Category: Be

March 5, 2017

Walking the Talk and Finding Inspiration along the Way

One of the things I always say is that rest is part of the work – and this week I have to heed my own words. What started as a cold/flu has turned into bronchitis with some complications and I’ve been in bed most of the week. Luckily I have kittens to give me healing cuddles and lots of people sending me love and healing vibes. I’m sure I’ll be better in no time – as long as I rest.

As a part of my nourishment, I’m trying to surround myself with inspiration.

I thought I’d share a few of the things I am truly enjoying, just in case they would nourish you too.

If you have Netflix, they have a new documentary series called Abstract: The Art of Design. I’ve only watched the first episode but it was fascinating. It focused on one designer, his thoughts and processes and was visually interesting too.

For the photography lovers out there, Netflix has another documentary series, Tales by Light. Again, I’ve only watched the first episode, which followed a marine photographer and the moments he captures with humpback whales are truly extraordinary!

When I have enough energy to read, I’m still enjoying Thunder and Lightning by Natalie Goldberg. In this book she covers moving from writing practice to creating writing projects. There’s also a whole section dedicated to the importance of reading to a writer. I think this is worth thinking about for all of our pursuits. If we are musicians, are we listening to music too? If we are teachers, are we taking classes too?

I’m also truly having a wonderful time reading Leonard: My Fifty-Year Friendship with a Remarkable Man by William Shatner with David Fisher. What a fascinating and affectionate story of two actors (and characters) that have been a part of my imagination for as long as I can remember. Plus a treat to discover Leonard Nimoy’s serious commitment to the art and craft of acting.

‘m also taking the opportunity to gently catch up on any classes that I’ve signed up for that have been sitting waiting for my attention. Even though I may not get up and draw or paint for a while, I can still immerse myself in the learning and the company of great teachers.

What’s inspiring you these days?

I’d love for you to add to my inspiration well too.

January 15, 2017

Filling Your Creative Well

This year I have made the commitment to develop and honour a regular practice of filling my creative well. I plan to devote a little time each day and a larger block of time once a week to creative nourishment by engaging in rich experiences that spark my creative heart. It may be as simple as taking time to read, listen to or watch something inspiring, enriching and thought-provoking. It may be taking myself on an artist date out and about in the city. I will follow my curiosity where it leads.

When I stumble across something wonderfully creatively nourishing, I’d like to share it with you.

Art First

Once again I have enrolled in Carla Sonheim‘s year-long course. This year’s 365 is made up of short daily videos designed to “activate your art brain.” I have been loving getting to these first thing in the morning. I wake up extra early and make this a special time for me, turning on the twinkie lights and getting a lovely cup of coffee. Not only do I watch the video but I also do the exercise. Since January 1st, I have pondered, painted, written a haiku and drawn before dawn, often while still in my PJs. By the time I am filming the BTS, coaching my clients or preparing for a class, I have already done some creating. I feel filled up and raring to go after this wholesome creative breakfast.

What would be different if you did what was important to you first?

Study for Free

One of the things that I have always been interested in but never studied is Art History. This week I remembered the amazing resource Mooc, Massive Online Open Courses. Mooc is an aggregator site that pulls together free online courses offered by universities and colleges around the world. Imagine! Classes are in a broad range of topics, including things like the Ancient Greek Hero and Sharpened Visions: A Poetry Workshop. Inspired by some of the paintings in the Mystical Landscapes exhibit at the Art Gallery of Ontario, I signed up for Modern Genius: Art and Culture in the 19th Century. Mooc can be a little confusing to navigate but if you’re patient and persistent, there’s gold.

What have you been wanting to learn more about?

Minimalism

I am not a minimalist by any means but out of curiosity I watched Minimalism: A Documentary about the Important Things (currently on Netflix) and suddenly I couldn’t let the concept go. I soon found myself listening to The Minimalists podcast, hosted by Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus, and then checking out their blog and books. To be honest, I was confused by the way the topic hooked me. I mean, as a creative with about a billion projects on the go at any given moment and about a gazillion things I am interested in exploring, I couldn’t see how minimalism would ever work for me.

The answer was in three little words in the documentary’s subtitle: the important things. According to The Minimalists, the idea is to free yourself of anything that does not add value to your life. Once that is accomplished, you are better able to devote yourself to and enjoy the blessings of the important things.

If you’ve been around the studio for a while (and particularly if you’ve done Planning Day with me) you’ll know how deeply I believe the key to authenticity, fulfillment and happiness is aligning our lives with what is truly important to us (not to anyone else, to us). As I went through this year’s planning process, I was surprised to find new priorities emerging and have been very focused on bringing my time, energy, resources into alignment with that discovery. No wonder this approach to minimalism is capturing my attention!

What is important to you? With that in mind, what is it time to let go of?

Hygge

During the holidays, I came across the concept of hygge. According to VisitDenmark.com, “Hygge means creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with good people.” I think this is what I am trying to create when I invite my friends over for Journal Jam, this feeling of ease, welcome, safety and belonging.

As I read about Hygge, particularly The Cozy Life by Pia Edberg, the thing I am most drawn to is the utter unpretentiousness of it all. Yes, please, invite people into your home, make them feel welcome and cared for, enjoy your time together, knowing your shared joy has nothing to do with the perfection. Put the kettle on, light some candles, plate some cookies, plug in the twinkie lights and you are all set.

How could you add a little hygge to your winter?

Being All In

Ever since I was a little girl, I have been a lover of fantasy and wonder. When I came across the exquisite photographs of Kirsty Mitchell, I was blown away. In remembrance of her mother, who was a lover of stories and who died of cancer, Kirsty has created exuberant, detailed visions of a wildly imaginative world. What caught my artist’s heart was not only the beauty of the work itself but the deep and passionate commitment that fueled every aspect of creation. Imagine what it must be like to create work of this scale and detail. Imagine the devotion!

What will you pour your passion into with devotion?

Comics

From early on in our adventure with the kittens, I’ve seen our shared lives as a comic strip. All of these moments and memories – the tough, the tender, the overwhelming and the hilarious – inspire me deeply. For some reason all I want to do is capture them in little illustrated grid stories. The thing is, of all the arts, drawing is the one that intimidates me most of all. Because of this, it’s an area that I haven’t developed much skill in. The good news is that doesn’t necessarily have to stop me (or you !)

Last year, reading Syllabus by Lynda Barry was a great start to recognizing that we all have a unique hand and with an earnest effort (and a bit of bravery) we can create something compelling and true. Now I am enrolled in Summer Pierre’s Writing and Drawing Comics and loving it. I am challenging myself to not only do all of the writing and drawing but to share it in class, to believe that my attempts will communicate something. And heck, I’ll get better as I go. I know the kittens are going to give me lots of chance to practice!

If you were being brave, what would you try to create?

March 15, 2016

Creativity Blooms

You don’t have to justify your desire to create,

any more than a flower needs to justify its desire to bloom.

November 8, 2015

The Dance & Danger of Social Media

On the radio this week I heard about young Instagram star Essena O’Neill who quit social media because, though her stream would suggest she was living a dream, she was, in fact, miserable. She shares candidly how the “life” she showed the world was created through painstaking effort and sponsorship and reveals that only more followers made her feel any better. In her YouTube farewell, she entreats everyone to live life in the real world, not on a screen; her pain is palpable.

And her pain is familiar. It’s pain that shows up not only in social media but also in social circles. It shows up on teams and on Twitter, on home pages and at home.

It’s the pain of showing up as someone other than yourself.

How many of us show up at work in a way that is expected rather than the way we are?

How many of us are being crushed by relationships built on an image rather than on the truth?

How many of us are putting on a performance every single day?

Are you?

I’ve done it. I have hidden my sensitivity so I wouldn’t be seen as incapable or, worse, spoiled. I have tamped down my enthusiasm so as not be disruptive. I have swallowed my questions so as not to be disrespectful. I’ve rationed my ideas so I wouldn’t take over. I’ve hidden my needs so I wouldn’t be demanding.

The more of me I hid, the more I was weighed down by what I wasn’t expressing, the more I wanted to fight or give up, the more I woke up with my stomach churning, the more unfathomable tears I cried.

A disconnect between our truth and our lives hurts.

When we live our lives as avatars rather than as people, the space between who we are and who we seem to be surrounds us with emptiness, an emptiness that fills with self-doubt, tears, pain, rage and numbness. The pain increases the more we build our life on what is not not true. Playing a perfect role reinforces to our hearts that there is something wrong with us, something about us that needs to be hidden away.

Because social media is still relatively new, it gives us a fresh context and a powerful opportunity to see this schism. It is a message for all of us, not just social media stars, to wake up to where we are suffering a separation from our souls.

It is dangerous when we only allow people to see a perfectly constructed self that is disconnected from the truth, the heart, the raw sinew of our souls.

That’s easy to forget when that false self starts raking in rewards. We give people what they want and expect and we are showered with likes and shares, praise and promotions and for a moment we feel loved. We’re thrilled that we have been received so fully and powerfully until we realize we haven’t been received at all because what we have shared is not our self. We then shake in our boots in fear that someone will discover that it’s just us behind the mask. We create this image to experience a sense of safety and acceptance and ultimately we find it’s a cage.

Here’s the rub: it’s also true that if we share the raw sinew of our souls there is danger too.

There’s a reason that we fabricate this false self and it isn’t just for riches and YouTube followers. It’s vulnerable to be who we are. We risk being rejected. We risk being criticized and ridiculed. We risk being adored and having demands placed on us. We risk having the haters come to call. We risk having no one coming to call at all.

When we offer the world an avatar instead of ourselves it’s like we’re trying to rig the game. We’re trying to take all the gamble out of playing this thing called life. We figure that of course everyone is going to like us. Look at our paint-covered hands, our darling outfit and our winning smile. Look at our shining kitchen, our successful business, our beautiful blog. No one will see outside the frame. No one will see our doubt, our fear, our mess, our oddness. They’ll see us as beautiful, magnificent and when they do, we will too – and that’s what we’re aching for.

We all want to experience our magnificence. We all want to be loved. We all want to find a community where we feel at home.

Life is a dance of individuality and intimacy.

If the path lies anywhere it lies somewhere between the extremes of hiding and raw transmission in that sweet spot where you feel authentic and alive and are able to meaningfully connect with others. It’s a dance, a dance in which, no doubt, we will make mistakes. Some days we will wake up with what Brené Brown calls a vulnerability hangover. Other days we will seethe with what we should have said or done or been.

This is what it means to be human, achingly, fallibly, bravely human. Have compassion for everyone on the dance floor.

October 31, 2015

Costuming: Not Just for Halloween Anymore

Have you ever dressed up as a princess? A pirate? A detective? Have you left that behind, a distant memory of childhood play? Do you revive this imaginative activity, but only on Halloween?

Let me invite you to invoke the power of costume to infuse your creative dreams.

Now, are you sitting there saying, “Nuh-uh, Jamie! I am not dressing up as a fairy.”

Or are you wondering, “Do I get to wear wings?”

What if everything in your closet was imbued with magical properties? What if that skirt invoked your inner dancer? What if those sunglasses turned you into a starlet? What if that jaunty hat transformed you into a journalist?

They can.

With a background in theatre, I know the power of costume. A hoop skirt and sensible shoes brings out very different aspects of your personality than feathers and fishnets. What we put on daily has a similar effect, so why not get dressed with intention? This isn’t about putting on something to mask the inner you or to pretend to be something you’re not. It’s about how our clothes can bring out different aspects of who we truly are.

When I started teaching Nia, a barefoot practice grounded in the joy of movement, I thought about the qualities of my “inner Nia teacher.” Who did I want to be for my class? I remembered the power and poise of my dance teacher. I thought of the precision and humour of my Nia trainer. I thought of my own enthusiasm and commitment to helping people be the star they are. These thoughts led me to outfits ranging from sassy T’s to sequins. What fun!

If you imagine who you are becoming, who you are wanting to grow into, how can some key costume changes support you? It doesn’t have to be an entire wardrobe. Brilliant and influential theatre director Bertolt Brecht insisted that a costume could be simply one evocative piece, but it must be the perfect piece.

Which one item would bolster your inner “writer” or “entrepreneur” or “artist”?

Don’t rely on what’s already in your wardrobe. This part of you may not have shown up yet. Take yourself out costume shopping, even if it’s just to look and imagine. Explore magazines. Make an inspiration board. Take yourself to second-hand and vintage stores. Try on an outrageous amount of options. You never know what you’re going to slip into and think, “Yes! This is it!” (I once bought a pair of what I called “witch’s disco boots” Who knew?) Look beyond the stereotypes to find something that has deep, personal resonance for you. It doesn’t have to make sense to anyone else. It simply has to invite the expression of this fledgling part of you.

You are the designer of your own life – and that includes the costuming!

September 24, 2015

Lessons I’ve Learned from My First Capsule Wardrobe

At the beginning of June, I came across this idea of creating a capsule wardrobe, a small collection of clothing items designed to serve all your needs for the season. As someone who has always loved the self-expression of style, I was surprised that this concept caught and held my attention so fiercely. Wouldn’t this minimalist approach be limiting? Wouldn’t I get bored? Wouldn’t the BtS audience get bored! Still, I couldn’t quite shake the thought that there was something in it for me and so I decided to give it a go this summer. Here’s what I learned.

Creating a Capsule Wardrobe Raised My Standards

When you are only going to have x-amount of shirts/pants/sweaters in your wardrobe, you want every one to be something you love and enjoy wearing. All sorts of mediocre, well-worn clothes I’ve kept in my drawers for ages didn’t make the cut. I realized that if I didn’t choose them this season, how likely was I to choose them the next? Suddenly, it was easy to let go.

The Simplicity of the Capsule Wardrobe Put Me at Ease

No more decision fatigue! No more sifting through piles of clothes in overstuffed drawers. No more looking for a shirt that will match those pants and vice versa. If something was in my dresser or my closet, I knew it fit, was in a good state of repair and worked with something else that was close by.

I was also surprised by how much the spaciousness in my storage put my energy at ease. There was room for my clothes – and for me – to breathe!

It’s Not Forever! This Capsule Is Just for a Season

It was important to me that I was creating a capsule for a season, not forever! It wasn’t about getting down to the bare bones or making irrevocable decisions about the way I dress. I didn’t have to find the one perfect pair of pants that would last a lifetime or donate everything that wasn’t chosen right now. If I loved something but it didn’t go with my vision for the season, great! I put it away like a treasure to be discovered next time. If I wanted to experiment, great! I could play with something for a season and if it wasn’t for me, I could let it go for the next.

A Capsule Wardrobe Travels Well

To end off our summer and celebrate Justin’s birthday, we went on a three-day trip to the Niagara region. It was amazingly easy to pack. Everything I had in my seasonal capsule worked well together and was ready to go in a snap!

My Capsule Wardrobe Gave Me Clarity

Living with my choices helped me refine them. Even within my limited selection, I could see what I went for again and again and what I never reached for. This experience has helped me get even clearer on what I love and what works for me.

I’m clear that a base of white, black and grey with the addition of seasonal colours works for me and I love it. I’m clear that I will only wear things I can move in and that accessories are a priority. I’m clear that though I love me a whole lot of classic, I enjoy at least a little something that’s “on trend.” I’m clear that for me, sparkle is an essential part of everyday living.

Clarity Is a Money-Saver

I discovered that a capsule wardrobe saves you money beyond the simple fact of having less clothing. The biggest impact has come from keeping me and my finances focused on the right clothing! No more buying a bunch of stuff I don’t wear and then not having a budget for what I actually need. When you pull together everything you can from what you have, it becomes very clear what it’s time to invest in. Instead of spending on a dozen random shirts, I was clear that finding a good summer pant that would take me from work to adventures about town was what I needed.

And Yes… I Cheated

In the first couple of weeks of my summer capsule, I felt like wearing a shirt I hadn’t chosen. I dove into my “archives” and put it on. Immediately I fussed with it, not quite liking how it was sitting on me or how it worked with my pants. Aha! That’s why I didn’t choose it! Instead of proving the limitations of the capsule wardrobe, my little cheat reinforced my capsule choices and gave me the confidence to go further; without hesitation I donated the shirt.

Will I Do It Again?

A resounding yes! In fact, I’m in the midst of switching over to my fall capsule now. I’m starting with noting the structure of my summer wardrobe (i.e. how many pants, shirts, etc.) since it worked so well and letting that be a guide. I’m letting go of summer items I didn’t wear and I’m pulling out fall possibilities from what I already own. I’m getting curious about what’s inspiring me right now – the colours, the shapes, the mood – and paying attention to what I’ll be doing this season. I’ll also see what shows up on my dreamboard. All of that will help guide my way as I design The Jamie Collection – Fall 2015!

July 26, 2015

Nourish Your Self; Nourish Your Dreams

“We are such stuff as dreams are made on.” Prospero. The Tempest. William Shakespeare.

Nourish Your Self; Nourish Your Dreams

I know you have dreams. I know that inside your heart are the seeds of many dreams, seeds that need to be nourished with time, attention and love. But I want to tell you a secret. What your dreams need more than anything else is a nourished, cared-for you.

Prospero is right, “We are such stuff as dreams are made on.” Though your dreams may eventually take on a life of their own, in the beginning they are fully dependent on you, so tending to yourself is, in fact, tending to your dreams.

When we take care of our bodies, we have energy to give.

When we feed our minds, we have tinder for our creative fire.

When we experience life, we have something to be inspired by.

When we take time to breathe, we give our dreams room to unfurl.

When we are nourished, we have lots to share.

And, creative heart, I know you want to share.

What Nourishment Do You Need?

How can you create an environment where you, your creativity and your dreams flourish? What do your mind, body, heart and spirit need? Some of us thrive on a rhythm of rise and fall, while others enjoy a steady pace. Some of us embrace mornings, while others come alive at night. What brings your energy to life? What nourishes your imagination, your spirit, your body? What lights you up? What grounds you?

Here are some journaling prompts to help you hone in on your unique way of nourishing yourself so you can create a fertile environment for you and your dreams. Be specific and see if you can come up with at least 10 different ways to complete each sentence.

Take It To Your Journal: Ways to Nourish Your Self

Some ways to nourish my emotional self are…
Some ways to nourish my physical self are…
Some ways to nourish my spiritual self are…
Some ways to nourish my mental self are…
Some ways to nourish my creative self are…

The seeds of our dreams need nourished soil in which to grow. Let’s start with nourishing our selves. Let’s start right now.