Ashley, Author at Empowered Cardology

Jun 18 2015

How To Get Started With A Creative Routine – Step 2

This is step 2 of my 7 steps in getting started with a creative routine. You can find step 1 here.

The Inner Game for step 2:

Begin with a Mission Statement

OK, before you freak out, don’t worry – this won’t be a polished, ready to display mission statement.

This one will be for your eyes only and will set an energy of purpose for you. And it is very easy to create!

One of the first things I do with my private clients is ask them what they want their art to give.

It is surprising how many artists never think about this. They have stories to tell or poems and visuals to share, but they don’t know why they want to share it.

Some think their work has to teach or be revolutionary in some way in order to give.

While it can be revolutionary, or teach, or inspire…it doesn’t have to do that to give.

So, what exactly do I mean by give?

The act of creativity is how we, as humans, operate and live. It is our life force. We cannot survive in a stuck, static, non-creative state. Creativity is the energy of the Universe. It is constantly moving us forward. It gives, provides and expands. Bottom line, life is always in a state of giving and receiving. We take in information, ideas, sensual data and food, so we can give through our work, our ideas and our energy.

No matter what it is that you wish to create, when you expose it to others, you are giving – an idea, an energy, a message, a state of mind, a feeling.

Even when we can’t articulate or completely understand exactly what in us changes because of something we get from a work of art, we still get something. It affects us.

Your work will have an effect.

When you know what that effect is, you empower yourself as a creative and you empower your work.

That is powerful energy that will propel you forward!!

How do you know what your work gives?

The easiest way to answer this is to ask yourself: What does my work give me?

Why do you do it? What turns you on about it? Why do you love creating what you create?

When I wrote paranormal, I got into exploring the mysterious and mystical. I explored the topics of power, relationships and home. It gave me hope and a sense of magic about life.

When I was creating multi-media abstracts, I was also exploring the mysterious and unknown.

My functional art was about the magical parts of life and lifting our energetic state.

When I played with paisley designs, I loved evoking play and whimsy.

Can you see a theme?

My art gave me a glimpse into the magical and mystical aspects of life.

That is what my art gave.

If you are just starting out, you might not see a theme or fully recognize what your work gives you. You might still be exploring.

But, I guarantee there is something that intrigues you and calls to you….a sense of something that you need to explore and play with. Whatever that is – is what you will use to create your mission statement. If it changes down the road, that is OK.

But for now, you’re going to write a very simple statement and put it where you can see it.

Pick the one below that resonates with you and fill in the blank:

When I get excited about creating something and I want to make art, I start thinking about (fill in the blank)

When I start feeling (fill in the blank), I want to create art.

You can even make a statement that says:

When I think about having my own business, I get excited about (fill in the blank).

Remember, this isn’t a polished statement that will be in your bio, this is just for you, for now.

The reason it is so important to have this when you are getting started, is that it becomes a target for your focus. It is just like training your brain. It spurs your creativity because your brain knows to look for that topic/feeling and bring it to you.

It helps you be authentic and true to your gift.

It keeps you out of that space of thinking you have to create whatever the fad is at the moment.

It allows you to build a base of feelings and words that explain your art, so that when the time comes that you will create a polished artist statement, you won’t be at a loss.

The Outer Strategy:

Set up a Routine that is structured according to the Golden Triangle.

The rule of three – it works for design, writing, music, etc.

You can use it as a model for your creative routine as well –but in this case, there is a little twist.

We know the rule of three in regards to a beginning, a middle, and an end, or past, present, future, or introduction, body, conclusion.

The 3 is symbolized by the triangle and is considered the first perfect shape because it is the form that can be constructed by straight lines. In many cultures, the triangle is the symbol of the three-fold nature of Divinity: Father, Mother, Son; Osiris, Isis and Horus; Odin, Frey and Thor; Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma. It is the number of manifestation, as in the phrase, “Things happen in threes.”

Three represents creativity. The triangle is the geometric symbol of the focusing of creative energy.

Church steeples, pyramids, a dunce hat, a witch’s hat, a cone – all represent the gathering of creative energies prior to their release into manifestation.

You want your creative routine to allow a gathering of your creative energies, so it can manifest into form: a completed project, a book, a painting, etc.

What makes up creative energy?

Your Muse/Creative Spirit + Your starting point (Desire) + the line from here to there – where you are now to where you want to be. (end result)

You’re probably asking, what does this have to do with a creative routine? I want to know how to have a system, a schedule, a workable, productive structure so I can start, build momentum and finish successfully. Right?

Read that last sentence again: So I can start, build momentum and finish successfully.

There it is, that is your golden triangle!

In order to start, you have to have a desire, (that end result you thought about in Step 1.)

You need to allow yourself the time and space to imagine and dream. You need to always have this time and space somewhere in your life. It can be in the shower, while doing dishes, on walks or sitting quietly in the dark. It matters not where, or how, you just need to provide that time and space for yourself.

This MUST be in your creative schedule somewhere.

The other part of the Start is allowing your Muse to speak to you. This is why that space and time is so crucial. You need to be able to capture and collect the ideas, hits and feelings that will pop up for you.

Have something in place to capture your ideas:

A journal/notebook
Post-it notes
A bulletin board
Trello
Evernote
A white board or chalkboard

The next part of the triangle is to build momentum.

You have to be able to DO something with your ideas. Don’t wait until you have all the perfect pieces in place. Start with what you have an idea about.

Outline the idea for a story.
Get some info down about a character you see or sense.
Prime and ready a canvas.
Pull out the supplies you think you’ll need for an idea.
Open a new document and just start free flowing what comes to mind.

This begins your momentum. You can’t wait until it is all perfect in your head. You have to start and build the first few steps/layers even if it is vague and shitty.

This means you need the time/space to actually work. This part of the triangle is your action. One step leads to the next, but you’ll never get to the next step if the first one is never taken.

You build momentum by working at your craft every day.

Even if you’re just experimenting, or trying something new or just sketching out an idea, you need to make it a part of your daily routine.

The first layer of a visual lets you see what layers need to come next.

Writing down a simple outline for a story lets you see what you might need to research or figure out next.

If you don’t have a time/space set up in your day to DO something with your ideas, you’ll never move past ideas.

Workspaces come in all shapes, sizes and styles – make yours fit who you are!

Here is my Pinterest board with creative work space ideas.

The more inviting your space is (even if it’s a chair you sit in with a table top of things you love and a special candle), the more productive you’ll be. It needs to be a space honored by you – AND those you live with.

The third part of this triangle is to finish successfully.

I’m going to speak to a topic that is tossed back ansd forth among creatives.

We can be folks who have many projects going on at once. There is even a term for those who have a variety of passions – mulitpotentials.

I considered myself to be one and was trying to learn a new way to work as one.

I’ve always had numerous creative projects going on at once. I had three different novels “in progress” (before I realized my true love was in coaching and teaching.)

If you asked me what ONE change happened in my routine that helped me be more productive and successful, it would be this:

FINISH an idea before starting a new one.

Creative energy is powerful and can be overwhelming and make you feel scattered. That can lead to procrastination, indecision, starting many new projects, or feeling as if you don’t know how to do something.

If, instead, you take all of that energy and focus it on ONE thing, like directing the sun with a magnifying glass onto something, you can ignite fire. You can create something beyond what you thought was even possible.

This focus will allow the ideas, materials, knowledge, etc., to show up to help you get to the end – successfully.

You might make course changes along the way-that is fine and part of any creative project. The key is to not go off on a completely new direction because you feel stuck, overwhelmed or inundated with new ideas.

Capture new ideas and keep them for later.

Working through a period of feeling stuck is something I’ll talk about in a later post.

As simple as these 3 parts might seem, when you are set up to acknowledge and honor your desire, hear your muse, stay focused and build momentum to a finished product, you will have a container for you to work within that inspires and supports you.

As you work within this structure, you’ll see what steps you’ll need help, support or knowledge on between Start and Building Momentum and Successfully Finishing. You can start tweaking your structure and routine to make sure you stay on track.

Please join us in the Create The Leap Facebook Community as we discuss getting started. (and have fun talking together!)

Are you ready to kickstart your desire to be a professional creative and manifest the lifestyle you want with your work?

Click here to access the Free 8 Day eCourse and create your leap to a s a professional creative!

Jun 16 2015

How To Get Started With a Creative Routine – Step 1

Do you have a desire to get serious about your creative work? Want to take the first steps in going from a hobbyist to a professional creative?

This is the first post in a series on How to Get Started: The Inner Game and the Outer Strategies

I’d always loved writing and had notebooks full as a kid, but back in the early 90’s, I wanted to get serious about it. It wouldn’t leave me alone. I had story ideas and characters that were in my head talking to me all the time.

How does one get started?

This was pre-internet for me, so my start was slow and agonizing – the World Wide Web has made it so much easier!

In looking back, I can see where I got hung up and what took me so long that could’ve been avoided.

I’m sharing a series of posts that will help you get started if:

You want to stop just playing with your creativity and start taking it seriously.
You want to set up a routine and be consistent and see projects to the end (instead of living with piles of ideas).
You want to pursue the path of getting your work out there.
You yearn to be a professional creative and not just a hobbyist.

In everything I teach and do with my coaching clients, I always start with the inner game.

It will save you a LOT of time and headaches!

No matter what you want to start doing in your life, you have to have the inner stuff aligned in order for anything you do outwardly to be successful.

Each post will have an inner game changer and an outer strategy to get you set up and going.

Today’s post will be Step #1: Know the outcome you want.

When you think about getting serious about your work (whatever you do creatively), what is the end result you want?

Here is where you need to remove yourself from what everyone else is doing and take the time to imagine what YOU want.

If you’re a visual artist, how do you imagine your work being seen and felt?

Is it in others’ homes? In galleries? In local specialty shops and boutiques? In an online store? Is it custom work? Produced in quantity? Is it functional art? Décor? Inspirational?

You need to imagine and feel exactly what makes you giddy when you imagine the end results.

It is the same if you’re a writer. Where do you see your work once it is done?

Is it on bookstore shelves? Kindle? Are you reading at bookstores? Reading at schools? Is your book all tattered and stuffed into purses because it is a faithful companion? Is it written in and pulled out to thumb through frequently? Is it being read by women? Men? Teenagers? Seniors? Does it help relax and allow escape? Teach important life lessons? Does it inspire or entertain?

Get Specific.

Make notes as you think about the end results of your work. Keep an ongoing list of what comes to you.

TIP: There are NO rules. YOU decide. Don’t think about what looks the most profitable, or the easiest. Don’t let someone else tell you how it should be. This keeps you open to intuitive hits as well as using your creativity not only to create the work, but also for ways to share it!

When you can see and fully feel the outcome you want (and keep in mind, if this changes along the way – that is OK!), then your inner guidance and brain will get to work in helping this come about.

The outer strategy:

The next thing you want to do is to create a literal space that evokes the essence of your end result.

Depending on the type of work you do, you might need a desk or a table or just a chair to sit in as you work away on your laptop.

Regardless of what you need to use, you still want to evoke the right feelings that will become a trigger for you to get to work.

If you’re a dog owner, you probably have/do something that your dog recognizes as “time to go out or play.” You have a routine, a way that you go about getting ready to take your dog out that it is familiar with. You don’t even have to say anything.

In the same way, you need to train your brain to take your work seriously and get down to business. You need to prime the pump of your creativity, so that when you sit down to work, you are productive.

You do this by setting something up that evokes your senses in some way and gets you ready.

You can do this no matter where you are – even if your writing time is your commute to work each morning!

When I was a Swim Coach, I drove 45 minutes each way to work. It was on that drive that I would work on my plotting. I had a small recorder to talk into if I needed to. Technology makes it easy today, as we can talk into our cell phones to take notes.

Because that became my habit, as soon as I got onto the highway, my brain kicked into gear and I got into my story and ideas would flow.

Create a mood for your work.

I wrote paranormal stories, so I wanted to create a mood that represented that for me.

When I wrote at home, I lit candles, or played specific music or had a collage of images I put together in front of me. It put me in the mood. I could go from thinking about or doing something non related to my story, to being in the zone for creating, simply because I surrounded myself with certain sounds, scents or images.

When I was painting, I’d play recorded tapes of Abraham-Hicks. I’d get into a zone and work intuitively.

Some writers wear certain clothes, or put on a hat or robe or certain shoes. Some play a specific soundtrack, set up a specific snack to nibble on, or look at specific images where they’re writing.

Not only does this train your brain to get to work, but it sets the mood and gets you into that space for creating.

The most important thing to consider when setting up a space is to purposefully use that area, time or activity for your work. And to take it seriously. As long as you are still in that frame of mind of hobbyist, so are those around you, your brain, and the Universe.

YOU must take it seriously in order for others and all the unseen help available to you, to take it seriously.

Setting your “space” sets the energy and helps you get going.

TIP: Decide right now that you will no longer buy into the illusion of “there isn’t any time for me to create.”

YOU shape your time. We all have responsibilities, jobs, kids, pets, etc., that we have to deal with. The priorities get the time. When you get serious and decide to make the time, the time is there.

Please join us in the Create The Leap Facebook Community as we discuss getting started. (and have fun talking together!)

May 18 2015

Learn How to Use Mercury Retrograde to Expand Your Creativity

OMG, it’s Mercury Retrograde and I get to Say YAY!

Huh?

You heard me. NO more dread and looking over my shoulder waiting for something to crash, go haywire, or to feel bombarded or in need of a cave.

I want to share with you how to use every Mercury Retrograde as an opportunity ( and to look forward to it!!).

There are ways to use the 9 weeks a year as a way to heal, expand and evolve your creativity and your creative business!

There are benefits and you can use them to plan your Creative Year!

If you’re not focusing on planning, to-do lists and making major decisions for those retrograde weeks of the year, what can you do that is beneficial as a Creative?

In this challenge you’ll learn about 5 benefits to using Mercury retrograde for your Creative work. (and how to use them!)

merRx challenge

In this free 7 day Challenge, you will:

Identify your personal Mercury style and start using the MerRx to empower your creative work!
PLAN your Financial Goals during Mercury Retrogrades!
Use a Mercury Retrograde to open you to new perspectives and greater truths and how to use that to expand your creativity.
Use a Mercury Retrograde to expand and ensure the success of your Creative Business.
Learn how to use a Mercury Retrograde to tap into your intuition for answers.

Join the free YAY for Mercury Retrograde Challenge, and you’ll also be eligible for a several sweeeet prizes – all for free!

The actual event will begin on Monday, May 25^th and go to Sunday, May 31^st. We will be smack dab in the middle of this upcoming Mercury Retrograde! (OMG, do we dare!?!)

In this 7 day Mercury Retrograde Challenge, we’re going to look at it in a new way, while in the middle of it.

Plan to have a fun, relaxing and exploratory time during this retrograde.

This challenge will help you learn to USE it in a new way that can be very beneficial to your Creative work!

What I hope you get from this, besides a new perspective, is a way to use a MerRx as a time to expand, increase and super-charge your manifesting and creativity.

On Day 1 – You’re going to learn about your personal Mercury (how you think and communicate) tendencies and how retrogrades might affect you. No more freaked out feelings of dread – YOU get to say how it will go for you from now on! AND Discover How “Your” Mercury Can Reveal Your Demons or Diamonds and how to use it in your Creative work to empower you!

On Day 2 – Use the Mercury Retrogrades in each year to PLAN Your Financial Goals! (But, wait, we shouldn’t plan during a retrograde! Oh, sneaky me – I’ve got a juicy secret to show you!)

On day 3 – Learn How to Use a Mercury Retrograde to Open You To New Perspectives and Greater Truths and how to use that to expand your Creativity!

On day 4 – Learn How to use a Mercury Retrograde to Expand and Ensure the Success of your Creative Business

On Day 5 – Use a Mercury Retrograde to Tap into Your Intuition for Answers

On Day 6 & 7– You’ll use what you’ve learned to create some wonderful new work!

Ready to see Mercury Retrogrades in a new way and use it to awesomesize your creativity?

Be sure to join us for the free 7 day YAY For Mercury Retrograde Challenge.

All you need to do is sign up below and I’ll see you there!

*Once you hit the Submit button, be sure to check your email, as one will be coming to you from me – a “confirm subscription” email – maybe even check the Spam box. If you use Gmail, it will show up in your Promotions Tab. You can then move it to your Primary box so you won’t miss anything!

No Fields Found.

May 05 2015

How Using The Cards Changed My Life

I truly believe that when we are in need and we ask for help, we always get an answer.

We’re suddenly drawn to something and it leads us down a path that happens to hold what we need.

Let’s face it – I was a weird kid. I was very shy and always felt that I was in the wrong place – that I didn’t belong.

Add to that was the fact that I grew up on the Navajo reservation and was the only blonde, white girl in my class at school.

I bugged my parents by telling them my dreams each morning and I would gather up all of my Dad’s theology/Bible study books and study. Picture a 6 year old sitting out under a tree with piles of thick bible books all around her.

I had this intense desire to gather information about deep stuff. I also suffered from intense anxiety and depression as a small child. I still have a suicide note from when I was seven.

I’m not telling you this so you’ll feel sorry for me. It is merely to set the scene for what was a very long, lonely journey at trying to figure out who I was and why I felt as I did.

There was a point in my life where I knew I needed to start a spiritual journey that was mine-not what my parents thought best, not what I was raised to do, not what society saw as best, but my own personal journey. Because of my depression, I was searching for anything to help me out of the very dark pit I lived in.

I won’t go into the long story of that journey, but one thing led to another and I began studying my dreams, then creative journaling, the Runes, then the Tarot.

I discovered that metaphysics was my passion. I devoured all the various topics and was the constant seeker.

Studying Astrology and Numerology let me get a glimpse into my soul stats and it helped a lot.

But I noticed that I was very drawn to the deck of regular playing cards. I wasn’t sure why I found them so intriguing (I’m talking about beyond playing fun card games)

Fast forward many years and I had an online friend who ‘read’ playing cards. It was my first introduction to the art of reading them in the same way someone would read the tarot.

I began to study them by corresponding them to the tarot.

I found my first book about how we each have a birth card and something opened up for me. My study of Astrology and Numerology came together in the system of the cards.

Suddenly, so much made sense. When I looked at my Birth card, the 6♣, and added that to my Life path number 11….I understood why I thought I was so weird!

I won’t bore you with the deets of the core of me, but it all made sense. I could own who I was and see that the very deep, hidden desire I’d had since childhood about being a spiritual teacher was indeed who I am.

Another push of the fast forward button and at another very dark time in my life, I sequestered myself and decided to draw a single card each day and see what message it had for me. This began my work with using the cards to tap into what was really going on at a deeper, spiritual level. I created my own system and exercises to understand what I needed to let go of, heal and change in order to get through the dark space I was in and to create the life I really wanted.

My study of the cards went deeper and I made discoveries about myself that opened new paths, brought into my life new friends, information and opportunities that helped me out of that dark space.

This was prior to learning that we each have a spread of cards that changes on each birthday and is part of a very in-depth ancient system that acts as a guide, a roadmap, a pattern of energies that helps us navigate each year and make the best of it.

I began a new study – which I call Soulmancing – which is using the yearly forecast spread to navigate, plan and reach my goals. It helped me to understand why certain things were happening, to no longer feel like a victim and to benefit from what was going on.

It changed my life.

It helped me to understand why certain relationships in my life were as they were, why I felt certain challenges and how I could make what seemed like a disaster into something helpful and rewarding. It reduced my anxiety, gave me skills to combat confusing situations and allowed me to heal things I had been struggling with my whole life.

I no longer suffer from depression or anxiety and I’ve found my path, my purpose and I am genuinely happy!

Not a day goes by that I don’t refer to the cards in some way- by seeing what someone’s birth card is so I get a better understanding of them, to planning my next steps, or even as an inspirational prompt for my creative journaling.

They might seem so simple and insignificant since we all have used them at some point for games, but their history is fascinating and the layers and depth of wisdom within this system is truly amazing!

But the main thing that you gain when you use this system is to get a better understanding of who you are authentically.

This is the key to changing your life and feeling that you’re on the right path and that it has meaning and purpose.

Change always begins from the inside. Living a life with meaning and fulfillment starts when you live as YOU – authentically.

I’m still weird. I love the woo-woo stuff. But now I know that I DO belong and my weirdness is not a curse; I know why I went through the dark times. It has led me here to work I love, to living in a place I love and to knowing how to see life with new eyes.

May 04 2015

10 Reasons Why Having Your Own Business as a Creative Rocks!

Does the thought of running your own business scare you?

Has it held you back from starting a business with your creative work?

It shouldn’t.

Don’t ever let that be what stops you.

Here are 10 reasons why having your own business as a creative rocks!

Decide when you want to work. Creatives love to go with the flow. Inspiration hits at odd times and most love to work at those odd times. As the owner of your own business, you set your own work schedule! Want to work at 3am? Yes you can!
Your income has no limits or ceiling. You decide what you want to make and you are never caged in by the income ceiling of a regular job. The beautiful thing about this time in history is that we can expose our work around the world and within so many venues because of the internet. How can this happen? It begins with the inner shifts. You stop looking at what everyone else is (or isn’t ) doing and you get the inner game set for success. The opportunities are limitless!
Creative ideas turn into multiple streams of income. As a creative, you aren’t limited to just producing one type of work. Your talents can create multiple streams of income through a variety of ways within your specific genre, medium or topic.
You can travel and still be working! There are so many exciting things set up now for entrepreneurs who love to travel, such as office space/studio swaps and house-sitting gigs. You can travel, get inspired and still be working! (and getting paid via those multiple streams of income!)
You can enhance your craft and technique through online courses. Never before has it been so easy to take online courses for just about anything! They can be accessed at any time, day or night. This leaves you free to work when you want to work and still be learning something new.
Run and market your work, your way. If you’re a non-traditionalist (and most creatives are) you can run your business in a very intuitive/creative way and not worry one bit about what any other business owner (or artist) is doing. You get to run yours in a way that matches what you’re good at and love doing. This is covered in my Manifesting Your Creative Magic Program at length! We set up a system that is easy and NOT time consuming!
As a Creative, you get to re-invent yourself and your work as many times as you want! You don’t have to think about stopping at a certain age and retiring. You will have ideas upon ideas for new work and new ways of making money and because of that, you will stay younger and vibrant a lot longer!!
Fill the needs of future problems. As a creative, you probably get “hits” on ideas that might seem too far-fetched or not applicable right now. Right now being the keywords. You more easily tap into mass consciousness and can take one of those far-fetched ideas and begin putting it into form – then when the populace is ready, BAM! You are a genius/Inventor/Inspirational Seer with your new idea!
Your expression of life through your medium actually helps to create the future! What will you create for our world? What do you want to pass along to the next generation?
You can work through inspiration and your values. Not what some boss or manager wants you to do. You can experience the freedom that others only dream about. You get to be in the zone – that space where you’re lost in your creativity and you love it! That raises your vibrations. The more fun you’re having and the more you’re involved in your passion, the more money you’ll make. You’ll be happier, healthier and more vibrant, which will have people begging to buy your work!

Do any of these jazz your juices? Is there some part of you that wishes you could create a business with your creative talents?

Let’s talk!

I give free 30 minute sessions to creatives who are tired of wishing and want to see if they’re ready to take that next step. It’s informal, fun and you WILL walk away with valuable information on what to do next! Just CLICK HERE to schedule one!