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Creative Life Midwife

Inspiring Artistic Rebirth

Stopping the Slide Into Feeling Worse

November 19, 2021 by jjscreativelifemidwife

Yesterday I felt the familiar slide into the blues – and I am using that term loosely. I don’t want to say I felt the well worn path toward a downward depressive spiral though that would be accurate, too. 

I don’t want to give depression that power.

I asked myself a personal power question:

“What can I do tomorrow morning to keep myself moving toward feeling-better-than-right-now?”

I didn’t mean take on something huge like walk five miles at a top speed or similar physical feat, I simply knew myself well enough that the tilting down of the weight of the blues  could land me flat on my face in mud or dust or worse.  I knew I single-handedly possess the ability to take an action in the direction of better.

I have the capacity to choose to move forward, with love – or lurch toward the ground in despair.

This isn’t always true – I was on the edge of a breaking point.

Mental health has plagued me over the years. My optimism tends to confuse people who don’t understand how this goofy, happy go-lucky whistling, happy song-singing, tree-hugging poet can shut herself off from others for no obvious reason.

This morning as I started a focus-mate session, I was surprised by the flat affect that still hovered within me. I am grateful I witnessed it – as the short-fix feel better medicine of taking action: walking on the nearby wood-duck trail and hugging an old oak tree is the beginning of feeling better, not the finish line to feeling better.

When the focus mate session was over, I mentioned to my partner I couldn’t find my spotify off button and was concerned my “Cozy Christmas Instrumental” playlist might be a bit much. On the contrary, my focus mate partner loved it. We both ended the session smiling. I know I was smiling.

Human connection, acceptance and cozy instrumentals all make me feel better.

Have you ever taken the time to notice what lifts you up when you feel the blues sweeping into the room?

Do you or does anyone you love experience dark days (or longer days that stretch to weeks, months or more?)

It is important we normalize these moments of sadness and don’t shame ourselves or others or pretend them away. 

You could choose to start a conversation by asking about it: “What might make you feel better?” and be prepared for “Nothing” or “I don’t know.”

Besides tree hugging and walking by myself or writing, having other people simply be with me is a big help. Talking isn’t necessary, but presence feels really good. Listening to or watching TV, reading books side-by-side. Silently sipping tea and looking out the window, all are better with someone beside me – also quiet without pushing me to feel better so that they may feel better, too.

James Clear wrote, “Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.” While I agree with the energy and meaning of this quote, I look at it more like every action I choose to take builds self-trust and provides evidence I am worthy of continuing to move forward, with love and do the creative work I was put here to do.

Today, I am feeling better. I am not dancing on the rooftops gleefully and I am mindfully present to my circumstances. There is no hyperbole, no numbing out and no racing throughts.

It could have so easily slid into much worse.

Julie JordanScott is a multipassionate creative who delights in inviting others into their own fullhearted, artistic experience via her creativity coaching individually or in groups, courses and workshops. To receive inspiring content and videos weekly and find out more about Coaching, Courses, Challenges and what’s going on in the Creative Life Midwife world? Subscribe here:

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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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Filed Under: Creative Life Coaching, Daily Consistency, Grief, Healing, Self Care, Uncategorized Tagged With: depression, grief, Healing Grief, Healing Journey

Sometimes Grief Slams Against Us, Unexpectedly… Like It Did Yesterday

November 2, 2021 by jjscreativelifemidwife

If I had been paying attention, I might have realized there was going to be an all saints sort of theme at church this week.

I clearly wasn’t paying attention.

It feels like too many losses to count.

I have experienced numerous losses this year: my father died, my friend was murdered, because of my father’s death my mother moved into assisted living so there is no denying her frailty, their house was sold so there will be no more holiday memory making in Flagstaff, I moved from my home of thirty years for a year – my eyes were filling with tears as soon as I saw the centerpiece on the table at church. Memories. Deaths. Losses. All losses were piled upon losses were piled upon losses.

The service was an honoring of lives.

The intention was to bring joy to the memories of loved one, to honor the grief and the loss.

The intention was to honor the grief and the loss: words on a pink lavendar and orange background.

It might have been if I was emotionally prepared. Even before I got to church I had been feeling more low than usual – I wouldn’t call it lonely but I was aware of the aloneness as I faced Halloween in an unfamiliar neighborhood without friends to invite me to a party or the usual neighborhood kids looking cute in their costumes as I gleefully ohhhhhh and ahhhhhh and pass out candy.

Halloween has always been the beginning of the holiday season for me.

Since my daughter died more than thirty years ago, it is the time when I brace myself for what is to come.

What lessons has my grief taught me as we face the holiday season?

These five are the beginning – there are many more AND these will help you to begin having a more intentional – and more joyful – holiday experience.

  1. Being emotionally prepared before the day descends is always more helpful than not paying attention.
  2. Having a friend or two on stand-by if I need assistance or have that overwhelming “I just can’t do it” energy rise up.
  3. Recognize the day may be marvelous without any preparation at all – and mindfulness always serves my greater good than happenstance.
  4. People don’t mean to upset me when I am caught off guard by an event.
  5. I am grieving the best I can – whether I am in denial or fighting back tears or guiding others through their emotions – I am grieving – and living – in the best way I can.

Emotional preparation goes a long way to intentionally experiencing the holidays while we are grieving. 

If you have friends who are experiencing grief, please remember them as we get closer to other holidays which may cause them to feel upset. If it is you who are grieving: I am here, sending love your way.

I also created this video in case you or someone you know is looking ahead for the holidays and is nervous about it:

Julie JordanScott is a multipassionate creative who delights in inviting others into their own fullhearted. artistic experience via her creativity coaching individually or in groups, courses and workshops. To receive inspiring content and videos weekly and find out more about Coaching, Courses, Challenges and what’s going on in the Creative Life Midwife world? Subscribe here:

She is also offering a new Create an Intentional Holiday Season While Grieving Coaching Circle beginning on November 16, 2021. For details on that program please click here.

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Filed Under: Creative Life Coaching, Grief, Healing, Self Care, Storytelling Tagged With: Grief During the Holidays, Healing for Writers, Healing Grief, Intentional Holidays

Self Care Creativity Retreat: It is easier than you think!

July 13, 2021 by jjscreativelifemidwife

There is something about being outside and creating: painters are more known than writers for creating outdoors, but as one who enjoys taking her notebook and journals out into either the countryside or a local park, I know replenishment through creativity is absolutely possible.

Creative Self Care outside in July in the Desert (or humidity or insert your objection)?

Here in Bakersfield, in mid-July, it is hotter than most humans can bear easily and at the same time, getting outdoors in the early evening to write sustains me. Right here, close to home is sometimes all that is out there.

It is up to us to shift our mindset and say “YES! It is enough!”

This extra fun (and instructive) video about a unique “tool” you may choose to put together to enjoy a personal self-care creative retreat – whether it is 15 minutes or 15 days long. Watch the video and below are 4 quick tips for you to consider in planning your next self care creativity retreat.

Mindset Shifts to Create a Pleasant Self Care Creativity Retreat:

You may be raising all sorts of reasons why you can’t do a self care retreat on your own. I understand this more than you know. I am a mom of 3 including a special needs child, I know how difficult it can be to take care of yourself amidst everything else which makes it even more important to find a way.

Here are some final tips:

  1. Keep your retreat basket in a place where it can be seen when you are busily doing your other work. It will serve as continual inspiration.
  2. When you plan for your week, be sure to include creative self care on the list. If you don’t plan for it, don’t expect it to magically happen. You may add it as a reward – and be sure you are confident in reaching that reward or once again, you will never get there.
  3. Sometimes when we have small children, we may practice retreating in parks when they’re playing. See if you can tag-team with another Mom or two and give one another 15 or 20 minute time outs to devote to solo creativity.
  4. Do the best you can – and remember, if you don’t at first succeed… that’s right – try, try again.

Julie Jordan Scott inspires people to experience artistic rebirth via her programs, playshops, books, performances and simply being herself out in the world.  She is a writer, creative life coach, speaker, performance poet, Mommy-extraordinaire and  mixed-media artist whose Writing Camps and Writing Playgrounds permanently transform people’s creative lives. To receive her email newsletter to be inspired by her transformational articles, essays and videos as well as find out about her new programs, products and challenges, please click here to subscribe.

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Filed Under: Creative Adventures, Creative Life Coaching, Creative Process, Self Care, Writing Tips Tagged With: DIY retreat, Retreat basket, Self Care Retreat, Self Care Video

Healing Grief: Speaking and Writing Even When You Don’t Know What to Say

May 12, 2021 by jjscreativelifemidwife

Trigger Warning: Death, Murder, Grief.

The Sunday after my father died suddenly, I attended a funeral of my friend, Jodie, who was violently murdered. 

The moment came when people were asked to speak. I didn’t want to speak. I didn’t even really want to be there at all, but I was there, so I stood up and found myself in the aisle moving forward.

I realized sometimes our love for people is thankfully larger than our unwillingness to speak or write

I looked down at my feet as I walked. I felt like my clothes were all wrong, I did not want to speak, was worried I might fall on my way to the front of the room.

I was unprepared and I did not want to speak, but there I was ambling forward to speak.

There I went, doing yet another thing I didn’t want to do.

The shock of my father’s death was wrapped around my shoulders as my feet carried me toward the podium to speak extemporaneously – even though it was the last thing I wanted to do – at Jodie’s funeral. I knew her sons might feel better if they heard me remember their Mom. I knew I had a unique and positive perspective to share. I knew I loved Jodie, still love Jodie, and love the common cause we fought for together, year after year.

I was too numb to begin to know what I was going to say, but one of us from Vday needed to speak up and of the women who were there, I was the “senior leader” so it didn’t matter if I was numb, it didn’t matter if I had no idea what I was going to say, it didn’t matter if I was completely unprepared and ill-equipped – I needed to walk up to the microphone and say something, anything. 

The moment I finished speaking, I was glad I had chosen to speak.

I can’t even tell you what I said but I do remember afterwards many of Jodie’s family members thanked me for speaking.

Facing death head-on is not how I planned to spend the month of April. 

Jodie and I both worked to end violence against women and girls through performances connected with VDay, a movement created by Eve Ensler, who wrote “The Vagina Monologues”, “Emotional Creature” and other plays and books. Jodie and I also protested together, went to the beach together, sang karaoke together, were stage Moms together.

It pains me unmercifully to think the cause of her death is something we fought against. Like our friend and fellow VDay Warrior, Lori, said, “It wasn’t supposed to be like this. We never expected to be at a funeral for Jodie, we were supposed to be alive and on-stage with Jodie.”

It didn’t matter that the next day I would be driving back to Flagstaff to care for my mother and work with my siblings to create my father’s celebration of life. In that moment it didn’t matter that I felt guilty because I knew I would be missing the first hearings for the accused murderer, something important to me as well. 

What mattered was holding space for love and being present to love, even after life

What mattered was I walked into the aisle, I walked up the stairs, I stepped up to the mic, took a breath and spoke. My intention was to be positive, truthful and loving and not afraid to show my emotion. 

If I had been able to set aside my grief from my father’s death I might have done things differently. I would have remembered the reality that at funerals, people are often called to speak from the audience. I might have thought to jot some notes.

Because I was facing my father’s death shortly after Jodie’s death, I was not at a place to set anything aside, including the knowledge I must speak even if I only stammered out a couple sentences.

No matter how uncomfortable or how scared or how sad I felt, I needed to speak up.

I needed to speak up for Jodie.

Next week I will speak at my father’s funeral, reading a poem I am writing.

Coffee cup and notebook are underneath the quote from Flannery O'Connor "I write because I don't know what I think until I read what I say."

Flannery O’Connor said, “I write because I don’t know what I think until I read what I say.”

I have scheduled my out-of-town caretaking and even my doctor’s appointments for the disease I am fighting based on the next hearings for the man accused of Jodie’s murder. I have chosen to continue to write about Jodie consistently so that I will, as Flannery O’Connor suggests, know what it is I truly want to say. 

I am working on a poem for my father’s funeral. One line at a time, one sentence at a time, trusting the process of getting words on the page.

In everyday life, if I don’t write, everything gets clogged. My emotions get trapped and my creativity dries up. When grief comes, this clog or this block creates even more of a risk.

Neither Jodie nor my father would want to be the cause of silencing my message. If anything, they would have wanted me to amplify my message. I am following their guidance now. 

Because we love, we grieve.

Grief never feels like something we ask for, yet if we have lived a life full of love, we will grieve.

5 Strategies to Help You Express Yourself, especially in times of Grief

  1. Jot notes of your feelings, even if it is only on your phone or collected in text messages. Your best allies and friends will welcome your notes as you heal.
  2. Be willing to have uncomfortable conversations. If you are the friend of someone who is grieving, ask for permission to talk about the loss, to use the name of the person who died. I love when people say “Marlena” the name of my baby daughter who died at birth thirty-one years ago. 
  3. Try writing in a journal or use an inexpensive spiral notebook for journaling your healing process. Use a free flow writing style. Do not edit or think before you write, just get your words on the page. A few minutes or pages a day, whatever feels right for you. As you keep your words flowing, you will keep your energy flowing, you will keep your healing flowing. 
  4. Give yourself the gift of being vulnerable. With practice, it gets easier and easier. In my years of practice, one of the best ways to start is to ask the people you are with, “I feel vulnerable saying this and there is a big part of me that doesn’t want to say this…” and give them a chance to respond. Maybe they aren’t in a space to listen and will ask to set a time to talk later. This is a huge victory!
  5. Find or designate a “safe person” someone you can turn to at any time of day or night if things get difficult. Ironically for me, my safe person is often my notebook. It may take courage to ask someone to fill in this role for you, so you may want to assemble a team. What I have found as a griever and one who supports grieving people is usually those we ask are honored, not bothered, when we ask for support.

Once again, as you keep your words flowing, you will keep your energy flowing, you will keep your healing flowing. 

Grief is a process and has a calendar unlike any other. Offer yourself grace and forgiveness. Take your time. Writing and creative process helps the healing process steadily proceed rather than getting stuck. Using the strategies outlined here, hope will begin to grow, too. Love to you.

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.

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Filed Under: Creative Life Coaching, Creative Process, Healing, Self Care, Storytelling Tagged With: Healing Grief

Why It May Benefit You To Consider Tree Hugging Now

February 12, 2021 by jjscreativelifemidwife

Why Hug a Tree?

Remember when we used to be able to hug people without thinking about risking our health?

That’s one reason why hugging trees feels so good right now.

I remember in 2019 regularly attending First Friday, an event in Downtown Bakersfield on the First Friday of every month. Art galleries and businesses downtown would be open and artists would line the streets, performers would be out and “my people” would inevitably either be showing their wares or circulating or performing.

I was guaranteed to hug and be hugged, smile at others and smile back, sing and laugh and play and be silly and for now, anyway.

I don’t have that on the First Friday of every month right now.

What is available is plenty of trees to hug, even in cities.

Yes, what I do have is an abundance of trees to hug. 

Trees are in parks, they line many streets and parking lots. They are in my yard and in the yards of friends I can wave to and talk to outdoors from a safe distance.

When I hug a tree, I focus on one thing: feeling and experiencing a hug. On any given day I may also focus on healing for myself,for the rest of the world, the specific tree I am hugging, the neighborhood.

Specific health benefits of tree hugging

  • When you are tired, you allow yourself to feel the reciprocity the tree offers, just like the reciprocity humans offer. It isn’t exactly the same AND it is powerful in its own right.
  • You may receive positive energy from the tree, enough of this energy to find myself giddy and laughing.
  • Cardiovascular health and even obstetrical outcomes are improved when we utilize parks, green spaces, and hugging the trees within as noted in this research from Pennsylvania scientists.
  • In observing the tree, you will also notice how the branches bend and stretch. These may ignite associations in you like they do for me in my business and my life.
  • The scents from the trees serve as an up close and personal aromatherapy. You can feel myself relaxing as youhug the tree. Stress relief comes.
  • Matthew Silverstone noted in his book, Blinded by Science, evidence confirming trees and their healthful benefits includes their effect on mental illnesses, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), concentration levels, reaction times, depression, and the ability to alleviate headaches.
  • “Nature Deficit Disorder is real! Families need nature in urban areas, reports the New York Times . Tree hugging creates a deep connection point for urban nature, especially during times of Covid.

What I have learned in 52 consecutive days of Tree Hugging:

Since I started hugging trees every day for more than 50 consecutive days, I have never walked away from a tree hugging experience and felt worse. I always felt better.

When I focus on what I can do: I am able to hug trees, even with the pandemic, rather than what I can’t do –  I can’t responsibly hug people who aren’t in my household. After hugging a tree, I re-discover joy, I open to what is present in abundance, I tune into what feels better. 

How to Hug a Tree Most Easily

There are infinite reasons to hug a tree. What is yours?

Julie Jordan Scott is the Creator of the Radical Joy of Daily Consistency Course which helps people practice consistency and completion daily in order to experience a more incredible life experience. She also founded the free, private facebook community for writers and creative people at all levels of experience: the Word Love Writing Community. Join us!

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Filed Under: Creative Adventures, Creative Life Coaching, Creativity While Quarantined, Healing, Intention/Connection, Self Care Tagged With: How to Hug a Tree, Tree Hugger

Is it Still January, 2021?

January 10, 2021 by jjscreativelifemidwife

I wrote this on January 9, which feels like years ago now. The only reason I know January isn’t over is my birthday hasn’t happened yet.

The last few weeks have felt like decades, like 2020 was just a tiny warm-up to what the first 10 days of 2021 would bring. I’m choosing to see this – no I will not say unprecedented – unsettling time as a chance to withdraw, as I did a few days ago, to reflect and see my perspective and the stories that come with it from MY perspective only.

Yesterday I was so exhausted from the day itself, I fell asleep shortly after 8 pm. I had nothing left to give except a devotion to my pillow. I had no time for quiet, contemplative thought so I accepted my own plea for rest.

You get to choose how to measure your “success” in the moment

I woke up frustrated because I wanted to get more done yesterday. It was 1:33 am when I came up for air. I lifted my neck and plunged it back into the pillow. Nothing I could do to change it so I surrendered back to deep sleep.

When I woke again I had overslept.

I got to choose again: berate myself or allow myself a pass. That’s when I came upon my friend Anne’s question which leads to my 3 Good Things. As you read my 3 things I invite you to consider yours.

Maybe in reading mine, you will see some of yours, reflected. That is my hope and prayer for you and for me, too.

Reflect on Your 3 Good Things Today

Here are mine:

  1. I love how ripple effects work. My friend Anne Stone Lafleur asked a question based on her Gift of Happiness website connection cards. I took that question and gave myself an assignment to “live it” and it shifted how I approached a task I have put off for far too long. Self-love, self-compassion and a vision of what is coming up for me all lined up through a couple pages of free writing that would not have been born if it had not been for the question she asked herself that I then asked of me. 
  2. I love how it feels to hug trees, today a eucalyptus.
  3. I love what I am in the midst of creating that includes, right now, me reclining in a bed that is made up with adorable flannel sheets with cats on them. I am writing this note and then, I will drink my tea, do day’s end writing and reading and it has become such a self nurturing time I feel new again.

Invitation to Fully Embrace Your Stories & Your Views

How will you make and remake your story from visiting here, today?

Maybe you will fall more deeply in love with your life or maybe you will feel a call into a new perspective, a slight shift or caveat.

Whatever is true for you, I hope you will take a moment to share with us your 3 Good Things from today – sometimes that will seem like too few and sometimes this will feel like too many. However and wherever you’re falling on that spectrum, proclaim something – it will improve your story to share it.

Thank you for being here!

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 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.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is The-Radical-Joy-of-Daily-Consistency.png

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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Filed Under: Creative Life Coaching, Creative Process, Rewriting the Narrative, Self Care Tagged With: 3 Good Things Daily, Count Your Blessings, Your Perspective, Your Story

This July: Cultivate Memories that Transform Your Life Experience

January 4, 2021 by jjscreativelifemidwife

I started this year holding the intention for transformational memories. I would that intention has definitely come to fruition, but they came about in ways I wouldn’t necessarily have chosen to happen.

It is valuable to collect memories, especially the transformative ones - so that we may continue to return to them for their love filled and meaning - rich energy. Collecting them now in the middle of summer will help continue the power and add to the initiating intention.

What are transformational memories?

Memories tend to fall into several different categories: the mundane, the memories we want to forget, the bad memories that are burned into our psyche and the mountaintop memories – or big events we work to remember for later in great detail.

Transformative memories are those every day moments that make a lasting mark on who we were in the moment and who we are becoming, still.

Are transformational memories active gratitude, counting your blessings?

2020 may have many transformational memories for you that are certainly not mountaintop memories and they were also not mundane. This is evidence of the “unprecedented times” we keep hearing about and experiencing again and again and again.

Now we have crossed the bridge to 2021 and although the calendar has changed, we are still facing many of the challenges from before. This series is to stay focused on what moves us forward.

Building a creative streak to practice successful completion

It is also an example of a small “streak” or container to hold a 31 Day Experiment in Counting My Blessings everyday that also is a method of completion practice.

I am a believer in practices like this because it gives you a daily completion, so you get practice in what it feels like to accomplish something simple to do and significant to do everyday. It is nothing short of magical. 

Don’t believe it?

Try this for a week and tell me how you’re feeling.

Today in June I am revisiting – Three cool things I noted from January 3:

  1. Samuel started the day shift at his job. No more graveyard. From now on he will work conventional hours and I won’t get to bring his lunch to his bedroom door by special delivery every day. That is a sadness I will just get over.
  2. Katherine got a full-time church job! She will be the Solo Pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Sussex, NJ. I told her today I look forward to the day I can travel again and see her in action in her congregation! Update: In September, 2021 I will be moving to Sussex myself for a year to be close to Katherine and Donald AND experience an entirely different life. It will be a valuable experiment I never could have imagined when I set the intention for a year of transformative memories!
  3. I created a bunch of content for the week to come, ahead of time. “Getting ahead” always makes me happy – now I simply need to get better at batching – working on one task theme for a set amount of time. For example. An hour of making graphics. An hour of writing copy, an hour of scrubbing the kitchen. 

This process also helps me as a part of my evening writing practice, something I have wanted for a long time. As soon as I am done with this, I will do some writing in my notebook, some meditation and fall asleep.

The significance of revisiting recent (and not so recent) personal writing to mine for transformational memories.

I am revisiting this writing at the end of June, 2021 and have decided to begin this practice again for the month of July, 2021. To recap between January and now, I will touch base on some of what I have been experiencing.

I will share three transformative memories – and attempt to keep them succinct.

  1. My father died on April 18. From that moment, so many things happened and the memories have been very sad and also very filled with love.
  2. I learned the Valley Fever I have been carrying disseminated, which means it spread beyond my lungs. This could be very dangerous AND I have been receiving ongoing treatment AND I have never felt more confident in my ability to manage my health. I was filled with stress for a lot of time from January through whenever it was I had a biopsy-turned-drainage (I think in March? Since Dad died, a lot of time has had a very different meaning and context.)
  3. I have been getting my writing mojo back, slowly and surely. Poetry is back, working on my book projects is back, writing in my notebook daily is back. I realized in getting it back I was in quite a state of languishing for a long time. This is definitely transformative.

It is easier to see Transformational Memories from a distance, but what does naming 3 good things from any given day tell you?

I like to look at collecting transformative memories (and transformative memories-to-be like this: it is as if my future self and present self are having a party. Since my life in 2021 has been in a surprising uproar, there are so many times when I have said to myself with a lot of incredulity, “I am so grateful my past self was looking out for me!”

It is in the tiny, day to day things that the transformative memories happen. It is only from a distance that we can see what the whole picture looks like.

With that in mind, tell me:

What are 3 Good Things from your day? When July 1 hits, I will return here every day. I hope to see you here, too. This will be informal, flexible and fun.

Are you ready to count your blessings? Let us know in the comments!

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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Filed Under: Creative Life Coaching, Creative Process, Goals, Intention/Connection, Intention/Connection, Meditation and Mindfulness, Self Care, Writing Challenges & Play Tagged With: 3 Good Things, Gratitude, Gratitude Practice, Journaling, Life Coaching Practices, Life Transformation, Memories, Transformational Memories

3 Good Things: 2 January, 2021 Edition

January 3, 2021 by jjscreativelifemidwife

Announcement about 3 Good Things in January 2021 May this year bring transformational memories

My friend Ghia taught me the importance of sharing 3 Good Things at the end of every day. At least until the end of January, I am borrowing her practice – a little bit of gratitude, a little bit of counting your blessings, and a lot bit of putting a smile on our collective faces.

Let’s count our blessings

the sun shines over the Kern Canyon wall. This could easily have been one of the 3 good things.
  1. A meeting with the community I am a part of hosted by Jennifer Louden called “The Oasis” – we planned our quarter together for about an hour. I had a fabulous time and might even dance the next time we have one of these things. I remember I used to dance during live streams which is dancing in front of strangers but somehow when a person I really respect suggests dancing, I back off. Weird – but hey, it was great.
  2. I read the same part of Julia Cameron’s book about active compassion towards myself. Active self compassion. There was a quote I really got, viscerally, that went like this: “Skepticism is rooted in fear, and fear is healed by compassion.” I sat there in bed, nodding. Compassion. Which leads me to think, “How do we heal systemic fear? Compassion.” Nodding more.
  3. I have gotten so much praise about the photo I posted here yesterday when I made it into my facebook cover photo. I had no idea people would like it so much.

Simple Gratitude, shared

What are 3 Good things from your life today? Share one or two or all three in the comments!

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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Filed Under: Creative Life Coaching, Rewriting the Narrative, Self Care Tagged With: 3 Good Things Dailty, Count Your Blessings, gratitude list, Gratitude Practice

You Can’t Get You Wrong (and other Truths We Sometimes Forget.)

August 27, 2020 by jjscreativelifemidwife

You are the expert in all things you. I have realized lately that many of us wander around not knowing who our own, unique “you” really is, even after reading all the personal development books and taking more courses than we ever imagined.

You may see your face in the mirror, but you haven’t yet learned who that face belongs to underneath all the coatings of “what other people want” or “what other people said” or “other people’s opinions based on what they value which in truth have nothing to do with me.”

There is no wrong, there is simply…

One of my favorite sayings is, “There is no wrong, there is just writing” or “right-ing”. That seems elemental on the days when I am feeling good, when the circumstances I am in line up with what I most want. However, when I am triggered because someone is challenging what I believe or what I stand for or what I most love, I sometimes find myself wobbling off course. 

Does that ever happen to you?

Something magical has been happening during this pandemic, during these uncertain times we are living through in this oftentimes chaotic chapter labeled 2020.

Magical pandemic? How is that true?

We have been given the freedom to explore who we are – in depth – and mindfully strip away the layers of who we are not.

It might help to say that aloud: “I have the freedom to explore who I am and now I have permission to mindfully strip away the layers of who I am not.” If you have NOT gotten to those interior spaces yet, the good news is as long as you are here – there is time.

Now is the time to recognize AND embrace AND integrate those areas of life we are able to control in order to experience freedom purposefully, even if that seems ironic or impossible. These remain the same no matter what our circumstances are, so if you are living your paradise existence on Malta or are on lockdown because of an illness, these are areas in your control. 

You are free to….

  1. You are free to control your opinions. You are not in control of what other people think about your opinions. You are free to not respond to what other people say about you and your opinions.

2. You are free to control your choices – and you always have choices. As long as you are living, you always have choices. You cannot control other people’s choices.

3. You are free to control your actions and your inactions. You cannot control other people’s actions and inactions. You are free to keep your opinions about other people’s actions and inactions to yourself. 

4. You are free to control the words you use. You cannot control the words other people use. You are free to control your response to the words other people use.

You are always able to choose. Or Not. Both are a choice, like this:

Right now I am indoors because of the smoky air caused by the fires raging here in California. I could make the choice to go outside and walk or run or bicycle, I am free to do so. I would rather feel better than worse, so today I am choosing to walk energetically around my house. I am even making it fun!

I recognize all of this may sound downright weird to you. I feel slightly worried you may judge me for it. I am allowing myself the space to feel hurt by your opinions and sad about what you might say AND I am free to move along without a trace of concern or attachment. 

That feels so much better!

Finally, I have some “end of the blog post” inspiration for you from a popular musical from my childhood.

Remember “Free to Be: You and Me”?

I was surprised and not surprised to learn it is currently in a revival! As I listened to the soundtrack his morning, it came clear to me why it is finding a new audience today. While aspects of it are dated, the message comes through loud and clear.

“Take my hand, come with me, where the children are free

Come with me, take my hand, and we’ll live

In a land where the river runs free

In a land through the green country

In a land to a shining sea

And you and me are free to be you and me”

Listen and watch this newer version by Sara Bareilles, especially for the class of 2020.

My intention is to collaborate as we create this place described in the song. I’ve always hoped for this world for myself. Now I know I am able to create it starting with my household as well as in how I present myself to the world while simultaneously build a world with others as we are each free to be ourselves – fully free, collectively.

What would it mean to you to be free – even amidst the current circumstances we are in right now. Not “someday when this is over” but right here, right now.

Are you ready to discover and practice How to Write for Magnetic Attraction? You’re invited to be a part of the ten day experience beginning September 21, 2020. To receive an email with a private video message, writing tips, community livestreams and more during our next free writing experience, please subscribe to now to our #5for5BrainDump Email List:

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To participate in conversation with other participants, join the Word-Love Writing Community Facebook Group where the conversation and livesteam sessions will be accessed in a safe, private writing community.

Portrait of creative life coach and creative life midwife Julie JordanScott

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. 

Julie is also one of the Founders of Bridge to the New Year. Access the visionary prompts from the mid-2020 #Refresh2020 to reflect, connect, intend and take passionate action to create a truly remarkable rest of 2020 as well as to prepare for the end of 2020 and create our next Bridge to 2021, join the private facebook group now.

To participate in conversation with other participants, join the Word-Love Writing Community Facebook Group where the conversation and livesteam sessions will be accessed in a safe, private writing community.

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Filed Under: Creative Life Coaching, Creative Process, Intention/Connection, Self Care Tagged With: Free to Be You and Me, Personal Growth

How to Create a Simple Intention that Will Change Your Life for the Better Even During these Uncertain Times

August 17, 2020 by jjscreativelifemidwife

I confessed to you in yesterday’s blog post I had one of the largest blocks of my lifetime last Fall after having a near-death experience. It wasn’t only the almost dying that shut down my creative will to make things, it was the unsupported recovery.

In the perfect world, I would have had numerous caretakers hovering nearby ready and able to be at my beck and call but in reality it was Emma and me… and since I never trained Emma to “adult” – my mom never trained me, I just became an adult from about age eleven and increasing as I grew older – so there I sat in my corner recliner doing nothing except walking to the restroom back to my chair and walking to the kitchen and making myself not to terribly healthy meals and back to my chairs and at the end of the day, I would either sleep in the chair or wander to my bedroom.

I had friends swing by and take me places, doing the best they could, but no one really knew what my life was like inside my house.

I wasn’t about to tell them because that would make me a creative failure, a wannabe, a nothing. After almost dying, I felt so lackluster that being “a-nothing” was where I hovered the most.

I would look at the computer, but wouldn’t use it. I wouldn’t go on the internet and scroll, I would look at the turned-off screen, not interacting with the keys or watching videos or anything.

I would hold my notebook in my lap, but I wouldn’t move my pencils or pens or crayons.

In retrospect, there were two necessities that were far from my experience. I needed an intention and I needed someone to give me a bit of a believing push.

I needed someone to say “I believe in you. Your work is important to the world! It’s time to love and live an inspiring question because you love the people in this world and sister, they love you, too.”

I existed through November and early December, normally exciting times for me. I slowly started feeling better.

It wasn’t until a December sunrise shortly before I went to visit my daughter Katherine and her husband, Donald, that my creative will started to move through me with any sort of consistency.

What made this shift happen? I decided to live and love a question while keeping my heart open to the forward flow of intention:

“What is it that I used to do that made me feel better that might make me feel better now?

Some possibilities that rose up were good, but I couldn’t do them without the help of others. I love karaoke, but my lungs and voice didn’t feel ready. I knew my recovery would take at least six months. I would adore being on stage again, but same challenge – PLUS I would need to have a director who really wanted to cast me. I couldn’t imagine that happening anytime soon.

I chose writing haiku which combined writing – which I have always loved – with haiku – which was a very short poem and therefore, an easy idea to put into motion. 

I also knew if I failed, it wouldn’t be heartbreaking because… it is only a short poem once a day. Besides, no one would be paying very close attention. I made it even easier because I said “Must complete in the morning,” which meant I didn’t have a long time to think about how much I really didn’t WANT to write a haiku. 

I didn’t have time to think about how much I didn’t want to do anything but sit alone in a corner.

After a week which included quite a bit of family travel which is wonderful and stressful and tense, I realized my question, “What will help me feel better?” changed everything when I loved the question, was patient with myself in allowing the response to find its way to me, and I took a very small baby step every day.

Interesting to note it was that same week when I insisted I was going to visit my parents in Flagstaff sometime around my birthday, an idea and an intention I had been holding for over a year but other people’s needs and my own lack of planning continued to interfere with the actual implementation of my plan.

I will forever be grateful I visited my parents in the middle of February. It was only a few weeks later a simple visit with them would be impossible due to Covid-19.

A simple question: “What would make me feel better?” and a contemplation of which activities were do-able yet also a bit of an inspiring stretch, has changed my life in ways I never expected.

It is important to make considerations as to what you are willing to…. do or be or accept or let go of in order to feel better or do better or be better. You may have to let go of your perfectionism or be willing to get up earlier or be willing to drink more water or take something out of your schedule or you might have to be willing to make people angry.

In the long run, none of those small annoyances – or what may feel wildly uncomfortable now – will compare to how great you will feel by consistently aiming for what it is that will make you feel better. You have the wisdom within you right now to determine what that is.

I believe in you. I look forward to seeing your “what’s next” with a little extra nudge of intention added to your experience.

Even with the challenges of 2020, I am more alive and more connected and more compelled to make a difference than I have been in years. Often during my visioning work, I imagine 5 or 10 or 500 or 25,000 people feeling better, too. I imagine the impact that would have on our planet.

Do you have five minutes to write in response to this prompt and others like it? It’s all waiting for you to simply say yes. Thank you for reading.

To receive an email with a private video message and writing tips, please subscribe to our #5for5BrainDump Email List:

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To participate in conversation with other participants, join the Word-Love Writing Community Facebook Group where the conversation and livesteam sessions will be accessed in a safe, private writing community.

Portrait of creative life coach and creative life midwife Julie JordanScott

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. 

Julie is also one of the Founders of Bridge to the New Year. Access the visionary prompst from the mid-2020 in #Refresh2020 to reflect, connect, intend and taking passionate action to create a truly remarkable rest of 2020. 

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Filed Under: #5for5BrainDump, Creative Adventures, Creative Life Coaching, Creative Process, End Writer's Block, Self Care, Writing Prompt Tagged With: Near Death Experience

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