Lately I’ve been thinking about how to show up here more regularly and wondering how I can make a commitment that I feel comfortable with.

A Peak of the Week post every Wednesday sounds do-able to me. Each Wednesday I’ll post and I’ll build up a bank of spare posts lest something appears in my schedule to knock me off course.

That feels like showing up. But it isn’t scary. It doesn’t arouse all sorts of excuses about needing to feel in the mood, or commitments to other projects. It keeps me accountable, but not over obligated.

It will probably mean a longer post and of course that won’t be to everyone’s taste but I’ll try to keep it manageable. I know how valuable your time is and I’m grateful for any of it.

So here it is. Our first Peak of the Week post. I hope you like it 🙂

A sensory experience to create and connect

Finally, six months after first writing it, I’ve made available a guide to my Found Inspirations journaling technique. It’s a 36 page PDF available to everyone who signs up to receive my occasional newsletters.

I get asked a lot of questions about how I approach creative journaling and usually respond individually. This guide is part of my answer. I’ve set out much of what I’ve learned and distilled into a technique, all put into one place, in an easy to follow step-by-step process.

It’s very basic. It’s aimed at those who want to start a creative practice but don’t know how to begin. It’s especially for folk who feel called to be creative but don’t think of themselves as artists or wordsmiths. It takes me about five minutes each day, acts as my morning meditation and connects me to my creative flow faster than anything else I’ve tried.

Existing subscribers will receive their link in a newsletter going out later today. If you have yet to sign up but want to take a look at the guide, then all you need to do is sign up here and you’ll receive an email almost immediately.

Truth be told I almost didn’t release it because I thought it was too basic. But that would be my inner critic talking and she’s been gagged for today and told she’ll be set free when I really need her.

Precious wildish self

I’m busily creating my Digging for Dharma ecourse. It’s slower in the making than I’d like  but I can see that it’s really all unfolding exactly how it should. I’m dead chuffed (as we say in these parts) about how I’m working through it and am enjoying my rediscovered use of my morning to-do lists as an aid to getting stuff done.

But I also decided that I didn’t want to lose touch with the magic of being me in amongst all the doing. After two years of full-time exploring, this whole back to work schedule could easily see me lost in work again, detached from my soul self. Given that the course I’m writing comes to you from my soul, I don’t want that to happen. I want to stay connected to the magic.

So I took some advice (I’m enjoying being a member of Circe’s Circle – a small group coaching session run by Jamie Ridler) and spent some time reconnecting to that place within. The precious wildish self that Dr Estes introduces us to in Women Who Run With The Wolves.

This collage was something I did to honour that self. I totally have Chris Achilleos to thank, as it is his image I started out with.

Originally I covered up her exposed breast, but as soon as I’d done it, I realised she had lost part of her essence, so out came a baby wipe and she was exposed once more, restored to not quite full glory! I couldn’t bear to mess about with her any further.  After all, this is an image just for me – I won’t be putting it in the shop.

The mixed media collage was applied to a flat canvas board and I used a stencil from Artist Cellar to create the forest, 7 Gypsies die cut alphas for the words and a picture of a deer skull with antlers from the internets (Deer is my animal totem.)

She sits by my desk now as a reminder to extract myself from the worky, worky, worky self.

Threads and webs

I was honoured to share a special story yesterday on Kind Over Matter’s Kindness in Business series. It’s a wee thing about creating my business out of the ruins of a mid-life crisis. I had loads of fun making it, but it also elicited a few tears and at least one tantrum! Please go and visit (and don’t forget to explore whilst you’re there – Amanda’s site rocks!)

In your pages

I can’t leave without thinking of a journal prompt for you today! If you feel inclined, why don’t you have a think about your wildish self.

• Does your soul have a message you need to pay heed to today?
• What action can you take to honour her (or him)?