Creative Living with Jamie Episode 289:
Artists of Devotion

What happens when you decide to embrace yourself as an artist? What is different when you make your creativity the centre of your life. These are just a few of the questions answered by an inspiring panel of creative artists, all of whom are graduates of my program, Devotion. We also talk about dispelling old beliefs, moving through the world as an artist, growing self-trust and self-confidence as an artist and the power and problem of creative dabbling.

Resources & Mentions

• Find out more about Devotion – Registration is Open Now

 

Creative Living with Jamie Episode 288:
How to Make Art Friends

As adults, it can be challenging to make new friends but finding others who share your love of art is worth the effort.  Having art friends that not only ‘get it’ but who are are also ‘in it’ is incredibly important on the creative journey. The thing is, these art friends are not commonplace; they’re precious.  It can take a while to find them! That’s why today I’m sharing six strategies for cultivating friendships over the shared love of art-making.

Resources & Mentions

• Pandora’s Box by David Francey
• Find out more about Devotion
• The Studio Yearbook

Transcript

Introduction

Welcome to Creative Living with Jamie. I’m your guide Jamie Ridler and on this podcast you and I are going to go on a great many adventures together. We’ll explore all aspects of what it means to live a creative life and we’ll embrace ourselves as artists. We’ll get curious, we’ll wonder and we’ll follow inspiration. We’ll wrestle with tough questions and we’ll brave challenges and sometimes will ask our friends for help. Along the way we will discover our courage, our confidence, ourselves and one another. We’ll come to know our artistic hearts and from there we will create. And that’s when the magic happens.

Episode 288: 6 Ways to Make Art Friends

Hey there,

You know, we all have little ‘tells’, little ways we know that there is something in a moment for us to pay attention to. For me, one of my primary tells is tears. So much so that the first show I ever directed the cast and crew called me the ‘crying director.’ I always knew that when tears welled up, we were on to something. That’s still one of my top signals that there is something here.

Years ago I stumbled across a music video that had me bursting into tears. The song was called Pandora’s Box and the artist David Francey. I’ll leave a link in the show notes but the truth is it wasn’t really the music that made me cry. It wasn’t the song. It was the scene. It was the scene of a bunch of artists playing music together around a kitchen table. Coffees picked up on the way. Dishes on the counter. A shared creative experience. It awakened such a longing in my heart, a longing for creative community.

In response I started hosting what I called Journal Jams at my place. I was honestly a little sensitive about the shabbiness of my space but I finally came to realize (it was a bit of work) I did come to realize that ultimately it wouldn’t matter. People wouldn’t remember my cat-clawed carpet as much as they would remember the camaraderie of creating together. So, I pulled some tables together and I tacked up some twinkie lights. I put out containers of crayons and markers and gel pens and scissors. I put on some chili and I invited over some friends, telling them to bring their journals. Sometimes there were three of us. Sometimes there were more.

We’d spend time doodling and we’d spend time cutting and gluing and chatting. We’d laugh and we’d wonder and we’d share. We’d talk about books and resources. We’d have a bite and a cup of tea or maybe a glass of wine. Sometimes we had some pretty spectacular desserts. The most important thing we made were the memories.

Now one of my greatest joys is how creative community shows up in my Devotion program and in the mentorship circle that follows. Together as artists we dance with creative questions, realizing we are not the only ones wondering, “How do I get past self-doubt?” or “How do I know when a piece is finished (or if I’m just afraid of wrecking it)?” We work side by side in co-working afternoons. I just love it! Creatives of different mediums starting by declaring how they’re going to spend the time and then diving into the work. We have viewing parties, followed by great conversations that expand our horizons and deepen our learning. The highs are celebrated, the lows are commiserated, and over and over each artist is reminded, “You are not alone.”

One of thing I’ve learned over many years – through theatre, through dance, through choir, through art days, through journal jams – is that friendships rooted in art are deeply nourishing. Having friends who not only ‘get it’ but who are in it too buoys the creative heart. So, how do we make art friends? I want to share a few tips with you today to make a good start. I originally shared this in the letter I send out from the Studio every Sunday. If you haven’t subscribed yet, come on over to openthedoor.ca and get on the list. You’ll be the first to know of any events or classes, and you’ll get a 10% discount on classes and also on the Studio Yearbook PDF. By the way, the fall yearbook will be coming out in just a couple of weeks. Right now you’ll receive a series of 5 Creative Practice lessons – such a good way to get your creative mojo going for this fall.

Okay, let’s talk about how to make art friends.

How To Make Art Friends

1. Engage in Something Creative & Communal

Take a class. (Online classes absolutely count, as long as there’s an opportunity to connect with others.) Join a choir. Volunteer at a theatre. And when you do, remember the operative word here: engage. Don’t hang back or sit on the sidelines. You know what I’m talking about, right? Don’t sneak in quietly, do your thing and leave quickly. I have done that 5 million times and sometimes it is so necessary. If you are trying to do the thing and take care of your energy, it is 100% encouraged but if you are going because you want to make friends, let yourself be a little awkward. Yes, let it be uncomfortable. Trust that other people are also feeling awkward and uncomfortable. Take a deep breath. Meet someone’s eyes. Smile. Say hi.

2. Make No Assumptions.,

This is so important in so many ways. I hear people say it all the time, “There are no creative people around me”. That may be true but also nearby artists may simply be keeping their cards close to their chest just like you! This often happens because creative people don’t self-identify as artists, “Oh, sure, I only dabble in pottery… Oh, well, yes, I’ve been doing it since I was about 12.” “Oh, this? Yes, I made it myself. I’ve been designing my clothes for years. My kids’ clothes too. Oh, and all of the costumes for all the school plays for, like, ever.” “Well, I do love to write. I even have a blog but I don’t tell anyone about it. It’s just a little thing I do. It’s nothing really.” Do those voices sound familiar? So many of us think of our art in this way. You just might be surprised by how many hidden creatives there are in your sphere!

3. Be Yourself.

One of the reasons the artists of Devotion end up connecting so strongly is because in the circle, they risk being who they truly are. They express their feelings, their fears and their hopes. They share their stories and inevitably, no matter where they are in the world, no matter their age, their background, their medium, they start to see themselves in one another. Be brave enough to share who you really are and what you really love. It’s the surest way to connect with like-hearted souls.

4. Offer the Initiative

When you sense a spark with someone, maybe you’re curious about them or you like their energy or style, take a risk and reach out. Tell someone you appreciate their work. I’ve made so many friends that way. Share a resource the person might find helpful or interesting. If you find that turns into chatting easily and often, extend an invitation. Let’s have coffee or maybe a Zoom tea. Maybe we’ll walk together to the bus after class. Keep it light and stay unattached. Just keep creating opportunities for magic to happen.

5. Do Not Be in a Rush.

You may not make a connection right away. That’s okay. It doesn’t mean anything’s wrong. Art friends are not commonplace; they’re precious. It can take a while to find them. You may have tried a hundred things and then one day you’re in art class, you’re drawing leaves and mutter, “I am a leaf on the wind… watch how I soar” and the person next to you looks up and says, “Wait, what? You know Firefly?” and there you go. You’re off to the races.

6. Remember, Art Is Your Friend

No matter what happens, remember that art is always with you. Cultivate that relationship with love and care. You can always grab your camera, reach for your journal, sing to yourself and dance. When I used to go to choir, I mostly went by myself. The “regulars” knew each other well and it could be painful to be on the sidelines. But one thing I knew was that once we started singing, not a one of us was alone. Not one. The music and the shared experience brought us together just as it had those artists around the table in the music video that made me cry.

In the end, art brings us together.

I hope you find these tips really helpful. I hope you put them into practice and make lots of wonderful art friends.

Let me tell you about one way that art can do just that in my three-month creative immersion program Devotion. I’ll tell you all about it in Studio News.

Studio News

There is a magical creative world that exists between the poles of art as “hobby” and “play” and art as “paid” and “professional”. Do you know it?

It’s a place of deep passion for colour, design, dance, music, poetry, textiles, film, book-making, sculpture, illustration, any and all of the arts.

It’s a place of reverence for the entire creative landscape: the tools, supplies, skills, secrets, books, works and artists in the field.

It’s a place where time moves around you while your whole being focuses on making.

It’s a place your heart longs for whenever you are not there.

You probably know this place if you have been hurt or offended by someone saying, “Oh, it’s good to have a hobby.” You’ve probably been there if you’ve ever felt guilty for wanting to spend so much time creating. You’ve been there for sure if you’ve lost a beloved art because it wasn’t going to make you a living. You’ve definitely been there if, despite limited time and energy, you have hauled yourself to rehearsals, stayed up late painting, woken up early to write or some version of the same.

This is the path of artistic devotion and it is valid, significant, meaningful and real.

In devotion, you embrace yourself as an artist and deeply commit to your art because you love it, because it is the way you understand yourself and the world. You commit to it because it calls to you and won’t let you go, because it is quite simply who you are.

It doesn’t mean you don’t sometimes muck about and play.

It doesn’t mean you will never be a pro.

It simply means that making art is essential to the well-being of your creative soul. For that reason, and that reason alone, it matters. It matters.

If this has resonance, if you recognized this place of devotion, if you feel called to that passion, that reference. I hope you’ll consider joining me for Devotion this fall. You will spend three months living, breathing and moving in the world as an artist immersed in your creative work. You’ll learn 12 principles of Devotion that will support you during this season and for many seasons to come. You will create art that is uniquely your own based on your own vision, not the fulfillment of a teacher’s – your own. And as you deepen your creative roots and spread your artistic wings, you will be transformed.

Here’s how artist Anne Hallcom describes it…

Hi, my name is Anne Hallcom. I’m a visual artist. I work in watercolour, pastel and oil. Boy, when I signed up for Devotion last year, as Jamie knows, I just felt stuck in my art. I just felt sort of ambivalent and stuck in my art.  I think part of it is because I had all these misconceptions about what makes an artist. I thought, it has to be technique. I have to learn to do more of this and that. What I really learned in Devotion is sure, I can always improve ( I mean, there’s so many things technique wise that I still want to work on) but what I really learned in Devotion is that being an artist is up here and in your heart.  It’s not just the work you do. It’s your way of being. It’s who you are. And when you honour that about yourself and see that, you’ve always been an artist. It’s not how someone else defines being an artist. A lot of my crazy ideas were really crazy about what I should be doing so.

In Devotion, with Jamie’s help, with the coaching and the prompts, and the discussion of this wonderful community, I really discovered and validated for myself why I’m already an artist. I gave myself permission to live in that space, and I do live in that space. It’s just how we’re wired. It’s what we love and what we love to do. This group has just been amazing. It’s a very supportive art community, non-competitive. It’s all about each individual transforming themselves with the help of the group.

Thanks so much, Anne!

When you join Devotion, you really do become a part of a community. Many of the artists who go through the program stay in touch with one another. Last season one of the members organized an amazing Mail Art exchange  – thank you, Gouri! You also have the opportunity to join an ongoing mentorship circle and I host events a few times a year for alumnae to keep us connected and inspired.  Come on over to openthedoor.ca and click on ‘offerings’ to find out about this intimate and immersive creative program.  I can tell you without doubt, when you spend three months devoted to your creative work, you cannot help but be transformed.

I hope I have planted some seeds of inspiration with you today. I want you to know that I am thinking about you all the time, imagining all the ways the work of the studio can support your creative life. There are so many good things to come. Here’s to your creative  unfurling.

Creative Living with Jamie Episode 287:
The Path of Artistic Deotion

There is an undiscovered country that exists in the arts, a world between play and professional – and there is magic there. If it speaks to your heart, you just might be called to the path of artistic devotion.

Resources & Mentions

• Find out more about Devotion
• Behind the Scenes: The Creative Magic of the In Between

Transcript

Introduction

Welcome to Creative Living with Jamie. I’m your guide Jamie Ridler and on this podcast you and I are going to go on a great many adventures together. We’ll explore all aspects of what it means to live a creative life and we’ll embrace ourselves as artists. We’ll get curious, we’ll wonder and we’ll follow inspiration. We’ll wrestle with tough questions and we’ll brave challenges and sometimes will ask our friends for help. Along the way we will discover our courage, our confidence, ourselves and one another. We’ll come to know our artistic hearts and from there we will create. And that’s when the magic happens.

Episode 287: The Path of Artistic Devotion

Hey, everybody, 

I hope that your summer is unfurling beautifully, that the plans you made when we journaled together for the Summer Solstice are starting to come to fruition. Maybe listening today is a good little nudge to check in on those plans and see if it’s time for some course correction or adjustments based on, well, you know, life and the new things you are discovering each day. I really believe in the magic of setting our direction and making plans and I believe that ultimately, they are meant to be nourishing supports that shift and grow as we do and as life progresses. So when you refer to your plans, let them be a reminder of what matters to you not a tool for pushing or beating yourself up.  

The point isn’t to follow the plan.  

The point is to live a life you want to be living. 

Speaking of which, if you are here, I know that one of the things that matters deeply to you, one of the things that is a central part to the life you want to be living is your creativity. You are an artist at heart and that may show up in a million different ways from writing songs to planting seeds, to teaching workshops to designing your home, to doing improv to documenting life.  

Because I know this about you, I want to share with you one of the most meaningful concepts I’ve ever shared, one I’ve been working with intimately for the past two years – the concept of a middle path in the arts, a path between play and profession, a deep and meaningful third way that I call the Path of Artistic Devotion. I’ve actually created an amazing immersive artist-in-residence program based on this idea and I’ll be offering it again this fall. I will tell you more about that in Studio News but first I want to share with you one of the first times I shared this concept. It was in a Behind the Scenes episode over on YouTube. I’ll link to it in the show notes too but I’ve lifted the audio for you here today. I hope this introduction to the concept of Devotion speaks to your creative heart. Here we go. 

The Creative Magic of the In Between  (Behind the Scenes) 

Hey, everybody. Welcome behind the scenes here at Jamie Ridler Studios. I am Jamie and I’ve got two of the studio kittens with me here today. So, we have Escher at the window there, intently looking at something and Shibumi. Hello, Shibumi. She doesn’t like noise, so she’ll probably be out of here soon. 

I have been thinking about something, something that has been so present in my work as a creative coach, something that has been so present in my life as a creative being and something that goes so unnamed in the world and I hope I can name it today.  

I’ll be very curious to hear your response to this, to hear your experience with this. It seems to me that most often the arts and creativity are kind of pushed into two ends of a very opposite spectrum. On the one hand we have the arts over here, where they are playful and fun, where getting to do some creative stuff feels like recess. It feels like being a kid again, feels like play and it’s a hobby. It’s for fun. It’s an extra. It is a light and lovely part of your life. Maybe you recognize that as a way that you relate to the arts and creativity. 

On the other end of the spectrum is the professional world, the world of excellence, the world of achievement, the world of fame maybe or at least acknowledgement within a certain community. We have the professional ballet dancers. We have artists who show their work in galleries. We have writers who are published.  

Those are the two ways that we relate to the arts. 

One of the things I want you to know. Is there is this whole secret world in between.  

I noticed that with my clients, with people who have a creative spirit, who are called to a creative life who want to devote and dedicate their time, their energy, their resources to bringing art to life, any kind of art, they want to, with great passion, develop a skill of painting, of playing the piano, of singing, of writing poetry, of writing memoir, of watercolor, of oil painting, whatever it is. 

You can see how this doesn’t fit necessarily easily in either category. 

It is different than play because there’s this passionate intensity and a desire to improve, a desire to create (not just practice) and desire to move into projects, maybe even to share it with the world.  

And there’s a way that the concept of professionalism is a barrier (we talked about this a bit last week) where somebody else has to let you in let you into the school, let you into the facility, lets you into the program, lets you into the publishing world, the performing world. That is open to such a small percentage of the creative population, even the people who have dedicated themselves to that pursuit. 

And then again, there is this magical world in between. 

What I’ve seen in my clients as I have done creative coaching for many years now. I see in my clients  this frustration that their passion, their devotion, doesn’t have a road because it’s not play and maybe it has been for years and their family understands that it’s, you know, it’s cool that once a month you get together with your girlfriends and you do art journaling or it’s cool that once a week you focus on your knitting circle or whatever it is, but you know this is a hobby. It’s something that it shouldn’t take up too much of your life or your days. It shouldn’t be so present or take away from the rest of life. It certainly shouldn’t take you away from your family or your work or your responsibilities because it’s just for fun, right? 

So there’s that. 

And then there’s people who come there like, I really love doing this thing, and I want to do this thing all the time so I need to make money off of it. I need to step into that professional realm because when I make money at it, then I’m allowed to spend time on it. Then I’m allowed to spend resources on it. Then it makes sense that it can take up so many hours of my week because I’m making money. I’m a professional. This is what I have to do.  

So, Limited scope, play, only limited time or resources. 

Paid professional, all your time and resources, open to very few. 

What about all this in between? 

What about the people who wake up every morning to work on their memoirs for 30 years? 

What about the people who are quilting, that learned it from master quilters, who learned it from master quilters and who will pass on their skills to people who will become master quilters? 

What about artists who dedicate themselves to learning the medium of watercolor, who have stacks and stacks and stacks of work, who feel most alive when they are sitting down to paint? 

This is a valid road.  

This is a road that is unrecognized, a land that is not acknowledged in the world of the arts, the land of the passionate devotee, the person who is an acolyte of art. A person who. Is committed to art or many arts. It’s about themselves in a very personal, in a very sacred way, but also about the art in a way that is about honoring it, about mastery, about engaging, about understanding ourselves in the world better through the arts.  This is a valid real pursuit, worthy of respect, honour, time. It is your soul. It is your spirit. 

It may encompass the other ends of this spectrum. You may have days where you play and delight and laugh and mess around on the page with no intention other than to have fun. And you may, out of all the work you do in a lifetime, you may perform. You may publish. You may show your work. There may be that piece too. You may get paid for what you’ve created.  

All of these things can be encompassed and rarely get left out, but this piece in the middle, this piece about pursuing your art out of the passion and truth of your heart, out of honouring the work and honouring your soul, I’m here to tell you today it is a valid, noble and worthwhile path. 

And if you are on it, I support you. I cheer you on. I recognize and share with you that this is a place that so many people who have come to me live.  

You are not alone. Your arts belong to you. 

Please tell me if you relate to this, if you recognize that distinction between “we’re allowed to have art as play,” and “we’re allowed to have art as profession.” But this Gray area in between, we don’t even know how to name it. And yet, it’s truthfully where our artistic heart thrives and creates. 

*** 

So, do you recognize this third way? Does it call to your artistic heart? I hope that listening today has opened up some possibilities for your creative path. One of those possibilities might be joining me for Devotion this fall. Let me tell you a bit about it in, Studio News! 

Studio News

Imagine three months immersed n your creative work, fully embracing yourself as an artist. Imagine being a part of a supportive artistic community and having me as your creative coach. Imagining creating a body of work and making tangible progress on your artistic path. Imagine deepening your creative roots and unfurling your artistic wings.  

That is what you will do in a season of Devotion.  

I designed this program to help you forge an unshakeable relationship with your art, whatever your medium. When you step into Devotion, it is your time to stop struggling to believe in yourself as an artist, to stop pushing and proving and striving. In Devotion, you learn to trust yourself, to show up for the work and to create what only you can create in this world. 

I created Devotion because I want you to know what it means to simply be the artist you were always meant to be. 

Here’s something Sam Tucker had to say after a season of Devotion… 

I couldn’t even envision the specifics of how this book would unfold. I had been writing it, putting it down, knowing that my story was still being lived, right? Within one week of Devotion, I had a full table of contents. I had everything listed out. A few of the stories are still unnamed but I had a structure that works. I had clarity immediately. So I’d say the very first thing, because it was foundational and to where I got to and where I am now is about 60% done with the book. That was in 3 months! 

Without Devotion, there’s no way I would be where I am today. Absolutely. Yes, I did the work, but it extracted it out of me. It magnetized myself to my work and that magnetized me to living more fully, more authentically, looking at the places where I had been trying to please other people and not myself. It was 100% on “this is my dream” and no one questioned that. 

Artists have done amazing things in their season of Devotion. They have worked on memoirs, novels and music. They have created sculptures, illustrations, sketchbooks and surface pattern designs. They have worked in oil, watercolour, pastel, paper-cutting, collage, textiles and much more. They’ve also broken free of perfectionism, ruts and creative blocks. They have learned to say yes to themselves and their art (even when it meant saying no to others). They have exponentially grown their creative confidence and they have come home to who they are – an artist through and through. 

Early bird registration for the fall season is currently open for the wait list and open registration opens August 7th. This is an intimate program. I want to be sure that every artist is seen and heard. And yes, that means this isn’t a place you can come and hide. It’s a place to be seen and recognized, finally, as the artist you were always meant to be. If that calls to you, come on by openthedoor.ca and check out Devotion. I’ll have a direct link in the show notes. 

Maybe you and I will be spending a season creating together. I can hardly wait. 

Creative Living with Jamie Episode 286:
Journaling for the Summer Solstice

As we celebrate the arrival of summer, let’s journal together to find the joys of the season and explore the magic of fire!

Resources & Mentions

• Video Episode on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SorZWGn0EiM
• The Studio Yearbook: http://www.jamieridlerstudios.ca/the-5-minute-difference/
• My sister Suzie and her Wear Your Altar jewellery line. https://www.etsy.com/shop/SacredSuzie/
• The Plan Your Creative Season Mini Workshop https://youtu.be/HOn90tFdswk
• Here’s a song to dance your Solstice celebrations: https://youtu.be/ru0K8uYEZWw

Transcript

Introduction

Welcome to Creative Living with Jamie. I’m your guide Jamie Ridler and on this podcast you and I are going to go on a great many adventures together. We’ll explore all aspects of what it means to live a creative life and we’ll embrace ourselves as artists. We’ll get curious, we’ll wonder and we’ll follow inspiration. We’ll wrestle with tough questions and we’ll brave challenges and sometimes will ask our friends for help. Along the way we will discover our courage, our confidence, ourselves and one another. We’ll come to know our artistic hearts and from there we will create. And that’s when the magic happens.

Episode

Hey, everybody,

Happy summer solstice. I am sending you such bright and warm blessings on this, the longest day of the year. May the sun shine upon you and all your hopes and dreams. 

I wanted to do something a little special for the occasion so I created a little journaling workshop for you, one that will help you connect to the kind of summer that you want to create and also tune you in to the powerful energy of fire. 

This is another crossover episode with Creative Living TV so you can either participate with this podcast, as you are, or you can head on over to YouTube and participate with the video. Whichever you decide is absolutely perfect. I’ll leave a link to the YouTube channel in the show notes. 

Now, grab your journal, a pen and 20 minutes and dive into this creative time of intuitive self-discovery. Let us journal our way into summer.

Summer Solstice Journaling Workshop

Hey there, it’s Jamie Ridler from Jamie Ridler Studios and I wanted to come by today and do some solstice celebrating with you. The summer solstice is right around the corner, and whether you decide to save this to do on the day or whether you join me in this moment when you have discovered this video or sometime thereafter, trust that this is on your path for a reason, that there is some magic to be uncovered in this journal practice we’re going to do today.

Now, celebrations for summer feel to me like we’re doing something rather introspective in being in our journals, but I really encourage you to celebrate by some lively creative expression. I encourage you to sing for the Solstice. I encourage you to dance on the Solstice (maybe I’ll even leave a link today). One of the things I truly love is to first spend time in my journal doing some creative practice, some introspection, getting in touch with my soul in this moment and the spirit of this season, and then once I have discovered that wisdom, once I’ve unearthed what wants to be revealed, then I want to dance it into my body, into my cells. I want to dance and release out anything that needs to go. I want to sweat out that feeling of release, acceptance, joy, whatever it is that has come up for you.

So I encourage you to spend this time with me, to get in touch with yourself and then, boom, to step into the summer fire and let yourself move or sing or shout or run or just use your body in some way.

Summer is the season of fire, so that includes waking up your inner heat, embracing it. I know, I know, I know. Not all of us are fond of summer heat, myself included. My mom used to say that she melted in the summer and I feel the same way, but one of the things that I always want us to do is to find what is special about this time of year. What is unique to this time of year? How can we embrace it? 

If that means sweat and slowing down, then maybe we find a way to not try to push through that and treat it like every other day, but to say, “Hey what would it mean if in the summer I slowed down? What if that were possible? What if it were possible for one day out of the week? What if it were possible for one hour out of the day?”

Okay, so first grab your journal. You just need something to write with and something to write on. It could be a journal and a pen. It could be some loose paper and a pencil. It could be a gel pen in a beautiful color. It doesn’t matter. All you need is something to write with and something to write on, and we’re going to journal together. If you need to put me on pause to go grab that, please do and then come on back and we’ll get started.

Okay.

One of the things I do in all my classes is I always start with lighting a candle. It’s a way for us to bring all our energy home. It’s a way for us to create a sense of focus and intention. I love it, in particular, for right now, for the summer solstice, because this is the season of fire. Let’s really know that as we light our candles (maybe you have one too) that we are honouring the fire of summer. As we honour that fire of summer, the fire that is the sun, the heat that is showing up, let us also honour the fire that is within ourselves. I’ve got my summer solstice candle for today. I’ll put it here so we can all see it.

Let’s grab our journals.

We’re going to explore two different themes in our journals today. One is more about summer and how you might enjoy it, how you might open up to the pleasures of summer, and one is more about fire and energy. So let’s start with summer.

Our first question is what is there to love about summer?

What is there to love about summer? I’ll be doing this with you.

You can write in sentences or you can write in point form. 

If your first answer is “Nothing!” write that and then keep looking. What is there to love about summer?

And if you get stuck, think back over past summers of your life. Think about when you were seven, when you were 17, and when you were 70, if that has been a part of your experience, and think about what are the things you have enjoyed about summer?

On that note, I want you to cast back over your life and think about one favourite summer memory.

A Favorite summer memory. It doesn’t have to be a big deal, just something that you think back and go, “Oh, that was wonderful. I loved it”

It is so windy here today. I don’t know if you can hear it, but wow.

Okay, let’s look over what we’ve done so far. If you need to put me on pause, if you need more time, go for it. 

If you look back over the things that you know are lovable about summer and your memory of summer that was so treasured, how can you create some of that feeling for yourself this summer? 

That can include indulging in some of those specifics. So, for me, for example, one of my favorite memories about summer is spending lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of hours reading, and so I’m going to try to work that into my summer. Also, I’m going to make sure I have some fudgsicles!

Give yourself some time to figure out, like “I want to make sure that this summer I…” If new things come to you that you haven’t written down yet, of course you can include them. Let’s make a summer promise to ourselves.

Okay, let’s switch over to a bit of an exploration of fire. That’s the element of summer. It is a time to think about fire. We already have fire going here. The sun is shining. So, what I want you to consider is…

What lights your inner fire?

What lights that fire that the sun is calling this summer, what lights that up? What lights you up? What lights your inner fire?

What are you feeling proud of right now?

I’m just thinking about the sun that way too, the way the sun shines with great vigour and a sense of self. What are you feeling great about right now, proud of right now? What would you give yourself a pat on the back for right now?

Now, one thing we don’t tend to think about too much when we hit summer is that as soon as we hit that solstice, which is the longest day of the year, then we start to have shorter days. Ever so slightly over a long period of time, days get a little shorter. 

Let’s think about what we want to release, what we want to let go. What is it time to burn in the fires and say bye-bye? What is it time to release?

One of the things you could think about here is you could write out these things you want to release and literally release them in a fire. Safely, of course. Outside and in a good container. Use fire to help you let go of, release, burn away whatever is no longer serving you. This is its season, so lean in.

Another thing I want you to really think about is leaning into your passions. 

What passions do you want to pour yourself into? Where do you want to be all in?

OK, drawing that to a close and coming back together.

I hope this has awakened some energy and some inspiration for the summer ahead and given you some ideas how to make the most of it, how to embrace it, how to let summer be the best time ever, and also how to connect to that energy of fire and how it can be a powerful part of our path.

Some of these questions were a part of the Studio Yearbook, which is my fill-in-the-blank seasonal guided journal. This summer we are doing our last official season and I invite you to join us. It’s not too late to come get your PDF, get it printed and start this creative journey. It is rich with creative practices and it is designed to help you connect to your life, your creativity and this beautiful energy of the year as it passes and moves.

I’m so glad to spend this time together with you. I also encourage you to take a look at a video I have about planning your creative season. You can use that four times a year as you come to the season to really make a plan for how you can make the most of the season in your creative life.

Thanks so much for spending this solstice time with me. I hope you have a magical summer come on by openthedoor.ca and join the studio. I’d love to have you as a part of the community. 

OK, let’s close our time together officially.

Oh, before we do, I just want to say thank you to my sister Suzie for this memento of summer. This is a rock that came from a beach close to a beach we used to go to together when we grew up. So this is one of my summer memories encapsulated in a piece of magical jewelry. Suzie, thank you for that. You can check out Suzie’s jewellery at Wear Your Altar. I’ll leave a link of course.

Thank you so much for this time together. I am sending great blessings to you this summer.

Bye everybody.