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In This Issue:
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August 2005
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Affirm Unique Genius to Unleash Simple Treasures
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and NOW FOR A WORD FROM AHA-PHRODITE:
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UPCOMING WORKSHOPS and FUN
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Creativity Coaching Tool: Pin a Note to Your Blouse (or shirt)
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Hi Artists, Poets, Lovers and Dazzlers,
Printing this newsletter out would make it easier to read in a cafe, on a blanket on the lawn or on a summer chair with some cold mint tea & peanut butter pretzels.
Thanks for taking the time to fortify yourself creatively..
Welcome August. The theme this month is "dogs" because, after all, it is the dog days of August. I've never been a dog person really.. not at all, until my two cats, Sappho and Mambo, and I moved in with Ron and his Rhodesian Ridgeback, Rosie, in Ramona on a Ranch. Now I can say one of my best friends is a dog. My cats, however, still aren't dog people.
What month is the cat days of? Is it the cat days of October?
From Mary Curtis I learned that "Dog Days" is a phrase that refers to Sirius, or the Dog Star (in Latin, canicula), which is the brightest star in the constellation Canis major ("the Big Dog") and is also the brightest star in the entire sky. The dog days are the days in which this star rises and sets at about the same time as the sun, which is roughly between early July and late August (which happens to be when the weather is pretty grim in much of the Northern Hemisphere), depending on how one does the calculations.
The expression "dog days" is also used figuratively to mean 'a period marked by lethargy, inactivity, or indolence'.
How can the brightest star in the sky also mean this?
What is the brightest star in your life, figuratively and brilliantly speaking? What project, thought, person, passion brings you the most light or energy? Name it or him or her. Cut out a star and write it on there, decorate it and hang it. Or make a star mobile of your passions.
Starwise: Just acknowledging what brings us light attracts more energy to it. It shoots across our mind more frequently.
Dog-wise: Creativity doesn't always come when it's called, but if it is walked and fed regularly - it is a loyal companion and makes its owner more fetching.
Set aside a day to take your ideas for a walk. I'm going to take mine to the beach tomorrow, early.
Send poems, haikus, sentiments, or acronymistic poems about dogs, stars or dogstars and about SEPTEMBER to info@themuseisin.com .
ACRONYMS for AUGUST
From Karen Cowles:
Affirm Unique Genius to Unleash Simple Treasures
From Sandi Howell:
Accessing Unusual Goats Using Strange Tactics
Always Uncovering Galleries Unless Stressed Totally
From Marney K. Makridakis www.artellawordsandart.com
Actually U Get Unlimited Second Tries
From Lisa Miller:
Auntie Ursula Grants Unlimited Story Times
From Jeanne Hillson:
Amy uncovered George's underwear: SUPERMAN T-shirt!
Actually, unrecognized genius understandably sparks tantrums.
Abby unwrapped gifts until supper time.
Andrew understood geometry until studying trigonometry.
Annabelle used green underarm spray today!
From Nicky Pitman
Animated Underwear Greets Unsuspecting Suitors Today
An acrostic poem: "August" from Karen Weston
Autumn beckons
Under thunderclouded skies
Gathering storms,
Undulating waves of heat
Simmer us
'Til tender.
Some acronyms for August also from Karen:
An Untimely Ghost Unpleasantly Scares Toddlers
An Understanding Ghoul Undertakes Soft Tiptoes
From the Lull Theme by Lisa Miller:
A Lull in Time:
Singular moments
strung together
throughout the weeks,
adding up to the price
of my sanity.
A quiet moment
to think
to dream
to listen to myself,
or nothing at all,
or watch the humming birds feed
in the bleeding hearts,
their tiny heads swallowed in
crimson bells,
a moment away from the nest
perfect solitude in sweetness,
until it’s time to go back
and feed the baby.
Dog thoughts:
"There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face." ~Bern Williams
"My little dog- a heartbeat at my feet." ~Edith Wharton
"Dogs laugh, but they laugh with their tails." ~Max Eastman
"My goal in life is to be as good of a person my dog already thinks I am." ~Author Unknown
Dog barking translated: "Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!" ~Gary Larsen
Take a dog to lunch.
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Take classes and workshops. Creative people sometimes need structure and new fuel to ascend to the next level that is patiently waiting for us.. If you haven't experienced this sensation of being on the same quirky wavelength of authenticity, liberated self expression and the fun that is possible in the realm of creative workshop, or if you wish to return for more, please come to one of these events, organize one in your own area or email me and I'll refer you to a near-by Muse Leader. Better yet, become a Muse Leader and start your own tribe. (see Muse Trainings below).
If you would like a Muse Workshop for your women’s group, creative group or group of friends.. please contact me at info@themuseisin.com .
EVERY TUESDAY AT NOON.. WRITING PRACTICE
at Hi-Way Haven in Leucadia $5 http://www.wordsandiego.com/pages/hi-way-haven.html All levels, all types of writers.. fiction, nonfiction, poetry, prose, nonsense, for fun, for inspiration, for all levels.
Mid Summer's Night Writing Workshops AUGUST 18th
Writing Workshop with the Muses at Book Works in the Flower Hill Mall Del Mar. Join this clan in fanning creative sparks into new ideas, twists on old ones, and the exploration of tools that make creative writing fun and easy. All levels in a non-threatening, non-critique environment for poets, prose players to journal writers.
AUGUST 11th 5:30 pacific time, 6:30 mtn, 7:30 central, 8:30 p.m. eastern ATTEND the MONTHLY MUSE..ENTER THE GARDEN .. a free call FOR GRADUATES of any Jill Badonsky workshop, training or class. Designed with guided imageries and tips to keep the juices flowing.. email me at info@themuseisin.com for call instructions. This is the beginning of an on-going support group, practice building and sustained inspiration. Only $45 a month for non-graduates. (includes e-book downloads).
STARTING 29TH AUGUST.. On-line and on-phone Muse Classes with Denise Mihalik and myself. Please email Denise for examples of the incredibly inspiring online class graphics you will receive weekly. dschreiber8@comcast.net http://www.denisemihalik.com/ This 12 week class is both supportive and fun and will send you onto the path of your passion with joy, direction and unstoppable energy or YOUR MONEY BACK. email prompts are completed on your own time schedule and phone calls are scheduled and recorded with everyone in mind.
The 12-week length helps you develop habits for your creative work that will last a life time. Includes a free creativity coaching session. JUST A FEW SPACES LEFT.. climb aboard the Muse train (of thought).
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ART UNRAVELED 2005 will be held at The Embassy Suites, 4415 E. Paradise Village Parkway in Phoenix, Arizona AUGUST 25-29. (Come for the day or for the week) I will be presenting two Thursday half-day workshops, take one or both ..they're different. Thursday, August 25 Full Day 9-12 & 1:30-4:30 UNOBSTRUCTED PATHWAYS TO CREATIVE JOY with me! .. because the enrollment is low, the giveaways and attention will be plentiful.. Please join me.. its not too late to sign up. The workshop will culminate in a work of art, a collaged box, star mobile and/or writing designed to inspire you long after the workshop is over. It is cleverly designed to delight and liberate anyone at any level interested in the creative process through multimedia collage work and expressive writing. It gives you the tools to break through blocks of procrastination and perfectionism which can keep you from engaging in or finishing any pursuit that bring you fulfillment.
http://www.artunraveled.com/artists.html If you register for Art Unraveled from this newsletter, mention it to me through email beforehand and you will get a free packet of creative materials and Badonsky art at the workshop.
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BRINGING WORDS TO VOICE: PERFORMANCE WRITING
Tuesdays 7-9 p SEPTEMBER 13th through OCTOBER 25th $175 in Encinitas, CA
Experience the fun, creativity and reward of giving voice, gesture, movement and even props to your words. Designed to build your confidence and give you a space to just play with giving life to you writing, you can choose from simply learning to effectively read your work, to entering the realm of slam poetry, or even venturing into performance art. The class will culminate in a public presentation.
OCTOBER 7-9 2005 SECOND ANNUAL ARTELLA CONFERENCE AT WISDOM HOUSE IN CONNECTICUT ! The Wild Child! For a sneak preview, just three of the offerings I am involved with will be: Friday, October 8 Morning Session One: “I’d Like to Order From the Kid’s Menu” : Journey into the spirit of your child-self and tap into forgotten reservoirs of magic, mirth and creativity. Saturday October 9 Morning Session Two: You Must be Present to Spin: Joyful movement, music and yoga from the modern day muses will unleash creative inspiration from the grace of our bodies in ecstatic, jiggling, stretching, imaginative motion.
See details and register at http://www.artellawordsandart.com/retreat.html
OCTOBER 12-15th MUSE FACILITATOR TRAINING Seville Hotel at the Plaza!! in Kansas City.. Take the Journey .. become a certified Muse Group Facilitator and find a deeper expression of your own, unique creative passion. Also includes an introduction to creativity coaching.
Private rooms for a nurturing experience. email me for details http://themuseisin.com/musegroupleader.html
WEEKEND WORKSHOP October 29/30, 2005 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
REAWAKEN YOUR CREATIVE SPIRIT Lee Art Center in Arlington VA No matter what walk of life you are in, this workshop may provide just the right kind of encouragement and inspiration you may need to become more passionate and motivated in creating your kind of art OR life! Join us in learning new tools, techniques and attitudes that triumph over the most common obstacles to success in the creative process using hands-on, process-oriented experiences.
NOVEMBER 1 - 4 MUSE FACILITATOR TRAINING ARLINGTON, VA..
Seville Hotel at the Plaza!! in Kansas City.. Take the Journey .. become a certified Muse Group Facilitator and find a deeper expression of your own, unique creative passion. Also includes an introduction to creativity coaching. http://themuseisin.com/musegroupleader.html
TUESDAY NOVEMBER 1 GOLDEN FLEECE STORYTELLING
Washington D.C. I will be speaking on Creative Tools for Storytellers and doing some storytelling -see link below.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18 Keynote Speaker at Carlsbad Score Conference (North San Diego).. details in future issues
JANUARY 16th 2006 ON THE PHONE, ON-LINE AND IN SAN DIEGO CERTIFIED CREATIVITY COACHING TRAINING
Become Certified as a Creativity Coach with Jill Badonsky, M.Ed. and Dr. Robert Maurer (Author of One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way)
This program is an intensive training to certify individuals to coach other individuals using a dynamic model that has been in operation and evolving since 1996. It is a 12-week program which includes a 3-day in person intensive, membership in Creativity Coaching International, and on-going support for marketing and practice building. From a recent article I wrote for Create Magazine:” [Creativity Coaching] dispenses non-linear tools that reflect the mysterious nature of creativity to the frustrated creative seeker. Day-dreaming, pampering, play and permission to make mistakes are just a few examples of that which a client might be prescribed. We must create voids so the subconscious can ingeniously fill in blanks. To move beyond the conventional, the existing, and the mundane, we must enter the realm of the unconventional, the curious, and give ourselves permission to be confidently convincing. Often the Muse simply will not respond to direct and logical requests. She must be lured in with the playful and gentle.
A beat-myself-up mentality will block creative brilliance yet this mentality is running rampant. Another common affliction that needs an uncommon remedy is plugging into fears that arise in the creative process and responding with avoidance. There is a spate of individuals out there calling themselves procrastinators.
You may have encountered the insidious influence of procrastination. You set out to engage in a creative passion and find yourself playing computer games, watching reality TV or performing a chore that you normally would not, like dusting the top of the refrigerator. Included in the philosophy of Muse Is In is the belief that saying you are a procrastinator is like calling yourself a sneeze rather than admitting that you have a cold. Procrastination is a symptom. It is catalyzed by fear of failure, fear of success, overwhelm, unrealistic expectations, perfectionism, lack of self-confidence, habits, negativity and the elusion that creativity is easy. Just one or all of the above. These are fearful plights that can be worked out with awareness and little steps, steps so small that no fear arises when they are performed. Creativity coaching structures these steps with room for the deep wisdom of intuitive impulses.” http://www.createmagazine.com/index.cfm?IssueName=sandiego
Creativity Coaching graduates are looking for clients interested in some VERY REASONABLY PRICED coaching.
Discover tools that will keep you in the creative flow for a life time. Please email me if you are interested: info@themuseisin.com
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A friend of mine, Jennifer gave birth to a little girl, Jordon. It was a day after one of my writing workshops so she was prompted, I'm sure, by the birth of ideas in class. (She had been nine months pregnant so POSSIBLY that was a big help as well).
I thought.. "Hey, 'what if ' in addition to Godmothers.. there were God-Muses? Then those of us who do not have kids, or women experiencing the empty nest, or just people wanting to be a creative mentor to a little person could have a Musechild." So I asked Jennifer if Jordan could be my first Musechild and here's what she wrote back (she's from Canada, eh?):
Hi Jill,
A GodMuse! What a fantastic idea! Will you give me prompts like... today, dress Jordan in only colours that start with the letter "S", or maybe, play Beethoven while she's in the bath? How about a pink bath? Or put both feet in your mouth and see where it takes her. I can send you pictures of her doing the activity. Or will it be a card once a year with a $5 bill to go buy some crayons? ...cause, she's okay with that too.
Will I just wake up some mornings and know you’ve been over? She'll be sleeping in a hammock and her feet covered in glittery paint. I'll have to ask Jordan about this, of course, but I imagine it will come out in the high pitch, trilling sounds that have characterized her voice lately. So, I'll translate for you what her answer would be:
(From May 2005) Dear Jill,
I am so excited you chose me to be your first MuseChild. I may only have been born December 18- just over 5 months ago, but I know how to grab an opportunity with my feet, hands, and gums.
When I go to the Doctor, they talk to my Mom and they write on their charts. They say my head circumference is 30th percentile, my weight is 50th percentile and my length, 75th percentile.
But I know there's more to me than that. Why can't they be more creative and tell my mom, that my hair is in the 130th percentile, my oration style is 95th percentile, my cheek fat is off the charts, and my laughter can bring out smiles.
I am unique. I like to grab my dog's paw, because she's ticklish and she pulls it away. I love helium dolphin balloons, and looking at tree branches blowing in the wind. I love to go to sleep to Norah Jones and dancing to Louis Armstrong's "Skokian". I love baby talking and have learned how to laugh. My first word was, "hi" and I know how to request a raspberry when my belly is bare.
I don't have a TV, so I know I'll get bored if I don’t use my imagination. I want to know if the gum I swallow really sits in my tummy forever and try to see if my face will freeze in a funny expression. Please help me. I'll try hard.
If you accept me as your first God MuseChild, I'd be so proud. That you care enough to make my life sparkle, to show me that clouds can have colours and words can have flair. That dancing should be fun and it's okay to match sunglasses to your underwear.
Do I need to sign, or stamp my hands on a contract and say?: I, Jordan, do promise on this day, the 21st of May, 2005 in San Diego, California that I take you, Jill Badonsky, and your nine muses and a bodyguard to be my God Muse from this day forth.
I will strive to enjoy myself, my world around me and help others. I will follow your lead and be inspired by your words. The only condition my Mom has is that the letter "Z", be pronounced, "Zed" and included in appropriate words, as with the "ou". Canadian ancestry is important to my dual citizenship. I can't wait to start my creative journey...thank you.
Love, Jordan
(I'm thinking that with Jennifer as her mom, Jordan will have no problem being creative, but I'm taking on the mission anyway). That's Jordan and I to the right..there. She drooled an abstract painting on her dress.
Find a musechild of your own to inspire. Heaven knows we need to impart more creativity.
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AWAKEN
Oh and here's some more words too.
For the Dog Days of August, Aha-phrodite invites you to defy the lethargy and boredom and pay attention to the amazing which in the moment, this moment now. Just to be alive is amazing. When you are awake the mind begins to connect, inspiration is born, signs are delivered and paths of wonder unfold and lead you to the life waiting for you.
This from the Nine Modern Day Muses (and a Bodyguard) book:
AHA-PHRODITE'S BOTTOM LINE:
There is already an unfathomable amount of inspiration right in front of us. Creative electricity is everywhere and when we connect to the voltage of our awareness anything in our environment can become a conductor of new ideas. Everything from the way the grass blows to the music of a child’s laughter can become the art of our lives and the substance of artistic expression. In this consciousness, the passion for the creative process is irresistible.
Paying Attention is: Being fully conscious as a gentle witness in all of life’s offerings.
ATTENTION:
Webster: "mental concentration and readiness"
Aha-phrodite: “It’s like reverse paranoia: knowing that something good is out to reveal itself to you and being ready for it.”
For the next five minutes write, draw, or paint as if you actually WERE “the present moment.” Start with one or two words that describe where you are in this moment emotionally, spiritually, physically or creatively and then free associate words, pictures or movements from that word or those words.
AND/OR Repeatedly complete this sentence:
In the present moment ...
Then take just the completions of that sentence and make it into poetry.
Illustrate it with a doodle using a pen with waterproof ink and then putting a watercolor wash over the top of it.
From the book The Nine Modern Day Muses (and a Bodyguard): 10 Guides to Creative Inspiration for Artists, Poets, Lovers and Other Mortals Wanting to Live a Dazzling Existence by Jill Badonsky
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Left unchecked, our fickle creative minds often forget important information… like our strengths and successes.
I was coaching one of my star clients today. She forgot that she got raving reviews for the first public display of her creative passion. To strengthen our commitment to the sometimes arduous path of creative manifestation, we need to remember successes, compliments and triumphs.
I suggested that she write down the fact that people love her and her performances. To copy it and hang it all over her house. To pin it on her blouse - upside down - so SHE can see it - so she can be filled with the courage needed to approach others to continue to share her talents, to tickle others with her gifts of inspiration – a purpose higher than herself.
Remembering our successes fortifies us, fills us, gives us the confidence so vital to the creative process – to perservere, to seek more opportunities, to feel the reward and fulfillment of our efforts.
Suggestion for you: Take five minutes and write down creative successes, compliments and comments people have given you that lift you. Keep them in easy access.
Pin them on your blouse. Paint reminders on your dog’s collar (had to weave that theme in here somehow –really, please leave your dog alone). Acknowledge your magnificence if not for your sake, for the sake of others (including your dog).
For the "Ask Us" Columns at Artella, beam yourself here:
http://www.artellawordsandart.com/AskUs.html
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"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read." ~ Groucho Marx
A beautiful book that I highly recommend, filled with ways to get through creative resistance and all sorts of creative exercises, a summer gift to yourself from your Muse:
What We Ache For : Creativity and the Unfolding of Your
by Oriah Mountain Dreamer
"'I am drawn to write not because I think the creative process will bring me happiness, but because when I write I am happy.' So admits Oriah Mountain Dreamer, writer, artist, workshop and retreat leader. Sharing more than a handful of deeply personal experiences, she demonstrates the intrinsic connection between creativity, spirituality and sexuality, which she defines as 'an awareness of and appreciation for our physical life and a material reality alive with sensual detail.' While most of her examples discuss the process of writing, she carefully includes all forms of creativity — from dance to music to physical art.
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AUGUST acronym from Jeanne Hillson:
Act undauntedly. Give unconditionally. Simply trust.
All above material is copyrighted.. Please ask for permission to duplicate. Thank you
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