Been Getting Some Creative/Craft Therapy

With my last post I was committing to writing 3 books by September.  I’d like to say I’ve been off the radar because I’ve been busy writing, I could, but that wouldn’t be entirely true.

Loving my new Clutter Free Space

That’s not to say I’ve not been busy.  I have finally got rid of all my household clutter.  Rebecca McLoughlin posed a question on a recent newsletter asking ‘why do we hang on to the clutter’.  This got me thinking and brought one of those a-ha moments.  I really had reached that stage where if I were to clear away those final pieces, add those finishing touches I would have no more excuses to stop me from following my authentic path.  I have known for quite some time now that the only person stopping me from doing what I want is me.   Knowing and doing something about is are two entirely different things, and two that I have now brought together.  I am loving the spaciousness of my new found clutter free home.

As well as creating this wonderful space I have been spending time in the company of some great creative people.

I visited the Great Tapestry of Scotland when it visited Paisley - some amazing pieces and interesting to know that what is now looked upon as new age mindfulness was already out there way back when history was in the making.

I found my first self help investment, Fiona Harrold's Be Your Own Life Coach, I've been reconnecting with Fiona and revisiting past lessons learnt.

I enjoyed the Transformational Author Experience with Christine Kloser, so many mindfully creative people in one place, so much info and inspiration, and so much good stuff.

I took some time to catch up with all the creative goodness that is Creative Mornings and I think Dallas Clayton is my favourite find so far, his kid lessons were thought provoking enough but his reading at the end is a masterpiece.

And as well as all this I've also been working on my Creative Abundance Centre, it's not quite ready, you can watch it come together by clicking on the tab at the top of the page.

Hope this finds you smiling on the inside and out.

Namaste

Catherine x

Creative Mornings - Epic Find

I've decided to take some time out each week to check out what's been happening at Creative Mornings, whilst cultivating my plan for gathering my own Creative Collective.

This week I settled down with my cup of tea and my notebook to watch Sharon Montrose and Clare Vivier.  After a few seconds I realised that I had watched this already.  But I decided to stay with it and really listen and learn.

I loved Sharon's honesty with her admittance to epic fails saying that "There's nothing I have done right without doing it wrong first."  I'm kind of hoping that I've turned a corner and can learn from my many fails to date, bringing their numbers down.

With Clare, everything was just so real.  While she spoke I had a quick swatch at her bags and their simplicity and total style left me adding a few to my wish list.  Clare's passion for what she does is so obvious and summed up beautifully when she said "I want to keep doing what I love."

Hope you enjoy their talks as much as I did, and probably will again.

Learn from the fails

+

Do what You Love

Namaste

Catherine

xxx

Usual Sunday BS – Checking In / Moving On

It may be Monday but it's still the weekend - yay for Bank Holidays - so I'm putting my Sunday BS together a little late and not starting this week till tomorrow - having a kind of limbo day.

The week just gone

The week started with my son visiting A&E and a frustrating day spent with the NHS.  If one more person tells me they can "understand my frustration" I swear I will scream.  Yet by the end of the week I am feeling calm, rested and present.

I've spent the best (or worst) part of a year checked out - as an onlooker, watching life go on around me and not even touching the sides.  So, what's changed in 7 days?

The lovely ladies in my Storytelling for Change group just understood that this was 'not a good week' and so there was a break from any added responsibility.  In my day job I have become more connected, I feel like I've at last started turning up again, like an invisible line has been drawn under things past and now it just is what it is - no underlying agendas.

And with regard to my son's (and my) health I guess the change has been in attitude.  We've been so busy looking for a label, believing that there could be no 'cure' before that was found.  Why would I find that more frustrating than most?  Because I don't really go for labels, I believe in taking in the whole picture.   I have spent so much time dismantling the pigeon holes in my life that the mere action of creating another box was just so 'wrong'.  So, to move ahead boxes, labels and shoulds have all been thrown out the window.  The focus is on being present - living the way we want to live now.  Sometimes the answer is right in front of you, all around you - sometimes, if not always, the first thing to do is look at what we have.

And in keeping with using what I have - I think I've done enough research to move on as Seth Godin put it "All the information in the world isn't helping you make more stuff.  You have enough.  You should stop."

The whole 'using what you've got' thing is part and parcel of the message behind the birth of this blog and The MacsX - so time to get back to the message and go with it.  And what's going to make this time different to all the other stop starts that have gone in the past.  Belief.  Belief that it just 'is'.

The week’s discoveries/rediscoveries:

Lissa Rankin's Ted Talk

My first 'Ted Talk ' - and there are so many more to see.

Seth Godin's Creative Morning Talk

My Storytelling Video

Here’s to another good week

And to using up lots of stuff

Catherine

xxx

Checking In - The Usual Sunday BS

Checking in - that was the original plan behind Sunday BS - checking where I'm at and where I want to go - for the next week at least.  I tend to get a lot planned out doing this.  It is one of the things that works, when I do it.

Looking forward to meeting up with my Storytelling Group

So, this week started off well with me posting here Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday although I must admit that by the time Wednesday came around I was starting to struggle.  There have been a few 'sleepus interuptus' nights and I guess I didn't have my reserves backed up as much as I could've.  So, I've been taking it 'easy' this week where producing anything is concerned.  Has anyone seen that magic wand - it must be my turn for it soon?

I am still working on my 'Free Range Life'. When I confronted the 'oodles of experience' I thought  I didn't have I was amazed to find just how 'spectacular and relevant' my experience is.  As Marianne says "when you are free range everything about your life counts; nothing is thrown away.  The very things that make you different might well be your edge."  I always wanted to have 'edge'.

Creatively if there were some way of getting all of the stuff in my head onto paper and out into the world - again with the magic wand!


Watching/Listening to: Creative Mornings - especially loving his 'bending the truth'.

Just one of many inspirational talks to start the day with.

Reading (still) 'Be A Free Range Human' by Marianne Cantwell and getting my 'free range' on

Crafting (excuses and) a great idea for my House of Pinheiro International Craft Swap - this WILL DEFINITELY be completed this week.

It may not look like it but I'm almost there....

Pinning - I've been doing a bit of pinning this week and added a new board this week 'Building My Wall', more about that tomorrow. Pinterest is becoming more and more popular in the craft world - why wouldn't it? Who wouldn't love a virtual pinboard - saved so many trees already.  The Making Spot and Craftblog UK have listed some great crafters on Pinterest.  I'm sure I'm going to be doing a lot of Pinning it Forward as highlighted by CBUK this week. Really must remember to use that hash tag #PinitForwardUK.  Is there no end to the wonders of the Internet and the connections created by all the lovely folks out there/here.

From Austin Kleon

Here's to a Productive Free Range Week
And lots of fun

Catherine

xxx