The room decorated for our guests

Deep joy

Once, while riding my bike through San Francisco in a gigantic bike parade for a friend’s wedding, I shouted at the top of my lungs, “This is the best day ever!!!” I couldn’t think of any other possible thing I would rather have been doing in that moment. I was giddy, elated, totally content.

This kind of deep joy is rare, and when it comes, it is a huge gift. But that’s how this Sunday was, during the workshop I led with Kelly Rae Roberts at the Teahouse studios.

Best. Day. Ever.

The tables from above, before our guests arrived

It began with a simple conversation. Me, calling my dear friend Kelly and asking her when she would come and teach at the Teahouse. (This is also a ploy to get her back to the bay area for a girl’s weekend) “You and Mati have both been asking me that! but I don’t really want to teach. I just want a good excuse to come see you guys and have a really fun weekend being together.”

So we hatched a scheme… and the plan was simple: We would create the kind of experience we were most craving in our own lives — Connecting with women in deep and real ways. Not on the internet. Not via text or email. The kind where you break bread and tell each other everything. We didn’t want to teach so much as share stories and connect, laugh and cry in equal measure. We wanted minimum preparation, total faith in serendipity and trust that just the right people would show up. We wanted beautiful food and even more delicious conversation.

And guess what? It was beyond our wildest dreams. It really was.

I fell in love with each and every person there. I was blown away by their stories. We laughed a lot and we cried too. We declared our superpowers. We talked about transitions and motherhood. We talked about creativity and vulnerability and finding our tribe. It was open and inspiring, powerful and brave. It was, above all, real.

I learned that if you bring the real, others will too.

Mati Rose painting those beautiful words

We also brought a lot of intention to the day. For every person on the roster, we chose an adjective for their nametag. Since we didn’t know the people who were coming, we had to intuit what they most needed to hear. We made them goodie bags and wrote them love notes. We decorated the space. Mati painted the words, “Show the world you magic” on the wall. We covered the tables in vintage fabrics. We hung up twinkly lights and tied aprons together to hang on the wall. In the end, it was like living inside of a Kelly Rae painting! And all of that prep, it felt like ritual. It felt like connecting with each soul who was coming, before they even arrived.

vintage aprons all in a row

I am still processing all of the goodness packed into that gorgeous day. For me personally, it was also a really important day of discovering my sweet spot with teaching. As I have said on this blog before, I am very anxiety prone. Public speaking gives me panic attacks and I have often wondered if the suffering I experience each and every time (often for months before the event) is worth it. Maybe there is another way?

I think I found my answer.

I teach through telling stories. I can tell a good story! It is in fact one of my superpowers. I’m not interested in giving lectures, being an expert, or giving advice. I want to share my life in a way that sparks something in you — delight, inspiration, a nugget of wisdom. I want to connect with you by showing you my real self.

I didn’t have a panic attack the night before our workshop. (This was a first for me) And I didn’t feel afraid throughout the day. I only felt tremendous gratitude to be someone who got to sit in that circle. It was pure joy, and my body knew it.

Thank you to everyone who showed up this weekend (both for Sunday and for my Saturday photo workshop peeps as well. You guys were so much fun) It was an honor. And we will do it again. I think I found my sweet spot.

Kelly Rae and me

checking out his feet

Nico in his brother's shoes on his new scooter

Nico, eatin blueberries

Nico in the kitchen

I adore you Nico Boon

Okay. So I’ve written this post three times and deleted it each time. What can I tell you about my precious Nico Boon? What can I share that feels real and true to where I am right now in this moment? Right now, I am typing furiously, listening to Nico hem and haw in his bed, praying he will fall asleep so I can get this post up and finish the rest of my work.

Honestly, this Mother’s Day, all I can think about is how intense it is to be a parent. How I am deeply, crazy in love with my kiddos and also terribly overwhelmed by the task of parenting them! They are delicious and beautiful and hilarious and maddening and take me to every possible edge. Edges I didn’t even know I had, they take me there. They are my healers and my teachers and I am called to grow and change because of them. This can be a painful process but I am grateful for it.

I recently discovered the book, The Highly Sensitive Person and it has helped me so much. Just understanding that I am a highly sensitive parent, gives me more self-compassion. It helps me understand why I need a lot of breaks and quiet time in order to come back to parenting with a fresh heart. My threshold for overstimulation is low, so getting help is a major act of self-care for me.

As we enter this weekend of Mother’s Day, I want to offer the same kind of self-compassion to you as well. Is there a place in your life where you are less than kind to yourself? Where your self-talk is, well, not so nice? Can you soften around something you are beating yourself up about?

In the best way we can, let’s celebrate ourselves this weekend.

I am going to be teaching a photography workshop on Saturday and another workshop with Kelly Rae Roberts on Sunday. A weekend spent with other women, being creative, playing, sharing our hearts and our best stories. My most favorite thing to do!

How about you? How will you celebrate?

Just a few more days left to get any Superhero or Mondo Beyondo course for just $49 dollars!

Just enter the code “mamasrock49″

You can also buy a gift certificate and use it whenever you wish.

Brand new summer session of The Basics added!

Recent faves on the Superhero blog

1. What do you project into the silence?

2. On surrender and resignation: One is a true letting go

3. The rain is just the rain

4. Do you know what it feels like to lose your sparkle? (A guest piece I wrote on the Roots of She website)

Me and Nico Boon

Guest Post over at Roots of She

My guest post on The Roots of She is up today! You can find it here.

So honored to be there!

Happy-making gifts

Recently, I heard a great interview with a happiness expert. She mentioned the trend in “experience based gift-giving.” This means that instead of giving the usual scarf or bath salts to your loved one, you think about what they might want to learn? what adventure they might want to have? or what experience would bring them joy? According to the happiness expert, people get more enduring happiness from their experiences than their possessions. I couldn’t agree more.

In the spirit of this type of gift-giving and Mother’s Day I am excited to offer you a chance to enroll yourself or a loved one into one of my upcoming courses. From now until midnight on Mother’s day, Sunday, May 13th you can:

Choose any Mondo Beyondo or Superhero Photo course for only $49!

Here is the list of the upcoming courses:

Enter the coupon code “mamasrock49″

For more info on the Mondo Beyondo and Dream Lab classes, click here.
For more info on Elevate the Ordinary (photo class) click here.
Gift certificates are also available at the 49 dollar price; this way they can take their pick!

Once again, offer is only good until Mother’s Day!

The perfect little red poppy kiss I discovered on my walk last night

Plant a Kiss

I am a huge fan of Amy Krouse Rosenthal. So when I heard that a friend was hosting a blog party to celebrate her new book, Plant a Kiss, I said YES in huge letters with many exclamation points.

The idea was simple: We would celebrate Amy’s birthday (Sunday, April 29th) with an act of radical kindness. An act of generosity, big or small, that added something good and joyful to the world. 16 inspiring and creative bloggers (including me!) would do this collectively and the blog about our experience and give away lots of fabulous prizes.

I was one sad banana this weekend, shot with iphone 4S

One sad banana

BUT… my weekend was hard. And I was in a funk. Okay, beyond a funk. Matt was out of town for several days and I was lacking sleep, and sanity, and all the stresses of my life were folding in on me. I literally couldn’t breathe… and was on the verge of a panic attack for much of the weekend. Then someone broke into our car and I just crumpled. I sobbed with my head in my hands while Ben pet my back saying, “Are you okay mommy?”

And all the while, I had this Plant a Kiss thing in my mind… and I wondered how I would possibly have the energy to do a Bubble Flash Mob (so fabulous!) or plant hope notes inside books at the library or all of the other wonderful possibilities when I was feeling so damned sorry for myself.

I knew it would be just the right medicine, to step out of my own internal drama to do something kind out in the world, but as I wheeled Nico to the park, on the verge of tears and contemplating Xanax, I ended up praying instead for someone to help me… some little angel that would be my own personal Plant a Kisser.

What I found was an almost empty park except for one other mom, a regular like me, that I had chatted with once before. I noticed that she was hosing down all of the toys and organizing them. A perfect kaleidoscope of brightly colored push toys and little cars were gleaming with moisture and lined up neatly in rows. The toys are always a bit skanky and in various states of dishevelment at this park and I was moved by her act of kindness.

Then I saw it. She was Planting a Kiss… anonymously, and for this park that we love so much.

“Can you help me hose the water table down?” she called to me. “It’s so full of sand, it’s impossible to lift!” We both took tiny bright plastic shovels and scooped sand until we could finally see the bottom of the water table. Then we filled it with fresh water and it gleamed. “Thank you!” she said as she went off to gather all of the random hoodies and shoes strewn around the park. “Maybe we can create a lost and found bin!” I shouted across the park excitedly.

Then I realized that she was the angel I was looking for. She planted a kiss for the kids who come to the park and then for me by inviting me into her world. This was the highlight of my day.

Plant a Kiss Giveaway!

And now for the prizes!

Click here to visit the main Plant a Kiss page, where you view all the links for the participating bloggers. For every blog that you visit and comment on, your name will be tossed into a hat for a chance to win one of many amazing prizes such as online writing, photography, or dream-building classes; coaching sessions; artwork, or jewelry.

I’m giving away spots in both my Superhero Photo e-course and Mondo Beyondo e-courses! Just leave a comment here and then bop around to the other blogs too. And better yet, Plant a Kiss yourself!

Jen and I speaking at last year's World Domination Summit

We all adore Chris Guillebeau

Chris Guillebeau has been referred to as “the gentleman of the internet” and I wholeheartedly agree. Chris is not only incredibly talented and inspiring (You’ve heard of The Art of Nonconformity and The World Domination Summit, right?) but he is kind and generous. I’m so delighted to recommend his brand new book The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future.

His basic message is this:
“The money you have is all you need. The skills you already have can be put to use helping others and earning a good income for yourself. Don’t take it from me, take it from all the unconventional entrepreneurs in the study.” Chris Guillebeau

I am savoring each inspiring story of people who have made it happen (creating a successful business from doing what they love most) and it’s generating brand new ideas for my own business-  how to have more ease and prosperity in my work and in my life. Hallelujah.

Are you ready to do more of what you love?

For the next 72 hours, you will be able to get Chris Guillebeau’s new book (shipping included) plus a HUGE grab bag of other incredible resources for just 100 dollars.

Check it out peeps!
Corbett Barr – Creating, Marketing, and Designing A Blog That Matters
Susannah Conway’s Blogging From The Heart (eBook version)
Jonathan Mead — Identifying Your Passion Module + Workbook
Scott Dinsmore — Live Off Your Passion (eBook version)
Johnny B. Truant — Tao of Awesome
Marianne Elliot — 30 Days of Courage (w/ Yoga Module)
Pam Slim — Ethical Selling That Works
David Risley — Double Your Ad Income
Josh Kaufman — The Personal MBA Guide to Small Business Infrastructure
Free The Apps — How to Make iPhone Apps
Brett Kelly — Evernote Essentials
Ashley Ambirge — You Don’t Need A Job, You Need Guts
Men With Pens — Freelancer Package: Write for Web, Guest Posting Guide, Beyond Brick & Mortar
Alyson Stanfield — Turning Your Hobby into a Career (download & audio program)
Chris Guillebeau — Unconventional Guide to Publishing

Sale ends in 72 hours! It’s a good one. Excited to share it with you!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Life-changing” “Awe-inspiring” “Revolutionary”

The Do What You Love e-course is a groundbreaking online adventure which will take you step-by-step on a path to discovering your true passion, and finding a way to make it a greater part of your everyday life.

In six weeks you will expand your comfort zone, nurture your playful spirit and use this to feed your creative soul. You will travel this path with a community of like-minded people from across the world, sharing your stories, forging new connections, and inspiring each other.

A rich combination of exercises, thought-provoking posts, inspiring interviews and real life stories will ensure you emerge more confident, more curious and much more likely to end up doing what you love.

This will be like no other class you have ever taken. And it might just change your life. Class begins on May 14th. Register now!

Ben and Nico, all boy, both of em'

There are still some spots available in my Superhero Workshop coming up May 12th!

Here are all of the details:
http://www.teahouseartstudio.com/superhero/

It will be a mix of photography lessons and creative fun, while also exploring how our creativity is an access point for personal growth and how our values and our strengths make their way into our creative work. All levels are welcome and you don’t need a fancy camera!

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here: andrea@superherodesigns.com

The email that goes unanswered for several days. The phone call that doesn’t get returned. What do you project into the silence? They don’t love me. They hate me. They’re mad at me. They think my idea is stupid. I’m bugging them. Maybe they didn’t get it? No, they got it, they just don’t like my idea. I asked too much.

Does any of this sound familiar?

It is so tempting to project our own story into the silence. Isn’t it interesting that we often project the most painful scenario? The one that hurts us and diminishes us the most?

I recently had an awkward conversation with a friend and became convinced later that day that she was mad at me. I texted her an apology, a general one since I wasn’t quite sure what to apologize for, and then felt really vulnerable. I checked my phone obsessively for the next hour. Nothing. The silence became incredibly agitating. I decided to call her and got her voicemail. Crap. Then I left another message on her voicemail, telling her I was worried that she was upset with me.

Nothing. No call back.

I spent the rest of the day distracted, not able to work, sobbing intermittently. I was convinced, not only that she hated me, but that I was a horrible person. That whatever I did or however I was being was totally unacceptable to other humans. I wondered if anyone would ever love me considering I was such a horrible and unlovable person. I was in a total shame spiral!

But this time I did something new. I called a really wise friend, right in the white hot heat of that fire. I sobbed like a crazy person, intermittently choking things out like, “I think she’s mad at me but I don’t know what I did. I’m afraid everyone is going to go away…” She listened and then asked me something with so much compassion. “Can you simply be with the possibility that she is upset with you? Just sit with it?”

I considered it for a moment, and then responded through more tears, “No… I don’t think I can! Not even for five minutes. I think it’s one of the hardest possible things for me to be with.”

Then she said, “So that’s your work then! You’re being with it now though. You’re doing it. It’s painful but you’re being with it in this moment. You’re growing your capacity…”

The friend called the next day and it turns out she wasn’t mad at me at all. She had been having a rough and busy day and just wasn’t able to call back. It wasn’t personal and I hadn’t done anything wrong. I had worked myself up into a froth for nothing!

Do you ever do this?

Our woundedness can creep up at unlikely moments. For me, something as minor as someone being irritated with me can send me into a really dark place, and fast. I am so grateful I was able to reach out this time, right in the thick of it, and get support.

This is what wisdom is– Creating even the smallest bit of consciousness around our responses so that we have some room to breathe, to choose, to see things for what they are. And if we can’t do it ourselves, the most loving choice is to reach out to a friend. Someone who can nod their head and say, “Oh honey, I’ve been right where you are… It’s so painful.”

Is there anywhere in your life you are projecting into the silence? Are you making up a story about the person who hasn’t called? the friend who hasn’t emailed back? Did you go out on a limb and got left hanging? What story are you telling yourself?