Appreciating 2009

As 2009 draws to a close, I feel it is important to bask and appreciate some of my accomplishments and experiences that were fun, uplifting and joyful. It’s like saying to the Universe, more of this please!

Feeling grateful or appreciative of someone or something in your life actually attracts more of the things that you appreciate and value into your life. ~Christiane Northrup, M.D.

At the beginning of the year, I felt quite keenly that it was time to lessen my workload with a wonderful organization called Arts for People. For several years I have facilitated expressive arts sessions in dance, creative movement, visual arts, drama, and creative writing for folks in a psych hospital, special ed kids, women in shelters, men and women with AIDS, young adults who had learning challenges, youth-at-risk, and people with cancer. While this work is extremely rewarding, I intuitively knew it was time to create more space in my life for the next thing.

I’d like to honor Arts for People and their wonderful mission by posting this link to a video about the organization. The first part of the video shows some shots from a workshop I lead at Gilda’s Club of North Texas around three or four years ago. I am in a light turquoise blouse and brown pants.

Right after making this decision, I was selected to be a grant recipient and received three months of business coaching with a true woman of substance and sparkle, Jennifer Moore of Pink Heels. I got to meet Jennifer in person in November in Austin which was pure delight!

My work with Jennifer catapulted me into taking Expressive Hart to the next level. For the past 15 years or more, I’ve lead all types of creative expression workshops that I’ve either produced myself or have taught at places like the Unity Church of Dallas, or the continuing education departments of SMU and TCU. I wanted the time and space to develop new workshops and retreats and to create more of an online presence.

New Logo

Some accomplishments include having a new logo created by Lisa Marie Loving, creating a new vision and mission statement, and writing a business plan. I might add that I added some creative elements to many of these business endeavors. (More about that in 2010!)

I started a blog and entered the world of social media via Facebook and Twitter. I also “met” many wondrous creative bloggers through such online circles as Wishcasting Wednesday and The Next Chapter hosted by Jamie Ridler. To my surprise, I was asked to write some guest blogs and to be interviewed by some luminous creative souls such as Leah Piken Kolidas, Connie Hozvicka and Christine Reed.

Soul Sisters at IEATA

In August, I flew to Cambridge and attended the International Expressive Arts Therapy Association (IEATA) conference. I met some soul sisters including Betsy Gutting, Odile Nicolette, Lori Tuttle, Sheri Gaynor and Deborah Koff-Chapin. I also had a great visit with Jane Goldberg (I took her year-long professional expressive arts training as did Betsy and Odile). It was a feeling of coming home to re-connect with my expressive arts tribe.

In October, I co-facilitated a yoga and expressive arts workshop with Tracy Carruth which was a joy. We are also co-leading a retreat to Costa Rica in 2010! In August, my husband and I co-facilitated an Evening of Dance and Live Drumming. We want to do more of these in the future.

Another accomplishment was to honor my inner visual artist. I also feel it is important to fill my creative well as an expressive arts practitioner so I took an eight-week intuitive painting class from Margie Woods Brown and an online mixed media class called “Spill It” from Carmen Torbus. And, I participated in the Art Every Day Challenge during November.

An organized closet!

We all know how liberating and good it feels when we organize a room that has been unorganized for a long time. Such was the case with my expressive arts room. I knew I needed professional help so I enlisted Shannon Williams to help me organize all of my art supplies, books, and just STUFF.

Another highlight was to see Sue Monk Kidd and her daughter, Ann Kidd Taylor talk about their new book, “Traveling with Pomegranates,” which has inspired a new workshop and e-course to be unveiled in 2010 called “Necessary Fire.” I absolutely adored “The Secret Lives of Bees” and “The Dance of the Dissident Daughter” and had heard Sue speak before, so I knew I was in for a treat.

I adore traveling. My husband and I took a magical trip to French Polynesia in May. It was a glorious adventure traipsing around the breathtakingly beautiful islands of Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora, Raiatea and Tahau.

On the home front, my husband and I painted our living room, dining room and two bathrooms! My family come for Thanksgiving and I cooked for 14! My husband and I have a never-ending list of home projects which we adore because we love creating our home together.

And most recently, I’ve released 20 pounds! I confess that I’ve been slender all my life. So, after getting married in 2008, I noticed that over time there was more of me. I heard from other friends that they also, shall we say, “expanded” during their first year of marriage. I wanted to start the new year feeling like myself, and I FEEL GOOD!

Photos from 2009

2009 was a stupendous year. I feel I’ve planted many seeds that will flourish with gusto in 2010! Coming up in a couple of days will be a post on intentions and dreams for 2010.

In the meantime, take a few moments to reflect upon what you appreciate and relish about 2009 and take that energy with you into the new year!

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