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

5 Ways You Can Use Freedom Art to Release Emotions

Growing up I learned very young how to stuff my emotions. I used all kinds of things to accomplish this task…cigarettes, alcohol, food, and depression. I didn’t really even know that’s what I was doing. I was just going along, living my life and stuffing everything down. 

But once I found myself in the hospital for a few days with no real answers to what was wrong with me I began the long journey to figure my shit out. What I discovered is the world of emotional release which is being with your emotions in the moment no matter what they are and letting them flow through you.

My emotion of choice has always been anger. I hold onto that one for dear life until it blows like a catastrophic volcano. The first time I sat with it and really let it out it felt like my whole body was literally on fire. It was raging through me with incredible power. I felt like one of this old cartoons where the character turned red with smoke blowing out of their ears. Whew!

It felt amazing to get it out. I felt like I lost 50 pounds that day. But emotions are not a one time thing. They come and they go everyday. They like to hide out in the body so sometimes you don’t even know what is going on until it gets so big you can’t ignore it. 

My greatest discovery was understanding how Freedom Art™ can be used to release emotions. Regular time in front of your journal, canvas or even a poster board taped to the wall is one of the greatest ways I have found to get in touch with emotions and just allow them to be. 

It’s like a playdate with all those little emotions hiding out inside you. Have you seen that movie Inside Out? I love that movie. It really gives a concrete example of what is going on in there. And the moral of that story is that every emotion has its place and shouldn’t be ignored. 

Here are 5 ways you can use art to release your emotions:

1. Work in your journal- Your journal is a safe place to let all of your emotions out. You can close the pages and no one has to see what you've done. You can scribble and swear and create the ugliest things you've ever seen and it is only for you. 

2. Choose your materials wisely- Different materials can evoke different feelings. Water colors are fluid and can connect you to your watery emotions like sadness, grief, and love. Crayons and oil pastels can really help you gain access to anger, jealousy and fear. Everyone will have different connections to the materials so tap into how you are feeling and which material will best express that feeling and don't be afraid to switch it up in the middle. 

3. Choose colors without judgement- Each color can represent an emotion and once again, everyone will have different associations with colors. One person might associate green with health and vibrancy and another might think of sickness. It only matters what color you are being nudged to use. Don't ask why, just go with it and see where it leads you. 

4. Use gestures that represent how you feel- Do you feel like moving in long, sweeping vertical lines or are you feeling hard, frantic scribbles? Perhaps you want to move slowly in a horizontal direction or in short stabbing dots. Allow your movement to match your emotions and pay attention to when you feel like changing. 

5. Spend some time in reflection- When you finish your art piece spend some time writing about it. How did it feel to create it? How does it make you feel when you look at it? What messages does it have for you. 

I will be sharing my most recent emotional journey using Freedom Art™ in my next post to give you a greater idea of how it works. Stay tuned!

Product vs. Process Art

So many people think they aren’t artists. They have this idea that art has to look a certain way and that they weren’t trained in visual arts so they can’t possibly be artists. Many people are intimidated by the thought of creating art. I have watched women literally fall into anxiety at the thought of it. 

I think the problem is that they are focused on creating a finished product. They have an idea in their head for something that they want to make and either they don’t have the skills to create it or they think they can and somewhere in the middle of it they realize they cannot do it and they shut down. 

When you create art for product you find yourself in a world of rules; rules of composition, color, and line. These are the terms of art school and they are important in the world of design. They can help you create things that are pleasing to the eye but is that only aspect of art? I don’t think so. 

The field of product art is established around critiques and fitting your art into these rigid rules. There is so much time spent focusing on what is wrong with your creation that your soul can be deflated at best and crushed at worst. 

Process art throws all the rules out the window. It is the thing that sets you free from rules and critiques. There is no one there to tell you what you “should” have done or even what you “could” have done. You do not start with a preconceived idea about what you are making. You start with curiosity and experimentation. 

Process art is about following your intuition and doing what feels good in the moment no matter what it ends up looking like. It’s about playing with color, line and movement and seeing what emerges on the paper. Red feels exciting? Use it! You have an urge to add some dots? Go for it!

This is the foundation of Freedom Art™. Pure joy in the process of creativity, the way a child explores and plays with art supplies. It’s an opportunity to let go of rules and expectations and let your creativity flow no matter what the finished product looks like. This is the place where everyone is an artist. 

What are your experiences with art? Have you experienced either ends of this spectrum? I'd love to know!

What Did You Learn This Summer?

I have always loved this time of year. There is something so exciting about going back to school. When I was a kid I loved going to the store to get new supplies and even as a mother I could't wait to take my little guys to stock up on pens, paper and folders. 

Every year when I say goodbye to my boys and send them off for another year, I feel like it is the beginning of my new year too. 

My boys on the first day of school

So many of the women I work with are mothers. They are go-getters. They push and plan and get things done. It's often about this time that they are feeling drained and a bit deflated. The summer flew by and they feel like they didn't get everything done they wanted to accomplish. 

As their coach I tap into what they are feeling and I help them make adjustments. I ask questions...lots and lots of questions...

• What worked for you this summer?
• What didn't work?
• What would you like to spend more time doing?
• What would you like to spend less time doing?
• What is one thing you could do different next summer?

And then do you know what I have them do? I have them go into their electronic calendar and go forward to the beginning of summer next year. I have them write themselves a note with all of the important things they learned this year so they will be reminded next year. 

I do this for myself all the time. I have learned to embrace technology and make it my friend. I always think I will remember these great things I learn but I never do so why not use my calendar? It's like having my own personal assistant to help me stay focused on what is important to me. 

So often we forget that our year ebbs and flows. We want to continue doing everything the same way throughout the year and yet it really doesn't work. Our energy shifts and changes and the more we can pay attention to the changes the sooner we can honor ourselves and create a sustainable lifestyle. 

I personally take it easy during the summer. I spend so much time with my family I don't have as much time to blog, create and coach. I used to try to fight it and life felt so stressful. Now I embrace it and I plan for it and let me tell you when those kids go back to school my creative juices are flowing.

 

I have so much energy to paint and write. I have new ideas flowing and it feels so good. I have learned to work with my lifestyle. 

So what did you learn this summer that will help you next summer?

Art Has Energy

Every time I create something I set an intention for that piece. To me, art is meant to inspire something deep inside, to shift something and heal something. So when I set an intention it is to help me uncover something about myself or the world around me.

I want to feel something!

I want to change something!

I want to learn something!

Having an intention is like having an end game in mind. It's like picking your next vacation spot. Once you set your intention you just sit back and play, knowing that the journey will get you to your destination.  

I create art for myself. I focus on the process and I don't worry about whether someone likes it or doesn't. I am always so grateful when someone gets meaning out of something for themselves and I know that we are all so unique that everyone will see something completely different but that isn't what drives my creative process.  

This is what I teach when I am working with others. 

The amazing thing is when you allow yourself to jump into the creative pool in this way you are stepping into a powerful energetic flow. You allow the energy to express itself through you onto the page. 

Each piece has a "feel" to it. When you look at it you have a recognition of the energy that was accessed to create that piece. 

Even when it's "only a collage" or when it isn't "beautiful art" it has power. It allows you to move your energy, clear out blocks, and gain a deeper perspective about your inner world. 

Art is your own form of energy healing and it is so fun!

Magazine Inspiration

I love magazines. I have had a love affair with magazines since the 90's when I made my first magazine portrait.

 I love the glossy shine and the bright vibrant colors and they are really great to use when you want to play. 

I love how they make it so easy to express yourself and create your own reality while you are snuggled up on the couch with your adorable little puppy. 

I love how there is no right or wrong and no need to worry.There is only inspiration, flow and fun.

I love taking the time to hear what the pages have to say and to learn the stories and lessons that emerge from the pages. 

Full Moon Painting

One of the assignments we did in the Ignite program was to paint under the full moon every month. It's funny that I never really paid attention to the cycles of the moon before. I am a Leo you know so I am all about the sun. But I have to say there is a softness that emerges when you tune into the moon. It's a different energy...a feminine energy.  I know I can use more of that in my life so I have decided to continue this practice in my 2015 journal. 

When I paint I don't go into it with any idea of what I am doing. I have no preconceived plans for what I am painting. It is a total mystery. I usually just start with a few colors that are calling my name and get them on the page. There is nothing worse than staring at a boring white page so I get some color on!

From there I just start playing. I tend to like a nice flowing line. I like to feel like I am fluid when I paint...like my paintbrush is floating over the surface, leading me where it wants to go.

Again, I have no idea if "something" will emerge. Oftentimes I will see a face or some kind of image but today it looks like I am just creating shapes and line and it feels so good.

When I finished with the paint I decided I wanted to go back in with crayons and pens to add some fun little details. I don't over think it. It's just easy breezy.

One of the things I learned about this process is that I enjoy adding words to my journal pages. It is nice to go back and look at what I was thinking or feeling at the time I created the page.

The page felt a bit chaotic and all over the place and yet there was this quiet and serene space left an it gave me this feeling of inner peace. 

Enjoy the full moon! Maybe you will want to get out your journals and have a little fun playing!

xo
Michelle

Vision Pages

My very first pages in my new 2015 journal are vision pages. I wanted to keep it simple and just create a vision for what I want 2015 to feel like. 

 As I browsed through some magazines I really kept the thought of how I want to FEEL. That is an important part of the process. When you can zone into your feelings you end up with something very powerful. 

 As you can see from the pages, I have quite a few different feelings going on. There is the serenity and spiritual connection from the beauty of nature, the alive and vibrancy of green veggies, the sassiness and confidence exuded from the ladies. 

This picture of the boy in boxing gloves doesn't quite seem to fit but I assure you, it is one of the most powerful parts for me. 

I had decided to write just a little bit around each photo to express what it was that I was wanting and here is what I wrote about this boy:

I want to live with the gentle innocence of a child, the strength of a fighter and the confidence of an Ali. 

Whoo, love it!

 Have you created any vision pages for how you want your 2015 to feel?

I invite you to DO IT!

xo

Michelle

2015 Art Journal

 I am organizationally challenged. I have like to think it is because my creative brain is firing so fast and furious that organization takes a back seat. I've tried many different ways to organize my ideas and my art and I have found that the K.I.S.S technique holds true for me.

Look at all those beautiful notebooks above. I went out and purchased all of them with the great idea that I would put all business ideas in one notebook, all blog ideas in another, all notes from things I learned in a third and so on.

One day I was on a Skype call with my awesome friend Kristi and I told her how I had misplaced the notes from our last talk in one of my notebooks. I had no idea what notebook it was in or where it was. She suggested I find a basket to keep them all in. Great idea! I did it and it really has helped.

But I have come to find out that I am an all in one kind of girl. I need to have one notebook to keep all my stuff in so I know where it is.

Here is what I have incorporated into my life:

Bullet Journal

I started a bullet journal last year and I absolutely love it! It makes keeping everything so organized. I use it for my to do lists, shopping, menu planning and general note taking. It is really for running the household.

I got a small journal that I can bring with me in my purse and at any moment I can write down anything and everything I need. Here are some of the pages from my bullet journal.

 One Art Journal

 


There are some amazing journals out there. I have some really nice mixed media ones that have thick pages and hold the paint really well. But, if I'm being honest, I have to tell you that my favorite journal is a cheap, student grade journal I get at Michael's Craft Store.

The pages are thin and they buckle with paint. Sometimes what I write shines through on the other side and sometimes I have to glue two pages together but I have to tell you I love it. As you can see, my old journal was well loved which just adds to the charm as far as I'm concerned.

It's a simple, non intimidating place to play and have fun. I don't have to worry about messing anything up. I can put everything in there...collage, paint, writing, crayon drawings, sketches...it all goes in the same journal. Easy peasy!

OK, I must confess, I still have a few of those spiral notebooks lying around because who doesn't need a spiral notebook?!

I would love to know how you organize your life and your art.

Resting the Body, Mind, & Spirit

I sometimes wish I was the kind of person who gets reflective and deep when I get sick. You know, writing poetry, creating masterpieces, or even just journaling. But no, I'm the kind of girl who veges out on the couch and watches TV. I feel like I could get so much accomplished if I only could focus on my art or my writing while I lounge around on the sofa.

But then I think that I sometimes need a break too. I'm always thinking, learning, reading, creating, writing, talking, helping, or doing. I guess when my body needs a break the mind needs one too.

On top of that, I spend a part of everyday being reflective and diving deep into my own healing and growth so what the heck, another reason to rest the mind and soul.

So you might have guessed that I've been a bit under the weather the past few weeks. Let me tell you, it was a doozy! Three plus weeks sitting on the couch has caught me up on all the shows in my DVR from the whole season and then some.

I'm so glad to feel the creative urge alive inside me again. I've just been playing around a bit and I've been working out some new techniques that I'm super psyched about. I guess I'm just getting back in the groove again.

I'm looking forward to connecting with all you wonderful people here in the bloggy world again. I've missed all of you! I'm curious, what do you do when you're sick. Maybe you can give me some  pointers.

Personalized Journal for Girls

Remeber back in March when I told you about the journal I made for my friend Carrie? Well she has 2 beautiful daughters who were wanting to get creative too so I made each of them a journal.

This one was made for her youngest daughter Calli.

And this one was for her oldest daughter Skylar.

I've never met these girls but I went onto their mom's facebook page to look at pictures of them and I also checked out their pinterest pages to get an idea of who they are. I'm guessing I was able to intuitively connect with them as well because I've been told they are perfect for each of them. The colors, the subject matter, everything. Yay! It always feels good to make others happy!

I can't wait to see what they do in them!

Redefining Responsiblity

I decided to add a page to my Smash Journal about my word for the year. There isn't much on it just yet as we are only in the second month of the year but I am intending on adding to it throughout the year.

I wrote: Taking ownership of your life. Getting done necessary things so you have time to enjoy life. Balance. Letting others be responsible for their lives.

The truth about this choice of words is that I need to redefine what the word means to me. I think I have some skewed ideas about responsibility that include negative beliefs on both ends of the spectrum.

On one hand I shirk responsibility because it is boring and confining...who wants to be a slave to responsibility? Additionally there seems to be this idea that if I am not responsible, nothing can be my fault...I am at the whim of others and live my life in reactionary mode. It is a bit of victim mentality that can only hold me back.

On the other hand I think there has become a murky line between responsibility and control for me. This really applies to my relationship with my children. If I'm "responsible" I am in control and if I am in control, everything is my responsibility. It's funny because this end of the spectrum is also tied to the whole victim thing. Poor me, I have to be responsible for EVERYTHING!

It is amazing to me how I can have beliefs that are so completely in opposition to each other and yet are so perfectly tied together. Our subconscious is an amazing thing don't ya think?

I love how things unfold when you focus on a word of the year. You never know what you're going to learn or how it will be revealed. I look forward to filling this page with all kinds of wonderful insights.

How are things going with your word of the year?

Follow the Juice

Have you seen this video by Ken Robert?

Connie over at Dirty Footprints Studio shared it a while back and it's been on my mind. I think it is amazing to see his abilities change and grow over the three years.

 I used to love to draw and attempt to improve my technique but like a lot of things, when you don't do it for a while (or like 20 years) you lose your touch. Of course in my mind that always seems to doubt my abilities at just about everything, I think I'm not able to draw anymore or I've lost my touch.

What this video showed me is that it is a lie! I can draw, I just haven't done much of it so I am out of practice. How many times have I talked to my kids about the importance of practice? I need to practice what I preach.

So when I was in Florida I sat down at the pool and decided to sketch the pool house. While I was doing it there was really no juice in it for me.  I was rushing through it and just wanted to get it done. I wasn't happy with it of course because it was as if I could have cared less about it. I had to question this. Do I really want to sketch? It didn't seem like it. I let it go and just played and had fun in my sketchbook for the rest of the time.

The other night I sat down to watch Oprah's Master Class. She had Laird Hamilton on and he was talking about some pretty deep and spiritual things. His words and his attitude were inspiring me so I got out my Smash Journal to write them down.

I also decided to sketch him which wasn't that easy since I didn't stop the show from playing and only sketched him while he was currently on the screen. I was totally jazzed by this. I loved every minute of it. The juice was definitely there!

This morning I was leafing through the March issue of the O Magazine (hmmm, I'm seeing an Oprah theme here) and I was struck by this picture of an African woman and knew immediately that I wanted to do a quick sketch. I had some small index cards at hand so I started to do a couple quick sketches.

Again, I loved it. It only took a short time to do and while they are far from perfect they were amazing to help me see the lines in the face and to help me simplify the forms.

What I learned most of all with this is that we need to follow the juice! We need to be inspired and do the things that get us into the flow and uplift us. If that means that we smear colors all over the canvas, so be it. If that means we draw buildings in excruciating detail, excellent. If it means we doodle on a sheet of notebook paper, rock on!

Follow the juice today and do what inspires you even if it's for 5 minutes!

Vacation Journaling

Started playing on the airplane

 I decided to bring a small art kit with me on vacation this year. I haven't been doing much in the way of creating lately. The holidays are such a busy time for me and having my son leave for the Air Force in January has kept me away from my artistic expression and I thought vacation might be the perfect time to get back in the groove.

 I really wanted to keep it light and fun. Nothing tight or constrained.  I often struggle with this. I've always wanted to have that loose, messy style but it never comes across that way. In the above journal page I really tried to let loose and be messy. It was fun.

Hanging out at the pool with my journal

 One thing that happens to me every time I go on vacation is that I get a little whiny. I don't ever want to go home. I love every place I ever visit more than my boring town in the Midwest. I took some time to journal it out this year. I whined in my journal and then I flipped it and switched the energy. It was great because I got it out and I felt so much better and was able to move on and enjoy my vacation so much more.

Covering up an old Christmas list

At one point I came upon a page that I had written a Christmas list all over in scribbly, yucky handwriting. I was a little bummed because I hated the idea of all my fun and colorful pages being interrupted by this ugly page.

I showed it to my hubby and he said, "Why don't you cover it up?" I explained to him that watercolors wouldn't cover it up. But I became obsessed with the idea and decided that maybe, just maybe my gel pens would cover it and I set out to see.

It was a fun experiment and ended up liking the way it turned out.

Exploring the book, Life is a Verb

Have you heard about the year long project that Effy has called the Book of Days? I've been following her videos and while I am not really creating a book of days I am really enjoying what she is doing. While I was on vacation she started to incorporate the book Life is a Verb into her Book of Days. I had actually just purchased the book without knowing she was working with it. How funny is that?!

I created the above page to write my innermost thoughts about the questions Effy posted. I was happy with the way it turned out but I was a little shocked when I turned the page and saw that the sharpie marker I used to outline the  outer edges had seeped through. I showed my 14 year old Devin and laughed, "I guess I will be skipping a page huh?" He replied, "Well why don't you just put another face on that page?" Duh! What a great idea! Why didn't I think of that?!

So that is what I did. I used the same outline and created a second girl. When I was working on her I made a big boo boo. The paint was wet and I went in with blue and it spread like wildfire. Ugh! I decided to just go with it and embrace it. I put blue all over her eyes and the funny thing is it worked perfectly with the writing I had done.

I was really exploring my story and my relationship with taking ownership of my life. I ended up writing around her head, "She cried so much that even her tears got sick of her, dried up and ran away." It was a perfect expression of how I was living my story and playing my life as a victim. It just goes to show you that it really is true...there are no accidents.

I will leave you with this ugly page I created. I had decided to step outside my box and do something a little different from the stuff I normally do. Early on I knew it was bad...knew it was ugly. I could have given up and did something else but I decided to make it even uglier. I picked the ugliest colors I could and just kept going.

When I finished I decided to journal a little about it and this is what I ended up with.
xo