Are you wishing for simpler times as the world seems to speed up and encourage us to cram more stuff into our lives? Wanting to find time to connect with loved ones competing with an influx of activities, screen time, and outside commitments? Daydreaming about having the support to implement simple but effective changes to your family’s rhythm and flow?

These are the reasons why Kathy Stowell decided to get certified as a Simplicity Parenting Workshop Leader. Kathy writes: “After reading the book Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne, I realized that my desire for a slower childhood for my kids is a normal, healthy mama-bear instinct reaction to the hectic, materialistic culture we find ourselves raising our children in today.”

Kathy is excited to offer this four week e-course centered on the principles behind Simplicity Parenting. With much support, she walks you through simplifying your home life by touching upon these realms throughout the month of June; environment (clutter), rhythm and scheduling (activities, pauses), adult content (media), and tending to soul fever (meltdowns).

The class will be held via videos and blog posts in a password protected blog with discussions held in a private forum as well as an optional weekly conference call that will be recorded for later listening at your convenience. And with this held space, small steps will be taken toward your vision of a peaceful family flow in attune with your consciously crafted values and ideals.

The course runs from June 1 through June 29, 2012. To learn more, click here.

To enter our giveaway, leave a comment on this post with a note about any steps toward simplification you’ve recently taken or would like to take! How would you like to see your family life simplified? The drawing will be held on Wednesday, May 30, at 8:00 pm eastern time. Good luck!

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Collaborations: A good idea ?…My experience with collaborations has been fairly limited, and I’m not sure the experience I did have would be considered a true collaboration, but I’ll share it and let you decide! In 2008, I did a large Fat Book Swap. There were ten women involved and ten themes. The idea was to create 10 cards of each theme (basically the same 4 x 4 card 10 times), meaning we each created 100 total 4 x 4 cards. We then sent everything to the person doing the organizing, the wonderful Roni. I was amazed at how quickly Roni gathered each participant’s work and sent us back out a 100-card package of wonderfulness! I had a special box custom crafted to keep my full set in and enjoy looking back through them often. This collaboration was a challenge for me as I’d just gotten started in mixed media, but it really pushed me to try new things and I found that I really enjoyed the 4 x 4 format. The deadlines pushed me a little bit, but only having to come up with one design for each theme (even though I had to create 10 of each design) helped some. Would I do it again? Absolutely. I learned tons of new techniques, made some great blog friends, and have a beautiful box chock full of 100 pieces of original art to show for it! You can see my entries in the collaboration here. {hosted by Stephanie Samos}

Success in business is defined as… I think this is a very interesting topic, and I think it all depends on your goals and your outlook. For me, my art business is not my main source of income. I have a pretty demanding full-time career in higher education on top of my art. So for me, success in my art business is simply finding the time to put a little bit of me out into the world for others to enjoy. Would I love to be able to “quit the day job” and devote more time to my art? Absolutely, but I know that’s simply not a possible reality at this point in my life. So maybe for me, success in business is defined as knowing what my limitations are (time!) and embracing them rather than fighting them. Fighting them takes an awful lot of energy that could be better spent on enjoying the process instead. {hosted by Nolwenn Petitbois}

The hardest part about pursuing a dream is…I think the hardest part about pursuing a dream, first and foremost, is taking that first step and putting it out there! And then the second hardest part about pursuing that dream is remaining realistic about your situation and what’s doable at whatever point you are in your life. That means accepting that the dream may not happen tomorrow, or the next day, or the next month, or even the next year. But as long as you keep it out there and keep trying, even if it’s just inch by inch, hope springs eternal. That said, I think another aspect of that, which sticks with the reality theme, is accepting when you need to take a step back and reevaluate. One of my dreams is to have a retreat center and offer art retreats. I found the perfect spot a couple years ago…if only I had $1.3 million lying around! So that’s when I had to reevaluate! I’ve still moved forward with facilitating art retreats, but I had to reevaluate and figure out how I could make it happen on a smaller scale, and that’s when Mermaids and Mamas Artful Adventure was born: Purple Cottage Retreats. I still haven’t given up on the big dream, just seeing what I can do in the meantime to get me there. {hosted by Leanne Wargowsky}

The hardest part at year two of your business is…Year two for me was in 2007, so this was before the US economy tanked. My girls were going on two years old and I was traveling to about eight juried arts festivals a year. I can’t say that the hardest part of year two was growing my business. My business itself was actually doing very well. My shows were very successful. Given that, I think that hardest part of that year for me was actually the growth. I was not at the point that I could (or even was willing, frankly) to “give up the day job” for my creative business. I’m very much a people person, and the interaction I have with those I work with in my day job keeps me young. I work with college students all day! The greater challenge for me at that point was the juggle: working full-time, being a wife and a mother to two-year-old twins, AND creating artwork for and running a creative business. To this day, the juggle is still my greatest challenge. I think many creatives at year two might be getting to the point of asking themselves the “Will I be able to quit my day job and devote my time fully to my creative business soon?” question. But I wasn’t at that point. I wasn’t asking that question because I knew that I wasn’t ready for that, mentally or financially. For me, the most important part of year two, year one, year eight, year twenty, year whatever, is simply knowing yourself and what you truly want out of what you are doing. Am I getting to the point at which I’d feel more comfortable walking away from the day job and devoting my “work-time” fully to my creative business? Maybe now, at year seven…maybe. Yet, I’m a very realistic person and know that the changes that would have to take place to make that happen aren’t quite ready to change yet. There are dreams, and I have them, but I also keep a healthy grip on reality. To me, I believe that healthy grip is the most important thing to have when building and growing a creative business. {hosted by Alease Michelle McClenningham}

What color best describes your business?… “I cannot pretend to feel impartial about colors. I rejoice in the brilliant ones and am genuinely sorry for the poor browns.” Sir Winston Churchill. Did you know that Winston Churchill was also an artist? And his quote sums up my love of color. What color describes my business? Bright, happy colors! The name of my business I think clearly reflects my outlook on life and my love of color. When you think of a “happy shack,” what color do you picture it to be? I certainly don’t think of brown. I think of bright Caribbean blue, with pink porch ceilings and aqua doors. Every room inside this little shack is painted a different color, each just as happy. And in this, my friends, I have truly described for you what my own home looks like to a T. And that love of color is reflected in my work. My jewelry designs are filled with brightly colored handmade glass beads and gemstones, my photography is juicy with saturated color, and my mixed media work is spilling in color as well. I can’t pick a favorite. I love every color on God’s beautiful rainbow. {hosted by Kelly Thiel}

In rapid fire fashion, write down 10 words that describe your business, and share your thoughts on these words…This was the toughest question of the bunch! My 10 words and what they mean to me:

Happy: This was easily the first thought that popped in my head, and not just because of the name of my business. I know that my business is a “business,” but for me, it’s also something that just makes me happy. Perhaps not all parts of it make me happy, some parts are certainly more “work” that others, but the simple act of sitting down and creating something, whether it’s a piece of jewelry, a new book, or a new series of photos, makes me happy.

Scattered: I think this word describes me in general, so it naturally translates to my business. I have a friend in town who is a very talented painter. She works full-time as I do, but she’s able to produce a massive amount of paintings on top of her full-time job. The advice she gave me was to“not be so scattered,” and I know she was referring to the variety of media I work in. I thought about that a lot, but then decided that I was okay with being scattered. I like having the ability to sit down and make jewelry one weekend, go on a photography shoot another weekend, and mess around with artist books the next weekend. It may sound crazy, but it works.

Messy: However, scattered definitely leads to messy. Because I work in so many different media, my studio is crammed full of entirely too many supplies and therefore tends to be pretty messy. My studio space is pretty small, so I have boxes of supplies and shipping materials stashed in various places around the house. Not very organized, I realize, but the best I can do at this point! Oh to have a nice, large, open studio space that would hold all my stuff!

Diverse: See “scattered” above. So I guess the good way to look at“scattered” is that that scatteredness (I think I just made up a word) brings about a diversity of creative work. I participate in our local arts market once a month, rotating between jewelry and photography, and it seems to work well for me. I haven’t started selling my artist books yet; I still get too attached to them.

Crowded: See “messy” above! Sometimes I truly can’t walk around my space.

Relaxing: You would think that all that scattered, messy craziness would be stressful, but most of the time it’s the opposite. When my studio gets to where I can’t find anything, I spend some time cleaning up, getting everything back in its place so I can start creating a new mess all over again. That cleanup process is very relaxing for me, as is the process of creating itself. My job can be pretty high stress and the juggle that is my life can also be pretty stressful at times, so my creative time is a great stress reliever.

Fulfulling: Simply put, I love what I do. I’ve loved creating things, in whatever iteration they’ve taken at the time, since I was a child. Putting little pieces of me out into the world is very fulfilling.

Challenging: The challenge is in the juggle. I’m long past the point where I could have stopped this crazy train. There comes a point in the growth of a business where you realize, no matter how crazy your world is, you can’t turn back now. You’ve invested too much time and effort and money to stop. That’s the challenge. I hit that point about three years ago, so my challenge now is always finding a way to keep all the balls in the air.

Inspirational: When this word popped in my head, I really thought of it in terms of my girls. I’ve realized that I’m not only an inspiration to them as their Mama, but I’m also an inspiration to them as an artist. I’ve learn that they tell all their friends and their teachers about my creative business, and they are so proud of me. I just received an email from one of their teachers wishing me well on my recent knee surgery. I asked my girls if they told their teacher about my surgery and they both said, “Mama! Mrs. Morrison reads your blog!”That’s when I knew they had been bragging on me. Made me smile.

Me: Lastly, just me. I think my business truly reflects me. My personality (I’m typically a pretty happy girl), my love of color, my love of cars (have you SEEN how many photos I’ve taken of cars!?), and my love of just “doing.” But not doing what everyone else is doing. I don’t follow trends. I simply do my own thing. I’m simply me. {hosted by Robin Norgren}

What would you consider the “favorite” mistake of your business?… Sheryl Crow’s “My Favorite Mistake” just popped in my head. Wow, this is a tough question. I think I’ll take a different twist on this. It’s not the mistakes I’ve made that have been those “happy accidents” that pop in my head. It’s the mistakes I’ve made for which I’ve come up with ingenious solutions that come to mind. These usually involve injury. It’s rare that I get through an arts festival without an injury or two. I’m usually traveling by myself, so anyone who has done shows can tell you that setting up and breaking down your booth by yourself is a huge challenge (and many would say a mistake). I am very accident prone, so my favorite mistakes have been the wacky solutions I come up with to tend to my injuries, usually smashed, cut or pinched fingers earned when setting up or breaking down my tent, specifically. I’ve found that in lieu of a bandage, which I never seem to have on hand, a napkin stuffed in my glove box after my last trip to Burger King and a strip of duct tape make a great stand in. Having that ingenuity transfers well to running a creative business. You have to learn to quickly think on your feet and determine how to quickly overcome setbacks. Mistakes become “favorite mistakes” when you view them through a different lens and really think about what you can learn from them. “Who needs band-aids when you have napkins and duct tape?” can easily translate to “Who needs all those extra fancy supplies when I can create wonderful outcomes with what I have on hand?” Food for thought. We all have what we need. We just need to look at another way to use it. {hosted by Sonya MacClough}

The balance question: what does this mean and how it is working for you?…I’ve enjoyed reading everyone else’s response to this question, and it’s further affirmed my belief that there is no such thing as balance. Our days ebb and flow based on what’s currently most important. That desire to work on a new jewelry piece can quickly be pushed aside by a child with a scraped knee, the book that you wanted to work on can be pushed aside by a hug from a sweet little girl who wants to snuggle on the couch for a little while, and those photos you’ve been needing to edit can quickly be sidetracked by the latest dance routine presented to you right next to your desk. Add a full-time job, a very sick cat, and knee surgery to that mix, and balance goes out the window. So for me, some days things just “work.” Other says they just don’t, and that’s okay. I’ve often heard people say that they haven’t been able to work on their art because “life just gets in the way.” I tend to look at the reverse of that. Those everyday “life” moments are the most important parts of our journey. (And my answer here is partly inspired by this post where I talked about the importance of not taking yourself too seriously.) I think when we make the most of those precious moments, the art will come in its time and on its schedule. It’s taken me a while to accept that, and I’m sure it’s a far different type of life balancing act that those who work at their art full-time juggle, but realizing that those everyday moments are the most important piece of any given day has brought me a focus and a peace that was missing. At the end of one of my all-time favorite movies, Field of Dreams, James Earl Jones as Terrance Mann says, “People will come, Ray. People will most definitely come.” That’s how I feel about my art and my time to do it and finding that mysterious, non-existent balance. “Time will come, Kelly. Time will most definitely come…” And when it does, I’ll grab it. But for now, I’ll take whatever little snippets I can take while enjoying what’s number one on my list, my family, because Lord knows, the day will soon come when my girls will be teenagers and think they are far too cool to hang out with Mama. {hosted by me!}

 What do you need to STOP DOING in your business?…I learned what I needed to stop doing in my business about two years ago. I think the biggest mistake a creative business owner can make is comparing herself to other creatives. Because none of us is exactly alike, we all bring something a little different to the table. And what we each bring to the table is special in its own way and can’t be compared to anyone else. I love all the Stampington publications… Somerset Studio, Art Journaling, Sew Somerset, etc., but for a while there I have to admit I started seeing the same types of art over and over again. And it really wasn’t the type of art I was attracted to. Was it art that was selling? Maybe it was, as it was certainly art that was getting published. But what I realized was that I had to stop comparing myself to what everyone else was doing and just do what made me happy instead. If a particular style of jewelry was taking off, I learned that it was important to me to NOT follow that trend. I needed to stay true to me. Or if I was seeing a similar theme in so many mixed media pieces, that didn’t mean that that was how I needed to style my work if I really didn’t care for that style. Sure, look to others for inspiration if you feel you must — I certainly do at times — but don’t compare yourself to others. Be true to you. {hosted by Jan Avallena}

Who is your business muse?…Maybe this is a little old-fashioned and corny, but my muses are my children. Though I’ve been a creative person since I was a child myself, it was the birth of my twin girls that really pushed me to move forward to creating a formalized business. When my girls were born, I wanted one of those mother’s bracelets that included your children’s names. I looked online and saw several styles, none of which were less than $100. At that point I said, “I can do this.” While I’d dabbled in all sorts of arts and crafts up to that point, I had never made jewelry, so I headed down to my local bead shop, showed the wonderful ladies there what I wanted to do, and got started. That was just the beginning. As I was growing my jewelry design skills, I discovered the wonderful world of artists blogs, which led me to mixed media and reignited my love of photography. So here I am today, all mixed up creating in a variety of media and loving every minute of it. And even as my girls were that little muse of a kick start to get me moving, they are still what keeps me going. I love to create with them. I love to create for them. I love to see the little sparks in their eyes as they bring their creations to life. And all this comes together with our annual Mermaids and Mamas Artful Adventure, this year in its third year. My girls and I gather together with other mamas and daughters and spend a weekend in a fun little camp making art. It’s a wonderful thing! You can read more about it here. {hosted by Jean Simrose}

If you have gotten this far, thanks so much for sticking with me! You deserve an award! I hope you’ve enjoying rambling through this project with me.

[Cross posted from Artful Happiness]

This is the moment to deepen, or commit to, your regular creativity practice. Regularity — a daily practice, if at all possible — is key.

So what are your plans for creative practice this week? Given the specifics of your schedule, decide on a realistic intention, goal, or a milestone to reach for — and plan that time in your calendar. An intention as simple as “I will be creative for 10 minutes every day” or “I will gesso three canvases on Wednesday” is what it’s all about.

Share your intentions or goals as a comment to this post, and let us know how things went with your creative plans for last week, if you posted to last week’s Monday Post.

Inspired beauty from Suzi Banks Baum of Laundry Line Divine. Thank you, Suzi!

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This is the moment to deepen, or commit to, your regular creativity practice. Regularity — a daily practice, if at all possible — is key.

So what are your plans for creative practice this week? Given the specifics of your schedule, decide on a realistic intention, goal, or a milestone to reach for — and plan that time in your calendar. An intention as simple as “I will be creative for 10 minutes every day” or “I will gesso three canvases on Wednesday” is what it’s all about.

Share your intentions or goals as a comment to this post, and let us know how things went with your creative plans for last week, if you posted to last week’s Monday Post.

12:30 am My three oldest (Russell, Matthew, and Emma) return home from a Dear Hunter concert; I am only vaguely aware of noises downstairs in the kitchen as someone prepares a midnight snack.

4:00 am Matthew, a high-school senior, is picked up by his girlfriend and her dad. They head to school for the band and chorus road trip to Cleveland. I have left a good-bye note for Matthew; I stay in bed.

6:00 am Up for the day — late. Abbreviated morning practice. Make tea. Husband departs.

6:20 am I plan the day and drink my tea. The three cats are acting somewhat frantic. One of them, Finn, is scheduled for surgery today so no one has had access to food or water since last night. Sasha tries to eat a houseplant.

6:35 am I carefully read through the thick recital packet from Emma’s dance school, decide that I’m not going to volunteer as a chaperone, and calculate our ticket purchase. Emma is still in bed; I go upstairs to confirm that she wants to stay home today on account of last night’s late concert. She does. So I don’t need to make her breakfast or lunch. Bonus!

6:50 am Liam, who just turned four years old this week, gets up (unusually late). We snuggle and eat breakfast.

7:20 am After settling Liam on the couch watching Tom & Jerry, I go upstairs to shower and dress.

7:40 am Seven-year-old Aidan is still asleep. I wake him up, hurriedly get him some cereal, make lunches for both boys, and dress Liam. I put Finn in the kitty carry bag and make it out to the garage.

8:10 am We drive down the hill. The school bus rolls up and Aidan departs. Liam, Finn, and I set off for the vet’s office. Finn howls all the while, trying to claw his way out of the carry bag. Perhaps he knows that he’ll be leaving the vet’s office with a little less than he’s bringing in. Each time Finn howls, Liam screeches in delight.

8:30 am At the vet’s office. I fill out Finn’s paperwork and Liam kisses Finn goodbye through the carry-bag’s mesh.

9:00 am We arrive at Liam’s school. Liam hates his school, and informs me of this repeatedly, as he always does, clinging to my leg as I try to leave. I extract myself remorsefully, telling myself that Liam’s acceptance letter to his new Montessori school is surely imminent.

9:25 am Back in the car, I listen to an installment of The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton, which is lovely. En route to the studio, I pick up a cappuccino at my favorite local café.

10:00 am At Open Studio for the monthly meeting of my nonfiction writers’ group. (I am a member of this group, rather than the facilitator.) I love these women. Great feedback and encouragement on my e-book project, which is nearly finished.

12:20 pm Check e-mail from the studio, respond to a few client messages, take my turns at Words With Friends via iPhone, and plan the rest of the day before heading out. The vet calls to say that Finn did great; he’s still seeing double but I can pick him up anytime after 2:00.

12:40 pm Heading for home. On the way, I drop off two bags of shirts at the dry cleaner’s and stop at the pharmacy to pick up an rx.

1:15 pm At home. Eat lunch. Check in with daughter, who is enjoying her day off. More e-mail triage. Let dog out. Register Emma up for a creative fashion camp.

1:45 pm 30-minute phone call with student from my Wednesday writers’ workshop who missed class yesterday due to illness.

2:15 pm Brief chat with my oldest, Russell, about last night’s concert. Russ just returned home from college yesterday and I haven’t had much chance to see him yet. I also spend some time mapping out the choreography for the afternoon, as Matthew, who normally drives Emma to her voice and dance lessons, is en route to Cleveland and there is a lot to juggle being down my Thursday afternoon chauffeur. Russell is on deadline with five papers that are due tomorrow so I can’t assign him any driving.

2:55 pm Depart for Emma’s voice lesson. Emma, who has her learner’s permit, does the driving. I practice my deep breathing as Emma hesitates in the middle of an intersection, nearly causing a five-car pileup. But she’s doing great.

3:20 pm Arrive music school, late. Emma goes in for her lesson. I get into the driver’s seat and head to Liam’s school. More of The Forgotten Garden.

3:30 pm I retrieve Liam, who is always deliriously happy to see me. I have brought him some leftover candy from his birthday piñata, which he munches intently as we drive back to the music school to get Emma.

3:45 pm Depart music school with Emma and Liam. Emma is driving again. Getting to the dance school two towns over requires several highway stints. More deep breathing. Meanwhile, Russell, who is at home working on his papers, will meet Aidan when he gets off the bus.

4:10 pm Park outside the dance school. Emma goes inside for class. I check in with husband via text to be sure that he’ll be home by 6:00 in order to take Aidan to soccer practice. Everything seems to be on target. I have promised Liam a treat at the bakery next door (the piñata candy hasn’t made a dent in this child’s appetite for sugar and even though I try not to eat the stuff myself, apparently I have no problem feeding it to my children); we attempt to enter the bakery but they’re closed. Liam bursts into tears. I assure him that there’s another option a short walk away. He cheers immediately and we have a nice walk in the sun. He ends up with a brownie and apple juice. Happy.

4:40 pm Back in the car, we still have over an hour left to wait out Emma’s 90-minute class. I allow Liam the rare delight of watching a DVD in the car. I queue up Monsters Inc. With Liam plugged into the electronic babysitter as he happily strews brownie crumbs all over the car, I sit in the passenger seat and prepare to do some work on my laptop. I realize that a studio document I need is only available online, and I have no wifi access here. Instead of doing client work, I opt to make edits to my e-book based on feedback from the morning’s writers’ group. Nothing like creating in the middle of things. I make excellent progress punctuated by intermittent conversation with Liam.

5:40 pm I hear an unfamiliar beeping noise and suddenly realize what I’ve done. In my frantic attempt to jump out of the car and run around to the driver’s side, I get caught in the strap of my messenger bag and nearly wipe out in the parking lot. By the time I make it to the driver’s seat, it’s too late. The car battery is dead. I’ve been playing a DVD for nearly an hour without running the engine.

5:45 pm Call husband, who is nearly home. We decide that I’ll use the roadside service deal that comes with our car lease. I call and make arrangements for a jump. They tell me it will be about an hour. This is going to be a very long hour. Emma asks me if the battery will recharge itself just by sitting there. No, I tell her. That’s not how it works.

6:00 pm Liam is hot, as he’s sitting in the sun, and Emma is cold, as the windows are open and she’s sitting in the shade. I’m on Liam’s sunny side, and I’m pretty sure my left ear is getting burned off in the late afternoon soon. I’m unable to address any of these climate control issues, seeing as the car is dead. I tell Liam to climb into the shady side of the car. I check in with my husband, who has arrived home to take Aidan to soccer, but Aidan isn’t ready. (I neglected to ask Russell to tell Aidan to get his soccer kit on.) Aidan will be late for practice. I inform my husband, in case it isn’t readily apparent, that I will not be making dinner.

6:30 pm We’re getting hungry, and I really have to pee. Meanwhile, the vet closes at 8:00, and someone needs to get there in time to fetch Finn. The tow guy calls to tell me he’s on his way. He’s leaving from Newton, which is at least 45 minutes away. Seriously? Time for action. I decide that Liam and I will walk over to the pizza place around the corner while Emma stays with the car. As Liam opens his door, the interior light flicks on. How can the light go on if the battery is totally dead? I turn the key in the ignition. The car roars to life. Apparently that is how it works, I note for Emma’s benefit. It’s been a while since I experienced this level of gratitude for the combustion engine. We set off for the vet’s as I call to cancel the jump.

7:05 pm We make it to the vet. Liam, ever curious, comes in with me. $210 later, we come out to the car with Finn in his carry bag, which I hand to Emma. At which point we discover that it’s soaking wet. Apparently Finn, in his post-surgical state, relieved himself upon being installed in his bag. (At this point I can relate to his sense of urgency.) Given that Emma doesn’t want to hold the wet bag on her lap and Finn is meowing his head off, it’s an interesting drive home.

7:20 pm We’re home and I make a run for the bathroom. Emma takes Finn upstairs in the pee-bag and the boys sit down to eat the veggie corn dogs that my husband has set out for them. I scrounge up some dinner for myself. Aidan, recounting the day’s events at school, bursts into explaining that when he was out at recess, a second-grader named Tommy gleefully pulled a worm in half, brushing aside Aidan’s protests. Aidan, haunted by the image, is devastated, sobbing uncontrollably. I stifle the urge to do to Tommy what Tommy did to the worm.

7:40 pm My husband takes Liam upstairs for a bath. Aidan is still too emotional for bathing. We talk.

7:50 pm Partially recovered, Aidan heads upstairs to brush his teeth. I clean the kitchen.

8:30 pm It’s way past bedtime for the boys. I go upstairs to tuck Liam in and read to Aidan. We’re in the middle of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Aidan and I very much look forward to our nightly reading ritual.

8:50 pm I tuck Aidan in and go downstairs to start a load of laundry.

9:00 pm At my desk. As he has requested, I edit two of Russell’s final papers.

10:00 pm More e-mail triage. I set up a water delivery for the studio. I design a flier for an upcoming author event and post it to our facebook page.

10:45 pm Russell brings his laptop into my office and shares a few funnies from the interwebs. Emma makes an appearance and laughs with us. I advance the laundry.

11:05 pm Upstairs, I say goodnight to Emma and get ready for bed. I check my pedometer and see that I’m 100 steps short of my 5,000-step daily minimum. So I run downstairs to grab my prescription. By the time I get back, I’ve hit my quota. My husband has long since turned out the lights. I’m too tired to read my book, even though book group is on Saturday night and I’m only halfway through. Sleep awaits.

If you’re reading this line, you are the only person in the world to get this far, and I hug you for keeping me company all the way to the end.

Despite the day’s adventures, I’m pleased that I managed to create in the middle of things, and that I kept my cool rather than succumbing to stress. I know that by this time next year — heck, this time next month — I won’t remember this day at all. And yes, tomorrow is another day.

This is the moment to deepen, or commit to, your regular creativity practice. Regularity — a daily practice, if at all possible — is key.

So what are your plans for creative practice this week? Given the specifics of your schedule, decide on a realistic intention, goal, or a milestone to reach for — and plan that time in your calendar. An intention as simple as “I will be creative for 10 minutes every day” or “I will gesso three canvases on Wednesday” is what it’s all about.

Share your intentions or goals as a comment to this post, and let us know how things went with your creative plans for last week, if you posted to last week’s Monday Post.

This is the moment to deepen, or commit to, your regular creativity practice. Regularity — a daily practice, if at all possible — is key.

So what are your plans for creative practice this week? Given the specifics of your schedule, decide on a realistic intention, goal, or a milestone to reach for — and plan that time in your calendar. An intention as simple as “I will be creative for 10 minutes every day” or “I will gesso three canvases on Wednesday” is what it’s all about.

Share your intentions or goals as a comment to this post, and let us know how things went with your creative plans for last week, if you posted to last week’s Monday Post.

This is the moment to deepen, or commit to, your regular creativity practice. Regularity — a daily practice, if at all possible — is key.

So what are your plans for creative practice this week? Given the specifics of your schedule, decide on a realistic intention, goal, or a milestone to reach for — and plan that time in your calendar. An intention as simple as “I will be creative for 10 minutes every day” or “I will gesso three canvases on Wednesday” is what it’s all about.

Share your intentions or goals as a comment to this post, and let us know how things went with your creative plans for last week, if you posted to last week’s Monday Post.

Where do I begin?

Reiki is an ancient spiritual way of channeling healing energy. It is safe, gentle, and can be learned by anyone. It can best be described as a holistic way to balance, heal, and harmonize your mind, body, and spirit. It is, for me, a way of life. It can be for you also.

Once you are attuned to Reiki you will experience a greater sense of inner peace and well-being. You will feel a sense of connection to the Universe and to those around you like never before. You will also become a healer.

Spirited Reiki Level I also has a twist on it! I am a Holistic Health Practitioner and a Certified Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coach. What this means is that I have created a way of learning traditional Usui Reiki and exploring your inner creative spirit — all at the same time! I have been enjoying Reiki for close to 10 years now and if I’ve learned anything, it’s that Reiki starts inside us. If we are at our best, then the Reiki flows at its best!

Spirited Reiki I teaches you the history and theory of Reiki while you paint, write poetry, take a hike, or eat a cupcake! You will also be invited to join my private Facebook group where we will share and experience Reiki together for 30 days.

If you are feeling butterflies in your stomach because you know that this is something you’d like to do, please enter to win a spot — the FB group opens April 23 and attunements will begin shortly after.

One lucky recipient will receive:

*A long distance Level I attunement in traditional Usui Reiki*

*A 79-page printable manual*

*Within this manual is a “30 Days to Self-Healing Journal” that is full of inspiring messages, art and journalling prompts, healthy recipes, affirmations, photography prompts, and so much more!*

*Access to the Spirited Reiki Private Facebook group where you will connect with your fellow Reiki students and where we will further discuss the Principles of Reiki, hand positions, resources, the use of crystals, your creativity and so much more!*

*FB group will open April 23rd so that we can all connect before the attunements begin! Your invitation to the group will arrive on the 22nd (if you’ve already registered) or within 24 hours if after that.

*My guidance and support for the entire 30 days*

*A Certificate of Completion mailed to your home*

***In order to enter, simply leave a comment on this blog post! The winner will be chosen at 8:00 pm eastern on Sunday, April 22, 2012!***

Jodi Lebrun

www.creativelifebydesign.com

This is the moment to deepen, or commit to, your regular creativity practice. Regularity — a daily practice, if at all possible — is key.

So what are your plans for creative practice this week? Given the specifics of your schedule, decide on a realistic intention, goal, or a milestone to reach for — and plan that time in your calendar. An intention as simple as “I will be creative for 10 minutes every day” or “I will gesso three canvases on Wednesday” is what it’s all about.

Share your intentions or goals as a comment to this post, and let us know how things went with your creative plans for last week, if you posted to last week’s Monday Post.