"Be open to the magic."  James Cameron

I like to start each day with a quote that reminds me of all of the wonderful opportunities that are available to me.  The quote "Be open to the magic" is a great reminder that there is magic to be found each day if we are open to seeing it!  Watching a flower grow, a baby laugh, a puppy run are all magical when we slow down and experience the event and the emotions that go with it. Spending time creating something and losing yourself in the flow is magical.  When you look up and realize that the picture is completed, the story is written, or the photograph has been taken but you don't know where the day has gone because you have been so completely involved in the process of creating - that  is magical. 

I love the word magic.  For me it brings forth a feeling of something special, something I am fascinated by but can't quite figure out, and something that I would like to recreate over and over again.  But I also know that many times something magical happens only once and so I want to be really present to experience it.  This week my goal is to be open to the magic and see what happens.  It is exciting  just thinking about all of the possibilities.  I hope that this week you will join me and allow yourself to "be open to the magic."  New adventures might be right around the corner for all of us.

   Remember:  When you share your dreams and talents with the world, magic happens.  Let the magic begin today!
                                                                                                                                                  Ginny

Sometimes just taking a break from how you usually create is the exact thing that inspires you to complete a project.  I have just started an art journal and I enjoy just sketching a few minutes a day.  I am using my watercolor pencils but right now I haven't even added the water.  It is just about getting the marks on paper.  WHAT INSPIRES YOU TO CREATE.  

                                  "Adapt the pace of nature, her secret is patience."  Ralph Waldo Emerson

Creating something new takes time. It takes patience and perserverance.  It takes commitment and a belief in yourself.  Last week I watched my grandson ride his scooter. He put one foot on the scooter and off he went.  No fear, not any hesitation.  It was as though the wind was behind his back and was there just for him.  His body language said, "I'm free and I'm having fun!"  But it wasn't the first time he rode his scooter.  It was the 100th or more.  After his scooter ride I watched him ride his bike alone without his Dad running next to him.  He looked different this time.  His body was tighter, his hands grippped the handlebars, and as he went to turn we could him hear call softly, "Dad".  But when he made it back to us his body language had changed again.  There was a smile on his face, his hands were a little looser, and his body not so tense.  I have a feeling when I see him this week things will have changed a little more.  Because he is being patient with himself and riding a little each day, it won't be long before he will be hopping on his bike and riding as if the wind was there just for him pushing from behind.

I hope that as you start to create something new this week you will be patient with yourself. I hope that you will take your time and enjoy the steps involved to become really good at what you are doing. When you are patient and work at your craft a little each day, before you know it, you too will be flying with the wind at your back as if it was there just for you. 

Have a wonderful week filled with only special moments and lovely breezy days that are filled with laughter and fun.

Remember:      When you share your dreams and talents with the world, magic happens.  Let the magic begin today.
                                                                                                                                                 Ginny

Do I believe in magic?  Maybe.  I want to.  Whenever I look at the sky at night with all of the stars twinkling, it seems magical. When I am painting a picture and I plan on spending just a few minutes to get started and before I know it the afternoon is gone - it seems like magic!  I love the feeling of being so totally immersed in something that I don't hear the dogs barking, the phone ringing, or the television calling my name. It is as though someone has cast a magical spell over me and for a few hours nothing exists except my painting.  So I am going to have to change my answer. Yes, I do believe in magic!  It's wonderful, it's powerful, and it does exist every time I begin to create something new.  How about you?  Do you believe in magic?

                     When you share your dreams and talent with the world, magic happens.  Let the magic begin!

                                                                                                                                                Ginny

Do remember what it was like to learn to ride a bike or roller skate or ask a friend over to play?  It was scary but once you did it you forgot to be scared and started to have fun.  Taking the first step was and is always the hardest and the most intimidating part of starting something new for me.  But I have learned a few tricks to make beginning something new a lot easier
  
  If I want to make my dreams come true (and I do), I have found that giving myself permission to just try something new for only a few minutes makes starting easier. I don't have to paint or write all day.  I just need to pick up the paint brush or pen and begin.   I also remind myself that making mistakes is a big part of the creative process and so I have given myself permission to make mistakes.  For a perfectionist that is huge.  I remind myself that it is ok if things don't go right the first time. After all, Thomas Edison said, "I have not failed.  I've just found ten thousand ways that won't work." 

When I first started painting I thought every piece should be a masterpiece. I am not sure why I thought that.  I do not have any formal training and I was supposedly painting for enjoyment.  I realize now that I had not given myself permission to play with the paints and to try things just to see what happened. I had not given myself permission to be a beginner.  Beginning something new can be fun.  Living a full life means trying new things and being a beginner over and over again.  It means making mistakes and learning from them. It means not being afraid to try something new because you might not be perfect.  it means overcoming the fear, starting, and finding out that yes, I can do this and I am having fun doing it.  

Try  something new this week.  It could be a new recipe, a new lipstick, or a new way to comb your hair.  Write or paint for just five minutes, take a picture a day, or walk around your neighborhood going in the opposite direction from what you always do.  See how you feel.  Are you having fun?  Are you letting yourself make mistakes?  Give yourself permission to be imperfect.  As you open yourself up to new experiences notice what amazes you, what inspires you, and what makes you happy.  Have fun and enjoy the moment.  Be a beginner - it's fun!

We hope that you will join us on October 1st for our first ever Unleashing Your Creativity Workshop.  It will be fun to meet new people who share our love of all things creative and to "act like a beginner" together.  Please contact Shawn McLeod at [email protected] to register.

                       When you share your dreams and talent with the world, magic happens.  Let the magic begin!
                                                                                                                                                Ginny

                                                                                  What If?

It is always fun to begin something new.  This is the first blog post on our Unleashing Your Creativity site.  It is exciting to get to meet new people through this site and hopefully our blog.  Please visit often and leave comments.  We are hoping to get to know you and to build a community of people who love to create and want to share their ideas and support. 

Today I wanted to share two powerful words - What if?  DId you know that when you ask a question it opens your mind up to endless possibilities?  Ideas begin to flow and new paths begin to form.  This morning I asked myself, "What if I began each day with just one yoga pose?  Would I feel stronger, more centered, and see the world in a more positive way?  Would it make a difference in how my day went?  So this week I am going to start each day with just one pose and pay attention to what happens.   

Here are some possible questions that you might want to reflect upon?  What if I doodled?  What if I called my friend instead of texting her?  What if I walked an extra five minutes?  What if I wrote in my journal before I went to sleep?  What if I cleared a piece of my garden for vegetables?  What if I sang louder or danced longer?  What if I smiled at everyone I met today?  How would it change my life or someone else's day?

We would love to hear your what if question.  We really want to  begin an Unleashing Your Creativity community that grows and grows.  Introduce yourself and let us know what you love to do!  What if we began a movement in Woodstock Georgia that encouraged people all over the world to Unleash Their Creativity?  We can't think of anything better. 


                   When you share your dreams and talents with the world, magic happens.  Let the magic begin!
                                                                                                                                                 Ginny