It was easy to strike up a conversation with artist Jorge Castrillo.  He has such an inviting personality and he immediately opened up about the creative process.  I seriously wanted to go home and paint after listening to him talk about it…

You know, being an artist is one of the most intimate and vulnerable things a person can do.  You pour your heart out onto a canvas, let people look at it, and then they decide if they like it or not.  It’s kinda like running your own business!  Yeah, being a painter – and an entrepreneur – certainly isn’t for the faint of heart.

But, Jorge explains in his video why it’s so important to experiment and put yourself out there.  When you follow and express your heart, you are putting energy and love into motion that goes out into the world, touches lives, and comes back to you in the coolest ways.  The bottom line is…when you create lives are transformed.

Here’s a video of Jorge’s work.  You can reach the artist at (408) 992-0635.

What gives life to your life?

What is your heart asking you to do?

Related posts:

1. What is Your Heart Asking You to do?
2. Your Heart Knows the Way
3. Are you ready to let go of control and hire a VA?

A great big juicy THANK YOU! to Z Eggloff author of Verge for sharing her wisdom.  You rock, Z.

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1. Video: who are you to do that?
2. Find Your Great Work Video
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Photo artwork by alicepopkorn

Okay, so last Friday I hosted the first ever Simply Fearless Fempreneur Mini-Retreat and it was amazing!  Words aren’t even going to begin to describe how it felt.  Let me just say that it was my most successful event to date and has empowered me to take another step in fully claiming my Calling.  Oh I just can’t help it: Woohoo!

I was so inspired by this event that I put the whole thing together from conception to completion in 2 weeks including writing a 28-page workbook to go with it.  How freaking cool is that?!  I opened up registration for 10 peeps and we had 6 fearless fempreneurs.  It was so perfect.  I’m all gushing over here!  The entire creation & invitation process was all just so easy.  Every step along the way.  And then, we enjoyed a heartfelt afternoon of truth sharing, intention setting, meditation, and more.  Oh, and of course, we ended with Champagne Friday!  I poured us all a glass of almond flavored champagne and we basked in the afterglow of a powerful afternoon of connection.

Okay, so after the event was over I realized that I really wanted to share with you one of the most powerful practices I did to prepare.  I have never used this practice before and now I use it every day for all sorts of things because it’s so easy and effective.  You’ve gotta try it for yourself:

1. After you get in bed at night and before you go to sleep, dream about your vision.  See the perfect outcome in your mind’s eye and feel how amazing it feels to have achieved this accomplishment.  Notice and release anything negative.  Keep coming back to your perfect outcome and let yourself drift off to sleep in this magical place of dreams-come-true.
2. In the morning, before you get up take 5 minutes imagining your vision coming true.  Intentionally let go of any resistant thoughts and really allow yourself to feel how good it feels to live this experience.  My whole body tingles when I do this – especially my hands and feet.

Oh!  I just found out that two of the Simply Fearless Fempreneurs who attended the retreat posted reviews on the SimplyFearless.com Facebook Page.  Suh-weet!  Now you can read what others are saying about it too.  *Pause for Happy Dance*

Okay, back to the practice – this is one I adapted from the Teachings of Abraham and the Law of Attraction.  I did this every night and morning for 2 weeks and I know it helped me bring together the perfect peeps for the perfect retreat.  There really is something magical about aligning with your vision while you are in that half-awake/half-asleep state of mind.  Try it out and let me know how it works for you too.

I’m so curious…
What do you want to create?

Related posts:

1. What do you want to create for your biz?
2. What is the greatest vision for your business?
3. Announcing: Simply Fearless Fempreneur Mini-Retreat!

For starters, the very first thing you will receive upon walking through the door – after a hug, of course! -  is a gift and I can’t wait to see which one you pick!  You see, each one is drawn at random and which ever one you choose holds a special message just for you.  It is meant to open your heart, mind & soul to get those creative juices flowing right from the moment you walk through the door.  Woohoo!

"Happiness Is a Cold Drink" by alykat

Then you will be refreshed with yummy snacks & Shirley Temples while you relax, unwind, and mingle with the other Simply Fearless Fempreneurs.  Be sure to bring your business cards, brochures, and fliers for our display table.  We want to showcase you and your business.

Next we will delve into the creative process.  Together we will co-create a safe, warm, and loving space for:

• Your Soul to speak,
• Your ideas to emerge, and
• Your business to shine!

The process works best when you bring a specific something in mind that you want to create, develop, or work through.  It can be anything like an:

• eBook
• not enough time
• marketing plan
• work/life balance
• website/blog content
• new program
• setting rates you believe in whole-heartedly
• confidence

There are no limits to what you can work on.  But, if you really want to utilize your creative power, then bring something specific you want to delve into.  There will be interactive experientials and we will tap into these powerful practices:

• Affirmative Prayer
• Meditation
• Journaling, and
• Visioning

So…what do you think?  Does this sound like an event that will soothe your soul and stimulate your creativity?  I hope so!  My intention is that everyone leaves feeling inspired, connected, and rejuvenated along with clear, actionable steps to keep your creations coming to life!  Prepare to relax, receive, connect, and create and join us on:

Friday, June 25, 2010
at my personal residence in Sunnyvale, California
from 1 to 4pm for our retreat and
*BONUS* from 4 to 5pm for Champagne Friday!

It’s only $35 and you can:

{no refunds ~ but you can send someone in your place if need be}

Related posts:

1. Short, Easy & Effective Practice to Bring Your Vision into Reality
2. Do you ever catch yourself fantasizing about failure?
3. What are you doing to create the life of your dreams?

Yeah, well.  Today.  Right now.  I decide that I want my habit to be imagining the very best.

I want to fantasize my success.

I want to feel my very best.

Isn’t this such a different way to create?  And don’t you find it so much easier and sometimes seductive to focus on the negative?  I mean, we have been taught to “prepare for the worst” right?

But, do you realize that what you imagine about your endeavors is a huge part of the creative process?  Yup, it is.  What you see in your mind – even when you are planning – is what you are calling into your experience.  And don’t you want it to be the very best?  I do and this is one of the reasons why I am facilitating this retreat.

It is time to create from a new space – the heart & soul space – because it’s not just about what you do, it’s how you do it.  The thoughts, feelings, and attitude you pour into your creations serve as the foundation of your success and it’s time to line them up with your creative power.  Woohoo!

So as I prepare for our first mini-retreat, this is what I’m going to do:

1. Promise to change my habit of stinkin’ thinkin’
2. Catch myself every time I slip into imagining the worst
3. Take a few moments to imagine the very best
4. Congratulate me for catching myself

You know what’s kinda funny?  I’m actually excited about catching failure fantasies because now they are a part of transforming my life.  I mean, if I never caught them, then how could I change them?  Woohoo!

Do you want to tap into some of this power for your creations?  Oh I would love to have you join us for our very first Simply Fearless Fempreneur Mini-Retreat!  The theme is:

Connect with your Soul to Create for your Biz
.

Friday, June 25, 2010 at my private residence in Sunnyvale, California from 1 to 4pm plus *CHAMPAGNE FRIDAY* from 4 to 5pm.  You can learn more here or register right now.  It’s only $35!

Related posts:

1. What do you want to create for your biz?
2. Short, Easy & Effective Practice to Bring Your Vision into Reality
3. Announcing: Simply Fearless Fempreneur Mini-Retreat!

At first, I could feel myself trying very hard to pump out new content and grab for the message.  I want to write my eCourse and get it out there in the world.  But then I slowed down, breathed in a good dose of trust, and reminded myself that my most compelling message comes from a place deep within me when I allow it to emerge.

No more trying.

No more pushing.

No more insisting.

Instead I get to start where I’m at, with what I know, and feel for the direction that flows with my Soul.  I get to enjoy the process.  I get to have fun creating.  And guess what happened?  With all of this letting go of trying and opening up to allowing, I received the best idea!

It suddenly became clear to me that the eCourse is the foundation for my signature speech.  So why not speak the content first and write it second?  What a brilliant idea!  And I know the perfect person to help me bring my message to light and serve as my Speaking Coach.  Wahoo!  In fact, I’ve already called him and we have our first session booked for Wednesday morning.

And it gets even better!  Suzanne and I have been bouncing around the idea of hosting a party.  Initially it was going to be a blog launch party since we both recently launched new blogs.  Yay!  But, that idea lost its initial luster even though we both still want to host a party.

Well, this morning while we were writing together another brilliant idea hit me: she should sing at our party!  You see, Suzanne has a beautiful voice and I think it would be so much fun to see her perform.  We both loved the idea – even though we didn’t know how it would fit into the gathering.  And then, she was struck with a brilliant idea: why don’t we make it a celebration of everybody’s secret talent?!  How *FUN* is that?!

So now we are throwing a Secret Talents & Hidden Desires Showcase Party where people will be invited to share something yummy to eat and their secret talent!  We are providing a venue for peeps to showcase something that they secretly want to pursue and I’m so excited because I’ve decided to share my love of photography.  I’m going to have my first show! Wahoo!

I can’t wait to pick photos, research printing options, and play with how to display them.  I’m going to do this full-on as if I were a real-life artist having her first professional show.  I mean, why not?  This idea makes me so happy in a light, fun, and playful way. These are exactly the feelings that open me up to receive more success.

Everyone benefits when you share:
What is your secret talent and/or hidden desire?

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1. Writing Buddies Kick Ass!
2. You’ve Got Talent
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What made it so powerful? Well, for starters there was nowhere for me to run! That was huge.

Secondly, I just kept writing until the content emerged.

Thirdly, we shared a bit about our projects and the writing process.

It was also Suzanne herself that made it so awesome.  She has this super smiley spirit that both comforted and inspired me.  I simply felt more capable writing in her presence.  This piece is kinda hard to explain and one part of me wants to lay it all out.  But, another part of me knows that you understand about how getting together with another person can change how you feel about yourself.

Okay if you are working on a writing project, then I highly recommend working with a writing buddy like Suzanne and I are doing. If you need to, you can also add in an accountability piece where at the end of each writing session you make a commitment for the next week.  Then at the beginning of the next session, you talk about what you accomplished and what you are going to work on that day.

To be frank with you, I kinda liked not having an accountability piece – I actually have a separate accountability partner, but that’s another topic for another blog post!  The bottom line is having an appointment with another person outside of my house (I work from home) to write with is totally transforming my work-life.  And getting my book proposal written.  Suh-weet!

The writing process can be a bitch.  If you’re like me, you might want to isolate yourself in your struggles.  Don’t.  This is one journey better traveled together.

{mental note: take my own advice :~}

Related posts:

1. My Soul Poked Me in the Ass!
2. 8 Lessons I Learned from Writing my Web Copy
3. What secret talent do you have?

Everyone benefits when you share:
How do you allow inspiration to come through you?

Related posts:

1. What is Your Heart Asking You to do?
2. What secret talent do you have?
3. Fear can no longer stop me from sharing my message!