Ginger*Urchin

Mini office upgrade inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 24 Aug 2022 21:42:00 +0000

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This space has been a little quieter than I was considering it would be this past month. Gone is the flurry of activity of the spring as many of the things that were initiated are either pending timing or waiting response.

The summer IS quieter in many respects, but unlike previous years I chose not to completely unplug from my endeavours here, while at the same time switching to other projects and activities while school is out for the punks.

With this slowing down and stepping back, naturally space was made for new things to come forward. One of which was my revisiting again the next step to our home co-working office space.

Prior to last winter this space I now share was entirely mine to conduct all my art and online activities. But with the events of the past two years my husband, who for a long time worked occasionally at home, was able to finally increase that to a more in-depth thing.

After months of camping out 'hot desking' from our sunroom couch, I finally took pity on him and decided that he really should have a better situation from which to base himself at home. So in a bit of a whirlwind we drew up plans for a reworked office space, bought a new desk for me and within a few days he was ensconced in our revamped office.

It still needs some work - mostly to organise some better storage for the craft supplies I have accumulated over the years, but also to smarten it up some more and feel less 'MacGyver'.

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One such improvement I want at my end of the office is to install a feature wall and better backdrop for video - something that I know for sure has become quite the talking point over the last little while as folks adapted to their temporary new work digs.

After considering a number of options I settled upon the surprising choice of a minimalist faux brick wall corner feature. Surprising because, BRICK! Red brick no, but white or grey brick? Totally yes! Right now I am narrowing down my choice of how best to achieve this new look - a choice between either one single panelling board or roll of removable 'peel and stick' wallpaper.

Both have their pros and cons.

While the board is accessible locally and is the less expensive option, delivery and transportation is an issue. PLUS, when installed it will be adhered to the surface of the already existing drywall and so there will be an inconsistency of surface levels, as well as the potential extra thickness should I wish to hang something yet still in front of. The peel and stick wallpaper meanwhile, eliminates the cons of the board, but is neither available locally nor inexpensive once shipping etc is included.

Decisions, decisions...

In the meantime, I have been gathering inspiration for the overall 'mood' I wish to convey over on Pinterest, a few of which I am sharing here below. As you will see ultimately the point of a feature wall is the wall is the feature, no need to embellish...

*images sourced via Home My Design and Shelterness // lead image c/o D Marie Interiors

Getting the most from sound healing

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 18 Aug 2022 18:48:00 +0000

So this week, in my quest to explore this new avenue, I went for my first sound healing session. To experience for myself how another practitioner did things, experience live the various instruments I have been learning about and to enjoy the experience of RECIEVING sound healing.

There are only a very few practitioners in my area, though there are some and obviously this is a growing area of self-development and therapeutic support in the wider community. And although there were a couple practitioners close by to me, in the end I decided to travel that bit farther - 2hrs in fact - to a studio that I felt was in alignment with what I was seeking.

And so I thought it would be helpful to share what I found made this first timer experience a really beautiful and valuable one and that would set myself up for all future such experiences. A kind of check list of sorts.

CHOOSING WHERE TO GO

So like I said, there are a few locations near to me that offer sound healing. Not yet knowing anyone in the community that does this, and wanting to get on this as soon as possible, I Google'd SOUND HEALERS for options to explore.

The one caveat to this was that like with most things these days, somehow the internet knows when you are looking for things, and I think it was on Instagram that I first saw an ad for the studio I did end up going to, but looking on Google for other possibilities is always good practice. Don't always go with the first thing that comes up, you know?

Anyways, after looking at these other places, I felt the studio I chose offered the right atmosphere and right modality of experience for what I was seeking. Which ties in with, and leads me to:

INTENTION OF GOING

Having a clear REASON for wanting a sound healing session is kind of the number one thing to be clear of in choosing who to work with in the first instance, and then for each of the subsequent sessions after.

For me, I simply wanted to get the full experience of a sound healing session and to see how another practitioner worked. For me, this first session was research, to simply enjoy the experience of this new modality and see what came up for me through it.

I did not go to resolve or discover anything specifically so far as mental or physical issues, though these can and often ARE reasons people seek sound healing. For me, and the way I feel sound healing is best utilised is in tapping into our subconscious mind. Like journeying to the beat of a shaman's drum, only with more variance and less external direction, sound healing is a meditative experience that opens us up to POSSIBILITY in ways that are not intrusive or forced.

Through this open and RECIVEVING intention we can allow insights and release that through other means are not accessed to be so. One can also see its relation and similarity almost to lucid dreaming during which we are between the worlds of conscious and unconscious.

PREPARATION AND AFTER-CARE

The days leading up to my sound session I was getting excited and with that some bubbling energy that disrupted my sleep somewhat. To counter that I routinely practiced some deep breathing and grounding processes and drank lots of water and hydration mixes.

During the drive to the studio despite allowing plenty of time to get there, my anxiety was triggered big time due to unforeseen traffic conditions (I think we must have hit every red light going). Giving yourself as much time as possible to arrive that little bit earlier so you can be as calm a mind as possible is SUPER advisable. Fortunately I was taking a solo private session and as soon as I stepped through the door all that energy dissipated.

What was good was being dressed in loose, comfy and lightweight clothing that allowed me to sit and then lay on the mat without restriction or distraction. I watched another guide recently who talked about being comfy but not necessarily wearing your pyjamas and it made me think of the recent story about Angelina Jolie and her silk PJ ensemble and my own 'ready for bed' choices when travelling long distance. I don't see why it wouldn't work for a sound healing session either, save it's ability to tie in with the rest of your day's schedule.

Although I didn't end up needing the extra blanket, pillow or eye-mask I had been advised to bring, what WAS good was having a thermos of cold water for refreshment and revival after the experience. Even just the hour-long session I had (some sound baths can go on 90-120mins) was much like a good nap and the desire to stretch and hydrate after was clear. I think I might have also benefited from taking a light, nutritious snack also to ground myself back into reality and would definitely have something on hand the next time.

SOAKING INTO THE EXPERIENCE

Really last of all once you are happy with your choice of location, know your purpose for attending and have prepared yourself mentally and physically as best you can, all that remains is to allow the process to unfold.

I think having super specific expectations and all that puts WAY too much pressure on ourselves and can leave us feeling deficient in our outcomes when it comes to this kind of experience. When we try to control rather than having that child-like playfulness of EXPERIMENTATION and openness to the 'what if', that's where all these things can get us unstuck.

Like a lot of energy work, the effect can be SUPER subtle and can take a while - maybe even several sessions - to begin to see the shift. Sometimes there can be that noticeable bubble burst of release, but often it is a lot more gentle than that. That doesn't mean it's not 'working', but that a certain point of readiness has yet to be reached.

In the meantime, while we wait for the subtle energies to shift, we can enjoy and take benefit from the extra calm and comfort that sound healing brings, switching our nervous system from that fight-flight-freeze state and tension that our modern daily lives create to one of inner peace*.

For myself, I was grateful to the practitioner who made time for me in her summer schedule, sharing her skills and gifting me with a wonderful experience that I am delighted to have found. It is this experience that I too now wish to pass on with others.

*source // Effects of Singing Bowl Sound Meditation on Mood, Tension, and Wellbeing, study by Goldsby and co.

What is the Lion's Gate Portal?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 03 Aug 2022 19:56:00 +0000

For this week and next I am offering a super limited number of highly specific tarology readings to explore what this year's Lion's Gate Portal can reveal to those that seek it regarding the bridge between where folks are now and where they want to be.

My first introduction to this annual astrological event was the year the date coincided with a solar eclipse - a particularly potent alignment between our sun, Sol, our moon, and planet along with the elements that create this 'portal' effect.

So I am neither a student or advocate for astrology. But I AM one of ancient history and mythology, with a sprinkling of astronomy and science, so I can appreciate how natural phenomenon observed by humans inspired the stories that still influence us today.

For me, like other astrological events of note, they are more about receiving the awareness and reminders of what is available to us ALWAYS, more than their being critical moments of specific action (or inaction). Especially when they involve astral bodies far (some of which are light-YEARS) distant to us here on Earth.

But this phenomena intrigued me. So on a quest to take the opportunity to conduct a tarology reading for myself, I drafted a 'gateway' spread to explore the concept behind it more. And it proved super insightful and thorough in its working - not just for myself, but for the friends I shared it with at the time also.

It is this spread that I now offer to read for others at this time.

But what IS the Lion's Gate Portal exactly? What is its significance?

According to astrological observation, the Lion's Gate Portal is the window of alignment between the Earth, the Sun's appearance in the constellation of Leo, Orion's Belt and the 'dog' star Sirius. This annual event takes about two weeks to complete its path - its most potent moment is August 8th when Sirius is at it's zenith. It is this particular date that gets all the press and attention because of the additional meanings associated with it in combination with the other.

There is a LOT of information online about the Lion's Gate Portal in relation to the significance of Sirius and it's numerological meanings, but not so much mention of why Orion's Belt is also important - an omission I find rather curious.

Orion's Belt has a MASSIVE trove of mythology and influence associated with it, most significantly for the Lion's Gate Portal the ancient Egyptians (from which modern astrology originates*) and who even built pyramids in mirror representation of what they observed above them, understood it to be the gateway between the worlds. Between the mortal and after-life. To them Orion's Belt was a sign of resurrection and rebirth - not in just a literal sense, but one that could revive and rejuvenate THIS life. When put in association with the Lion's Gate Portal it is is potentially a time of access between dimensions. And what is future, can be brought into the NOW.

In modern times, the sighting of Orion's Belt is a reminder that the Universe is trying to get your attention in order to pass on an important message. It's consistent arrangement in our night's sky for millennia is a reminder that right positioning is a key factor in our success - in mind, skill, and voice.* This visual ties in really nicely with the stories of Orion as the successful Hunter.

Meanwhile, believed to infuse Earth with extra energy and light due to its being the brightest star in our night sky, the return of Sirius sighted in the morning sky signified the start of the new year and farming season also for ancient Egyptians. It is not hard to see, therefore why this enigmatic star holds a highly influential activating energy.

And lastly, that number 8. If no other correspondence, laying on its side, the symbol for infinity and the intersection of the physical and the spiritual, the internal and external, EIGHT is the bridge between.

All this to say that meaning is POWERFUL. Reinforcement and repetition even more so when getting a point across. The upshot and takeaway being that if you resonate with these things - which for all my other scepticism surrounding astrology GENERALLY I can see the connection and appreciate its importance - then the Lion's Gate Portal is an unmissable opportunity to see into that other dimension. To get a peek, an insight into how we might course-correct to move nearer to that which we seek.

At the very last, this is just a possibility. An opportunity to consider. Free-will will ALWAYS reign as to what happens next...

Anyways, if you would like one of these 'limited edition' LION'S GATE readings, at a glance they consist of:

8 spots available - first come, first served
8-card spread intuitively drawn from my go-to Kim Krans decks
interpretation report delivered via email + including 1x high-res photo of cards pulled
plus, additional notes + journal prompts for further exploration
$88.cad

To claim your spot and receive payment portal details, please reach out via my CONTACT page, asap. Unlike my other tarology sessions LION'S GATE READINGS will not include my usual intake questionnaire or booking process due to their fixed intention in this instance.

Thank you.

"I just wanted to say how much I loved this spread. Soooo insightful and I love that it covers all areas of your life so you get a really clear, balanced reading. Really fantastic, so thank you!" -- Zoe, Silversmith

*sources // Kepler College and Angelical Balance

CREATE! Some Qs

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 28 Jul 2022 17:22:00 +0000

The creator's mentorship cohort is now OPEN for application. Scheduled to begin September 12th, this small circle of 8 will run for 9 weeks exclusively and will be hosted via private community at Mighty Networks.

My PLAN behind it was to offer the private, 1:1 mentorship I have been doing and enjoying immensely, but in a group format. Or many folks at once. I want to help more people, but with a high-touch service such as coaching/mentoring that limits my personal energetic capacity. There are only so many hours in a day, so many days in a week. And it is important to me to deliver POWERFUL transformation. One such way of navigating this is via a group format, such as CREATE!

MY INTENTION

Not a program with a set curriculum or a ton of materials to get a particular outcome, CREATE! is a FRAMEWORK that leads its participants from a place of potentially nebulous idea to 'finished' project.

Aimed at ALL creators - both the artistic AND pragmatic - the extent to which individuals will travel during our time together will depend much on what stage they were at to begin with, the complexity of the project at hand, and how much energetic capacity they have to execute their idea.

All is good. And although I cannot predict any individual outcome specifically, what I do know is that this space, this time will be well spent in gaining momentum on that sticky problem that keeps circling and not going anywhere WITHOUT support and guidance.

CREATE! offers that space and time to do the work, to discover the steps, and to navigate the gremlins that we creators ALL must.

A FRAMEWORK FOR MOMENTUM

Yes, CREATE! is a group mentorship, but only in so far as it being the framework for me to support multiple people in one go. There is no requirement to interact or spend any more time in our 'LAB' than is needed to for receiving updates and sharing progress with me. If anything, if folks find themselves spending more time in the LAB than working on their projects, then I would ask to check in with themselves and why that might be.

It's one of the reasons I decided to host our LAB on Mighty Networks rather than Facebook - for the sacred space and focus this space away from the intrusion and noise it innately creates.

I honestly don't mind if there is NO activity in the LAB beyond those two things - I would trust that folks are doing the work and to reach out only if they were stuck. People know if they are being in integrity and the CREATE! LAB is a safe space to share what is going on for you - the good and the 'grisly'.

But I do understand the desire to be social so the BENEFIT of it being a group cohort is that members can find and build that camaraderie with like-minds, knowing they are NOT the only ones on this journey, exchange resources, and offer solicited insights or peer-to-peer feedback.

THE FORMAT OF THE WEEKLY CALLS

Likewise, I want to keep these super simple and productive. The basic format each week will be a check-in with each participant as to where they are at with their project, what's going on for them and where they need most support that week - whether that's a logistical issue or a mindset one.

At the time of writing, calls are planned to take place each Wednesday and will be timed to suit the majority of members. These weekly calls are a key component of the mentorship and while life does happen, one of the commitments required is to show up for these so as to keep focus and momentum. It is not in folks interests to sign up for something they then cannot participate in fully or feel they are being excluded somehow.

CO-WORKING SESSIONS

AND for extra, extra support and to have that opportunity to connect with fellow cohort members in a way that is constructive, folks are more than welcome to partner up and set up their own private co-working sessions at a time that suits both. There'll be more information on how to orchestrate this exactly inside the LAB nearer the time.

AND WHAT WILL I BE DOING?

Outside of the weekly calls, I will be dropping into the group throughout each week to check in with members, offer additional insights and resources relevant to the group's needs as a whole.

And I shall be working on my own next thing alongside the CREATE! cohort. As such I will be observing my own experience of the creation process and integrating those insights back into the mentorship.

I think that covers everything for now, but feel free to reach out with Qs you might have - I am more than happy to elaborate on any details I may have missed.

Domain decisions

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 20 Jul 2022 23:35:00 +0000

What do you do when the [dot]com extension is already taken for your chosen online hub name, and you don't want to be limited by, or classify it as suitable to, a country-specific identifier (ccTLD) such as [dot]ca or [dot]co[dot]uk?

So I had a problem.

In making the decision to run with TinyLetter as my waitlist host it means I have to find an alternative if I want to create segregated lists for certain groups of people, such as for specific events or offers.

While I initially was hosting events via Eventbrite this wasn't (and still isn't) a problem as I can write to attendees direct using its integrated messaging tools when it is event specific content. But for my group mentorship cohort coming up this September this created a problem: how to message participants of that specifically in a way that was secure and private? FORTUNATELY I now have a solution for that which is super easy and integrated into the platform where I am hosting the group's chat and communications space.

But to get to that solution I had to go on a bit of a journey which is why I am talking about the question of domains.

So ONE of my 'solutions' was to create multiple accounts on TinyLetter. The only problem with that is that for each list you need a separate email address. And one way to get multiple email addresses that actually make sense for the recipient is to use custom domain email aliases.

*we'll ignore for the moment the issue with having multiple accounts - like I said, ultimately this was not the final solution but led me on to consider a totally OTHER issue I need to resolve, but anyway...

WHAT ARE 'CUSTOM DOMAIN EMAIL ALIASES'?, I HEAR YOU CRY...

Well, CDEAs (I'm abbreviating now as it's a bit of a mouthful) are those additional email 'addresses' you can create, for free, when you purchase a custom domain via Google Domains*. Basically it means that you can set up a professional-looking email address (such as hello@gingerurchin.com) and have it forward to your personal-private gmail email (such as yournameoralias@gmail.com), without having to upgrade to Google Workspace ;)

*I would image this is also possible with other domain providers, so I don't think it is limited ONLY to Google or that you have to purchase through them specifically to get this bonus feature - they are just the one I am familiar with at this point.

And this is where the problem of domain extensions came in. In order to enable these email aliases I would need to purchase a custom domain - whether or not I affixed it to this site.

Previously to this space, somewhat a while ago now, I used to have another under the same name. At the time I bought the domain GINGERURCHIN.COM and used it lovingly for several years. I was the first and have been the only ever owner of this domain in all its existence.

HOWEVER, I let the renewal of this domain slide during a time when I felt I was no longer going to pursue that brand and was in a state of transition into something else. Now of course I have decided to pick up that mantle once more and find myself consequently in a bit of a quandary about what to do with my domain url.

I COULD investigate and pursue the potential reinstatement of the now retired original url from the depths of the internet vaults. Which while I feel totally capable of doing, I am also hesitant as to whether that is now the right choice. For in reactivating the old domain url, all the old history of that would potentially be connected and cause some issues. Better to go with a new domain and/or extension entirely.

The OTHER option, to go with a country-specific extension, feels out of place for me too right now. While there is nothing wrong in associating with a country specifically, as a potentially international business brand and not, say a locally based, brick and mortar operation, in choosing my domain and extension I want to convey that GLOBAL reach and neutrality. I am neither Canadian citizen, nor reside in the UK. I am in limbo.

So what to do when neither the [dot]com extension or ccTLD is a fit?

Enter the options for a Legacy or New TLD (aka domain extension). And I am talking more than just your [dot]coms, [dot]orgs and [dot]nets.

You see, in the early days of the internets - and indeed up to 2012 - domains were pretty much limited to these options BECAUSE in the minds of the early internet developers those WERE the reasons people would use the internet. They couldn't possibly foresee the potential the internet would evolve into. And so this is why you continue to see and hear and be told that the 'only' professional choice is to use one of these generic (gTLD) extensions - BECAUSE of their default in people's minds when they think of a website address.

But of course, the popularity of the internet has just exploded and those options for picking a unique domain that HASN'T yet been taken under one of those early extensions are vanishing exponentially quickly. Just as it is increasingly difficult to get that non-numerical personal name EMAIL address.

In 2013 that changed - though I would say few, if any have taken up the mantle of these new and alternate extensions among the solo-indiepreneur community. Probably due to the conditioning of being told consistently that anything other than [dot]com is a bad idea if you want to be taken 'seriously'. I mean, I get that no one wants to be associated with anything 'dubious' unless that's actually their bag, but there ARE perfectly respectable alternatives:

[dot]biz
[dot]co
[dot]info
[dot]co.com
[dot]online
[dot]site
and c.500 more options

In 2013 a whole new avenue for domains and the way we THINK about them opened up.

Really, the BEST way to think about domain extensions is rather than PEDIGREE, they are a way to identify what your domain is about BEFORE any visitor actually arrives at its door. A domain in its entirety is the FIRST point of contact you will have with potential visitors, readers, subscribers, clients, customers, etc.

YES, the content of that site is important. When they get there.

But before that, people will only ever know you by the domain you share. Your domain (and its extension) ARE your brand. So why not make it unique, relevant and even PART of your business brand name if there is an extension that fits?

It is scary to use something no one else in your sphere is using or doing. People (and we ourselves) will question our decision and sanity. But I say, IF there is an option for standing out from the crowd and yes, flying your 'freak' flag, making your brand MEMORABLE, isn't that something to consider?

A domain and its extension is a very personal business choice. Not all businesses will suit all domains. Certain industries will have their idiosyncrasies of what is deemed 'a serious business' by your choice of url/domain.

But I wonder, for the pathfinders, the ground breakers, the mavericks, the industry change-makers, maybe there's another way? We long ago dropped the need to type in 'http://www.' to the search bar, or even reference the 'www[dot]' part of our urls. The next shift HAS to be how we look at the other end - the domain extensions.

For myself, although I have still yet to confirm which of the several potential alternatives I am considering, the choice of something average and mundane is fast becoming a serious question.

If you would like to explore the option of an alternative domain extension, there is some great information to be found at iWantMyName.com and Name.com (yes, yes, I know) regarding the nTLDs and their various suggested uses and limitations. For more information on creating custom domain email aliases, check out Google support.

Enjoy, and tell me your favourite picks - what surprises can you find?

Sound healing

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 18 Jul 2022 17:54:00 +0000

I am excited!

Today I take my level one certification for sound healing from Vickie Gould at Life Changing Energy.

This was not expected.

Although I have been pondering the idea of possibly hosting some kind of drumming circles here in person locally, I was not actively LOOKING for this as an avenue. But when it initially came to me, the idea inexplicably resonated and I wanted to learn more. At the time, I read the informational blurb and then went on with my day, being satisfied with what I had learnt and kind of dismissing it for any further pursuit.

But the idea kept looping back to me and would not let me go, so I decided to keep my eye out for when the opportunity came back to me so I could respond. I knew it would do eventually. And so really it all happened rather quickly - I would say all within a week, maybe?

So the idea of being a 'sound healer', of hosting sound 'baths' and auditory experiences for healing and restoration REALLY appeals to me actually. Not so much the giant gongs or sets of crystal bowls, but of using simple percussion and sound instruments to convey vibrations and tones that transport the listener elsewhere.

In my collection right now I have a wonderful Tibetan bowl, frog güaro, aboriginal rain stick and egg shaker. And I love the idea of adding a proper shamanic drum - something I have 'played' with for years ever since I took my first shamanic journey - and nature sound instruments such as the wave or river drums to my collection.

Though I have heard stories, I am not sure how effective sound healing is - or rather, whether it is the angle I would want to portray it as being beneficial for - for healing chronic pain, long-term illness or deep trauma. But I can TOTALLY see it as being beneficial for the treatment and support of stress, anxiety, and depression, as well as it being used for more spiritual practices such as journeywork and meditation.

Right now my interest is in learning more about sound healing as a tool and modality. YES, I have also signed up for the practitioner certification (level 2), but it felt the natural choice to give myself the option of pursuing it further as an extension to my tool kit should this work out.

It's funny, but this year, since going down this route of firm boundaries and minimalism in the external, several ideas and avenues have come about that are only going to work in person locally - from the Halloween market and pop-up tarology sittings, to partnering with a local hair and beauty enchantress as personal brand photographer, to hosting women's drumming circles, Soul Art collage workshops, and now this idea.

While I still am very much invested and interested in having an online side to my endeavours, I am also enjoying exploring and opening up to this separately-related offline aspect as part of my non-social media outreach strategy. I find it both fascinating and exciting that these things are coming to me in response to noticing signals and receiving feedback from the collective.

I noticed a big and beautiful crow feather laying just out of reach on someone's property at the start of last week on my way to the post office. The first I have seen in a long while. That these things are happening, unfolding as they are, I take that as a good sign.

How I am 'doing' Instagram

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 11 Jul 2022 18:27:00 +0000

How AM I doing Instagram?

This summer - July and August - I have decided to experiment with Instagram again and see if I can't find a way that satisfies me in much the same way as I have now found in this space.

You see, and for those of you who have followed me for some time, you will probably recognise that I have had an on-off, love-hate relationship with the platform for many years. Sometimes deep-diving into it, other times just throwing my hands up in exasperation.

In the beginning, when I very first got on to the platform, it was to join the (at the time) new lifestyle photography community there. It seemed really fun and as folks were moving away from the likes of Flickr on which I had been a solid member for many years I wanted to try it out too. My only problem was not having the latest smart phone. So I got a tablet (the reason for which is another story entirely) and I was 'set'.

All these years later I still only have a tablet through which to participate and, for the most part, being a dslr girl is still my preferred method of digital photography. My process for getting a digital photo onto Instagram is typically:

'snap' photos with dslr*
download, select + edit with Photoshop Elements on pc
upload to Google Drive
switch to tablet
share from Google Drive to IG

So it's not your basic point, shoot and share to IG with a phone. Though I'm not sure even that is actually how anyone REALLY does it any more. ANYWAYS...

The OTHER thing I wanted to join in was Chantelle's Fat Mum Slim Photo-a-Day Challenge. Again, I had no idea what I wanted to share other than to join in and her lists of daily prompts were just perfect to get that initial spark of what that might be. I liked the idea of it being this random, spontaneous, 'scavenger hunt', and for the most part have always been able to relate it to my life and business, even if sometimes the connection was somewhat tenuous.

I guess with the idea of my BEING this online brand business, there was the desire to share what I was doing in that regard. Not to drive business necessarily, but more to illustrate what it is I do. AND I wanted a space that was more 'behind the scenes' than my blogsite or what I generally share on other social media platforms.

It was one of the reasons I chose the black and white aesthetic very early on in my game over there. To make it visually different to the colour images I chose for my business brand conversation. That and it is both very forgiving to the sometimes imperfect photographic results and easily creates a cohesive look between the often seemingly unrelated and random content such a challenge creates. I have dabbled with colour a few times but mostly as a single colour picked out.

::

So having played and experimented with all the so called 'proper' ways to do Instagram as a personal brand whatever, how DO I want to do Insta now?

Really it is very simple: Keep with the photo-a-day challenge prompts, keep with the black and white aesthetic, use only a very few related hashtags and be done with it.

As for who to follow? I am there for the art, architecture, natural world. Funny little doggos. The odd Human Design teacher. But mostly I now find the main feed to be a nightmare of forced content I am not interested in viewing - the ads, the reels, the endless cat videos... So I now just browse by hashtag and the content I do want rather than what some algorithm THINKS I want.

Like all social media, sooner or later it becomes no longer the thing you joined it for and right now I am in a space of enforcing impeccable boundaries around my open head in alignment with my solar plexus authority so I can use these tools in ways that SATISFY my little Generator self.

This summer I am seeing how this plays out, but I can already notice that questioning of peer pressure to do the things we are told we have to do if want to be seen. Leading by one's own authority means though we have to listen in to what IS true and balance the wants with the needs.

To the experiment.

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*in case you're wondering, my dslr is a Canon EOS Rebel 3T with basic lens // oh, and you can find me on IG here if you wish to follow along...

Back in the saddle

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 16:48:00 +0000

::

After last week's busy-busy with end of school I am really glad to be back at my desk and able to focus on this space once more.

I realise I made a bit of a blooper with the final end date of my 90-day challenge. The last day is actually tomorrow, but have announced the final closing circle for Thursday - effectively day 91. I am rolling with it for now. And I was all keen about things yesterday to set it all up to be a smooth ending. Bother!

See, even those of us sticklers for the details can get it wrong every now and again. Urgh!

Moving on.

On the upside I DID get to link up the mini intro gift I decided to add for my waitlist folks. Between signing up and actually receiving their first update from me might be some time depending on when they register. So I thought a 'while you wait' tiny gift might be a nice gesture.

After playing around with various tactics over the years I have decided to not do what has become the typical newsletter strategy with the 'sign up to receive XYZ' followed by either an introductory series or weekly 'teaching' email.

As a RECIEVER of emails I find I rarely have time to read random bits of information that drop in to my inbox and know all too well how often I will simply drop my email in order to download that one pdf before I unsubscribe again.

The one and ONLY email list that I have ever stayed on for as long as it existed after my sign-up was by Paul Jarvis who basically sent his latest articles out to readers and no other social media presence. His list WAS the only place to read his stories. Plus they were damn good reading.

My lesson from this experience is that an email list is only truly valuable if it is the only outpost you actually have to disseminate your thinking. Scatter it too wide, and yes you will pick up folks in those places, but it is going to be really hard getting them to diversify where they meet you.

So what kind of email list SHOULD I have if folks can read my content in this space and what kinds of email lists do I actually want to sign up for?

At this point in the proceedings I feel that I do not want to have to commit to a regular series of emails in ADDITION to this space. I'd like to give folks the choice of what and how often they want to read my waffle rather than bunging up their inboxes with things they will only ignore and delete.

The answer - or rather the one I am going for right now - is simply a waiting list. Something that folks can subscribe to so as to be apprised of news and updates on the events and offers I have going on that they want to know about. I haven't done it yet, but maybe with the added bonus of an 'early bird' discount in return for their patience. I don't know.

In the meantime while they 'wait' they can enjoy a tiny gift from me.

My OTHER thought is that as this is a new thing and that those on my list are there prior to this development, I shall be sending out my first news update later next month with this included as one way to check in that all who are on my list wish to remain so.

Which reminds me! I can go set that up now for scheduling later.

Waiting for paint to dry

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 14 Jun 2022 18:48:00 +0000

*Literally.

I am BETWEEN things right now. Even with many fingers in many pies I find myself 'waiting for the paint to dry'. On hold until the right moment for the next action.

I have got as far as I can with my market tent build for now as I wait to go out and pick up more supplies. For now I have done what I really wanted which was to see how the idea in my head would translate to reality and now I have a plan for construction. That initial burst of energy has been dissipated and I can now step back knowing things will work out.

I have figured out what my corner feature decor piece will be too so that can be laid to rest for now. And in figuring that out I have also come up with an additional fun decoration for which I have begun construction, but have been LITERALLY waiting for the pool of crystal lacquer to dry so I can continue with that. There have been a couple other materials that I have been waiting on, but waiting for that stuff to dry has been the main thing.

Waiting for that to dry and the initial curtain wall pieces for the market tent made and ready to go, I turned my attention to my part on the parent committee for my youngest's middle-school grad. As for when it was my eldest's turn, I have self-selected being on the decor 'team'. Food is NOT my thing and I fully and without hesitation turn all that over to others better capable.

But the decor IS my thing, and so I have been brainstorming, designing and most recently CONSTRUCTING for that. The 'theme' in a very loose sense for the event is 'formal'. So red carpet, black, white, red and gold, with some kind of 'Oscars' overtones. To pull this theme together I have decided on building a photo backdrop as the focal point for the evening's presentation, as well as organising the table centers for which I have chosen simple gold star and plain black helium balloons.

With all this I have cunning plan:

Basically, other than a few decorative pieces all the big elements of the main photo backdrop will be able to be repurposed after the event. The pvc pipe frame can be dismantled for storage and can either be reused for my own future photo backdrops, loaned out to the school, or most likely used when it comes to the renovation of our tiny cabin as ACTUAL plumbing. The 'drapes', in conveniently identical colours to my market tent, will be turned into more of the curtain walls I need.

With these things in hand and waiting out the rain that continues for a dry day to do some varnishing on the little wooden blocks I have painted to be the balloon weights, I am PONDERING.

Pondering what next for GINGER*URCHIN.

My 100 days is done and what with all the things I wanted to NOT dive in to any long term project as such, but to potter about with the next logical thing that came forward. But DECIDING what that next thing to be, that was being awkward.

Logic is not always LOGICAL it would seem. Or rather, it IS, when you let one's Human Design do its thing.

The mind would dictate, logically, that now I have my Tarology Sessions in hand, the next step would be to develop the next two offers in that 'sequence'. I have already mentioned that I have tried approaching them but they didn't want to reveal themselves much more than beyond the basics. Pushing into them simply made things all the more resistant and so rather than persist, I leaned back and decided that now was not quite the time but to look elsewhere.

Or rather, to be OPEN to what wanted my attention.

What wanted my attention of course was to focus on bringing these various other things to 'completion'. As far as they were feasibly possible at least, pending due dates, materials acquisition, paint drying, etc. And I caught another lovely cold - thanks crazy weather!

Interestingly enough, the keyword that came out of this month's Soul Art School theme of 'The Age of the Artist' for me was PATIENCE.

Patience is a really interesting idea. I guess I could call myself a recovering high-achiever, though that feels kind of ridiculous. What is MORE comfortable is probably referring to myself as being 'a recovering MULTI', and that constant need for the hustle and PRODUCTION!

Sitting on my laurels, waiting for 'paint to dry', is not a natural (or therefore comfortable) state for me. I have ALWAYS found things to do with myself. Not because of any pressure to produce - though that came later for sure - but simply that I had a bunch of ideas and things I wanted to keep myself occupied with. Boredom - the very birthplace of creativity - was, and IS still, EXTREMELY short-lived.

But, much to my frustration (hello, HD not-self) life does not always keep up pace with me - if it rarely EVER does. It embarrasses me to say it has taken this long to appreciate where this is coming from and if a big, black hole could open up and swallow me when I think of all the times this has expressed itself as my 'not best self' I think I would be very grateful.

In partnership to PATIENCE - with myself, with life - naturally comes KINDNESS. And by that I mean grace, forgiveness and indeed kindness. To others for sure, but to myself more. Oh, how I wish that hole would swallow me!

And so, BEING in that space of 'waiting for paint to dry', is OKAY. I do not need to rush and fill every gap in my day. Multi-tasking, while it can indeed be extremely useful and indeed BENEFICIAL to the creative mind and process on the one hand, does not mean there cannot be space for nothing. For BOREDOM. Or rather, not-boredom, but for waiting for the paint to dry.

And while I can always find something to do, that there will always BE things to do, it doesn't mean I have to right then and there.

I can put them on my list. I can mentally set them aside to a block in my schedule when I WILL have time for them. And them ALONE. Without distraction. They will have SPACE. In the meantime I get space. To breathe, to focus on the things that are directly in front of me.

Right now I am in a space of tying up loose ends. Bringing to COMPLETION that which can be. Later will be time enough for the next.

The tools I am using

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 09 Jun 2022 18:22:00 +0000

::

Over the last 100 days I have slowly been adding tools back to my kit in order to run this show in the most simple and easy way I can. I am not into elaborate MEGA tools that have everything including the kitchen sink. It's all very well getting these mega tools but if you aren't yet ready, or even know IF you will use them it seems a lot of power is going to waste.

I am more of a 'it does what it says on the tin' kind of creature who will add things to my kit as the need arises or find new ways to get the most from the tools I DO have. While it may seem necessary to get the coolest new widget in the playground - oh the fear of missing out - sometimes the simplest tools are the best choice, even if they are a little 'crusty'.

That doesn't mean I do not want to create a gorgeous experience from the front end or use tools that drive me nuts in their operation, but most of the technical kit is for the folks in the back room not the audience in the front, and if something gets the job done with the least amount of hassle then isn't that what we all want?

Anyways, my 'kit'. I say I am adding things 'back' as need arises, as I literally wiped the slate clean with this space starting from scratch to pick up the tools that I actually needed to fulfil certain actions. What follows is my list as it currently stands.

I am gathering it here so if anyone else wants to see what I am using at this point in proceedings, they can. For some reason it always seems to be a question that comes up and I know for myself there is a certain fascination in going 'behind the curtain' to see how the magic happens.

So folks, PREPARE TO BE AMAZED!

*in case you are wondering, there are NO affiliate links to these, I am just sharing what I am using because I am happy with these providers and would recommend them anyway if you were to ask me what I use - I say this because, you know...

::

BLOGGER ⁠— I have written more about my choice to return to Blogger here, but the quick and dirty is that it is hands down my first choice and recommendation for anyone wanting to begin and grow their blogging journey. ANY platform is only ever as 'amazing' as the person behind the screen's ability +/ resources to make it so.

CALENDLY ⁠— super simple scheduling tool I am using to auto-book tarology clients. Not only can potential clients select their date of choice, the system allows me to ask some short intake Qs on booking without having to redirect them elsewhere. Paired with Google Calendar, it automatically populates my schedule with appointments and reads when I do not have availability. Hands-free.

ETSY ⁠— long time home of my handmade arts and crafts. While it has changed a lot since I first began there (pros + cons) I still find this the best platform for selling such items. And despite having a VERY laidback approach to this area of my business, its innate functionality means that it organically brings enquiries to me many times a month.

EVENTBRITE ⁠— similar to Etsy in so far as its marketplace design, again this is an easy way to reach folks I wouldn't normally and who are ACTIVELY looking for events and activities. I chose this outpost as it meant that folks from a variety of social platforms could gather on 'neutral' ground, automatically dealt with all the payment processing, and allows me to automate event missives to the email list of attendees it gathers without having to have a special list for them elsewhere.

GOOGLE SUITE ⁠— which includes Google Calendar, Docs, Email + Forms. This great leviathan of a tool links my schedule (so long as I update it) with Calendly, hosts documents I have created offline for sharing and allows me to create surveys and feedback forms of various kinds. Forms can be set to auto-collect email addresses and collates responses into files I can then use for research - such as when I conducted market research interviews and literally typed in responses as we talked.

KABOOMPICS, PEXELS, RAWPIXEL + UNSPLASH ⁠— I have lumped these altogether as they essentially all do the same thing: provide gorgeous free stock photography. Lots of folks use Unsplash, a close second is Pexels and I have definitely noticed some duplication of contributors between these two. Rawpixels has more of a focus on paid, what I call 'corporate' stock, but there are still some good free images on there I can work with. Kaboompics is predominantly an independent provider, mostly from the work of it's founder, Karolina Grabowska and has a number of more unique images I have enjoyed using.

LINKTREE — first introduced to me when I was on Instagram and the problem of having just one out link spot, Linktree allows you to have a list of links hosted under one. So all your most important links are all in one place making your outposts look that much smarter and eliminates the dilemma of 'which link shall I promote today?' You can name the links however you wish so things are (hopefully) obvious for visitors and turn them on or off as required - say for when an offer for your once a year event comes around - without having to rebuild it each time.

MS PUBLISHER ⁠— because I am very old and have been using computers a long while at home for business purposes I am fortunate enough to still have access to the old Microsoft Office suite that we bought way back when and still use for everyday purposes. Part of this previous version included Publisher, Microsoft's version of desktop publishing tools and for the most part outside of actual media and publishing houses was (and still is to a big extent) the go-to for everyone else. So far (touch wood) I have been able to transfer it across between devices and have used it to create all manner of pdfs and documents that require something a little more visually interesting than a Word document.

PAYPAL ⁠— for all my payment processing needs outside of Etsy and Eventbrite. Allows me to create the html code that link to specific products +/ services and redirect to the next step in the payment-purchase sequence. ALSO, I recently discovered and am considering it allows me to create QR codes that folks can zap with their smart devices to pay direct.

PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS ⁠— another of the older, non-subscription apps in my bucket and originally purchased to indeed edit photos - it's primary function. I still use it to do that, but also to create all my visual graphics and mock-ups such as seen here in the sidebar.

SKYPE ⁠— for all my live video calls, both individual and with groups. Group calls are free and unlimited for up to 100 people, can be recorded for download replay, and fun (or at least professional) backgrounds can be added if that's your thing. So far I have not had too many technical hitches - most, if not all are related to tech and connectivity rather than app-specific issues. I live in a relatively remote area, but for the most part calling long-distance international is reliable.

SNOWBALL MIC + GALAXY 'BEANS' — paired together these create a private and clear link on video calls as well as during audio recording that doesn't make me sound like I am calling in from a toilet. Nice.

TINYLETTER ⁠— lastly, Tinyletter is the SUPER simple version of Mailchimp (which I have also used in the past) that I am using to host my 'waitlist' - for occasional and as needed news updates on latest offers and events. While I have experimented with newsletters of various content types in the past, I have kind of come to a point where what I want to read and get updates about is what my audience also want with an emphasis on keeping overwhelmed inboxes as clean as possible. For now Tinyletter helps me do this with it's one basic, non-segregated list and super simple writing interface.

So there you are. My CURRENT list of apps and tech I am using to run this show right now.

As you can see, I do not believe things have to be that complicated - sure there are a lot of things going on there, but it does not necessarily mean the only answer is a Goliath piece of software that has more bells and whistles than you actually need. That idea is more good marketing and shiny than reality for the most part and a conversation for another day. While not glamourous, sometimes the best answer is the SIMPLEST one.

Anyways, in the meantime I hope you find this list useful, or at least entertaining.

'til next.

The 100

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 02 Jun 2022 17:05:00 +0000

Today marks the official last, and 100th day of my initial 100 day experiment in this space. I shall no doubt carry out more 100 day intuitive experiments, but for now this brings to close the first chapter here and the start of the next.

I am not ready to dive straight into another 100 day stretch just yet. At the moment I do not know what question or goal I have that would be a good focus for such. So I will leave that to arise as and when it does.

For now I am going to explore the latest topic theme from Soul Art School - the Age of the Artist - in so far as 'deep things to ponder'. There are many other things in this space and outside it that I want to work on that are of the pragmatic variety and I shall busy myself with those for now.

So yes, this is a time for not so much reviewing what I have done and what decision to make - that is something that has evolved and become apparent through this past 100. It is not a case of CHOICE, but of following the path laid out. If there ever was a choice, it was right at the beginning in that moment of knowing something was out of place with things and a course correct needed to occur. That other experiment was complete and the next evolution just needed to become clear.

This here is that.

Pick your poison

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 25 May 2022 20:54:00 +0000

::

It has been a while and I am getting to the end of this 100 day experiment. I have been engrossed in things offline. Life has been busy. Whenever I have thought of this space I have not known what to write or how to tell it. The busy has been the output.

I have been busy swinging between requests from my Etsy shop, personal and family events and this space, but also stuck in a stalemate of hovering. Things to do but also so far off their needing completion I am holding back from taking action in many ways. Which has caused much tension between wanting to take action while feeling like I also don't have to be just yet and should focus elsewhere. This conflict of indecision I see now is what allowed these other 'noises' to offer themselves up for attention. Remember that unwavering focus?

"Where attention goes energy flows; where intention goes energy flows." -- James Redfield

I have tried tackling the elsewhere - in this case the second of the three bespoke offerings I want in my suite of things. But that has also felt stuck - partly because although the logistics are known, the actual guts of the thing feels elusive, but also I wonder if the reason it does not want to yet make itself clear to me IS because this thing that I DO have energy and focus for is taking my attention away from it.

Spirit knows where it needs to flow. As it were.

::

So, how to face this?

The answer is SURRENDER.

Surrender to the thing that wants my attention. My focus. My enthusiasm. My joy. Even though it is not needed to be complete for some time yet, the bug to resolve it is in full presence and will not release me until it is done. Go down the rabbit hole of this thing.

After all it is a part of the whole and while feeling like a distraction is not so off-topic that it does not progress the whole. Just not where I was originally thinking I would focus at this time. Follow what IS true. Not what I would want it to be or think it SHOULD be, but what IS. RESPOND to what is calling me. What IS coming up. Isn't that the true strategy of a Generator?

And so, a list. One of my trusty SNAGGING lists. The 'thing' is this Halloween market. More precisely right now, my booth and brand design for it.

THE LIST:

~~canopy/tent - after looking at some gorgeous festival tents I decided to go with this one for the better height clearance it it gives me~~
interior curtain wall - black + white stripes constructed from black + white fabric cut into strips, resewn + formed into large curtains fixed along foot with wire + ribbon ties to the tent frame at top
exterior black + white bunting to go around top edge - made from fabric off-cuts of curtains, requires sticky-back tape to adhere to tent
flooring - going to be in a 'field' in autumn so a tarp + 2x large outdoor area rugs will create a more comfortable atmosphere
~~string lights - battery powered~~
possibly 1/2 other additional lanterns - like this one
~~1x string of bells/small set of windchimes~~
~~1x large round table for conducting readings + 2x chairs~~
~~1x smaller round table for sign-ups + information~~
~~1x mini 'chalkboard' sign with offer details + price~~
~~1x policies + disclaimers notice in black frame~~
~~1x clipboard~~ + sign-up sheets for prospects to book a timeslot
~~1x pillar~~ + feature decor to add height to the overall space
~~1x wooden easel + canvas~~ for exterior signage - have yet to finalise the design of this, but I have begun preparing the base with lots of black paint
business cards - I found some that actually look like mini tarot cards which is rather neat, I just need to finalise the design + order a batch
coupon stickers to adhere to biz cards for those that do get an event reading with discount for a full session reading of their choice
~~gold glitter alpha garland - I am not offering my garlands for sale, but that doesn't mean I can't have one on display with my own messaging~~
2x table cloth covers
vendor costume - ~~thermals, socks, black boots, maxi skirt, black jacket, wrist warmers, scarf/shawl~~, black feather shoulder wrap, top hat

*items crossed out are those already complete, the ones not are those still works in progress

Originally and still in the first instance I am looking at taking cash only at this event for readings, but with a little further research I am also considering the option of taking virtual payment via QR code in addition. It is super easy to set up I believe via my payment system, as opposed to other mobile payment options and why I am even entertaining it at this point.

I am though still just warming up to the idea as I am not entirely sure about this option as to how I feel about it. While I get the whole 'convenience' thing of doing things digitally and of it POSSIBLY meaning I get business I may not otherwise, there is something visceral and on-brand with the actual exchange of cash that feels really important for this type of service. Maybe if I was selling some other thing - such as my handmade garlands - then I wouldn't feel quite so weird about it. Anyways, for NOW it is good to know it even IS an option and oodles of time to make the decision.

So that is my list. And where I am at with it. Right now I have the tent set up in my garden so I can play around with the set up and resolve any construction or design issues now. As MrB said, better to be figuring it out now with five months to go than in a field with only five hours - give or take. As it is we have already discovered and resolved a big issue I would have had with my original plan for the curtain walls. So you know, spirit KNOWS!

Carry on.

the Tarology Sessions

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 17 May 2022 18:14:00 +0000

Busy, busy. Head full of busy.

After that flurry of activity early last week I have been caught up in some offline family and personal things which kind of side-lined progress here. I have however finally set up the waiting list for the various offers that have yet to come and those things that are already in action but are awaiting their next session.

Mostly though, caught up in the momentum of the prospect of my first market, I have been working on developing the tarology sessions offer and first of three private and bespoke offers in my basket. It feels really good to have confirmed what they look like and am excited to begin offering that as soon as I can.

For now the Tarology Sessions will be solely hosted online. Either by email or through Skype. But I do hope, and PLAN, to offer a limited number of in-person sessions to those physically local to me from the Spring next year once our tiny on-site cabin is renovated. Inspired by a conversation with a friend about what I have been up to, I have decided these in-person sessions will also include a short tea-leaf reading at their conclusion as an added fun bonus.

All I have left to do is to finalised the payment links and connect the dots so the path is complete from home page to booking confirmation.

I am actually really enjoying this time to soak into this aspect of myself, but I am also noticing how much it drains me and that I also need lots of time to rest and NOT do. Anyway, now most of the brain work is done I hope I can flip-flop back to that downtime. It's an interesting energetic.

Onwards!

#GIRLBOSS, redux

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 09 May 2022 17:51:00 +0000

Looping back to my earlier commentary on #GIRLBOSS, by Sophia Amoruso now that I have finished my read I thought it would be good to highlight the key takeaways and insights that got my attention and that I would not like to forget.

Interesting too to do this now that much time has passed since it's original release and the story has become part of current lore on how we talk about online business. What new things might this book have to say that haven't yet reached my ears and can still offer new perspective on my experience?

#GIRLBOSS kindly reminders, truths and insights:

"...believing that capitalism was a scam... I've instead found that it's a kind of alchemy. You combine hard work, creativity, and self-determination, and things start to happen. And once you start to understand that alchemy, or even just recognise it, you can begin to see the world in a different way...

"When you approach everything as if it's a big, fun experiment, then it's not that big of a deal if things don't work out. If the plan changes, that can be even better. There are secret opportunities hidden inside every failure...

"I think that part of the reason Nasty Gal has been so successful is because my goals were never financial ones. I believed in what I was doing... I cared as much about the process as I did about the results. No decision was too small... I treated everything with the utmost care. At the time this was because... I'm the kind of person who pays attention to something as small as a crooked shipping label. In hindsight, I see that it's those small things that can make or break a business...

"If you are frustrated because you're not getting what you want, stop for a second: Have you actually flat-out asked for it? If you haven't, stop complaining... sometimes putting it out there is as simple as just saying, "Hey, can I have that?"

"One of the best things about life... is that sometimes it will take you to something that is way cooler than anything you would have consciously set out to do in the first place. I never had one particular goal or dream that I was working towards; all I knew was that I wanted to do something awesome, and was open to whatever shape or form this awesomeness took... All that flailing about, trying new things and finding out that I liked some of them and hated others, ended up amalgamating into something very real and very meaningful...

"...you have to leave room for the universe to have its way and play around a bit. Don't get so focused on one particular opportunity that you're blind to other ones that come up... If you let yourself meander a bit, then the right things and the right people fall into place... If something's not working out... go after something else for a while. That's not giving up, that's just letting the universe have its way...

"I never started a business. I started an eBay store, and ended up with a business. I never would have done it had I known it was going to become this big... Had someone shown me the future of where Nasty Gal would be in 2014, I would have gasped in revulsion, thinking, 'Oh hell no...' Nasty Gal would have surely failed had it been my goal to grow a business to the size that I have today. When you begin with the finish line in mind, you miss all the fun stuff along the way. The better approach is to tweak and grow, tweak and grow. I call it the incremental potential...

"I would have never accomplished what I have had I felt forced to choose between my creative talent and my business acumen. At Nasty Gal, I'm the CEO and creative director, two titles that are rarely on the same business card - but what no one seems to talk about is that business IS creative... [Whether that's] choosing an investor [or] reviewing collection samples. I have as much fun hiring people as I did with a camera in my hand."

All in all, #GIRLBOSS the book is as much of a romp as the tv series that hooked me. Reading it now as a retrospective captures the moment in which it was written very poignantly in the life of Sophia and her career.

Some folks are enthralled by her, others are so not into her to the point of being quite anti-her. For me though, her story - or rather the Nasty Gal chapter - is compelling as much as it is inspiring. I can see a lot of myself and my journey in her story too and, yes, I would like to have a little of her vibe for myself. I can see why others are so drawn to her.

But for now that is as far as our paths will likely cross. The people we admire and are magnetic to reveal parts of ourselves, pieces and glimmers of our potential. In many ways, looking at these connections IS looking in the mirror that other means are more muddy to see. Our aspirations and muses illuminate our dreams for ourselves, demonstrating our potential and possibility.

We can spend so long looking outside of ourselves for that perfect strategy or plan or cool thing that will solve everything - that evidence that what we desire can happen so we have the courage to commit. A proven path. But in this game of creative business, when building something that IS new and has NO precedent, looking to these lighthouses - not for what they DID, but what they represent - IS all the proof we need. It is not the business that matters, but who we are BECOMING in the process.

We just have to decide whether to pick up the gauntlet.

*GIRLBOSS, by Sophia Amoruso (affiliate link - see ETHICS for details)

The 'almost there' harvest

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 08 May 2022 19:22:00 +0000

::

Sometimes, oftentimes, when I am stuck it is because I have too many tabs open, as they say. My head is full of busy, repeating stories, like a needle stuck on a record. The BEST thing to do in this situation is to put my ducks in a row. And by that I mean conducting a 'harvest' of the past however-long so I can pull the threads and find the story that wants to be told.

Harvesting was something I was first introduced to me by Lisa Sonora through her Creative + Practice art journalling course. I never really got into the art part of the journalling - I was already a morning pages girl by then, but had the idea I wanted to be more 'arty' in my journals - but the HARVEST process she introduced was very useful. And I have used it and taught it to others many times since.

Basically, the gist of it is that you flip back through your daybook, journal, notes - whatever it is that you are wanting to harvest information from - and make a note of the themes, ideas, insights that pop out to you now with fresh, detached eyes. From that summary the concept is the next steps or actions become clear and you can move forward again.

Anyways, so I WAS thinking of waiting to do this harvest at the close of this 100 day experiment - unfortunately the halfway point escaped me as many other things were happening at the time, oops - but the call to do one now so I can finish this round on a strong note kind of got to me AS the next step.

I have now done this harvest and can summarise the insights from this experiment so far as:

building this 'business' organically, over time, in order that my capacity for that growth is built intentionally and with great care, so as to accommodate my trauma-sensitive nervous system
and likewise, rather than using noisy marketing methods, focus on alternative UN-marketing, quiet, and simply not-social-media-marketing
third, that this offering - whatever it is collectively - is that of the JOURNEY itself // that I do not have the answers, only the questions and the theories to test and explore on my way to building this into whatever it is that this wants to eventually be

The core message from this harvest ultimately was 'keep going'. Which, when you are in liminal space can kind of feel like doing nothing but feeling your way in the dark. And maybe that's the biggest lesson of all - TRUSTING that this stumbling will not get me to the other side, but IS the path. Surrendering to the not knowing.

With these thoughts in mind I have been mooting the notion that some of the bigger offers I was going to launch this year may now not happen until next, focusing instead on some of the smaller ones instead. It is all good. They will come in time. For now I am not going to remove them from view unless I feel they are actually obsolete or off-topic. They can stay.

I have also, at the halfway point on the 90-day Journalling Challenge, been reviewing how that is going and the modifications I want to implement for the next round - I am feeling the inspiration to include some guided meditations to support folks experience with it and am looking on crafting something appropriate.

Anyways, that is it for today. Fairly quick, but I wanted to check in so I could feel clear and ready for the next step. As they say: onwards! Ever onwards...

I am not a polymath

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 05 May 2022 19:51:00 +0000

*reposted for better or worse from my Facebook feed earlier today - it feels scary to post this there. Like I am having some kind of mental moment in full view. I worry about whether that is true. Less that others will think so too. Why is it anger, passion vented is so often shut down as these? Why, when expressing something is wrong people don't want to know. Does it touch some part of them that triggers a knowing they don't want to address? Because that is challenging their world view? We block out what we do not want to hear.

Possibly, maybe. Actually I don't care. What I care about is my truth. My experience. That very thing that I keep talking about - sharing my story, my journey, raw, honest, vulnerable, REAL. What I explore and learn and how that impacts my next choice. This is that next chapter.

I AM NOT A POLYMATH

Not a renaissance soul, 'potentialite, scanner, multipassionate, or MULTI of any kind in the common sense of the word. What I AM is SEEKER - to know myself, to know what SATISFIES.

I try a lot of things, I wear many hats, do a lot of things. To see how they fit my life, what is true, and what I can leave behind. I do not limit myself to any set of things, I do not hold onto labels if the label no longer fits.

I am shapeshifter, mercurial one, polyMORPH. I test and pivot - again and again and again. My quest IS the quest, for that is where satisfaction lies - not some end goal, for there is no end. I am both the multitude AND the singular - the shapeshifter AND the status quo.

You want to know your life's purpose? You want to name your 'niche'? You want to find that silver bullet that sets everything straight? You want to catch water in your open hand?

The path IS the purpose - there are no finites or 'sure things'. And I pick that path. You can trust me to be the one that is always moving, always evolving.

Test and pivot.

At least life will never be boring.

*and now I shall allow the dust to settle before returning unto the fray... Onwards!

Not so Multi after all

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 03 May 2022 19:50:00 +0000

When I reinstalled my Kindle in order to read Have Tarot, Will Travel I also rediscovered the few other books I also had forgotten in my tiny 'library'. Among them, Understanding Your Clients through Human Design, by Robin Winn.

I cannot remember WHEN I got this book or why. I definitely haven't read it in it's entirety. But I NEED to revisit it I can tell. At least in part. But first I need to backtrack. I ALWAYS need to backtrack because the breadcrumbs don't make sense until we look back in retrospect.

So the pieces of the puzzle are:

ONE // I am ABSOLUTELY done with the online hustle. It actually viscerally exhausts me to read and see the efforts others are undertaking to run their businesses and brands. And by that I mean just seeing the list of social outposts they have and by extension know that their feeds are this constant stream of sales messaging. Is this what we have come to? This circus of performing monkeys? I don't want to be a part of that.

What's more as I disentangle myself from this this is not a fight with the individual as much as it is one with the symptoms of a systemic cult built by marketers and the perpetual machine that is consumerism. We can dress it up by other names and pretend we have it better, but underneath it is still the same beast. Recently I also bumped into what Rachael Kay Albers had to say and iterate what I have been thinking, here and here. Really it is the urge to dump the whole lot in the fire and let it BURN.

What DOES light me up right now is the prospect of participating in this Halloween market and hosting these live online events, being in the personal interest groups that I am personally interested in, and sharing this space with the people I want to inform what I am up to. Anyway...

TWO // there has been this niggling thought that came to me in my journalling process: what if I am NOT multi after all? This idea that aligning myself with the whole 'multi', polymath, scanner, 'potentialite, renaissance soul, etc, thing, was not because that is my nature, but a symptom of my journey, my QUEST. Which is fine. That does not matter.

What I believe now is that actually this movement of being multipassionate is the REACTION to the whole question of 'niching'. Because as humans we are NOT one thing. Everything influences everything else. All is connected. That is the problem with this cult of BRANDING. How can PEOPLE be products, the same as a can of beans? Because that is what branding asks of us. To become commodities.

*see those vids by RKA ⤴

So yeah, this question of what if I am NOT actually multi - in the assumed sense of the above - but rather this singular on a quest to find what most satisfies? As per my HUMAN DESIGN. Which leads me to,

THREE // a post by Lia Kananimauloa via Irina Prokofieva's group spoke about the symptoms (and potential traps) of being 'multipassionate' and how, if you have an open/undefined head in Human Design you can be highly susceptible to external noise and influence 'inspiration'. Now what I know of HD from my own enquiry is that with an open head the question we have to ask ourselves and the LESSON we are here to learn is: am I trying to answer everyone else's questions, or is this inspiration actually of value?

One step in the right direction is that practice of unplugging from the matrix - HELLO social media purge and blocking out all the business marketing voices in favour of stepping back to blogging and stripping away what does NOT feel good. And in that deconditioning process and peeling of the layers, coming back to the question of, no, actually my quest is something else. Something simpler. Something more basic.

WHAT IS IT THAT WILL GIVE ME MOST SATISFACTION?

It is no longer about "life LEADING me to where I will be most satisfied". That is kind of a hunger that keeps looking for that hit and is NEVER satisfied. Where I am now with this is, how can I be satisfied NOW? In THIS moment? What does that look like?

So lastly,

FOUR // flipping right back up to where we entered this conversation today and the book, Understanding Your Clients through Human Design, by Robin Winn I was reminded of these observations in chapter 7 on Generators:

"Generators are here to find their right work and master it... driven to find fulfilling work. There's a sense of ease that comes with knowing that your life purpose is to find the right work and that your work is your offering to humanity..." - Robin Winn

And there it is: the quest to FIND the thing that most satisfies IS the work. That the journey is what satisfies most. Not finding the thing and that is it, I'm done. But an ONGOING process.

The quest is the work. The journey is the satisfaction.

It's funny, because YEARS ago this very point was made in the class by Dr A J Drenth - that as NP types, (ie Myers-Briggs personality classification) not only are we driven to create a career that is an expression of our true selves, but that we are not designed TO stop in one place. We want stability, but at the same time that is the trap that we resist. Our true nature is, like sharks, to keep moving forward. Finding stability IN the shift.

Spirals and circles. Spirals and circles.

Our past is our future is our present is our past.

Rising star

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 02 May 2022 17:07:00 +0000

My INTERVIEW with Transformation Coaching Magazine is out today!

>> READ

Meanwhile, things are feeling rather topsy-turvy still. My head is fully of busy with this upcoming Halloween Market pulling me to plan it all out.

Think I've figured out how I shall jazz up the basic tent to make it cozy and on theme. Looking also at getting some quick business cards - found one design that actually looks like miniature tarot cards, which is rather neat. And slowly planning my outfit options, though that it really weather dependent and could go right out the window last minute.

Anyways, later!

To market, to market

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 28 Apr 2022 19:49:00 +0000

My world (and brain) is full of busy.

Over the weekend I put my name forward as vendor offering tarology readings at this year's local Halloween event and their new Market Alley. And things have kind of snowballed from there.

As this is the first such event I have ever done in all my years as reader (don't ask why), there is a lot to organise and think about. Gratefully, I found Jenna Matlin's book, Have Tarot, Will Travel, which I devoured in a day - quite some feat for someone who really doesn't like reading digital books. Give me paper any day!

#realbooksforever

Anyways, as with most things, there is ample information online about setting up a tarot business (not really relevant in this situation) and equally tons on how to prepare for a craft fair (again, wrong 'product'), but very little about working festivals as a tarot reader SPECIFICALLY. I found a few, but while they are good introductions to the 'essentials' of working festivals, I really felt like I needed a full walk-through guide because this was more than just having a table, chair, cards and a sign in order to make this a successful experience for all parties.

Fortunately Jenna's book, although I did devour it in a day, is not at all flimsy but nor is it so dense your brain goes numb. It is the Goldilocks of guidebooks for the complete green-fingered at this aspect of the tarot business.

Aside from reading Have Tarot, Will Travel, I have been busy deep-diving into the throws of planning and brainstorming what I shall do and how I shall do it. So far I have planned my booth layout and am excited to do a dry run of that very soon, commandeered an old canvas that will become my main signage, and started planning what I shall wear - remember my closet blitz? I am SO glad I still have some of those 'no-wear' items still.

These are the FUN things though. The 'not-so-fun' things such as the legalities and technicalities of being a vendor are where Have Tarot, Will Travel comes in, one chapter-step at a time. Something that is much needed with a monkey mind in tow.

But it will be FUN! And that, along with supporting local, really is the main reason I put my name down. Unlike the other weekly craft market here, where I am not so sure I have a twist I can put on my work - my Etsy is not something I have or want to have standing stock for at this time - my tarology skills can be a perfect fit for this event. I just hope it is not bitterly cold and that I have the mental stamina for it.

One step at a time though, eh?

Onwards!

*further reading:

Pro tips for reading Tarot at fairs, markets and events

Fool's Journey: so you want to read Tarot at an event

Tips on working Tarot festivals and fairs

Energy work

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 23 Apr 2022 18:11:00 +0000

::

I am not sure how to write this. It is hard to explain. But writing things out, however tricky, IS my way of navigating them. So I will try and hopefully by the end of it things will make sense.

First, a couple things that have been happening in the background:

ONE - I have started seeing a new massage therapist in town here to ease some long-term issues with things. She is awesome and in the first session picked out some even longer-term injury damage that was not healed properly at the time and has basically just compounded ever since to leave me in a state of really bad mobility. Apparently. I mean I KNOW I am super stiff, but like not THAT bad! Apparently I can manage (or have BEEN managing) a LOT of inconvenience. This is important to note.

And TWO - A combination of that insight I had about that interview with Sophia Amoruso in my last post - about her experience when she was suddenly put in a position to quantum leap her business but basically wasn't ready for that leap so it all fell apart - and the reiteration and expansion on that brought to me via a Human Design group I am in and how we can end up in this loop of feast-famine if we do not have the CAPACITY to take on that extra energy when it comes.

Side note: keeping in mind that the first step in integrating our Human Design strategy is to LEAN BACK and see what the network has to bring to us. What APPEARS in our field of vision? What sparks our CURIOSITY and makes us go - well this is interesting...

So this is what I am intrigued by right now. Or rather, AGAIN.

It is something that I have studied before but kind of reached a dead end with it not knowing the next step. Maybe it was just waiting for that to be integrated until the next right time, or for my attention to find it again. I don't know. It doesn't actually matter. What matters is that this thing has come up again and I am being pulled to go down that rabbit hole again.

Whatever.

But what DOES seem to be true is that with this physical realignment process that the massage is triggering (in a good way) it is also triggering a realignment on the energetic level (also good). Interesting that the two things are appearing at the same time. And because of this alignment of things it is making me go, well this is interesting and something for me to pay attention to.

Obviously when you start paying attention to something, the Universe has a tendency to start sending more of whatever it is your way. Or your internal RAS (Reticular Activating System) picks up on this and says, oh hey, she wants that? Let's look for more.

Or both. I kind of like to think that they are the one and the same. A little slice of the Universe that is hot-wired into our biology. Kind of neat. #manifesting101

Interesting too that the RAS is part of the polyvagal nervous system. Which is kind of where all the pieces of my experience come together. Again, all the connections coming forward to form the picture.

So yeah, going back to this thing with the body work and the insights around how we will continue to flip-flop as opposed to making PROGESS in our life, career, business, etc when we do not have the correct FOUNDATION to manage the incoming energy that we are inviting to receive feels VERY fitting for where I find myself.

You see the more I do this circus the more I feel that it's not about being more in tune with my Human Design type or strategy, it's not about 'hustling' or about batch creating, or automating, or creating evergreen and passive income streams, or for that matter quiet marketing or 'un-social' marketing. Because all those things work IF you have the nervous system CAPACITY to support it. They do! I know it.

But fundamentally if your foundation is at capacity with a bunch of unprocessed or released trauma for whatever, and you are basically operating from a high-functioning level of stress because you got stuck there, even though most days you feel really loose and calm, you won't have any more room for MORE energy to come into your experience however much you want it.

You'll get it. But then, it will go away again because that energy just freaks your system out.

Fun times.

I mean, who knows right? There are many reasons why stuff doesn't happen. But right now, I am still in this place of feeling exhaustion and struggle when I think of how far I have yet to go. And, like I said with this body work process and the timing of it and the return of the topic of trauma in relation to this flip-flop cycle, I'm kind of thinking what do I have to lose by going down this rabbit hole? Nothing really.

So yeah, I have pulled out the resources from my library, found one or two new ones in areas that had gaps and feel like I have some things to support me. What's REALLY interesting to me right now and feels like my being intuitively guided to start with is the concept of 'cord removal'. Not cord-CUTTING as I first thought, but the full removal of those energy cords that bind us to the people and events that have had negative impact and that we are ready to let go. To make SPACE. To create CAPACITY.

After that, I do not know exactly. I guess it comes down to seeing what comes up when I get there. This is the art of navigating the unknown. Following the breadcrumbs. Trusting that the next step will appear from the mist as we move forward. Knowing that it will.

Sometimes knowing all the steps we have to take just makes moving forward worse. The shear volume of the task overwhelms us and it feels like a million miles from where we are to where we want to be. While knowing only the NEXT step and not what comes after can be scary, sometimes that is all we actually need to know.

Faith. Trust.

Anyways, so I have an easy reference to the resources that I am currently aware of and tapping into for this process, I'm adding them here in case you want to take a look too. For now I am a beginner in this, so the best place to go is to my teachers:

Energy Cords with Amber Sage
the emotional trauma work of MeLissa Gayle Searles
the nervous system + neuroplasticity work of Irene Lyon
and medicine journeys via Soul Art School with Laura Hollick

Peace.

#GIRLBOSS

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 20 Apr 2022 18:54:00 +0000

SUPER late to the game, I just finished up binging the tv series by the same name. Loving it so much, I immediately ordered the book it was based on and the biography of the chief protagonist, Sophia Amoruso, from my library to binge-read.

I realise the tv series is a "loose, very loose" telling of her story, but I am DEFINITELY more a #girlboss than an Anna 'Delvey', if you know what I mean. Sophia's vibe is my vibe. A little bit shabby, a little bit crazy, and definitely a LOT arty. Not so much the smart, monied type.

I remember, it must have been when the book or tv series came out originally all the noise that it generated at the time, pretty much ALL of everyone I followed at the time was talking about it. But as typical me, if everyone was talking about it I wanted nothing to do with it.

Kind of like the author herself I discover:

"...My first reaction to almost everything in life has been 'no'. For me to fully appreciate things I must first reject them. Call it stubborn, it's the only way I can make something mine - it invite into my world rather than have it fall into my lap..." - Sophia Amoruso, #GIRLBOSS

But now?

Now it has found it's way to me. Completely unintentionally. Not on the bandwagon. And so like her, I am INVITING it in.

Oh the other thing, while I was watching the series my curiosity got sparked, like who IS this 'Nasty Gal' that everyone got so euphoric about? I like to do my research when something really intrigues me, so with a little digging I came across this interview with Sissi Cao at Observer.

There have been tons of interviews and articles about Sophia, GIRLBOSS and Nasty Gal over the years, so I am not sure why this one in particular stood out, but one thing I did read that got me thinking was her experience during the time when Nasty Gal collapsed.

Really it was how when you have this organic brand that grows in one way, to suddenly jump in and switch up how that growth is to happen without that intentional, investor growth background is just not good without the support to get it there.

I kind of got the sense from the interview that really the investors only saw the money they could make, but the brand wasn't your usual high street or commercial fashion brand so to treat it as such was a considerable flaw in their decision-making. Really they didn't understand the brand market so much, as much as it was Sophia's inexperience to jump to that level in such a short amount of time.

So interesting, I thought.

The other thing about this little snippet in the storyline was how it relates to my experience with energy management. What I mean by that is like Sophia, taking on too much of a 'quantum' leap in one go is not good for your nervous system to manage, and just as quickly as it can come, it can suddenly leave you if you are not prepared for that sudden expansion.

It can be one of the causes to that feast-or-famine cycle we can find ourselves in as start-up founders if we have any kind of conditioning or trauma in our history. I'm not saying that was the case for Sophia, but certainly in Nasty Gal's case this 'energy overwhelm' played itself out with the unfortunate bankruptcy of what otherwise I believe would have been it's continued, SUSTAINABLE growth.

And that's really what we're going for here, isn't it? SUSTAINABILITY, not burnout. So yes, even without reading the book, I thought that was an interesting takeaway.

Anyways, #GIRLBOSS. I am reading it with great attention and will keep you posted.

*#GIRLBOSS, by Sophia Amoruso (affiliate link - see ETHICS for details)

The only question to ask

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 18 Apr 2022 18:13:00 +0000

::

Over the weekend I had a small meltdown over the contents of my wardrobe. It doesn't often happen - for the most part I have a minimal wardrobe and selecting what to wear day to day is fairly straight forward. I kind of have an almost uniform. But at the weekend we were going to a family dinner and the sun was out and it was all very spring-like and I had nothing to wear save high summer or deep winter things. Between seasons was all in the wash thanks to some other laundry backlog and all I had left was black everything that made me feel like I was going to a funeral rather than an Easter lunch. Not fun.

And so I realised, or at least felt like, I need to shop and update things. And with this the other sensation that I noticed: I HATE shopping for clothes. Like actual, intentional clothes shopping. I hate the whole trying things on and get really fed up with the whole exercise.

What makes me HAPPY about clothes shopping is what I used to do when I had a J.O.B and that was basically shopping by mail order. Once a season I would get the latest catalogue, go through it, figure out everything I liked and then order. It was all delivered to my door and returning things was super easy, though I rarely did it as I knew exactly what size I needed and it always worked.

Now, here I really struggle to find things that fit consistently between brands. The most success I have had is at the superstore with their own brand, which is kind of basically been my go to now since forever. Because anything else is super stressful and I can't deal with any of that.

::

Anyways, so back to my thing with the clothing crisis. There I was staring at my closet with a bunch of things that I just haven't worn in years, or things that I feel some kind of weird guilt over, or just feel really indifferent about. Like I will wear them, if I have to, but they don't fill me with joy any more to wear them. It's like they fit a different phase in my journey, but now it feels (literally) misaligned and uncomfortable.

So I am looking at this lot, feeling ever more crappy about life and I'm thinking so what to do? What do I wear? And then I remembered Project 333. I have never done the actual challenge, but I did look into it years ago when I was in a 'minimalist wardrobe' phase. I basically took the gist of it, but for the most part anything to do with planning a wardrobe and I just get overwhelmed and freeze. It is not fun for me at all.

Anyways, so I was thinking about this and that maybe it could offer me some hope as to what to do to get out of this fashion funk. So I did a little digging to remind myself of what the 'rules' of the challenge were. Once again, I started to feel that overwhelm rising and stress over even the simplest step of picking my 33 items. And then I found this question:

"What do I WANT to wear?"

And it was GENIUS! I mean, SERIOUSLY! Could it actually get any more simple than that? That is the ONLY question I needed to ask. So I threw on my dressing gown, wrote the phrase of a piece of paper, stuck it up over my closet and went through all the hanging items to make two 'sides' to my closet. One for the things I WANT to wear and the other for the things that I just don't, or can't. Those I covered over quickly with bags.

With phase one done, I pulled out my shelved items and pulled out everything that is a size too small and put the whole lot in a bag for donating. I will at some point do that with what is hanging in bags also. Though I may need an intervention. But I will try not to. Promise!

::

So, how does this story of my being terrible with fashion relate to THIS blog and this 100 day journey, I can hear you asking?

It's okay, I am not about to start talking about how to plan your wardrobe or any such thing - you are quite safe. But what I DO want to say is how this closet crisis and miracle solution are a great lesson to us when we are creating our businesses. Because for all the advice and teachings out there, the ONE and ONLY question you actually need to answer is:

WHAT DO I WANT TO DO?

Tape that one on your wall!

Truly. What do YOU want to do? Not what are you being told you SHOULD do, or not do. But how do you actually want to do this thing called business? Especially a CREATIVE, personal brand-based business.

Because the reality is that no one actually knows what the heck they are doing. They are all just making it up as they go. There are no 'rules', only GUIDELINES as the pirates would concur. For sure there are definitely skills that we need to learn along the way, and seeking the advice and wisdom on those is the smart thing to do.

But don't let the teachings of others take away your own ability to decided how you want to run your circus. After all the whole reason we go down this path is not to follow anyone else's path. So why default to giving that all away? Might as well get a J.O.B if that's the case, you know?

So yes, the Closet has spoken:

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO?

Now go do that.

::

*in case you're wondering, you'll be thrilled to hear I did find something to wear - crisis averted. It was not AMAZING, but it worked. Baby steps, remember...

Collage workshop

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 16:48:00 +0000

Unfortunately I can't exactly remember why I ended up deciding to take this week to dive into a Soul Art process. But I know I was wanting a way to get my next clue on this 100 day project and was looking through the list of medicine journeys available to me as part of my membership to Soul Art School.

I had done this month's theme journey and the decision to work through the collage workshop I guess kind of came out of the fusion of that and my question of next steps. The timing of S being away in the city this week meant with nothing else on my plate it would be the perfect opportunity to spread myself out around the house and make art.

And so that is what I have been taking my time doing this week. The piece itself is finished and now hangs on the office wall for me to keep looking at and taking in. Really the next step is to gather the insights from it and get the messages I need. Right now I am not sharing photos publicly until I have those things, but I know I will be.

Anyways one thing that did come through in the process of doing it was that I have this idea of hosting a collage workshop here in person for a few local women that I know and feel would be a good fit for this. Really like most of the things I do, I want to share my enjoyment and the benefits I find from doing these things. It's all very well to TALK about things, but sometimes SHOWING folks is really where the magic happens. And sometimes offering folks an opportunity to guide them through it personally is really what gets them to take action. I know for myself that sometimes saying you will do a thing, and finding the time to do it can be worlds apart, you know?

A few years ago I tried hosting something like it here in town before but receiving only one interested party I felt it better to cancel the event. Like most small country towns people are predominately VERY traditional and things like spirit and art and personal development are like another language and weird and DANGEROUS to meddle with. At the time I thought that was it, not gonna happen. But it appears I am being pulled to host just such a thing again, just differently. Hence this idea of something more intimate and actually more in the vein of a therapeutic art process is forming.

What I would like is to gather 3-5 ladies in my sunroom here for a 'day' of collage art making. I say a day because that will allow time for the process to happen without a rush. We can do a potluck lunch and I can provide all the materials, though attendees can bring extras if they have them or want to bring them. But I will have paper, pens, magazines, glue sticks, some scissors and possibly a mini workbook for journalling some parts of it. But basically it is super simple and no 'art' skills are required. That's kind of the fun of it.

Making a Soul Art collage is a bit more focused than your typical 'vision board' idea, but at the same time more intuitive and serendipitous. There is no intentional looking for specific imagery, even with an intention for what any particular collage is to be in quest for. You kind of set an intention for what you want guidance on and then let serendipity and intuition lead your choice of images, drawing what your eye is led to in the moment.

Then with all your images gathered you get to see what themes and story is being told to you. Linking it back to your original question, you then get to connect the two for insight. I think it's all kind of neat, and with collage there is no need for painting it out or having any particular art 'skill' as such. It's like tarot, but on a much larger and personal scale.

Anyways, as for this idea that has been brewing, I have an idea who I would like to ask, but no idea as yet as to when this event will be exactly. I'd like to do it on a weekday, preferably when both the boys and S are not around, but that may or may not be possible.

One such lady I was actually able to moot the idea with this week in person, explaining pretty much what I have said here, and she was IN no questions, which is AWESOME. So I am feeling pretty optimistic that others will feel likewise.

The other collage workshop teacher I have found super helpful is Christine Kane - I think I may have mentioned her here before - and so I have a bunch of her materials too that I can work with to help plan out the logistics and such, which is cool.

Really though it comes down to deciding a date to offer it and inviting the people I have in mind to come along. So we shall see.

In the MEANTIME, I need to finish my OWN process with this.

The idea is noted.

Are you committed?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 11 Apr 2022 17:55:00 +0000

::

Well, ARE you?

So I have been running the first round of the 90-day Journalling Challenge, and while the sign-ups have not been huge (which is fine), people HAVE paid to attend and yet they are not showing up to the Sunday co-write sessions. So far. Again this could change over the coming weeks, but...

As I sit there on my lonesome waiting for folks to show up I start to wonder and worry why, and what I can do about it to encourage better attendance. Although these are indeed 'optional' gatherings, I had envisioned to have folks show up anyway so it's kind of disappointing not to. Checking in with attendees outside of the event room folks do seem to be doing the work, so this does appear to be solely an issue with the co-write sessions.

A couple of attendees have sent their apologies for not being there prior, which is great. I can accept and understand that. I am not draconian about this. My issue is with the ones that don't send any communication that they won't be coming. Theoretically I guess they don't HAVE to, but when participant numbers are so few it matters to me that I am not just sitting there like a lemon thinking someone will show up.

Part of the experience is that non-attendees will get to watch any replays in their own time. This is not something I can do though without at least one other present. So it makes things a little awkward. I can't create replays if there are no people in attendance to begin with. The first time this happened I created a separate video of me conducting a writing session - very exciting to watch, I am sure - so there was at least SOMETHING for folks to refer to. But it took an AGE to upload so I don't really want to be doing that every time.

For my part in hosting this challenge, I have made a commitment to show up, ready for action, every week for the benefit and support of attendees. I am IN. Not as and when I feel like it, but I am there every time. This is me. When I say I am in, I am IN. 100%. My word is my bond. And that is the thing I am struggling with around this.

So far participants have received reminder missives 20 minutes prior to our co-write session. I did this so as to not be annoying by sending endless reminders, so I limited it to just that. For me, once I know a thing is happening it's bookmarked in my calendar and I show up. But I know not everyone is like that.

Anyway, after giving it some thought with these first couple of no-show sessions I have decided to add an additional reminder the day before to see how that works. I hope that this is all this is. I don't like to feel like I am dragging people along through this. I like to TRUST that people can be responsible for their own commitments.

But...

Certainly it seems the norm these days to send out a series of reminders regarding appointments and such. I just don't want to be going on and on about it in their inboxes every five minutes, you know? I have been in events where every day there are like three reminders and it gets ANNOYING. I have unsubscribed in extreme cases. So no. Don't want that.

Anyways, I do NOT want to make this a whiny rant about how UNFAIR life is, but think about HOW I can make this experience different. For everyone.

How CAN I get folks onboard with this process? At the end of the day it is important to me that they get something interesting out of this that shifts their view of things. Not just the practice, or the things they write about in their daily journals, but the transformation about how they see themselves and value what they do.

Right now I can start by sending more reminders.

Now if this situation had been a private client who was a first time no-show I have a policy of reaching out with genuine care and openness to say, I'm sorry we missed one another today, hope everything is okay, let's reschedule. That normally is enough to course-correct and set us off on the right track again. I mean, life happens. Things come up last minute. We miscommunicate and double-book ourselves. But most times, I like to think, these things are a one off. We are all human after all.

Then again, there are some folks for whom this kind of behaviour is 'how they roll'. And frankly it's not healthy for them or respectful of others. For if they are not following through on their word in one area of their life, then there is a high probability it's happening all over the place in their lives. And it causes CHAOS. It certainly causes distrust.

WORDS HAVE POWER

I mean, we all change our minds over things. We sign up for things that turn out to be not what we expected. We say yes to doing stuff because it sounds shiny and exciting in the moment or because to say no makes us feel guilty to disappoint others. And there is some awareness training that needs to go on here so we do less of all that, so that we CAN be more reliable.

So that our words have INTEGRITY. So that if we sign up for things, PAY for things, things that we know are important to us on SOME level, we don't flake out the minute it gets uncomfortable. ie. DOING the work.

The habit of daily journalling is interesting. It gets us to look at why we don't show up for ourselves, why we don't stand our ground and follow through on our word. It brings up all our inner gremlins of why what we do doesn't matter, why others' needs are more important than ours. It dares us with, 'what might happen if we actually DID this thing?' It asks us, what are we running from when we go back on our word to ourselves?

It is not the blank page or canvas that scares us, that frightens us away. But the what if we FACE the page and do the work? What 'horrible' consequences might ensue? What 'dark' truths might we have to confront? And that's where things get interesting.

Crow

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 06 Apr 2022 19:31:00 +0000

::

So although I put this down as a possibly-maybe thing, as I have let this idea sit it has grown on me some more and I feel like I would like to start exploring this idea of working with animal medicine as guides to the path. Explore it now to see how feasible it is. So an EXPERIMENT. Not a forever thing, just a test. Depending on how things go, I may or may not continue. I mentioned CROW in my list of things that were calling my curiosity to explore, so it seems just as good a place to start as any.

Crow is definitely a creature that I have had lots of 'time' with. They are ALWAYS in sight and hearing of my home here and over the years I have gathered quite the collection of their feathers, using them for a variety of art and 'spirit' work. So yes, they have always held a certain magic and affinity to me.

To begin this journey I guess I need to first start by looking at what I do know about this creature, CROW. And by that I mean, putting aside all that I THINK I know and rather than IMPOSING, allow Crow to teach me. What medicine does Crow carry? What lessons can Crow share? What insights, and therefore what HEALING can come from this?

To begin-begin I will go back to basics starting by referring to my trusty copy of Ted Andrews' Animal Speak and existing medicine lore. What, HISTORICALLY can Crow tell me? What breadcrumbs can I start the trail with?

A little aside on this, knowing as you do how much I advocate for independent thinking - so the REASON I am putting my thoughts to the side and going back to an external source is to look at this data with fresh eyes. To have a foundation from which to then compare and contrast my own findings. So that what is written by others can be the hypothesis and my own research can prove what is true, for ME. To discover what the medicine of Crow is for me, using what is understood as a foundation is a good a place to begin, even if the outcome is very different. Start with what you DO know or have access to and then follow the breadcrumbs. Just in case anyone thinks I am being contradictory here.

::

THE MEDICINE OF CROW*

My notes:

"the secret magic of creation is calling"
CROW was believed to be so smart that it decided to stay a crow rather than move on to some other area of evolution - this REALLY stuck out to me as speaking directly to my current experience of direction-finding, the desire to come BACK to myself rather than pushing forward to something that is probably someone else's idea or ego desire
being that they eat almost anything, are highly opportunistic, taking advantage of openings as they appear, CROW is highly adaptable + able to survive no matter what happens - reminds us that resources (+ opportunities) are ALWAYS available to us
the colour of their feathers is that of CREATION, the womb from which the new is born + that in medieval alchemy it represented the initial state of substance, unformed but full of potential
from their favoured nesting position the top of trees they can see all, this watchful, sentinel nature enables them to recognise possible dangers + give warning - reminds me of my personal HD profile as the Hermit/Role Model + being able to observe from OUTSIDE before interjecting wisdom, seeing the big picture to spot the gaps
in addition, from this high vantage CROW is said to have particular weather awareness which reminds us of how we too can adjust life to the winds of change
particularly fastidious in their own nesting care, when working with CROW to keep my own environment clean + clear
well-known for its complexity, their voice + vocal range is diverse - their ability therefore to be among the most proficient communicators is something to explore + learn from them
in lore they were said to be the companions + messengers of the gods carrying information between the realms + therefore having direct connection with the universe - a conduit for transmission

Above all, the most significant insight from this introductory investigation is simply to stay where I am and REALLY get to know everything there is to know about THIS place - become the EXPERT in this step of the journey.

So here we are.

I am not sure how this 'helps' in so far as what to respond to exactly, other than seeing the mirror that this is holding up for me right now. Reflecting what I know and am doing. So maybe the lesson is simply that where I AM is exactly the right place to be right now. Does that mean that this is the satisfaction that I seek?

I have to remember that human speed is not Universe or even EARTH speed. Finding and coming to terms with that is a massive struggle - balancing that human sense of urgency with the multitude of moving parts needed to be involved with manifesting whatever it is. Navigating that. Fitting the things in we wish to accomplish in the thin sliver of time we are given.

Ack!

::

I am suddenly reminded of Isaac Asimov's book, Foundation, and the initial character of Hari Seldon who sets up 'Foundation' knowing full well that he will not see the outcome of his life's work, but doing it anyway, trusting that those that come after follow the path knowing that it is the ONLY choice will.

So yeah, that.

For now, I only have NOW and am also reminded of another wise thinker, who said:

"But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us." -- JRR Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

*source // Animal Speak, by Ted Andrews (affiliate link - see ETHICS for details)