Creative Life Midwife

Inspiring Artistic Rebirth

Are you Multi-Passionate? Mix your passions to see the resulting growth & expansion

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A book and a coffee cup and a woman's hand beneath the words "Writing experiments stir one passion into another and expand each exponentially." Julie JordanScottt

Three things I love: writing, reading and poetry. Beyond these I also love theater, performance, music, passionate discussions and learning. I love taking what I learn and using it in my writing, in the courses I teach, in my speaking and performance gigs.

One of the ways to integrate the varied things you love into the rest of your life is via experiments. Right now I am in the midst of several – many of which I won’t or don’t choose to talk or write about but this one, oh how sweet this one is.

Last week, I used a poem written by Teresa of Avila in my morning writing practice. 

I scooped up lines from it and used them as part of my daily affirmation, another part of my writing practice and every day living.

This week I am using a poem by Rita Dove, former Poet Laureate of the United States. Her poem, “The First Book,” is the opening or introductory poem in Caroline Kennedy’s collection, “Poems to Learn by Heart.”

The poem starts like this:

“Open it.

Go ahead, it won’t bite.

Well… maybe a little.”

Ahhhh. How illustrative of so many different things! When we are courageous enough to experiment in a tiny bit frightening way, we grow. In the Let Our Words Flow Creative Community on Facebook (join us here), we will also be using this poem and this experiment to encourage our creative impulse to swerve a tiny bit into scary places.

Journaling question for the Let Our Words flow creative community invites us to open the possibility of the transformative power of fear.

Last week I wasn’t expecting to have one poem make such a difference. It was astounding sometimes, it made me laugh at other times and the way the lines from the poem synchronistically answered questions I was asking or solved conundrums I was having was very close to divine.

As I wrote that sentence, my back got straighter, almost like my body was recognizing something my mind wasn’t ready to recognize yet.

Do you ever experiment in your life and work? I would love to hear about it in the comments. If you don’t experiment (yet) what sort of fun might you have with it?

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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Our Story of Courage & Compassion

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Background is pink with white hearts and says "Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the braves thing we will ever do." Brene Brown. Included is a journaling prompt: How will you see your story (daily story, mountaintop story, yearly story) through the lens of deep, profound love this week?
What will you write?

Today hasn’t been easy. I didn’t sleep well – and I was slow to get going – and if truth be told, I might have been better off just going back to bed AND there were/are certain things I want to get done today so here I am, writing, using a prompt I wrote several months ago that is ideal for me right now.

Choosing what to write is easy with #5for5BrainDump

I created a method several years ago that is so simple and effective, some people might not want to believe how profound and meaningful the process was and how deeply everyday people can get with their writing so quickly.

Considering the dumps I am in right this minute, what have I got to lose?

Set the timer for 5 minutes and write, write without thinking or judgment.

Me: I didn’t sleep well last night.

JA: What happened?

Me: I didn’t sleep well. I woke up coughing, choking again.

JA: Ohhh. That sounds tough.

Me: It is tough, it’s scary. 

JA: Yeah…

Me: And it makes me wonder about a lot of scary things that lead me down scary paths and I don’t want to go there. I don’t feel like going there.

JA: Ohhh. I get it, I understand not wanting to go to those dark places. I am with you there. I know, I know.

Silence.

Silence.

Heartbeat filled silence.

Me: Will you tell me a story?

JA: I can write you a story, sure. 

Here we go. 

Wait. 

First.

Me: Yes? What?

JA: Do you trust me? Julie? Do you trust me?

Silent Nod

JA: Thank you. You trusting me is a big deal.

JA: I’m going to write you a note, so you may read it later when you start feeling this way again. 

Silence.

Silence.

More silence.

JA: Dear Julie,

I know it is scary to be awake at night in the dark alone.

You have come so far that sometimes it feels secure to be scared. It is familiar. It is as if your fear is an abusive friend but at least it is familiar. You wake up coughing and choking and you remember what it was like to be a nineteen-year-old version of you, sleeping on a bottom bunk in a dorm room coughing and choking and not being able to breathe at night when you were almost an adult but not quite.

You were taking on a lot and you were scared you wouldn’t be able to manage it all. 

When you got older, you called it a stress cough. 

You had kids and were working hard to raise them right but sometimes you were uncertain. You know you made mistakes.

You would cough, sometimes with people around, looking at you.

You would ask people to give you water, anything, to shut down the cough to take the horrible cough away because if the cough persisted… like that time you and Emma were in that Cracker Barrel in Indiana on the way to take her to school and you started coughing so hard and you couldn’t stop so you got up and went to the restroom and you coughed so hard you vomited and you cried and you couldn’t get it to stop but you did, eventually, and you went back to the table and Emma and you smiled at her. 

“Mommy is ok,” you told her, “I’m fine honey, all is well.” or at least this is how you see it in memory.

There were quick episodes when you were scared and long episodes when you were sick and now, after a long time without the coughing, they’re here.

Maybe they’re ready to say goodbye.

Are you ready to say goodbye, dear Julie?

Sometimes the writing takes you away for more than one 5 minute section, so you keep going.

That’s what happened here. I wrote for about ten minutes in this dialogue format, having a conversation with my highest self, Julianne, about what had been bothering me all day.

This just scratched the surface, but I got it out – and with a writing process like #5for5BrainDump, 5 minutes of prompted writing for 5 consecutive days, magic happens. Trust grows. A new relationship with words and yourself begins.

Devotion, Movement & Trust in Action.

Like I said, I have had a tough day and I didn’t want to show up. I’m still not convinced it was and… because I am devoted to you and because I am devoted to the healing that comes from unedited, non judgmental writing, I am not going to change a thing.

Yes, And….

Writing like this is similar to improvisational theater. In Improv, the primary rule is “Yes, and…” so with writing like #5for5BrainDump we say “Yes, And” to whatever shows up. Jodi Picoult said this about “Yes, And”

“In the space between yes and no, there’s a lifetime. It’s the difference between the path you walk and the one you leave behind; it’s the gap between who you thought you could be and who you really are; its the legroom for the lies you’ll tell yourself in the future.”

What you have read here – if you have gotten this far, is a page in my story. I am loving myself enough and loving you enough to share it here.

Are you brave enough to tell the pages of your story and love yourself through the process?

Julie Jordan-Scott 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 Northwest New Jersey (Sussex Borough, 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 exclusive reel 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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Can You Show the Love for the World Via Your Social Media Posts?

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A text box with a pink background and a Quote from a Mary Oliver poem (Felicity) that says "And just like that, just like a simple neighborhood event. a miracle taking place." The question for you is "How can you show the world your love through social media posts?"

I have lost track of how many times I have heard people lament the horrors of social media.

It is often in the form of “othering” – making some one an outcast – blaming anyone whose posts illustrate a different opinion than ours. Sometimes on one of the largest platforms where I have the most diverse in every way followers, I add a warning to block or unfollow if you cannot tolerate having a friend who…. almost a warning I am about to share an opinion that is bound to be unpopular with a certain group of people.

What to do when you love people whose beliefs and opinions are different?

Here’s the thing: I love people on every side of any aisle. Some of the people I love have thoughts that might be “out there” in comparison to me. I truly believe my work is to love the world – whether or not we believe the same thing 100% of the time.

Sometimes this means I am more mindful with what I share and stay away from certain discussion topics. Sometimes this means I take a stand on a particular topic which is where I will draw the line and know sometimes love looks differently for different people.

If this is true, perhaps we ought to be more thoughtful of what we share and with whom.

We need to be sure to include every iteration of ourselves. For me that includes creative life coach, writer, mother, poet, artist-of-life, content creator, live streamer, activist, advocate, etcetera and more.

It is like a miracle when we see an abundance of loving words and images, isn’t it? It is like a miracle when we can be authentic and explain why we believe what we believe without being hurtful or divisive.

When we think of social media like this, perhaps we will stop posting to ignite disagreement and discomfort. Perhaps a more appropriate question for people who want to spread love through social media is to ask instead,

What will we do to increase the number of miracle posts for others to enjoy?

How about we each create with love – imbue our sharing on social media and our posts with love for the world. Consider it a grand experiment if that makes it easier, more fun and playful.

What sort of love filled post will you share first?

Julie Jordan-Scott 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 Northwest New Jersey (Sussex Borough, 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 exclusive reel 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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3 Easy Content Creation Strategies for 2022 & 2023 from Entrepreneur & Artist Beatrix Potter

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We will start with the ending before we wind the path toward the the beginning, thus honoring Beatrix Potter’s unique artistry and creativity.

  • Follow your fascinations and even better, while you do so, take notes in your journal to use in later content.
  • Pay attention to your everyday life. Use scientific methods that intrigue you.
  • Write letters (or today include, texts, direct messages and emails) that reflect your unique personality. Even these may become content worth later. Since you never know, keep collecting in your content basket or bucket.

How 19th Century Wisdom Helps 21st Century Content Creators (including you)

“There is something delicious about writing the first words of a story. You never know where they will take you.”

Beatrix Potter

What are your first thoughts when you sit at a blank page, wondering what content you may create that will have a positive impact on the lives of your audience? Are you excited? Are you thinking, “oh my – this content writing is delicious!”

Perhaps if we take a moment to consider the life of a well known children’s literature writer we may find fuel for much more than we might have considered in the past. 

Many of us think of Beatrix Potter as a children’s author who maybe we remember wrote something about bunnies or rabbits or springtime themes.

How Being a Multi Passionate Entrepreneur Helps with Content Creation and More

It might surprise you to know that Beatrix Potter was actually a multi-passionate creator who was an entrepreneur, a scientific illustrator and a wildlife conservationist who started writing her beloved Peter Rabbit – the work she is best known for – in order to have something to share with the sick child of her governess.

She devised and created Peter Rabbit in those letters as a character that grew out of the greeting card business she built with her brother. The greeting cards they made, marketed and built a successful business upon featured bunnies and woodchucks and foxes and squirrels dressed in fancy Victorian clothes – and their voices grew in breadth and depth as she wrote letters to this sick child. She added drawings to the letters  much like those she used in the greeting cards she made with her brother.

Science, Illustration & Letters Lead to Books, Greeting Cards and Merch We Still Love Today

Meanwhile, it was in her dedication to science experiments, mostly “amateur” and her hunger for knowledge that  helped her artistic endeavors. She studied the animals she illustrated, even doing post mortem analysis when she found a woodland creature who didn’t make it. She did this for fun – for passion – and then built upon that fun and passion just like I imagine YOU are building upon YOUR passion to create content.

Beatrix Potter’s greeting cards and stories that began as letters to a sick child turned into what we would now call “merch” were not because she  wanted to launch an empire we would still be talking about all these years later, but because she was a woman who followed her fascinations and lived according to her passions.

She did so enough that she was able to bestow the land she owned from all these heartful endeavors – to be wilderness areas where rabbits and woodchucks and foxes and squirrels may continue to thrive today.

Beatrix Potter also wrote “With opportunity the world is very interesting.”

How to Write Content Like Beatrix Potter

Now it is your turn to “write a letter” back to Beatrix Potter and your audience in the form of content.

3 Inspiring Prompts to Easily Fuel Your Content Creation

  1. What opportunity are you most excited to talk about to your audience? Don’t only think of the obvious like the product you are marketing – but what is it in your everyday life that you find interesting that may in fact lead back to a primary opportunity related to your product or service.
  1. Prompt: I was surprised by _____ today, so much so that I wanted to tell you a story about it. Follow with what happened and what you learned from it. Close with an open ended (something other than yes or no) question.
  1. What is something delicious about what you are offering or observing today? Relate what you are offering to a specific flavor and be silly, creative, surprising with what you say. Try this in the form of a letter like what Beatrix Potter did for her governesses child. 

For example, how does a pumpkin spice latte compare to your most recent offering? How does a drink of your favorite refreshment remind you of your offering? If you can imagine a character drinking your offer (if it was a drink) what would that character look like and how would they write this note to their friend about your drink/offering?

Now that you have ideas and opportunities beyond what you had when you started today, I encourage you to look at the “chore” of content creation as an adventure, as an opportunity, as a path to a magical place just beside your doorstep you never noticed until now.

What is your key take away from this post?

Julie Jordan-Scott 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 Northwest New Jersey (Sussex Borough, 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 exclusive reel 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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On Sundays, We Plan the Week Ahead

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It is basic and also easy to overlook: life works better even with the most basic plan.

Planning Basics: Even with a Hectic, Unpredictable Schedule basic planning is grounding and illuminating.

As a creative who is also busily caretaking, it would be easy to toss away any idea of planning and just “go with the flow” or as it often devolves into “go with the chaos” or whatever is the best of the worst possibilities.

This is not inspiring in the least.

This is why it is better to at least have the minimum amount of a plan before your week begins.

Calendar + Appointments + Tasks “To Do” + Practices = Better

On Sunday afternoon, evening or early Monday morning, be sure to gather your calendar, a list of your projects, classes, and to-do’s you are aware of as your week kicks off.

Fill in your calendar with what you know for now. Include any family or friend activities you are expected to attend. If you are unsure what other people’s expectations are for you, now is the time to ask and set the boundaries that fit.

Once those times are filled in, it is time to do some intentional breathing and take time in free flow, meditative writing or journaling to see if there is anything deserving space that has not yet appeared in your plan.

Journal or Free Flow Write to Double Check” and Allow the Unspoken within You Speak

Here’s a reality we often deny or pretend away: within our busy minds racing to get things done, we ignore the wisest part of ourselves. The quiet whispers, the tugs on our intuition, the nudges that are encouraging you to go in a possible different direction.

As you consider the blocks of time filled with appointments, daily basic care activities (hygiene, meal prep, spiritual practice, exercise), tasks and to-do’s, take a moment to journal or free flow write using this question and the sentence starter to tune into those most important aspects of your plan you may have not paid any attention to (yet.)

Revise your plan: It is a leaping off point, not a concrete wall.

One of the ways people resist planning or decide not to plan is based in perfectionism or “all or nothing” thinking. Can you relate to either of those?

Starting Next Week: Suggestions, Coaching & Response to Your Questions

Do you have any questions about how to plan, best practices for planning, planning mindsets or advice around planning? I will incorporate these in upcoming blog posts.

Please comment below or send me an email at juliejordanscott at gmail.comVideo Exploring Trust (which may have kept you from planning in the past.)

Optional Video Exploration/Writing Exercise on TRUST

A blast from the past (2017) a prompt for you to write with – videos will be shared at the end of each blog and are optional for you to use (or not) as a means for you to be inspired to write more or differently or better. This particular theme of TRUST is essential to grow as a writers and leaders.

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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Let’s Get Creative: Write, Journal, Doodle, Jot about Freedom

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This is the weekend we are celebrating freedom in the United States. To ignore our country’s current struggles on this holiday working feels unauthentic – so instead, I invite you to consider how you recognize freedom in your everyday life before making something inspired by freedom.

Use creativity to explore how you have or would like to experience freedom

Open a new document or get our your journal and begin with the sentence starters in the image. Write for at least five minutes freely, stream-of-consciousness style. You may want to get your juices flowing by beginning with a comment below before you leave.

  • Freedom feels like
  • Freedom is….
  • Freedom tastes like
  • Freedom looks like
  • I know freedom when….
  • I am grateful for freedom because…
  • I would describe freedom to an alien by saying….
  • Freedom sounds like
  • Freedom smells like

To further spark your writing and creativity

To further spark your writing, watch this video and use it as a prompt in addition or instead of the freedom prompt.

Please begin your response to the prompts that are offered here in the comments. I would love to hear from you!

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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Rise… with Prompts You Never Knew You Needed

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A tree with birds rising from it. Words on the image say "Rise Prompts for Different Purposes.

Today, it is time to rise up, separately and together.

Rising up is a choice. First, an example and a story:

I’ve been consciously walking for a couple months now, but a year ago, I could barely walk at all.I spent thirteen long days in the hospital with pneumonia, Valley Fever and Sepsis. My doctors told me I needed to include walking in my healing regime. I got good at getting out of bed and sitting up, but the walking part besides walking to the restroom and back wasn’t something I felt so great about. It took my friend Beth coming by and insisting we walk.

She held my arm and off we slowly went. 

Beth and I became an instant community and we rose up, together.

After that, I was willing to walk and I did walk. People visited me and we slowly walked. I even had landmark goals like the Pumpkin window – that was a big highlight. My friend Tim tried to get me to walk more – but his suggestion felt too far.

Rising up for you may mean making a phone call (and writing a script before making that call.)

Rising up for you may mean writing for five minutes on a subject that makes you angry and you are concerned you will get angrier so you don’t do anything. By the way, one of my favorite notes to self is anger in and of itself is not bad, it may be constructive. This morning I walked 7 flights of stairs because I was angry. It worked in that instance.

Rising up may be stretching your arms over your head once a day. Write a gratitude entry about how good it feels. Repeat tomorrow twice. Tell a friend about it in a text message. Continue. Continue. Continue.

Rising up may mean writing with a friend or writing live on a zoom session

There are prompts and videos you can write with today – tag one of your writing friends and set a time to come in and use one of the #5for5BrainDump videos at the Let Our Words Flow Creative Community or one of the many prompts in the albums or by searching the popular topics that show up in the group. (Check the MEDIA tab in the group.)

Rising up may mean setting a goal today to finish editing one chapter by Friday.Today, we are rising and writing about it.

Prompts for different sorts of Writing

Copy & Paste Texts: (Simply copy, add to a text or direct message and send. You may also add your own brief message to personalize)

1. I have noticed how you rise to the occasion over and over again. Thank you for your inspiration.

2. I haven’t heard from you lately. Is there anything you are facing I may help you with? I miss hearing from you

3. Hey, I am looking for someone I may reach out to when I’m feeling stuck or need inspiration. Would you be willing to receive an occasional check in text from me?

Copy Writing and Social Media Posts

How can your product serve as encouragement to help the people who are interested in your product face their challenges?

Write a heartfelt letter to a possible client/student/buyer and then mold it into a sales letter.

Fiction Writers:

Two options:

1) Write backstory about how your main character has a history of overcoming challenges.

2) Inject a “rise up” story/scene for a secondary character that fills a more stagnant part of your book with a new energy.

Lifestyle Bloggers and Vloggers

We’re getting toward summer when people stop working towards the goals they made earlier in the year.

How can you invigorate your audiences to rise up and over whatever they’re facing amidst the realities of 2022?

Memoir/Life Writers

Make a list of the times you have chosen to rise up. If the timeline doesn’t fit within the outline of your current memoir, how might it help with fleshing out the unseen or backstory in your memoir?

Bonus: How might it be useful in marketing your memoir once it is published.

Poets

Think of metaphors for rising up and use that metaphor to write your poem. Here are some examples to start you off:1) Early shoots of flowers in late winter/early spring2) A child taking her first step3) The beginnings of a difficult conversation.

Quotes and General Prompts

“When Monrovia rises, the city rises witha bang, and I wake up with a soft prayer on my lips.”Patricia Jabbeh Wesley

Prompt: When I wake up, I…..

“Sometimes we have to reach rock bottom before we’re willing to rise up and overcome our trials.” Dana Arcuri

Prompt: I remember when I rose above rock bottom…..

“It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all, in which case you have failed by default.”

J.K. Rowling

Prompt: I am guilty of allowing failure to block my progress, and now to rewrite that story, I will ….

Finally, save this link to Maya Angelou’s classic poem, “Still I Rise” and read it as would make you feel ready to rise (even if you don’t really feel like it.)Maya Angelou’s Poem “Still I Rise“

And now, write! Run and write with the words you find here.

Rise separately, Rise together… RISE.

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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Trust: How Practices and Imperfection Lead to So Many Insightful Gifts

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This morning I sat at my desk intending to write in the same, highly practiced way as I do on most mornings. I met with my focus mate partner – for those who don’t know, Focusmate is a co-working environment online that helps people transform their to-do’s into ta-da’s while supporting another person doing the same in either 25 minute or 50 minute containers. 

“I am going to complete my morning writing practice,” I told my new friend’s smiling face and she reported her tasks back to me. We wished each other well and I started writing.

What I wasn’t expecting was to be visited by memories, Kahlil Gibran, Daniel Pink and experience divine healing in the midst of it.

I knew Dan Pink would be present because I had been meditating on his sentence since I read it yesterday in his new best seller, “The Power of Regret.”

The sentence was “Some beliefs operate quietly, like existential background music.”  

The overall theme of the writing was to be trust, a word that has been known to invoke a churning feeling in my gut. My friend Laurie Smith’s 28 Days of Flow Challenge had thrown down the word gauntlet and feeling brave, I stepped into the circle to wrestle with it.

Here is what I wrote:

Trust:  some days, most days to be honest, I don’t trust much of anything or anyone, much less myself. There was something Brene Brown says in “Atlas of the Heart”  about living disappointed instead of risking disappointment. Over the years, I have lived more disappointed than I have  risked disappointment.

When I visit my patterns of trust, I realize the bruises of opting out of trust started very early. I don’t want to sound like I am blaming because I am not claiming victimhood, I am exploring what happened. I am examining what the facts are without reconstructing a false narrative based on my opinions.

I think about what was happening in my young parents’ lives when I was a little one and I think “I don’t know how they did as well as they did. A cross country move with four children under the age of 7 with Mom pregnant setting up in a new location with a newish company. All the expectations for success…. once John was born with Down’s syndrome… the guilt and the grief and the fourteen month (fifteen sixteen month) me battled the lack of trust with refusing to learn to walk. 

If I didn’t walk, they would have to carry me. They would have to pay attention and lift me up to the places I couldn’t crawl, right? 

I didn’t trust for my safety and perhaps because I couldn’t trust I would receive the love I yearned for and practical love through action which I needed in order to continue my little life.  

Before language set in fully, I determined being the ultimate protector and caretaker was what I needed to be in order to survive.

This was  imprinted upon my innermost psyche:  If I take care of others well, we will all stay safe. 

This might have been my unspoken but definitely believed mantra – the existential background music, so now that my two younger brothers are dead, I have been proven lacking.

I have been proven lacking again. And Again. And again.

The adult, intellectual me says how flawed this belief is as we are all finite creatures. The spiritual side disagrees, saying “our souls are infinite, my brothers have gone nowhere”. The petulant side claps back with “oh yeah, if they’re here why can’t I shake and scold them for leaving me, for not fighting harder, what did I do wrong so that they didn’t fight longer or better?”

Kahlil Gibran ambles in and says a version of his lesson on Children:

“Your brothers were not your children any more than your children are your children.

They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.”

I realize in a flash or a glimmer of a flash I can trust life’s longing, the divine heartbeat, because each circumstance I have lived so far has proven itself to be a guide as much as I hated some of those situations and circumstances, as much as I wanted to vomit the moments from my existence – eventually the gratitude for them turned over in the soil as mulch, to be fragrant and helpful to my personal ecosphere.

I am sitting with that. 

Hands off keyboard.

This morning I danced. I said I would dance so I danced in front of the mirror to Nat King Cole’s L-O-V-E twice. I trusted and acted.

I did my lymph exercises in the room of the manse I designated for dance and exercise. I trusted myself to do this, too. It isn’t a habit or a practice yet, it is an intention I am doing my best to fulfill.

Before I sat to write I moved. And I laughed as I danced and I breathed deeply as I moved my lymph system purposefully and it all felt so good, something I wanted to do yesterday but hadn’t built my self-trust ladder sturdy enough yet and now, apparently I have. 

Today at this moment I have trusted and acted on purpose.  Today at this moment my trust is enriched as even white bread may be enriched with nutrients. 

Self-trust is an ultimate nutrient.

The little me can go back and trust her parents who she knows were doing the best they could do.  They didn’t need my assistance, I offered my  assistance with love, even as a toddler. Perhaps part of my assistance was a prayer for love, but it was birthed in love nonetheless as was I.

I was birthed in love, even if my birth wasn’t planned or convenient or even if my parents actively attempted to prevent my conception. I am a gift from life’s longing for itself. I can reference more sacred texts and embrace this.

After dancing and exercising and trusting myself to walk toward feeling better,  I simply engaged with trust at the urging of my friend Laurie Smith and Kahlil Gibran showed up to offer healing.

I can’t think of anything to be much cooler than that.

What has been your favorite moment so far this morning?

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 Create Content from Livestream Video + Writing Prompts

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Woman at desk, appearing to be considering a problem or solution - and aiming to have a more satisfying work, life and content creation experience.
Writing and Journaling Prompts plus video are below to guide you.

Two questions before we begin: allow them to circle around outside of your direct thought process as you read the rest of this post.

Begin with intentional questions: in this case, for livestream and written content, explore appropriate questions:

What does satisfaction look like to you?

What does the fulfillment of one’s wishes, expectations, or needs, or the pleasure of any of these feel like for you?

Yesterday I hosted a livestream – a common experience for me on Sunday afternoons – with the primary intention of starting the week with journaling and planning according to what is discovered during that journaling session. Yesterday we chatted about three primary areas in the prompt:

Satisfaction, passion and purpose. 

Why go live? With a basic outline (quasi-unscripted) and speaking freely, it is a form of “rough drafting” and when people are present, it has an element of market research.

Going live on Sunday afternoons is something I enjoy. I know going live and encouraging people  will provide value for them and has the possibility to make their lives better simply by following through with the writing from the prompts, especially when they take the wisdom they discover and apply it to their everyday lives. 

Here’s a recording of yesterday’s livestream which you may watch now – almost live – or come back later to watch and glean insight before writing from the prompts.

This morning – the day after I recorded the livestream, I used free flow writing to explore further: 

Free Flow Writing from the Prompts – even writing incoherently to anyone except for you – may be life changing.

This is what I wrote: Staying in satisfaction is a joy and a process and yet I know I cut myself off from it regularly, like I turn away from good people or possibilities because of my less than or other than reflex.

I am such an expert in turning from what is good and right and special about myself – so instead, I am stepping into this new space of satisfaction by recognizing the YES, instead!

When have I felt satisfied lately? Today?

Yesterday, I noticed the daffodils in front of the house. That was so sweet. They are gorgeous, so gorgeous and I want a photo with them. I will do that today if the light stays as nice and not so cloudy or overcast. The sky here is so beautiful, when I gaze at it the “what might be seen as wrong” evaporates.

Today I am wearing makeup.

Yesterday Julianne (note to reader: I consider Julianne to be my highest self. I use her as a writing companion and often address her by name in my “role over and write journal. I know, it is quirky and… I am quirky so… continuing now unedited) whispered something like “Let’s wear makeup for a few days and see what happens.” So I got up and put on makeup and curled my hair the tiniest bit and by goodness and gracious I feel happy about it and am smiling at my own face, thank you James Taylor.

This is one way satisfaction is experienced.

Satisfaction I have experienced is also deep breaths and writing these words while listening to classical music.

Satisfaction is walking in new places, trails, fun sidewalks. I realize I want to go walk in Glen Ridge simply for the joy. Retrace my steps. That would be so fun and perhaps slightly surreal. People who move away and come back or don’t come back…. I am looking at the walls in here thinking “What to change to, what to stay the same?” and realize, thinking of these things is satisfying and taking action surely brings an increased satisfaction.

Satisfaction is staying in focus.

Satisfaction is also  giggling when I don’t stay on focus

Satisfaction is sometimes engaging with another human on focus mate and knowing I am better when I am connected, first with myself and then with other people. 

Satisfaction is actually USING my planner 🙂

Satisfaction is the morning life in my home office.

Satisfaction is a tea cup from Czechoslovakia. Contrast is hearing the news out of Hungary… I didn’t realize they have become a “pro-autocracy state” which makes me sad. Satisfaction in response is breathing love to the people of Hungary. I realize some people will not understand what “breathing love” means and some people will get angry about my use of pro-autocracy and I am claiming satisfaction for speaking what I believe and accepting the consequences of doing so.

It is so satisfying to breathe deeply into my own heart, and breathe out love, multiplied exponentially. 

This is what satisfaction sometimes looks and feels like.

After we free flow write and after we live stream, we may continue to feel happy simply for taking action and allowing the action itself to bring us into the intended state.

I am sitting at my desk, smiling. I am in yet another focus mate session where my partner has the same name as someone I love. I wonder if they can see me smiling with a big dopey contented look on my face? They’re probably looking at their own work on their own screen and either way, in taking the time to write about satisfaction – I feel better than I have all morning and it has been a marvelous morning so this says a lot.

These tools are simple, practical and enjoyable.

Let’s go back to our original questions that you may now use as free flow writing prompts as well – if not now, perhaps later today.

Your writing prompts for reflection and action:

What does satisfaction look like to you?

What does the fulfillment of one’s wishes, expectations, or needs, or the pleasure of any of these feel like for you?

To get a reminder of this session on Facebook, please visit https://www.facebook.com/JJSWritingCamp/videos/4750013225125157

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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Satisfied, Passionate, Purposeful: Journaling Prompt to Plan Your Week

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Prompt: April 3, 2022 Prompt

Every week I go live on Sundays on my Facebook Page, JJS WRITING CAMP, and we talk about a specific journaling prompt. We free flow write in response to the question or prompt and through that, discern what actions we may take because of what we discover and uncover.

What I learned today is neither facebook nor linked in allow embeds of the videos they host on their sites so – next week I will also stream on YouTube so I may share here.

In the meantime, here is a link to the livestream on Facebook at the Writing Camp with JJS Page. When you watch that replay, I offer ideas and the prompt more fully than just in writing.

Satisfied, Passionate, Purposeful: What do these mean to you?

  1. Free flow write for up to 5 minutes on any on all of these words. What are you doing when you feel the most satisfied, the most passionate, the most purposeful?
  2. How are you spending your time so that you will spend more of your time feeling satisfied, passionate and purposeful?
  3. Your subconscious mind will give you details you have yet to discover when you free flow write rather than planning every words to say.
Watch us live on YouTube, Linked in or at Writing Camp next Sunday!

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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