« June 2009 | Main | August 2009 »
Posted at 07:45 AM in Friends | Permalink | Comments (12) | TrackBack (0)
About the collages in this post:
Each collage is made by cutting and gluing magazine images. We pause here to express our gratitude to the many photographers, artists and graphic artists whose images lead us to new insights and discoveries on our SoulCollage® journey to wholeness. Thank you!
Click here to learn more about SoulCollage®
Posted at 07:26 AM in SoulCollage | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
Posted at 07:08 AM in Ikebana | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
A dear friend of mine has made great strides at decluttering and sprucing up her home. I had been thinking of doing the same thing for months now. Seeing her progress inspired me to tackle my home to make room for more creativity and abundance in my life. This week I rolled up my sleeves and started working on my creative room. It is amazing how much I hold on to. My ex-husband and I would joke that I was a gerbil in a previous life. If you saw the paper I collect, you would understand why. While clearing things out I came across a little journal that I started on the day that my ex and I separated. As I read through the entries I was amazed at how I wasn't affected by it. It was as if I was reading someone else's story. That separation was 5-1/2 years ago and I'm so happy that I've moved past that painful period in my life. I decided that I no longer want to hold onto this little journal so I pulled out the pages and burned them.

I looked at my phone in horror.
"You want me to what?" I said into it.
"It's time, Christine. You've been talking about that basement for weeks now. It's time to deal with it."
I had been working with my coach for months at this point. And even though I had reached certain levels of success in my career, I kept getting stuck in the same old ruts. I was about to record my fourth CD, and I was ready to move to a higher level.
Thom was doing what good coaches do: listening carefully, seeing clearly - and of course, pushing me to take conscious action.
So, he encouraged me to start small and completely clear out the junk
in my basement. Thirty minutes a day.
One section at a time. Building momentum as I went.
Each week, during our call, I'd report back on my progress.
Each week, I had a new reason why I simply could not let go of some clutter-y item.
"But I spent so much on it!" "I might need it someday!" "I could gain weight and need this again." "I paid such a good price for it!"
To my credit, I did pretty well at letting go once Thom talked me through these old mindsets.
Then came the week I had to face one particularly significant section of the basement.
It was where I stored various pieces of furniture I had gotten at the Salvation Army and at local flea markets when I first began my songwriting career. A bookcase, a kitchen table, a dresser, and a few shelves. I no longer liked or used this furniture because my tastes totally changed. I had begun to cherish beauty and opulence in my surroundings. I wanted to fill my home only with items that I loved.
"So, Christine," Thom asked. "Why don't you want to let these things go?"
I was embarrassed. But I told him the truth. "Well, here's the thing. If my music career doesn't work out, I might need them one day. If I fail, and I don't have any money, I might wish I had kept these things."
Long pause.
"So, you'll be on the street - but at least you'll have that bookcase?"
I laughed.
Thom sighed. And what he said next has been a core lesson of creating my success and happiness.
He said that everything in our lives has energy. Everything has our thoughts and emotions embedded into it. Old furniture is no exception. In essence, what I was saying to the universe and to my subconscious, creative self was this:
I believe so deeply in my own failure that I'm holding onto physical things that represent that possibility. Every time I walk by these items in my basement, I will be reminded of my inevitable failure. Every moment I'm in my house, my subconscious will know that in the very foundation of my life (my basement), there are items that prove I don't believe in my own success.
That week, I called Goodwill, and scheduled an appointment to have the old furniture taken away.
I'd love to report that I smiled and waved as the old clunky furniture was carried away. But the truth is I was terrified. I was letting go of my Plan B. I was saying to the Universe: "I thoroughly believe in my own success."
I had never done that before in such a concrete way!
As I wrote earlier, I began recording my fourth CD "Rain & Mud & Wild & Green" as I was clearing out the basement. That CD went on to sell five times more than any of my other CD's. It received rave reviews. Border's Books featured it on a listening post that year, and named it the top CD of the year in my category.
Now, even though I know this success wasn't ONLY about letting go of my old flea market furniture, I have become a firm believer that we each need to pay attention to the energy of the stuff that surrounds us. We need to pay attention to what we are telling our subconscious minds when we hold on.
Now you.
What are you holding onto? What thoughts and beliefs are you putting out into the Universe by clinging to it? Are you telling yourself you don't believe in the inevitability of your own success and prosperity? Or that you don't believe you can expand and create better things in your life?
Pick one thing - just one small thing - and let it go. Today!
Performer, songwriter, and creativity consultant Christine Kane publishes her 'LiveCreative' weekly ezine with more than 4,000 subscribers. If you want to be the artist of your life and create authentic and lasting success, you can sign up for a FRE*E subscription to LiveCreative atwww.christinekane.com.
Posted at 07:07 PM in Healing Book | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBack (0)
It takes courage to try new things, to imagine our lives differently, to visit the old worn out stories that we've told about our lives for so many years and dare to rewrite them. It takes courage to be ourselves. In the last 24-hours I've witnessed courage in so many people:
I thought about courage this morning and decided to pull an affirmation off of my fridge to share with you today. "I am courageous. I have the willingness to explore new possibilities."
What new possibilities will you explore today?
{soul hugs}
Kathryn Antyr, Collage Diva
Posted at 09:56 AM in Healing Book | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)
This evening my friends Mary Ellen and Mary Jane had me over for dinner. Mary Ellen introduced me to Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging. She has been taking classes now for two years. I brought over some flowers for us to arrange as a thank you gift for supper and to practice what I learned in lesson 1.
Posted at 10:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
Ikebana is the art of Japanese flower arranging. This week I started a beginner's class that will run for five weeks. Pictured above is my first arrangement. In each class we work on one arrangement that includes photographing it with two different backgrounds, from the top, and the side. We are to keep a notebook with diagrams and drawings of our arrangements along with our photos. I'm excited to head out today to pick up a new journal to keep a record of my studies. I'll post my journal pages as I get them done.
Posted at 08:06 AM in Ikebana | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)
True North Arts Vision Journaling Workshop
~ Create the life of your dreams ~ NEW WORKSHOP!
Instructor: Kathryn Antyr
You are ready for this workshop if:
In this workshop you will:
Join me on a new six-week online workshop series to create the life of your dreams. We’ll use collage, a fun and easy medium to design clear pictures of your heart’s true desire. This workshop goes beyond cutting and gluing magazine images -- it is a series of projects that review many of the principles made popular by the Laws of Attraction (see “The Secret”), Shakti Gawain’s “Creative Visualization” and Dr. Wayne Dyer’s work including “The Power of Intention” and “Excuses Be Gone.”
What is Visioning?
Visioning is the practice of clarifying what you want in your life that leads to making it real. Vision boards (also called dream boards and inspiration boards) are made by cutting and gluing magazine images and words onto a piece of paper, poster board or journal. It is an effective way to help you to “see” your dream. Creating a clear idea or picture of your dream is essential to making it happen.
Workshop Format
Fee and Registration Process
This pilot program is being offered at a low introductory rate of $20 for 6 lessons.
Basic Supplies
About Kathryn Antyr, Collage Diva
Kathryn Antyr is a teacher and mixed media artist. For over ten years Kathryn’s students find her lessons to be insightful and inspiring. People from more than 60 countries have accessed her unique online art journal lessons in the last year. To see examples of Kathryn’s art journal lessons visit www.truenortharts.com.
Posted at 05:42 PM in Art Journal, Vision Boards, Workshop | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
Posted at 04:31 PM in Shop | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)













