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To the Point, Issue #0026 -- , Out of Retreat?
August 21, 2020
Hello

Coming out of Retreat



To the Point
A just-in-time newsletter published by Lisa Kellogg

  • Today's Point: Out of Retreat

  • Mid Point: New Grooves: Everyday Practice

  • Open Points: Workshops/Groups



Out of Retreat...


If you tuned in to my last newsletter you may remember the wobble I was experiencing getting back here...

When you are a bit wobbly and then the world starts to wobble beneath you, sometimes it's fine to forge ahead and it may also be good to slow down. I was already in low gear and so I chose slow motion.

I was fortunate to be able to hunker down with my 80 yr old Mom. I thought I'd be launching some new offerings in the Spring, instead, I extended the retreat I'd begun to emerge from, taking a creative sabbatical. Something, I'd planned to do 2 years ago that had gotten derailed. A Pollyanna part of me feels like the world conspired to finally get me that creative sabbatical.

I had just begun The Creatives Workshop through Akimbo when most things shut down. Irresistibly, I dove further into the exploration begun in the workshop and followed my need to rekindle the art making part of my life. At the same time, I enjoyed helping my Mom continue to settle in to her new home and gardens where she moved last fall.

So, despite the wobbly state of the world, it's been a fruitful time for me. I am finally ready to reconnect, feeling creatively refreshed and excited to share and be a part of what's ahead.

  • I wonder how you are?
  • What has this time been like for you?
  • What have you learned from the challenges?
  • Where did you surprise yourself?

I hope that you and your loved ones are staying healthy, finding resilience, joy and connection with others that you might not have, with life going along as it had been.

Without a doubt, there has been terrible hardship for many through this. I don't mean to minimize that with my tendency to focus on opportunities for learning. At the same time, I think a lot about the many people who have been living with terrible hardship for a long time due to the increasing economic inequity (among other ills) all over the world that have been causing suffering for far too many, for far too long. I am hopeful there will be good change ahead.

I think the slow down and time for deeper thinking has been good for many people. I hope we can raise consciousness, work to find common ground and creative solutions as we go forward.

New Creative Grooves

Everyday Practice

I have never been inclined towards routine, rarely taken 9-5 work, preferring irregular hours. Exercise or meditation have not been easily incorporated into any sort of daily habit. You could say, I'm not self disciplined, yet I can be about certain things. I think it's partly a need for variety that is stronger than the perceived benefit derived from a particular routine. My unruly inner reBell doesn't like to abide.

Over time, I've learned to coax her and have been able to overcome the resistance. In the last year and a half, I have incorporated meditation and breathing exercises into everyday. The latest habit that I'm quite delighted with has been drawing daily.

When I started The Creatives Workshop, I committed to drawing, writing and posting everyday on the workshop message boards along with the other participants. We held each other accountable and generously supported each other in the practice. It became an incredible shift. I followed through and ended up with 150 drawings. When I finished the workshop in July, I continued and now have over 190 daily drawings.

When the workshop ended I wanted a place to post everyday to keep the commitment going. So, I created a Wordpress blog.

Little Haven Arts

Here are links to a few of my favorite posts to give you a taste. You can scroll through as there is an arrow to the next page at the end of each.

LHA: A Starting Point

Heat Stream

Lions Mouth

I plan to keep this newsletter a less frequent form of communication separate from the blog. I will include links to highlights in each issue. Feel free to sign up over there if you'd like to follow what I'm up to with Little Haven Arts or you can keep up less frequently by staying here.

Okay back to the habit master part of this.

  • How are you with changing habits?
  • What helps you start and keep a new habit?

Need some ideas? Here's my tips for changing habits. If you have an unruly inner part that keeps you from getting that new groove and you'd like support, I am offering a Healthy Habits Series starting in the fall.


Groups & Workshops

Upcoming Classes:

  • Virtual Midday Meditation
  • New Grooves: Establishing & Maintaining Healthy Habits
  • Begin Again: What's Next?

Final dates times and duration's will be pinned down shortly and I'll send a follow up. Let me know if you're interested in any and you'll get advanced notice!

For more information go to Classes & Workshops



Any comments, ideas, feedback, other points? Just reply and tell me what you think!

Please share this newsletter with anyone you think may enjoy it. Thanks!

Cheers!
Lisa



www.point-to-creativity.com

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