Creative Life Midwife

Inspiring Artistic Rebirth

Archives for July 2021

Top 5 Lessons from 200+ Days of Tree Hugging: Tuning into the Wisdom of Trees

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“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.”

Robert Collier

Today will be my 211th consecutive day of tree hugging. My goal is to hug trees over 377 consecutive days: sometimes I hug more than one tree and on the occasional day, I have missed hugging a tree, which I make up and hug more trees the following day. 

Consistency adds energy & passion to any project or goal

Both the trees and the consistency itself have taught me an infinite number of things, but these five I am sharing today may have something to say specifically to you.

I created this project as a follow up to another 377 Day Consistency Experiment/Adventure. That time, I wrote haiku poetry. Tree hugging has proved more challenging. I created a different set of rules this time because the context was entirely different.

I hadn’t expected to become an expert in so many different kinds of trees. I hadn’t expected so much in my life to change in 2021. I hadn’t expected to feel frustrated or blah so much of the time and having the trees to pull me up and into the world has made a big difference.

  1. Affection and acknowledgment have healing properties. The mutuality between the giver of the acknowledgment and the receiver of the gift of acknowledgment expands when we stay present to it.
  2. While we may think something will last forever, it won’t. Enjoy, document, share and when the time comes, grieve with your whole heart. Deciduous trees have an annual grief and healing process – helps us humans who don’t have that experience.
  3. Water is life. Living in California means I am witnessing a lot of withered trees. 
  4. Tree hugging is a form of prayer. With feet grounded in the soil, body connected with the tree, mind and heart open – gratitude for the Creator and what has been created, including oneself.
  5. When we listen closely, the trees speak (and sometimes they call out to us.). Yesterday, a Ponderosa Pine scarred and burned by a lightning strike gave me comfort – and I believe I gave comfort, also. A Pistache tree at a desert rest stop also called to be hugged even though “my plan” was different. I am so grateful I listened and acted upon what I heard.

By the time you read this blog post, my joy for consistency and for hugging trees may have expanded to 250 trees or 300 trees or more. Small efforts, repeated – in different spaces, places and contexts, have made an enormous difference in my life this year whether dealing with layers of grief, disappointment or practical matters like building my business.

And now, for you: Activate Your Passion – contemplate, write or create from these questions.

Do you have a favorite kind of tree?

Have you hugged a tree lately?

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

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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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