June Play

Photo: In Venice, no-nonsense Italian women (and men) hang their laundry in some of the most frequently viewed spots in the world.

Dear Creativity Seeker and Friend,

Hi and a warm welcome to June. Gelato! (That's some new Italian I learned recently). In this issue the Muses send summer lightning to those in need of some creative conductivity- you get prompts, stories, links and events to conduct some new electicity or recharge some you've already got going. Connect to one small idea this summer - put yourself in action - that's where we find discovery of the path, self respect for following the call, and a leap to the next level happen. If you are having trouble getting started, know that we creative people sometimes need structure and the company of our tribe to keep us in an inspired motion. The Muses urge you to try out or rejoin a class or workshop - or try creativity coaching and see how it works for you. If you are wondering how the teleclass mode works or how it can be different, I highly recommend a few low cost ones coming up. THIS WEEK WEDNESDAY join Artella's Marney Makridkis and I for a call which is only $15 or $10 for members ( see http://www.artellawordsandart.com/workshops.html#pretend) or the Low-cost Anti-aging Potions of the Modern Day Muses-Intro Call on June 26th at 4:30PM pacific, 5:30PM mtn, 6:30PM central and 7:30PM eastern. See details below. There's more to choose from in the Events Section below so peek there.

Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coaches have openings for people interested in a system of creative assistance that powerfully moves you through frustrating blocks. Methods include nurturing, play, journal writing, mind sculpting and guided imageries. email me at info@themuseisin.com and I will direct you to some low-cost creativity coaching with coaches who have completed the program and are looking to share their wisdom by completing their requirements in practice coaching. Break through your frustrating blocks.

JUNE PLAY What I did on my Spring Vacation: The light in Italy inspires photography, painting and eating. Actually, I eat in most lights but it's more fun in Italy. And the thing is - there is ART in every nook, cranny and clothesline in Italy so because you are inspired to stay in motion to see it all, your weight gain is reduced from 250 pounds to five or possibly eight....maybe nine.
My photographic assignment from the Muses was to see the artistic possibilities in Italy's hanging laundry (because it's everywhere) and record it in photography or in gesture-drawing. (As prescribed from Aha-phrodite because it involved paying attention, from Albert because it involved thinking differently and Bea Silly because it was fun )*. Drawing while on a trip- even if you consider yourself a drawing-idiot - perserves the experience of what you are drawing in a way that taking a photo cannot. Even gesture drawing, which is quick (5 minutes per subject) and involves scribbling just to capture the essence of a subject, gives you more of a memorable relationship with your subject because it puts you in touch with a greater amount of detail in the present moment. The subject you draw may not look a lot like what you saw, AND THAT's OKAY - becauset the experience of seeing it will be deepened.

* See http://themuseisin.com/book.html if you are lost when it comes to modern day Muse names.

Click here for this month's Badonsky Muse column at Creativity Portal (updated the 15th of each month)
http://www.creativity-portal.com/bc/jill.badonsky/snakes-delight.html

If you are a trained Muse Facilitator and would like to be part of the on-line Muse Think-Tank for ideas, support and updates please email: kcowles@choosetothrive.com

June Poem
by Kristi Kovalishyn
Judging myself and finding myself wanting,I look
Up and find the
Never-ending sky an
Eternal promise of hope.

Summer Haikus
from the Weekly Tuesday Noon E. Street Writing Group in Encinitas

Shayla:

Paddling across the bay

Gunnels, set, pull wooden oars

Slide in ocean blue

I open an eye

To check the color of the

Morning sky in me

Linda Bannan: Summer Sweets

Sweet sunny summer

Warm fragrant fresh cut grasses

Cool breeze speaks through trees

John Aho:
the butterfly soared
as far as the wings allowed
to rest on the bloom....

on the gentle beach
enjoying the time with you
basking in our peace. Jill:
warm breezes blow through
spring left the window open
and summer got in.

watermelon seeds

yellow marigolds and weeds

June is new again

Check Here to Meet Your Creativity Needs: Workshops and Classes

THIS WEDNESDAY, MAY 31th THE WORLD OF PRETEND: http://www.artellawordsandart.com/workshops.html#pretend
WHERE: ON THE PHONE (tomorrow evening 5/31)
HOW MUCH: $15 $10 if you are a member -Marney is giving a FREE trial membership up to Muse News readers . ****** see the bottom of this section for details.
WHY: to plug into your imagination and emerge with new ideas, inspiration and irresistable motivation.
WHEN: 5pm pacific, 6pm mtn, 7 central, 8pm eastern
Using the Power of Imagination to Live Your Dream - A Marney and Jill production. A child-like mind is amazing, because nothing is off-limits. Everything is possible, all is within reach. What if you could tap into that power and use it RIGHT NOW, in the situation where you need innovative thinking the most? see more here:
http://www.artellawordsandart.com/workshops.html#pretend

THURSDAY, JUNE 15th WRITING WORKSHOP WITH THE MUSES For All Levels
WHERE: Del Mar, CA HOW MUCH?: $13
WHY: To keep the creative juices going for journal writing, poetry, prose, fiction, non-fiction, shopping lists, love notes.
WHEN:7 - 9 p.m. Every Third Thursday at Book Works in the Flower Hill Mall, Del Mar.. We dive into prompts and triggers to inspire new dimensions of writing ideas.. All levels, no critique, writing happens in class, in the moment with permission to be imperfectly brilliant. Creative writing is served with dark chocolate and this month, COLD bottled water.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21 How to Fill Your and Market Your Creativity Groups With the Modern Day Muses Part one
6:15pm pacific, 7:15 mountain, 8:15 central, 9:15 eastern: One Hour call recorded if you cannot make it in person.
How much: $45 paid through paypal.com (using jillbadonsky@hotmail.com) to reserve your space, enrollment is limited, call instructions will be sent upon payment.
FREE to trained Muse Facilitators (please email me to sign up)
AUGUST 14- 20, 2006
PHOENIX for ART UNRAVELED!!!!
Please join in a collosal art community, filled with creative wonder, inspiration in action. and hundreds of your tribe members. If you have not experienced Art Unraveled or Art & Soul(see below), I highly recommend both - they are filled with lifetime memories and creative expansion. I get to do the Conference Opener at Art Unraveled on August 14: Preparing The Envelope to Be Pushed: Permission to Creatively Unravel with Wild Abandon and I will be teaching two workshops. Sign up early.. these things fill up.
http://www.artunraveled.com/MuseintheHouse.htm
http://www.artunraveled.com/MortalsWhoCollage.htm

SEPTEMBER 8 AND 9, 2006
WHERE: Hiawatha, Iowa ...Prairiewoods Retreat Center Presents
JUICE, SPARKS, AND BUBBLES: The Inspiration of Creative Joy
Friday, September 8, 5:30 - 8:30 pm includes a dinner party
Saturday, September 9, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm includes lunch
Juice, Sparks and Bubbles is a weekend set on the beautiful retreat grounds of Prairiewoods Spiritual Retreat Center. It is designed to stretch your imagination, impart new creative tools to foil fear and self sabotage, and free you to express yourself at a deeper creative dimension. You will be spiritually fortified and amusingly inspired with presentations by Jill Badonsky, Sue Messer, and Megan Froelich. Be ready for workshops, journal writing, movement, Muse readings, entertainment with a ventriloquist and storyteller, and the construction of a Spirit House. Watch for registration information at www.prairiewoods.org or initate registration by writing jillbadonsky@hotmail.com .

SPACE IS LIMITED FOR THIS EVENT SO SIGN UP NOW
Come to San Diego SEPTEMBER 21-23, 2006 for a two day in person workshop:
UNLEASHING CREATIVE BRILLIANCE: KAIZEN MEETS THE MUSES
WHERE: Doubletree - Del Mar (special rates)Jill teams up with UCLA's author, psychologist and international seminar leader, Dr. Robert Maurer (www.scienceofexcellence.com) to present a dynamic one and a half day workshop on Kaizen-Muse techniques to break through creative blocks. This is the Muses latest state of the "arts" ingenuity in what truly works to make creativity an effortless life-long habit. You will establish new appealing ways to help banish the fears, overwhelm, lack of focus, and perfectionism that frustrate you in the creative process. Additionally, Dr. Maurer will be doing a three-hour workshop on Overcoming Self Sabotage, there will be a guided imagery intensive, a like-minded tribe member idea exchange . Registration is limited for this special event so register early. Click here for details or request info from Info@TheMuseIsIn.com .

OCTOBER 5-10, 2006
Art and Soul !! Art Conference. Come to Portland Oregon !!! for a week of Parisian-themed surprises and art workshops. Come to my Muse House workshop and make a hanging whimsically wood Muse house with a visual journal as the door. Portland and the Pacific Northwest are filled with the creative spirit, don't miss this! See http://www.artandsoulretreat.com/portland-workshop-single.php?workshop=253

Begins week of OCTOBER 16, 2006 14 week training
BECOME A CERTIFIED KAIZEN-MUSE CREATIVITY COACH with Dr. Robert Maurer, Jill Badonsky and Barbara Benedict. See the updated page at http://themuseisin.com/coaching.html

BECOME A MUSE FACILITATOR: Add to your life another stream of joy and income.
See more below or at http://themuseisin.com/classes.html
Only two more trainings this year:
SEPTEMBER 25th - DECEMBER 18 2006 for teleconferences and yahoo group discussion: twelve weeks on-line and on the phone OR
NOVEMBER 1-4, 2006 In person.
San Francisco, three and a half days, includes the pampering experience of a private room in Petite Auberge Bed and Breakfast and on-going support even after the training.
http://themuseisin.com/musegroupleader.html

***Artella is giving all readers of The Muse Letter a cordial invitation to a FREE 30-day Membership to the Artella Members' Magic Mansion! Enjoy literally hundreds of features and benefits for a full month with your very own special "Muse Pass"! See ALL the benefits and sign up yourself at http://www.artellawordsandart.com/muse-pass.html. (pppssst..one of the benefits is a big discount off the next "Jill and Marney" teleclass on May 31, so be sure to grab this free offer soon!)

How to Market and Fill Your Creativity-Related Groups 

~Apply spiritual and creative principles to filling and marketing your groups

~Hear and learn from stories about what has worked in the past

~Use the inspirational and playful application of Jill's nine modern day Muses to make filling your groups not only more doable but also more fun (you didn't think it was possible?) If you hate marketing this one is for you.

~Hear about common mistakes that you may not realize you are making.

~Inspire return business to make filling your groups easier.

~ Learn how to apply what you're teaching (creativity!) to attracting more students.

~Be aware of and stop the self-sabotage that creative people sometimes venture into when marketing

How to Market and Fill Your Creativity-Related Groups

The Innovise Guys are Wise

I had a blast with the The Innovise Guys, Gregg Fraley and Doug Stevenson during their pod-cast on April 29th.
Text from their website: We hosted a lively live podcast at the North Michigan Avenue Apple Store in Chicago on April 29th. Guests Megon McDonough, a singer/songwriter, and Jill Badonsky joined in an explosive two part show. In Part One, Gregg and Doug improved on "My Kind of Town", Megon McDongough sang an inspirational song about finding one's creative soul, From and Jill Badonsky did some cool and spiritual beatnikesque poetry. The discussion ggot serious when the crew talks about how to find your creativity and how spirituality connects with...business results!
Doug, Gregg, Megon, and Jill had a wide ranging discussion on many aspects of creativity -- and the fun continued as well. Megon does several hilarious musical impressions, including a terriffic version of Patsy Cline's "Crazy," and snippets of Doris Day, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, and Edith Piaf. The serious topics include: getting into action, the value of audacity, the virtue of persistence, and overcoming procrastination and the fear factors in problem solving.

Click the link below to listen to the radio show and visit Gregg and Doug at http://dainnoviseguys.libsyn.com/

Poetry, Art and Creativity Fire Starters

Meet a Muse Facilitator and Training

Meet Karen Cowles, Muse Facilitator, Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coach

"A hearty hello to all you marvelously creative people reading this blurb! Yes, I do mean *YOU*, because you wouldn't be here if you didn't have, and value, the magical spark of creativity down deep in your soul. My name is Karen Cowles and I live in Holt, Michigan (near Lansing). I'm a Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coach and Muse Group Leader. I have a passion for helping people get past self-limiting internal dialogue and expand opportunities for fun, creativity, inspiration, balance and flow in their lives. I have over 25 years managing performance and learning support in a large state agency and promoting the value of creativity, fun and engagement in the learning process. I've helped countless people release self-limiting beliefs to rediscover their authentic selves through creative expression.
I love art. I love color and textures and shapes and the use of all those in creative ways. When I walk into an art supply store my heart starts beating faster and my excitement builds. I get connected with possibilities. I want every color of paint and pencil and pen and clay to play with. I ogle the blank papers and canvases and imagine filling them up with playful energy.
I got this same excitement when I saw Jill's book on the shelf in the bookstore. It was one of those moments when a book practically jumps off the shelf at you shouting "Pick me! Pick me!" (a Muse conspiracy, I suspect). In fact, it was a moment quite akin to one I had in the summer of 2001 when I ran across a short mention of a coach in an Online Learning e-zine. I couldn't click the link to his website fast enough. In that instant I finally found what I wanted to be when I grew up. Actually, it was what I always was only the job just took a long time to come into existence! But, better late than never I thought. I immediately enrolled in Coach U (graduated May, 2004) and, soon after joined Coachville's Graduate School of Coaching.
I think people are incredible. We are, every one of us, bubbling over with potential, most of which is untapped. What a waste! I think it's high time we start tapping - and gliding and leaping and pirouetting. It's time we move beyond barely surviving, past striving, and fully into thriving. That's why I named my company Choose to Thrive! Coaching. It is a choice we get to make, to thrive, and I'm in the business of supporting people in making that choice. If I were a muse, you might call me Flourish, the Muse of Thriving Abundantly!
I've noticed we are all creative, every one of us. We can't help but create. We're creating every single day. The question is, are we creating what we WANT to create? Or are we creating what we think we OUGHT TO? Are we believing in ourselves, or are we blocking our creative inclinations with fearful and judgmental thoughts and inhibitions?
I offer Muse Groups and Awareness gatherings of all sorts and sizes, and Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coaching to anyone wanting to grow creatively. I delight in seeing people's energy multiply in a group or individually, and watching the joy that bubbles up from playful participation in a supportive, affirming environment. I feel privileged be able to be a conduit for setting creativity free in the lives of those around me. I work with people of all sorts looking to unleash their creative potential, with a particular affinity to Baby Boomers and Empty Nesters who are finding it's time to refocus productive and nurturing energy inward.
Currently I express my own creativity primarily through the medium of polymer clay, finding imaginative and engaging ways to incorporate coaching concepts and tools into many of my creations. I hold a BFA in Visual Arts and an MA in Curriculum and Instruction from Michigan State University."
Contact Karen at kcowles@choosetothrive.com

Hanging Laundry of Italy continues

Laundry on the statues in the museums (Photoshop cooperated with my imagination).

Events by Trained Facilitators in Your Area

Texas
Lisa Eubank
Wednesday, June 28 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in Houston, TX
What Lights You Up? What are you passionate about? What gets your creative juices flowing?Aha-phrodite, Muse of Paying Attention, Passion, and Possibilities, will inspire you to: Ignite your passion for creativity, Discover the magic of paying attention, Capture and savor your inspiration, and implement the power of this Muse into your life.
For more information, contact Lisa Eubank at Lisa@createinspire.com or 713-907-1423.
www.createinspire.com

California, San Francisco Peninsula area (Mountain View)
Laurel Aston, Muse Journey Facilitator See www.sparkingart.com for full illustrious details
Thursday, June 8, 2006, 7 - 9:30pm
Sunday, June 11, 2006, 2 - 4:30pm
Thursday, June 22, 2006, 7 - 9:30pm
Sunday, June 25, 2006, 2 - 4:30pm
Introduction to Muse Journey (for Autumn class series)
Laurel Aston, Creativity Coach

Denver, Colorado with Laurie Hawley

Wednesdays, June 7th through August 23rd, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m
Awakening Your Creative Brilliance: 12 Week Muse Group

Also available for Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coaching - Now is the time!

Muse Mystique Awakening Your Creative Brilliance

Laurie M. Hawley, Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coach & Facilitator

303.322.3562 lmhawley27@msn.com

BECOME A MUSE GROUP FACILITATOR
http://themuseisin.com/classes.html for class schedule
Facilitate Muse Groups and workshops in your area for an additional stream of income and joy using the wisdom and magic of the nine modern day Muses (and of course the bodyguard). Receive a comprehensive instruction on how to run, market and delight in running Muse groups. Go deeper with your own creativity the same time you are spreading the fulfillment of creativity to others. Muse Facilitators receive priority when applying for Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coaching Certification. http://themuseisin.com/musegroupleader.html Email info@themuseisin.com for more information.

Ciao

Thanks for joining me this month. Hope to see you or hear from you soon,

Gelato,
Jill

In This Issue:

Escaped: Inner Child (Laurie Wood Pictured here)

Hi Jill!
Just look at what happens when one finally lets their, repressed, inner child out to play!
Thank you so much for the supremely creative inspirations in your bodacious book,
"The nine modern day muses and a bodyguard!" My life is now filled with spicy spontaneity, and daily imperfections!

Buckets of Glitter,
~*Sparkle - the Joyologist (aka: laurie wood)




"The high prize of life is to have a bias to some pursuit which
finds one in employment and happiness--whether it be to make
baskets, or broadswords, or canals, or statues, or songs."
~Ralph Waldo Emerson



"The ability to relate and to connect, sometimes in odd and yet striking fashion, lies at the very heart of any creative use of the mind, no mattter in what field or discipline."--George J. Seidel

"Since my childhood I have been creative in weird ways.

When I see a gadget, say a blender, I imagine how I can use it for something else."

- Isabel Allende



"If you can't make a mistake, you can't make anything." ~Marva Collins

the book