Elle était grise

Translation: She was grey.

“Being grey” means being drunk.
In a 17th Century French way.

Giggle Tip #2 – SMILE!

Below is a little video
I happily created for you.
Hope it makes you smile…

P.S.: I LOVE YOU!

In case you haven’t seen it,
here’s Giggle Tip #1 – Talk to Birds

Think BIG!

Putting the Law of Attraction to work:

My PayPal button BEFORE

My PayPal button AFTER

Bring it on!!

to you

from me

Secret 1 – Acknowledging Your Creative Self

So now I’m a whole MONTH behind.
No sweat — remember the tortoise?

Geez… that building has quite the inclination.

I’d like to have a professional opinion regar- ding why I always lean towards the left when I draw. Pisa Syndrome? Political influence? Brain tumor? Oops, cancel that last one = bad Law of Attraction.

But I digress. Back to The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women and my views on chapter 1.

I think the creative process is not
about creating something else;
it’s about the process itself
creating who I am.

Here’s what could explain my tardiness to get down to business: lately, I’ve been thinking that maybe, just maybe, I’ve come into my creativity — whooppee — and that I don’t need to do the group activity with Jamie’s gang.

Good thing I wrote about this dilemma in my Morning Pages; I quickly realized I still have loads to learn from great creative minds such as the ones who share their secrets in Gail McMeekin’s book, not to mention Jamie interviews other great creative minds each week (excellent podcasts!), and group members add their insights as well. So lots of food for thought and fodder for the hungry muse.

And speaking of food for thought, a morsel I found particularly nourishing is when the author recalls her years of dealing with chronic fatigue syndrome and how this brought her to, in her words:

These words resonate with me BIG TIME.

My limitations — at this point in my journey — are stress related.

Now that depression is a thing of the past, I’m happy, I’m healthy, I’ve never felt better in all of my life. But, there’s no way I’m going back to a 9 to 5 job. Nor will I return to freelance work because of the deadlines and the pressure that goes with it.

Another stress factor: when I go out — on the street, in the metro, around people in general — I can “feel” everyone’s energy. By energy, I mean their pain, sadness, anger, or whatever stuff is eating them up. So, of course, this drains me, and I often find myself eager to go home, in my safe bubble, and play.

Yes, play.

I’m finally giving myself permission to let go; to not care what people think; to not feel guilty for being 58 and not having a pension plan or any other plan, for that matter.

I’m giving myself permission to not EVER do anything that goes against my true self.

That “true self” I am birthing is a creative, playful,
curious, daring, silly, sometimes awkward person.

One that likes to dream and make dreams come true.
Even if it means eating toasts and soup all year round.

Gail McMeekin says it best when she writes:

For many women, fears, particularly concerning money, can be a major obstacle to taking creative risks.

For so many of us, breaking free of our societal and psychological chains is a prerequisite to truly creating a life that expresses our genuineness and uniqueness.

and…

As I undertook to transform my life in midstream, I began to look for the mentors of advanced creativity. Who were the best role models of successful creative women? Why this gap of information and stories about women who use their creativity to create products and services and support themselves successfully with their talent? Who succeeds and how, were my questions; I wanted a thoughtful road map.

I had heard from so many women over the years that self- employment or careers in the arts were “impractical.” I knew that the average writer in this country makes a subsistence income and faces increasing competition. Yet, every year women publish books, design clothing, create pots, and begin businesses, and I wanted to know what separated the women who do from the women who just dream about it.

Now, some women are also running multimillion-dollar businesses. Although many of these women are in partnership with their husbands or fathers or inherited the businesses, an increasing number have done it on their own. That kind of monetary achievement and level of responsibility is not everyone’s definition of success, though.

Other creative women earn just enough to support their needs, choosing lifestyle and balance over income. They, too, are successful — but by their own parameters.

In conclusion, darling readers,
I choose lifestyle, balance, AND income.
Creativity + Law of Attraction = $UCCE$$