Home Sanctuary

Goodbye October

Goodbye October, and goodbye to my failed attempt at the "31 Days to Be More Creative" series.

I'm sorry people.

Life, man.

Life was crazy in October and I simply lost my blog mojo during what should have been a really fun little series for us.

So....rather than crying in our soup, I'd like to just ask you if you'd like to continue the creative series - or simply return to our regular Small Things.

What ttthhay you?

 

 

 

In review, my last letter in our series was K (for kindness), which meant I was almost halfway through becoming incredibly creative, LOL. Now, I would be more than happy to finish out the alphabet soup of greatness...or return to our daily Small Things of general sanctuary-ness.

Either way - I am totally good! 

Today is the *first day* I feel like the October fog of crazy has lifted {whew!} - just in time to get motivated for a wonderful Thanksgiving and Christmas season. I would love to spend my mornings with you in whatever way you'd like - getting organized, being creative, or simply being silly.

Oh wait. Come to think of it, silliness goes with just about anything, so I guess you'll get that no matter what. :)

 

In your comments below, let me know what you'd like to do next together:

1. Finish out the Be More Creative series, or

2. Return to our "regular" Sanctuary Small Things

 

One lucky commenter will receive a free copy of Emily P. Freeman's fabulous new book, A Million Little Ways today! Don't be shy....leave me a comment!

**I'm an Amazon affiliate, which means a tiny compensation goes toward funding my coffee habit if you purchase from the above link. No pressure.

On Following Your Dream

I returned home from the Allume conference on Sunday, stuffed full of thoughts. And one thought in particular, which I'll get to in just a minute.

It was quite a weekend for me, getting to meet with publishers to talk about my book, "The Donkey Principles." I met writers and bloggers from all over the country and heard terrific speakers. Wow, it was an amazing experience!

First off, (because I know you want to know!) I thought my publisher meetings went great. The acquisition editors were kind, enthusiastic and very receptive to my incorrigible donkey and this story about how God is so unexpected in His ways. I think Flash charmed them....I mean, really. How could they not be charmed by his silly ol' self?

And I love, love my agent Ruth Samsel. We had coffee on Saturday night and then wandered through the local Anthropologie store and had a ball. I felt very, very blessed. And so lucky to be sitting at a table talking about a book with people who are actually interested in publishing it. How many people would like to be here?

But what I kept thinking all weekend started with this: that we are all on a journey of some sort. We're all following a dream. And maybe that dream is to be a mama and to have babies on your hip, or finish a college degree, or read the Bible all the way through for real this time. Maybe your dream is to hand-make all your Christmas gifts or live off the grid or be an artist or write a book. And this weekend I was with hundreds of women who are listening to their hearts and their soul whispers that propel them toward their dreams. Maybe dreams that they haven't even dared to say out loud. I know because that's me.

 

And here, finally is my thought:

 

While we are following our dream, we can't forget to live the dream. That we are living the dream.

 

Mostly, it doesn't look like a dream. It mostly looks like messy living and dirty dishes and marching little people toward their baths. It looks like day jobs that suck all the living life out of you, and then the carpool and the bills and the dog that sheds all over your black sweater. It looks like nothing amazing or interesting or worthy.

It looks like you're not making one tiny speck of progress toward that thing that you wish for.

And yet.

You are living and loving and breathing. You are preparing. You are growing and working it out. You are listening and observing, and creating a resevoir of experiences which your dream will draw from. Even when it doesn't look like anything is happening.

My thought was, don't give up. No matter where you are in your journey. You've got to just keep on going. Seven years ago when I started to write this blog, I just sat down to write posts that I thought might encourage people. And I wrote day after day because I loved it. I still do.

This weekend, I sat at a table and talked about my book, and I thought how far I have yet to go. I thought about all those ladies in the conference hall, and all of you at home who have so far to go, too, and I wanted to cheer us all on. I wanted to just say, let's keep living. Keep doing. Keep picking up socks.

And let's keep dreaming.

 

How about you? Are your dreams drowning in laundry? What is God whispering to your heart in the midst of it all?

Hello From Allume

Girls, I seriously did not think I would be away from my blog this week. In my mind, I imagined me posting fabulously creative ideas for my 31 Days to Be More Creative series, despite a nutty schedule. How wrong I was. It's been a crazy week and I owe you an apology for not even saying so much as "see you on Monday!" I'm awfully sorry for leaving you hanging. My bad! I'll be back on Monday with a recap of what's been happening and we will pick up from there. I hate these weeks when we don't get to talk every day! I need my peeps! Can't wait to see you in a few days! Love, Rachel

Flash Gets His Own Website

How many donkeys do you know who have their own websites?

None? Well, that's just not right.

Let Flash be your first braying friend to enter the social media world. I give you FlashTheDonkey.com:

 

 

FlashTheDonkey.com

 

This is an exciting week for me and I want to take this morning to let you know why on earth I finally relented and let Flash have his own website.

And his own Twitter account.

And his own Facebook page.

He was so insistent on doing ALL of social media. Next thing you know, he will want his own Google+ and Pinterest accounts. Good grief, I suppose he will want his own blog.

This may be getting out of hand.

Anyway, back to why this is an exciting week.

On Thursday, I'll be going to North Carolina to attend the Allume conference, and while I'm there I'll be meeting with my agent, Ruth Samsel of William K. Jensen Literary Agency.

Yes, you read that right....I have an agent! I signed with the Jensen Agency in September! I feel very blessed and grateful to have connected with people who love my book proposal and see a future for it. Ruth is an energetic, amazing woman and she and I already work well together.

Best of all, she LOVES Flash.

Ruth has set up several meetings with publishers over the weekend, and I'll have a chance to talk with them about this crazy/amazing book I'm working on called The Donkey Principles. I have written and polished the first four chapters to go along with my proposal, so now it's time to find just the right publisher for it. You can read about it on Flash's website.

 

My prayer is that we will partner with a publisher who will connect with the message of the book as well as with with my intrepid long-eared character, who never ceases to amaze me with his humble wisdom. 

 

You, my wonderful readers, are so much a part of this dream. Each day you encourage me to keep writing, keep dreaming, keep listening. You've been with me each step of the way and I'm so very grateful. It's been your enthusiasm for my Flash stories that ignited the spark to write a whole book about him.

Would you take a minute to go "like" Flash's Facebook page and follow him on Twitter? I'd love to keep you posted on Flash's updates, and it's the only way Flash himself can communicate with his friends and fans. You should see his little hooves fly across the keyboard!

I told you he is amazing.

I love you all!

Rachel Anne

K is for Kindness

Creativity is kindness - with flair.

 

 

It is doing something, and then adding an extra touch to make it special for someone else.

You see, creativity is not just art, but it is problem solving, meeting needs, and living each day with an eye for what "could be."

Most people are living creatively without even knowing it. But they are moving through their day making good things happen because they see how to add touches of kindness wherever they go.

Creative kindness is:

The little note in the lunch bag that says, "I love you."

The paprika sprinkled on mashed potatoes.

The waitress who brings extra lemons for the iced tea.

The thank you card in the mail.

The hand-knitted winter hat.

The quilt pieced together by loving hands.

Paying for a stranger's meal at a restaurant.

Remembering a cashier's name at the grocery store.

Complimenting the man who picks up your trash.

Allowing another person to go first in line.

Giving flowers to a friend for no reason.

Leaving an extra big tip.

 

Oh, there are a million kindnesses that you do - acts of creatively meeting someone's need for beauty, hope and joy - and you don't even realize it. You, my friend, are a little brook of fresh water for thirsty souls around you. What delight you bring!

 

Today's Be More Creative assignment is to simply show kindness.

 

And when you do, you'll be living in that joyful place that is the BEST of creativity: generosity, selflessness and love.

Share your kindness story! Have you been shown an unexpected kindness that brightened your day? How will you creatively meet someone's need today? How will you be kind?

J is for Just Do It

 

Want to be more creative?

The answer is: Create.

Just get started. Just make something. Play something. Scribble something.

Just do it.

 

What will you just DO today?

I is for Ignition

 

Talent starts with ignition.

In his books, The Talent Code, and The Little Book of Talent, Daniel Coyle talks about how talent is grown and cultivated.

 

"Talent is determined far less by our genes and far more by our actions: specifically, the combination of intensive practice and motivation that produces brain growth."

{His books are a MUST read for every parent, coach, teacher, and self-improver, by the way.}

 

Mr. Coyle says this:

"Talent begins with brief, powerful encounters that spark motivation by linking your identity to a high-performing person or group. This is called ignition, and it consists of a tiny, world-shifting thought lighting up your unconscious mind: I could be them."

He cites people like Stephen King, Sinichi Suzuki and Albert Einstein as people who experienced a spark that ignited their passions.

 

How do you ignite creativity?

1. Create opportunities for encounters with the spark. Concerts, art shows, museums, conferences, walks in the park. Be open to what may happen.

2. Observe, watch, imitate those who do best what you are trying to learn. If you are learning guitar, study Eric Clapton. Tennis? Venus Williams. Find the best in your field and set your sights on them. See what they do and how they do it.

3. Allow yourself the freedom to be caught up in the moment. Ignition happens when you give yourself permission to catch fire. Most of us are content to simply smolder because we fear passion.

4. Be joyful. Joy in your activity will carry your further than you can imagine. Let your heart sing as you put your pen to paper or make your scrapbook page or knit that scarf. Savor the moment, and enjoy the feeling of creating.

 

How about you? Have you had a "moment" that ignited your passion for something? Have you experienced a spark when you observed others doing what you want to do? what did it feel like? How did it change you? Share your ignition story!

 

As an Amazon Associate, I will receive a very small compensation for purchases from the links today. Not even enough for a cup of coffee....but whatever. Just so's ya know.

H is for Heart

This post is part of my month long series, "Be More Creative" in 31 Days. I am really enjoying thinking about what keeps me inspired and how I can continually be more creative - not just as a writer and artist, but as a wife and mom and business owner. I hope you'll take each day's post and find ways to apply it to your everyday life as well.

 

H is for Heart.

 

It's very simple:

The best art comes from the heart.

 

And if you see art as "communication," you can see why the heart is so important. In fact, if you take Heart out of any kind of communication, you usually end up with something trite, uninteresting and forgettable.

Think of the last time a person's words from a stage or a book moved you. Or a time when a piece of music put a lump in your throat. Or when your child looked at you and said, "I love you." Each person communicated something about themselves - and about yourself - in a transparent, vulnerable way, because it came from their heart. They exposed a part of themselves to you that pulled an involuntary response from you.

I've sat through many business meetings where the lecturers plowed through mind-numbing power-point presentations and I wished to God I was somewhere else. "Oh dear LORD, how much longer?"

And I've been riveted to my seat by speakers whose message is so transparent, vulnerable and compelling that I can hardly breathe. "YES!" my soul responded.

The difference is...Heart.

To be more creative - in any endeaver - you must be willing to be vulnerable and express the "real you." Show us your heart and we will, in turn, show you ours.

 

Art, after all, is communication.

Here are a few tips to help you create from the heart:

1. Be honest. Skip trying to sound/look/create/like other people, and simply be yourself. Use YOUR words, YOUR colors, YOUR notes...not what you think is popular.

2. Be brave. Take a deep breath and think and feel and speak and create from deep inside you. When YOU are brave, others can be, too.

3. Be humble. Not everyone will love what you do, what you say or how you express yourself. But when you are humble in your approach, no one can really fault you. You don't have it all together and your work tomorrow may look very different than is does today. "I'm still learning," is a great phrase to say when showing your work or revealing yourself.

4. Find support. There is nothing like finding others who share your passions and interests. The internet has opened up whole new worlds for people who thought they were alone in their (painting, drawing, music, motherhood, marriage, fill in the blank). You can learn a lot from them, and you will find it easier to express yourself, knowing there is a common bond of friendship.

5. Be patient. Sometimes your message doesn't come out the way you want it to. Your heart is not translating onto the canvas or into the words you want to write. Take your time. Learn your craft. Let your "voice" develop until what you create sounds and looks "like you." 

 

Today's Be More Creative Assignment is to communicate from the heart.

 

In marriage, parenting, working and creating, when your words and actions come from your heart there is a chance that something extraordinary will happen. Yes, it's a risk, but it just may liberate you! You will find a richness of relationships and deeper expression of art....because it is the REAL YOU.

What do you REALLY want to say? What do you truly want to express? Who is your authentic self?

Now, think of how you can put those feelings into your art and words and actions. I'd love to know how you can apply today's assignment!

G is for Give

 

Art is meant to be shared.

One of the best ways to develop creativity is to give. To be generous with it. Share it with others.

I once signed up for piano lessons and truly enjoyed them.....until I found out there would be a recital at the end of the year.

"But why do I have to perform?" I complained. "I'm only taking these lessons for my own benefit!"

My teacher shook her head.

"The piano IS a performance instrument," she said. "It is meant to be played so that others can enjoy. Yes, you may learn for your own pleasure, but you will really never perfect your skill unless you prepare to play for others. Music is made to be shared."

I had never thought about it that way. But really, ALL art is made to be shared. There is a common desire to share in beauty and creativity that differentiates humans from all other creatures in the world.

What are some ways you can give of your creativity?

1. Donate your talent to local organizations. Churches need artists, designers, musicians, letter folders, teachers, helpers....whatever you can do, no matter how small, you are needed.

2. Do it for free. When I started painting murals, I did (and still do) lots of freebies for people. It built my portfolio and my confidence.

3. Teach others. The best way to learn your craft is to teach someone else. You'll be forced to break each skill into its simplest form so that others can grasp it. You'll be surprised at how much you know.

4. Share with someone in need. A friend of mine loves to spruce up homeless shelters and safe homes for abused women. She loves making these places beautiful for people who need beauty in their lives. A person or family who is struggling may not have any time or money to spend on extras, like art, music or crafts. Imagine what a blessing it would be to receive a gift of beauty!

Sharing your art and talent makes the world a better place. Even if you feel you aren't "very good," you will find somebody who appreciates what you do....and will feel joy because of it.

 

Today's Be More Creative assignment is to GIVE.

 

How can you give away your talents today? How could your art benefit someone else? What would the world look like if we all gave generously of our creativity and love of beauty?

F is for Face Your Fears

 

 

I think most of us are familiar with the fear of failure. It's the paralyzing belief that keeps us from trying, or doing our best, because deep down we feel that our best may not be good enough. Because we don't want to fail, we often don't start. Or we quit before the finish line. 

Fear of failure is often a result of perfectionism - if we aren't perfect right out of the chute, then we have failed. My friends, this is a mindset that robs you of creativity and keeps you stuck.

 

There is another kind of fear, one that we don't always consider.

 

The fear of success.

 

Just as paralyzing as the fear of failure, this belief causes you to self-sabotage and do things to undermine your own efforts to succeed.

It says: I don't deserve to be successful. I'm not worthy of being brilliant. I can't be the best in my field because I won't be able to handle a new kind of life. I'm afraid of what will happen if I live up to my potential.

And so we hold back. We don't give our all. We let life happen to us. We live in mediocrity.

 

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?  Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.  And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” ~ Marianne Williamson**

 

I struggle with the fear of success. I've asked myself why I haven't returned an important phone call, or why I missed a deadline, or why I didn't stay up late to make my art piece perfect. And the answer is that I've sabotaged my own dreams with my actions because I've felt unworthy of letting my talent shine, of living free, of creating possiblities for myself.

But I'm determined to face this fear and not let it rule me. I don't want to live small.

 

How about you? Are you afraid of success? Fear failure? Both?

 

Today's Be More Creative Assignment is to face your fear.

 

Do one thing that punches fear in the face and says, "You do not have power over me." Remember that courage is not the absence of fear, but it is action in spite of the fear. Step out, do that thing that scares you, and let the chips fall where they may. Your light will shine on others and inspire them to do the same.

You ARE worthy of letting your light shine. You are deserving of living a creative, boundless life. And God delights in seeing you live free of fear.

So live it today!

 

2 Tim. 1: 7 God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and love and a sound mind.

 

 

**(yes, I know...Marianne Williamson. I don't agree with some of her views, but the above quote is quite true.)