With gentle anticipation I am stepping back into the studio for this new year! I’ve made plans and I’ve been visioning but I’m also taking a moment to notice what is here, to pay attention with the fresh eyes that come from being away for the holidays. So far I’d say January is showing up like this beautiful “cat in the hood” Moxie – full of vigour, friendliness and enthusiasm!

With so much boisterous energy around, I thought it would be good to get grounded in some of the plans and projects that are on the way! Hopefully there will be something here that piques your interest and inspires your heart! Maybe you’ll find yourself running over to take part, just like Moxie did :)

Circe’s Circle:What we create creates us.

I see it every circle. As women bring a project to work on, something they truly want to bring to life, whether it’s a fully formed idea or the barest whisper of an inkling, as they give themselves over to the creative process, more and more they tune into their deepest heart, their biggest dreams and their inner magic. I intentionally keep this group small so that there can be real connection between everyone and so that each participant gets support and attention every week. Every circle develops a unique character as the right combination of women inevitably join in. Without exception, the women of Circe’s Circle are heart-full and wise (and yes, you are just like them) and they chose to step in to answer a call to embody and express themselves fully and to offer their gifts to the world.

I am excited to go on this journey with a new group of women starting January 26th. I continue to be in awe of the beauty and magic of the women who join, by the deep learning that happens, by the soul connections that are made and by the magic that is created in a circle of love and support. If this speaks to you, please join me. You can find out more here.

A little note: I know so often we look at offerings like this and think “next time.” In case you’ve been thinking that about Circe’s Circle, I should mention that there is some possibility I will be retiring this incredibly unique program. If you want to be sure to have this experience, I encourage you to make now your time.

Beta Magic: I wonder…

Behind the scenes, I’m experimenting with a new offering that I’m really excited about. I won’t say much about it because it is the tender beginning of an idea that’s been in my heart for a long time. I hope this spark will catch fire and become something heart-warming and magnificent here at the studio.

Plus, along with resident web sherpa Kim, I’m experimenting with a way that you could bring me into your community to teach workshops like Pearl Diving or Thrive. I am SO excited about this! More to come.

The Great Tidy Up Transformation: Belonging

If you watch Creative Living Bookshelf, you’ll know that I resisted and then embraced The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. Some of the ideas really took hold and I’ve decided to spend this winter season focused on tidying up! I intend to go through all that I own, keeping those things that inspire joy in me and finding them a home so that everything will have a place. This feels like a natural development on the heels of a year where I focused on and experienced the pleasure and ease of “Simple”, my word for 2014.

I’ve already started and it’s amazing the journey that your things can take you on. My workout wear brought me face-to-face with my past and how my life has changed. My jewellery boxes connected me to my lineage of women and reminded me to be brave enough to invest in beauty that speaks to me.  There are so many insights and stories it’s almost overwhelming! I’ll be sure to share as I go.

Writing a Book: Put it on the Schedule!

For the longest time I had no interest in writing a book. There was room for all that I wanted to express here in the studio, on the blog, on the podcast and in videos.  Over the past year something shifted. Suddenly books have shown up in my imagination, asking to be written. I even made major progress in one during NaNoWriMo last year. And as the ideas started to demand attention I realized I would never “find time” to take on something as big as a book. The only way to get it done would be to commit. As of this week, I have booked two mornings a week to the book(s). It’s a start and we’ll see where that opening leads!

Monthly Magazine Challenge: Implementing Inspiration

When inspiration strikes, I’m a firm believer in doing something with it! So often we read a book, an article, a magazine or we see something on Pinterest and we think, “Wow, awesome” and then we highlight it, pin it, clip it, Tumblr it and promptly forget it. This year I want to make sure that I actually take on some of those inspirations, even if it’s simply making a recipe that I found somewhere. (In fact, last night I made this and despite having a crockpot crisis and having to go to stove top, it turned out great!) I’m hopeful this challenge will add some wonderful experiences to my life this year – and maybe yours too!

Communication Clarity: Or How I Miss the Obvious

This season the big focus in the studio is going to be improving  communications, most notably making clear what the studio is all about, what’s on offer here and how you can take part. Over the years I (and, I know, many of you too) have become so immersed in the world here at Jamie Ridler Studios that sometimes things start to be unsaid. Like when Kim pointed out to me that I’d started calling the Full Moon Dreamboard workshops The Year of Dreams without making it clear that these are workshops and they’re about creating dreamboards! And what is a dreamboard anyway? Why would you want to make one?

As someone with a special love for working with people at the tender and brave place of stepping into something new, whether that’s creativity, entrepreneurship or being true to your self, I am committed to making it clear, easy and welcoming to take part in and be a part of the studio.

Making Friends with Machines: Or Learning to Use My New Camera

I’m wired for learning. If I’m not in the midst of learning something, I’m at loose ends. It feels like something’s missing . I’m endlessly signing up for new classes, taking on new projects and challenges. (You too, right?)

Over the past year, I’ve come up with some challenges that I find really and truly intimidating, the kinds of things that maybe I’ll end up deciding are simply not for me, the kinds of things that my mind goes blank over, where I *blink* *blink* like a deer in the headlights. It was only recently that I realized that each of these intimidating learning opportunities had something in common: they all involved the use of sophisticated machines! The first was my Learning to Sew adventure , which I started last year. The next, which I’m taking on this year, is learning to use a DSLR camera. And the last, I’ll let you know if I get to it, hehe.

Clearly there is a barrier to entry here for me. It may be that I’m just not mechanically inclined. Or maybe that’s not true at all and it’s just that I don’t have much experience. Maybe I need some good and patient teachers. Maybe I’ve got some old beliefs and fears to be cleared. Whatever it is I know that want to brave it.

And continuing…

I’m back with the Behind the Scenes this year. I’m going to have to make some adjustments but I do want to keep hanging out with you in the morning! The Creative Living with Jamie podcast will be back next week. My sisters and I will be continuing with stART: Creating as We Go and, in fact, have some fun new ideas for it too! And I remain committed to working with my practices of moving, meditation and writing each day.

My Word for 2015: Thrive

I’ve been contemplating this word and how it might infuse all of these gorgeous projects and pursuits. I think the underlying key is to be sure to tend lovingly to my vitality so that I can show up with the energy and enthusiasm to match the way that 2015 has stepped in! I’m excited and looking forward to the year ahead. I hope you are too.

What’s on your plate this month? What’s got you excited for the New Year?

For years I’ve had people telling me that they’d love to experience the kind of planning day that I do every year.

Tomorrow’s the Day!

For years I’ve been designing, re-designing and re-re-designing how to make a plan for my year that was true to my heart, flexible for my soul and supported me in getting things done. With that vision in mind and a constant stream of refinements, along with my sister Shannon, I have finally settled into something that really works.

At the end of each year, we dream, we have fun and we get clear on what we want for the year ahead. Even with our vastly different styles (my plan ends up held lightly in coloured cut-outs on a magnet board and Shannon’s is recorded, tracked and analyzed in Excel) we’ve found a process that fits us both!

I want to share it with you.

Design Your Year Gives You…

• Dedicated Time. It’s time to stop planning to make a plan and actually make one! Take the time now so you can spend next year living the life you want to live!
• Structure & Support: You don’t have to figure it out alone! I’ll guide you through a step-by-step process. Whether you attend live or work with the recording, you have access to me if you get stuck or stymied!
• A Repeatable Design Process: What you learn in the workshop you’ll be able to use again and again. You will leave with a useful new process in your toolkit.
• Clarified Priorities: A plan built on the wrong foundations is not only doomed for failure but it also hurts! Your design plan will be built on the ground of what’s truly important to you – and the workshop will help you name what that is!
• A Plan (not a Straightjacket): You’ll leave with an intentional road map for the year ahead, one that keeps you focused and clear without being oppressive.
• Your Word of the Year: What better time to discover your word of the year than when you’re immersed in the heart and soul of your plans for next year!
• Peace of Mind: With a plan you have confidence in, you can let your mind rest. Knowing you’re ready to start next year with clarity, you can settle in and be present for the holiday season!

One participant said…

Working with Jamie is always a wonderful experience. Planning Day was all that I hoped for and more. I had time to focus on what is important in my life, celebrate what I accomplished in 2014, and begin to think about and plan for 2015.

When Planning Day was finished I knew that I had a solid plan for how to begin my year but I also knew that my plan was fluid and flexible and that I could easily adjust it as needed. As always Jamie was prepared, fun, and always ready with a thoughtful answer if something didn’t seem to just right for me.

Planning Day is something that I will do from now on. I’m not only ready for 2015 but I’m excited to see what happens next! Thank you once again, Jamie for a terrific experience.”

Ginny Lennox

 

The Details

• Webinar: Take part from anywhere in the world!
• Date: Friday, December 5, 2014
• Time: 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm EST
• Recorded: Participate at a time that is right for you. (You’ll be able to watch the recorded workshop until December 21st)
• Supplies: I’ve kept it really simple: something to write with, something to write on, post-it notes, a magazine and a datebook or calendar. (For more details, watch the video below)
• Price: $60

Updated Details:

The Live Event took place on December 5, but you have not missed out!! The entire workshop is available until January 31!! 

• Webinar: Take part from anywhere in the world!
• Date: The entire workshop is available as a recording for YOU to participate anytime until January 31, 2015 !!
• Time: You choose a time that works, dive in and Design Your Year !
• Supplies: I’ve kept it really simple: something to write with, something to write on, post-it notes, a magazine and a datebook or calendar.
• Price: $60
• Special Note: When I say “the entire workshop is available” I really do mean all of it  – the video, the chat stream, everything! – so you can participate as if you were there with us but on a date and time that is best for you. Also, you can set your own pace which may be the most perfect thing for you!

Register for Design Your Year: Planning Day

$60

Have Questions?

I made a video answering all of the questions that have come in, including more details about supplies and…

How can we plan when life is so chaotic and unpredictable?

What if you’ve never planned before?

What about overwhelm?

Have more questions? Email Me

And here are the questions I have for you…

• What if next year was the year your ideas took form?
• What if next year you stepped out of the dark cloud of over-thinking and stepped into a year of purpose with a plan?
• What if you had a road map for adventure, one that allows for following your nose but also keeps you from getting lost?
• What if next year end you were able to look back and say, “Holy noodle! Look what I did!!”

Ready to Make a Plan?

Register for Design Your Year: Planning Day

$60

Register Now

Price: $50

(Note: If you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, you’re coming up on the Full Strawberry Moon.You can access the appropriate dreamboard workshop here)

Years ago, sitting in my mom’s living room, hanging out with Mom and my sisters, cutting and gluing, dreaming, chatting, I had no idea that a life-changing practice had entered into my life. Who would imagine that a simple, creative activity could open up the door to my dreams.

And I’m not alone.

Over the years, I have learned to make dreamboards not only as manifestation tools (which they are!) but also as powerful reflecting pools. Creating a dreamboard with each full moon has helped me tune into my inner compass; it keeps me focused on true north. Join me in this Full Moon practice and connect to your self, the Universe and your dreams: big and small, tender and brave, mundane and wild.

This year I have launched something new, something rooted deeply in dreamboards, in moon cycles, in creativity and magic, rooted in my deep belief in dreams and in you: a Year of Dreams.

A Year of Dreams

On every New Moon, I will launch a new workshop that will guide you in creating your dreamboard under the specific influence of the upcoming Full Moon (e.g. Full Snow Moon, Full Worm Moon, Full Pink Moon). Every monthly offering will include not only the moon-specific workshop but also the How to Make a Dreamboard the Studio Way lesson so that we are all creating in the same context and on the same sacred ground. Once you purchase your first Year of Dreams workshop, you will receive a coupon giving you access to a special price for every workshop this year.

The Full Cold Moon asks: What comforts do you dream of? What dreams feel like home?

And that is the question we will be focusing on for this workshop. From the moment you arrive, that question will start to steep in your heart. Clues will begin to bubble as you gather your materials, holding the question in your heart. As you step into the creative process, you will start to engage with your dreams. When you enter the circle with the Full Moon, you will have the opportunity to discover the messages she has for you. In that moment, you will create a dreamboard that will become a manifestation magnet but that will also serve as a reflecting pool, helping you discover the dreams in your heart – and the parts of yourself – that want to emerge.

Here’s what you get with this workshop:

• Welcome: A personal welcome video from me, introducing you to the workshop and inviting you into the circle.
• Dreamboard Lesson: A complete lesson on How to Make a Dreamboard the Studio Way, rich with magic, creativity, intention and intuition.
• Full Moon Dreamboard Workshop: In this audio workshop, I take you on a journey to connect to the energy of this Full Moon. From that place you will then connect to your dreams in a deep and powerful way before embarking on the creative process of dreamboarding. Once you’ve made your board, we will journal our way to discovering the magical messages it has for you.
• Full Moon Guided Visualization: One of the most powerful aspects of the workshop is connecting to the magic of the full moon. You’ll receive a separate MP3 so that you can visit with this Full Moon anytime.
• Full Moon Journal Sheets: To support you in the workshop, you will receive downloadable journal sheets, one to connect you to your dreams in this very moment and the other to uncover the wisdom within your dreamboard.
• Printable Supply List: This supply list will make sure you have everything you need for dreamboarding.
• Bonus Lesson: An additional lesson designed specifically to give you even more opportunity to deepen your experience with your dreamboard and bring more of its magic to life.
• Bonus Resource: A PDF of the moon cycles of 2014
• Bonus Coupon: Once you sign up, you receive a coupon code that is good for the entire Year of Dreams series (12 workshops)
• Bonus Opportunity: Access to a dreamboard discovery session with me – at a special price!

A Note About Timing: When you register, you’ll have immediate access to this program and everything you need to know in order to create your dreamboard for the Full Moon.

Register Now

Price: $50

(Psst… If you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, you can access the Full Strawberry Moon Workshop here.)

More love from dreamers…

• I see so many doors and possibilities opening up already as a result of the workshops and my dreamboard. So exciting! Sara Rae
• I feel power crackling within my own [dreamboard]. It’s amazing. Angie
• I feel like my dreamboard reached into those core dreams that I sometimes hold back. Tonight, they are out and I feel WILD! Rae
• This was an incredibly powerful project. I have spent the better part of the past two weeks since the New Moon thinking about it, and collecting thoughts and images. But putting it all together and gluing it down — wow — such a commitment to myself that was. Camilla.
• It opened my eyes to the many dreams & desires I’ve been keeping deep within. Thanks, Jamie! Poetic Dreams
• This helped me to start back to where I need to be, listen to my intuition again. Thank you. Anita
• This is exactly what I need to keep living intentionally. Thank you, Jamie! Ginette
• What a wonderful way to focus intention for the month ahead. I almost felt like working magic! Emily
• I found a magical message hidden in a bunch of random magazines! Amazing. Thanks again, Jamie. Elle
• Thank you, Jamie, for creating this sacred space and place and for holding all our dreams so tenderly. Susan

What if next year was the year your ideas took form?

What if next year you stepped out of the dark cloud of over-thinking and stepped into a year of purpose with a plan?

What if you had a road map for adventure, one that allows for following your nose but also keeps you from getting lost?

What if next year end you were able to look back and say, “Holy noodle! Look what I did!!”

Let’s Design That Year!

For years I’ve been designing, re-designing and re-re-designing how to make a plan for my year that was true to my heart, flexible for my soul and supported me in getting things done. With that vision in mind and a constant stream of refinements, my sister Shannon and I finally settled into something that really works. As the end of the year approaches, we set aside some planning time and go through the process of designing our year. We dream, we have fun and we get very clear on what we want for the year ahead. Even with our vastly different styles (my plan ends up held lightly on coloured cut-outs and Shannon’s is recorded, tracked and analyzed in Excel) we’ve found a process that works! I want to share it with you.

Who’s this workshop for?

Big Dreamers: Have a big dream that you want to bring to life? One that is so exciting you can’t wait to get started but so big you don’t know how to begin? How exciting – and also overwhelming! I’m a big believer in big dreams and I want you to move forward on yours next year. In this workshop you’ll have the opportunity to gently and lovingly ground that idea in an actual plan without every diminishing its grandeur and beauty. You’ll keep your eye on the big picture while working with manageable chapters each season.

Idea Generators: Have so many sparkling ideas that you don’t know how to choose, and hey, why should you have to? It sucks to let things go! The only problem is that holding them onto them all is exhausting! It’s like trying to hold a whole litter of puppies all at once – awesome but wow, you can’t do it forever! I don’t want you to give up any of your gorgeous ideas. What I do want for you is to end next year with a bunch of them that you can jump up and down about and say, “Complete!! Complete!!” This design plan allows you to make a bunch of choices for next year, to choose your personal perfect mix of tantalizing projects you want to bring to life. And the great news? Next year, you get to pick some more!

Wonderers: And what if you have absolutely no idea what you want to create next year or maybe just the wisp of a feeling that’s like a memory of a dream? Don’t despair. Let’s make next year the one where that wisp turns into a guide and then into a touchstone of your dream. When everything seems so tenuous and uncertain, it is a relief to have some structure, something to hold your explorations, your wonderings, your heart. We’ll start there and then play with the possibilities of what you’ve discovered.  Your design plan will allow you to start trying on possibilities, to live into what you’re discovering and make adjustments along the way. You’ll find more clarity with every step.

You! Wherever you are starting, whatever you are imagining for the year ahead, this workshop gives you the time, space and support to lay the foundations, to move into next year with intention, to create what you envision in the year ahead.

Designing Your Year Gives You…

• Dedicated Time. It’s time to stop planning to make a plan and actually make one! Take the time now so you can spend next year living the life you want to live!
• Structure & Support: You don’t have to figure it out alone! I’ll guide you through a step-by-step process. Whether you attend live or work with the recording, you have access to me if you get stuck or stymied!
• A Repeatable Design Process: What you learn in the workshop you’ll be able to use again and again. You will leave with a useful new process in your toolkit.
• Clarified Priorities: A plan built on the wrong foundations is not only doomed for failure but it also hurts! Your design plan will be built on the ground of what’s truly important to you – and the workshop will help you name what that is!
• A Plan (not a Straightjacket):  You’ll leave with an intentional road map for the year ahead, one that keeps you focused and clear without being oppressive.
• Your Word of the Year: What better time to discover your word of the year than when you’re immersed in the heart and soul of your plans for next year!
• Peace of Mind: With a plan you have confidence in, you can let your mind rest. Knowing you’re ready to start next year with clarity, you can settle in and be present for the holiday season!

The Details

• Webinar: Take part from anywhere in the world!
• Date: The entire workshop is available as a recording for YOU to participate anytime!!
• Time: You choose a time that works, dive in and Design Your Year !
• Supplies: I’ve kept it really simple: something to write with, something to write on, post-it notes, a magazine and a datebook or calendar.
• Price: $60
• Special Note: When I say “the entire workshop is available” I really do mean all of it  – the video, the chat stream, everything! – so you can participate right along with the live event recording as if you were there with us but on a date and time that is best for you. Also, you can set your own pace which may be the most perfect thing for you!

Start Creating the Year You Want!

Registration for Design Your Year: $60

PS If you’re looking to list every to-do for every project and plot it into your schedule from now until New Years, this is not the workshop for you. We’ll be designing your year with an eye on your vision, a way to work in manageable pieces and a focus on what’s next. In my experience, the plan-it-all-in-advance approach leads to hair-pulling, anxiety and wasted effort. Life is an ever-changing mystery so our plans need to be organic and adaptable. If that sounds good to you, come and join us.