DIY Book Club

A couple of months ago I decided to start a DIY Book Club. The concept is that I put aside $10 a week and at the end of the month spend that on books/cds/dvds for myself. These are my January treats! I can't wait to dig in.

And when you listen to this, you'll know why I just had to get the Serena Ryder cd. I hope this song makes you smile as much as it does me.

Blog-Wide Giveaway

Recently I stumbled across the One World One Heart Giveaway, an event designed to connect bloggers around the world. You participate by deciding on something you'd like to give away to a fellow blogger. On Feb 1st you post your giveaway and anyone who would like it leaves a comment. You decide how to pick a winner and announce that winner on February 14th, Valentine's Day. What a great way to spread some energy, some art, some connection. If you want to participate, you can find details here.

I will be participating and on Friday will announce what I'm going to give away. I hope you'll love it!

Inspiration from Pema Chodron

"Whatever we're doing could be done with one intention. That intention is that we want to wake up, we want to ripen our compassion, and we want to ripen our ability to let go, we want to realize our connection with all beings. Everything in our lives has the potential to wake us up or to put us to sleep. Allowing it to awaken us is up to us."

Pema Chodron

Comfortable with Uncertainty

The Success Principles ~ Closure

For the past few months I have been working through and sharing my thoughts on Jack Canfield's Success Principles on Mondays. It has been a great process, one that's really helped me hone some of my beliefs (some in synch and some in contrast to Canfield's writing). This week is principle 42: just say no and I have decided that my no is to continuing to the completion of the principles. I'm making this decision for a few reasons.

I've received some beautiful and encouraging emails and comments from people saying that what they enjoyed most about these posts was my perspective. Thank you so much for that. You're inspiring me to grow and consider what I would like to write about and share. And also, there is so much interesting in the world - so much to read, experience, share, try, that I'd like to make space for more, especially since there's 64 principles and that would be 5 more months!

So, if you've enjoyed reading about the concepts, I encourage you to pick up the book. There's lots of interest in it. And I hope that I can share more books, thoughts and explorations. I feel like I'm going through an amazing growth spurt so know there will be so much to share.

101 Things in 1001 Days #17 ~ Inviting People over for a Meal

I had to totally change the wording of this task on my 101 Things in 1001 Days list to reflect what I actually intended. Originally I had, "Invite 6 people over for dinner, starting with Mom." I changed it to a meal because it didn't really matter whether it was dinner or brunch. And then the key hadn't been 6 different people but 6 different invitations.

So #17 was actually intended to be invite people over for a meal 6 times, starting with Mom. And as of lunch yesterday it's done! Often thanks to Shannon and my Mom. We had a lovely family day yesterday. We had a yummy meal of quiche and soup and then Shannon taught me how to knit in the round and Mom brought some slides for us to help clean. Look at this treasure!

Project 365 ~ Week 4

Project 365 is my attempt to capture a year in my life through a photograph a day. On Saturday's I'll post the week's pics. At the end of the year, I'll create a video of all these precious moments. Feel free to participate at any time. Yours can be Project 347 or Project 292. It's up to you.

Thinking about... Pride

This has been an amazing week.

• Circe's Circle has launched. With such beautiful, creative women in the group, how can it be anything but magical?
• My second beta for Picture This! is booked and full.
• 3 new students attended Nia class this week.

YAY! I feel really excited about the energy that's being generated and about what's possible from here. And I feel proud of myself for stepping out into the world and sharing what I have to offer.

And as I walk around beaming and feeling great, my thoughts touch on the concept of pride - not just in yourself (which I think is a beautiful and powerful thing) but also in others. When I was doing my coaching training, we were encouraged to stay away from saying things like "I am so proud of you" to clients because it suggests a power differential. This is a guideline I have flouted regularly! And here's why:

• How many times has someone told you they were proud of you?
• How many times have you ached to hear those words?

As a rule we do not tell people often enough that we are proud of them. People often justify this by saying, 'I didn't want so-and-so to get a swelled head." How many people do you actually know with a swelled head? Most people are struggling to find confidence, to believe in themselves. Sharing that you thought what they did or who they are is amazing (and meaning it) really makes a difference.

To me, being proud of someone for accomplishing something is just the flipside of believing in them before they do!

• Who are you proud of? Will you go tell them?
• What do you wish someone would be proud of you for? (and know that whatever it is - I am proud of you!)

The Success Principles ~ Principle 41

Wow, there are a lot of principles. #41 in Jack Canfield's Success Principles is build a powerful support team and delegate to them. One of the core concepts here is this, "...you can keep chipping away at the low-payoff, nonessential tasks on your list until you are doing less and less of those and more and more of what you are really good at."

And here are similar challenges as last week. Though I see the value of passing on jobs that aren't in my strength area and/or that can easily be done by someone else, I feel badly about getting someone else to do the "low-payoff" tasks and keeping all the juicy bits for myself.

So, how do I tweak this or frame it in a way that grows me and also keeps me in line with my values? First of all I can simply focus on the aspect of getting the right person to do the right job. Though doing taxes may be crazy-making for me, it likely isn't for someone who has chosen that for a career. (And if it is, maybe I can offer them some coaching!) I enjoy standing up and presenting in front of others. For some people, that's a fate worth than death! So it doesn't have to be about who gets the gravy and who gets the leavings. It can be about making sure we all play to our strengths.

The other part of this principle is building a good support team. One way that you can do that is through hiring. Another way is by building relationships with wonderful people, relationships where you can all help each other achieve success. I remember last year when I decided I wasn't going to network. I was just going to meet wonderful people. Since then I have so many new, generous, smart, creative, lovely people in my life. People who have become confidantes and advisors, clients and mentors.

Our success doesn't happen in a bubble. We are social beings and will from time to time need advice, encouragement, a new hairdresser, you name it. And we have all that to offer too. Being in a community that you can contribute to and that can support you is invaluable. I know that's why so many of us value deeply what we have found in the blogosphere.

How can you build your support team and have them help you with your dreams?

Thinking about...

"Improvised and expressive art forms include theatre and dance improvisation, clown theatre and certain types of visual art that encourage spontaneous expression in favour of preplanning. the concept of beauty in these art forms relates to a sensitivy and honesty of expression and should not be confused with the beauty of traditionally perfected art forms such as classical music and ballet." Kathleen Rea, The Concept of Wild Beauty in Improvised and Expressive Art Forms

Do you know, when I first read that paragraph, I cried? There was something so important to me about this definition of beauty, this "wild beauty" as Kathleen calls it. I recognized it. I am passionately in love with it. In the theatre, I've experienced it as that moment in rehearsal when suddenly everything goes quiet and still, and everyone knows that something magical has occurred. It's indisputable. It's immediately recognizable. Your hair stands on end. Goosebumps arrive. Or for me, tears. It isn't a moment of classical aesthetic perfection. It's a moment of truth. This 'wild beauty' is a sacred moment of aliveness.

Project 365 ~ Week 3

Project 365 is my attempt to capture a year in my life through a photograph a day. At the end of the year, I'll create a video of all these precious moments. Feel free to participate at any time. Yours can be Project 347 or Project 292. It's up to you. (PS I notice that I'll of course repeat some pics I might have used for a post during the week because it best represented what was going on that day)

101 Things in 1001 Days #53 ~ Go to a Comedy Club

Tonight Shannon and I went to Globehead, an improv tournament at the Bad Dog Theatre Company here in Toronto. What a blast! The small theatre was jampacked with energy and the good vibes of people enjoying the wild surprises of improv. Teams competed against each other and as an audience member you get to have your say in the outcome. The two teams that won were fantastic.

If you're in Toronto and you want a great night of entertainment the Globehead tournament continues tomorrow night and next weekend. It's a steal at $10.

All that and I get to say yay, I completed another of my 101 list too!

101 Things in 1001 Days #51 ~ Run a Collage Workshop

I'm thrilled to say that this weekend I launched the pilot for my new workshop, Picture This! It's an interactive collage workshop designed to get you in touch with your self and what you're yearning for. We spent the morning with images, scissors, glue and good company exploring and sharing our inner landscapes.

The feedback has been great and I'm so proud to have finally put out into the world something I've been envisioning for years! Now, I'm just going to do a little tweaking, offer another beta test and then I'm off and running, seeing where this vision will take me and all of those who participate!

The Success Principles ~ Principle 40

Jack Canfield's 40th principle is redefine time. This is actually a very specific guideline on dividing your time into three kinds of days: Best Results Days, Preparation Days & Rest and Relaxation days.

On Best Results Day, you spend 80% of your time doing your work, what he calls your core genius. This the work that is based on your natural talents and passions.

A Preparation Day is just what it sounds like, a day spent preparing for your Best Results Day. If you are working at what I call a "day job" while developing your core genius work, I would consider that a Prep Day. It's work that's designed to finance your step into your real work.

Rest and Relaxation Days involve no work whatsoever and go from midnight to midnight. I admit it. My reaction was - whaaat?? No work whatsoever?? This is why on our honeymoon Justin said it was the first time he'd ever seen me relaxed (we'd been together 5 years). Away from home you can't just pop in and send one more email or return that phone call. It's luxurious.

I've been thinking about something recently that I realize is related to this principle - the clear division of time. Whether it's dividing time into 3 distinct kind of days or dividing a day into distinct areas of activity, I find that this clarity definitely eases the stress in my life. So, for example, if I am designing a workshop and then remember, oh, I have to send that email and then think, yeah, the meat's got to come out of the freezer and then toss the laundry in and then just check that detail online and... you get the picture, then I am frazzled. But if I have workshop time, home time, research time, I feel so much more at ease.

Now, for me, this can still mean short sections. I may actually need a break from designing a workshop and so go do the dishes. The key seems to be creating a sense of closure with each piece, truly putting it down so that my brain isn't juggling all the pieces while I'm working with each one. To accomplish this I consciously make note of something being finished. I'll take a moment to look at the clean counter and the dishes in the rack and think, "the dishes are done." And then go on to the next task.

Without this sense of closure it's like my energy is divided because there are tens of things I am currently doing. With this closure, I am truly only doing one thing at a time.

What helps you stay focused not frazzled?

Project 365 ~ Week 2

Project 365 is my attempt to capture a year in my life through a photograph a day. At the end of the year, I'll create a video of all these precious moments. Feel free to participate at any time. Yours can be Project 347 or Project 292. It's up to you.

Awarded!

Vedrana really made my day when she gave me this award. Thank you so much, Vedrana.
Here's the description and the rules:

Give the award to up to 10 people whose blogs bring you happiness and inspiration and make you feel so happy about blogland! Let them know by posting a comment on their blog so that they can pass it on. Beware! You may get the award several times!

Here's who makes my day: Suzie, Shannon, Sunny, Sabine, Jenn, Melba, Jessie, Leah, Daisies, Marilyn.

Expressive Arts

Yesterday we worked through some poetry writing and movement to support the processing and letting go of difficult images. Here's my poem and my declaration.

the line/the slash/the great divide

Falling into the vastness

of the great divide,

I fear there is no choice

but to become a rock,

a boulder holding a soul,

a hermit hiding within.

I'm falling...

falling...

falling.

Crack.

After dancing with the question this poem provoked in me, I came up with this declaration:

Every time you open your heart,

it's an act of bravery.

Every time you share yourself.

it is an act of Peace.

Be brave today. Make peace.

The Success Principles ~ Principle 39

Jack Canfield's 39th Success Principle is stay focused on your core genius. He defines core genius as "some one thing that you love to do and do so well that you hardly feel like charging people for it. It's effortless for you and a whole lot of fun. And if you could make money doing it, you'd make it your lifetime's work."

Once you've found your core genius, Canfield suggests you stick to it, delegating other tasks, particularly grunt work. He acknowledges most people find this difficult for a variety of reasons - they worry they will be judged, they don't want to give up control or spend the money or they simply are in the habit of doing everything themselves. He points out that if you earn $75 an hour, instead of mowing your own lawn, it's far more efficient to hire a kid to do it for $10 and hour.

He also points out the more you do what you love to do, the better you will get at it. So if you get paid for writing, you are consistently being paid to hone your craft. My problem is that he frames this idea by suggesting we "become a con artist doing what you love to do." This concept rankles me so deeply that I could almost miss the valuable point in here.

You see, like most of my clients and friends, it has actually been hard to step up and be paid for the work that I'm best at precisely because it does make you feel like a con artist. How can I be being paid for something I find this easy and fun? Isn't work supposed to be hard? And so we slog at something that feels miserable and therefore respectable instead of thriving sharing what we actually excel at. So, for me, labelling doing your best work as becoming a "con artist" is powerfully detrimental and feeds the gremlin's fire.

So, instead let's think of it as being paid to share our gifts. And in honour of the gifts we've been given, we will continue to develop them. In fact, instead of goods and services traded for payment, why not consider such a transaction an exchange of gifts? I am sharing what I do best and my clients, in turn, are sharing a symbol of their work, hopefully work that represents what they do best.

My interpretation of this principle is to focus on my gifts by developing them and sharing them as the core of my work and my life.

How would you apply this principle?

Project 365 ~ Week 1

Project 365 is my attempt to capture a year in my life through a picture a day. Each Saturday I'll post the week's pictures. At the end of the year, I'll compile all of the pictures into a slide show with music as a memento of 2008. Please feel free to join me at any time in capturing some moments in your life..

Project 365

Yes, I've gone video crazy. It all started when Marilyn sent me a link to this video of Bev's. I thought it was an absolutely brilliant way to capture a year. So I've decided to do exactly that for 2008. Hence, Project 365.

For each of the year's 365 days I'm going to capture a representative picture and at the end of the year put them together in a little slide show. To get prepped and figure out how to do it, I used Windows Movie Maker to create the above ode to my December.

Please feel free to join me in Project 365. To keep motivated and on track, I'll be posting my week's pictures on Saturdays. Join in any time. You can always make it Project 279 or Project 17. No matter how long you participate, you'll capture a moment unique moment in your precious life.

Note: Special thanks to Shannon for the Studio picture.

Visioning for 2008

The time between Christmas and New Years is one of my very favourite times of year. It combines two special energies - the ease of unscheduled holiday time and the anticipation of the year to come. For me, this is always vision time. This year, inspired by Jenn's right-brain business plan (which is sheer genius) and the goal book at Life is the Art, I turned my 2008 goals for Jamie Ridler Studios into Vision Cards.

The Process

• I started by brainstorming on a big piece of newsprint. I wrote down things I'm committed to and things that I'd like to make happen. I finished with 16 goals and one over-riding vision statement (which turned into the picture you see above).
• Taping together index cards, I made 16 squares ready to become Vision Cards. I wrote the goal on the back of the card.
• Next I let my intuition guide me in collecting pictures for each of the goals. If my spirit said the image belonged with that goal, I put it there, even if my rational brain didn't understand why.
• Finally I created collages with the found images.

One of the great gifts of this process is that I absolutely deepend my understanding of and commitment to these goals. When I look at them, I immediately plug into not just what my goals are but also why they are important to me, what passion drives them.

Many success gurus suggest that you create a list of your goals and review them every morning and every night. For me, going through these 16 cards is a delightful and meaningful way to accomplish connecting to my 2008 dreams for my work. And to make it even easier, I created this video. I'm loving it, and I still can't believe these are my professional goals. I can't wait to get to my personal goals too! Enjoy.

If you decide to create your own Vision Cards or Vision Video, let me know. I'd absolutely love to see it. May dreams come true in 2008!