Brene’s brand new Ted Talk is a must listen! It will transform you in only 19 minutes.
-
Sponsors
Category Archives: Good things
March 7th, 2012
things that are wonderful
Getting super close, shot with Canon compact macro
Sometimes I am just blown away by nature. Like holy moly, look at the inside of that flower! That white little pincushion perfection. It is stunning and perfect and symmetrical and wow.
This image was inspired by my Elevate the Ordinary class which is in full swing. It seems that when we exploring the world with these eyes, nothing is ordinary at all. Registration will open for spring Superhero Photo courses very soon. If you are interested in taking one, I am happy to email you when they open.
And now, my poet friend Maya Stein. A truly wonderful thing.
Comforts
by Maya Stein
This tall glass of ice water. This quadrant of untamed grass. This half of a grapefruit, pixelated with sugar. This final plank of an empty dock. This red-hued living room. This carved rhinoceros from a place where the real thing runs wild. This echo of a laugh, a touch, a conversation that turned the world upside down. This piece of lined paper. This single bloom from a late summer garden, tucked inside a thin vase. This teeming silence. This warmth. This brief break between disruptions. This sprawl of newspaper on the porch. This blank canvas. This tube of paint. This back road squirreling a mountain range. This maple donut filled with custard. This soup you’ll make when your father comes to visit. This five-dollar bill found after two loads of vacation wash. This faint smell of mint coming back from a run. This atlas on the driver’s seat. This curtain parting from the stage. This tree angling its leaves toward autumn. This story birthed from ashes. This unstoppable turning of the page.
*Maya has a Kickstarter page for a new, inspiring project. Details here.
March 5th, 2012
update on the magical unicorn couple*
heart cappuccinos are for lovers
Okay. So remember my post from last week about the magical unicorn couple that couldn’t keep their eyes off each other? And that great poem by Alison Luterman about wanting to ask them what their secret is? (Here it is if you want to catch up)
Well, I saw them today at the cafe. “There they are!” I whispered to my friend Rebecca and nudged her. “At the register!”
She turned around slowly and gave them a good once over. True to form, they had just leaned in to give each other a kiss.
“Is that the couple?! The one you wrote about?”
I nodded.
She turned around for one more look.
“You know what that is?” she said conspiratorially, “That’s sex every morning.”
So now you know guys! The secret has been revealed. Do with it what you will!
March 2nd, 2012
Things I learned WAY later than everyone else.
Self-portrait, today of me in my first pair of leggings
- Tight jeans are more flattering than baggy ones.
- Leggings are AWESOME.
- Brow waxing? Kind of amazing.
- Brazilians? Painful. On par with childbirth.
- Coldplay? Fantastic.
- Adele? Transcendent.
- Charlie Bit my Finger? Hilarious.
- The Old Spice guy? Even better.
I’ve also learned that:
- I can’t talk on the phone while anyone else is talking in the room.
- I’m highly sensitive.
- It’s okay to leave the party when it gets too crazy.
- Affirmations work and if I just call them “mantras” I can totally tolerate them.
- My thighs were actually great in high school.
And most importantly:
- There is nothing wrong with me.
- I didn’t do anything wrong.
- I am totally lovable.
What have you learned lately?
p.s. Boot lovers! The boots are by miz mooz and are SUPER duper on sale!
February 27th, 2012
A poem that seems true
dragon fruit
I Confess by Alison Luterman
I stalked her
in the grocery store: her crown
of snowy braids held in place by a great silver clip,
her erect bearing, radiating tenderness,
the way she placed yogurt and avocadoes in her basket,
beaming peach like the North Star.
I wanted to ask “What aisle did you find
your serenity in, do you know
how to be married for fifty years, or how to live alone,
excuse me for interrupting, but you seem to possess
some knowledge that makes the earth burn and turn on its axis—”
but we don’t request such things from strangers
nowadays. So I said, “I love your hair.”
At the cafe this morning, I was reminded of the above poem (from writing class this week) when the couple, THAT couple walked in. They are in their fifties and are always smiling. I see them at cafes all around Berkeley and they are usually holding hands, smiling knowingly at each other and just generally blissed out. They are starting to look like brother and sister, melded into one another by some invisible thread.
They are not exactly annoying, just fascinating. I am curious about them. The first several times I wondered if it was a first date? but now, years later, that story doesn’t hold up. Now I wonder other things, like if they possess some secret about how to stay joyous and connected and in apparent consistent gratitude for the blessings in life? Does staying caffeinated have anything to do with it? Do they have jobs other than traveling from cafe to cafe loving each other? I hold these questions in my heart as I watch her take a bite of his sour batard smothered with herb butter. If I find out, I’ll let you know.
February 20th, 2012
2 ways we can connect in person this spring!
Rainbow buddhas, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
Superhero Life Workshop
I will be offering a Superhero Life workshop at Teahouse Studio in Berkeley, CA on Saturday, May 12th. In this daylong workshop, we will connect, have photo adventures and do some life coaching exercises that will get us in touch with (and celebrate) our unique superpowers.
There is more info on this page. But think fun, play, connecting with other creative superheroes and an awesome day of photography.
There are only 20 spots available, so get your ticket today if you know you are in!
Delicious event with me and Kelly Rae Roberts
Sunday, May 13th (the very next day) join me and Kelly Rae Roberts for an afternoon of connection, beautiful food and inspiring conversation! We will come together at the Teahouse in Berkeley for a magical afternoon, a round table of sorts (except the tables will be rectangular) of delicious souls and gorgeous food.
More details are on this page. Only 20 spots available for this special event as well, so swoop em up people!
Note: This event happens to fall on Mother’s Day weekend. If you are a mama in need of a break (what mama isn’t?) this is a great way for your family to celebrate you! Send them this link with a “hint-hint” message. 
P.S. Register for either (or both) of these events through Teahouse. Click here for the Superhero Life workshop & here for the Kelly Rae/Andrea Scher event.
January 31st, 2012
This is me. Happy.
Yours truly, painting very happily in San Miguel de Allende, photo by Angie Fletchall
January 26th, 2012
Collecting colors in San Miguel
orange wall with sky blue in window
When I thought of this trip to San Miguel all these months, I saw a doorway in my mind’s eye. A doorway to new possibilities, to something big and wonderful and unknown. When I strolled that very first morning out into the streets I was struck by how the entire city was a maze of colorful doorways. Gorgeous, multi-colored walls and massive wooden doors with beautiful carved hands for door knockers every few feet. I walked each cobblestone street capturing doorway after doorway after doorway.
I could have walked for hours, for days… but there was painting to do! And there was a wonderful constellation of creative women to meet, from all over the world and of all different ages. Patsy was one who stole everyone’s heart. Patsy is 83 years old and flew, by herself people, all the way from Sydney, Australia to be at the workshop. Whatever courage I mustered to take the leap and come was trumped by Patsy’s vibrant, alive and curious spirit. “We all want to be you when we grow up!” I told her. “You are engaged and curious and vibrant and so brave…” With tears in her eyes she thanked me and said, “I forget my age when I’m with you girls.”
Patsy painted beautifully, but more than anything we were all taken by her spirit. She absolutely glowed. “At my age, every day is a gift,” she said.
It was easy to feel like each day in San Miguel was a gift. I woke up each morning to a beautiful breakfast that was cooked for me (and always included bacon!) a stroll in a colorful city of cathedrals and terracotta walls and papel picado strewn across tiny cobblestone streets. I got to fling my camera over my shoulder and snip snap in the morning light, plotting my next cappuccino. I got to have mexican hot chocolate, perfect brioche and transcendent guacamole each day. I got to get my hands thick with paint in the afternoons, touching brush to canvas and exploring the colors of my heart. It was easy to appreciate that every day was a gift.
As I re-enter my life, as I hugged my boys this morning and kissed them over and over again, I felt it still. Every day is a gift. And, as if I was afraid to lose this burst of deep sustained joy, I hid from my computer that first morning back and went straight to a cafe. The one with the best soy lattes and poached eggs on toast, the one with servers from Morocco and Cuba, the one that plays the best world music, so that I can immerse myself just a few moments longer in the pleasures of the world.
I tiptoe back into my life, trying to hold onto all of the sweetness I possibly can and bring it to my boys and my home. But of course, life happens… and instead of publishing this blog post days ago, I spent the last few days in bed with a stomach flu. Every day is a gift. Every day is a gift… I kept hearing Patsy’s voice in my mind. And I tried, I tried people!
I look forward to sharing more photos and stories with you in the coming days as I feel stronger. For now, I’m excited to share some of the colors I collected while I was away. San Miguel de Allende is really extraordinary.
rusty red and yellow wall
red walls in san miguel de allende
January 12th, 2012
Hello Soul Hello Business
This is me and my friend Kelly Rae Roberts. You might know her by her gorgeous art, inspiring blog or her beautiful book, Taking Flight.
The first time I met Kelly Rae, we were in a circle of creative women here in the bay area, chatting about creativity and money and what stops us on our journeys. It was a really inspiring conversation. Kelly Rae and I had never met before that day but she happened to be seated next to me on the couch. At some point in the conversation, a comment was directed at me that felt like, well, an attack, and I froze. Not knowing how to respond, I could feel the tears burn behind my eyes. A total deer-in-the-headlights moment.
As I tried to collect my thoughts and find my voice, I felt Kelly Rae’s hand firmly grasp my own on the couch. With this kind gesture (I can still remember it so vividly) I understood that she saw exactly what was happening, that she had my back, and that she was offering me extra courage. There was no rescuing or defending, but a fierce love. I am still amazed that I gathered all of that from one small gesture, from a stranger really, but there it was. Friends forever.
We went on to share a studio until she moved away to Seattle and then Portland, Oregon. I still miss her every day!
The great thing is that we continue to have those inspiring conversations regularly. Whether it’s about motherhood or creativity or friendship, she is one of the few people I go to for advice. Especially about business! Kelly Rae has mastered the art of soulful business, of being outrageously abundant while still keeping her heart, integrity and joy in the game. I am in awe of the magic she has created with her art and with her life.
That’s how I know her new e-course (that she co-creates with Beth Nicholls) is going to be SO GOOD!
It’s called The Business Soul Sessions, Where Passion Meets Profit and it’s all about how to create abundance in your business while infusing it all with passion and soul. It starts next Monday, January 16th. I am in! and really excited about it. Here’s what they say:
“This collaboration was born out of a shared vision to revolutionise the way entrepreneurs approach business. We want to inspire a new generation of business owners who build businesses with soul, infuse them with beauty, and have a positive impact in the world. And we want those business owners to flourish, embrace abundance, and make more money than they thought possible doing what they love.”
You can find out more here. Just had to put in a plug for a talented, whip-smart and generous teacher. It will be worth every penny you invest. Let’s make 2012 prosperous and soulful! Or, in the case of many of us, soulful AND prosperous!
January 10th, 2012
What do you crave?
my watercolors
What she craved
She craved paint and canvas, the white of gesso and the shock of alazarin turquoise. She craved blinding fuschia, cerulean blue and burnt umber.
She craved time. To think her own thoughts, to reflect, to stroll with no destination. She craved boredom.
She craved connection, a margarita with a good friend, a playful buzz in the early evening, a bubbly walk home at the magic hour.
She craved dark greens, but someone else to cook them.
She craved laughter, the kind where you can hardly catch your breath.
She craved a chance meeting, a foreign country, a surprise that is so unimaginably good you can only call it a blessing.
She craved a good story.
She craved clarity and sharpness, an on-top-of-it edge. She craved confidence.
She craved an opening, a lifting of the veil, of seeing the truth as it is and not what she made up.
You might remember a post from a few months ago entitled, “Have you ever said yes to that little whisper in your heart?” I mentioned a painting retreat that my heart leapt at the thought of. I couldn’t get it out of my mind. That whisper got louder and louder.
Somehow I was afraid to want it, afraid to ask for it (who did I think I was, too much time away, too much money, do you deserve this, you’re going to be punished for even asking) I noticed so much noise about this one simple desire. I watched myself become incredibly anxious over this very luxurious problem. More judging thoughts came in. (There are people dying in the world and you are having insomnia over a retreat in Mexico?)
But every thing. Every small thing and every big one, is an opportunity for growth, for wisdom and for loving ourselves (and so others) better.
I had some illuminating coaching sessions that week with my two favorite coaches, Rachel Cole and Laurie Wagner. I learned that saying yes to this was about so much more. I understood that I had to tease several things apart– There was letting myself want what I want, there was asking for it, and then there was getting it or not. (The getting it part was actually secondary)
The real lesson was in allowing myself to feel the full breadth of my wanting. More importantly, to feel the vulnerability of wanting something and not knowing if I could have it.
What I didn’t know is that while I was struggling with all of this, my husband and dear friend were scheming to surprise me with the trip as a gift. By the time I worked up the courage to ask, my sweet husband smiled and said, “Well, I was going to wait to surprise you but let’s do it now.” On his laptop, on Skype, was my friend’s smiling face. “Surprise! You’re going to paint in Mexico!” they shouted.
I can’t adequately explain what this gift has opened up in me. It was like an enormous wave of healing washed over me in that moment. (I was elated and grinning for weeks) I saw how wrong I was about something so profound– that I was loved. That my friends and family wanted me to be happy. That whatever childhood story I made up about how unsafe it is to want, might have kept me protected for a while, but it also kept me from letting a whole lot of love in.
There’s more to this story. I can feel it. But for now, I just want to celebrate with you. I am going to Mexico this weekend for a week! To paint with the outrageously talented Flora Bowley. To stroll aimlessly through the colorful walls of San Miguel de Allende. (Insert a thousand exclamation points and emoticons!)
The trip, this gift, is a doorway. I can literally see it in my mind’s eye like a portal to bigger possibilities. Like somehow letting myself want this, letting myself ask for this, was the magic word in some cosmic game. Behind the door are fabulous prizes!
This is a story about listening to our cravings, our deep ones that are so buried we have forgotten about them. This is a story about vulnerability and how scary it feels to want big things (a partner, a family, a voice, to feel less alone, etc.) It is about the healing power of letting others in.
P.S. My friend and coach Rachel Cole will be doing a series of Retreatshops around the country starting this week. They are all about what we are truly hungry for. Her first cities are Austin, the Bay Area (I will be at the one in Berkeley!) into CO, NYC, and on and on. They will be intimate and powerful and Rachel is incredibly wise and present. You are in good hands with her.
