< Previoust first I was completely surprised at myself when I found myself saying “yes” to joining them but I have long learned to do the thing that surprises me. You see, I am an artist and a trained art therapist. AMy work at present is to open others up to their innate creativity and power, especially those who are surprised to find they have it. So, for the past four years, I have been opening workshops for people to discover their ability to consciously create their life. Using simple art materials as small children do, play dough, pastels and tempera paint, we can play our way into our imaginal world and tap into a whole other dimension within us which brings forward a wisdom and guidance for growth that our linear logical brain can not quite match. Scurrently sharing with others in my work? It's clear that I needed to receive these lessons for myself now. It's no big secret that what we teach is the very thing we are longing to learn for ourselves. But the other big secret to me was that in helping others to discover their creative mojo I was subconsciously staying in the shadows and not putting my unique colours and creations into the light. I have become a shadow artist. What a surprise to discover this, though I sensed it for a long time, to have it spelled out in black and white is quite another thing. It's time for me to get my art out of my studio and into spaces where others can experience them. I paid close attention to this discovery and as a result I have a show lined up in a few months time and have found other venues I am exploring in the meantime. That was chapter one. There are 12 chapters and I know there are many more lessons for me to learn. I will be heading out of the shadows with this journey I suspect, it's time, it's already written it seems, and so I follow the story line. owhat on earth was I doingjoining a group workingthrough a book that alreadyaligns with everything I amThis inner voice is so constant and so kind, always urging us along and yet we tend to over-schedule our days and hurry-scurry around like hamsters caught on a wheel that we don't even realize it's benevolence and guidance.Yet, the moment we quiet into ourselves and pause to breathe in the day it rings through our thoughts and tugs at our heart to show us the way to unfold a deeper part of us that we are currently denying. That is why we are so surprised. In all our doing we forgot that we are beings and that we each have unique ways of being that light us up (and in turn light the world up) that must be activated for us to really feel alive. Yet, the moment we quiet into ourselves and pause to breathe in the day it rings through our thoughts and tugs at our heart to show us the way to unfold a deeper part of us that we are currently denying. That is why we are so surprised. In all our doing we forgot that we are beings and that we each have unique ways of being that light us up (and in turn light the world up) that must be activated for us to really feel alive. hat is it that is tucked inside of you that longs to be expressed?WWhat is your unique way of being that truly lights you up and brings something this world so desperately needs to the light of day, especially now in this era of sameness. How do we find this special one-of-a- kind treasure within? Where do we begin the journey to discovering what makes us really shine? Well, it's simple really, we begin within. We take the steps towardswhat surprises us and gets us curious and maybe even scares us a little. We trust our inner voice that nudges us toward the things that our logical mind would say “no, I've never done that before” or “I don't have the time for that anymore” and we go towards anything that is pulling and tugging at our heart. In the same way we see a little child tugging at her father's arm to get him to notice that toy she is eyeing on the very top shelf. Let yourself feel that tug, really feel into it. Sit with that yearning feeling and let it fully in. Allow yourself to be surprised. IThe deliciousness of it and the way it throws everything upside down so that nothing is seen quite the same. Sink yourself fully into surprises when they arise in your path and go towards those impulses. The more you do, the more opportunities you will notice arise for you to discoversomething completely new and in turn, grow more into the authentic and lit up version of you. The world needs this now more than ever. More than that, you will live your life in a way that you always dreamed of and that is something that very few choose to do. mean really, how often, in our “oh so important” adult world do we let ourselves feel fully into a moment of surprise?PERMISSION TO CREATEBy Estelle Williams BIf we had positive experiences as kids and were encouraged in our creative efforts, then likely we have a positive regard for our creative skills and a willingness to explore. But for some of us, critical comments about our budding artistic talents may have shut us down in this area of skill, leading to us either convincing ourselves that, although we love todabble in paints, or sing or dance, we really are wasting our time. Which then causes us pain, or else declaring that we have no talent - completely forgetting that what we once enjoyed as children was ever a source of joy to us. Many of us wait until much later in life to see if we can find and nurture what is left of that little creative seed. While we can take our art back up earlier in life, whenever we do, it's a good thing – we are never too old to create something of value, even if it is only for ourselves. So where to start? y the time we're adults, we have a clear idea of whether we consider ourselves creative or not. Here are five tips to help you rekindle that creative spark from within and bring yourself back to a sense of purpose, value and joy.Remember what it was that you loved to do as a child. 1Did you love to sing and now secretly envy those who are living their dream in the current season of The Voice? Or did you love to draw animals (as I once did) spending hours lying on the floor with charcoals and coloured pencils as you brought your creations to life? There is a clue there in what your emerging talents were as a child, so start there. (You can choose anything that interests you now however, so you don’t have to stick with one thing.)get a journal and start to write out your thoughts.Write down your hopes, dreams, triumphs and self- criticisms and events as they occur in your life. Stick to a daily schedule of writing, even if it’s only for 5 minutes. Use a pen that flows and feels good under your hand. 2Regardless of the creative activity you’d love to engage in, 3Give yourself permission to suck. Get rid of the judge in your head who would stop you before you begin – remember even Rembrandt was a child once and probably produced stick figures as a three year-old! There is magic in beginning something and allowing yourself to create whatever comes out of your soul. Put the logical brain to sleep for a while and get on with it. 4Be curious Pay attention to what interests you and find out everything you can about it. Google is your friend – discover the world that is hiding behind what lights you up. Ask ‘Why?’ a lot and spend a whole day refusing to make a judgement about anything. After all, you don’t know what you don’t know so get curious as to what else is possible. 5Keep going. And keep going, paying attention to your feelings and emotions about what you learn and what you create. Follow these five tips for a month, then compare your creations at the end with what you started with at the beginning. If you persist, and don’t judge yourself, you will notice a definite improvement. You will also notice that you are following a completely different track than when you started this process – you have been working on freeing up your mind and when you start to stretch your boundaries (the most tenacious boundaries are those in your mind) then your world cannot help but expand. Next >