Living Our Dreams

Initiation and Rites of Passage...

This letter was broadcast to the Creative Awakenings NING community today. It shares changes in the way postings and information for Sheri Gaynor and Creative Awakenings will now be consolidated for our beloved online community...

Hello to my Beloved Creative Awakenings Community,

I am writing to let you know that I will be closing the NING Salon as of September 30, 201. I have been in Florida with my mother for the last 10 days. She has a long-term degenerative disease and became very, very ill. We almost lost her last week and it has caused me to take pause and evaluate life and business priorities.  My mom is home now, but still very weak and we are currently sorting through options for her long-term care.

This incident has been an initiation for me...and with it, I have fully crossed the bridge into my life as crone. I am now in the 3rd spiral of life and as such, I feel compelled to make some changes that reflect this rite of passage.  The first is to simplify and to downsize my public persona and the time I spend on the internet.

Western culture offers many distractions. Very often these distractions are a way of keeping our true feelings at bay and with this recent incident, I made a conscious decision to stay completely and totally present. After receiving the call, I closed my studio doors and flew to Florida to be with my mother; and although doing so was terrifying-as I’d just opened the doors to my dream-nothing else mattered, she was the priority. I have not checked email for over 10 days and have had very little phone contact. It was not easy, being so present, in fact it was incredibly painful to stay with the process. Many tears were shed and there were moments of being completely in the abyss, yet I stayed in the dark, where I imagine she was and allowed myself to feel.  I recognize the stages I went through, as Elizabeth Kubler-Ross wrote about them long ago. I passed through each door and not always gracefully: Denial…Anger…Bargaining…Depression…Acceptance not once, but over and over.  A few days ago after the crisis had passed and my mother was home in Hospice care, I was able to hear the voice inside that had been calling for sometime….”Simplify….slow down….find what’s important…”

I am the first to admit I love what technology has offered to our lives in terms of connecting with a global community, the flip side for me are the countless hours it takes to maintain those connections and so I have made a decision to be downsize the places you will find me on the web. In many ways, this will make it easier for me to communicate with everyone and also to get you more in-depth information in relation to Creative Awakenings and the Expressive Arts.

The gratitude I feel for the time we’ve spent together here in the Salon is unspeakable. To me, it’s a miracle that anyone came at all to be honest! When I wrote Creative Awakenings and made a decision to put a web address and community hub for gathering, a community network had not been attempted by North Light Books author before. As an author, you write in the dark and you write because you are compelled to. There are times you wonder, ‘Will anyone ever read this? Will people relate to it? Will it be on the remainder table in a week?’ but you keep writing, because in the depth of your soul, you have something you need to share with the world and in the end, it doesn’t matter if one person reads the book….or thousands as in the case of Creative Awakenings, thanks to all of you.

As creative beings we are familiar with risk taking and what it means to take the leap.  The CA Salon was one of those leaps and when the first person found the trailhead and wrote the answer, “reading the book,” to our profile question, “How did you find us?” it seemed like a miracle to me.  Now we are over 900 strong and from all parts of the globe and the joy and deep sense of gratitude this brings me is beyond description!

So, let’s keep the spirit of community alive by finding a way to communicate in a less fragmented way.  Let’s build an even stronger community, one where we have the ability to reach out, share and cheer one another on with DREAM SPIRIT! As I write this, I feel a sense of relief and this always tells me I’m on the right path…yes…I am feeling…will you join me for the next stage of the journey we call life?

For the time being, I will be limiting postings, discussions and events, to two sites, sherigaynor.com and my personal Facebook page. Please make sure you subscribe to both today. More information will be shared with you in the next 30 days, as things progress. Please remember time is of the essence, as I will close down NING on September 30. 2010. There have been a few miracles in the last 10 days and I am hoping for one more. It would support my mom and I to double the number of friends and followers we have on our Facebook pages and my blog and to feel the love. Send her some love by friending her today....

Thank you for joining me here,  I look forward to seeing you soon on FB, sherigaynor.com or even better in person! Please feel free to leave a comment below or on my Facebook page. 

Hugs and purple boots,

Sheri Gaynor

CFO-Chief Feisty Officer and Author of Creative Awakenings: Envisioning the Life of Your Dreams Through Art

Website: www.sherigaynor.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sherigaynor?ref=profile

A beautiful beginning...

WOW! Thank you to all of you who've attended our June Move-In Events!

heART Yoga with Janne this past Friday was exquisite and our drawings were potent. Here are images we created following our Savasana meditation. 

 

Remember, no previous creative experience is needed for any class at The Spark...creativity is rarely tidy...it's all about the process!

This past weekend we hosted Transformation Yoga of Basalt and David Sye of Yogabeats™.  David's work is extraordinary and I feel as if I've met a kindred spirit. We tried to convince him to stay and move to the RFV, but alas he had to return to London. We are hoping he will return to our Valley this winter, as I am already in withdrawal. I walked into Saturday's class in a sling, as I had sprained my arm and it was almost completely immobile. I was determined to do what I could, as I did not want to miss David's work. I am here to tell you, I have almost 90% range of movement back and no sling! Thank you to Jessica Wilder for the synchronistic reconnection my Basalt Mtn Soul Sister, and to Frank and Kendra of Transformation Yoga for bringing David to our studio. 

I created this piece immediately following my first session with David on Saturday. It came bursting out of me. The man is all about self-love, forgiveness and compassion. 

The Soul Sessions Sunday Family Ground Shaking was so phenomenal, we are going to do it again on July 4th! Get your sparks flying before the parade downtown! See the full details on our classes and events page.

Gerry Michel has been busy with students in the studio sharing his Summer of Imagination class and Blue even left his mark,completely unsolicited while I was on the phone, by leaving a trail of red paw prints on the new studio floor, during Open Studio Friday.

We've got one more BIG weekend ahead with the Grand Opening Celebration of The Third Street Center. We'll have a student expressive arts show in the studio with work from Soul Sessions Sundays, Transformational Birth Through Creative Wisdom and Living with Cancer and Beyond. There will be live drumming in the "backyard," and creative activities for all ages. Stop by and meet our Summer Camp facilitators and some of our students. 

And...as if that wasn't enough..as part of our commitment to community and creative exchange, Laura Bartels of GreenWeaver fame also has a new office located at Third Street. Come see her new office. She'll be debuting her new Make Your Own Clay Plaster Kits at our studio down the hall from her office. From her site: "GreenWeaver is honored and excited to be selected as one of five small businesses in the country to be named “innovative and raising the bar in their field” and featured in VISA's goBIZ small business campaign. VISA made a "webumentary" featuring founder Laura Bartels..."

We're looking forward to seeing you! In the meantime...here's a look at what's happening this week!

H O T   F L A S H E S - T H I S   W E E K   A T   T H E   S P A R K! 
Experience the Spark Summer Punch Pass series $60 - 6 punches 

Express Yourself: Summer of Imagination
Muse Whisperer: Gerry Michel
 
Mondays June 07 - August 9, 2010
Drop In: 10 a - 12 p
Wednesdays June 09 - August 11, 2010
Drop In: 1 p - 3 p
Class Fee: $12 per class or $10 per class with punch pass

heART Yoga: Hatha Yoga and Creative Expression
Muse Whisperers: Janne Nikolajsen and Sheri Gaynor 
 
On-Going Friday's Beginning June 11 - July 30, 2010
Drop In: 8 a - 9:30 a
Class Fee: $12 per class or $10 per class with punch pass
Ages: 15 - Adult  

OH BABY! Mom's Creativity Circle
Muse Whisperer: Rochelle Norwood
  
Ongoing Every Other Wednesday
Beginning: Wednesday, June 16
Drop In: 10 a - 12 p
Class Fee: $12 per class or $10 per class with punch pass
Ages: Adult, Infant, Toddler and Pre-School

 

Third St. Center Grand Opening

Saturday, June 19, 2010

4 p - 9:30 Ribbon cutting, tours of building, music, food and contra dancing

*Studio Schedule of events: Experience the Spark!

4 p - 7 p  Creative Spark Studio, Suite 15
Complimentary Evening: Student Expressive Arts Show.  Live drumming and creative activities for all ages! 

Summer Workshop - Pre-registration Required
Song Tellers: CD Recording Workshop
Muse Whisperer: Barry Chapman
 
Wednesdays June 16 - July 7, 2010
3:30pm - 5pm
Class Fee: $120 Includes a CD compilation of music created during the workshop
Ages: 7-13 Explore the splendor of sound with musician and Muse Whisperer Barry Chapman. Song Tellers is a music and recording experience, encouraging you into the creative play of singing songs with rhyme, jazz and rhythm! BE THE MUSIC...come sing, dance and drum.
Pre-registration required. Payment Plans available. 

Dream Manifested!

Home SWEET home is an understatement. Holding a dream in your heart for 30 years and stepping into the manifestation of it in a way you could have never imagined is a powerful experience! 

From this...

To this...still in process....

Tuesday was our first day in the new studio after a much needed 10 day time away with my hubby, visiting family in California and meeting my new niece Claire.  During our time away I crossed off another of my Fifty 50's...I went stand up paddling and it was a blast. Overcame a lot of fear during that adventure, as I had a near drowning when I was a young surfer girl. I've not been in the ocean in that way really since. I am hooked! 

Before I left, we had our closing circle with our Living with Cancer and Beyond group. We were granted permission from the building to host our closing night in the space-amidst boxes and chaos-prior to our official move in date. What a gift my partner Diane Kenney has been, recently completing her own treatment, she has been a passionate advocate for the program. She has been my my seeing eye dog, my right hand wrangler and a new treasured friend. Stop by her studio this weekend during the Roaring Fork Studio Tour weekend, you will love her ceramics AND HER NEW PAINTING SERIES!  Thank you to Janne Nikolajsen for sharing the gift of Hatha Yoga with us that evening. We loved the process! Janne will become a regular Friday morning Muse Whisperer at the studio, as we co-facilitate Creative Yoga. YUMMY!

Title: What's to come  Painting by Sheri during last months Soul Sessions....

We've got our special Sunday Soul Sessions Ground Shaking this Sunday, June 6, 9:30 a - 2:30 p. It's a family event and pot luck with live drumming with Barry Chapman and friends. Don't be shy, creativity is rarely tidy! Come splash, spill and groove to the beats and as our ground shaking event...by donation. We''ll be painting inside and out-literally and figuratively. Please call to let us know if you'll be joining us or email me to reserve your spot. 

Lastly, Yogabeats™ founder David Sye, will be joining us June 12, in the studio for a co hosted event with Transformational Yoga. Don't miss this extraordinary event!

Here's a link to what's happening this weekend! We sure hope you will join us! 

For our current location and more information, check out the new Creative Spark Studio site and sign up for our newsletter.

 

Branch of Hope and Intention

Last night we held the Introductory Evening for Living with Cancer: Visions of Healing and Hope.  It was a truly an honor to sit in a sacred circle listening to stories of courage, determination, hope. 

Tears were shared as fears and concerns were released, yet there was also laughter, as the women found humor in the midst of their dark nights of the soul. It was the laughter that touched my heart the most.

Although I have had many friends who have struggled with this seemingly rampant disease, I have not personally been impacted by cancer. As one of 3 women in the circle, who has not had a diagnosis of cancer, there was a part of the road I could not walk with them to some degree. 

My co-facilitator Diane Kenney who is recently out of treatment, was able to hold that space and was interestingly the one who opened the circle to laughter. I sat in awe as I watched this beautiful woman, short sassy hair, living her dream...a dream of giving back to others, in recognition of love, support and tender care she received during her time in treatment. All without any prior experience in facilitating a group! Diane spoke from her heart and her personal experience and she held the sacred space for the women to share openly and honestly, leading by example. I was in awe. 

In the photo above, you see the branch of hope and intention we created as a group last night. Each leaf holds a word of hope and an affirmation for the next 6-months. It hangs in the studio, a reminder of our evening and our hopes and intentions for Spring...

Ladies...Diane...you are my HER-oines....thank you....

The Morning After...

Sheri on left dressed to the 9's, in an AWESOME outfit from Corky Woods. You girls made me look good!

The Super Model is coming down to earth and re-entering her Mountain Gal persona. WOW fellow Feisty Females, I have to tell you, this might have been the best thing I have ever done for my self-esteem. There I was on stage, with some REALLY high fashion priestesses and I felt absolutely FANTASTIC and VERY SASSY! 

I had a pretty rough week last week, with a lot of late nights-not my forte these days-2 floods on different days of the week and between clients in my studio from the restaurant above me and a crisis of faith when it became clear, we jumped the gun a bit and Living with Cancer Program likely won't be funded for the first 6-weeks of programming. Suffice it say that 4 hours before runway walk, I was in tears with my co-facilitator and wondering WTH I was taking on this enormous new studio. 

Yes gals, it happens to me too some days. I am not immune to the eventual break down of faith that comes with stretching out of the old skin, when making life transformations. My co-facilitator Diane, talked me down from the ledge-and reminded me of what is REALLY important-she is a breast cancer survivor newly out of treatment, which sure puts things in perspective. She told me that she believes in the dream, the work and in me. We all need people like Diane in our lives, so when those ledges show up, there is someone with a bull horn waiting at the bottom. 

Being authentic takes courage. I was surrounded in this event with about 6 current and former clients and many more in the audience. This took being my bona fide and genuine a WHOLE new level, including changing backstage in mass. 

As I walked on stage in my first line (see photo above) to the cheers and screaming of my community (and my cute hubby in the background) I was jolted awake, this IS what HAPPENS when community comes together. This is what HAPPENS when we BELIEVE.  

After the show, as we mingled, a client came up to me and said, "I shouted out, that's my THERAPIST!" Her friends said, "Wow, she really walks her talk! How cool!" If I am gonna preach it, I better be ready to LIVE IT!

Something new is awake within my heart this morning-and I don't think it's just the coffee...Let's take a moment today and IMAGINE POSSIBILITIES WE NEVER DREAMED EXISTED!!!

Remember it begins with, YES I CAN! and sometimes involves fakin' it till we make it!

Dare to be FEISTY...it ROCKS! 

2 

To the cast and crew of this extraordinary event. My heart to everyone for their efforts. To my dear SWIRL sister Lynn Aliya, thank you for making me a star and supporting my dreams all these years. To Amy Kimberly, Ro Mead and the rest of the wild tribe over at CCAH, I am in awe! 

Milestones: Fifty Feisty Bold Steps

Copyright: 2010 Sheri Gaynor, The Rite of Spring Fashion Show
Sneak Preview: Hoops

How better than to step into Feisty Fifty than with fifty bold steps for 2010. I've crossed off learning hand drumming and tonight I cross off a long held fantasy, that of actually being a Broadway singer/dancer. Yep, I am saying it publicly for all the world to hear. Growing up in the BIg Apple, and attending Broadway musicals conjured up some pretty BIG childhood fantasies of becoming a singer and dancer. Watching Tommy Tune tap and strut made my heart beat faster.

I always wanted to be in the high school musicals, but because of my spacial dyslexia, I was always going one way while everyone else was going the other, not to mention that I was so SHY, I could hardly speak. So, needless to say, I was never invited into the club. I gave up after a few attempts and decided to head down other paths. Meeting my friend Lynn Aliya, awakened this idea, but I never thought I would dare to take the leap. 

I think this dream has lived buried under a few layers for quite some time now. Last year when I attended the first Green is the New Black Fashion Show, and had my mind completely blown, I set an intention to model in 2010. I actually made the it through this years audition-which thanks to my good friend Lynn Aliya, was a runway walk and nothing more-so tonight I am strutting my stuff on the runway in in The RItes of Spring Fashion Show and modeling four lines. In one of these lines, I am actually doing something really bold...but I can't reveal that quite yet, you'll just have to come and see for yourself. 

Yep, tonight is one of those, H--Y S--T moments, where I am stepping into some REALLY scary terrain and risking it all for the sake of redemption, ala bright lights, performance and music, just so I can say "I'm FEISTY FIFTY, YES I CAN!" 

48 bold steps to go....

Here's a video from last years Green is the New Black!

This is 50!

Drumming, labyrinth, soul sisters wisdom
Diamond Stud, sassy dress, dinner and hugs 
shakin' it with my guy, to the Heathens
in a House of God
in Community

Cooking with Akal Jeet
to Bombay Beats,
the sweet scent of Indian spices
wafting through the house

Remembrance, grief, celebration,
saying...Goodbye
moments are precious
live them...FULLY! 

Facing truth, 
self-care, testing
and good news..

Milestones on life's highways,

I am choosing this 
next half of life,
To LIVE
Fearlessly, fabulously, FEISTY
and Fifty! 

What a journey it's been...I can't wait to see how the rest unfolds...

Thank you for all your birthday wishes, songs, messages and love, you are all a big part of the reason it feels fantastic to be FEISTY FIFTY! xxoo

Scenes from the weekend...

 
Birthday Sunrise on Mt. Sopris

 
My new drum. Buffalo...Prayer and Abundance. A gift from Toni (middle below)

Soul Sisters...Partnership in the true sense of the word. 

"This is 50" Self-portrait at the labyrinth

Birthday Altar 2010

Cookin' with Jeet and "ta da"..a new life simmers...

Healing and saying goodbye... 
 

 

Authentic Wisdom-Wondering

It has been a week of inner reflection for me. In keeping with my June Intention, "Receiving," I am finding time to sit quietly and listen...not to the outer noise of the world, but to the reverberating of my own heart. 

Going within isn't an easy thing to do. In between the heartbeats, I can hear the inner voices. The Toads can surface and very often the committee has something to share that is not very supportive...and often not valid. Such is the nature of life. The challenge as always is not to grasp onto their croaks and barks, but to move into the place of inner truth and AUTHENTIC WISDOM. 

AUTHENTIC WISDOM, is knowing the steps and milestones we have taken within our transformational journey. AUTHENTIC WISDOM, comes from knowing we have the capacity to create whatever we want in our lives.

Interestingly, the closer we get to reaching for what we want, the louder those Venomous Toads bark! This is where our Book of Dreams comes in. Keeping a Book of Dreams, allows you to have a visual representation of your intention. It helps when you feel as if you have stumbled on the path. One of the greatest gifts I have received living here in the Rockies, is to become VERY aware of how my mind plays tricks on my soul. 

My mind-and the Toads-have the capacity to tell me some pretty bizarre stories. These stories have the capacity to stop me dead in my tracks, if I grasp on to them. It's my choice. I can also notice them and say,"Oh, there's one of my Toads stories (awareness), what else might be possible if I were to imagine something else and choose to create my own story? (empowerment).

Next week in our June One Community Read Along group, we will begin working on our Milestones Passport. The Passport is another way to find truth. When we have a visual recording of our accomplishments, it can help us to trust that next step. It helps us to know we have been there before, so we can remember at a cellular level, that we can in fact LIVE OUR DREAMS, one baby step at a time! Here's to supporting one another on the path! Come join us...