Creativity Tribe Pop-Up Shop Sneak Peek

On 03/25/2019 / Art Exhibits

Creativity Tribe Pop-Up Shop Sneak Peek

This sneak peek at the Creativity Tribe Pop-Up shop was promised in last week’s post. I shared the big news that Creativity Tribe can be found as a year round vendor at the Corpus Christi Southside Farmers’ Market, Saturday mornings. This week, I want to dig a bit deeper and share some of the goodies we have created.

You can find Creativity Tribe at several local markets and events. We set up our Creativity Tribe Pop-Up Shop featuring handmade mixed media art, jewelry, cards, smaller prints of larger works, and spiritually influenced art-ifacts.

Small Sculpture Art

Hand-built ART-ifacts and Prayer Boxes

Both Eric and I love to make art with a wink towards spirituality. The Creativity Tribe Pop-Up Shop has been a fun way to connect with that part of our creative spirit. I have sculpted works out of clay since my early 20’s, and these little art-ifacts are some of my favorite small works.

For Eric, the little prayer boxes or travel altars have allowed him to dive into his roots as an eco-artist. The Altoid Boxes are perfect for small but meaningful art.

Creativity Tribe ART-ifacts

Wearable Art

Crowns, bracelets, and necklaces fit for a Queen.

When I began making art, I would go hide out at my favorite-ever bead shop… Artitude. Artitude is no longer around, but it lives on in the handmade jewelry of artists from my area… including me. That is where I fell in love with wire. The love affair is still quite steamy!

Amanda Mathews of Love is a Seed as Golden Butterfly Queen

Pretties…

Mixed media works, prints, handmade cards, stickers, and magnets

These are some of our newest pieces. We have made prints of our larger paintings, including a mural Eric did for a local business. It’s a great way to share big pieces with more people. Once we joined the Farmers’ Market, we decided to expand to include handmade, one-of-a-kind cards as well. One of our best sellers, though, is consistently our stickers…. we have originals and prints. We are pretty much in love with them ourselves and can’t wait to add more to our collection!

This sticker grabbed up by @ohliveeyuhhh.

More to come for the Creativity Tribe Pop-Up Shop…

The last several months, as we have increased the offerings in the Creativity Tribe Pop-Up Shop and increased our presence in the art community, we have been beautifully embraced by art lovers. We are looking forward to making more goodies to share over the course of the coming year. More to come!!

Loving the Farmers’ Market

On 03/18/2019 / Art Exhibits, Special Events

Recently, when I began telling people the big news that I am about to share with you about Creativity Tribe, I would say it and wait for the Earth to rumble back in delight. The actual rumbling never happened, but my heart would leap ever so slightly, and I would know that my decision to apply as a year-round vendor at the Corpus Christi Southside Farmers’ Market was the right choice. And with that…. it’s not hard to guess my announcement… You can now find Creativity Tribe at the Southside Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings!

Yep! There goes the heart leaping… and the tummy fluttering with a bit of nerves too!

As a matter of fact, sitting here, just a few weeks since joining the Farmers’ Market family, I keep thinking about what makes us a good match for the Market…. and the Market a good match for us. Before I go there, let me talk about the US in that statement.

Since the beginning, Creativity Tribe has been my baby … with my sweetie Eric Payne acting as my biggest supporter, official Creativity Tribe roadie, occasional contributor to projects, and A-number-1 creative consultant. Eric is an artist in his own right and a creativity advocate. And over the last year, we have begun to blend our talents more and more. I am creative consultant to his projects, and he to mine. We brainstorm about artwork we produce and often create art together for the Creativity Tribe Pop-Up Shops.

So, when I say WE are a good match… I mean Mr. Payne and Me. AND… I mean Creativity Tribe as a creative biz and entity of its own right!

A Good Match

The day we found out we were accepted, my mind began dreaming on all things agricultural. I don’t think my life necessarily screams “country-girl” at first sight, but my beginnings had strong whisperings of it. I grew up on a couple of acres on the outskirts of town. My parents had what I called a micro-farm. We had chickens, an occasional cow or goat, horses, and a sizeable garden. In the morning when Mom made breakfast, we would ask her if the eggs were homemade. They usually were. We could even tell her when they were store-bought by the color of the yolk. When my mom passed, I leaned away from homemade things. I relied more and more on store-bought.

Additionally, when I met Eric, I loved that his family had strong agricultural ties. We made natural, slow food a bigger and bigger part of our life. Our country living roots have shown up more and more in our life the last several years and that is due in some strong ways to the Southside Farmers’ Market and its people.

Loving the Farmers’ Market

The Farmers’ Market first hit my radar when I was working at the Women’s Shelter of South Texas, now called The Purple Door. I was the weekend case manager. Every Saturday, a bit after noon, a bright-eyed woman named Sharie would ring the bell with a delivery of farm fresh veggies she would have brought straight from the Market.

I loved delivering the basket to the kitchen of the shelter. Over the course of the week, I would watch as women incorporated the veg into meals for the families there. Sometimes, the vegetables would seem foreign to the ladies. Inevitably, one woman would teach another how to use it, or they would research what this was and how to prepare that. It was one of my favorite parts of shelter-life…seeing the community reach in and inspire creativity and wellness for the families there.

Consequently, I began wondering what I would do with the veggies if they were in my home, and eventually, I made my first trip to the Southside Farmers’ Market. While there, I discovered the donation basket that Sharie would bring. I was one of the few people to see its offering in full circle. That was the beginning of loving the Farmers’ Market.

Sharie is now a dear friend…..

Creativity Tribe at the Farmers ‘Market

In February of 2011, (wow… 8 years ago!) an opportunity came up to share my art at the Farmers’ Market Craft Fair. Seasonally, the Market expands itself for a day, opening to more handmade art and crafts vendors. I jumped in and did Creativity Tribe’s FIRST EVER pop up shop there.

Here is the progression of our set up there over the years.

When I first began, my set-up was small and rather rough around the edges, but it was a start! Each year, I tried to improve. Over time, I have honed my art-offerings and developed a pretty sharp-looking tent. Nowadays, I adore the Creativity Tribe Pop-Up Shop! It is colorful and overflowing with whimsy! I am so very proud to represent handmade art side-by-side with the other makers and to offer all the support I can to our fabulous Farmers.

This picture was from Instagram Story for our first official Farmers’ Market a few weeks ago!

What’s to Come

Next week, I will share a peek at some of our regular art lines. In the meantime, I would love to encourage you to fall in love with the Farmers’ Market in your area. And if that area happens to be OUR area, hop out and come visit Creativity Tribe

Corpus Christi Southside Farmers’ Market
Saturday’s from 9 am – noon
5800 Everhart, Corpus Christi, Texas
Event page

Come out and say, HEY!!!

Because I Said I Would… Building Self-Trust

On 02/07/2019 / Art Journal

Because I Said I Would…Building Self-Trust

radiate with life meditation

We are all on a journey of some sort. Living the Creative Life is about looking inside and seeing where your journey is leading you. Recently, my journey has reminded me about the value of building self-trust. Building self-trust is a powerful gift for a Creative to give themselves because it often means they can more fully share their gifts with the World.

Tips for Building Self-Trust

Here is one of my favorite tips to help Creatives stand up and say to themselves and to the World…. I am doing it because I said I would.

Start a Conversation

In college as I was studying theatre, I discovered how powerful it could be to have a conversation on paper with myself when I wasn’t so sure I could follow through on my ideas or keep my commitments to myself and others. Inside my journal, I would begin a deep talk from the part of myself that needed to be heard and let another part hear them out, even going so far as to answer the first part back in the voice of a loving, nurturing parent or creative guide. Over time, I began to have those conversations more subtly in my head, and now, they are part of my daily self-awareness. Occasionally, when I get stuck in the I-can’t’s or I’ll-put-it-off-til-tomorrow’s, I get real with myself on paper. And then I dive into trying to understand the stuck part by listening from a place of love and compassion. I began calling them Inner World Conversations.

The Inner World Conversations go something like this….

If you would like to build your because I said I would Self-Trust Muscle, get in touch with the Reluctant Part inside by starting your own Inner World Conversation. Begin by using two different pens, one for each inner voice. Ask yourself what the Reluctant Part (the fearful, stuck, little, hurt, unsure part) of you needs to say, and then invite that part to share. When you feel you have expressed the first layer of what you need to say, stop and read it back to yourself. Don’t edit. Don’t over think. Pick up the other pen and invite the Heart-Centered Part (loving, compassionate, listening, peace-making part) of yourself to respond in a supportive way.

The back and forth can go on several times as the Reluctant Part finds a sense of being able to fully express itself and the Heart-Centered Part discovers how to help it feel heard and supported. The goal isn’t necessarily to make yourself do something, it is to build trust with yourself. As a Creative, the more you foster a space of listening for difficult emotions like fear, doubt, and worry, the more you can likely build an Inner World that helps shift those emotions to deeper levels of peace, enthusiasm, passion, and ease. This can help shift an automatic kind of living to an intentional, self-supportive way of being. Lots of magic happens there!

Share Your Self-Trust Ah-ha’s

I would love to hear your ah-ha’s around self-trust. Do you find yourself struggling there? If not, what are your secrets to building your because I said I would Self-Trust Muscle? Let’s continue the conversation in the comments.

build the tribe. spread the vibe. read. comment. share.

Saying Good-bye, Saying Hello

On 01/09/2019 / personal growth

Saying Good-bye, Saying Hello

A very wise man once told me that there is no such thing as not saying anything. He explained that even when we don’t talk, when we don’t say a single word, we are saying a lot. So in my silence during 2018, I didn’t mean to say, “Good-bye,” but in many ways, that is exactly what I was saying. Good-bye.

I stopped talking to you here, sweet Creativity Tribe. I pulled myself off some of my favorite social media platforms (for some, I still haven’t returned), pulled away from some of my local friends, and I dove deep into myself. I didn’t do this out of a sense of pain or as a way of escaping. I did it because my heart, at the end of 2018, was blown WIDE open, and I knew this was an opportunity to enter into myself to explore my HeartSpace with the lights turned on and the music of my spirit turned up high. Who can say no to THAT?!

Into the HeartSpace

The events that led up to the opening of my heart are for another visit… it’s a really beautiful story. What I do want to share is a peek into the journey of diving into my heart. Haha! Also, a really beautiful story.

In the first days of 2018, I realized I had to say yes to the heart journey. I began by tapping out of the regular rhythms of my life. I spent extra time with myself. I took time waking up. I played with my lingering dreams, stretched them out into daydreams later in the day. I payed attention to the energy that pulsed through me. I felt more alive. I brought myself to the page… my thoughts, the images that accompanied them, and the curiosities that danced around me…. I wrote them out, drew and painted. I EXPRESSED what was inside. And all of this led me to know myself in new ways.

What I Discovered

I could see strength and confidence I had not known for many years. I discovered how powerfully I was loved in this world… so much love!!! And I could see very clearly some of my deepest wounds and the atrophy of my lifeforce those wounds had produced. And then I decided to re-vitalize those places.

This brought me to my Body Wisdom Journey. For as long as I could remember, I had struggled with weight. My weight not only weighed down my body, it also weighed down my dreams. My lifework suffered because I struggled to move. My hip has been a source of pain for the last several years. It has held me back from sharing myself, my art, and my ideas. But that changed after I began my Body Wisdom Journey.

In July of this last year, I discovered an eating plan that really worked for me. I began working with a coach and my body loved me for it. That was a gamechanger. It meant that I could do more. And it meant I could dream bigger.

That brings me to the whole reason I am writing to you here again. I am ready. I am…

Saying Hello, Creativity Tribe….

I am looking forward to 2019 with the same passion I looked forward to diving into my heart at the beginning of 2018. I am looking forward to this because it means I can share the lessons, wisdom, and beauty I found inside there. I have more projects than ever planned for Creativity Tribe. Some will be in-person, but many are opportunities for us to connect on-line so that Creativity Tribe is without bounds. #CreativityTribeWorldwide!

Celebrating with a Give-Away

On 09/20/2017 / Special Events

Celebrating with a Give-Away!

I want to invite you to celebrate Creativity Tribe with me! What are we celebrating? Five years of instigating creativity in one another. That’s right, five years ago I took my personal creative-life-centered blog (Art of Collecting Yourself) and transformed it into a professional website…. and my life work… Creativity Tribe.

{Make sure not to miss the give-away at the bottom of the post.}

I tell you, I didn’t REALLY know what I was doing. I had never built a website before, and those were the days before drag and drop platforms. I taught myself to build a site over the course of a couple of months, and after plenty of tears, nail biting, and Google searches, I launched on September 9th, 2012.

I had inklings of what Creativity Tribe would become. They were all driven by my deep desire to help people fall in love with their own creativity. I wanted to create a kind of sancturary for the creative spirit, where creativity and spirituality supported personal growth, where people could dare to be their best, and because of that, we could all make the world a happier place.

Highlights from the Last Five Years

As soon as I jumped in, I just knew I would be super focus on making something powerful with Creativity Tribe.

I headed up to Wisconsin for a massive roadtrip to teach at an art retreat. I was totally engaging my Wanderlust. I encouraged the Tribe to join me in spirit by engaging their Inner Wanna Be’s. A few local Creatives starred in a video exploring what they imagined being in their lives….sometimes their wishes were possible, other times fantastical. It was great fun to explore this with them.

The crossroad trip was amazing. I met artists, dancers, drummers, and activists. When I got home I was ready to take that energy and sprinkle it over Creativity Tribe.

A Detour

But my body had a different journey in mind. Just months after returning from my trip, I became very sick. Turns out I had endometrial cancer. For awhile, I went on pushing to make things happen here… kept blogging, kept sharing, kept creating. One night, in a conversation with Tracy Verdugo about how I was sharing my journey, she encouraged me to stop…to just focus on me and nothing else. And so I took the guidance of this wise-woman-friend and focused on my personal health and well-being.

Treatment took a long time to start. (You know, red tape has its own agenda.) In the meantime, I began listening to my own Inner Guidance. After all, I feel like that is a kind of sister to the Creative Spirit. I had a sense that the Universe was teaching me how to offer more experience-based wisdom to the Tribe.

My surgery finally happened in 2014. I have been thriving ever since! And my journey with cancer has gone on to help me guide other survivors in re-creating their lives after diagnosis.

Essential Oils

That is when I began diving more seriously into essential oils. I had been using them for about 10 years at that point with my massage therapy clients. With my personal level of self-care hitting a stage of epic proportion, I knew I wanted something powerful to support my journey. What is more powerful than Mother Nature?!

My favorite oils have remained a big part of my life and are now heartily sprinkled into the work I do with clients and in Body Wisdom Oils, my free essential oil group.

Back to Work

Once I got the all-clear, I was excited to get back on track. For me, that meant getting in front of Creatives locally (I make my home at Corpus Christi, Texas), at retreats, and developing on-line offerings. For quite awhile, my absence created a lull in visits to the website. So, I focused on local events. The year and a half after that was thrilling. I crafted so beautiful gatherings that blended art, spirituality, and inspired community.

Image by Liz Ophoven

Inspired Community

That’s when I really began to understand Creativity Tribe. Creativity Tribe is an inspired, creative community. Sometimes that means a community of two people (me and a life coaching client), and sometimes it means many more (Creativity Tribe’s Facebook Group or Instagram Challenges). That is where my focus has been… those online opportunities to instigate creativity with one another.

Live Broadcasting

Just over a year ago, I discovered Live Broadcasting. I discovered it first on Periscope, and then, I began using Facebook Live on the Creativity Tribe Facebook Page. I love this way of connecting with Creatives. It has definitely made a difference with visits to our little on-line home. I broadcast nearly daily on Periscope. (As a note, I just hit 2 million hearts. So epic!) And if you can’t catch me live, you can find a library of over 500 creative-living-focused broadcasts. I hope you will check it out. You can watch from your phone with the Periscope app or on your computer by signing into Periscope.

Creativity Tribe Art Journaling

Celebrating {A Give-Away}

To celebrate, I am giving away a digital print of the little inspirational phase I share at the end of my broadcasts. That’s right, a give-away! It is a reminder that no matter what comes around, creativity always finds a way. To receive the print, grab my Self-Care Spark Guide. (It is also free.) Then, next week, I will send out the print to everyone on the Creativity Tribe mailing list. I can’t wait to share it with you!

Hit enter to proceed!

21 Days of Self-Care: Re-Treat Yourself Well

On 08/10/2017 / E-course

21 Days to Re-Treat Yourself Well

(This event is closed.)

The need for self-care seems to hit when it is most inconvenient. Life gets busy. Life piles it on. Someone you care about needs a little extra care….or a lot. And you are lift wondering how in the world to make it all work without dipping into reserves that already feel shallow.

Several years ago at the height of “going places” in my career as a helping professional, I got a hard taste of burn-out. Finding my way back to center meant balancing my busy schedule of pursuing my dreams while also committing to a consistent practice of meaningful self-care.

I have found that weaving this self-care into the rhythm of life is ideal. If we make plans to take care of ourselves the same way we plan for taking care of business, we can have both. If we don’t, we are often left wanting more of life and not having the energy or focus to make it happen.

With that in mind, I have woven a spirit of renewal into a 21 day self-care e-course with Re-Treat Yourself Well.

Rachel Payne in shadow and light.

When self-care takes a back seat, you can feel low of spirit, low of energy, and challenged to find your way back to the bright side of life again.

That is why I have designed Re-Treat Yourself Well, a 21 day self-care e-course, in a way that helps you consistently schedule a tiny bit of time for investing in yourself in a big way.

Image by Liz Ophoven

Creativity Tribe’s Re-Treat Yourself Well e-course explores simple practices that you can weave into multiple areas of your life.

Re-treat Yourself Well E-Course:

When: 21 Days…starting Monday, August 21st (This event is closed.)

Where: Online with daily prompts delivered to our Re-treat Yourself Well Portal

What: 21 days of gentle art-ivities, guided meditations, and simple, stress busters to spark epic self-care… Specifically designed to help you lean into more fully enjoying this masterpiece called life.

How: Re-Treat Yourself Well blends self-care practices with creativity. You will feel like your own personal self-care mentor. When life gets a little crazy, you will use your dynamic self-care plan to respond to it.

Scheduled Self-Care: I have created this re-treat with your busy schedule in mind. Busy is a great reason to practice self-care…..in a smart way. We will get focused on Mondays and sprinkle the week with tiny sparks of inspiration that can be done in 15 minutes.
Mojo Monday: Hour-long group calls set the tone for your week. Those calls will be recorded so that you can listen when it is most convenient for you.
Daily Self-Care Sparks: You will receive inspirational nuggets like meditations, easy self-care actions, journal prompts, art-ivity projects, and mindset tweeks to help guide your self-care journey into a personalized practice of renewal.
Personalized Renewal Style: I will help you identify your unique approach to filling-the-cup, so that you can feel assured your self-care practice offers time-efficient renewal actions JUST for you.
Inspired Community: Tap into an inspired, online community where you can share your journey and connect with other self-care focused creatives. I will be available within our private Facebook group during the 21 day retreat to offer encouragement and guidance.

Who: Anyone who wishes to invite renewal and relaxation into their life in a more mindful, creative way.

Price: $75 with two payment options (see below). (This event is closed.)

Why: Because you deserve to… Re-Treat Yourself Well.

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Spark Your Creative Self-Care Journey

On 04/26/2017 / self-care practices

Are you ready to Spark
Your Creative Self-Care Journey?

Well, I have a treat for you. I created a Self-Care Spark Guide that highlights the areas I focused on to ignite self-care in my own life. Now, I am sharing it with you!

Over the last several months, like others, I have been soaking in the stress of the world. It didn’t take long for me to realize that living from a place of stress wasn’t much of a way to live. It was time to turn it around. So, I decided I would do myself and the world a gift by upping my level of self-care. The actions I took really made a difference in my stress experience. It didn’t change the world but did change my reaction to it.

Benefits of a Creative Self-Care Practice

I also found I had more to give. I showed up to life in a more open way. Instead of putting up an invisible but energetically tangible wall around situations that might ping my stress, I felt more centered and available. I could give more support to others and had more to give to my own creative projects. I even found myself raising my voice for change without needing to be overwhelmed by the stress that can come with transformation.

Understand your unique voice with Creative Self-Care

Feeling the benefits of self-care for myself, I knew I wanted to share the highlights with you. Self-care is both a calming and strengthening force for those interested in living the Creative Life.

Self-Care Sparks Guide: A Gift

A full-color guidebook featuring a handful of nurturing actions to jumpstart your self-care journey.
An invitation to the Creativity Tribe Facebook Group…for ongoing creativity and self-care boosters!
Updates on Creativity Tribe: tips and events for connecting creativity & life.
And lots of good vibes from yours truly!

Setting Focus for 2017

On 01/17/2017 / Creativity Prompt

The New Year took off like a rocket ship! It doesn’t always happen that way. Sometimes I clearly envision my destination for the year to come. I enjoy setting focus for it. But then, something in the first month starts me off with a sputter and splat! I fall on my face…..and sometimes take awhile to get back up!

Quote: Setting focus helps you keep your eye on the horizon while taking the steps that are right in front of you. Rachel Payne Life Coach

Not this year!

What I mean is, this year I didn’t stay down. I did, however, start with a sputter, but I recovered quickly by moving into action. And the action led to the rocket boost!

On New Year’s Eve, I started getting sick. I lost my voice, and by week’s end, it moved into my chest. I could have used that as an excuse to claim the beginning of the year a wash. But I didn’t.

Instead, I took action.

In the first days of the year, I hired a coach to help me manifest my year. I showed up for the session with little voice, a lotta cough, and a bit of self-doubt about spending money for a service from someone else that I provide for others all the time.

But, that is the beauty of working with life coaches! They can see around corners you don’t know are there, or perhaps you do know and have tried to look around them but never could get the right angle. The session was just what I needed to help in setting focus for 2017.

On the call, several of the blocks I knew that had been standing in my way began to dissolve. I could feel Possibility taking root and Probability taking flight. Four days later, I had taken a huge step towards a big dream of mine for Creativity Tribe. (I will share more about that next week. I can’t wait to let you in on my HUGE secret!)

Tips for Setting Focus

Brainstorm what you want to achieve in the coming month, season, or year. Mind maps are my favorite way to do this!
Tap into your inner guidance for where to send your attention. Ask yourself…What feels ripe for sharing with the world?
Choose three projects to focus on. If one of the projects is huge, break that down into smaller projects. This helps you from feeling overwhelmed and keeps the step ahead of you manageable.
Name your projects something clever, 1-4 words. (Eg. Body Wisdom Project, Project Mula Hussle, Stretch4It, Morning Marvelous, Take Five)
Make a sign for each project to help with setting focus on a daily basis. Post it where you are most likely to see it. Your bathroom mirror, the space where you work, or maybe your kitchen.
Ask yourself…What’s the next right thing for this project? Write down a few steps. Then do it!
Celebrate each project you complete.

What is your Focus?

I would LOVE to hear what you are setting focus on for 2017. Do you have a project that your heart is singing about? Do you have a fun name for it? Let me know in the comments.

build the tribe. spread the vibe. read. comment. share.

Looking for more inspiration for setting focus for 2017? Find me on Periscope where I share daily tips for helping you design the masterpiece we call life.

Best of 2016

On 01/03/2017 / Inspiration

Best of 2016…. What a year!

I hit the start of 2016 with tons of excitement. It felt like a coming out party. Coming out of what you wonder. For a couple of years before, I approached life on the struggle bus. I had a short bout with cancer that I came out on top of, but it took me down a detoured path I didn’t anticipate. As I ended 2015, I was ready to share some big projects with the Creatives of my hometown of Corpus Christi, Texas, and I began working on e-course ideas for Creativity Tribe Worldwide.

My offerings were a big hit. I remember feeling so high with delight. I could see creativity awakening in those who found themselves part of the gatherings. And over the course of a few months, a local Creativity Tribe started to take shape.

Life Coach events with Rachel Payne

Art Shows

I went on to share my art in two showings, back to back. Some of my art can tend to be pretty large so I don’t offer it much except in-person. Both art shows were big successes. I could sense my art had attained another level of development. I sold several small pieces, two large pieces, and got commissioned for a piece that just found its way to its new home. (I will share a post about it in the new year.)

Rachel Payne Corpus Christi art

Periscope is my muse!!!

Early in June, the course of Creativity Tribe took a drastic turn….for the better. I discovered Periscope.

I had been struggling with getting in touch with my audience. When I had a WordPress Blog years ago, my connections with Creatives were strong. But social media became a slippery path to get traction on, especially while being occupied with my cancer journey. Periscope changed the game for me. I had a theatre and audience in the palm of my hands.

PeriGirls

It didn’t take long for me to find the PeriGirls community. PeriGirls is a Facebook Group of female broadcasters, nearly 11,000 members strong. I dove in, began immediately sharing tips and tricks for connecting more intimately with the Creative Spirit that lives in each of us. It has been a wild, blessed ride. I have made some new friends, been able to help people engage their creativity and make small but significant shifts in their lives.

Million Hearts Club

I even hit the one million heart mark on New Year’s Eve. It was thrilling! Big thanks to all of Creativity Tribe’s supporters, the PeriGirls, and especially CT SuperFans!

Periscope Million Hearts Club
Art Oracle e-Journey

Once I found the worldwide stage for Creativity Tribe’s offerings on Periscope, I was ready to share my online course. Templekeeper’s Oracle Journey was a mixed media art card workshop that invited participants to create cards that expressed their inner cosmos. The class as a big hit and I had several people request a second round….which I hope to offer early in 2017.

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We rounded out 2016 with an Instagram gratitude challenge called #Gr8FullCre8ives. I was very pleased with the interactions. I got messages from several Creatives sharing that they felt the focus on gratitude was meaningful to their lives. That was one of my favorite parts of the challenge, in fact, getting back-channel messages that fleshed out how gratitude helps to shift even the most difficult time in life.

The last week of 2016 has been one of retrospect and what I call dreamcasting. I am looking back on what I accomplished, where I fell short, and what blocks come up as I am working towards creating something (art, projects, relationships, or life), and what worked really well. I am also feeling into what the next steps are for Creativity Tribe. I can’t wait to play at life with you!

Do you use Instagram? Here are Creativity Tribe’s top nine Instagram posts. You can find yours at 2016 Best Nine. Just click over and enter your handle.

The Turkey Who Stole My Heart

On 11/23/2016 / Creative Growth, Creativity

animal-tryptic

A Thanksgiving Story originally published on my blog, Art Of Collecting Yourself.

When I was a kid, I had a pet turkey named Tom (creative, I know). Tom was little when he came to live with us. He was the odd ball out. The one turkey in a yard filled with lots of chickens; the only male in the hen-house. If you have never lived with a turkey, day in and day out, you might not know what large egos they have. This was the case with Tom for sure. He could strut across the yard better than John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever. It was almost impossible not to be enamored with him.

I had just gotten my driver’s license when I discovered that someone had broken into my truck one night and stolen the Alpine Radio I got for Christmas. I was so upset, so mad. I’d never had anything stolen before. I hopped in the truck and sped down our long driveway in reverse. At the end of the driveway, I hit a bump. It was Tom, and although he was badly hurt, he was alive. I was crushed. And honestly….so was he. The sting of the missing radio was gone, quickly replaced with my concern for Tom. I would never have hurt him.

Tom had a hole in his little red beard, and he sat a bit crooked, but we hoped he would recover. We cared for him for several weeks, and eventually he was strutting like nothing had ever happened. Well almost….

Tom had a reason to live, revenge. It seems turkeys hold grudges just like anyone else who gets blind-sided. Everyday he waited for me to walk to my truck, the same truck which I had driven when I hit him. He tried to run up and spur me every day. The spurs are hard and sharp. I had plenty of reason to be afraid. He was stealthy and quick. It was an everyday ritual. I would peek out the window, trying to find him. When I thought the coast might be clear, I would make a run for it. I had to carry a broom with me, swooshing him gently away as I came and went.

And when I drove out of the driveway, I learned to be patient. He would, with his crooked little bird body, attack the tires which had attacked him. I almost ran over him again several times, even though I tried my darndest to stay clear. He just wouldn’t give up. He was Don Quixote charging at windmills.

tom

But as much as I was afraid of him, I understood his obsession. If I had not have cared for him and found him so irresistible, I might have given up on him. But I just couldn’t. The family tried to come up with a solution.

We even got him a little female turkey thinking that he would set revenge aside for love. But Tom was smart enough to keep vigil over the truck by day and romance her by night, a regular TOM Juan. Eventually, we found new homes for the two, a place where they could roam free from vehicles. It was, of course, the right thing to do. They grew old together there. Happily. tom-juan Tom was never meant for the table, and thankfully, he never made it there. I think of him every year as others are looking for the perfect bird for their Thanksgiving table. I wouldn’t hold a grudge at all if in the end, his new life helped him forget me all together. I know I will never forget him. He was the turkey who stole my heart.
loving-memory-of-tom

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