DOY BlogLovin' Tour:: Trust

"The Declaration of You will be published by North Light Craft Books this summer, with readers getting all the permission they've craved to step passionately into their lives, discover how they and their gifts are unique and uncover what they are meant to do! This post is part of The Declaration of You's BlogLovin' Tour, which I'm thrilled to participate in alongside over 100 other creative bloggers. Learn more -- and join us! -- by clicking here."

What do you do when just about everything in your life is turning out wrong? How do you have trust during these times? 

I know that it is so hard. I know because I am going through this very thing right now. 

My dream is to create a financially sustainable business. My unemployment is running out in the second week of September so the clock is a-ticking!!!

Last week I announced my first 24-Hour Short Story Contest and offered one free spot to a lucky winner chosen from the comments from that post. You can see it here. 

I had big dreams for this first offering of mine. I had big visions that so many people would comment and sign up for the contest that it would knock my socks off. Alas, not a single comment.

Honestly, I'm feeling pretty down right now. My self-doubt is at an all-time high. The negative voices in my head are having a field day. 

Do I give up though? Truthfully, I want to. I want to just throw in the towel and get a j.o.b. and just leave all this dream stuff behind. It is so difficult and it can be so heart-breaking. 

But, no, I won't give up. I have to TRUST that I will find my groove. 

I have to TRUST that even if I have to get a j.o.b., eventually my business will grow and become sustainable so I can quit that day job and live my dream of running my own business. 

I cannot give up! I have to believe in myself and trust that I do have something worthwhile to offer others. 

Maybe it will take some time to find my groove. I will trust that, that is okay. 

So, my sweet dear readers, I want to encourage you to trust in yourself and your dreams. Don't give up even when the wind is knocked out of your sails. 

There is a way. There is a path that is just for you! It is so worth finding that path and staying on it, no matter what obstacles and storms may come along to try and knock you off course. 

Stay the course! You are worth it. Your dreams are worth it. 

I'd love to hear your comments below about times when you have felt this way and how you overcame them. Let's also talk together if you are feeling this same way right now. 

Much love,

~ Kim xo

Announcing the first 24-Hour Short Story Contest and Giving Away a FREE Spot!!!

I am super excited to announce the first ever Creative Bliss Studios 24-Hour Short Story Contest! 

Would you like a kick start to your creative writing? A 24-Hour Short Story Contest is a super fun way to do just that! The time limit helps to kick your inner critic to the curb while having a crazy fun time writing a short story in only 24 hours! 

I have done this several times in the past and it has been so much fun. I Love It! It is a time of high energy, wild creativity, is super fun, and is infused with a high dose of sitting-on-the-edge-of-your-seat anticipation! 

Imagine . . . at 12:00 p.m. EST on the Saturday this contest begins you receive a writing prompt in your email. You have no idea what the writing prompt will be and your excitement and energy has been pumped up all morning as you wait for the 12:00 to arrive. At 12:00, you open your email, full of excitement to find out what that prompt is. When you read the prompt your creative mind is instantly swirling with possibilities. 

You write out a few ideas on which direction you could go with the prompt and then you are off for 24 hours of a wildly creative ride to the finish line of 12:00 p.m. EST on Sunday when you attach your short story to an email and hit "Send!" 

You are going to feel like you accomplished something BIG! You have just written, edited, and rewritten a whole short story in only 24 hours!!! You should celebrate! You deserve it. :) 

THEN, the following Saturday you will find out if YOU are the talented winner of the 24-Hour Short Story Contest! 

I will be compiling all the entries into a book that will be available to purchase every quarter. Imagine the pure delight and joy and sense of accomplishment and fulfillment in seeing your story in print! 

The book will include spot light interviews with all the winners, as well as space for every participant to include a short bio, with links to your website, blog, social media pages, etc.! 

Of course, you can choose not to have your story published in the compilation. Before the stories will be compiled into book form you can let me know if you want to opt out of publication. But seriously, I would jump on that opportunity!!! You will have all rights to your story and can publish it anywhere else you would like to, as long as you mention that it was first published in this book (I haven't decided on a title yet . . .).  

There is a small entrance fee of $10.00. Shortly after you have paid your entrance fee, you will receive an email from me with all the details and rules of the contest. 

Next week, I will be announcing what the prizes will be. I cannot wait to let you all know. You are going to LOVE it!!!

I am giving away a FREE spot in the first ever Creative Bliss Studios 24-Hour Short Story Contest, which is taking place on August 24, 2013. Comment below for a chance to win your FREE spot. Woohooo!!!! 

You can earn more chances to win by posting on your blog, making sure to include a link back to this post, as well as sharing this post on Twitter and Facebook. 

So, you can earn FOUR chances to win by:

Commenting below
Sharing this post on your blog
Sharing this post on Twitter
Sharing this post on Facebook

This is what I tweeted on my Twitter page at@KimSmithCreates :

24-Hour Short Story Contest! Have a wildly creative fun time and the chance to win awesome prizes. Join the fun at http://ow.ly/nf4Q7 

Make sure to let me know in your comments below if you have shared this post in any or all of the above mentioned extra ways to earn more chances to win!

Wishing you all a celebratory week and weekend! And don't forget to feel your celebrations. ;)

Click on the "Buy Now" button below to enter this crazy fun contest and have the chance to win some really cool prizes!!!  

 

DOY BlogLovin' Tour:: CELEBRATION and a Give-Away!

I am so excited to write about Celebration this week because this week has brought me SO many things to celebrate! I have been loving this Declaration of You BlogLovin' Tour. It has been so much fun to participate. Here is the info on this BlogLovin' Book Tour and below is my thoughts on Celebration and a BIG ANNOUNCEMENT! 

"The Declaration of You will be published by North Light Craft Books this summer, with readers getting all the permission they've craved to step passionately into their lives, discover how they and their gifts are unique and uncover what they are meant to do! This post is part of The Declaration of You's BlogLovin' Tour, which I'm thrilled to participate in alongside over 100 other creative bloggers. Learn more -- and join us! -- by clicking here."

I am celebrating several wonderful things in my life right now, and in honor of these accomplishments, I want to pass the celebration onto you! 

I am hosting the first Creative Bliss Studios 24-Hour Short Story Contest! I love a good contest, don't you? This contest is a wildly creative fun time of high-energy, focused writing that could win you some amazing prizes! More about that in a little bit. 

Last week, in my coaching training program, I did my first peer practice coaching session as well as a 10-minute speaking presentation. I was so nervous because I had never done either before, but I did so much better than I thought I would. 

This is a big accomplishment for me and the best way that I celebrated this was to simply acknowledge it and let myself soak in the happiness and joy and pride that I felt. 

It is so easy to dismiss our accomplishments, isn't it? You are excited for a moment, but then it's back to work, tackling your next goal. I encourage you to allow yourself the time to really soak in your accomplishments. I have been celebrating this all week by taking some time each day to remember this accomplishment and feel the joy. 

Another celebration this week is that my daughter is getting married this Saturday, July 27th! We are heading out to New Jersey tonight to help with last minute preparations and share the celebration and joy for this beautiful milestone in my daughter's life. I can't wait to see my baby girl!!! 

This past Saturday, I got engaged!!!!! My love and I have been together for four years and we are so happy to be moving forward to the next step in our life together. I'll post a photo of my gorgeous ring when we get back from New Jersey. :)

We often think of celebrations in big ways - parties, gifts, etc. Since we are saving for the trip to New Jersey, we haven't had the funds to celebrate in those kinds of ways. So, what I have learned this week is that allowing myself to soak in the happiness, joy, pride, and accomplishment I feel is the best celebration that I have ever had! It is a continuous celebration, carrying with it extended feelings of happiness, joy, and excitement. 

And now, here is my offering to you in celebration of all the accomplishments and joyful occasions I have been enjoying this past week:

I am giving away a FREE spot in the first ever Creative Bliss Studios 24-Hour Short Story Contest, which is taking place on August 24, 2013. Comment below for a chance to win your FREE spot. Woohooo!!!! 

You can earn more chances to win by posting on your blog, making sure to include a link back to this post, as well as sharing this post on Twitter and Facebook. 

So, you can earn FOUR chances to win by:

Commenting below
Sharing this post on your blog
Sharing this post on Twitter
Sharing this post on Facebook

This is what I tweeted on my Twitter page at @KimSmithCreates :

24-Hour Short Story Contest! Have a wildly creative fun time and the chance to win awesome prizes. Join the fun at http://ow.ly/nf4Q7 

Make sure to let me know in your comments below if you have shared this post in any or all of the above mentioned extra ways to earn more chances to win!

Wishing you all a celebratory week and weekend! And don't forget to feel your celebrations. ;)

~ xo Kim

Beautiful vision and clarity through journaling today

I just had the most amazing vision of what I want Creative Bliss Studios to be! Here's how it came to be:

I was writing in my journal about how I've been ignoring the many whispers in my heart for such a long time. Recently they are becoming stronger and stronger and getting louder and louder. I am realizing that in order to honor myself, I want to let go of the fear surrounding these heart whispers (mostly having to do with self-doubt) and honor myself by doing the things my heart is yearning for me to do.

Then suddenly, Bam! I figured out what I want to do my 10-minute Speaking Practice Session on in my coaching training!

For weeks now, I have been racking my brain trying to figure out what in the world my speaking presentation should be on. I don't know why I haven't journaled about it before. Journaling helps me figure out so many things.

As I was writing about the whispers of my heart and jotting down some notes about my new found speaking presentation topic, I started getting ideas for my biz here. That led to brainstorming a list of things and then suddenly one of the things in my list just turned something on within me and I got this beautiful vision for Creative Bliss Studios.

As this vision became stronger, I gently closed my eyes and wrote what I saw in vivid detail. I felt in my heart so deeply exactly how I want my readers, clients, and customers to feel when stopping by my creative little corner of the web. I have never experienced such a vivid vision before, complete with such intense feelings. It swept me away in the most delicious of ways.

I am so excited about this beautiful new vision and can't wait to get started on it!

Just thought I'd share that with all you beautiful souls who stop by my blog. :)

I'd love to hear if you've ever experienced such a breakthrough while journaling before. If so, would you share your stories with me in the comments below? Let's share our successes!

xo ~ Kim

DOY BlogLovin' Tour:: Success!

"The Declaration of You will be published by North Light Craft Books this summer, with readers getting all the permission they've craved to step passionately into their lives, discover how they and their gifts are unique and uncover what they are meant to do! This post is part of The Declaration of You's BlogLovin' Tour, which I'm thrilled to participate in alongside over 100 other creative bloggers. Learn more -- and join us! -- by clicking here."

I have to admit that my thoughts about success before reading all the wonderful posts in this week's BlogLovin' Tour were a little quite narrow. 

For so long I've thought I was a failure with so many things. Of course I have had some successes along the way, but I thought my failures outweighed my successes. 

But now I see success in a whole new way. So many of the posts talk about success as how you feel. Seriously? How cool is that! 

Success is how I feel about myself, my life, my choices, the people I am surrounded by, the activities I chose to take part in. With this change of thought, I feel so relieved to find out that I'm not a failure after all. I have had SO many successes!  

Successes can be so small and seem almost insignificant. But don't discount them. They are important! Successes like, drinking that Green Smoothie this morning rather than eating that sugar-laden cereal; choosing to park your car farther away from the store so you can get a few extra steps into your day; choosing not to get caught up in negative gossip; going to bed at a decent time rather than your usual late night, so you can get some solid rest that your body and mind are crying out for. 

This is quite the mind-set change for me and I am going to run with it. :) I'm going to start a "Today's Successes" list and, each day in the evening I'm going to reflect back on my day and list every success I have experienced, big or small. 

Imagine focusing on all the wonderful, positive things in your day, rather than focusing on the negative stuff that happened, and all that you didn't do. Focus on all that you did do! 

ALSO, I will write down other people's successes. If someone holds the door open for me, sent a smile my way, chatted with me at the grocery store. If a family member or friend achieves one of their goals, or shares good news, or is celebrating something - anything - in their lives. Those are all successes for them.

When we share in other people's successes by acknowledging them and congratulating them and holding that moment of pure joy that happens when you have a success, that increases not only their happiness, but yours as well. It sends positive, loving, happy energy their way, which comes back to you too, increasing your own love energy! 

I am really excited about how much happier I will feel about each day and how much better I will feel about myself and other people. 

This is an experiment that I invite you to try with me. Please comment below if you are on board. I would love to hear how it is going for you and what positive changes you experience in your life because of this change in mind-set. I will be sure to post updates here as well. :)

xo ~ Kim 

DOY BlogLovin' Tour:: Self-Care

"The Declaration of You will be published by North Light Craft Books this summer, with readers getting all the permission they've craved to step passionately into their lives, discover how they and their gifts are unique and uncover what they are meant to do! This post is part of The Declaration of You's BlogLovin' Tour, which I'm thrilled to participate in alongside over 100 other creative bloggers. Learn more -- and join us! -- by clicking here."

I thought I knew exactly what I was going to write about when this topic of 'self-care' came up for this BlogLovin' Tour. But . . . then I read Michelle's blog post on self-care. 

I realized that my thoughts about self-care were so very tiny. Like her, I thought about candle-lit bubble baths, painting my nails, reading a novel. 

And then her questions at the end of her post opened up a whole new perspective on self-care. She writes:

 "What does self-care inherently mean to you? What have you been missing? What is your body/mind/soul yearning for that you’re making excuses for?"

What have I been missing? What is my body/mind/soul yearning for that you're making excuses for? 

I never thought of self-care as incorporating my whole life like that. I thought it was a little pampering here and there to take a little time for yourself and be good to yourself.

I have been ignoring so many things that my body/mind/soul has been yearning for. Oh, and excuses . . . I've got them a mile high! 

Honestly, my mind feels boggled. I also feel a huge new perspective opening up for me and it makes me feel giddy with excitement and happiness. 

You mean, making time to paint is actually important for my self-care? Making time for creative writing isn't selfish and nonproductive just because I am doing it for fun? 

I have just been handed the very best, and really, for me, life-altering permission slip to live the life I dream to live and to make no excuses for it. 

This is my life. I get to live it on my terms. Self-care is important, much more so than I had thought! My mind needs it. My soul needs it. My body needs it. 

My work will be better for it. My family and friends will be better for it. If I am taking care of myself, it will flow out from me and touch everyone and everything in my life in a positive way.

This ties in so beautifully with a book I am reading, The Power by Rhonda Byrne (the author of The Secret). In it she says that what we give out, we receive back and that the power behind the Law of Attraction is love. 

If I am giving my body/mind/soul what it yearns for, this will bring me so much happiness and boundless feelings of love because I am doing things that I love. Thus, I will receive back more happiness and love from people and circumstances around me. 

Wow! What an amazing and super important lesson I learned today! 

I wonder what would happen if we all made self-care the main priority in our lives. What would happen if we gave our bodies, souls, and minds what it yearns for, which at the same time will make us happy. 

I imagine this world would be an entirely different place, filled with people who are truly happy, healthy, doing what they love, thus enabling them to give out more love to others. 

This is the world I want to live in, so this is the world that I intend to create for myself. 

Will you come along with me? 

I would love to hear your thoughts. Please comment below and let's get a juicy conversation rolling. :) 

xo ~ Kim 

Declaration of You:: Uniquity:: What Makes You, YOU

"The Declaration of You will be published by North Light Craft Books this summer, with readers getting all the permission they've craved to step passionately into their lives, discover how they and their gifts are unique and uncover what they are meant to do! This post is part of The Declaration of You's BlogLovin' Tour, which I'm thrilled to participate in alongside over 100 other creative bloggers. Learn more -- and join us! -- by clicking here."

Uniquity . . . What is it that makes me, me,? 

Oh, how I have asked myself this question soooo many times! 

I have been "searching for myself" for decades. Being under the mistaken belief that I had to find that one thing that was my talent or calling or whatever you want to call it has made it so much more difficult than it had to be.

Now I know that there are many different things that make me, me. I used to think there was nothing that made me a unique individual. I thought I was just your every day, plain Jane - Jane of all trades, master of none. 

I had (and have) many different talents. Twenty years ago, I would have labeled that "talents." Yes, I could write, draw, paint, play the flute, had a good mind for business. But I didn't think that made me special in any way. Lots of people can do those things and they can do them better than me. 

For such a long time, I was desperate to have that one thing that I had a "special gift" in, that made me stand out in the crowd. But I didn't. 

You know what? There are still times I wish so much that I did have just that one thing that I was super passionate about and that I did at an extraordinary level. I'll be honest. There is a part of me that wants to be noticed. I have felt invisible for most of my life and I have always longed to feel special and loved for who I am. 

But I'm learning the most valuable lesson in my life. It is far more important for me to accept and love my self for who I am than it is to look for outside love, acceptance, and validation. 

My thoughts, my feelings, the words I say and write, the different ways in which I express myself, the things that light me up, turn me on, and bring me joy, as well as the things that I don't particularly care for - these are the things that make me unique. 

I haven't mastered this lesson and maybe I never will completely master it, but I'm getting better at it. Maybe it will be a lifetime of learning, letting go, accepting. But it is so much more delicious this way! 

There is only one me, with this particular set of talents and skills and thought processes and modes of expression. And there is only one you! You are a beautiful unique individual. I know that you can hear that a million times and still not fully accept it. I have been there. I am still working my way out of that belief. 

Here are some fun questions to help move you toward the direction of seeing your beautiful uniqueness:

1. What are the things you enjoy doing?
2. What kinds of music do you like? What are your favorite singers/bands? 
3. Do you play a musical instrument? If not, do you have a secret desire to play one? If so, which instrument or instruments?
4. What are your favorite foods to eat?
5. What are your favorite hot beverages to drink? What about cold beverages?
6. What are your favorite colors?
7. What is your clothing style? Or what do you wish to dress like?
8. What are your favorite home decor styles?
9. How would you decorate your home?
10. What are your favorite TV shows? Or do you not even like TV?
11. What are your favorite movies? Or are you not a movie buff at all?
12. What scents do you enjoy the most? 
13. Who do you most admire? What is it about them that you admire?
14. What are your favorite memories?
15. Do you like to travel?
16. What are the top 3 places you would love to travel?
17. What are the secret dreams of your heart?
18. What are your favorite blogs and/or magazines?
19. If you like going to the book store or library, what sections are you most drawn to? 
20. If you had all the money you would ever need or want, what would you do with your days? Would you take classes to learn things you've always wanted to learn? Would you travel the world? Would you take photos, make jewelry, paint, draw, write fiction or memoirs or poetry, scrapbook, sculpt, write music, play an instrument, dance, become a yoga master, learn about alternative healing methods? What else would you want to spend your days doing?


Okay, now here is a bit of a twist. Go through the questions above one more time, but this time, answer them in the negative. Replace the word "like" with "don't like" and "favorite" with "least favorite," etc. 

It's the things that we like, as well as the things that we don't like, that make up who we are as unique individuals.

I hope you will stay tuned to my blog as I am creating a super fun e-course on discovering your beautiful authentic self. 

• There will be lots of fun exercises. I'm talking super fun exercises, including challenges, contests and fun dares in which prizes will be given!
• A private Facebook group to create a sharing community
• Interviews with many women who have embraced their gorgeous authentic selves and their insider tips on how they shed the false layers in order to let their inner true selves come shining through
• And, so much more! 

Next week you will be able to sign up for my newsletter so you will be the first to know when registration for this course opens. 

Pssst . . . I will be giving away TWO FREE spots to this course when registration opens! 

Hope you have a wonderful weekend. :)

~ xo Kim ~ 

Magic * Making Class - I WON the FREE spot!!!

Guess what? I WON the FREE spot in Magic * Making, an online art class with Mindy Lacefield and Alena Hennessy! I can hardly believe it. I never win anything! It starts September 2nd. I can't wait to begin!!! 

You know what is so out-of-this-world-cool about this? I had decided to just give up on my art. It had just become an act of frustration. I was sick of copying other people's work and sick of trying to figure out what my own style is, so just forget it. 

I remember I was sitting in a doctor's office and checking my email on my phone and I came across this email announcing the free spot in this new collaborative class with Mindy and Alena. I have loved Mindy's work for years, but I had never heard of Alena, so I went and checked out her site and fell in love with her art and her blog. Her art has such vibrancy and aliveness to it. 

As I said I had decided to just give up on my art, so when I first saw the email I almost deleted it, thinking "Nah, I'm done with art."

But something inside me stopped and I said to myself, "Let's give this one more go. If I win a spot in this class, that is a sign from the Universe to continue working on my painting." 

I kid you not. That is exactly what I said to myself! Of course I never thought I would actually win the free spot because I never win anything! 

I was completely shocked when I got the email from Alena that I had won. My jaw dropped in utter shock and then I was hootin' and hollerin' with happiness and excitement and jumping up and down in my seat and then started doing the happy dance around my apartment. :) 

So, here I go. I'm giving painting another shot. I'm itching to paint so badly. I plan on going through Flora Bowley's most awesome book Brave Intuitive Painting: Let go. Be bold. Unfold. ~ Techniques For Uncovering Your Own Unique Painting! 

And this chapter continues . . . 

~ xo Kim ~ 

A quote that just changed my life forever

“I am not a teacher, but an awakener.” 
- Robert Frost

In my coaching training program this quote was the start of a discussion thread and we were asked how our Mentor is our awakener. I wanted to share my answer here on my blog: 

I love this quote so much! I am completely in love with the idea of being an "awakener" rather than a teacher! It brings what I want to do to a whole new and much deeper level that delights and tickles my soul! 

My Mentor is my awakener by helping me to go deeper within myself and discover and "awaken" those parts of myself that have been either lying dormant or have been too shy or afraid to come to the surface.

I will surely be pondering this quote and all the levels of meaning it has for me. What is so awesome about this quote is that I actually feel it has awakened a deeper level in me already. It has touched something deep within me that I thought I had lost forever. A level that I had lost or buried or let go of somewhere along the way of raising children, homeschooling them, getting divorced, moving back to my beautiful birth state - the home in my heart - Massachusetts, and the struggles I have been experiencing for the past four years of this strange new life being a divorced woman in my early forties with grown kids and creating a whole new life for myself. The struggles of having an empty nest and losing the only identity I had ever felt comfortable with as a full time mother. My identity was so wrapped up in my kids and in only being Kim, The Mom. 

For the past four years I have felt so lost and sad and lifeless; like I no longer existed. I felt as if my soul had left my body when my kids grew up and began lives of their own. I was a shell, sleep walking, struggling to find a way to come back to life. What use was I now? What purpose and meaning could my life now have? 

I have slowly been coming back to life and I mean really s  l  o  w  l  y. But this training program. I knew I had to take this training program, and now! 

And today NanLeah shared this eight word quote - separately, eight simple words - but together, a powerful, beautiful, source of divine light. Eight words that have stirred my soul like never before. 

I must sit with this. I must write poetry and prose to explore this awakening and process the incredible and indescribable impact these words are having on me. 

Art Class Giveaway with Mindy Lacefield and Anna Hennessey!

I just found out about a super awesome new online art class and TWO giveaways! Mindy Lacefield and Anna Hennessey have collaborated to create what promises to be an exciting and adventurous art class online called Magic Making. Just the name of it itself gets my heart going pitter patter! 

They are giving away a FREE spot in their class, to sign up for that go to Anna Hennessey's blog post right here. AND they are giving away the beautiful collaborative art piece they created together. To sign up to win that go to Mindy Lacefield's blog post right here. 

I HOPE I WIN!!!! Fingers and toes crossed! ; )

~ Kim xo

First Coaching Class and Mentoring Session

I am having so much fun with the ACT 9 Certification Training Program! Last night we had our first Teleclass with Marney and it was AWESOME!!! Marney's teleclasses are the best. She does lots of free ones and you should most definitely experience it for yourself. Go to Artellaland and sign up for her newsletter so you can be informed of all the fun and free offerings. She is THE most generous person online that I know. :)

Today I got to have my first Skype chat with my mentor, Callie. She is from London, England (!) and she is so completely awesome and fun. I love her! We totally connected and I feel like a very lucky girl, indeed, that I get to work with her one-on-one. I know I am going to learn so much from her. Check out her site (it's currently being updated).

So, I went out today and bought Marney's book Creating Time: Using Creativity to Reinvent the clock and Reclaim Your Life. One of my biggest obstacles right now is trying to fit it all in, which is making me feel quite a bit overwhelmed. Marney has such a wonderfully unique and creative way of presenting things that help you think of them in an entirely new way. I really resonate with her teachings, so I think this book will help me a lot!

I'm off to go chat on the ACT 9 forums and then snuggle down to read my new book!

Hope you have a wonderful night,

Kim ~ xo

Dreams coming true!!!!!

There are so many good things happening right now in my life! I am taking a year-long art class from the super fun and oh so talented Kat McBride. The course is called Let's Draw and Paint! Gorgeous Girls Year Long Class. 

AND . . . I have been accepted into Marney Makridakis' (founder of the super popular Artella Land!) ACT 9 ARTbundance Certification Training!!!  Marney is one of the most creative women I know. She comes up with the most truly awesome and out of this world fun and creative classes (lots of FREE teleclasses!) that I've ever been a part of. 

AND . . . . . . . I have also been welcomed as part of Marney's Artella Angel Program as a member of the Artella Team!!! 

So many dreams coming true for me right now. :) I am getting THE BEST and MOST FUN drawing and painting instructions from Kat. I have longed to be able to take art lessons to learn the technical skills that I need to be able to get the art visions in my mind onto paper. Now I'm getting it!!! SO excited! 

This class is a whole. year. long.(!) and we are going to learn a huge amount of things: how to draw and paint front, side, and 3/4 face views, torsos, arms, hand, legs, feet (but in a super fun way), mermaids, angels, fairies, whimsical portraits, fairy tale characters, enchanted forest, and tons of other really fun things. 

I have wanted to be able to paint beautiful fairies in enchanted places for years!

Another dream I have had for such a long time is to become a certified life coach and that dream will begin on Monday with the first day of the ACT 9 ARTbundance Certification Training! I am jumping up and down excited!!!  

I am truly overcome with joy and awe and bliss that all these doors have opened up for me that are leading me to the work of my heart, the dreams that have been growing inside me for decades! 

All of you beautiful, sweet women out there, please hear me and know it is absolutely TRUE that dreams really can come true!!!! 

I fully intend to chronicle my journey through both my year-long art class and my coaching training right here in my blog. If you've ever wanted to know what it is like for a woman to make her dreams come true - to learn and improve her art skills and become a working artist (oh, yes! I will make that happen! :) ), to become a life coach, to create the beautiful creative business that is the beat of her heart - and to do this from the very first steps, then I invite you to come along with me for the journey and visit my blog often. I would so love to share this experience with you. I would also love to connect with you in the comments and you are always welcome to email me personally at kimscreativebliss [at] gmail [dot] com. 

Here's to making ALL of our dreams come true!

~ Kim xo 

Getting back into drawing

So, Thursday night I tried to do some drawing. I used to know how to draw faces and I've even painted several (but used much different techniques than what Kat teaches - Kat's techniques look waaaayyyy better! :) ). Anyway, I couldn't get into the rhythm of it and felt like I lost all of my ability to draw so I felt very discouraged.

While watching Kat's live demo yesterday, I drew right along with her and it felt sooooo good to draw again! I'm not totally thrilled with how the face I drew came out, but I'm going to be kind to myself and remember that it was the first 3/4 face view I ever drew and later today (it's 2 in the morning here now!), I'm going to be brave and post the drawing I did (even though I don't love it) and I'm going to list three things I do like about it. 

See you all later today. Hope you all have a wonderful night's rest and that you'll get to draw and paint to your heart's content this weekend. :)

Back procedure today

I'm going for an out-patient back procedure this morning. I'm hoping it goes exceedingly well, and all this pain will go away! And I'm hoping I feel well enough this afternoon to do some drawings. This art class with Kat McBride is awesome! I am so impressed with the drawings that my classmates are doing. :)

Wish me luck! Oh, and all prayers and good thoughts are appreciated. :)

~ Kim xoxo

Starting an awesome art class today

I am so excited!!! Today I am starting Kat McBride's year-long class - Let's Draw and Paint! Gorgeous Girls. 

One of the things that has been holding me back from consistently painting is my frustration with not having the "technical skill" to paint what I see in my head. Kat is a classically trained painter and has simplified what she learned in art school to teach us how to paint like the masters with step-by-step tutorials and videos. 

I woke up at 2:30 this morning with a migraine and checked my email to see if I had gotten access to the private classroom or the Facebook group. I was so happy and excited to see that I had been approved for the Facebook group and got my class supply list and detailed description of what this first 5-week session is going to cover that I couldn't go back to sleep. 

I can't wait to go to Michaels this morning to get my art supplies and get started! I will be sharing all my class work here on my blog. So stay tuned for lots and lots of art to be posted. :)

It's 5:00 a.m. now and I'm finally feeling a bit sleepy. Off to try to get a couple more hours sleep so I'll have plenty of energy to draw and paint to my heart's content. 

Say goodnight, Gracie.

Good night, Gracie.

Kim ~ xoxo

Soul Searching . . . Yay, I'm back! :)

I've been doing a LOT of soul searching for the past couple of months. I've decided to keep this blog rather than the Creating Bliss Studios blog. Yes, my goal is to create a blissful life, but, for me, my bliss is very much tied into expressing my creativity. So, after much thought, I've decided the proper title for my blog is Creative Bliss Studios. :)

I am really excited about some of the creative ideas I have been thinking about since I last wrote! I'll tell you more about them soon. 

Make Art that Sells!

The amazing Lilla Rogers has created a course called Make Art that Sells. Lilla Rogers is one of the worlds top illustration agents and she has culminated three decade's worth of knowledge and experience in this field to create  this course.

Money is tight, tight, tight right now, so I am hoping, wishing, and praying to win the free spot in her course. Please check it out here:

#makeartthatsells with @lillarogers http://ow.ly/hNVbb . 

So much can happen in a month . . .

My goodness, so much can happen in just a month. For the shortest month of the year it has felt like an eternity. 

I chose "Happiness" as my word of the year. There have been a whole bunch of really difficult and horrible things that have happened since the beginning of the year. 

Memories resurfaced of events that have made a hugely negative impact on my life. It is painful to say the least and also devastating. But I will not let it rule my life. 

I am looking at this as this is something I needed to remember in order to put  certain pieces of the puzzle of my depression together in order to finally get through to the other side of it where happiness resides.

So, all in all, this is a good thing. I asked for happiness in 2013 and I am getting happiness by getting through to the core of my depression. 

Very tough work.

On top of that I have had a series of unfortunate events that have just compounded everything. I went to visit my daughter in New Jersey last week and the morning I was leaving to come home, I got in a car accident. My right ankle and leg were sprained and, of course, got the usual muscle strains and pain that a car accident typically causes. 

I borrowed my daughter's car to get home so I can go to a meeting that I cannot miss. My car is being appraised today and I'm nervously waiting to hear the news. The damage to the front is pretty bad and there very well could be damage to the frame. There is a good possibility that they may decide to total it, which really sucks because I just bought the thing a few months ago and still owe quite a bit of money on it and I don't have gap insurance, which I never even heard about until my daughter asked me if I had it. I'm kind of pissed at my insurance agent who never told me about it as I would certainly have gotten it.

So, I'm heading back to NJ on Thursday to return my daughter's car and if my car is totaled, Gayle and I will rent a car to get back home. If it isn't totaled, I'm going to have to drive my daughter's car back to NJ myself and hang around there which could be for at least a week (possibly more) while my car is being fixed. 

I just want this whole thing to be over with. I want to get back home and get into a good routine.

To be honest, I didn't just go to New Jersey to visit my daughter. I needed to get away to clear my head about several issues. I'm happy to say that I received clarity in something that has torn and ripped my heart to shreds for the past almost four years. Major breakthrough there. 

I also realized where I truly belong. I belong with my love, Gayle, in our cozy apartment in Massachusetts. My kids are grown and on their own now. Going to New Jersey allowed me to see my daughter in her home element. She is doing wonderful. She is happy and responsible and productive and is an amazing soon-to-be step-mom to my soon-to-be first grandson. 

Seeing Katrina with her beautiful little family made me so proud and gave me the peace in my heart that I needed so I can truly know in my heart that my baby girl is okay. In fact, she is so much better than okay. She has such a wonderful and happy life and I'm just bursting with love and happiness for that.

Even though I absolutely hate that my kids live so far from me in different states, I have realized that they are okay without me (even though they both would love me to live in their states), and it is okay for me to move on with my life. 

They are both so very happy in their lives and it is time for me to be happy in my life.

Gayle and I have built a life for ourselves here in Massachusetts where we were both born and raised. My roots are in MA. It is home. I love it here. And I love Gayle and I intend to live the rest of my life with her. 

So, lots of realizations and revelations and acceptance and letting things go, which is a very good thing! 

Now, to deal with the car issue . . . 


*** UPDATE ***

My car was totalled. : ( The good thing is that my car insurance ended up paying most of my car loan off - I only owe less than $68. Thank goodness!!!

So excited!!!

I am so excited!!! First thing tomorrow morning I am going to sign up for the writing course with the Institute of Children's Literature! I have attempted to take this course twice before many years ago, but with homeschooling my kids and running a household I just didn't have the time and energy to give it all I had. Now that I am unemployed, I have the time to do so!

I am going to take this time and put it to good use and Go For It and make one of my dreams come true! I can't wait for it to be tomorrow morning when they are open so I can sign up! I'll tell you more about this decision tomorrow and what led me to it (lots of signs!!!).

Hope you have a good night!

Kim

Letter to the New Year, 2013

Hello, 2013!

I am so excited to start a new life with you! Things may be looking down for me right now considering I lost my job mid-December and I have less than $50 to my name and no income coming in for myself.

However, I am determined to create a brand new life for myself and make my Mondo Beyondo dreams come true. My word for 2013 is Happiness! That is my focus. I will fight my depression, not through focusing on healing my depression, but, instead, on focusing on being Happy and doing things that make me Happy.

Creating a vibrantly successful art business and online fun-filled Creative Studio offering inspiring and motivating challenges, contests, e-courses, and e-books is my Ultimate Dream for my creative and career life. THAT will make me SO happy!!!

And that will enable me to live the life of my dreams – working from home, doing work that I love, having a flexible schedule and the financial means to visit my kids whenever I want. These are the most important things to me.

So, 2013, I embrace you and give you a huge hug and kiss and welcome you into my life, for I know deep in my soul, that this is the year that my dreams will come true in ways that are far better and more exciting and more abundantly than I ever could imagine.

With so much love and excited anticipation,

Kim

xoxo