Living Our Dreams

The Road Less Traveled

Photo: © 2009 Sheri Gaynor

Home again after a luscious personal retreat with the wild-hearted and deliciously FEISTY Chris Zydel. With 850 miles under my Gypsy Spirit belt and a week in the New Mexican landscape, I have had some powerful awakenings. Even a nasty cold, can't keep me from feeling the bliss of the past week. Finally meeting Chris in person cemented our belief that we are indeed soul sisters. I had a full week to paint, hike, and fully let go and BE. I surrendered my cell phone and computer for an entire week and you know what, it was actually EASY! 

I was reminded of simpler times, a road less traveled now. Sans computers, cell phones, Facebook, Twitter, etc. I am grateful I am part of a generation that actually lived without all his "plugged-in" behavior. It's interesting. I love the connection these things have brought to us, and the fact that it's expanded ability to reach one another in a truly global way, but as an artist who craves silence, nature and introspection, it is also a double edged sword. Once we got there I found out there were places I could go to plug in, but choose to give myself a full week off. It was important, yet felt completely decadent. I am so grateful to Randall for holding down the fort while I was gone. There was SO much silence I could actually hear what was going on inside. I could hear my own rhythm, my own voice, my own creative heartbeat. 

I went to the retreat with no expectations except to meet Chris, paint and surrender. That is exactly what happened and as a result there were some powerful personal awakenings. To paint everyday for a full week was incredible. Meeting other women on the path was-as always-like finding long lost sisters. Each day, there was nothing to do but walk down to the studio, pick up a brush and see what showed up! WOW!!!! PURE HEAVEN!!!! 

As a result, my painting unfolded and a story was revealed. It is the largest painting I have done to date and mostly because I finally had room to go BIG! Below is a small section.  I will try and photograph the entire piece to show you...but it will be a challenge.

Chris Zydel and I are scheduled to teach a class October 23-25 at her yummy studio in Oakland, CA, Finding Your Inner Frida.  This promises to be quite the event and registration closes Sept 30th!  If you are looking to hear your own creative heartbeat, replenish your well, meet some phenomenal women and give yourself the gift of a few days of creative bliss, give us a shout, we would LOVE to have you join us. 

Early morning hike with Helen, Meredith and June (not pictured). Can you see the bliss bubbles??? June thank you again for sharing all your sacred spots! And to all the wonderful women I met, THANK YOU for holding my heart within yours, you helped to make the week PERFECT!

Gypsy Spirit Adventure-Deck of Transformation

Awakenings: Notes from the Journey                            Each month we will feature a Transformation Deck Card and issue a Creative Awakenings Coach Challenge and call to Dream Spirit The Card: Gypsy Spirit This excerpt from the Deck of Transformation in Creative Awakenings, invites readers to set one day aside to take a Gypsy Spirit Day! In honor of my upcoming travels, I chose to share this card for our August selection. "When you take a Gypsy Spirit Day, your only task is to be curious, LOOK UP, and remember there is no rush. When you head out for your journey, always remember your adventure pack (see page 11), a journal and a camera." To see my world with fresh eyes, I always pretend I am on a photojournalism assignment for a travel magazine. To try this challenge on for size, find someone in your area who you admire who has stepped successfully into his or her dream and ask these questions. Even better, add to the list with questions of your own. View the complete Gypsy Spirit Transformation Card and Challenge on p. 117 in Creative Awakenings. EnVision Guided Principal: Create It: Create a page in your Book of Dreams depicting your Gypsy Spirit Photo Story.  When you have completed your story. Scan the page and place a copy in your Milestones Passport to celebrate your success!

Gypsy Spirit Outpost-Abiquiu

©1992 Sheri Gaynor

I leave tomorrow for the Land of Enchantment, for a week long personal retreat with the wonderful, wild Chris Zydel, who I will be teaching with in October. 

 
©1992 Sheri Gaynor

I am heading to Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu, New Mexico, home of MZ. Georgia O'Keefe and although there is much to do before I leave, I am counting the hours until I can splash and spill, and Paint My Heart Out, for an entire week! I can't imagine what will come of this time in Abuiqui, meeting Chris for the first time, meeting new amazing women and giving myself time to Replenish My Well. 

Just to let you know, there is no phone service and apparently limited email, so I am going to take a REALLY BIG JUICY Gypsy Spirit Adventure. 

Before I go, I wanted to give you a small gift. Last week we reached 500 members in our Salon. I am so incredibly blown away and grateful to everyone who has shown up ready to do the work and the members who are actively supporting and encouraging one another to DREAM...CREATE...LEAP and FLY! 

I posted a little Giveaway Goodie..The Rock Star Tutorial featured on pg. 30 in the book for your Milestones Passport. 

Happy Trails to everyone...as I ride off into the New Mexican sunrise....Enjoy...

Holding Space-September EnVision Art of Intention

September 09: Holding Space, EnVision Art of Intention

This months EnVIsion Art of Intention is about Holding Space for what is to come. With Fall's arrival, it seems a perfect time to rough up the soil and plant the seeds to create our intentions for Spring. 

Last December 30th, I had clients sew seeds of intentions into tea bag pouches. I am getting read to collect some seeds from my garden to make my pouch a little earlier this year.  There will be a lot of dreams in this new pouch and I can hardly wait to see what manifests over the next 9 months, when planting season here in the Rockies arrives. Oh......hmmmm...9 months...I just GOT IT...how appropriate....

Click below, leave a comment and share your September EnVision Art of Intention...what are YOU holding space for?

Sunday Soul Session and DreamTime Monday!

Photo: Clockwise L-R Laura, Sheri, Kat, Flash, Toni, Judy, Heather, Julie (not pictured Randall but I couldn't do it without her!)

It's DreamTIme Monday everyone! Here is a personal story of long held intentions that have started to bear fruit....

Yesterday we had another glorious Sunday Soul Session. The day was filled with paint, passion, movement, journaling, connection and sharing. 

I was blessed to reconnect with Julie a friend who I have not seen in 20 years who attended the Sunday Soul Session. Her sister Carrie was my best friend growing up and we too have reconnected over the last few years, which has brought me so much joy. These women were the "sisters I never had," and their family became a home away from home during the most treasured years of my early life. 

We had a few out of town visitors! Laura invited her wonderful friend Heather, who came from Denver to paint with us, and BIG SURPRISE, Julie came all the way from New York! Julie called and said, "I hear the calling and I need to listen...I have a fantasy of coming to Colorado for Labor Day weekend and I am creating an intention to make it work." Julie answered the call-which I think was actually a HOWL-FIRST for herself, and then corralled her friend Judy from Phoenix to fly in and meet her! WoW ladies...THANK YOU! I am SO grateful you joined us, your energy was contagious. 

Photo: Randall's piece not shown in group photo

Today I had the realization that during our class yesterday, some new seeds were planted for what's to come and some old seeds have borne fruit!! I tell you gals...The Art of Intention really works  and what's important is that it doesn't always happen when WE THINK it should...it happens when the TIMING IS RIGHT! 

Will you join me in creating your EnVIsion Art of Intention for the month of September? If you are ready to answer the call, click below, leave a comment and let us know what your stated intention will be. The more people we have holding that intention, the more charged those intentions become! That's why I call it DREAM SPIRIT! 

If you would like to learn more about DreamTime Monday's, you can read about it in my book or join the discussion in the Creative Awakenings Salon. 

Happy DreamTime!

All Sparkly New!

I spent my week giving the Venomous Toads a run for their money! YES I CAN, has been the mantra here in my studio, as I worked to create a sparkly new web/blog site! 

Actually I think I got a little carried away with the challenge, but it was SO MUCH fun feeling empowered to figure this out, so I can be free to control my website destiny. 

I have a few things to add like a link to articles, so I can make it easier to find things that pertain to empowering your life ! I will also be learning about shopping carts and Typepad next, so I can reload the Guided Imagery CD-rom and some new empowering and FEISTY products for you.  

Have a wonderful weekend everyone and please click the comment link, and let me know what you think of my new "home."

Not Your Mama's Jeans

Reader warning...what follows is an off-topic rant! 

So what is it about jeans these days. Why is it that I have to plan to have at least 4 hours to try on jeans to find a pair that fit!  I remember the days when I could walk in pick up a pair of Levi's 28 slims, take 'em home and they fit perfectly. Ahhhh....nostalgia. Not anymore. The last time I bought jeans, I bought 3 pair, as I was not interested in doing this dance for another 5 years and guess what, I bought the same size for all three and each one fit differently! Go figure. 

These days i need a Gen-X dictionary of terms to understand the size and style charts. Size 0r, 28 (2r). Styles:  Curvy, Sexy, 1969, Lean and Mean. So when I walked into the GAP store, I decided to take a new tactic, quick and painless, ask for help! I walked up the first sales person I encountered. Alas, he was of the male persuasion and it's not his fault, I just don't think they have this issue. He did in fact attempt to decifer the code for me-without a smile I might add-but I could tell, he just wasn't into me, "You know, Curvy is for curvy. Long and Lean are for people who are slim and tall, Boot Leg aren't as wide, Always Skinny, Boyfriend etc..." He then turned on his heels, spun around and left me to my own devices. So, I did what any intelligent female shopper would do, I pretty much grabbed one of every style in what I determined to be my most current GAP size and one size larger and smaller and headed into the fitting cave. 

I peeled off my old jeans and took a deep breath, strengthening my resolve for the task ahead. And we're off! Needless to say the first pair I tried were the Tall and Lean, they came up to my ankles and I'm only 5'4! What's up with that?  After going through the current pile of offerings, I had to make a decision, leave now, drive the hour back home defeated, or grab my purse and head back out into the main store donning ill fitting jeans for all the world to see, and grab a new pile of styles and sizes. This is when I opened the door to my personal fitting cave and met Lucy, the heroine of this sad tale. I must have looked quite dejected, as she smiled when I pleaded, "Do you work here?" 

With Lucy's expert help I narrowed it down to size and two styles in under 10 minutes. She was ringing me up in just about 20, which is some kind of 10 year record for me! While she was ringing me up-a very satisfied customer-we joked about jeans and the people who design them. She told me the Gap's new campaign is based on the fact that their company had grown kind of stale, "They were kind of like wearing your mother's jeans." She explained the company went back in time and determined that 1969 was the year their jeans were really hot-I didn't know this trivia, as I was wearing Levi's-so they have restructured and redesigned their line of jeans taking into consideration, that we gals, have an aversion to becoming our mothers and conversely, we still want our butt's to look hot. Imagine that! 

I have to say, the Gap is pretty close for me. Decent prices (only in the realm of jeans costing under $70.00) and an okay fit except still tooooo tight in the thighs! And so in the hopes of helping to further the jean designer industry, I have an appeal:

Please, Designers, hear my prayer, I am a pretty hip, adult woman who doesn't want to "wear her mother's jeans,". I don't want to pay hard earned bucks-especially these days-for shredded at the knee, torn at the ASS, worn thin jeans.  Please, please I beg of you, give me a good ol' pair of comfy, never want to take off, live in jeans. And while we're at it, how 'bout  a 1/2 inch more room in the thighs, so they don't look or FEEL painted on and actually release when I stand up, without me tugging them down. And last but not least, I am not 14, I am an adult woman, who's proud of her athletic almost 50 body. A body with muscle and yep...some new found curves. 

The Importance of Women and Friendship

The Girls:  SWIRL writers-eaters Sunday brunch at Dava's Farmhouse in Paonia

Sunday I took a Gypsy Spirit Day with my  SWIRL sisters for a Sunday brunch at Dava's Farmhouse Inn in Paonia. I am the "baby," of the group and was blessed to be invited in after these women had been together for 12 years. Knowing the women prior to being asked to join, I had always had a deep sense of envy witnessing their connection and the bond they shared with one another through the years. I have been a member now for a few years and it has been one of life's greatest gifts. 

One of my desires in writing Creative Awakenings was to support women in creating a community where they can share their dreams, hold one another's intentions and if need be have a place that is sacred to share their deepest secrets. 

Why is this important? Because we need people in our life who will accept us UNCONDITIONALLY! Who will love us through all of life's roller coasters. Women who will tell us like it is, who can hold us when we fall and comfort us in the darkness. On page 132 in Creative Awakenings , I describe how to form your own dream circle.  It's time...what are you waiting for?