• Home
  • About
  • Creative Life Coaching
    • Retreats: Collaborative, Creative, Exactly as You (and Your Organization) Needs
    • One-on-One Complimentary Transformational Conversations: Get to the Heart of Life Coaching Now
  • Blog
    • Writing Tips
    • Writing Challenges & Play
  • Contact

Creative Life Midwife

Inspiring Artistic Rebirth

Life After: My Vulnerable Sharing Five Years Ago leads to more Self-Compassion Now

October 29, 2024 by jjscreativelifemidwife

One of the most important aspects of this blog series is rediscovering the experiences from five years ago from a space of deep compassion. I’ve realized how detached I have been from this experience, perhaps because it is frightening to remember and so many other “more important” things have happened since then. More on that tomorrow.

For now, this is what I said to my friends near and far on October 29, 2019 –

I’m recovering at home, slowly and surely. The most inconsistent part of this process is my mood.

Vulnerability alert: Since I’ve been home, I’ve been afraid of a lot of random things. Lately I’ve been afraid when my hands are cold. When Sepsis descended and death came close, that was what I felt, so very cold – and the nurse (at least how I remember it) wrapped my hands in heated sheets.

Sometimes I’m afraid of falling asleep.

I’m sometimes afraid of eating and even get worried about my medicines. And yes, I talked to my doctor about this.

My senses have also become really acute. My sense of smell is what I imagine is animal like, my hearing fine tuned.

Five years ago, I was recovering from a near death experience. This is how I looked - not horrible, but I can see the sadness and worry in my eyes.

Today I wrote using my computer for the first time. I don’t know what was scaring me about that, but my resistance is high. I think a part of me has another part of me convinced if I start writing some of what happened, the emotions will be too much. Considering I have an irrational fear of choking that got worse in the hospital, it makes sense because when I cry hard I often choke or vomit.

Nonetheless, I am grateful:

I am grateful I spoke with Samuel last night. We talked mostly about his Japanese class. I miss that kid. He’s the best. I’m also excited the UNLV esports team is doing a mental health fund raiser. They get it.

I am grateful Emma is doing well in her first run as a director. Her work is a part of the Bakersfield College One Act festival this Friday & Saturday. She cast her play thoughtfully and the actors are working hard. I love hearing all about it. I’ll be there Friday! It’s only $5! Show your support!

I am grateful for naps.

I am grateful for lemonade and cranberry juice.

I am grateful for fluffy textures and soft pillows.

I am grateful for people who think critically and read facts.

I am grateful for Greta Gerwig. Can’t wait for “Little Women”!!

I am grateful for prayers…. so grateful.

I am grateful for my daughter Queenta Atem on her birthday – God bless this woman!

I am grateful for Moth storytelling videos.

Most importantly, five-years-later me adds: I am so grateful I chose to survive and have experienced so much wonder and joy since I earnestly wrote the words above.

🌟 Creative Life Coach & Muse Cultivator

 🎨 | Award-Winning Writer/Actor/Storyteller

🌱 | Empowering Your Second Act

🎉| New Courses/Programs Coming soon!

🎁   Your presence here makes me feel grateful. 

✍🏻I am a writer first, writing & creativity coach, multi passionate creative next. Writing has always been my anchor art and to her I always return. Thankfully, with great love.

🎯 My aim is to create content here that inspires and instructs – if there is ever a topic you would like for me to explore, please reach out and tell me. My ultimate goal is to create posts, videos and more that speak to your desires as well as mine because where these two intersect, our collaborative, joyful energy ignites into a fire of love, light and passionate creativity.

Facebooktwitterpinterest

Filed Under: Creative Life Coaching, Creative Process, Daily Consistency, Healing, Self Care, Ultimate Blog Challenge Tagged With: . Julie Jordan Scott, Cocci, Julie JordanScott, Near Death Experience, Sepsis Survivor, This is my story, Valley Fever

Giddy & Grateful to Move On Down to the Step Down Unit

October 15, 2024 by jjscreativelifemidwife

Here is what I shared on this day in 2019, five years ago:

Big news! I’ve moved from ICU to the Step Down unit! (Don’t ask what time I was woken up to be moved.)

This means I’m one step closer to leaving the hospital.

I even actually have a morning view that is more stereotypical!

I was over the top giddy about being able to be out of the ICU. I thought I would be able to get up and use the restroom alone without alarms sounding but that wasn’t true. I didn’t mention how when I was rolled out of the intensive care unit, I saw a nurse I am in a book club with who greeted me like it was an everyday occurrence to be wheeled onto her floor.

After that, I was afraid to see her again. I don’t even remember if I did see her again. This is a sure indicator of trauma – though now I remember I did see her again because we talked about sepsis and how my disorientation is normal, even expected, with sepsis.

I went on to cheerfully share my daily gratitude experience while in the hospital:

Today, I am so grateful for:

💡 Arian Garcia for patiently live-streaming KSFs Henry V! So wonderful to sit in my room and watch. It was the best…. and my child, Emma, truly brought it. The theatre-Mom in me was impressed AND so was the director-me who often watches plays taking notes in my head. (Trying to get over that!)

🎊 The gift of tenacity at this very vulnerable, frightening and life shifting time.

🧘🏼‍♀️People who are talented comforters (and might not even know it).

💕The powerful medicines of story listening AND story questioning and storytelling.

😭YouTube meditation videos and music.

🔦Water

And I’m grateful for each person reading here!

by the way: this room has TWO CHAIRS!

I feel like a queen.

How do you feel today?

Revisiting this post reminds me how significant it is to honor the rocking, rolling nature of emotions during times of crisis and upset. I am so grateful for the me who I was and the me who I am and the me I am becoming. Since I started writing this blog post the sun has come out – and I may get my walk done after all.

JJS/Treehugger

 🎨 | Award-Winning Writer/Actor/Storyteller

🌱 | Empowering Your Second Act

🎉| New Courses/Programs Coming soon!

🎁   Your presence here makes me feel grateful. 

✍🏻I am a writer first, writing & creativity coach, multi passionate creative next. Writing has always been my anchor art and to her I always return. Thankfully, with great love.

🎯 My aim is to create content here that inspires and instructs – if there is ever a topic you would like for me to explore, please reach out and tell me. My ultimate goal is to create posts, videos and more that speak to your desires as well as mine because where these two intersect, our collaborative, joyful energy ignites into a fire of love, light and passionate creativity.

Facebooktwitterpinterest

Filed Under: Creative Life Coaching, Daily Consistency, Healing, Mindfulness, Rewriting the Narrative, Ultimate Blog Challenge Tagged With: Cocci, Gratitude in the Hospital, Sepsis, Step Down Unit, Valley Fever

Staying Positively Numb in the Intensive Care Unit

October 12, 2024 by jjscreativelifemidwife

Staying Positively Numb in the Intensive Care Unit. Pictured is the curtain to my space in the Intensive care unit where I was being treated for Sepsis and Valley Fever

I found my documentation of my first full day in the intensive care unit to be fascinating.

I believe – in writing and noticing from a distance – how numb I was and while grateful to share my experience, I was only comfortable at this point in the most surface share as possible.

I wrote:

“These are the curtains for my current… zone of experience.” I was unwilling to say I was in the Intensive Care Unit. I remember in the past when well meaning positive thinking people encouraged one another not to speak about reality if it wasn’t good. 

I went on to discuss photo taking without saying I was referring to photo taking: “It was intriguing me to see what happens when you turn the light on and turn the light off.”

I refer back to my history and relate to my parents, who I hadn’t even told I was sick with pneumonia and didn’t tell them I was admitted to the hospital nor that I was admitted to the ICU. I wrote further “I’ve also found sometimes the lens clarifies things such as old grave markers your eyes can’t see details the lenses had. (Thanks, parents, for taking us on countless adventures in Northern Arizona cemeteries with nearly invisible headstones that we could magically see when we looked through our camera lens.)

I also loved sneaking some art appreciation into this experience.

After the introduction, I lean closer into reality:

Last night was rough. Very little sleep and then sleep interrupted. Really, a chest X-ray at 2 AM after my first 45 minutes of good sleep? 

I won’t complain about all the horrid things that happened, because eventually I moved from jotting notes in a tiny notebook to jotting notes on my phone. Which leads to Gratitude #1

1. I have always excelled at advocacy for others and put myself into the “when there is enough time and resources” pile. My documentation – some bleary and messy – was so on purpose and so (in a weird way fun) and it subtracted the painful emotions I was feeling.

2. I am starting to feel like writing again, something that hasn’t happened since October 2 or so. I am wanting to create again – I even won a giveaway of Gelli plates from Gelli Arts – Gel Printing Plate and have yet to open or use because I was getting sick when I received them! So excited to create with them!

3. I also created a positive, collaborative partnership with my nurse last night. By this morning it felt like we were caring friends.

4. To the friends who managed to visit yesterday, thank you! To those who send love and follow along! Thank you! I’ll be more effusive in the future!

5. Bonus: the list making in #1 is what leads to suggestions for change which usually leads to research. I think I have discovered (and was confirmed during shift change) what actually happened medically on Thursday though no one specifically said the words to me. Will continue with deep thought-see diving which is something I love!

The bonus note sounds like the usual me. I was still there, underneath the fear, the struggle, the wishing I was anywhere except the hospital bed I was connected to by wires and cords and alarms.

Interesting also to note: we are on Day 12 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge and I have posted every. Single. Day.

This level of consistency on my blog is unusual for my recent history. 

I am grateful to be writing and I am grateful for those of you reading and commenting.

Please tell me how your blogging (and life) is going in the comments.

🌟 Creative Life Coach & Muse Cultivator

 🎨 | Award-Winning Writer/Actor/Storyteller

🌱 | Empowering Your Second Act

🎉| New Courses/Programs Coming soon!

🎁   Your presence here makes me feel grateful. 

✍🏻I am a writer first, writing & creativity coach, multi passionate creative next. Writing has always been my anchor art and to her I always return. Thankfully, with great love.

🎯 My aim is to create content here that inspires and instructs – if there is ever a topic you would like for me to explore, please reach out and tell me. My ultimate goal is to create posts, videos and more that speak to your desires as well as mine because where these two intersect, our collaborative, joyful energy ignites into a fire of love, light and passionate creativity.

Facebooktwitterpinterest

Filed Under: Creative Process, Daily Consistency, Healing, Ultimate Blog Challenge Tagged With: ICU, Sepsis, Valley Fever

I Knew It Was Arriving Soon: Now, the Day is Here… and we start and continue beginning

October 9, 2024 by jjscreativelifemidwife

I have been waiting for my facebook memories to cue me, to invite me into the memory – to recognize – to be alert that five years ago my hospital stay began. 

It was the day of my first gratitude list from the hospital where I filled people in on what was going on with me:

The pneumonia wasn’t getting better, so I’m now tucked away in a downtown Bakersfield hospital. I’ve slept for 12 of the last 15 hours after an 18 hour wait on a gurney in the hallway of the ER.

I’m grateful:

1. For patient phlebotomists who are willing to take their time chasing down my shy veins.

2. For Michelle and Julia who have visited and brought Emma with them. This is stressful for her, too. Last night she was very helpful.

3. For technology that brings my favorite relaxation music into the hospital with me.

4. For Miracle Mark Tarango who lit up the ER with his presence yesterday.

If you are in Bakersfield and would like to visit, please text or pm me to find out where I am. I may not be super interactive, and it would be great to see you. Prayers from everywhere are welcome.

The 2024 me is finding the conscious collection and curation of these memories to be fascinating. The self-compassion is infinite now, the me-who-was-in-the-experience was trying hard… and was more than slightly miserable.. was definitely doing her best and taking things one moment at a time.

Today I am going to be putting finishing touches on The Muse Method Project and in my breaks from that, I am going to do some meditative time travel back into my 2019 self in this experience.

I am brave enough. I am ready to step into the full depths of this healing, just as I am ready to complete The Muse Method.

Thank you so much for reading. Your presence means a lot to me.

Julie Jordan Scott hugs an unusual tree
Julie Jordan Scott hugs all kinds of trees

🌟 Creative Life Coach & Muse Cultivator

 🎨 | Award-Winning Writer/Actor/Storyteller

🌱 | Empowering Your Second Act

🎉| New Courses/Programs Coming soon!

🎁   Your presence here makes me feel grateful. 

✍🏻I am a writer first, writing & creativity coach, multi passionate creative next. Writing has always been my anchor art and to her I always return. Thankfully, with great love.

🎯 My aim is to create content here that inspires and instructs – if there is ever a topic you would like for me to explore, please reach out and tell me. My ultimate goal is to create posts, videos and more that speak to your desires as well as mine because where these two intersect, our collaborative, joyful energy ignites into a fire of love, light and passionate creativity.

Facebooktwitterpinterest

Filed Under: Creative Adventures, Creative Life Coaching, Creative Process, Daily Consistency, Healing, Intention/Connection, Self Care, Storytelling, Ultimate Blog Challenge Tagged With: Sepsis, Valley Fever

Recent Posts

  • Trust in Creativity: Start with What’s Wrong
  • Self-Forgiveness: Often Forgotten, Always Worthwhile.
  • Your Beliefs: Foundations of Your Creative Path to Peace
  • Introduction to “The Creative Path to Peace”
  • Now Begin Again: The Poem That Started this Adventure of an Unconventional Life

Recent Comments

  • Jasmine Quiles on Self-Forgiveness: Often Forgotten, Always Worthwhile.
  • jjscreativelifemidwife on Trust in Creativity: Start with What’s Wrong
  • jjscreativelifemidwife on Trust in Creativity: Start with What’s Wrong
  • jjscreativelifemidwife on Trust in Creativity: Start with What’s Wrong
  • Mystee Ryann on Trust in Creativity: Start with What’s Wrong

Archives

  • January 2025
  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • July 2024
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • July 2023
  • January 2023
  • October 2022
  • July 2022
  • April 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • May 2015

Categories

  • #377Haiku
  • 2018
  • A to Z Literary Grannies
  • Affirmations for Writers
  • Art Journaling
  • Bridge to the New Year
  • Business Artistry
  • Content Creation Strategies
  • Creative Adventures
  • Creative Life Coaching
  • Creative Process
  • Creativity While Quarantined
  • Daily Consistency
  • End Writer's Block
  • Goals
  • Grief
  • Healing
  • Intention/Connection
  • Intention/Connection
  • Journaling Tips and More
  • Literary Grannies
  • Meditation and Mindfulness
  • Mindfulness
  • Mixed Media Art
  • Poetry
  • Rewriting the Narrative
  • Self Care
  • Storytelling
  • Ultimate Blog Challenge
  • Uncategorized
  • Video and Livestreaming
  • Virtual Coffee Date
  • Writing Challenges & Play
  • Writing Prompt
  • Writing Tips

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

How to Use Your Text & Other “Throwaway Writing” to Make All Your Writing Easier.

Trust in Creativity: Start with What’s Wrong

Self-Forgiveness: Often Forgotten, Always Worthwhile.

Beliefs: Review and Revise is it time? A clock face that needs revision with a bridge in the background.

Your Beliefs: Foundations of Your Creative Path to Peace

Introduction to “The Creative Path to Peace”

  • One-On-One Coaching
  • Retreats: Collaborative, Creative, Exactly as You (and Your Organization) Needs

Creative Life Midwidfe · Julie Jordan Scott © 2025
Website Design by Freeborboleta