Certified Life Coach and Author Jennifer Lee, PCC, CPCC, MA
I’m off to Cornwall, Ontario Canada at the crack of dawn tomorrow to lead a Right-Brain Business Plan talk at the ARTpreneur conference. Looking forward to meeting some great creative folks! Not looking forward to the cold weather (I was spoiled today with a sunny, warm California day). I’m definitely bringing my parka and can’t forget my AEDM little sketch book!
And here’s a colorful Hipstamatic shot from my trip to the art store.
Here are my two little sketches for my Art Every Day Month 3″x3″ journal. I had an acupuncture appointment today, hence the human pincushion!
And yesterday I enjoyed a mellow yoga class. Felt good to be on the mat.
I’m lovin’ my mini sketch book. And I’m lovin’ using my iPhone to take pics of my drawings (instead of the laborious scanning like I did last year) and then post processing them a bit in the PS Express iPhone app. Much more streamlined!
And here’s an Instagram pic I took today at a used bike shop near my acupuncturist’s office. In addition to Hipstamatic, I’m loving the Instagram iPhone app, too. You can follow me on Instagram at jennlee. Would love to see more of my creative cohorts there!
It’s November and that means it’s time for Art Every Day Month, hosted by my pal Leah Piken Kolidas. I’ve been participating since 2007. It’s always a blast and I get to connect with cool creative peeps. If you need some extra support and inspiration, check out Leah’s updated Art Every Day Month Survival Guide – it sounds fabulous.
Last year I did daily doodles in a tiny sketch book. I really loved having that small, totally doable structure and will use it again this time around. I also might dabble with the layered lines technique I learned at Squam and with some more photography (Hipstamatic is so addictive!).
Above is a Hipstamtic shot I took on my walk with Emmett.
And here’s a sweet one of Jamie and Shannon brunching at Dottie’s True Blue in San Francisco.
It was such a treat to see Jamie and her family during their visit to SF! I had the pleasure of meeting Jamie in person for the first time a couple of years ago when I was visiting the Toronto area. I loved getting to chat with her, her hubby, and her sister Shannon this morning. I’ve definitely had a creatively inspired start to Art Every Day Month 2010!
Over the summer I moved my work space from the cramped and cluttered downstairs office I shared with my husband (see before photo below) to the guest/yoga/meditation/ironing room now turned bright and airy creative space. I’ve been feeling so much more focused and inspired now!
Here’s a peek into my before situation. I can’t believe I tolerated that tiny corner of such a messy space for so many years! I mean really?!!!… beauty and spaciousness are two of my core values and I certainly wasn’t honoring them here! My breaking point was when Emmett knocked over the waste basket for the bazillionth time and then fell asleep on top of the trash.
I started to collect images of my ideal space. I envisioned the creative space I’m in now and a future studio space outside the house. You can click the image above to see a larger version.
Now my piles of paper and projects are neatly tucked away in these fabulous boxes from Ikea. And I’m surrounded by my Right-Brain Business Plan. My vision board is hanging on my bulletin board along with my goal sheet and creative cohort map. I’ve also got my perfect customer profiles on display in my cool card carousel and one of my walls is covered with pages from the fabulous Paper Source wall calendar.
Plus, I still have room to do yoga and meditation. (Although I could be making more space in my schedule for that!).
At the start of 2010, I choose “grounded growth” as my intention for the year. Moving into my own office was an important way for me to honor grounded growth. And it symbolized giving myself permission to take up more space. During intuitive painting last year, I’d been playing with being big and taking up more space so it was cool to see how that translated into my work and personal life here.
If you don’t have a creative space just for you, I recommend carving one out for yourself. It doesn’t matter if it’s a small area for now (maybe a desk or altar in your bedroom, or a corner of the kitchen) as long as it helps you nourish your inner muse. Decorate your space with whatever inspire you – perhaps colorful artwork, photos of your favorite vacation spot, candles, and flowers. Spend at least 10 minutes a day there to honor your creative spirit. You could journal, do art, or plan your day. Here’s to a creative space just for YOU!
On Saturday I led another Intuitive Painting Playshop. In the past, I’ve done half-days but this time I decided to do a full day so that we’d have the chance to really dive into the process. Everyone said the time just flew by! That’s what happens when you’re in the creative flow. Love it.
The day was full of color and creativity. I’m always honored to witness the process unfold for everyone. We had a great group of women and some were even visiting from out of town from L.A., Santa Barbara, and even London.
Here I am with the adorable Fiona Monks who arrived from London the day before. She was out here for another event and, since she was going to be in town, she was the impetus for getting this playshop on the calendar (thanks, Fiona!). We’ve known each other from the online world for a few years now, so it was such a blast to finally meet her in person and to have the chance to play together.
And here I am with my dear friend Kristen (one of my fabulous book club ladies). Kristen has been so supportive of my work and my intuitive painting journey so I really enjoyed getting the chance to share the experience with her this weekend.
Looking forward to leading more playshops in the future!
Yesterday I posted about my experience taking classes at Squam. While the courses are absolutely fantastic, what makes Squam so special are all of the Squammies – the delightful creative souls who make the pilgrimage to nourish their souls.
While I always find it unnerving to be in new groups (a bit of “first-day of school” syndrome), the Squam atmosphere is totally warm and inviting. The generosity, heart, and vision of founder Elizabeth MacCrellish infuses the whole experience with love and the retreat naturally draws kindred spirits. Being in an inspiring community and making new connections was definitely a highlight of the retreat.
And of course I had a blast getting to hang out with my pal Leah! That’s us in the Layered Lines class (perhaps a little high from the turpenoid fumes! Ha!).
And here we are being silly as we sat in the Playhouse listening to music and stories.
Here I am with the lovely Susannah Conway. Last year, I was honored to be interviewed by Susannah about my creative life on her blog. Her Open Your Eyes class rocked and I’m inspired to take more pics. “Shoot the red” is engrained in my head!
I loved connecting the dots between people’s web presence and who they are in real life. I’d been hanging out with Louise for a couple of days, but once I saw Louise’s cute business card and recognized her artwork, the lightbulb finally went on above my head, “Oh that’s you!” So funny! And I enjoyed meeting other folks that I knew from blogs and social media. It’s fun to put faces to names and to make a real-life connection.
Here are some of my roomies from the Sommers cabin. Oh boy did we share some laughs! On the last night, Lorrie suggested a wonderful ritual to help us remember our time together. We each decorated a rock with a message and then we randomly picked one out of a bag. The rock I made said, “beauty” and the rock I received said “You are beautiful.” And to top it off, Kristen got my rock and I got Kristen’s. Gotta love the synchronicity.
If Squam is calling to you, make a commitment to your creative spirit and say, “Yes!” Make it happen. You will be inspired. You will be nourished. You will be with your tribe. Sure it costs a pretty penny, you don’t have the time, it can be intimidating to meet new people, it’s a long trek to get there, and when you finally arrive you’ll probably be cold (okay, freezing). But those are just the logistics, details, and flimsy excuses from your inner critic (I know because I’ve heard them, too).
When you say, “Yes!” to an experience like Squam, you’ll be reminded that you’re not alone on your personal journey. That even rock stars like Jonatha Brooke feel vulnerable when they’re singing a new song for the first time. That no matter where you’re from or what your circumstances are, we all yearn for creative expression and connection. That when you honor that yearning you make room for even more creative goodness to blossom.
If you need a little nudge, get the Squam Art Workshops Journal. I had no idea how gorgeous it was until I saw it in person. Seriously, it is like a heavenly slice of Squam that you can hold in your hands. Until the next time I go on retreat, I’m gonna crack this journal open whenever I need a fix of heart-warming, soul-nourishing creative inspiration. Yum.
I’m finally getting my Squam post up! I can’t believe more than a week has past since my trip to Boston and New Hampshire. I’ve been exhausted (travel always does that to me), but I have so many fond memories of the retreat. I connected with inspiring women, I dabbled in some new artistic techniques, I savored a yummy yoga class, I enjoyed the fresh outdoor air, and I loved having delicious food cooked for me everyday (and don’t even get me started on those marvelous macaroons!).
Last year Leah, Mindy, Melba and I attended just the Squam art fair on Saturday night after Leah and I led a workshop together in Boston. We had such fun meeting some of our online buddies in-person and getting a taste of the Squam spirit that Leah and I decided to participate in the whole shebang this year. I’m so glad we did. I’m super inspired by the creative community that convenes there and the whole experience definitely fed my soul.
The experience also gave me some new insights into my creative process. It’s been awhile since I’ve taken an “art” class that focuses on learning techniques. Instead, for almost the past two years I’ve immersed myself in expressive arts and intuitive painting which is all about the process not the product, about the experience not technical skill. As a student and a teacher of intuitive painting, I’ve trained myself to be okay with making “ugly” art. So, it was a bit of a head trip for me at the retreat as I paid more attention to my inner critic wanting things to “look good” and to have “presentable” finished pieces. I know it was all self-imposed pressure and that the atmosphere there is totally supportive. It was just interesting to notice what happens for me when I’m creating for just the sake of being in the creative process versus when I am attached to the outcome. And I suppose both have their places. While I thoroughly enjoy diving into the depths of my crazy intuitive paintings, there is also something quite satisfying about making a beautiful, delicate piece of art to display like I got to do this past weekend.
The first class I took was Layered Lines with Diana Fayt. I really dug her drawing/painting technique which uses oil pastels, turpenoid, and graphite pencils. It’s quite simple yet creates a super cool effect that almost looks like an etching. My favorite pieces from the weekend were from this course. I’m definitely gonna play with this method a bit more. I even went and got more supplies today so I can continue to dabble.
The next day I took the Open Your Eyes photography class with the lovely Susannah Conway. Photography is a medium I’m not as comfortable with but want to get better at it. Fortunately my hubby is a photographer so I have access to great gear. Now I just gotta learn how to use it more effectively!
In the morning Susannah walked us through lots of great images to inspire us and to teach us composition basics. I could listen to her speak all day – I just love her voice and wisdom!
In the afternoon we went on a photo safari through the woods. Of course we had to stop at the lake to get some shots of the beautiful views.
I had fun getting to know my fellow classmates as we explored and experimented. And it was fascinating to notice how we each saw the world so differently through the lens.
This is one of my favorite shots. Thanks to the lovely Jayne who patiently modeled for us as we all snapped away! I posted more of my pics on Flickr.
On the final day, I took Flora Bowley’s Bloom True painting class. Above is a peek at one of her amazing paintings. It was fascinating to watch her demos and see her magical art come to life before our eyes.
Here’s a shot of my two paintings in progress, but since we only had a half-day class, that’s as far as they got. I had fun being playful AND I noticed in this class especially how much I struggled with process versus product. We started off being very intuitive and free-form but as we started to hone in on where we wanted to take the painting, my inner critic kicked in big time. It was a good reminder to let go and pay attention to where the aliveness is rather than what I think looks good or is the “right” thing. I certainly had fun with blue!
There’s so much more goodness from the weekend. I’ll share a bit more tomorrow. Until then, check out the links to more Squammies’ posts here – you’re sure to be inspired!
(Painting of my dog Emmett by my 12-year old nephew Matthew Lee)
This afternoon I hosted book club at my house (we’re on year eight!) and we enjoyed a lovely lunch in my backyard. I always enjoy catching up with my friends and indulging in yummy food. My pick this round was The Art of Racing in the Rain. This endearing tale is narrated by a dog named Enzo and I found the book to be surprisingly spiritual. I chose it because I couldn’t resist the cute little video of Enzo the dog on the Amazon page. I’m a total sucker for dog stories. I remember crying in my sixth grade classroom as our teacher read us Where the Red Fern Grows.
For my birthday earlier this month, my brother got me the movie Hachi. He had seen it on a plane and had a feeling I’d enjoy it as much as he did (and he’s not even really a dog person). The story is so touching that I went through a whole lotta tissue watching this one and even woke up with puffy eyes!
And the other day I watched this episode of Underdog to Wonderdog about an amazing dog named Faith. I got teary within the first few minutes of watching this heartwarming pup.
Like I said, I’m a total sucker for dog stories.
Dogs give such unconditional love and are so present. They teach us how to be better human beings (check out Eckhart Tolle’s Guardians of Being for simple, inspiring reminders from our four-legged friends).
My pup Emmett is getting on in years, which made reading Enzo’s story that much more tender for me. But of course, Emmett has no idea how old he is! In fact, he got himself into trouble tonight by breaking yet another plate that fell from the counter as he tried to lick it. Guess he wanted to enjoy some of the delicious book club leftovers, too!
