Author: Jamie

Cards for Creative Living: The Tarot ~ My Core Four

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There is something about creatives and tarot cards.

Maybe it’s simply that so many decks are wildly beautiful and speak to our imaginative souls. Maybe it’s because we creatives have a natural tendency to look for pattern, meaning and story, all of which tarot cards provide. The cards speak in an imaginative language of symbol, images and metaphor and the spreads provide a framework and underlying structure for exploration – familiar territory for the creative heart.

I’ve been fascinated by tarot cards since I was a teenager. I remember going with my sisters to The Omega Centre, the one and only store where you could buy tarot cards in Toronto.  Bathed in the smell of incense, listening to the tinkling sound of chimes over gentle music playing, we gazed at the decks in the glass case behind lock and key. We pored over the binder that held pictures from each of the decks, trying to discern which of these beauties was for us.

Once we’d chosen, we’d take our treasures over to the Second Cup, a coffee shop just on the fringe of Yorkville, sit by the window and one by one reveal each card to one another. We learned their magic together.

One of my fondest tarot memories is the three of us lounging around my first apartment chatting through each of the cards. This was especially helpful with the court cards. We had a blast coming up with who we thought was the the Queen of Swords or the King of Pentacles. From that day forward I have always thought of the King of Cups as Ed Harris’s character Virgil in The Abyss.

Since those early days, the tarot has been a part of my life and my adventures! A few of my favourites are my sister Shannon and I flying to Cape Cod so that I could do tarot coaching at a creative event run by a blogging friend, working for a brief time at the National Psychic Hotline and years of sharing Osho Zen cards every day on Twitter. Today I’m sharing with you the four core decks that have been a part of that journey. Be sure to watch for my upcoming flip-throughs of each of these decks so you can see if any of them are meant for you.

What has your experience been like with the tarot?

Do you have favourite decks? I’d love to hear!

Today is Your Day to Dream under the Full Corn Moon

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Full Corn Moon Dreamboard Workshop Jamie Ridler Studios

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.

Years ago, sitting in my mom’s living room, hanging out with her 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? Over the years, I have developed a practice of creating dreamboards that serve both as magical manifestation magnets and also as powerful reflecting pools. Tying their creation into the cycles of the moon adds a deeper dimension of discovery and builds our connection to the energy cycles around us.

The Full Corn Moon is here today and asks: What dreams do you wish to bring to fruition?

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Registration $50

Registration is open for The Full Corn Moon Dreamboard Workshop. Till the way to your bountiful dream harvest. (More details here)

PS If you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, it’s time to explore the dreams that are emerging under the Full Worm Moon.

Creativity, Imagination & A Peek at Choir

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Every weekday morning I invite you Behind the Scenes at my studio.

Today: I’m still beaming from a night spent with entrepreneurial girlfriends and suddenly all the things I’ve been imagining feel more possible – including finally getting to that tarot/oracle card video (coming soon) and the collage image giveaway (coming in October). Plus my father-in-law, Christiaan, recorded some of choir this week and I thought I would share some California Dreaming with you!

Mentioned on Today’s Show:

Discover How I Got My “I Rescue Kittens” superpower

Lessons I’ve Learned from My First Capsule Wardrobe

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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!