

“Will you bring me a present?”  she says sleepily.

I exhale and realize that she’s getting used to this—me leaving.

“My mom’s a rock star,” she told her class once during Show & Tell.

Not quite.

When I was younger, I think I imagined my life looking more like Celine Dion’s or Sheryl Crow’s.  But I sing folk music, and folk music isn’t nearly that glamorous.  I plan my own tours to sell records, travel on a semi-regular basis and once I caught a plane to Nashville.  Nothing astounding.  But it does mean I go out of town more than most mothers.

I lean down to kiss her on the forehead.

“I will definitely bring you a present”, I say, and then I watch her wave at the window as I load up the car and drive away into the blue morning.

There was a time in my life when I honestly believed that the Purolator truck would one day pull up outside my house and deliver to me the life of my dreams

It was a hard one to swallow—that realization that no one was coming and if I wanted to live the life my heart longed to live, I was going to have to show up and do something about it myself.

It took me longer, perhaps, than some, to come to that.  For me, it took the birth of my first daughter to slap me awake, to make me realize that I needed to stop waiting for my life to happen, that it was already happening, and I could either join in or watch it float by like so many leaves in a stream.

Little by little, I started putting more songs onto paper instead of keeping them in my head.  I started booking my own shows instead of naively believing that when it was meant to be, they’d magically appear.

And then one day the Purolator truck did show up.

I was ecstatic. But not surprised.

After all, I’d spent the year writing songs, a solid week in April in the studio.  I’d designed the cover, sent out the files for printing and handed over all the money I’d saved up from shows and royalty checks.

It was early evening, and the truck pulled up right outside my house, just as the sun was dropping behind the hills.  The driver unloaded the boxes—20 in total—stacked them up at the edge of the driveway, handed me the papers to sign, and drove away.

My first CD—all 1000 of them.

That was four years ago. I’m in a place in my life now where I can honestly say that I’m doing it; I’m doing the thing I was always meant to do—writing and performing songs and getting paid for it.

Sometimes it looks exactly as I wanted it to—better in fact.  And sometimes it looks nothing like the life I imagined—way too ordinary and with not nearly enough limos and margaritas.

Please join me here at Wishstudio as I chronicle my way through the year.  I look forward to sharing my stories and getting to know you all….

~Kim

one of my favorite things about beginning a new year is cracking open a brand new planner! over the years i have tried every digital and paper planner on the planet (i’ve even tried creating my own planner from scratch) searching for just the right layout and tool. it seemed that whenever i love the pretty cover or the size, the interior pages weren’t laid out quite right. either the design was too structured with not enough to play and dream, or the design is just too simple and did not allow for room to compartmentalize all the different areas of my life.

last spring i finally tried the Planner Pad, and this baby changed my organizational life!  it’s funnel-down format is perfect for creative projects from idea to implementation, with lots of room to personalize it to fit the structure of your life. go check it out! seriouosly.

the one thing this planner does not have is a pretty cover.  so i wanted to devise a fun and easy way to make it look like Me, and this simple makeover is what i came up with.  really you can use this for any planner or journal you want to redesign. it works like magic!

you will need:

your planner
1 sheet of plain white sticker paper
decorative scissors
your favorite collaging supplies
a glue stick
regualar scissors
your favorite matte or gloss medium
(optional: a corner round punch)

the steps are so simple! first, trim the sticker paper to fit  1/4 of an inch within the size of your planner cover. to decorate the left margin i trimmed off another 1/2 inch with decorative scissors (or trim to whatever size you need to cover the ugly writing or whatever is on the cover of your planner). next i used a corner rounder to round the two right side corners just for a better fit and cleaner look.

once your background paper is ready, you can collage away on top of it! use magazine clippings, postcards, vintage paper, or whatever else you have handy to make the cover really reflect you!  you could even decorate your cover to reflect the word you chose for your word of the year! have fun with it, and be sure to use plenty of glue! i used little bits from lots of goodies sent to me by wishstudio friends :) finally add a coat or two of finishing medium and let it dry.  you may need to add a new coat once or twice throughout the year if things start to peel.

when your cover is all done, all you have to do is peel the backing off the sticker paper and adhere it to the front of your planner like one giant personalized sticker! voilla!  so fun and easy. i love having the perfect planner and a beautiful cover.

last night i was reading to my son, and in the story a woman and a girl were in a garden contemplating her ghost tree. the tree was strewn with hundreds of bottles, all gently hanging and quietly clinking together in a way that was melancholy and sacred yet beautiful.

the ghost tree and all those bottles represented the woman’s past regrets and mistakes… for each one over the years, a bottle was added. i got such a powerful image of this tree heavily laden and gleaming in the light, full of memories and heartache, but forgiveness too as it stood there bearing the burden for this woman. my son and i shared a thoughtful conversation about this, how we all have regret and mistakes in our past – tiny ones and big life changing ones. we all have ghost trees.

“mine has about a zillion” i told him sheepishly.

“no. your’s probably has about 50. mine has 50 too, and i’m only 7.” he said softly.

i understood so tenderly how already at a young age he felt the weight of things he might have done wrong.

“mine has too many to count.” i sighed, and i told him his will too and that is ok, because who we are is not just our ghost tree. we are like the whole beautiful garden, and the tree is just a part of it. we are all the love and goodness we make in our lives, and that is what really matters.  i added that maybe those memories that haunt us can somehow help us to make better choices in the future. our trees just represent our beautiful imperfections.

at some point i realized it was one of those moments i know i will remember forever: the two if us snuggled under a pile of blankets in the dim evening light, and the image of the ghost tree wrapped around us as i tried to explain and help my little one understand the weight and complexities of this life.

today i am still thinking about my ghost tree… (read more in my journal here)

photo courtesy of google images

by shona cole

Sometime it seems like an exclusive a club – The Artistic Mother club. Are there requirements to be a part of this club? Yep, it is not a free for all. Not everyone can join.

So how can you become a member of this ‘elite momma club’?

You have to be ‘artistic’. By nature? By action? Either? Both?

You may have been be born artistic – it is in your blood, it was there when you were little as you re-arranged your bedroom every few weeks, or doodled on your walls or made ‘outfits’ from other outfits.

Or you may have been born into this club by way of your children. When you became a mother you found deep inside a desire to expose your child to the wonders of the created world, the intellectually stimulating creative process, the enrichment of crafting.

Alternatively, you may have learned to be artistic as you became an adult and saw a vitality in the arts and crafts and in the beauty of making things by hand. Your actions, your crafting and commitment to creating, can win you a place in the club.

Perhaps you can’t quite come to believe that you are an artistic mother. No? Well, here are some ideas of activities that you can do this year that will result in your induction into the club.

It is simple – pick one activity:

* sketch something in your house very other day for 10 minutes in a small blank book

* begin a collage art journaling, add one little thing each morning over breakfast

* knit a scarf, or dolls blanket

* make an outfit from scratch for the summer

* bake the next birthday cake

* take an art or craft class – in person or online

* scrapbook page once a week

* Pay attention to details – iron your clothing, take care to wrap a gift neatly and add a handmade card, re-arrange your mantle, hang your kid’s art in frames

* alter a box with paint and paper, fill it with written positive affirmations

* buy or borrow an art or craft book and make at least one thing you see

* browse your local craft store for ideas and inspiration, impulse buy, come home and make one thing

* make a bag or purse to use in your everyday life

* make/buy a pretty apron and wear it

* bring your camera with you next time you go out with your kids to the park and take photos of every little detail

* set up a crafting space in your kitchen complete with pencils, paper, glue, scrapbook paper, scissors and so on

* go to the theatre or watch a play on DVD (Netflix has a good selection)

* Wear make up and jewelry to the grocery store (no mamma sweats)

* Use pretty drinking glasses or antique teacups on a daily basis

* Paint one wall in a room an unexpected color

* Start a blog to showcase what you create

* Send handmade cards to your friends and in laws

* buy flowers for your kitchen table

* go on an art date alone, with your spouse or best friend – to the local museum of art or even a smaller, privately owned, art gallery

* invite some friends over for a creative evening where everyone brings something to work on or provide some basic card making supplies for your guests

OK, so belonging to the artistic mother club is not that tough after all…

….One last requirement – do one thing from this list while raising happy, somewhat well adjusted children….

see!  we all belong.

today i went to yoga after not having been in a very long time.  it felt incredibly good in all ways both physically, emotionally, and even experientially.  the energy was good and the sensations all spoke to me… “you belong here. this is good for you. welcome back.”

while going through the practice i felt a deep sense of belonging, from the space, from the poses, from my body’s response, and from the teacher and the community as well.  even though it was challenging it was like coming back to center and reawakening a part of me i had been neglecting.

at some point, i made the deeper connection that life is so often about finding and playing with that edge.  it is about how we manage discomfort in any given situation physically, mentally or both.  this is how we grow and transform, by finding our edge and breathing through it just like going through the poses in yoga. really, in every single moment there is a measure of discomfort always tempting us to avoid, turn away from or smother.  so sitting with discomfort helps us to be more in the moment.

i saw immediately how this relates to the different aspects of my own life: creative living is about moving out of that comfort zone and being brave with your work and authentic self. motherhood is about the life long process of giving and giving and letting go.  taking care of my body is about managing hunger and desire.  relationships, especially with loved ones are about the intricasies of give and take.

this practice as a whole of leaning into the edge, might be what helps us feel the most empowered and alive!  unlike the coveted notion of “life balance” that is supposed to give us a sense of being fully settled in our lives, it seems to require the absence of discomfort.  this is probably why most of us feel like balance is illusive and always out of reach, because generally speaking it is virtually impossible.

balance is standing still. living is constantly moving and changing and so often uncomfortable…

i don’t want to.
i need more.
i feel tired.
i am hungry.
i feel afraid.
i am unsure.
i can’t wait.
this is really difficult.
i really want that.

so i’ve decided that in order to pour myself into all the aspects of my life that i would like to see thrive and shine (which is pretty much everything), i have to say yes to discomfort and let go of the notion of balance.  i am learning bit by bit that i can handle more discomfort than i think, that so much of it is a resistance to feeling any bad sensations at all.  the true catharsis does not come from backing down and taking the easy route (though i do believe there is a time and place for this), it is walking through the fire and coming out the other side stronger that really is what moves us forward and is the most rewarding.

5 week ecourse {$69} with mindy tsonas
begins january 31st

live the life of your dreams by loving the life you have.

there has been a life-changing shift happening in my life.  it all recently came to a turning point with a crisis  in my marriage, right before my 12th anniversary just a few months ago… or maybe it started when i committed to my dream about creating the wishstudio and life began aligning as i showed up to take hold of my dreams… or maybe it began when i became a mother, expanding my life exponentially after a long fallow season. these are some things i will share with you.

what really matters though, is what i can tell you now from where i stand in this very moment through all the twist and turns of  my journey, that none of it really matters (gasp!) yet it is all greatly significant.  with open eyes and a wide open heart i’ve come to see my life through an entirely new lens – one that is steeped in compassion, love and a deep sense of acceptance and gratitude. (read more)

THIS Moment will take you on an eye opening, heart spilling, and meaningfully creative journey!  the 5 week ecourse includes:

• daily posts (mon-thurs.) filled with images, essays, and stories from my own life, as well as from special guest who’ve shone a light for me along the way, will serve as your inspiration and guide.
• accompanying daily downloads, which will become the pages of your very own THIS moment Workbook,  with prompts for you to scribble words, make messy and meaningful art, as well as practices and creative projects to help keep you focused on the true beauty of your life… right here, right now.
• a private space for sharing your art and thoughts with class participants. here, you can make connections while inspiring and supporting one another throughout the course.
• a complete copy of the ecourse posts in a downloadable PDF for you to take with you at the end of the class.

love the moment with me!  registration available here

“Mindy, Where to begin… This workshop is fantastic! I love that I can do it at my own pace, when it fits my schedule. I love that the workbook pages are downloadable and black/white.  So many times the pages artists create are beautiful but taxing on the printer.  I love your posts. They are thoughtful and honest and really touch me, allowing me to go where I need to.” ~ michelle j

by connie hozvicka

Ok, I’m not into new year’s resolutions.  But I do like the idea of choosing a word to define your year.  For me, just like when I begin a painting, I declare my intention and then throw it to the wind.

So when December came rolling in I had trouble remembering what my word for 2010 was.  Luckily I did a little back tracking on my blog and learned that my word was actually TRUST.

This simply blew me away.  Without even being fully conscious of it–TRUST is exactly the word that would define 2010 for me.

Without a doubt.

So yes, I fully believe there is magic in declaring a word to guide your next chapter of your Creative Juicy Life. Now drum roll please….for 2011….. my defining word is ALCHEMY.

Alchemy.

Where the heck did that word come from?  Seriously, I’m not joking.  Here is the definition:

Alchemy

1  : a medieval chemical science and speculative philosophy aiming to achieve the transmutation of the base metals into gold, the discovery of a universal cure for disease, and the discovery of a means of indefinitely prolonging life

2 : a power or process of transforming something common into something special

3 : an inexplicable or mysterious transmuting

During December I kept seeing and hearing the word alchemy everywhere.  That’s just not normal.  So I knew that this time around the word was picking me instead of I picking it and with a word like alchemy–would it really be any different?

How about you?  I’d love to hear what your word for 2010 was and if it reigned true.  Plus have you chosen a word for 2011 and why?

Last, with all my heart I wish you a happy Creative Juicy new year!

by karen walrond

Well, my friends, the end of the year came and went, and if your life is anything like mine, you have people already beginning to inquire about your plans for this new year.  “What New Year’s Resolutions are you making?” my mother asks.  “Are you making any New Year’s resolutions this year?”  hints my dad.

The answer, in short, is no.

Personally, I really dislike New Year’s resolutions — which is sort of funny, when I think of it, because I love making lists, and I love writing down goals.  But there’s something about New Year’s resolutions that feel … ominous.  Like there’s an expectation of failure, because come the end of the year, we make them again, and again.  No, I like lists filled with possibility and optimism.  I like lists of opportunity.

And it’s for this reason that I’m a huge proponent of the Life List.

I first heard of life lists from my friend Maggie Mason.  I read her list, and I was enthralled with it, and here’s why:  this wasn’t a list of things that had to be done before she died (which let’s face it, that kind of list, more commonly known as a “bucket list,” is a bit morbid).  This was more a list of things she wanted to do while she lived.  This list was all about the little things and the big things — things that she hoped would make her very long life on earth that much richer.  Things which would open her mind and her heart and her outlook on life.  We talked about her list about a year after she wrote it, and she mentioned to me that just writing down her list was transformative.  It helped her see what was important to her — things like friends, and family, and small moments — as well as see where she was willing to take risks (like riding on a zipline, something I would never do, myself!).

And so, with her encouragement, I wrote my own life list — and she’s right, it has totally changed my life.  Because of my list, I’ve done things I would’ve never done otherwise, simply because I hadn’t taken the time to sit down and think about the things I’d like to do, you know?  And now, like Maggie, I’ve become my own life list evangelist, because I think it’s such a powerful thing.  So today, in the event you’ve been toying with doing your own life list (or after reading this, it sounds like something you might consider doing), read on:  here’s what I’ve learned in writing mine:

1.  First of all, write it down.  I suspect many of you, like me, have had sort of a running mental list of things you’d like to accomplish in your life, but you’ve never actually written it down.  You might have found yourself walking through some open-air festival, seen someone juggling and thought to yourself, “Huh, I’d love to be able to do that.”   Or maybe one day you were watching a documentary on television about the horsemen of Mongolia, and thought to yourself, “Wow.  I’d love to see them in real life.”  The problem with avoiding writing these things down is that by not doing so, those thoughts remain exactly what they are:  fleeting thoughts.  But when you write them down, suddenly they become more concrete.  Even more, they’re little reminders — so that when, a week later, you come across a weird little ad in a local paper advertising juggling lessons, or your church talks about a mission they’re planning to take to outer Mongolia, you have a concrete reminder that you’d always intended on doing those things, if given the opportunity.  Writing down your life list makes it more likely you’ll actually attempt to do some of the items on it.

2.  Do not be intimidated by coming up with 100 things.  Choosing 100 things to put on your life list is obviously not mandatory (because, let’s face it, coming up with a life list at all isn’t mandatory), but I love the idea of a ridiculous number of possibilities laid out before you to attempt over the rest of your life.  There’s so much optimism in doing so, you know?  Also, realize that you don’t have to come up with 100 items in one 30-minute sitting — when I came up with my list, I probably had 50 items down in about 30 minutes, and then it took several hours (and my husband helping me with suggestions of what to do!) for me to come up with the second 50.  Just make a goal of coming up with a lot of items, and don’t beat yourself up if it doesn’t happen right away.

That said, I promise you, you can come up with 100 things, even if you’ve already had an amazingly rich life.  Read on for how.

3.  Sprinkle some everyday stuff in amongst all the wild, incredible, way-out-there stuff.  If every item on your list is something along the lines of “travel to the opposite side of the planet to do some daredevil insanity,” I suspect that once you’re through writing it, your list is going to intimidate the hell out of you.  Be sure to add some everyday stuff, things that you’ve always meant to do, but just have never gotten around to doing it.  For example, let’s face it, my number 64, growing a flower from a seed, isn’t that wild a thing to do; however, I’d never actually done it before, so it made it on the list (and look what happened!).  Similarly, I added number 17, “learn how to make a friendship bracelet” to my list, because I’d never done it before (and then number 18, teach my daughter to do it), and one lazy Friday, we did.

Scratching these sorts of things off your list provides a lovely shot of satisfaction — maybe not as big a shot as jumping out of a perfectly good airplane, but trust me, you’ll still feel enough pride to lift your spirits for at least a day or two.

4.  Consider things you’ve already done before, but may not have done with a particular person, or a certain way.  For example, I’ve been to Paris before, but I’ve never eaten truffles there — so they made it on my list (number 79).  I’ve hand-churned ice cream beore, but I’d love to do it with my daughter, since “hand-churning ice cream” is a lovely childhood memory that a lot of kids probably don’t get to have these days — so that got added as well (number 11).  Maybe you know how to quilt, but you’ve never made one with your mom, and you’d love to — that should go on your list.  Perhaps you like to fish, but have never gone fishing with your dad, and you want to — that should go on the list, as well.

5.  Make a few items fit under the heading “doing something I love many, many times.” I think it’s important that your life list allow you to exercise your passions.  For example, as a photographer, I’ve obviously taken many portraits before, but it’s my favourite type of photography, and I love faces, so adding “photograph 1000 faces” to my list was a no-brainer.  Similarly, I enjoy scuba diving, but haven’t had the opportunity to dive recently — so I added a few places I’ve never been diving before to my list.  In other words, be sure to add the things you love or you have passion for to your list.  And challenge yourself to do it often.

6.  UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU PUT SOMETHING ON YOUR LIST THAT WILL MAKE YOU FEEL BAD ABOUT YOURSELF FOR NOT COMPLETING IT.  For example, you will notice that “lose 20 pounds” is NOWHERE on my list.  This is not because I don’t think I should lose weight; it’s because I didn’t want my list to be a constant reminder of me not losing weight, or not working out, or not foregoing a piece of chocolate, you know?  I’ll deal with goals like that separately.

Your life list should be about adding moments of joy to your life, not about adding moments of guilt.  Life can guilt you enough, I think.  Your life list shouldn’t.

Ever.

7.  Do not let the fact that you might not complete every item on your list within your lifetime stop you.  A friend told me once:  “I’m actually afraid to write down my list because if I don’t do everything on my list by the time I’m an old woman, I’ll feel awful.”  Right.  I hear you.  Although here’s a secret:  I don’t actually think I’m going to do everything on my list.  I mean, it would be really cool if I did; however, practically-speaking, it’s not likely.  But the thing is?  That’s not the point.  This is not a “must do before I die list.”  It’s a list to help remind you as you’re going through life, when opportunity comes knocking (and really, it’s surprising how often it will come knocking), you should go ahead and give it a go.  It’s a list to look at when you find yourself somewhat bored, or needing a little jolt, so you can pick something to try to do.  It’s a list that, when you’re old, you’ll look at and think, “Wow. Look at all the cool things I attempted in my life,”  a list that perhaps you can pass on to someone younger to you and say, “your turn.  Feel free to embellish and amend as necessary.”

If it helps you to call it an “inspiration list” instead of a life list, feel free to do that, instead.

So, there you have it:  all you need to go write your own life list.  So as this year wanes, and your whole life spreads out before you, go on and grab a cup of your favourite beverage, a piece of paper (or notebook or journal or even your blog), and get started.

Go inspire yourself.

And Happy New Year, everyone.

karen walrond is a writer, photographer and mother.  she is the author of the book The Beauty of Different available at Bright Sky Press and Amazon. find out more at thebeautyofdifferent.com, and more about karen on her website and blog chookooloonks.com

kate an i recently had the chance to chat and catch up, and thanks to miss courageous and her wonderful tech savvy we recorded the conversation just for you (thanks kate!).  get ready to celebrate with her on 1/1/11 when she launches a brand new, exciting project!  have a listen to get the whole scoop ;)  enjoy!

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by christine mason miller

A few weeks ago, I submitted my very first short story to three different literary journals – three options available to me among hundreds that are listed on the Poets & Writers website. Under their heading “Tools for Writers”, there are databases for writing contests, literary magazines, and small presses. When I took a peek at their listings in December of last year, there were 53 writing contests, 572 literary magazines, and 188 small presses. That’s a lot of places to send my work (and this is only one website), and a lot of different entities that have the power to reject it. I’ve only sent one story to three of them, and so far I’ve been rewarded with two rejections:

“…we cannot find a place for your piece.”

“Unfortunately, the piece is not right for us.”

But here’s the deal – rejection is, well, part of the deal. It is an unavoidable, undeniable part of the creative process whenever I dare to send my creations somewhere beyond the walls of my home. As a professional artist for more than fifteen years and a just-beginning-but-happily published writer, I could cover the walls of my studio with all the rejections I’ve received. While I can’t say I am entirely immune to feelings of disappointment – my posture sinks ever so slightly whenever a new “Thanks, but no thanks” pops into my mailbox – I have developed a deep appreciation for the role rejection plays in my creative journeys. I’m not an especially big fan of spiders, but I understand they play an important role in my garden, so I try to let them do what they need to do whenever I spot them. Rejection is kind of like that – I might not really like it, but it comes with the territory. Should I decide to do whatever is necessary to avoid rejection, I would also close the door to opportunities, possibilities, and successes.

If I am being rejected, it means I am showing up, following through, and refusing to smother what I create. It means I am pushing beyond my comfort zone and continuing to do my work even when it is rejected. If I am being rejected, it does not mean I have no talent. It does not mean I won’t get where I want to go. It does not mean I am a failure. It simply means I have more work to do. That’s it.

I like to think of sending out all these submissions as house hunting. I browse listings, purchase issues, explore their details, and see if what I’ve created might be a good fit. I send in my work, and see if the decision makers accept what I have to offer, and if they don’t, then I just need to keep on hunting. The perfect home is out there, and as long as I am willing to risk rejection again and again, I will find it. Chances are, it is waiting for me somewhere I don’t yet know about, in a place I can’t yet imagine, but won’t be able to discover without giving it a go.

“Send your work off to editors and agents as much as possible, show it to your neighbors, plaster it on the walls of the bus stops – just don’t sit on your work and suffocate it. At least try. And when the powers-that-be send you back your manuscript (and they will), take a deep breath and try again. I often hear people say, “I’m not good enough yet to be published.” That’s quite possible. Probable, even. All I’m saying is: Let someone else decide that. Magazines, editors, agents – they all employ young people making $22,000 a year whose job it is to read through piles of manuscripts and send you back letters telling you that you aren’t good enough yet: LET THEM DO IT. Don’t pre-reject yourself. That’s their job, not yours. Your job is only to write your heart out, and let destiny take care of the rest.” ~Elizabeth Gilbert

For more of Ms. Gilbert’s thoughts on writing, click here.

The Art of Dreaming :: Connecting with the dream world can enliven and deepen your art!  with katrina dreamer

This course will set the foundation for artful dreaming. we’ll look at creative ways to remember and record your dreams, different artists who have used dreams in their art, seek out dream allies who can take us in new directions, and we will play around in the hypnagogic realm – that space between waking and sleeping that is ripe with possibility and creativity!  lastly, we will look at the different areas in which dreams and art dance together.

this 4 week ecourse begins this saturday (1/8)! to learn more about it and to register please go to our workshops page.

Find Your Eye :: with kat sloma * a special karma class where all proceeds will benefit the nonprofit organization Nest

Photography is art, and like any other art, is an expression of the heart and soul of the artist.  In digital photography, the camera and computer become tools for creative expression the same way paints and brushes are tools for painters. But learning the tools alone does not help you find your eye and express your heart and soul; it can only be the starting point.  You have to learn to dive deeper into experiencing the environment around you and understand what calls to you in order to develop a unique photographic style of your own.

This e-course takes you through the process of developing your eye through increasing your understanding and knowledge of the tools of digital photography (digital camera and photo editing software), how they contribute to your style, along with providing you new tools to use photography as an expression of your heart and soul.

this in-depth, 6 week course will launch next sunday (1/9). to see the full description and grab your spot before then you can register here.

join us for some inspiring creativity… see you in the studio!

hope you all are enjoying a little quiet wind-down of the holiday craziness and the turn of the new year!  i’m off to finally celebrate christmas with my family (since we were stranded in florida for an extra 5 days!), and wanted to announce the big giveaway winners.  thank you all for entering and for your kind and generous words!  the three winners are:

chas of A Woman’s Haven (the Journey Package)
chel of Ginger Blue (the Wish Big package)
and bev, Bunny’s Girl (the Tranquility package)

congrats to our 3 winners… please email me by the end of the month with your mailing addy to claim your prize!

in 2007, christine kane initiated a resolution revolution and created the one word project to help people go gently and mindfully into the new year.  since then, so many of us have adopted this wonderful tradition as a new way of letting go of unrealistic expectations and a way to nurture and grow our lives with compassion and love.

last year i chose the word NURTURE and 2010 seemed to immediately manifest itself around the energy of that word.  wishstudio was reincarnated and nurtured into a more dynamic and multifacited creative community, while at the same time filling my own life with realized hopes and dreams. it was a good word and an amazing year of abundance and growth!

this year as i mulled over the words in my head i kept getting stuck in the words that were too wide and expansive… that were looking for more, when really i felt like what i need is to savor what is.  2010 overflowed with the blossoms of many tiny seeds, and it was one of those pivotal years that every aspect of my life and work shifted.

as i move into this next year i feel pulled by a sense of settling, of really getting dirty in the soil and enriching the foundation of all of that abundance. for this reason my word this year is RESPONSIBILITY. it’s unsexy. it’s practical. it’s not trendy or cliche. it’s really where i need the most focus and direction.

read more about my word choice in my new year’s journal post.

what word did you choose?  share it here so we can cheer each other on as we leap intom 2011! HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone! my yours be filled with joy and many wishes come true!!!