What do you do when you need a shot of courage? Well, I’ve been over at the Art Therapy & Happiness Project discovering Chunky Books of Courage. There, I’ve been invited to peel back the layers of courage and explore what’s underneath by making my own chunky little book. The books are made up of … Continue reading
Today, in the space of a few hours, I saw a lot of people looking down. The mother walking in my neighborhood with her very young daughter. The driver in the car next to me, waiting for the light to change. The friends grabbing a quick lunch in the restaurant. The father leaving the zoo … Continue reading
Here’s the thing: a lot of us are lonely. Oh, maybe we don’t use the word lonely to describe what we’re feeling. Often that seems too risky, like we’re setting ourselves up to be judged by the dictionary definitions of it: companionless, desolate, bleak. Instead we talk about the absence of (and yearning for) deep … Continue reading
Happy first day of spring! (For those of you in the Northern Hemisphere, of course). I’m still on my self-proclaimed spring break, planting poppies and savoring strawberries. Making art and lingering at an outdoor cafe. Planning a weekend adventure at the beach. In the midst of all this, it occurred to me that you might … Continue reading
Want to know what I love about Charlotte Rains Dixon? She’s real. She’s present. She’s fun. She’s right here, right now. Charlotte lives in Portland and wears quite a few hats: Writer. Author. Writing Teacher and Mentor. Writing Coach. Blogger who writes about everything from how to use semicolons to the intersection of creativity and … Continue reading
There’s a lot of love floating around this week and I’m enjoying all of it. Some of my clients have even been creating celebratory self-love valentines during our sessions. And as we cut out the hearts and add colors and words, I’m reminded of just how challenging it can be to open up and receive … Continue reading
The Destroyer becomes our ally when we recognize the need to change or give something up without denying the pain or grief involved. –Carol S. Pearson, Awakening the Heroes Within This morning I woke up thinking about Carol Pearson. The spirals came later. Actually, I was thinking about something Carol said eight years ago in … Continue reading
“When one door closes another opens, but all too often there’s a long hallway in between.” -Rick Jarow I’ve always loved that quote, even though it portends dark times will be had in those hallways. I know some people actually say it’s hell in the hallways. And we should try to get to the next … Continue reading
And so, we come to the end of the story of 2012. If you’ve been here recently you know I’m celebrating the past year with a series of prompts that help me look at 2012 as if it were a mythic story. I’m letting the words, images, colors, symbols and metaphors tumble out in ways … Continue reading
Last week I decided it would be fun and meaningful to look back on 2012 as if it were a mythic story. I created a series of prompts that are a little different from the usual year-in-review suspects. I started with the call to adventure that’s a part of all mythic stories: deep yearning, love … Continue reading
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