Secrets to Changing Your Life

Hello my creative friends,

I hope you had a fantastic Thanksgiving and you are ready for the upcoming holiday season. I am really excited about it. I have had problems with overwhelm in years past that always started with Thanksgiving but I actively set my intention that this Thanksgiving would be the easiest, most fun and relaxing Thanksgiving ever and it was! I am doing the same with Christmas this year and I would like to invite you to do the same. 

How do you want to feel this holiday season? What are your big rocks and how are you going to let go of the sand to make room? How can you add in downtime to replenish yourself so that you can be your best for all of those around you? I would love to hear your secrets. I will post a thread on myFacebook page for you to tell me all about it.

Now, I promised you my new secrets for completely shifting my life in just about a month and I am here to deliver. 

1. Law of Attraction- I know I talked about it in the last email but I have to start here because this is really the basis of it all. I dove into Abraham Hicks teaching. I pulled out the two books I have by them, Law of Attraction and Power of Emotions. Both of those books came with audios too so I started playing them over and over again in the car. It took me time to wrap my brain around all of it so listening to it repeatedly really helped.
   
   I would also read a small section of a book each day sometimes just opening to a page and trusting that the message I most needed to hear would show itself.
   
   I found all kinds of YouTube videos that I watched. Whenever I had a question about how to apply the law I would Google it and find a video that was perfect. My favorite video that I watch every morning as soon as I wake up, most times before I even get out of bed  can be found here.  This was absolutely the best thing I have done for myself in…well…ever.
    
2. Meditation- For years I have been telling myself, “Girl, you need to meditate! Why aren’t you meditating? You know it is good for you. You know you like it. What is your problem?” No more! I have committed to meditating for just 15 minutes a day and I have been doing it faithfully.  Many days it ends up being longer but 15 minutes is a manageable amount of time for me to commit to.
   
   I downloaded the Insight Timer app that is completely free and loaded with amazing guided meditations. It has a timer with the most soothing bells so I can just sit in meditation too. I love that it tracks my progress and the time spent meditating. It is completely addictive and I love it.
   
   If you aren’t meditating, I would like to invite you to give it a try. There are so many health and wellness benefits for everyone and I have found that it allows you time to connect with your higher self...the part of you that makes your hair grow and your heart beat, the part that wants the best for you and supports you in everything you do and let’s be honest, who doesn’t need more of that in their life right? If you decide to use the Insight Timer (which I hope you do cuz it’s awesome!) be sure to find me and be my meditating friend. Just search for my email (mmmichelle2006@yahoo.com)
    
3. Vision Point Journal- This has been a game changer for me! If you are familiar with Bullet Journaling, this is what I started with. If you don’t know what I am talking about you can check it out here.
   
   I have had a bullet journal before where I would keep track of everything and I even wrote a post about it a couple of years ago but the problem was the momentum never stuck. I would start out gung ho and use it all of the time and slowly it would fizzle away and that would be the end of it.
   
   
   
   This time I decided to do something different and add my Freedom Art techniques to it. I sat down and wrote an intention for how I wanted to feel and I created a vision page right there in my journal. I did witness writing to further get the messages the creative exercise was sending. I used a cheapy glue stick and some magazines lying around and I loved it so much. It connected me to what my soul’s deepest longing was and the more I went into my journal to look at it, the more I was connected to that part of myself.
   
   It has been crazy good because the messages that come through are the things my soul wants me to do and I have so much energy around them because it feels good and I want to do it more than I ever wanted to do anything. What previously had seemed like a horrible chore suddenly became so exciting to accomplish and yes, that even means organizing my yarn stash!!!
   
   
   
   The great thing about it is the flexibility. You can make it entirely your own. You can do a monthly page or a weekly page like I do. I had started out with the monthly page but there just wasn’t enough juice to keep me in flow and connected to my higher self so I started doing it every week. Let me tell you, my Vision Point Journal day is my favorite day of the week. I get so excited because I get to play with my art materials and connect with what I want and it feels so good and that energy keeps me going through the whole week.
   
   
   
   Every morning I get up and look at my Vision page and I read my intention and some days I read my witness writing because there is a lot of juicy stuff in there too. It is such a great way to start my day. As the day goes on I am constantly in there checking my to do’s, making lists, keeping track of what I am doing and each time I open it I am connected with something greater than myself. I love that!

I hope those three tips will be helpful for you to try out and see if they resonate with you. I have seriously been feeling so good these days that I just had to share them with all of you and invite you into my happy little creation. 

I am definitely going to be creating some offerings in the new year online and in my home studio around the Vision Point Journal that I think you are going to love. I also want to start off the year with a Vision Board workshop. It's a great time of year to jump start. We can use the Vision Boards as our north star for our Vision Point Journals.

I am so excited and want to be sure that I give you everything you need so please send me an email and let me know about your experience with Vision Boards, Bullet Journals, or Vision Pages. Tell me what you want to learn, what you want to experience and how I can help make that a reality for you. If you have any questions I would love to be able to answer them as well. As I said, I really want to create a community that will embrace you all and I am inviting you to be a part of that creation. 

xo Michelle xo

Big Changes Coming

You know how there are things in life that you know aren’t really good for you but you keep doing them anyway? Who knows why…fear, comfort, obligation…whatever the reason, it works like glue and keeps you stuck. That’s pretty much how working at the vet clinic was for me. Sure, there were parts of the job I enjoyed but there were so many other issues going on that just didn’t sit well with my soul but I stayed anyway.  

Well, back in September I had a minor foot surgery and I was home for a few weeks recovering and when I got back to work I knew I couldn’t do it anymore. I gave my notice that day and everything since then has showed me that it was the absolute perfect decision. 

When my last day came and went I wondered what I would do next. I knew with my foot still healing I couldn’t get a “job” and with the holidays coming I didn’t really want one so I decided that I would make it my job focus on myself. 

I started by pulling out my law of attraction books and starting to read. I popped the CD’s in my car while I drove. I wore out my YouTube with Abraham Hicks videos (there are soooo many great ones). Everyday my job is to spend time feeling good  so I can raise my vibration. That is not a bad deal my friends!  I mean seriously, when your job is to feel good how can you not love going to work?!

And the funny thing is that as soon as I started tuning in to feeling good I was compelled to clean the hell out of my house!   I decluttered, donated piles of things,  organized all different zones and it feels really good. I started making healthy meals for the family again and getting shit done that had been waiting for my attention.

And, let me tell you a little secret. By focusing on magnetizing money to myself and keeping track of money coming in through random ways, I realized I actually made more then I had working my couple of days at my J.O.B! That was an exciting day.

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After my domestic life seemed to come together so nicely it became glaringly obvious to me that my truest passion is The Creative Healing Studio and being a Creative Healing Coach. I have known this for years and yet I have let outside circumstances and inside limiting beliefs keep me from truly giving myself to it 100%. 

No more my Creative Friends! I am stepping back into my dream and focusing all of my attention on sharing the amazing power of Creative Healing and I couldn’t be more excited about it. 

Keep your eyes open for my next post. I will be sharing some of the things I’ve been doing to keep me on track and energetically in tune with my Soul’s desire. 

Until then I would love for you to think about where you might want to see some changes in your life moving into 2018? Think of all of the different areas of your life and where something is missing so you can make some change too.

You can use this circle of life to give you a visual representation of your life or just draw a circle on a piece of paper. Ask yourself on a scale of 1 to 10 where you fall in each category and plot it on the circle with the center being zero and the outside circle being a 10 and see which areas could use a little TLC. Realization is the first step to change.

I would like to end today with huge gratitude to all of you who have supported me throughout the years. I want to create a safe and loving community with amazing women that revolves around Creative Healing and I am so grateful that you are a part of that. 

With that I wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with gratitude and connection and will be talking to you again next week. 

February Vision Portrait

February's Vision Portrait started with an image I already had. I was leading a class and needed a new portrait and this one seemed like a good fit. 

I started out with some chalk pastels on the face and then added some oil pastel flames on the forehead. Then I moved onto magazines for collage. 

The class I was leading was a shortened class and only had 40 minutes of art time. The above picture is what I completed at the end of that class. 

Here is another progress shot. Adding more and more color and texture was so fun and the time seemed to fly by.

I couldn't stop. Eventually I was left with just my eyes and a riot of bursting color. So fun!

Here is a little close up of the hot side. So much goodness going on. 

And here is a close up of the cool side. 

I am loving these Vision Portraits. 

January Witness

One of the things I learned through taking the Facilitator Training at Open Studio Project is to do an overall witness to a group of work you do. When we spend a weekend at the studio we put all of our work together and witness it as a whole. It is amazing how even things that don't seem to go together weave themselves into a powerful story.

I have decided to incorporate this practice into my work at home. As I complete a piece I tape it up onto a blank wall in my home and continually add to it. At the end of the month I can witness it all and then take it down and start fresh.

I always start with an intention and this month's intention was:

I see who I am through my art and I use what I learn to improve my life. 

I look at what is there. I write my impressions, what I learned, and what I need to learn. I ask questions and scribble the answers.

Here is some of what I learned:

• Finger painting is fun
• I love oil pastels more than I ever thought I could
• Playing is fun
• I love color
• Perfect is overrated 
• Darkness isn't always bad and sometimes you have to go through the dark to get to the light
• The journey is better than the destination
• I always get what I need
• When I am fueled by self love and worthiness I make wise choices in my life. 
• I love my life and my family

January Painting Journey

My favorite kind of painting is Intuitive Painting. I love to start with no idea where I am going or what I am doing. Just playing around with colors and and seeing what emerges. 

It's especially fun when you add some of your own custom made stamps. 

It always amazes me how something can start out one way and take such a dramatic shift. 

When I am painting I am tapped into my emotions and if something starts to feel a bit constrictive I want to stay very present to that feeling and let it amplify and move through me.

Zooming in you can see a lot of scratching and etching into the paint at this layer. This was in reaction to the strong emotions I had. I spent a lot of time at this layer allowing it all to come through and out.

And then there was something more. I saw a face and I knew it needed to come through. Gently, slowly I brought her forward 

At each step I asked what it was she needed and I kept listening and adding 

In the end it was begging for light and play. Fun little flowers, dashes of color and a whole lot of light heartedness. 

When I work in this way I never know what I am going to get but I always get what I need. 

A Year of Vision Portraits

I love it when I am working on something and I get into the flow. It feels so good to have the energy rushing and things that come together effortlessly. That is why I love Freedom Art so much. It isn't about making something that has to look a certain way. It is about expressing yourself, playing and having fun. 

That is what I am doing with my new Vision Portraits. I took a picture of myself, turned it black and white and blew it up to 18" x 24" and then let loose on it with collage, chalk markers and chalk pastels. It was so much fun and the coolest thing about it is that it really ended up feeling like a bit of a vision board for where I was at that point in my life. 

The interesting twist is to use your own image as the canvas. OMG, at first I thought I might die. I did not enjoy looking at myself blown up to that size and yet I know that there is so much healing to be done around my own ideas of self worth and self acceptance through facing myself in this way. 

The amazing thing is that once I got started I almost forgot I was working on...well me. LOL. I had such a blast and go so many great insights that I decided to keep going and make more. One for each month of the year is my goal. This one is January's. 

Art Relieves Stress Even if you Suck at it!

Recently one of my online friends sent me an article about how making art reduces stress even if you suck at it. I love that she sent that to me because it is the exact message I want to send out with the kind of art I do. 

What I do and what I teach isn't about "what" you make. It is about the fun and joy of just stepping into creative flow and playing with art supplies. 

And I know so many of you are thinking, "I suck and art! I can't do it!  What if it looks bad?" Well let me tell you...I have those thoughts every time I start making anything. Those feelings aren't reserved for only some people...everyone has either had those feelings or has them. It is not at all unique and doesn't determine your ability to explore your creativity. 

I personally believe that everyone is creative and that everyone deserves to explore their creativity. Think back to the cavemen. They weren't worried about how their horse was going to look, they just knew they had to carve that shape out onto the cave wall. Our creativity goes back eons and that urge is still in everyone. It is only fear that holds us back. 

The difference between you and me is that I say, "Screw it! I am doing it anyway!" Half the time I am in the middle of what I am making and I am hating it and I just wonder, "Well, what can I do to make it worse?" or "If this feeling had a color what would it be?" and I go with it and sometimes it looks worse and sometimes magic happens and it looks great. I have to remind myself that it is just paint and paper and it's not that serious!

The thing is that when I am following my truth and doing what my intuition tells me I don't really care what it looks like in the end. It can look pretty crappy and I am still in love with it because it came from deep inside me and it felt so good to let it out. 

I'm going to be honest, I've been in a bit of a funk the last week or so...I haven't wanted to do anything much less create but I've been forcing myself to doodle and play and I know for sure that it helps. I feel better when I allow myself to be creative and science is beginning to tell us that it is true! Creativity can lift your mood, release stress and make you feel good. 

Now, I would love for you to come over and make some art with me but you can do it right now in your own home. Get out some markers or crayons or just a pen and start doodling. Remind yourself that you can just toss the paper away when you are done so consider it a chance to just be free and have a little fun.

Of course it's always more fun to do it with a group so check out the upcoming Freedom Art Intro and come join me! 

xo

Art Relieves Stress Even if you Suck at it!

Recently one of my online friends sent me an article about how making art reduces stress even if you suck at it. I love that she sent that to me because it is the exact message I want to send out with the kind of art I do. 

What I do and what I teach isn't about "what" you make. It is about the fun and joy of just stepping into creative flow and playing with art supplies. 

And I know so many of you are thinking, "I suck and art! I can't do it!  What if it looks bad?" Well let me tell you...I have those thoughts every time I start making anything. Those feelings aren't reserved for only some people...everyone has either had those feelings or has them. It is not at all unique and doesn't determine your ability to explore your creativity. 

I personally believe that everyone is creative and that everyone deserves to explore their creativity. Think back to the cavemen. They weren't worried about how their horse was going to look, they just knew they had to carve that shape out onto the cave wall. Our creativity goes back eons and that urge is still in everyone. It is only fear that holds us back. 

The difference between you and me is that I say, "Screw it! I am doing it anyway!" Half the time I am in the middle of what I am making and I am hating it and I just wonder, "Well, what can I do to make it worse?" or "If this feeling had a color what would it be?" and I go with it and sometimes it looks worse and sometimes magic happens and it looks great. I have to remind myself that it is just paint and paper and it's not that serious!

The thing is that when I am following my truth and doing what my intuition tells me I don't really care what it looks like in the end. It can look pretty crappy and I am still in love with it because it came from deep inside me and it felt so good to let it out. 

I'm going to be honest, I've been in a bit of a funk the last week or so...I haven't wanted to do anything much less create but I've been forcing myself to doodle and play and I know for sure that it helps. I feel better when I allow myself to be creative and science is beginning to tell us that it is true! Creativity can lift your mood, release stress and make you feel good. 

Now, I would love for you to come over and make some art with me but you can do it right now in your own home. Get out some markers or crayons or just a pen and start doodling. Remind yourself that you can just toss the paper away when you are done so consider it a chance to just be free and have a little fun.

Of course it's always more fun to do it with a group so check out the upcoming Freedom Art Intro and come join me! 

xo

Doodle Your Day Away

I love to doodle. I have always doodled. Whenever there is a pen and scrap piece of paper I am doodling. It's just who I am. 

So when my friend was asking me about how to doodle I wasn't exactly sure what to say. How do you explain something that is just part of who you are?

She started asking questions about what pens or markers I use and how I know what to doodle. I decided that I would do a livestream on my Facebook Page all about doodling. Go on over there and check it out. 

Of course once I started that doodle I couldn't stop so I spent the rest of the afternoon finishing it. I paid attention to some of the things I was doing and thought I could go into a little more detail here. 

If you look at the top image you can see the very beginning stages of my leaf doodle. I was using some different colors in the background and it looks a bit messy. In the bottom photo I added a third color that kind of blended the two and added some depth and then added some little dashes all around to make the background look very deliberate. It feels a bit more cohesive to me even with all the crazy little detail.

Speaking of detail. If you look at the leaves themselves, you will notice that the bottom image has a lot more detail. I added dots, dashes and lines in a silver pen that really makes them pop.

You will also notice that the outline of the leaves is far from perfect. Making that outline a bit off center really gives it a casual look. I could have upped this even more by varying the size of that line. 

When you can manipulate the negative space and create shapes with the white paper you can get an interesting look. Add some lines and dots and everything pops and looks fun. 

Using different sized lines can really add interest to the page too. You can see the lines in the purple ripple starting very thick and getting thinner and thinner as they move up. There is also a variance in line thickness in the yellow section as well. 

This is a good spot to point out that there is no need for perfection in doodles. Wonky lines and imperfect circles add to the fun of the it. Leaving spots of white shining through can give it a fun, three dimensional feel instead of just being boring and flat so let go of any desire to be perfect and just have fun!

Using several colors in the same family will add a lot of depth to your doodles. In the leafy stem section there are at least 3 different shades of green mixed together to give it a nice feel. 

The truth is, you cannot go wrong with your doodles. Grab some markers and just start having a little fun. Experiment and play with different color combinations. You might just surprise yourself. 

It's a Middle School Wrap

The first Middle School Open House was a such big hit! We had a great time together and what a gift it was to be able to spend so much time together in creative play! 

We started off with some fun drawing. We taped up paper onto the wall put on some fun music and let loose with oil pastels. The girls were encouraged to pick a color they loved and just scribble and get their energy onto the page. Whatever felt good was what we did. 

We had a little fun mixing it up. They got to use their non dominant hand for a while, experiment with mixing by using a white oil pastel and they even got brave and added a color they thought was "ugly." It was fun to try out new things and just be surprised at what happened. 

After a quick snack break we brought out the paints. They got to use juicy tempera paints on big sheets of poster board taped up on the wall. Anything goes in Freedom Art and the girls had fun playing with all the different brushes and rollers and we even had fun with some stencils. 

I always like to add a little positivity to the creative process so we sat down and made some mind maps. The girls put their names in the middle and started writing all their positive qualities around. the center.  They helped each other think of things they were good at or things they liked about each other. Then we thought of some people we admired and their qualities that we aspired for ourselves and added that in. 

Once their mind maps were done I let them loose on some magazines and had them tear out any pictures that reminded them of themselves or their traits they wrote on the paper and they got busy gluing them onto the page. It was so fun and everyone's was unique. 

It was an amazing way to spend my Saturday. The girls had so much fun and said they wanted to come back tomorrow. One of the girls said she wished my studio was her bedroom because it felt so great in there. 

 I loved  it too. It was so fun to just let loose and have fun. We danced, we played, we laughed and we joked around. They uplifted me and left me feeling energized.  I can't wait for the next one!

Have it Your Way

I was at an Open Studio Project workshop over the weekend with 8 other women. We had such a fabulous time diving into our creative process. We were drawing, painting, collaging, assembling and writing our little hearts out.

We talked about the process and what it means to us. How we use it in our lives and how we want to share it with others. It is so great to be in community with other women who love this type of work as much as I do.

At one point one of the women explained how difficult she finds it to try to explain the process to others who aren't familiar with it. I quietly agreed and the entire group erupted in laughter and said, "Join the club! We don't know how to explain it either!" We all had a good laugh and kind of moved on to the next topic.

But it got me thinking...how do you get women in a process that you cannot clearly articulate? How can you get them excited about when they really don't understand it. What a dilemma!

Part of the problem is that the process is so unique to everyone. This is what I think makes it so powerful because it meets you where you are. It doesn't force you to do anything you don't want to do or to experience anything you don't want to experience.

If your soul is looking for a little light fun to let loose and step into creative flow, that is exactly what you will be able to experience. If you are looking to understand yourself a little more, go for it. If you want to heal some past pain or get more in touch with your body, this process can be used powerfully for all of those. It is a completely open and unique creative practice!

I offer a variety of classes to give everyone a chance to experience Freedom Art the way they need it. I have a light hearted Creative Dance Class that is just pure fun. I have Freedom Art drawing and painting classes that are more structured with a beginning, middle and end. This format  lets each individual create their own experience that is perfectly tailored to where they are at that moment. It is all completely unique. There is even a class coming up that is all about nurturing yourself and taking care of yourself.

Perhaps I haven't been able to completely define what this practice is and guess what, I don't think you will fully understand it until you give it a try. If you would like to learn more, you can go to my website and sign up for my newsletter. You will get my free ebook, Take Back Your Life With Freedom Art when you sign up. That ebook with take you through the steps of Freedom Art and show you how you can try it for yourself.

I'm also teaching some classes that will give you an opportunity to come and try it out. All the supplies are here and all you have to do is show up ready to play. If you'd like to work one on one I am available to do that in the studio or online. There are so many options available to you. Isn't that amazing?!

Have it Your Way

I was at an Open Studio Project workshop over the weekend with 8 other women. We had such a fabulous time diving into our creative process. We were drawing, painting, collaging, assembling and writing our little hearts out.

We talked about the process and what it means to us. How we use it in our lives and how we want to share it with others. It is so great to be in community with other women who love this type of work as much as I do.

At one point one of the women explained how difficult she finds it to try to explain the process to others who aren't familiar with it. I quietly agreed and the entire group erupted in laughter and said, "Join the club! We don't know how to explain it either!" We all had a good laugh and kind of moved on to the next topic.

But it got me thinking...how do you get women in a process that you cannot clearly articulate? How can you get them excited about when they really don't understand it. What a dilemma!

Part of the problem is that the process is so unique to everyone. This is what I think makes it so powerful because it meets you where you are. It doesn't force you to do anything you don't want to do or to experience anything you don't want to experience.

If your soul is looking for a little light fun to let loose and step into creative flow, that is exactly what you will be able to experience. If you are looking to understand yourself a little more, go for it. If you want to heal some past pain or get more in touch with your body, this process can be used powerfully for all of those. It is a completely open and unique creative practice!

I offer a variety of classes to give everyone a chance to experience Freedom Art the way they need it. I have a light hearted Creative Dance Class that is just pure fun. I have Freedom Art drawing and painting classes that are more structured with a beginning, middle and end. This format  lets each individual create their own experience that is perfectly tailored to where they are at that moment. It is all completely unique. There is even a class coming up that is all about nurturing yourself and taking care of yourself.

Perhaps I haven't been able to completely define what this practice is and guess what, I don't think you will fully understand it until you give it a try. If you would like to learn more, you can go to my website and sign up for my newsletter. You will get my free ebook, Take Back Your Life With Freedom Art when you sign up. That ebook with take you through the steps of Freedom Art and show you how you can try it for yourself.

I'm also teaching some classes that will give you an opportunity to come and try it out. All the supplies are here and all you have to do is show up ready to play. If you'd like to work one on one I am available to do that in the studio or online. There are so many options available to you. Isn't that amazing?!

New Beginnings in September

September has always held a special place in my heart. I used to get so excited to go to the store and pick out my new school supplies and I loved the idea of a new school year starting. No matter what was going on in my young life I knew school would be a fun place to be even if it was only because I loved to chat and talk with my friends. 

When I had kids that same excitement carried on. I would go to the school supply aisles in the store and spend so much time searching for just the right notebook or the best pens while my kids rolled their eyes and wanted to get out of there. 

Now that my kids are older, there isn’t that same kind of beginning school excitement to shop for supplies but the energy is still so new and so fresh that I just love this time of year. In fact, I have decided that I want to model my business around the school schedule because it just makes so much sense to me. 

So here we are at a new beginning…for my kids, for myself and for my business. I am beyond excited to ride this positive energy burst forward and pick up steam to make this year my best and it is my goal to help you do the same. 

I am always using my Freedom Art process to get really clear on what I want and what I need to do to accomplish it. I don’t concern myself with creating a masterpiece, I only want to step into creative flow and allow my truth to come through and lead the way.

How are you beginning this new cycle in your life? Are you clear on what direction you are going in? If not, how do you typically gain clarity? I’d love to know.