Creative Life Midwife

Inspiring Artistic Rebirth

Empowered Beliefs + Core Values = More Attractive Writing (Plus a Bonus Video)

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How to make your writing more attractive to readers (and audiences) may surprise you. This article header invites you to explore here.

Bloggers, Novelists, Poets, Content Creators all want to create work that is attractive to others.

One of our dreams is often to draw people to our work as if our posts, books, collections were magnetized.

Here’s the thing: you may intentionally magnetize whatever you write through filling your writing with your most empowered beliefs and your values so that people are compelled by what you are saying or sharing. If you are writing unintentionally from limiting beliefs or concepts that are outside your values, you may be unconsciously sending people away from your writing.

How do these intangibles become attractive to your audiences and readers?

I am a multi-creative and once upon a time I directed the play “First Kisses”. One of my colleagues from the theater community approached me with a surprised and slightly embarrassed expression on his face and said, “Julie, I have to say I really liked this. I can’t tell you why, but I really, really liked it.” His eyes silently said “This is entirely not my cup of tea content wise, but there was something in it that drew me into the experience itself.”

What drew him in was the intention I created with the actors and technicians who brought the written words to life. His enjoyment and attraction to the work was based on what we added to the script, intentionally.

How have your favorite – and not so favorite – authors used this?

Have you ever started reading a book and realized although it was outside your usual genre, you didn’t want to stop reading?

Today, consider this: magnetism is because the person who created it took their empowered beliefs and their values and through the combination of these two intangible qualities created a work imbued with an energy that can’t be explained in a conventional way.

This is a lot to take in. Instead of exploring all the possibilities here – I will ask you to spend some time this week thinking about what you believe, underneath the chatter, the arguments and grandstanding, what rises to the top every time?

How to easily gain clarity about your beliefs and values that may be in hiding under the surface:

  1. Be gently curious with yourself. Instead of forcing yourself to “find the right answer” simply ask yourself, “What do I truly believe?” and then go about your activities of the day.
  2. Every evening, ask yourself the question again, “What do I truly believe?”
  3. In the morning, take time to write the question by hand and respond to it by hand, “What do I truly believe” and allow the thoughts to flow without thinking, planning or arguing before you start moving your pencil or pen across the page.
  4. After you have written, set your notebook or piece of paper aside and repeat for at least three days.
  5. You will discover a pattern you may not have noticed until now.
  6. Repeat with “What do I truly value?”
  7. Also notice what your behaviors prove you value. For example, if you state you value quality relationships but you spend zero time with your best friends and family, you are not leading a life aligned with your values. The good thing is, you are taking the time to fix this habit. 
  8. Remember to continue to ask the question, explore with writing and perhaps have some conversations with friends so you may talk out your discoveries. Just like with your writing, don’t edit or judge what you say – if your friends or families are judgmental, take note of that and perhaps try making a video for your eyes only  to watch instead so you may hear what you truly believe and value.

If you would like to begin the process here, write in the comments one thing you believe and/or one thing you value. If that is uncomfortable, simply let me know you were here.

Bonus Video to Gain Understanding

As a bonus, here is a brief video I made this morning for you on this same subject. It’s only three minutes and perhaps by watching it you will pick up something more than simply reading the words.

Julie JordanScott is a Creative Life Coach, an award-winning storyteller, actor and poet whose photos and mixed media art graces the walls of collectors across the United States. Her writing has appeared on the New York Times Best Sellers List, the Amazon best sellers list and on American Greetings Holiday cards (and other greeting cards). She currently lives in a manse in Sussex, NJ, where she is working on finishing her most recent book project, hugging trees daily and enjoys having random inspirational conversations with strangers.

Follow on Instagram to Watch IGTV exclusive videos, stories and posts about writing and the creative process.

Let our Words Flow Writing Community: the only one missing is you! Join us in the Private Writing Group by clicking here.

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How to Wake Up Everyday With Content You are Proud to Publish

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This simple 5 step or less technique may become your best way to create consistently good content you are proud to publish.

Start an evening or end-of-the-work-day writing practice. It is a simple and meaningful formula that will fill your content with helpful, interesting stories/information/transformations.

  1. Write a question, by hand, in a small notebook. This question may be something you are struggling with and/or what your clients/subscribers struggle with, too.
  2. After you write the question, note three to five gratitudes, in writing, in the same small notebook. Experiment with re-writing the question in a slightly different way after writing your gratitudes.
  3. Within an hour of waking or arrival in your workspace, pull out the notebook and write for five minutes in response to the question. If you get stuck or writing stalls – which is rare because your subconscious mind has literally doing your creative work all night long for you – write about your gratitudes as a back up plan.
  4. Bonus: Add your question to a closing thought of the work day or conversation before you sleep. Post the question on social media before the end of the day or before bedtime. If you have a partner, ask them what they think about the question. Fall asleep with a healthy curiosity.
  5. Wake up with content ready to go. When you tap “publish” you will be proud.

Try this as an experiment for at least three to five consecutive days. Please come back and let me know how it goes for you.

If you already have a writing practice, see how this might augment what you are doing now. Tell me about it in the comments.

Julie JordanScott is a Creative Life Coach, an award-winning storyteller, actor and poet whose photos and mixed media art graces the walls of collectors across the United States. Her writing has appeared on the New York Times Best Sellers List, the Amazon best sellers list and on American Greetings Holiday cards (and other greeting cards). She currently lives in a manse in Sussex, NJ, where she is working on finishing her most recent book project, hugging trees daily and enjoys having random inspirational conversations with strangers.

Follow on Instagram to Watch IGTV exclusive videos, stories and posts about writing and the creative process.

Let our Words Flow Writing Community: the only one missing is you! Join us in the Private Writing Group by clicking here.

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Why Reading Poetry is an Important Strategy for All Content Creators

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A block letter of "POETRY" in pink, blue and lavendar encourages writers in all genre to read poetry with great love and enjoyment.

I can literally hear the shrieks from many of you upon reading the title of this blog post.

Poetry, the dreaded. Poetry is difficult to understand. Poetry, that unit in English class that brought your grade from a healthy B to a C, which made your parents take away your phone privileges for a week.

Would it help you to read poetry if you saw real reasons why any and all of us who use words to create content of any sort ought to embrace and regularly read poetry in a similar way to how Robin Williams character in “Dead Poet’s Society” suggests? At the bottom of this blog post I have included a video with some words from that movie about poetry the Apple Corporation used in their advertising campaign.

9 Examples of how reading poetry will help you be a more successful writer and content creator


1) Samuel Taylor Coleridge famously wrote, “Poetry: the best words in the best order.” Many of us believe him and practice poetry for the joy of polishing our words into short, enjoyable and yes, easy to understand and/or natural to make us want to stretch our understanding of life, this world and one another.

2.) Poetry is often concise -which will help you write better headlines, catchy slogans and synopsise main points you want to convey.

3.) The Harvard Business Review stated “Poetry teaches us to wrestle with and simplify complexity.” Harman Industries founder Sidney Harman once told The New York Times, “I used to tell my senior staff to get me poets as managers. Poets are our original systems thinkers. They look at our most complex environments and they reduce the complexity to something they begin to understand.”

4. ) Reading poetry gives us more unusual topics of conversations, videos and written content. Reading a poem in the morning and planting it into your subconscious mind will ignite you to approach your content differently – which is always a good means to improve your content and writing development.

5.)A Fast Company article visualizing a post-Covid19 Pandemic World leads off with a quote from Rainer Maria Rilke followed by these words about how poets and poetry reading people make for better business leaders: “Poetry requires of its readers a different way of thinking, more expansive than usual, more flexible, more nuanced; a way to tune in to undercurrents, accept ambiguity and the absence of answers—embrace lack of closure and relish complexity and uncertainty.”

6.) Reading poetry increases one’s curiosity and the desire to ask questions. This is especially good for people writing sales copy. How does this poem relate back to what I am trying to communicate to possible clients and students?

7.) Memorizing poetry about success and overcoming obstacles helps the brain to stretch and grow. Suggestions for such poems include “Success” by Ralph Waldo Emerson; Triumph May Be of Several Kinds by Emily Dickinson or In Praise of Pain by Heather McHugh.

8.) Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft said “Poetry is akin to ‘that force created within us that seeks out the unimaginable, that gets us up to solve the impossible.” This sort of inspiration and motivation helps me get up and write yet another blog post, social media post, thank you note… every day – to tune into the creative life force that creates poetry as well as a note to someone who is grieving.

9.) Discover the pleasure of the sounds of poetry through watching videos of poets such as former California Poet Laureate Dana Gioia (who is also a graduate of Stanford School of Business and worked in the business sector for 15 years before pursuing a literary and academic life. Recognizing really good writing through the voice of Dana Gioia will help you to hear your own writing improve.

Your poetry reading challenge:

I challenge you, even or especially for the skeptics among you, to visit some of the links I am providing here and consider how poetry has the power to help you improve in every single kind of content creation you are attempting.

Reading one poem a day will change your life in an infinite number of ways.

Reading (or listening to) one poem today, even if it is the last poem you ever read, will impact you as well. 

I am grateful you are even considering it. Thank you so much for reading this far.

Poetry Resources, including references from this article:

From The Poetry Foundation:
Poems to Read When You Get Stuffed in a Gym Locker (success and anti-success poems):

Success Poem list frpm DiscoverPoetry.com

Dana Gioia YouTube Channel Playlist of Poetry Recitation. His voice and delivery are incredibly enjoyable.:

Fast Company Article about CEO’s and Poetry:

Julie JordanScott is a Creative Life Coach, an award-winning storyteller, actor and poet whose photos and mixed media art graces the walls of collectors across the United States. Her writing has appeared on the New York Times Best Sellers List, the Amazon best sellers list and on American Greetings Holiday cards (and other greeting cards). She currently lives in a manse in Sussex, NJ, where she is working on finishing her most recent book project, hugging trees daily and enjoys having random inspirational conversations with strangers.

Follow on Instagram to Watch IGTV exclusive videos, stories and posts about writing and the creative process.

Let our Words Flow Writing Community: the only one missing is you! Join us in the Private Writing Group by clicking here.







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Coffee Shops, Third Spaces and Intentional Conversations

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Through the window of Dagny's, a coffee shop in Bakersfield, California, friend's magically appear and inspire creative sparks in one another.

I am a lover of coffee shops, especially locally owned coffee shops where creative people gather to connect, to converse and to create community. Most of the time artists and solopreneurs work from their home spaces so having a “third place” helps us to feel like we are a part of something bigger than ourselves. The phrase “third places” was started by sociologist  Ray OldenburgRay Oldenburg and refers to places where people spend time other than their home (‘first’ place) and work (‘second’ place). They are associated with being locations where we exchange ideas, have a good time, and build relationships.

I used to be a regular at a coffee shop in Bakersfield called Dagny’s. Even as local other coffee shops started and succeeded, I still favored Dagny’s. I would go there and “hold court” meeting up with people on purpose and by surprise. Friends would bring their friends and the conversation would take tangent turns and I could literally spend hours with changing groups of friends coming and going.

I remember once talking to a brand new friend about the premiere Stravinsky’s “Rites of Spring” in 1913. Her eyes got huge, “I have only known dancers who know this story!” 

When the pandemic started, I knew I would run the risk of missing the conversations I most loved to have at Dagny’s: intentionally more deep than the average complaints about weather or politics and gripes about the coffee they were out of or the limited bagel supply.

I love deep conversations on specific guided topics.

I started something called “Coffee and Intentional Conversations” in March of 2020 with no end date in mind. We first met for an hour a day six days a week, now we meet twice a week for an hour. 

We have a core group of friends who are diverse ethnically, we have different beliefs and live in different places. We don’t talk politics because we don’t want to bring our divisions to the table, we want to bring our connections to the table.

I have often wondered if the group would continue. I considered stopping it several times, thinking it had run its course and yet people continue showing up. I continue kicking our hour off with a “warm up and introduction” question and on Tuesdays we usually have a topic with questions and sometimes we listen to a poem and engage with meaning and stories from that poem. On Saturdays, we most often play games or have free flow, engaging discussion games like two-truths-and-a-lie or “ask me anything” where we ask each other questions we have wanted to know about each other, but never seemed to have the chance to ask.

Basically, we talk about what I would talk about with people in person except we have zoom screens rather than tables and coffee cups.

We have forged deep bonds during a time that is trying at best – and we have had breakthroughs, deep conversations and encouragement that is unique and exceptionally helpful.

What is your favorite experience in coffee shops or “third places”?

Julie JordanScott is a Creative Life Coach, an award-winning storyteller, actor and poet whose photos and mixed media art graces the walls of collectors across the United States. Her writing has appeared on the New York Times Best Sellers List, the Amazon best sellers list and on American Greetings Holiday cards (and other greeting cards). She currently lives in a manse in Sussex, NJ, where she is working on finishing her most recent book project, hugging trees daily and enjoys having random inspirational conversations with strangers.

Follow on Instagram to Watch IGTV exclusive videos, stories and posts about writing and the creative process.

Let our Words Flow Writing Community: the only one missing is you! Join us in the Private Writing Group by clicking here.

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Fall in Love with Video and Live-Streaming: From Fear to Freedom

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A screen shot from a livestream video reminds me of the early days when I had more fear than freedom with video making and live stream video. Now, I love live streaming and I hope you will, too!

Not long ago I livestreamed every single day, sometimes more than once a day, for four years straight. I loved livestreaming for many reasons: the friendships that were born, the skill set I built, and the access to ‘instant research’ and “rough drafting” of content I was trying out.

I started wondering why I stopped live streaming, especially since I found so much joy there.

Toward the end of Samuel’s senior year, I became overwhelmed stirred up with disappointment, longing, and grief about the end of this significant phase of my life.  

When we dropped him off at  UNLV I started falling into a funk which I didn’t recognize at the time, The life that tumbled around me that season and for the seasons after that gives me a clearer perspective of why I stopped.

October 2019 brought me the gift of Valley Fever, a hospitalization that nearly killed me and the start of a long physical recovery period.

Toward the end of my recovery, the Covid19 pandemic and stay-in-place orders started.

A year and a month later, my friend was murdered. Her funeral was the first large group event I attended. Masked. Sitting with a handful of friends and speaking up for the positive nature of her life.

In the days before my friend’s funeral, my father died.

Immediately after that until last week my siblings and I were immersed both in funeral planning and helping Mom decide where she would most like to live. 

A-ha: Reflection cured the live-streaming and video mystery.

This is why I haven’t been live streaming lately, but what kept coming back to me has been “I always felt better after I livestreamed consistently.”

I also noted my YouTube channel was much less active. I no longer regularly offered even short YouTube videos and rarely checked in with my previously made videos. I have the skills, but the motivation wasn’t there.

It was like my video – love – balloon had deflated so I put up a tentative new video trial balloon in my private Writer’s Facebook group to see if any of my closest creative friends would be interested in gathering to explore video-making in the privacy of the facebook group.

Enough people are interested to give me the energy to do my best. That is what I am promising: only my best. We will be in this together, collaborating and cheerleading and the intention is to enjoy the video making process.

Let’s Transform Video Creation Fear to Freedom to Make Videos Playshop Adventure Challenge

I am still working on dates because I am still traveling back and forth to Arizona and home to help Mom during her transition, but it looks like it will be sometime after July 4th. 

Some of what will be included:

  • Basic skills teaching and practice with coaching and feedback geared for creatives, especially those who write or journal.
  • Foundational clarification of the purpose, mission and reason why participants would like to use video. 
  • Prompts people may use for the videos plus tips on how to take the prompt and relate it back to the participant’s “why” for live-streaming.

It will run for 10 days with 5 prompts and 2 option livestream trains where participants will practice live streaming either in the group or on their own facebook page and we will all join the livestream to support and help one another practice what it is like to have an active, conversational livestream – it helps make it less scary to have friends “in the house.”

I made this short video in 2018 – when I was still going live every day. I look forward to the increased energy and excitement once again.

If you have an interest in participating, head over to the Word-Love Writing Community on Facebook where all the fun will happen. 🙂 

By the way, if your knees are knocking at the thought of this, that’s a good thing. Mine are, too, actually. It will be fun listening to the chorus of our knees knocking like a chorus spread out across videos across the world.

Julie JordanScott is a Creative Life Coach, Writer, Speaker and Mom extraordinaire who loves working with creative entrepreneurs, artists and healers to get their words written on the page, spoken in their videos and shared across social media platforms with confidence. She has learned the power of daily consistency and currently is on day 191 of 377 days of tree hugging!

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My Vision is Bigger than This Bump in the Road

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I almost hit a wall and allowed it to stop me.

Note: I almost hit a wall and allowed it to stop me.

I didn’t let it stop me.

I am here, writing. I made a video. I am on course, on track, doing this. I am doing this. 

How did I begin my work in Transformational Creativity?

I began being a creative life coach, facilitating transformational programs, working with individuals to have breakthroughs in their own creative life while I continue with my multi-creative work?

The easiest way for me to narrow down the story returns me to my near-death experience in October 2019. The wall I speak of now – my health crisis – may be rooted in that continuing saga. The biggest challenge with my health is I don’t know what is causing my problem – is it more Valley Fever? Is it a benign tumor? Is it some form of cancer? I can read the CT report – which points out all into possibilities. In the past, when I hit a wall regarding my health I would stay stuck in the worry.

This time I am not, I will not get stuck in worry.

That is a big one for me.

My goal to work with people as a partner in their transformation and expanding that vision into co-creating a changed world is huge. I am not going anywhere. I am continuing on the path I started forging two decades ago.

Even if this health snag becomes larger than I want it to be, I have a team to help me through it and my work will continue. That says it all.

My work will continue because my vision is bigger than this bump in the road.

Julie Jordan Scott is the Creator of the Radical Joy of Consistency Course which helps people practice consistency and completion daily in order to experience a more incredible life experience. She came to this conclusion after almost dying and coming back to true and expanded healing by writing 377 consecutive haiku… and a lot more along her way to building that streak! To find out more about this program, visit this link, here.


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When You Fall Short, Do This Instead of Giving Up

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Instead of writing this on the evening of January 4, I am writing it on the morning of January 5. This is problematic because part of the reasoning behind writing these every day is to set me up for strong evening practices of mindful creativity.

Who decides what is a problem?

This morning when I wrote up to do my daily writing, I discovered a solution which I will put into place today, this evening, so I will follow through successfully.

Why am I telling you this?

I am telling you this because it is important for us to be in the habit of authentically and transparently speaking up and saying what is true and then letting go of our own concept of “failing” or “getting it wrong” whatever “it” may be.

Maybe “getting it wrong” is an important part of your process.

What sometimes happens is we don’t do what we said we wanted to do and we do and say nothing. We pretend none of it happened. Then that day nothing changes and nothing changes on the third day and then it is as if the desire never existed.

My night time spiritual practices are much better than they once were but they are far from perfectly executed. It takes practice and time for “perfect execution”. In fact, perfect execution is far from the point.

The point is to show up as best as you can and move forward, with love.

Three Good Things:

So now, on the morning after, I will happily share with you about yesterday.

  • I drove Samuel to work this morning, nice and early. He is loving the day shift and I am loving what it opens up for me. Ta-Da Tuesday is about to be re-invigorated!
  • I bought some adorable new flannel sheets. I love sliding into clean sheets – it is one of those simple pleasures that help me feel loved – probably because I loved the ritual of being tucked tightly into bed with stuffed animals when I was a little girl.
  • I doodled and drew in my art journal. I have been considering using art journaling for #The100DayProject but hadn’t completely decided. I am feeling like art journals are calling me back because #1) I enjoy them and #2) They are a different way of flexing my intuition which I haven’t used lately.

Art journaling will continue to be a blessing as will soft sheets & collaboration!

What are three good things in your life today so far?

Write them in the comments below or journal them, in any form.

Julie Jordan Scott is the Creator of the One Small Shift Course which helps people practice consistency and completion daily in order to experience a more incredible life experience. She came to this conclusion after almost dying and coming back to true healing by writing 377 consecutive haiku… and a lot more along her way to building that streak! To find out more about this program, visit this link, here.

She has been a Life Purpose and Creativity Coach since 1999. She has taught workshops in college classrooms, hospitals, teleclasses and webinars with participants across the world.

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In Doubt of Your Ability to Focus Purposefully?

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Like many, I have had to get used to having my entire family underfoot during this pandemic. It used to be I would have complete days to myself to work on my business and create courses, content and sometimes even write for pure pleasure.

These days, I have gotten grumpier and less fun to be around.

Today, I was ready to give up until I decided to use one of my own writing prompts to figure out how to stay focused and purposeful. 

You can do the same thing.

How can you be more focused, even when circumstances are less than optimal?

Here’s what happened for me: I looked back toward a writing prompt I wrote last week for my coaching clients. I knew it would work!

It started with a quote from poet Muriel Rukeyser that went like this.

“In time of crisis, we summon up our strength. Then, if we are lucky, we are able to call every resource, every forgotten image that can leap to our quickening, every memory that can make us know our power. And this luck is more than it seems to be: it depends on the long preparation of the self to be used.”

From that quote came this prompt:

An autumn scene is the background for a writing prompt directing purpose and focus to summon the creative muses.

Here’s what I wrote in 5 minutes:

I remember as early as middle school when I sat in the back of the room typing away at a typewriter, banging on and on about my passion for music. There I was on a manual typewriter with the clanging return bell and my wild push back with my left hand – music, music, music.

I remember earlier, actually, in elementary school, we had a box for our student newspaper. One day I sat and wrote poem after poem after poem about my classmates. I would write one and submit, write another one and submit, write another and submit.

It was exhilarating.

Back then noise didn’t bother me. In fact as an adult I would spend Sunday mornings in sports bars, writing, while my children were at church. I loved church but I loved writing freely, even in loud bars, more.

So why is it right now I can’t seem to get writing done when it is too noisy in my house, which is where we all are given this pandemic?

It may be because here in the house I am responsible. If something happens, I am the one who feels compelled to jump up and “make everything better.”

I am the “go to for instant solutions.” I am the guide, the champion, the always willing to wake up out of a solid rest in case of a crisis because for Mommies there really isn’t much of a rest.

5 minutes of writing yields results

From there came possible mindset solutions that invited me to take different actions in the future:

Solution? 

Give myself a break for continuing to do my work in the world. Trust everyone here can take care of themselves in case of a crisis, big or small.

In fact, each person in this house will be a better human if I sit back, do my work, and be more grounded in my own mission than constantly worrying about theirs. Figure out the noise canceling headset.

I am now free to choose to have a strong, focused week because our audiences are out there, wondering where to find their next inspiration.

After all, during this time, what do we know, most of all?

  1. We have the power to look within and find solutions there, even with limitations other people have chosen on our behalf.
  2. We are strong and powerful in all circumstances.
  3. We can do this, whatever this particular “hard thing” may be!

Let’s have a productive, focused week. If necessary, return to this rescue writing prompt. Heal those negative, naysaying energies.

Find a supportive creative writing community in our private facebook group

How would your writing productivity change if you received varied, niche driven writing prompts daily – also fiction, poetry, entrepreneur, copy writing and video prompts are offered, join the Private Word-Love Writing Community on Facebook by clicking here.

Julie JordanScott lives in Bakersfield, California in a house too small for quarantine life. She leads discussions on Zoom and is polishing her most recent memoir and some poetry for soon-to-be publication. If you would like her to speak to your group over ZOOM until travel is available again, she would be happy to talk to you about that OR maybe you are looking for a slightly quirky, very open hearted, compassionate and tender Creative Life Coach. She would love to speak with you soon.

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How to Make Your Choices More Conscious

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Confession: I get tired of hearing myself say (aloud or via text message or in an email or in a facebook group saying something like this:

“My computer connection is so slow today, I can’t get it done.”

“I’m just not feeling it.”

“This other person’s desires and needs are more important than mine, so… sorry self for not doing what I had listed as my goals, my intentions, my heart calls.”

“I have to give my complete focus to this television show so I can’t….”

Long ago I wrote an article asking myself and other’s to admit “can’t” is actually a choice.

More specifically when we deconstruct “can’t” into “choosing at this moment not to” a shift will begin to happen.

Instead of blaming the internet – and yes, there are days when disconnection gets in the way but these are also days to do different important tasks AND there are always ways to get internet elsewhere. I have been known to hang out at a local coffee shop specifically for this purpose. For a writer who doesn’t thrive on being alone constantly, knowing I can pick up and move my computer to a different location sometimes breaks through I can’ts.

The knee–jerk “I’m just not feeling it,” may mean it is in your best interest to choose to take a walk (stretch, do  yoga pose, call a friend for ten minutes, take a 15 minute tea break) and come back to it when you will magically be feeling it. Tip for this one: set a timer and don’t allow your “getting your creative-groove back” turn into an entire day retreat. Remember, you are choosing at this MOMENT not to, you are opting out of self-sabotage as a lifestyle.

“This other person’s desires and needs are more important than mine, so…” and anyone who has known me for longer than a day or so will recognize this as my most frequent self-saboteur “look at me the heroic martyr on behalf of those I love!” technique. There are times when other people’s needs WILL draw you away – remember to make this into a CHOICE not an unconscious, self-destructive habit.

As for the television or any other activity where you are a passive watcher, you may be able to fulfill other hopes, wishes and ambitions simultaneously. This is what motivated me to finally, after years of wanting to learn crochet I am choosing to learn to crochet. Sometimes if watching something IS significant, I take notes. As a writer, I may learn a lot from watching advertising, television shows and the evening news.

Then there times when watching television or videos or movies are an important escape. Those are definitely a conscious choice and important – it is when it becomes a habit that hurts your life one needs to be concerned.

The simple distinction: “I choose at this moment to….” And “I choose at this moment not to” is freeing and will help you to stay aligned with your greater purpose, your goals, your vision – and will help others to do the same because you are happily living the example.

I missed blogging yesterday. I chose other things. I’m grateful today I chose to be with you all, again.

What are you choosing today?

How will recognizing each activity is a choice – and becoming more conscious of this – change your day-to-day activities?

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Instagram: How to Have Fun & Get Results at the Same Time

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a group of women talking about how they are having more fun with their instagram accounts right now.

Are you ready to have more fun with Instagram?

Are you prepared to stop worrying about “getting it right” and instead, just enjoy yourself while using this dynamic platform people are buzzing about but not seeming to have a very good time with it?

We’re going to shift from drudgery into fun. Let’s turn our time in instagram back into a creative adventure now!

Instagram is everywhere: with more than one billion users and all the excitement surrounding this social media platform it feels obvious we all ought to be having a great time with it! Right?

Here’s what I noticed.

I have read a lot of articles and watched a lot of videos about Instagram: It is shocking! In all the tips and tricks and strategies I have yet to find one that focuses on having gun with this dynamic, engaging and dare I say it, FUN social media platform!

Lots of experts and strategists will go on and on about finding your perfect customers (or avatar or whatever they call it) pain point and address it. How about raising our friend’s fun quotient? How about making someone we like feel better? How about having fun, a blast, enjoying yourself while you are on a social media platform?

That’s what I want to do with something that is social.

Personally, when I am being social I don’t want pain. I don’t want fix-its. I want to feel better – especially as I am writing this and have been through two earthquakes in two days.

Let’s focus on having FUN the next time you are on Instagram or if you are not on Instagram yet, this will help you approach the platform from a much more engaging, enriching, enlivening perspective.

Step One:

Answer these questions.

  1. If you had a Saturday with nothing planned and your budget was slightly over your usual budget how would you spend your day?
  2. What is the best gift you have received in the last year?
  3. What made you laugh the most in the last week (or month or season)

Step Two:

In light of your responses, how would you represent each one visually?

Go to Unsplash.com and search for images that match the representation.

Save three of the images you find and use those as your next three Instagram posts.

Step Three: To write the captions, focus again on fun, great gifts and laughter.

Write a caption of three sentences or less using the same formula we just used. Ask the question I asked you. Then describe your response and photo. Finally, write a response of gratitude and “looking forward” like “Thanks so much for stopping to look at my Instagram. I can’t wait to see (What your Saturday looks like, What your best gift was, What made you laugh).

It is easy, it is fun and there is no pain involved at all. Consider it a friend and laughter scavenger hunt adventure!

Before you go, when you make your comment please include your Instagram Handle! I would love to follow you – and enjoy getting to know you better there, too.

You may find me on Instagram here. If you have any questions, drop them in the comment box . I would be grateful to bring more light to you today!

Paradise in Las Vegas in nature

Julie JordanScott, the Creative Life Midwife, is a writer, a poet performer, a Creativity Coach, A Social Media Whiz and a Mother of three. One of her greatest joys include loving people into their greatness they just aren’t quite able to realize yet. She spent a year working as a leader of an Instagram Group and is now leveraging that experience to create a learning workshop/playshop experience about instagram based on having fun called Summer Lovin’ with Instagram. Click this link to find out more. To set up a complimentary exploratory session, please visit here. Be sure to follow her on Social Media platforms so you may participate in one of her upcoming events. You won’t want to miss a thing – your future self will thank you!

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