Category Archives for Creativity
What At-Risk Youth Have to Teach Us About Life
The most profound changes often come from the smallest of shifts in our perspective. This is a belief I find myself coming back to again and again, especially when evidence mounts to support it.
Recently, I spent two weeks volunteering with at-risk youth at Theater Camp through Free Arts of Arizona. The camp helps abused and neglected youth living in groups homes, shelters, and treatment facilities tell their stories through the creative arts (acting, spoken word poetry, dance/movement, visual arts, and music).
Having just gone through a major re-brand in my business, I was ready for a break. Things didn’t go as planned and instead of spending more time troubleshooting technical issues and living in the space of uncertainty, I was so grateful to get away. I knew the time focusing on other things would help shift my perspective, and I was right.
I also believe that there are lessons everywhere. Lessons to help us remember. Lessons to help us regain our perspective on what truly matters. Here are just some of the lessons I learned (and re-learned) by stepping away from my daily routine and being of service to some amazing young folks:
- We all want to be seen for who we truly are. These kids had some poignant stories to share about what they’ve been through – sexual abuse, gang violence, parents dying naturally or being murdered, physical abuse, drug and alcohol abuse, etc. Even some of us who didn’t grow up in “the system” have similar stories to share. But we are NOT our stories. We are survivors. We all want to love and be loved. We all want to be accepted.
- We all have a voice – and that voice matters. In a discussion early on in Theater Camp, the kids talked about wanting to have a voice in what happens to them. They are sometimes left out of important talks that affect where they live and with whom. While there are decisions to be made from a bigger picture perspective, no one’s voice should ever be excluded from the conversation. That goes in your life too. Just because your voice may not be the final say, it still deserves to be heard. Your voice matters, especially when it comes to your life. Speak up. Be heard.
- We all want to be part of something. Many of these kids said they wanted to be part of a family. Some turned to gangs or drugs or self- harm behaviors (like cutting themselves) to escape the pain of NOT feeling like they belonged. There is a basic human need to feel like part of a bigger whole – a community or family. These kids found that type of support at Theater Camp and were able to thrive because of it. Sometimes the people you are born to are NOT the healthiest. But that doesn’t mean you cannot create your own community or family. We all need that kind of support to help us grow and thrive.
- We all need encouragement and support. So many of these kids wanted to quit and give up. Some walked out of rehearsals or froze or said they weren’t going to get on stage. They were afraid. Can you relate to wanting to give up due to fear? I sure can. But what amazed me is that just a few words of encouragement, a chat about how fear is a GOOD THING because it tells you that what you are doing is really important, and some rallying made all the difference. These kids (who often have been disappointed numerous times by several adults in their lives) KNEW that me and the other adults there had their backs. We were there to support them through the fear and celebrate with them when they moved through it. I cannot stress this point enough – you can do great things with the right support behind you.
- We must be vulnerable in order to grow. Vulnerability is scary. There’s no way around it. In order to get past hurt, pain, fear, anxiety, etc., we must feel it and move through it. And the only way to do that is to be vulnerable. Showing our vulnerability to others is healing not only for us, but for those witnessing it. This was Theater Camp. The kids who were brave and shared their stories inspired the kids who didn’t. The audiences who came to the final performances were invited to share how they were affected. Many stood up in tears, stating how they could personally relate to the kids on stage or how those stories touched them deeply. Some would tell you that vulnerability is weakness, but I challenge that. If you have ever witnessed anyone sharing their pain, you know how much courage it takes to do that. We open ourselves up in such a beautiful way by doing that. And it’s my honor to witness people doing that – not only these kids but also my clients.
I’m sure there are other lessons in the Theater Camp experience, and perhaps I’ll write more about them when they surface. For now, I’m honored to have been a witness to these young folks on their journey to healing. Their bravery has impacted me and everyone else who worked with them and who came to their performances. And they have helped remind us all some very important life lessons.
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Unite Your Health and Wealth: Break Free from Everyday Money Worries and Ignite your Inner Worth as you Create Radiant Health & Financial Success with Sharon Carne and Saskia Jennings
I’m so excited to interview Sharon Carne and Saskia Jennings for the second annual Creativity and Wellness Summit. They have partnered to blend some very powerful techniques for healing wounds around our health and wealth. They’ll be sharing how we can stimulate our natural healing response to resonate with increasing our financial abundance. Ummm, yes please! Sign up for FREE at: http://ow.ly/w0C90.
Health and Wealth are two sides of the same coin. One without the other leaves you struggling. Together, they are MAGIC! Every one of us has patterns of behavior (or archetypes) deep in our subconscious and once you acknowledge them, they truly help you to achieve your full potential. When you understand your Sacred Money Archetypes and recognize when they show up in your everyday life, you are empowered to make changes. When you integrate the positive aspects of these archetypal patterns with sacred sound to stimulate natural health and well-being, that’s when the MAGIC happens. Join Sharon and Saskia to:
- Gain an understanding of how the Sacred Money Archetypes shape your behavior around money.
- Participate in an experience with sacred sound that will ground the high vibration of gratitude and abundance right into your cells.
- Stimulate the natural healing response of your body at the same time you create the vibration to attract abundance into your life.
About Sharon: Sharon Carne is a renowned Sound Healer, Author, Speaker, Musician, Recording Artist, and Consultant. She has been a faculty member of The Conservatory at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta since 1988. Sharon is the founder of Sound Wellness. Her Sound Wellness Solution programs are well received and are at the forefront of education in how sound and music can be easily applied to your everyday life – to reduce stress, help you concentrate, energize you and bring harmony to your life.
About Saskia: Saskia Jennings is a true Catalyst for Midlife BLISS!™, Intuitive Midlife Coach, Author, Transformational Speaker and Sacred Money Archetypes® Certified Coach; Spiritual Healer. Saskia is a member of the IAWBC: International Association of Women in Business Coaching and Women’s Speaker Association. At the age of 45, she changed her life completely as she made a courageous decision and moved (without family) from the Netherlands to rural Northern Ontario in Canada.
Sign up for Creativity and Wellness Summit for FREE by entering your name and email below:
Creativity Reshapes Recovery with George Herrick, Personal Transformation Coach, Spiritual/Shamanic Guide
What are YOU recovering from? Join me as I interview George Herrick, Personal Transformation Coach, Spiritual/Shamanic Guide for the second annual Creativity and Wellness Summit. George is a master of transformation and former addiction specialist who has some very powerful tools to share to help us turn fear from an enemy to an ally. Sign up for FREE at: http://ow.ly/w0C90.
It’s simple: addiction destroys lives; creativity empowers recovery. This hour is about renewing and reshaping recovery from any addiction, such as substances, relationships, shopping, even habitual thought patterns, by using our innate creativity in simple but powerful ways. Addiction is an attempt to manage fear, and creativity can be a great tool for turning fear from an enemy to an ally. George will share his unique blend of creativity, spirituality, shamanism and recovery principles to guide us from fear and negativity to feelings of aliveness and well-being. If you have any old patterns that you’re ready to change, you want to show up for this interview! In the presentation, you will:
- Know yourself better.
- See how to love yourself more deeply.
- Learn ways to be yourself more authentically.
- Discover aspects of yourself you’ll want to share with others in meaningful ways.
- Appreciate the power of your creativity in some bold new ways.
About George: George has a solid reputation for helping people transform their lives. Having worked for over a decade as family and addictions counselor, and with nearly 20 years’ experience as a life coach, he has helped countless people make the changes they desired. His workshops, retreats, and live media appearances have inspired many more. George’s mission is that every experience he creates with his clients is like a powerhouse retreat, facilitating deep and lasting growth.
Sign up for Creativity and Wellness Summit for FREE by entering your name and email below:
Unlock Your Divine Birthright of Prosperity and Abundance: How Forgiveness Plugs Money Energy Leaks with Angel Lady Terrie Marie, D.Ms.
What’s the cost of NOT forgiving others (or yourself)? Find out as Angel Lady Terrie Marie, also known as the “Angel Whisperer,” shares messages from the angels on forgiveness and how it affects everything. Sign up for FREE at: http://ow.ly/w0C90.
Through forgiveness, we can release the past, clearing blocks to giving and receiving prosperity and abumdance. We can learn how to connect with Angels of Forgiveness to heal the past, clearing the way for a prosperous reality, unlocking our Divine Birthright to fulfilling our purpose, plugging money energy leaks caused by negative thoughts and emotions that keep us from moving forward to a life of meaning and purpose. In this presentation, you’ll discover:
- How Angels of Forgiveness help you release feelings of heartbreak, betrayal and anger.
- What forgiveness is all about and what it is not.
- How to forgive with Unconditional Love.
- How to plug money energy leaks with the Angels of Forgiveness.
About Terrie: Angel Lady Terrie Marie, D.Ms, also known as the Angel Whisperer, has an Unusual and Highly Effective way of showing Heart Centered Men and Women how to show up more powerfully in their life, work, and business. Discover and explore practical, easy-to-use techniques, tips and tools to increase prosperity and abundance, with more harmony and less stress. Discover to trust your intuition and gut feelings with a heightened sense of empowerment and confidence.
Sign up for Creativity and Wellness Summit for FREE by entering your name and email below:
And Now I’ll Apply My Oxygen Mask First | Guest Article by Tina Leigh
Committing to doing what’s best for us is not always easy, especially when the hearts of others may get bruised, and their expectations may go unmet.
If you were to tense up every muscle in your body––your feet, your calves, your face, your teeth––that’s sort of the way it feels during the time leading up to doing what’s best for you, at least until you’ve had some practice. You feel like a big tight fist.
But once the words of truth find their way through parted lips, the tension loosens, the grip is undone, and you feel almost euphoric. It’s liberating in a way, even though it can feel awkward, and sometimes painful as you transition through the process. For those of us who are caretakers (most of us), it’s especially difficult to speak up for what’s truly in our best interest. It can be challenging to strike graceful balance between establishing healthy boundaries, and honoring those we share our lives with.
Most of my life, I’ve was a devout, hardcore emotional caretaker––a quality that lives in they grey. The caretaker believes self-sacrifice, generosity, and a willingness to put other’s needs first originates from a place of pure intent.
Certainly there is a great deal of truth to this. Caretakers genuinely do want to help. They want to support. They want to give, and want to see others happy, well, and succeed in life.
On the flip side of this pure intention is often a bit of subconscious self-service. These tender loving caretakers often have unmet needs that get temporarily fulfilled by doing good for someone else, such as the need to feel loved, appreciated, or of value.
I lived the caretaker’s way for most of my life. By being there, doing for, and giving to others, a deep sense of intimacy was established. I felt connected, needed, wanted, and valued. This all felt really good until one day, it didn’t feel so good anymore––at least not at times when my doing for others diminished my emotional and physical wellbeing.
Without going into the whole story of how I came to this place, I’ll say that it was a pinnacle moment in my journey. I learned that by loving me, and by establishing boundaries that honor me, I am even more capable of truly loving and caring for others––authentically, whole-heartedly, and without condition.
Join Krylyn and me on Tuesday, April 21st at 1pm PST as we’ll be discussing those tools that support you in Applying Your Oxygen Mask first gracefully, and how you can begin implementing these tools right away. Sign up for FREE at www.CreativityAndWellnessSummit.com.
About the Guest Author: Tina Leigh is a Mindful Living and Integrative Health Coach, Author, and Therapeutic Chef. She supports individuals, entrepreneurs, and consumer brands such as ABC Carpet & Home, Yoga Body Naturals, Navitas Naturals, Vega, Meriwether Group, Dragon Herbs, and many others. In addition, she is deeply experienced in the publishing world, having successfully written, edited, and published four books including Balanced Raw, Superfood Juices & Smoothies, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Low-fat Vegan Cooking, and Heed Your Call. She is a certified yoga practitioner and devout meditator, and brings calm, balance, and positive energy to all interactions. For more information, visit www.HauteHealthNow.com.
The Magic of Success: How to Launch Your Creative Journey of Discovery with Jen Duchene, Success Astro-Numerologist, Akashic Healer and Reader, Speaker and Author
If you’re ever wondered what role NUMBERS play in your success (or failure), you won’t want to miss this interview with Jen Duchene, Success Astro-Numerologist, Akashic Healer and Reader, Speaker and Author. She’s going to share her 8-steps to success process and teach us how numbers can energize our passion and heal our hurt. Sign up for FREE at: http://ow.ly/w0C90.
Success can be a wellspring of well-being and fulfillment – when you know how to truly embody it from the inside-out, ignite and guide its path, and stay clear and present throughout the process. You’ll learn that Success is more than the top rung of the fame and money ladder, and its deeper meaning holds insight to true abundance and purpose-pumped living. Through the ancient and creative wisdom of Astronumerology, Jen’s step-by-step system will show you how to define Success to match your unique vision and voice, to create your Success Path, and to love the journey as well as the destination. In this presentation, you’ll learn how to:
- Manifest a satisfying outcome in 8 steps.
- Navigate the journey with a clear compass.
- Identify the missing link in your success process.
- Learn how your numbers can energize your passion and heal your hurt.
About Jen: Jen Duchene helps soul-centered professionals live the promise of their purpose with their own full-out and joy-full version of Success. Through her mastery of metaphysics, deep intuition and no-nonsense compassionate clarity, Jen guides her clients along the Success Path by helping them uncover their most powerful abilities, release emotional weight, and change lifelong patterns that no longer serve them so they can manifest what they truly desire in their personal and professional lives.