The Coaching Toys Blog

Artist Way Summer Camp Kickoff

Coach Laura Biering and I are passionate about fostering more authentic, creative expression and we know that the classic program by Julia Cameron based on her book The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity, WORKS! We are launching an Artist's Way Virtual Summer Camp set to begin June 2 and run through the summer.

To introduce you to The Artist's Way we are offering a free intro/kick off call.

The Artist’s Way Virtual Summer Camp
FREE Intro/Kick Off Call
TUESDAY, May 19 or THURSDAY 21, 2009
1 pm PT, 4 pm ET

Whether you want to discover your creativity for the first time ever, recover it after not having seen it for a while, or even if you don’t think you are creative at all, you will leave this rich, informative call with great tools and momentum to move forward!

Here's what you will get from the FREE Kick Off Call:

* Two essential creativity tools you can begin using right away.

* An introduction to the connection between creativity, spirituality and authenticity.

* 10 “Rules of the Road” that will support your creative development.

* Inspiration and encouragement about what’s possible when you open to greater creativity.

* Introduction to the Artist Way Virtual Summer Camp, the 12 week program, the bonfire circles, the cabin assignments, the mail call, the fun, the challenges, the learning and the camaraderie.

  We hope you will join us! Learn more here

Artist's Way Revisited

I’ve recently been getting re-acquainted with The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path for Greater Creativity by Julia Cameron. I’m surprised and pleased with how relevant it all still is – and how coach like. Julia was as much a life coach as she was a creativity coach long before it became a profession.

There seems to be a resurgence of interest in creativity, spirit and authentic expression these days. Maybe it goes hand in hand with the financial challenges in the country. Everyone seems to be simplifying, re-evaluating values and shifting away from a material focus. With that comes a need to be a lot more creative – with time and resources.

The Artist’s Way, I’m finding, is the perfect vehicle for re-engaging that creativity. Not only do the suggested actions help you re-discover wonder, many of them also help you challenge and de-clutter all that is limiting, including; nay saying friends, ratty clothes in your closet and all those pesky beliefs that get in the way.  

Here’s one of the many creative exercises from T he Artist's Way – just to get you thinking;

“List twenty things you enjoy doing (rock climbing, roller-skating, baking pies, ....” Once you have your list, write down the last time you did each item. Now the really fun part – pick one or two to schedule into your week. What a gift to create time to do the things that bring joy.

Coloring in your cubicle? It's good news!

Coloring and doodling made the national news recently. It is true! A study proved that doodling during a meeting or phone conversation helps you focus. Those of us who doodle regularly know that it’s never been about going off into lala land and not paying attention. It actually keeps the mind from daydreaming and allows it to be more receptive.

It’s ability to reduce stress and keep minds from wandering off in a meeting offers a cost benefit to companies. How cool is that! I’m all for a coloring book in every cubicle and coloring sheets in every meeting! If it can work in corporate arena imagine other stressful settings – dentist’s waiting rooms, talking to your therapist and these days a meeting with your financial planner.

All joking aside, I have always found coloring to be soothing and restful. It does quiet the incessant inner chatterbox and it is nice to have that scientifically validated. It’s an easy, creative way to take a stress break and there are lots of free sources for downloadable images perfect for coloring.

Open-Ended Questions - Tools for Engagement

  What a pleasant surprise to show up at a recent Minnesota Coaches Association meeting and see that my deck of Q? Basics, was part of the program.  The presenters greeted attendees at the door with a basket of the open-ended questions and we were each invited to draw a random card.

The question I drew was “What toll is this taking?” It never fails to amaze me that the mind immediately goes in search of an answer. Even with no context provided, I knew immediately what the question pointed to in my life. This is the power of open-ended questions.

The meeting focused on the core coaching competencies of trust, intimacy and presence. The presenters, Elaine Gaston and Paula Hemming, both masterful coaches offered demo coaching. Later we all broke into dyads to practice the coaching skills demonstrated.

So where did the Q? Basics fit in? The question we each drew from the basket helped us reflect on some aspect of our lives that was coach worthy – a great way to prime the pump for a demo client. This also made the dyad coaching more powerful.

This points to three great ways to use Q? Basics, Open-ended Questions for Coaching Mastery.

1. Invite attendees at an event, conference or expo (especially if you have a booth) to randomly draw a question as a way to engage them in a coaching conversation.
2. Draw a question randomly when a client shows up for a session and doesn’t know what they want to focus on.
3. Use as a journal prompt, for yourself or as an exercise in a workshop.

So, just for fun – here is a random question for you to play with;

“What do you know to be true right now?”

Taking Back the Wisdom of the Feminine

I recently had the pleasure of hearing Gail Straub read from her new book and couldn't wait to get my own copy. I've been a fan of hers ever since I took a train the trainer workshop from her in1999.

Returning To My Mother's House, Taking Back the Wisdom of the Feminine

Similar to Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, the book is Gail's personal journey of finding her path back to the feminine. Her journey takes her on an amazing trek around the globe and eventually back to her mother who died when Gail was 23.

It is her story, told with courage and honesty and it is each of our stories. You will find yourself reflecting on your own life and that of your Mother. Gail's story rekindled in me the importance of the feminine in todays world. The 'feminine being all about embodiment, the arts, intuition and spirituality.

Returning to My Mother's House identifies 5 ways we loose the connection to the feminine: running from emotion, addiction to doing, abandoning interior life, losing connection with the body and not standing up for our true self.  Where do you disconnect from the feminine? This is a great place to be looking as the New Year begins.

An Interview - Secrets to staying creative

My friend and colleague, Laura West  - creator of the Joyful Business Guide just posted a fun podcast interview she did with me. You can find it on her blog www.CafeEntrepreneur.com.  I draw on my experience as an artist to show how everyday objects can be the source of creative ideas. I also talk about staying creative and joyful within your business.

Friday Spark - Filling the Well

This week's creative spark is from Filling The Well, Spirited Nourishment for Creative Trailblazers, Simple Ways to Sprinkle a Little Soul Into Your Daily Life by Suzanne Vadnais Monson

Follow the Clues

When we really want to do something, it’s easy to get it done. We have lots of energy and enthusiasm driving us toward our goal. And when we don’t want to do something, it can seem like we’re dragging a 10 ton weight around with us. I recently discovered that the clues to finding our ways to succeed are all around us.

I’ve been working with a client for a little over six months who is looking for ways to balance creative expression and wellness with a demanding career. One of Maggie’s goals is to lose 20 pounds. We have explored a number of diet and exercise options with less than exciting results. In six months of diligent healthy eating and daily exercise, Maggie had only lost 8 pounds.

While noting that her energy level was better, and she was sleeping through the night consistently for the first time in years, Maggie was still disappointed. In a session where we explored past successes with weight loss, Maggie said she’d loved belonging to a gym. It had been over 15 years since she’d even visited a gym. She had a lot of preconceived ideas about what kinds of options gyms offered, but no current factual information. I gave Maggie the assignment of researching gyms before our next session.

I was stunned at the excitement that oozed out of Maggie as she bounded in the door three weeks later. She’d found a gym, a 24 hour facility she could use when it worked for her, at a fraction of the cost she’d spent on a club membership 15 years ago. In the time that had passed since our last meeting she had lost an additional five pounds and was beaming. “I jump out of bed every morning at 4am jazzed to get started because I know I get to start my day doing something I love!” The gym Maggie has joined offers elliptical machines and incline treadmills along with a full assortment of free weights and Nautilus equipment. Maggie is in heaven.

I could give countless examples of similar breakthroughs I’ve experienced. We are often standing directly in the path of what would most help us refusing to budge. What are you struggling with that could use a fresh infusion of excitement? Try tapping in to your inner wisdom by asking yourself some questions and writing down the first thing that comes to mind. Follow the clues to your method for success.

Sparkers - Filling The Well © 2008 Suzanne Vadnais Monson for Coaching Toys Inc - Sparkers, all rights reserved.

Sparkers by Suzanne

Share Your Stories

Coaching Toys is approaching it's 5 year anniversary - WOW - I can hardly believe it. I know that it's had an impact and would love to hear your stories, favorite resources, comments, experiences with products,  encounters with blinkee lights or whatever else you would like to share to help us celebrate!

Friday Spark - Reframe the View

Today's Sparker is from Reframe the View by Christie Latona
Using the power of metaphor to reframe what's limiting you and to discover what's possible.

Buffers

It was a dark rainy morning and I was on my way to the airport (again)! In spite of the rain, traffic had been moving nicely. Suddenly all three lanes of traffic slowed significantly. Immediately I came up with some hypotheses: someone saw a police officer, there was a deer in the road, or rubbernecking. With each hypothesis came a different emotion: a feeling of anxiety with the police (I don’t travel in the fast lane just for show), concern with the deer, and disgust with the rubbernecking. These feelings came so fast I barely noticed what hypotheses came with them. They also seemed to be occurring simultaneously, like the three lanes of traffic.

Then I noticed a big rig with its flashers on, straddling two of the three lanes. What was the trucker doing/thinking?!?!?! It wasn’t until about 30 seconds later that I understood that the trucker had done a smart and helpful act. A van had blown out its tire and the vehicle was barely under control. By the trucker stopping traffic in the other lanes he had given the driver of the van a safety buffer. In doing so, the trucker prevented a multi-car pile up AND helped traffic resume its pleasant pace.

The visual image of that truck has become a metaphor I use with myself and groups with which I work. As an entrepreneurial type, I often need to put a truck in front of streams of my internal traffic (emotions and/or ideas) that are interfering with the task at hand. When facilitating groups I often must choose which lanes to block so that a constructive flow of ideas can take place.

I invite you to put on your helicopter traffic reporter hat. Looking down at the roadway of your thoughts and feelings, how easily is traffic moving? From this vantage point, what is your recommendation for getting all your ideas and feelings unstuck and moving?

Read more creative Sparkers by Christie at www.coachingtoys.com/reframetheview.html

Sparkers - Reframe the View © 2008 Christie Latona for Coaching Toys Inc - Sparkers, all rights reserved.

We would love to hear your comments and experience with this Sparker.

Sparker - Announce with Inspiration

A great Creative Sparker from Humble Beginnings by Melanie Keveles
How DID they start? Big success can come from amazingly humble beginnings. May their evolution to success inspire you to start your special dream
now!

Announce with Inspiration
By Melanie Keveles

When Cara O'Callaghan, Santa Barbara, CA, founded www.preggersnproud.com, she wanted to announce her approaching motherhood.

By the time she saw actress Kate Hudson wearing one of her new designer maternity T-shirts, she knew she had arrived.

"Back then there were no maternity slogan T-shirts," recalled O'Callaghan, who started her company in July 2003 while three months pregnant with her son Zaeden, now 2.

"I was playing with the idea of announcing it in a fashionable way," she explained.

Starting with an investment of just $4,000, a "dinosaur e-commerce site" with a simple PayPal account and four prototypes created by her graphic designer husband, O'Callaghan set out to exploit a niche in the new mommy market. Today her site offers t-shirts for mommy, daddy and baby.

What do you have to announce to the world and how can that announcement inspire your business?

Sparkers - Humble Beginnings© 2007 Melanie Keveles for Coaching Toys Inc - Sparkers, all rights reserved.