creative summer kids project

i wanted to find a fun way to help encourage my son to keep practicing his reading and writing through the summer months. inspired by all those blogland postcard swaps, i decided to set up a summer swap for him. i thought this was the perfect way to keep in touch with friends, be creative, and send (and recieve - because who doesn't love getting mail?) a little snail mail love.

we made our postcards out of recycled cardboard packaging, like empty cereal and snack boxes. these were perfect for collaging and embellishing and made our recycling pile a little smaller too! then using our class list from last year, we plan to make and send a card to each friend. it is a wonderful and quick project you can tackle in small increments, so the task is not tedious or overwhelming. i invited his classmates to participate, and we are all looking forward to peeking in our mailboxes all the summer long!

july sponsor giveaway

this month's sponsor giveaway is especially yummy! susannah conway, amazing writer, photographer and inspiring creative soul, is gifting to one lucky winner this beautiful 8x8 cupcakes of happiness print in addition to a set of 6 lovely cupcake postcards.

in addition to being a fabulous contributor here in the wishstudio (stay tuned next month for her first column!), susannah has recently launched her new website where you can read her blog, sign up for her inspiring unravelling e-course ~ the next one starts in september, and visit her full-of-goodness online shop.

to win this giveaway, take a peek over into susannah's world and then leave a comment for her on this post. entries must be made by the end of the day on august 1st, and one random winner will be chosen and announced on sunday, august 2nd.

musepreneur :: don’t go it alone!

by jennifer lee

As a creative, independent spirit you may be used to doing things solo. No one else can do it quite like you can, right? I have no doubt that you’re the perfect person to do what you’re passionate about. The core of your business should be doing what you love. However, that doesn’t mean that you have to do everything on your own. If you are bearing most of the burden, I bet that you often feel burnt out.

Not only can having support help you focus on getting the important things done, it also helps you maintain balance as well.

Support comes in many forms: pro bono or paid for, friends or freelancers, advice, accountability and a devil’s advocate or brainstorming, encouragement and simply listening. Get clear on what type of help you need for what pieces of your business. Perhaps you need expert guidance on how to set up a blog or Quickbooks. Or you may just need a group of friends to give you feedback on a new workshop you’re creating.

Action: Make a helping hand wishlist of all the things you need help with in your business. Also, consider other areas in your life where you could use support, too. For example, I love that I can actually get work done while someone else is cleaning my house!

Below are a several suggested structures and resources to help you get the help that you need:
Find an accountability buddy. If you’re looking for an easy, no-cost way to get some help and to help someone else, partner with an accountability buddy. This is someone who you meet with regularly either in-person or on the phone to report on progress, talk through issues and celebrate successes. A typical meeting might last an hour with each person having 30 minutes to share. As you look through posts and comments here on the Wish Studio you might happen across someone you’d like to buddy up with. Reach out to her. You never know what might happen!

Corral your creative cohorts. A group provides a similar structure to an accountability buddy, but because there are other musepreneurs, you’ll get even more support and several different perspectives. Meet regularly in-person or over the phone (get a conference call line at sites like http://www.nocostconference.com/ or http://www.freeconferencecall.com/). I have the good fortune of being part of such a group, which one of the members lovingly coined our “Nurture Huddle.” We do a 90-minute call every other week and rotate meeting facilitation. We share personal and professional challenges, celebrate successes, ask for ideas and feedback, and name our commitments for the next call. We laugh often and learn a lot!

Create an Advisory Board. If you want a more formal structure dedicated solely to your business, create an Advisory Board of designated experts who can guide you in growing your business. Check out this helpful article on creating an advisory board from Entrepreneur magazine.

Conduct a focus group. Perhaps you need targeted feedback for a specific project. Instead of shooting in the dark, gather members of your target audience together (or even just some friends if you want something more casual) to test your ideas and offer suggestions. Here’s a great article on how to conduct a focus group.

Hire a coach. When you want 1:1 support with achieving your goals, consider working with a coach. Through various stages of my life and business, I’ve hired different coaches. They’ve been invaluable in helping me to transition from corporate to entrepreneurship, develop products, work on my book and so much more! Ask around for referrals or search for coaches at the International Coach Federation or The Coaches Training Institute.

Find a mentor. Mentors will take you under their wing and show you the ropes. They have more experience than you and can offer wisdom and insights. I found a mentor through Twitter! I searched on Expressive Arts and found Chris Zydel, only to discover that her studio is 10 minutes from my house. Be on the look out for potential mentors. Take a class and see if you click with the teacher. Ask a former collegue out to lunch. For more tips, check out this great Ladies Who Launch article on how to find and work with a mentor and also Findamentor.org.

Outsource tasks. I cannot tell you how many tears I’ve shed over Quickbooks. In the beginning I had the bookkeeping under control but after awhile I ended up with a big, ugly mess that sucked up way too much of my time. I learned from that mistake and invested in a bookkeeper. What’s the thing that drives you crazy? What tasks require expertise? Where will delegating free you up to focus on doing what you love? Ask for referrals, or search on sites like Resource Nation or Elance.

Barter with the right person. If you’re strapped for cash, bartering can be a great way to exchange products or services with someone else who can benefit from what you have to offer. Make sure that it’s a fair trade, that both parties are clear on the terms and that you get it down in writing. Check out this great article in Real Simple about how to barter, for creative trading ideas for work and home.

Action: Choose at least 2-3 things from your helping hand wishlist and identify at least 1-2 ways you can get support for each one you selected.

Bonus points: Based on your list, reach out to someone today and ask for the help you need.
Running a creative business can be challenging. And it can also be lots of fun when you invite others to play with you!

*Musepreneur and certified coach Jennifer Lee, of Artizen Coaching, is the creator of the Right-Brain Business Plan. She loves yoga, painting, reading and hanging out with her husband and dog. She blogs at Life Unfolds.

a creative day in the life...

Hi everyone! Marichelle from Heart Handmade here! First of all, I'd like to thank Mindy for inviting me to be a part of this wonderful site - what an incredible resource! I began blogging almost 2 years ago. I went through a divorce around the same time and it spurred on lots of other changes in my life. I think it made me reassess all facets of my life including my level of happiness in the workplace. I decided to leave the world of corporate America shortly after. I decided to capture my journey and began a personal blog - Lifeflix .

Initially I planned on opening a small gift shop in the city but decided to hold off last minute. In hindsight, it was probably a good decision to hold off given the current economic climate. I then began crafting and opened my first Etsy shop. After contacting numerous bloggers and having no luck at getting any mentions, I decided to start a second blog - to help promote independent artists like myself. What started out as a side hobby has become a full-time project.

Heart Handmade has grown into something that I'm really proud of and after just a little over a year, readership has been steadily climbing. I'm currently working on a new exciting project with one of my favorite bloggers, so stay tuned!

I've always enjoyed reading "A day in the life of..." types of posts, so here's a quick look at what a typical day is like for me...

1. My boyfriend (aka Hillsy) and I have been waking up really early lately, 5:30am for our (almost) daily run. We go early to avoid the heat/sun.


2. I've started to pack Hillsy's lunch - we save a lot of money this way!


3. Time to water the plants! We're desperately trying to grow grass and I'm officially the grass seed feeder. I also love checking our other plants and vegetables to see how they're doing.


4. Time to for my morning coffee! I can't start working until I've had a sip of coffee. I spend most of the day glued to my computer. I work on my morning posts for both Lifeflix and Heart Handmade. I check my email and go at it until my inbox reads zero. I spend the rest of the afternoon organizing and creating future posts.


5. Depending when I remember to eat, I usually have a big bowl of yogurt with granola, apricots, pistachio nuts and honey.


6. Most of the time, I need to take a break from the computer and I head over to the craft center a couple of feet from my desk. I either work on some crafts for my shop wunderlust.etsy.com or pack orders if I'm lucky to have any.


7. Around 6pm, I head down to the kitchen to clean up and start prepping for dinner. Depending on the day, I sometimes drive down to the station to pick up Hillsy. Most of the time he walks home, it's about a 15 minute walk from the train station. I finish cooking, we have dinner together and catch up.


8. After dinner, we usually watch a little TV (on Tuesdays and Wednesdays).

9. I usually end the day with my laptop on my lap and blog some more. Checking gmail and planning tomorrow's day.x

Marichelle's blogs :: http://www.hearthandmadeblog.com/ :: http://www.hearthitech.com/ :: lifeflix.blogspot.com twitter :: http://twitter.com/marichelle my shop :: http://www.wunderlust.etsy.com/

editor's note :: a labor of love

"tangled" ~ mixed media on canvas

through the years i have found that my creative process centers greatly around expressing myself as a way to meaningfully connect with others. wanting to share a certain feeling or a sentiment is what most inspires and motivates me to create. so often my art is born out of a poinient life experience, or the celebration of a beautiful moment, or honoring a significant milestone, or even just simply sharing a common thread. always, my creativity has been very personal as well as purposeful in this way. this is also evident here in the wishstudio... how i enjoy putting shiny little gems out there that might evoke some shared sense of passion, emotion, validation, and inspiration in others. this is the greatest reward i can think of for my creative work.

yet so often my artful quest has led me to that crossroad of creativity and money - trying to find that balance between getting paid and doing what i love the most. it is a place that i have yet to find perfect harmony. i have learned through many experiences that i am simply not a mass producer of art, or a teacher of one technique, or a purveyor of any one thing. i am a multitude of changing creative facets and outlets all driven by the desire to create meaning for myself and others, more so than i am to turn a dollar. that's not to say that there will never be a time or place for me to make a living from my creativity, but i know now that when that time does come it will flow from this path of creating from authenticity. creating as work is infinately different than working to create.

i heard alicia paulson once say in an interview that she mostly gets paid for her art in joy and happiness. this really struck a chord with me, and i completely get her perspective. i have found that it is most important for me to create in this way... as a labor of love, for this is where i do my best work. i am often wonderfully surprised by what lies hidden, what doors open up, and what joy is uncovered by embracing my creativity simply for it's own sake.

ordinary sparkling moments :: conversations

by christine mason miller





Although I have been thinking about my next book for many weeks, jotting down notes and digging into past blog entries for inspiration, it is only recently that I could say I am officially making it real. At the beginning of the year, I knew this was the year I would begin working on my next book, but I consciously took to that road slowly, wanting time and space to let it come to life organically. I took an eight week writing class in January, had a vision for the theme of the book on a trip to New Zealand in March, brainstormed story ideas in April, organized files for the book in May and now, in June, I am spending the bulk of my days doing research, writing and sketching out designs. There are no other major projects, shows or deadlines on my plate and the rest of my summer is devoted to one goal: Creating the best book proposal possible.

In addition to doing the work of writing, thinking and designing, I am also trying to create space for the book to reveal itself to me. Every once in a while, no matter where I am – in the shower, on a walk, fixing coffee in the morning – I stop, hold my palms together like an open book, and envision what my book would look like if it were sitting in my hands. I try to imagine how the book feels, smells and grabs my attention. Is it heavy? Are the pages bold and colorful or subdued and sepia-toned? Do the images make me want to run through a field or cozy up by a fire? Does the book sing or speak in a whisper? In other words, what is the personality of my book and how does that want to be expressed?

This is the fourth book I have worked this diligently on, but the first time I have used this tactic as a way to uncover what kind of book is still hiding in my sub-conscious like a butterfly in a tangled garden. Each book – two of which were published, one of which was absorbed into other projects – has had its own unique process of being brought to life. As an artist, I can fully appreciate how much this makes sense, but there is something that feels especially magical about this current book’s journey, as if the book is already finished and out in the world, and all I need to do is find it and put it into a form that will enable the rest of the world to see it. I’m just the worker bee, and my task is to serve the dream of the book. When I open my hands throughout my days and evenings, I am inviting the book to speak to me, to flutter its way into my hands and show me what it wants.

I open my hands so the book might appear, wanting to initiate as many of these exchanges as I can so I create the book that most urgently needs to spill out of me this time around. With any dream, I always experience a moment when I know the dream is with me and ready to take the lead, but it usually arrives long after I’ve started doing the work. With this one, the dream is closer than it is has ever been this early in the game. While this feels exciting, it also feels delicate, as if any sudden moves might scare it away. And perhaps that is why I came up with this gentlest of approaches to visualizing this next book – standing still, opening up my hands and listening. All the lists, story ideas and brainstorm exercises are helpful, of course, but it is in these quieter moments that I get the clearest vision of what it is I need to create – these moments when the dream lets itself be admired, and I allow all the time in the world to soak in its beauty, memorize its details, and get to work.

creative adventures {one hour of creative bliss} :: farmers makets

article and photos by alex de sousa

Before I transitioned to working as a photographer full time, I struggled to find time in my busy work schedule to actually improve on my craft and build a foundation for a life change. At a certain point though, I realized that I needed to commit at least 'one hour' to my creative bliss, 'one hour' to feed my soul and get in touch with my spirit. It was 'one hour' a month, that turned into 'one hour' a week, that turned into 'one hour' a day and now it's turned into a ~ full day! On a job that required me to be at a desk (usually on the phone) or in meetings (leading folks) fully on my game, 5 or 6 days a week, between 8am and 8pm (when I was lucky to leave early!), I realized that my only chance at that 'one hour' of bliss was to take a real "lunch break" outside the office, not necessarily to eat either, but to 'just be me'.

And so I started my 'one hour' game. There was no way I could deny myself just 'one hour' in my entire week. I made it happen by saying 'No' to a few too many social lunches and also by rearranging my errands, in order to free up at least 'one precious hour', in which I could do something in the light and in the direction of my dreams.

The farmers market was ~ and still is ~ a favorite 'one hour' adventure! It's a 15min to drive each way, so I can count on 30 delightful minutes among vibrant colors, sweet smells and people who lead a life completely different than mine (that is always so inspiring to me!). It's a good place to people watch, make up stories and photograph. As my friend Manuela said to me the other day, "At the farmers market everyone is happy!". Perhaps you have a rocking grocery store near you, but it's not the same. At the store people are usually in rushing mode, getting through yet another to-do list, already thinking about where they need to be next. On the other hand, at the farmers market, even if you have a shopping list and limited time, it is easy to get lost chatting with local organic farmers, browsing the stand of the lady who sells crazy hats or savoring a juicy peach sample. Gotta love the fresh samples!

So in this space at the Wish, I'd like to recommend 'one hour' adventures to nourish our creative spirit. In the upcoming month, I invite you to play along and find a farmers market near you for a delicious 'one hour'. You are worth that time! One hour in one month is really not that much time to dedicate to yourself. I encourage you to bring your camera, but feel free to bring your sketch book, your journal or just your appetite for life! :) Then, just watch how much more creative energy you'll have afterwords.

I created a flickr group for us called GYPSY WISH. Wishing you 'one hour' of creative bliss! Please join and share your adventures with us throughout the month. Hopefully by the end of the year, as we look back and relish in our 'one hour' adventures, we'll be proud of giving ourselves that time, and we'll be feeling even more alive and awake in our lives!

Are you in?

tranquilology :: ethos

by kimberly wilson

“Delight in the little things.” – Rudyard Kipling

Wondering how to live life fully while juggling to-dos, taxes, and tantrums? Tranquilology is about living a joie de vivre lifestyle by weaving spirituality, creativity, do-gooding, entrepreneurship, and style with tranquilty. Let’s explore a few of my favorite gems on how to live fully and flairfully:

Ooze creativity. Write your to-dos with a sparkly pink pen. Use colorful, die cut post-its over yellow squares. Create a blog or podcast to share your work with others. Use colorful file folders. Write your goals on colorful note cards to hang on a polka dot ribbon from your corkboard or wall. Choose a different route to work, savor the change of scenery. Spend your lunch hour reading or writing for fun. Listen to a different genre of music. Stay up very late or get up way early. Make up a new-to-you yoga sequence. Choose bubbly over bland. Sign up for a crash course in sewing, knitting, hip hop, soap making, or public speaking. Go on a hike. Gaze at the stars. Slurp the whipped cream off your hot cocoa. Take a mini-vacation with journal, sketchbook, or camera in hand to your local park, museum, or botanical gardens. Do things differently.

Bring flair to everyday wear. Cut your hair. Twirl your hair and pin it with bobby pins. Wrap a scarf into your hair. Wear a skirt over your yoga pants. Add a block of color to your basic blacks. Choose scarlet lipstick. Tie a scarf around your waist. Carry a brown and blue toile umbrella. Wear pucci-inspired goulashes to brighten up rainy days. Tie a scarf around your purse. Choose a bright pink handbag that combines function with fun. Shop a vintage, thrift, or resale store for a unique find. Wear leopard print stilettos. Don vintage bangles. Channel your inner Chanel with a long strand of faux pearls.

Be a do-gooder. Share your knowledge and expertise with the world by speaking, volunteering, or starting an online community. Recognize the interconnectedness of all beings. Notice how your actions affect the world. Time and money are valuable commodities. Choose wisely. Remember birthdays. Give tokens of gratitude. Smile. Changing the world starts by changing ourselves. Reflect on a cause close to your heart. Spread the word about it. Note ways in you can make this cause part of your everyday life. Throw a chariTea soiree (free toolkit at hiptranquilchick.com) to raise awareness. Label yourself an activist. Green your daily actions. Reuse. Reduce. Recycle. Simplify. Plant a tree. Be a mentor. Be the change you wish to see.

As the Kipling quote reminds us, delight in the little things. What are five simple steps that you can take this week to ooze creativity, incorporate flair, and/or do-good? Tranquility is found within and can be easily accessed by staying connected to what brings you pleasure. Let go of what drains you. Make micromovements toward the life you desire. Poet Mary Oliver asks, “What will you do with this one precious life?” I ask, “How will you infuse it with tranquility?” I hope these simple suggestions give you fodder for moving forward and infusing more creativity, style, and do-gooding into your everyday. Namaste.

wishmamas :: by boho girl

by denise lynette andrade

photo by deb schwedhelm

The timing of becoming a mother was not at all how I always imagined it would be but in retrospect, was so absolutely perfect to what I needed.

I am a new mother at 37 after 4.5 years of dancing through a fertility journey and embracing adoption to build our family. Besides being one of the most amazing human beings I have ever met, my son Cedar was so very wise in knowing that his mommy needed time to figure out what kind of artist she wanted to be; a Photographer of artists.

Not too long after I made the decision to explore this path of capturing the spirit of an artist through my lens, we received a call from our adoption consultant about Cedar’s birth mom.

I am sharing all this to say how ironic that as soon as my art begins to soar and make sense and thrive, another life altering path comes into my world; Motherhood.

I am so very grateful that during those 4.5 years of my fertility journey, I was able to devote a lot of time to my creativity. It all unfolded slowly but perfectly and in between all of the tears and the pain and the longing for a child, I discovered my true self and learned how to listen to my heart. Vulnerability and the constant space of feeling raw is such an inspiring place to be when it comes to creating.



I took photographs. Many, many photographs and eventually learned that whenever I photographed an artist, everything just seemed to flow and feel so Zen and so me. But it took time to get there. Time that I otherwise may have not been able to devote to if I were to have gotten pregnant when I wanted to in the beginning.



So here I am…a Photographer of Artists, getting gigs that blow my mind. I was also approached to write a book about my journey. I am also in the process of creating a soul lifting eCourse very connected to my journey. But oh my gosh, my baby needs to be fed every few hours and changed and loved and played with and adored and snuggled and, and, and…the day has turned to night.

My dream of a rock star of a child is finally in my arms and of course he is my first priority and of course, I am enjoying every morsel of this time. So, I struggle…struggle with the part of me that is still a HUGE part of me, which is my need to put my art out into the world.

I had to come to a place of breathing and letting go and being very gentle about the whole process. It has taken me 7 months to organize a plan with my husband where I devote time away at a café once a week to work on my writing projects. I also choose days during the week where I write during his naptime but also allow myself to sleep when he sleeps if I need it or clean when he sleeps if the house is driving me mad. I make sure to schedule photo sessions during times that work for our family. I was pleasantly surprised how flexible my dear clients are about me and my new mommyhood. Most of my clients have ended up reading my blog and learn my story. That has helped so much with them honoring my need for a particular schedule.

As a Virgo, I have had to let go of my need for all things to feel within control. As a new mom, I have learned that it is impossible to predict how my days are going to unfold and plan accordingly. I am slowly learning the balance. I am allowing myself to be as flexible as my heart can be, hoping to avoid those emotional breakdowns that comes from not fulfilling those other parts of me that I need to nurture besides being a mother.

photo by tara whitney

I don’t have all the answers as it always changes but what I do know for certain is that café time and nap times are MY time and I embrace this. I am also grateful for a supportive husband that is happy to bond with our child, while I drive to Los Angeles to photograph a dreamy artist!

creative solice in the kitchen

by suzie ridler

I was 29 when I found I had a disabling illness. The doctor said, “The good news is it isn’t fatal. The bad news is, there is no cure.” Just like that, I knew I was going to have to learn how to cope living with chronic pain and fatigue. Finally, I knew for sure I had fibromyalgia.

This illness demands you walk on a tightrope in life. You must do enough to tire yourself out but not too much because any second you can get hurt and be immobile for an indefinitely period of time. You are also on constant medication for the pain and to help you sleep, which means you are always fighting to concentrate, to remember, to really be present now while your body is always hurting.

When I got my diagnosis it was right after I left my last job. I had even tried working from home but it did not matter where I worked, the pain was too much to do anything for more than short periods of time. I could not make a living anymore and was devastated. My entire identity was invested in my career and now I was at home and had no idea what to do with myself.

Food for me at this time was something I knew very little about. I would just throw uncomplicated things together and was never satisfied with what I created. To be honest, I found food totally boring. So we ate out of boxes and cans a lot, more than I would like to admit. Food was a chore, something I was not very good at putting together and going into my kitchen felt so daunting after a long and hard day at work.

Then I realized, I wasn’t working any longer. I was home, all the time. I could do, well, anything I wanted in the kitchen. I could learn about food, why some things work and others don’t. Really study recipes, try new foods and not make the same boring meals night after night. I had time to cook. I even had time to...bake! Baking was completely alien to me. Brand new territory.

While fighting off depression as a result of losing my professional identity I found a new one: Suzie the Foodie.

There are many reasons why I turned to my kitchen for solace:

I love homemade food. There is no comparison between homemade bread and what I pick up at the grocery store. My strawberry rhubarb pie is a completely different entity to the pies that come in a box and have cookie crusts, not real pie crusts. If I am going to subject my body to fat and sugar, it better damn well be worth it.

It is something I can do. Recently I was out in my garden using a special tool for seniors to help them pick up dandelions and for the next 24 hours I was curled up on my couch on pain killers moaning. It made me realize that the fact that I can do anything in my kitchen is a complete miracle since just about everything else puts me in traction. Of course I can not work for long periods of time in my kitchen but for a little while my day is filled with the scent of bread baking in my breadmaker, garlic roasting in my oven and there is a crisp and bright scent from the red peppers hovering in the air after being chopped up for a stir fry. I did that. I made that food. I may not be able to pluck a dandelion out of the garden or drive a car but I can make unforgettable dishes.

People love it. My husband in particular is spoiled rotten! To see him so happy eating dinner with his favourite dill bread on one side and chicken with mushrooms and pasta on the other, makes my heart swoon. To have my in-laws squeal with delight at my sugar-free cinnamon buns, pure joy. To stop by my neighbours’ place with a plate of cookies after they have come home from a difficult day’s work at the office, so rewarding. There is no doubt that good food is made with love and to share it with other people and brighten their day makes me very happy.

Tools I recommend for the kitchen:

Many of the culinary creations I have come up with would never have been possible without special help from tools in my kitchen. For those who are new to the kitchen and/or have special needs, here is a great place to start:

A good knife. I mean a GOOD knife. A heavy, full blade, super-sharp knife like the Santoku knives you see all the chefs on TV using. There is a reason. This will make your life better and so much easier. I know people are afraid of big, heavy and sharp knives, goodness knows I was, but ever since I was given one by a dear friend I have hurt myself less often than when I was working with unsharp knives, fighting with them to cut through sweet potatoes and squash. Start with a high quality large knife and then get a good quality pairing knife for hulling strawberries and segmenting oranges.

A blender. With a blender you can make sauces, milkshakes, smoothies, salad dressings, soups...you name it. A large bottom blender is best but any blender will make your life so much easier. This one is a no brainer which is why almost every household already has one but in case you don’t...

A hand mixer. I bought a Better Crocker hand mixer for $20 and with it I have made meringues, bread dough, cakes and cookies. If you want to take your baking to the next level, a hand mixer is a quick and cheap way to make life in the kitchen less painful. I have mixed egg whites by hand, trust me, buy a hand mixer. You can also use it to beat egg yolks in a bowl over simmering water for making custards, much better to let the machine do the work.

A breadmaker. This one is not mandatory but if you live with chronic pain and love fresh bread, please, do yourself a favour and invest in a breadmaker. I can not believe the difference it has made for me. Instead of being in terrible pain kneading my cinnamon bun dough for 10-15 minutes, I just put it in a machine and hit the dough cycle. Yes, I would prefer to make everything myself but this one is not negotiable. Making bread from scratch is too physically painful for me. The only complaint I have heard from people who own breadmakers is they have had to hide them or else they will just keep eating all that bread. As far as complaints go, I can live with that one.

KITCHEN TIPS

I am very accident prone because of my fibromyalgia and am constantly cleaning up mess after mess. As a result, my Mom shared a great tip with me for the kitchen. She told me to get a little cotton rug and put it where I stand the most often in the kitchen, the place where an accident is most likely to occur. Not only has this saved me from having to suddenly wash an entire kitchen floor numerous time (since I just throw the rug into the washing machine), this has softened the fall of many breakable items enough to prevent them from smashing glass everywhere. Thanks Mom!

Get a blast shield. That is what I call my husband’s karate gi that he gave me. I do not have a chef’s jacket but it is very similar in that it gives me full-body coverage. It has saved countless articles of clothing from food blowing up all over me. I did mention that I am accident prone, right? It does not have to be a karate gi, just something that covers and protects your clothes. Most aprons don’t cut it, they are too optimistic about how messy we can get in the kitchen.

Do not be afraid to try new gadgets. If they make your life easier, go for it. They are worth the investment. My most recent favourite gadget is my lime squeezer. I have very little hand strength and live with hand pain but this gadget makes getting every little bit of lime juice out of a lime easy.

Use unusual items for your kitchen. My favourite kitchen decoration is the popcorn bowl I bought with my BC friend Colleen. I use it to store all of my kitchen utensils and keep it right beside the stove so everything is handy. Every time I look at that bowl it makes me happy and reminds me of having fun shopping with my friend. Make your kitchen your own with your own memories and unique items. This is your space.

Decorate your walls. Many people just leave their kitchen walls blank and cover their fridge with photos and magnets. Why not frame your photographs and put them on your wall? Why not take a photograph of a meal or dessert you are so proud of and showcase it in your kitchen? Then people will come over and ooohhh and aahhhh and when they found out you made that? Think of how impressed they will be. Think of how happy you will feel looking at your own food creations on your own kitchen wall.

Most important tip: have fun. If it is not fun, there is no point. The more joy you feel working with food, the better your food will taste. Give yourself permission and time to not rush, enjoy the process and savour the food.

ADVICE FOR FOODIE NEWBIES

Try your best not to get discouraged. I know it is hard. I have to work on this lesson on a regular basis. It takes time to figure out what a recipe is telling you to do. And you know what? Sometimes recipes are WRONG. Especially if you download them from the internet, nobody was proofreading the copy. Perhaps she meant to right down 2 tsp and not 2 tbsp of an ingredient. As a result, I go to established professional cooking and baking sites and start there. I abhor wasting food and I do not eat what I do not like so every recipe I select is an investment for me. And for you!

It takes time but soon you will be figuring out what works and what doesn’t work for you. Best of all, there comes a point where you just start trying new things and seeing what happens. That is where food in the kitchen becomes super exciting, when you become the food expert.

Food is never boring. There is always something to learn, another cookbook I just have to study. A new ingredient is always around the corner. My kitchen is filled with adventure. I travel the world through food. I have tasted China, Thailand, Italy, Greece, Latvia, England, the Pacific Northwest, Mexico... all in my kitchen. When you live in a place that gets snow half the year, you want to escape and I escape through food.

Not only do I escape the cold, I escape the pain. Yes, it is always there whispering through my muscles and sore spots that it will never leave me but when I stand in my kitchen meditatively slicing up carrots for a slow-cooked red wine beef stew, the voice becomes quieter. I know that in a few hours I will have a home-cooked meal made with love, not rushed, given time to develop and just be, bubbling away on my stove. That meal will have existed because of me and what I can still do.

blowing bubbles in a concrete jungle :: a joy rebel’s take on getting away from it all

by brandi reynolds




Now, I don’t even pretend that I have all the answers but there are a few things I know for sure.
One of them is that getting out into nature is one of the surest ways to connect with our inner voice. I know I speak for many when I say that life can get so cluttered that it almost seems that you can’t draw breath.

That’s how I was feeling this past weekend. There is so much going on at my job, in growing joy rebel photography, in connecting with so many fabulous people in the blog world that I lost perspective. Even small decisions seemed unmanageable.

So I was up early on Sunday morning and it hadn’t quite reached 90 yet (I live in texas) so I decided to take advantage of the more ‘temperate’ weather while I could and head to the lake.

I consider myself very fortunate that I live 5 minutes from a wonderful body of water. The city’s parks and recreation department maintains the lake and surrounding areas well, providing nature, bike and walking trails and scenic places to take a load off. Color runs riot this time of year with flowers and birds and boats and early morning bikers in bright jersey’s everywhere.

I packed my camera, a journal and pen and water bottle and set out to my favorite spot by the water. It’s an old campsite on a small bluff looking over the water’s edge. From a rock under an old tree, I sat and felt all the stuff of life melt away. I took a few photos, wrote a bit, sat a bit and watched the butterflies pass by me. After awhile, I grabbed my things and trekked back to the car, sweaty but happy, centered and able to focus on my day.

I think there are several reasons that nature is such a balm for us. One is that we ARE nature. We are just as natural as the squirrels and mesquite trees. We come from the same stuff. In this modern time, however, we have so far removed ourselves from the natural world that it now seems that nature is this separate thing. We are here in our air conditioned homes and nature is something ‘out there’ that we visit occasionally. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not giving up air conditioning (I would die. Seriously.). But I think when we can get past our walls, we remember and connect with what we come from, even if we aren’t consciously aware of it.

Secondly, our all our senses tune in when we are out in nature. We feel the sun, hear the birds, smell the water, see the flowers, and taste the wind. We are fully engaged in the experience. In some ways, I think just being outside can be a meditation. If we focus on all we are sensing around us, the clatter in our minds naturally falls away.

And then of course there’s the beauty in a flower or the worn grooves in a fallen log or a bird in flight. My experience seems to suggest that we humans are hard wired to appreciate beauty. I love that after 33 years of living, I have the same wonder at a flower blooming as I did when I was a kid. And I’m completely confident that in 33 more years that wonder will still be with me.

I don’t think we have to travel far and wide to find the beauty in and connect with nature. A local park or lake, your garden in your back yard, a small grove of trees in the neighborhood. All can nourish us if we are still long enough to let it. So if you can, get out into nature this week and see what it has to say to you.

Until next time, rock on joy rebels!

*Brandi Reynolds is a photographer and joy rebel living in Grapevine, TX with her infinitely patient husband and two rescued furry souls that drive her nuts half the time. Join the joy rebellion here.

embracing butterflies :: embracing beauty

by stacy de la rosa



When I first started to think of ideas for what I wished to call this column, my mind began to wander to our earliest memories. I started to think about where our personal journeys begin and how they are first created as children. The paths we choose to follow as adults are often in response to those we began as innocents.

One of my earliest memories as a child is of a huge Marigold bush in my great-grandmother's backyard. This flowering bush exploded with bright orange and yellow flowers and was usually filled with bright orange and yellow butterflies as well. I was utterly fascinated with this flowering bush that provided a safe haven for these butterflies and could watch them for hours.

As a little girl, I spent a lot of time at my grandmothers since my mom worked a full time job to support both of us. I could usually be found in my grandmother’s backyard trying to capture these gorgeous creatures, every once in a while actually catching one. I would always let them go, but during that moment when I was gently holding this fluttering splash of orange and yellow in my hands it always felt like some small victory. I would be awestruck with wonder as if I had actually captured the essence of beauty for one fleeting moment.

This memory got me thinking about how these images of all these shimmering butterflies, which seemed somewhat out of reach at times, affected my own journey. I noticed that even now, in my adult life, I have always been one to seek out the beauty in everyday life.

My goal with this column is to help us embrace our individual, spectacular, metamorphosis into our own butterflies.

I would like to begin this week by embracing beauty itself. I remember years ago spending time with some sweet friends. We were talking about our dreams and goals and my one friend had shared with me that she realized her passion was quilting and she was exploring that pathway for herself. She then said something that has stayed with me for years. She said, “I have recently begun to accept that it is okay for me to surround myself in beauty.”

Sometimes, somewhere along our path, some of us are led to believe that we don’t deserve beautiful things in life. Perhaps this happened as a child. Perhaps somehow we got the idea in our head that we weren’t good enough, pretty enough, smart enough, popular enough, deserving enough to have beauty in the same way others do. We may have even started to believe that doing so somehow made us selfish. We may have attached guilt to having beautiful things and ask who are we to seek beauty when there is so much suffering in the world? I have felt this way in my own life.

Whatever the reason(s) that it may be hard for some to embrace the idea of living a life filled with beauty know this to be a truth: Your dreams, your goals, your journey in all its messy glory, your simply being is all beautiful and deserves to be indulged frequently regardless of any obstacle on the pathway that will ultimately appear in life.

A piece of music which transports, a golden sunset, the laughter of children, a delicious meal shared with friends, a piece of art that moves us to tears, those shoes you have been eyeing for weeks… beauty heals us.

Let us begin by embracing the simple idea that it is okay and necessary to surround ourselves in beauty.

For a simple exercise to get started embracing beauty, try this: For the next month, commit to bringing fresh flowers into your home. If money is tight pick some wildflowers, pluck some stems from a lavender bush, or even gather some aromatic herbs from a garden. Scatter them around so they can be seen in areas where you will see them often: on your nightstand, in your bathroom, next to your workspace.

I like to break up bouquets of farmer’s market flowers and place them in mason jars, wine carafes, tiny silver cups from Thailand and vintage bottles. This is a ritual both my husband and I have embraced and is a sweet and simple reminder to embrace beauty in the everyday.

Next month we will continue to explore embracing beauty by giving a voice to our dreams.


Stacy de la Rosa likes to play with words and pictures. She makes jewelry designed to empower and encourage others at her shop Bella Wish. She is taking baby steps on launching her next creative endeavor, Cupcake. You may also find her at stacydelarosa.com

introducing our creative soul life coach... answering your questions each month!

Creative & Meaningful Living…
by: brenda stanton

Hello everyone!

I am so excited to be part of this community and am honored that Mindy asked me to blog alongside such an amazing group of accomplished, creative women. I am a creative soul life coach which means I work and empower women who have beautiful, creative souls, yet may let mental muck and old programming hold you back from stepping into your greatness and sharing your creative, meaningful art & work with the world….I was inspired to teach, mentor and inspire other creative, entrepreneurial women through my own need and desire for Freedom! Freedom from my corporate j.o.b, my past programming and the imprisonment of old belief systems. My main motivation every day, and my mission for my work is, to help women transform any past pain or hurts into purpose, and help women obtain Freedom not only through a beautiful life-style and creative business venture, but through their own feelings and everyday state of mind. Inner peace, contentment, and abundance is your birthright, and it’s about time you Claim Your Worth!™

My monthly column, Creative and Meaningful Living, is intended to help you get unstuck, motivated and believing in yourself and your capabilities again. The questions I best help with are on your ‘interior workings’ , the mucky muck and inner critic whom works on overdrive to make you believe you can’t, or won’t achieve your dreams.... these can pertain to your inner and outer fears, comparing your work (or yourself) to others, feeling like a fraud or imposter when you think about stepping out, and learning to trust yourself and Spirit. General questions about your creative goals and living a creative life are also of course welcome!

To send me a question, simply click on the email link on the sidebar, and write 'ask brenda' in the subject line. All questions will be answered and may even appear in my column (unless you ask otherwise), so stay tuned each month!

I am excited and honored to help you step-out and Claim Your Worth™!

Lots of Love,
Brenda

Brenda Stanton is a teacher, mentor, and inspirer for creative entrepreneurial women and leads creative business weekend retreats, workshops and strategy sessions for her clients. She writes an inspiring and thought-provoking column Note Worthy which you receive in your inbox every Monday. To receive your complimentary subscription to Note Worthy visit: www.brendastanton.com

creative compass :: stop! don't start where you are!

A Creative Living Companion by Jamie Ridler

It seems like such a reasonable thing. When planning a new project, a new career, a new adventure, it only makes sense to start from where you are right?

Wrong.

Well, not wrong, exactly. There’s really never a wrong way to start. But here’s the thing. When you start from where you are, you are limited by the current view. When you look out onto the horizon, imagining what’s possible, you can only see to the next hill. From where you are, you can’t help but take into account life as you know it: the amount of money you have in the bank, the supplies you have in your closet, the people you already know, the skills you’ve already mastered, etc. And starting from there, you can only stretch as far as those resources will take you.

With this approach, when you’re deciding whether to go back to school, you look at your bank account, your bills and your commitments to determine whether it’s possible. And of course your current situation and resources don’t fit the new plan. They weren’t designed to. They grew to support the way things are right now, not the way you want things to be next. Know that when you commit to something new, you will start redesigning and creating a life that supports the new “way things are.”

For example, before you were a mom, you didn’t have lists of babysitters at your fingertips. Before you travelled outside of the country for the first time, you didn’t know how to get a passport. But you learned. You gained knowledge, resources, skills and connections that helped you get beyond the limits of what was present to take you somewhere new. You’ve already done this literally hundreds of times. You will do it hundreds more. So why not do it in support of your wildest dreams?

What if you forgot the how and the now and just imagined what would be thrilling, fulfilling, spectacular, memorable, incomparable? What if you gave yourself space and time for some serious daydreaming, imagining that anything was possible? In a world where you could do anything, what would you dream up for your project, your business, your life? Would you travel farther, reach higher, risk more, take more time, touch more people? Would you pursue the same thing at all or try something entirely different? What do you want to do?

These days there are lots of messages out there reminding us to get present, to be where we are. And I know what I’m saying may seem to be counter to that that but really, it isn’t. It’s just a simple reminder that instead of focusing on the ‘now’ of our situation, we can be present with our spirit and discover what she most wants to do. And if you let your spirit take the lead, instead of your circumstances, imagine the adventures you’ll go on!

*Jamie Ridler is a creative self-development coach and director of Jamie Ridler Studios. She can be found at http://www.openthedoor.ca/. Jamie is currently leading a group of over 100 bloggers through Keri Smith’s Wreck this Journal. It’s never too late to join. Find out more at http://www.tnc-wreckthisjournal.blogspot.com/.

wishmamas :: on creative work and motherhood

by Jen Lee

When my artist friends are deliberating about becoming mothers, I don't say, "Oh, just go for it--it will be fine." I know this dilemma well. It took me five years to make my decision--to choose motherhood--and I wasn't even doing creative work before I became a mother. The decision to begin writing and travel down a creative path came out of the kind of moment I've often had since becoming a parent: I wouldn't take this risk for myself, I would just settle for something here. But I will take this risk for my girls, because I want them to know anything is possible. I want to show them how to find and follow dreams. Now my creative work and my mothering are intertwined like a double helix.

There are greater demands on me as a parent than there were before--physically and mentally. I have so much less solitude and silence, and that has chafed at times. I find ways to build-in solitude, for my mental health as much as for my work. When my husband worked in an office, this meant that I left every Thursday night to go to the Chocolate Room. I could write, or read, or just stare at the wall--whatever I needed. Best of all, I could watch the humanity all around me without distractions and interruptions. Sundays were my day off. Still, I take Sundays to go on artist dates, go to yoga class, eat a meal alone, and then when I come home at dinner, I'm happy to see my children and ready to dive into another week.

I adjust the demands I make on myself at different stages. Pregnancy was really tiring for me, and I was working another part-time business when I was pregnant with my girls. I didn't write hardly anything, and at night my arms were too tired to even knit. So I just let myself off the hook and gave my body what it needed from me--rest. When the time came to return to my knitting and my writing, they were right there waiting for me. Not even a little bit rusty. With both girls home, I get less done. When my oldest is in school, there are fewer words for me to listen to and process, and I have some free time during the youngest's afternoon nap. When they're both in school, I'll be able to do even more. But I don't think about that too much--I reserve that thought for when I really am feeling down--because I don't want to live in the future or wish away the place I'm in right now. I know I will miss this time with them when it's gone. My loved ones are changing with each passing moment, and I don't want to miss seeing them or loving them at any step of the way.

My husband works from home now, and because neither of us have a commute, we've been able to carve out even more time for me to work. I get studio time from 6am to 9am, while he does the morning shift with the girls and takes the oldest to school (a four-block walk away). Then his studio time is from 9am to 6pm, and we have the evening together as a family. We eat dinner together most nights, and then we enjoy rowdy play time with the kids before bed. Our children are soothed by routines, as are we. Everyone knows the bedtime drill. Brushing teeth, going to the bathroom one more time, and then a bedtime book and tucks under the covers. They learn when it's time to be wild, and when it's time to rest. My husband and I learn when it's time to be alone and working, and when it's time to be together and present.

There are challenges to being a mother when you're doing creative work, but there are advantages, too. My children teach me so much about how to play and how to see the world with new eyes as we take 45 minutes to walk that four-block stretch home from school, stopping to examine every acorn and rock. They ground me in the physical world, calling me to come build with blocks when my mind is getting obsessive with its problem-solving or worry. I can't plummet too far into the depths, I can't just waste away in bed because someone needs me to feed her and to sit by her side while she learns the world. I worry more about how I'll hang onto my mental wellness when they're gone, and I practice gratitude for all the ways in which their distractions and interruptions save me.

Madeleine L'Engle spoke of writing and motherhood as vocations, and it takes something to serve in two vocations at once. There is a pull, and a tension almost always between the two, but there is also a depth they both create to one's journey that is rich. It's interesting to me that in the media there's such a strange conversation about motherhood. Disillusioned mothers say, No one ever told us how hard this was gonna be, but it often feels to me like all people say about parenthood is how hard it is. I like to be honest about the struggles, but it saddens me that our discourse can't hold both at once--the cost and the treasure. If I'm blaming my children for anything, I'm not being responsible for myself, my journey, my work. I made a commitment to my children before I even had them to cherish them, and practicing gratitude for all they contribute to me is one of the ways I keep that commitment.

Jen Lee is the author of Solstice: Stories of Light in the Dark, and a regular storyteller at The Moth Story Slams in New York City. She recently announced her new collection, Fortunes, which is available in her online store. Jen also teaches writing and storytelling workshops, and will be teaching at Squam Art Workshops in September 2009.

You can follow Jen on Twitter (jenleedotnet) and read more of her work at jenlee.net. Please send requests for conferences and workshops and other questions to jen@jenlee.net.