Happy New Year

The end of 2011 is a few hours away and by most counts, reviewing the year has been interesting but 2012 is decidedly something to look forward to.
Most of us will be out partying at some point between now and the next few hours to bring in the new year with a bang. However, it is always worth taking advantage of the energy the beginning of any new journey elicits.
In a quieter moment, take some time to look over the good and bad bits of the last 12 months. Give thanks to the lessons learned and various growth periods that came disguised as testing times. Be grateful for the times when you had peace and bliss and allow those memories to revisit to give you pleasure.
Most of all, remember that the next 12 months for 2012 can hold as much joy or misery as you choose in each moment. It is essentially up to you to stay present in each moment and make the most of it, whatever it is.
Planning, setting goals or winging it, whichever way appeals to you for the next while, just go with it. We're going into a period of new beginnings I reckon, and whether they're good or bad are going to be largely down to how we perceive things and how we choose to act.
It sure as hell won't be a boring year, that much feels certain! :)

Creativity and the power of a belief

This article was found via facebook, and I am simply so in love with this breath of fresh air approach to creativity that it had to go on the blog.

The notion that people are born with talent has often irked me when it comes to art. I have seen clients suffering as a result of disconnecting with their art or creative side simply because they didn't produce a body of work worth noting. The early stages of not being encouraged to simply keep with it led to them discounting their creativity due to 'not being talented'.

It's a crippling form of a belief and it can throw people off for years and stop them from engaging in any form of creativity, thus self realising a belief of a negative nature.

What I really love about this article is the simple approach of recognising that anything you put time and effort into WILL enable you to improve upon that skill. An example of the article is below but please go to - http://www.creativitypost.com/create/twelve_things_you_were_not_taught_in_school_about_creative_thinking

" You are creative. The artist is not a special person, each one of us is a special kind of artist. Every one of us is born a creative, spontaneous thinker. The only difference between people who are creative and people who are not is a simple belief. Creative people believe they are creative.
People who believe they are not creative, are not. Once you have a particular identity and set of beliefs about yourself, you become interested in seeking out the skills needed to express your identity and beliefs. This is why people who believe they are creative become creative. If you believe you are not creative, then there is no need to learn how to become creative and you don't.
The reality is that believing you are not creative excuses you from trying or attempting anything new. When someone tells you that they are not creative, you are talking to someone who has no interest and will make no effort to be a creative thinker."

Being brave enough to walk your own path

(Image by Stephen Mooney - http://halfpastdanger.blogspot.com/2011/09/oh-heavens-no-it-has-to-be-terror-sweat.html)
Found this lovely link via a tweet today, and it really does resonate strongly with me. Even more so at this point in time, when I see so many unhappy people doing jobs they're not satisfied with. They have a yearning to do work that is true to their soul and that calls to them.
It isn't an easy call to answer, but those that do, despite the many, many challenges they face along the way (aside from the obvious financial challenge) find a sense of wholeness from it and find it deeply satisfying.
So to see a well established artist that I admire, being open and honest about the fears of freelancing after a great success rate in his career spanning over 10years so far, is heartening. It's heartening because feeling these fears is healthy, normal and felt by your peers. Healthy because anything that pushes you outside your comfort zone means you're growing and evolving. Normal because no matter what your journey or calling in this life, you are not alone in facing your gremlins.
This is after all, another great example of a personal gremlin...and they come in all shapes and sizes! It's good to know that despite it being there, overcoming resistance and conformity is possible.

Holistic and Craft Fair 25th Sept 2011

It isn't often that you get a mix of events that are relevant, so news of this event reached me and I'm interested!
It approaches therapy and craft as both expressions of holistic healing, and the aim is to promote them to assist with people finding answers to their life by their own means.
Definitely worth checking out and it is Family Friendly and FREE! :)

HOLISTIC & CRAFT SHOW
BRACKEN COURT HOTEL
25TH SEPTEMBER, 2011
12 NOON - 6PM
FREE ADMISSION TO PUBLIC
RAFFLE PROCEEDS TO LOCAL CHARITY

SPECIAL GUEST
PATRICIA BUCKLEY
AUTHOR "MY JOURNEY WITH THE ANGELS"
PATRICIA WILL BE SIGNING HER BOOK ON THE DAY!
AT THE EVENT PUBLIC WILL EXPERIENCE:
Complimentary Therapies at reduced rates
Handmade Crafts on sale
Wellbeing Products & Stands
FREE Information Talks on Therapies etc
FREE Kid's Craft Corner

Free Interactive Demonstrations with Tai Chi & Sacred Circle Dance!

ALL proceeds of Raffle will be donated to Charity
Balbriggan Cancer Support
St. Francis Hospice Raheny

If you are interested in being an exhibitor, you can download Application Form and pay for stand on www.spiritualrays.com.

Letting your Heart look after you

A small passage from a book I'm reading really got me recently so I had to share (taken from The Opening of the Way A practical guide to the wisdom teachings of Egypt, Isha Schwaller de Lubicz 1979):

The kingdom of the heart, including its channels of distribution in the blood vessels, covers the full extent of any living being both in time and space. The heart is engaged in the mysterious work of holding the whole organism in balance, which is more than a matter of blood vessels and changing pressures. To correct the effects of injury or disequilibrium it has remarkable methods of compensation justified by thousands of years of experience. This Wisdom of the Heart has come to us by heredity, as a quality of our species. The heart possesses an ability to repair damage affecting itself without for one moment interrupting the flow of energy it provides. Thus it is rightly a symbol of unfailing generosity. In the practice of cardiology we have had to recognize that the hearts power to maintain life is almost unlimited, so long as it is allowed to use its own methods and has unrestricted access to its natural resources. (Here the author makes a reservation regarding embolism of the pulmonary artery, when the heart fails because the task is practically impossible).
Only too frequently, however, the unfortunate interventions of the psyche, especially in the form of anxiety, turn the course of events into catastrophe. A strong heart, very little damaged, ahs often been known to fail in a few hours under the influence of acute anxiety.
One emotional storm can demolish completely the marvelous structure of homoestatic defenses which, with the Wisdom of the Heart, has come down to us from the depths of time.*

* Dr. Godel, L'Experience liberatrice (Paris: Gallimard, 1952)

Zen and what is it

Zen - by Tommie Kelly Visit: www.tommiekelly.com for more art
Tommie Kelly went all zen this week on the www.irishcomicnews.com website. It was in fact, an inspired moment of truth and clarity if I'm to be honest, and sums up the highs and lows of a journey in any creative field. It could be said that the last couple of years have sparked a 'knowing your own truth' journey for a lot of people on the planet. Connecting with your creative truth is a big part of that journey.
People often say that artistic skills are 'talent' and people are born with it. Well I firmly believe this isn't the case. It is something you can learn, and like other skills, sometimes there can be more of an affinity with a particular pursuit than another...but without applying time, energy and focus on it then it would simply cease to be a well honed skill.
It can be easy to become disheartened during the down times of the cycles that occur with creativity and any other part of your life for that matter. There is however, one truth that remains - this too shall pass. Not going to go all holy here, but this just about sums up any bad patch or low energy or uninspired spell you find yourself going through.
Everything has cycles, stick it out long enough and you might start to see patterns forming! When that happens it can be reassuring and also invaluable as a way to find the door out. :)

Gremlins

Hmmm...the word gremlin conjures up an image of soft fluffy 'Gizmo' type beings who tend to cause mischief but are all warm and fuzzy. The thing about gremlins, from a coaching perspective, is that they come in all shape,sizes and forms, and can either stand out in full monster form or work side by side with you pretending to be helpful.
Over the years clients have revealed so many types it can honestly be said they're completely unique to the person. What really helps though is being able to acknowledge that you have a gremlin, and that naming it can be the first step to helping you deal with it.
I'm not sure you can ever tame a gremlin, but you can sure keep it in check. Personally however, I've recently encountered a new form of gremlin. It's the one that knows you so well, that it isn't even visible to you most of the time. It's subtle, pretends to be friendly and helpful but has an extremely well thought out long range plan involving self sabbotage.
I didn't even know there was a gremlin at work until a long conversation with a friend revealed it! It was the subtle approach to this sabbotage plan that really shocked me and made me realise it was a gremlin in another disguise. It was working from a long distance range of about 4 weeks, allowing for unrealistic goals to be set so that the continuous fail would lead to just throwing the towel in and quitting under the guise that I had given it my best shot.
It woke me up, thats for sure, and it put me on alert as upping the game is the gremlins next form of subtle attack! I could at least take charge again, for now, until the next move could be made by the gremlin.
At this point I would like to make people aware that even though the gremlin is talked about as a separate entity, the reality is that you are simply fighting with an aspect of yourself. Externalising this into a form known as the gremlin can assist with removing the power attached to that aspect of you.

So how do you know when your gremlin is present, especially when it doesn't follow normal patterns?
Maybe keep some questions about to double check whether your gremlin is out of the bag. If you're doing something new, moving out of your comfort zone, taking a new approach to living or simply wanting to change, answer the questions when you find yourself encountering even a slight amount of resistance or indifference:
What type of tone of voice are you hearing?
What is important to you right now?
What is happening when you move to take action on that important thing in your life?
What phrases are recurring in your language to prevent you from taking action?

The tone of voice is a good one to note, simply because it can be a gently dismissive tone, one that makes little of what you are about to do or change. Getting focused on what is important to you, reconnects you to your higher self and the good energy in relation to what you are about to do. Distractions from that or changing the focus will have a different tone in comparison.
When you are about to take action to change, the resistance can become stronger, the questions beginning with 'why...' can come into play and all of a sudden your internal dialogue can switch in the most subtle of ways. Wake up to it, become more conscious of it. Finally, the phrases that revert to doubting your ability, your strengths and aim to get you to do nothing, are good little tell tale signs.

SO WHAT TO DO?...
If you click on the image you will see what appears to be a particularly ugly gremlin in the middle of a page! What is brilliant about this image however, is the mindmap on the process of how to notice the gremlin and how to explore ways of moving on from it. Becoming aware of it is the first step to making it take a back seat!
Go through the mindmap and then take out a sheet of paper and do your own. Map down everything, from the tell tale questions and doubts to the emotions that creep in and then write down what you'd like to do to move through it. It's an excellent exercise, worth taking the time out to do and as I mentioned, it really helps you to discover all the ugly faces your gremlin puts forward to set you up for a fall! Most importantly, accept that it's all part of the journey and avoid the harsh 'I should've known!!' statements on yourself. Just accept, adjust, learn and move on. :)

Irish Comic News website

Isn't it great when a gap in the market is filled with something relevant and much needed? Well I'm happy to say that this happened recently, and has been a long overdue task for someone to take on. In retrospect though, it is similar to the phenomenon that Malcolm Gladwell mentions in The Tipping Point. You get to a moment where the push for the need creates a service or provider.
In this case, it was a need for a one point of contact for information on creativity in comics in Ireland. The scene has been active for a long time, and although the community of comic creators, artists and writers would get together for the small festivals or conventions each year, it just wasn't enough. There are a variety of conventions, fairs and festivals on during the year, that just don't get talked about enough. They don't get on the radar of the general public, and most of the time the general public like to go to something alternative.
So now, there is a central site telling the world about comics...from Ireland. It gives details on events, the people in the industry who slavishly create wonderful independent comics and works of art, along with those who are currently carving out a career within big names such as Marvel.
So go visit http://www.irishcomicnews.com and find out something new about the country that isn't about the banks or recession! :)

Good vibes

It is always great to have an opportunity to meet new people, especially if they share the same interests and have gathered together for a festival on it. The 2D Festival in Derry, is always looked forward to for this very reason. It is possibly one of the most relaxed and well run events I've had the pleasure of attending, and the focus is very much on promoting creativity with children.
This was the 5th year of 2D, and each year it simply gets better. There are more workshops and panels and talks, all promoting comics and exploring artistic forms of expression. It is such a beautiful and nurturing environment for young adults and kids that it really is going to be a watch and see what talents emerge in years to come. Comics are celebrated, the process of creating is explored and the professionals give their time, view points and expertise on it all in the friendliest way possible.
I'm happy to say that every year I go, it is like a reset button for inspiration for me. This year is no exception. Last year was a wonderful chance to meet not only various artists excelling in their field, but editors with vast amounts of experience. This year I got to meet someone who exuded a zen like quality from being so comfortable in their craft. An energy like that stands out, and it stays with you.
Having had a chance to think on it, the reflection arrived at a simple conclusion. Master your craft, whatever it might be. Simply give it your attention, make the effort and commit to it fully. By connecting yourself in this way you give yourself the chance to begin to align with your true self...and the zen can only follow.

Life of Non-Conformity - Interview with Tommie Kelly

This took me a while to get sorted, mostly because the blog took on a new direction and the original interview went missing. BUT!...Tommie, a local comic artist from Louth, kindly took some time out to be interviewed again. I hope you enjoy it and find this interview as honest, liberating and refreshingly real as I did. For more info on Tommie Kelly,(RoadCrew, Down) please visit his website and buy his comic - http://www.tommiekelly.com

• How does creativity contribute to your life?
Everything that I have done has in some way being connected to creativity. From music to art, writing to teaching it's all part of creativity. I don't think there is anyone alive who doesn't touch on creativity at some stage every day.
But there is also a huge downside to creativity, its that I have nowhere near enough time to actually do, make or perform all the ideas I have.

What is your definition of conformity?
Doing something because other people or the majority think it's the right or proper thing to do.

• How have you conformed over the years?
We conform every single day. From standing in line at a shop, to driving on the correct side of the road. Conformity is a necessity for a well behaved and controlled population. Creatively, I have conformed through collaborations, where you give up a part of your creative idea for someone elses. Say writing a song with someone, it never evolves into a song that either person would write. Sometimes that's a good thing, most times it isn't.
I am not a huge fan of working with other people and I am becoming less and less interested in it as I get older. I have very definite ideas about what I want to accomplish with my art and working with other people pollutes that and drains me.
BUT, some people thrive on collaboration, so to each his own. Having said that If I am doing a commission for someone it's a completely different ball game. In that scenario, I turn my ego off complete and just try to make the exact thing that is in the person who is paying me's head.


• What type of work were you in from your early teens?
I spent more than ten years in the music industry from being a singer, guitarist to a sound engineer. I wanted to be a successful musician and put all my heart and soul into it. In the end the only money I could make in the music biz was by doing roadie and sound engineering, which I was very good at but which I hated. By the end of my time with all that I couldn't listen to music anymore. It took me well over a year before music became anyway pleasurable again.

• How does that differ to the work you do now?
I hated it, but I got paid for it. I love what i do now.

• Were there any signs, subtle or obvious, during your normal period of work or non-work that indicated that this way of life wasn’t for you?
Haha, yes. Massive depression, suicidal thoughts and total despair. :)


• Was there a time when you were not creative in any capacity?
During my sound engineer times. I became a complete automaton, the job was so easy that the only time it got exciting is when something went horrible wrong.

• What made you decide to follow your current career?
Honest answer is that I had a nervous breakdown of sorts, due to a number of events in my life and I had to try to find out what I wanted to do and be again. This was in my late twenties. I felt I was happiest when I was drawing as a child and I tried drawing again to see if I like it still. It turned out I did, I loved it. I hadn't actually drawn a thing since I left school, so it took me awhile to get back into the swing of it.

• What type of resistance/obstacles did you encounter when moving into a creative career?
It was mostly the money thing. Unless you're really lucky, being in a creative career is going to leave you quite poor for awhile until you find your feet. Well, in my experience of it anyhow. I never really cared what other people thought of me so any resistance from friends or family didn't make an impact on me.

• How did you overcome it/them?
Worked hard every day, learned something new every day and never gave up.

• What type of support network did you have to encourage you?
I think twitter is a fantastic network for artists. It's like working in one big huge art studio. We also have semi regular meet up in the Irish comic world.

• Do you think location is important to your art and lifestyle? If yes, how so?
Less and less so because of the Internet. But Living in America would make it way, way easier to get to the bigger comic cons and such. But with the net the world has become very small.

• How important are goals to you and how do you set them?
I think goals are very important, but they must be realistic goals. I mean there is no point setting goals that you have no control over. I used to set myself huge goals, but when they didn't come true, even when I followed through with total commitment and passion, it made me sad and defeated.
So I think the key is setting small attainable, believable goals that you can work on while you have an overall HUGE goal of where you want to be.


• How do you stay focused in your current career?
I just get up every morning and do what I have to do that day. I am very thankful for being able to do what I do and I make sure I acknowledge that to myself as often as possible.

• What has been your biggest fear to date and how have you overcome it?
Having to go back to doing something I hate just to support myself.

• Is there a person that inspired you to live a life of non-conformity?
Loads of people, different artist, different musicians. My cousin was a huge influence on me when I was younger. It was him who gave me my love for comics.

• What qualities/values do you possess, that assist you in your creative journey in life?
I'm not sure. I don't know how to answer that question..

• What was it like to receive your first payment for your work?
I don't remember feeling it was like a huge victory or anything. I WAS constantly in debt, so as soon as I got it I gave it away.

• What keeps you going in this life of non-conformity?
Who knows. Maybe I like punishing myself :)
It's a need I have. i can't be anything else, even when I try.

Finding your mojo again

It is a funny thing how as we get older, we tend to let life and its stresses overcome us and distract us from the very activities that keep us sane. As we gain balance and return to some sense of normality, we continue on our journey and don't seem to pick up our sanity buffers again. We either just forget about them and then one day we start listening to some music we haven't heard for a while, and wonder when did we decide to stop listening to this in the first place?
I've had a few moments like these over the years. Slowly, I'm learning to pick up my sanity buffers again and retain them this time. I don't recall giving myself permission to dump them in favour of stress, but yet I know it happened along the way. What is lovely however, is rediscovering the joy of why you liked doing something in the first place.
While on facebook I noticed this great link to 'finding your voice again' by Tara Sophia Mohr. It echoes what has sometimes occurred in my own life, in relation to art, and is worth reading. It's good to question your mindset and give yourself a chance to reset it if you find it isn't working for you. Finding your mojo again is part of living a happy life.
LINK - http://taramohr.com/2011/01/getting-your-voice-back/

Getting in the right frame of mind

It's Monday. Most people associate the day Monday with going back work, school, beginning a tough week...generally it is quite negative. I woke up thinking 'another week' and then thought, 'what if this week was fantastic?'. Not a common thought I know, but what if? What if this was the most amazing week and it turned out Monday became the best day ever?
How could I repeat it if Monday suddenly became associated with the opportunity to have a great week? Perhaps by just waking up and considering the first thought that came into my head, I could alter the whole perspective process on this day. So today is an experiment. It is Monday. I'm thinking positively and resisting the urge to say 'urgh, Monday' and going with the 'great! Monday!' vibe instead. Let's see what happens! : )

Do you see things clearly?

Check out the link and see what you think about it. Isn't it funny how many times perception comes up when dealing with coaching? Life really is about how you perceive things to be. You create your own reality and continue to see what you what to see, what you put your attention on.
Is it any surprise then when you step outside for a moment to see the bigger picture, that you end up with an 'AH HA!' moment? It is easy for life to get in on us and blur our vision to the point where we can't see what is really in front of us. Some days it is crystal clear, and in those moments of clarity life is wonderful. With conscious effort though, taking the time to see the full picture as much as possible would help those sweet moments of clarity become more frequent. Helpful reminders in the link attached, at least remind you that it's easy to sleepwalk! : )

Happiness is Contagious

www.imcontagious.com
This little site came to my attention recently via a link sent by a friend. The original link was focusing on how the media have a strong tendancy to lean on the side of fear when reporting the news. This is evident in the curious answer of a news reporter to a question about when was the last time a story of hope similar to the Chilian miners had so much coverage. His response was, Apollo 13...back in the 1970s.
It is a curious thing that often good news isn't reported. It tends to be more about what jobs are going down the shoot and then kind of leaps on from there. Imagine how much more energy you could generate for yourself by hearing some news that focused on hope and happiness?
Either way, one daily thought on a happy note might be a good place to start! :)

Being an Artist

Born like an Artist - by a Norwegian artist called IdaEva (Jellyvampire.deviantart.com)

A rare little jem of a comic, which simply, beautifully and gently embraces the ups and downs of realising your artistic mind. Creativity is a wonderful thing, and all too often we either suppress it or ignore it or try to fit it into a shape that simply doesn't work.
Visit the link to give your soul a rest and enjoy! : )

Poetic approach to changing habits

I came across this beautiful little story/poem on a site recently and had to share.

There’s A Hole In My Sidewalk

(Autobiography in Five Chapters)
By Portia Nelson
(1) I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in.
I am lost ... I am hopeless.
It isn't my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.

(2) I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don't see it.
I fall in again.
I can't believe I'm in the same place.
But it isn't my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.

(3) I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.
I still fall in ... it's a habit.
My eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.

(4) I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.

(5) I walk down another street.

Life happens when you're busy making plans

It's been January since I last blogged on this spot. I had a number of amazing plans for the site, for the blog and for advertising my business. In fact, the year was planned for great things, ranging from really pushing my coaching to branching out and learning new skills and developing existing ones.
The sky, so to speak, was the limit.
Then a close family member became ill. They'd been ill for some time, but were managing to get through their routines, their life and their daily existence with a good sense of gusto. In January it just went rapidly downhill. February, they finally passed away to a new journey and hopefully new adventure.
In the blink of an eye all the lovely plans just became null and void. Life and family became the focus. There was no room for business, no room for hobbies and no room for plans. The future was put on hold. It was simply a case of living day to day with doing the best you can and dealing with the various emotions creeping up from grief.
On top of all this, suddenly living arrangements changed. A move of house was on the cards, an unplanned move. The energy hadn't fully returned and this now demanded a lot of attention and time. Throw in a husband studying an intensive course while just having changed jobs and you can see the stress levels were pretty high!
It is now the end of April, and I'm amazed how for nearly four months, I've managed to cope. Things become sharper, they become clear in terms of what is important and what isn't. In a way that clarity removes a lot of drama, excess baggage and uneccessary things that you might have ordinarily put up with.
The last while has been a roller coaster of emotions and feelings to say the least, but only now can I begin to see that the journey has developed my character. It's nice to see a clearer glade ahead where I can relax and gather my energy again and find out how this new character development fits into the bigger picture of who I am.
Sure I want to have plans, I want to plan ahead in some way and have a focus and direction. I just don't want it to be so misguided that the important things get overlooked and only focused upon when a death occurs or someones ill. I want to enjoy life, enjoy planning and just roll with it all. I'm going to start by taking a walk on the beach while the sun is still out...we'll see how the rest of it goes! : )

Review January...isn't that a good idea?

January is often considered one of the most difficult months. It is the longest month between paycheques, and often the coldest. It doesn’t exactly inspire many and when you make resolutions that you don’t stick to, it can have a detrimental effect on your self esteem and willpower.
So what can you learn about yourself and your habits from the last 31 days?
Let’s divide it into 4 different categories to help you learn more about yourself.
FINANCES SUPPORT WELLBEING COMFORT ZONE

Taking each category separately, answer the series of questions below to assist you to find out how you used your TIME AND ENERGY, for the month of January. The questions below will be often repeated over the next year, as a way to offer some focus.
Finances:
• How did you manage your finances over the last number of weeks?
• In what areas did you find your finances taking the biggest hit?
• How can you reduce this hit for the next month?
• What do you like or dislike about money?
Wellbeing:
• How often did you exercise or get out and about for the month?
• What type of foods gave you energy and what took away your energy?
• What type of interactions with others gave you a boost?
• When did you find yourself lacking in enthusiasm and will power?
Support:
• How do you define support?
• What type of support do you give to yourself?
• Where does your time go every day?
• If you had a team of supporters for the day, how would you use them?
Comfort zone:
• What challenges did you encounter during January?
• Can you outline any type of stress you dealt with this month?
• How was your most productive day spent during January?
• Where or When, did you find yourself out of your depth?
So, going into February, is there anything from your answers that might help you towards making it a better month?
If you can look back on 2011 as the year you broke some old patterns and bad habits, wouldn’t that be a successful year! Let’s aim to get each month working for you to make better use of the time and the energy that is currently available. Get to know yourself, be honest with your answers each month and trust in your ability to change.