THE DOG DAYS OF APRIL
 

Dog-Magic

Watercolor�by Jill Badonsky

Dear Creative One,


Yes, you're right.. it is the Dog Days of August not April.��But remember -�you are reading a newsletter that promotes original thinking, breaking rules, and inventing new definitions for old terms. One of my favorite parts of creativity is breaking rules.� Break some yourself! (offer limited and not applicable where morals and safety are concerned).

Dog days makes sense in April for this simple reason: Spring is a great time to have the attitude of a dog�which is loving most of what life brings in the moment.� Wishing I could give credit to whoever wrote Animal Diaries, I nevertheless include it �it�s one of those funny emails that gets forwarded without the author�s name. If you're the author, let me know and credit you shall have. Let�s consider the diaries:

Excerpts from a Dog's Daily Diary:

8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 pm - Lunch! My favorite thing!
1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm - Milk bones! My favorite thing!
7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!


Excerpt from a Cat's Daily Diary:

Day 683 of my captivity: My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength. The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the floor. �


Here�s the part that I wrote:

So I�m walking down the street this morning thinking, �Oh my, THIS is my favorite temperature (with the qualifier, �at least in this moment�). And it dawned on me that I was in dog consciousness. And this was good. It was about 63 degrees. On other days 74 degrees is my favorite temperature; when I�m hiking I like 55 degrees, some days when I�m sitting outside staring blankly at the mimosa tree, I like 81 degrees and when I�m wearing my Ugs,in Lake Tahoe, I even like 33 degrees. They are ALL my favorite temperatures. Why limit myself to one? Why�limit ourselves at all?�

The Buddhists discovered long ago that creating preferences is attaching ourselves to a fixed way of thinking which leads to unhappiness and constipation. Imagine wanting what you have... that's The Real SECRET if you ask me. Now it�s your turn to explore the fluid nature of our minds ability to grasp dog consciousness. (This is worth the price of the newsletter so don�t skip it).�
Whatever is happening in the moment- let it be your FAVORITE THING
For example:
I�m reading Jill�s newsletter - MY FAVORITE THING. Sneaking into my email at work- MY FAVORITE THING. Being at work- MY FAVORITE thing! (just pretend on that one if it�s a stretch). Leaving work- MY FAVOR- you get the picture. Feel it in your� body, your spirit and your wagging tail. How's that feel? �Dog-thinking is liberating, it�s a wonderfully enlightened philosophy and it does what many people think is more complicated than it needs to be �it helps us love our life � whatever it is in the moment.
(Fine print: offers may vary under duress of being in a dysfunctional family, listening to political leaders who are operating in a different universe of what's defined as intelligence, and when�dealing with�a telemarketer).

The more you practice dog consciousness, the more it will un-kennel the pit-bull of your preferential belief system and make contentment your best friend. You might say it�s dog-magic instead of dogmatic. (ruff). And I'm a cat person!


If it�s hard for you to make whatever you�re doing in the moment YOUR FAVORITE THING, do one or more of four things 1) imagine what it might be like to be able to�be in dog consciousness. Imagining is a good first step when doing seems hard, 2) Let just 5% of dog consciousness infiltrate your discontent dogma � little steps are often easier than big leaps, 3) Stop doing what you're doing that you're not enjoying,for doG's sake!�4) Surrender to cat consciousness and sublimate your tongue-in-cheek captive energy into writing fiction or a similar journal entry about being held against your will wherever you may be. No judgment, it�s all good -�Giving you choices is my favorite thing.
Have fun with this month's issue and sign up for the
October retreat, for doG's sake!

Dispatching Muses Your Way,
Jill

Go here for some fun DNA matching (thanks Martha)
Go here for belated April Fools Fun (thanks Eber).
For Jill's Monthly Muse Columns at Creativity Portal.. beam yourself here.
*********

Newsletters from the Ghost of Muse Flash Past are here

 

Upcoming Events, Workshops and Trainings

�Full Descriptions Here

Good News for those of us who love the creative process:
Creativity has been cited of one in a triad of essential ingredients in a triad of three for aging gracefully and happily. (the other two being important mutual caring and connectedness and maintaining good health). Most of us already knew that but as you can see, the world is finally catching on. The resource for this is the recent book The Art of Aging by Sherwin B. Nuland . If you do not know how to return to your creative joy or how to find it, consider creativity coaching or one of the following workshops or trainings. Do not let procrastination, fear, perfectionism or an addiction to your comfortable rut stop you.

APRIL 10, 2007 Tuesday� 5:30pm pst� 6:30pm Mtn, 7:30 ctl 8:30 p.m. est
FRE.E Creativity Coaching Teleconference: How Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coaching Keeps Going Where The Secret Stops (rerun by popular demand)
This call will focus on how the KMCC philosophy incorporates the steps that ensure the principle of attraction amidst fears, self-sabotage, perfectionism and unrealistic expectations - those dark and gnarly things that mess up the principles of The Secret. KMCC is specially for clients who do not like to be told what to do but seek the fulfillment of living a more creative life.�� email
info@themuseisin.com to get the call code. With author and creativity coaching pioneer, Jill Badonsky, M.Ed. Visit www.kaizenmuse.com

APRIL 19, 2007 Thursday 7-9 pm. The Third Thursday Drop-in Writing Workshop at Book Works in The Flower Hill Mall, Del Mar, CA�� All levels invited - no critique
Join Jill Badonsky in playing with words, exploring different ways to write, and accidently discovering new ideas, characters, lines of thinking and the goodness of a cup of coffee (next to Pannikin Coffee). $13 includes dark chocolate

APRIL 26th, 2007 Thursday noon PST
Replenishing the Creative Spirit : 10 Guides Through Resistance to Joy
Jill takes the employees at Scripp's LaJolla on a journey to authentic manifestation through creative thought and action. Apply and get a job at Scripps to attend. :) email
info@themuseisin.com� to hire Jill for your group or company.

MAY 1 Tuesday FRE.E Teleconference on Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coaching Techniques
5:30 pacific, 8:30 eastern time. Procrastination Busters.To sign up send an email to info@themusesisin.com with May Teleconference in the subject line.
Find out more about why this model of coaching is gaining rapid popularity. Discover a tool to break through procrastination. Just showing up makes you eligible to win two free creativity coaching sessions and other prizes.

IN SAN DIEGO at San Diego Writer's INK
Sundays, MAY 6, 13, 20 and June 3, 10, 17 (6 sessions, no session May 27) 2-4 pm
Invitation from the Muses: Playing with Writing
$120 in advance members/$144 in advance nonmembers
Pre-Register for six sessions
This six-week series will explore the use of Jill Badonsky�s nine modern day Muses to play with new ideas for writing, unblock resistances, and go deeper with our writing. Experiment with all kinds of tools for writing and block busting. Writing is made fun and effortless. All levels of writers and creators. Participants can register for all six sessions, or attend on a drop-in basis.
For more information
go here

MAY 8th, 2007 Tuesday 5:3O pm Pacific/8:30pm Eastern, Tuesday, May 8th
Nurturing the Muse:�Take an Hour to Renew Your Relationship to Your Creative Juices
Join best-selling author and all around spiritual stand-up comic Jennifer Louden and humorist, author and the muse-channeling, creativity coach trainer, Jill Badonsky for an hour that will tickle your creative bones, dissolve a few fears, and blast you right into whatever is calling to be created by you next.
To sign up or for more information

MAY 9th, 2007 Wednesday 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Unleashing Creative Brilliance Through humor, story�and practical techniques that have unleashed creative power for thousands of women, Jill Badonsky will share 7 tools that will gift you with the power to create a fulfilling reality. Call to reserve to (760) 497-0005.

Beginning MAY 20:Learn to Facilitate Your Own Muse Groups�Teleconferences. April 18th there will be a fre.e�informational call on this training. email info@themuseisin.com with Muse Group training�inthe subject line for the call code. More information here.

JUNE 11�-�SEPTEMBER 7, 2007
SIGN UP FOR KAIZEN-MUSE CREATIVITY COACHING CERTIFICATION TRAINING
The Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coaching Training offers innovative training designed to provide you with a career path filled with the brilliance, abundance and reward of coaching others to life-changing results. The training is customized for both individuals and organizations interested in the tools that have empowered thousands since 1985 to reach creative dreams, business goals and the blessing of living an authentic life.� Weekly teleconferences, on-line community, email assignments, three classes taught by UCLA's Dr. Robert Maurer www.scienceofexcellence.com� The rest taught by Jill Badonsky, M.Ed.

OCT 12-14th 2007 Agelessness and Creativity Retreat
Spirit Fire Ranch Massachusetts - Experience a return to the child-like spirit, discover how to feel young for the�rest of your life�and take home tools to "fall" back on for creative thought, action, and pampering after the retreat is over. With Jill Badonsky - gift yourself with�the nurturing setting of autumn colors in rural Massachusetts. early registration $375 includes accomodations,�some materials,�gifts�and gourmet meals. ONLY 19 spaces open.
See
Retreats for details and retreat agenda

I am where I am because I believe in all possibilities
. ~Whoopi Goldberg

Beam yourself here for updated classes

 

Dear Muse: Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coaching Tools

Dear Muse,

Can you tell me how the principles of The Secret can help�me be more creative?

Signed,
Snagged by The Secret Dither

Dear SBTSD,
See your answer
here.

Signed,
The KMCC Muses

Dear Muse Link

 

Writer Profile: Amy Wallen

Where did you receive your formal training?
Formal training?� I wore a formal to my senior prom.� I didn�t get invited to the junior prom, so I don�t have as much formal training as others might.� As far as writing, I informally trained in a private workshop with Judy Reeves in San Diego, Janet Fitch in Los Angeles and in summer workshops with Mary Gordon in New York.

Creative time of the day for you:
I never like to corner myself into thinking I can only write at certain times.� I�m convinced that I should be prepared to write at every chance I can get. There are just too many days when I don�t get that much time and so I hoard every free moment and often shove everything else aside so that my writing gets first dibs on the whole day or whatever part it can have.� It�s very selfish and greedy that way.��

Do you have a mantra or motto?
It�s a Nike clich�, but I think it works:� Just write.

Key to your perseverance
When I think of procrastinating I feel guilty and usually tell myself that if I truly love this thing called writing like I do, then why would I ever deny it the time and attention it deserves.� To me, my writing is like my own infant, and I need to nurture it fully.� Without me, it dies.� And I would die without it. That scares me enough to keep me from lollygagging.

Do you write to music?
Sometimes, but rarely.� If I have it on, I don�t notice it because I zone out.� But usually I have intentions to turn it on, but I get so anxious to get started on my writing day that I forget to turn it on and I never make it over to the stereo to push the on button.� My boyfriend likes to work on the house to music and so it works out great because when he�s home he can blast whatever he feels like and I don�t even hardly notice.

Best advice received
Write what you DON�T know.

Next book?
The next book is part of a series based on the same characters in the first book, MOONPIES AND MOVIE STARS.� The same characters are involved, but the main character is Loralva who was a major character in the first one.� She owes back taxes on her game show winnings, so she�s driving a school bus to earn more.�� She�s at the end of her rope as a free-wheeling single woman when the bus of kids gets kidnapped.� In the meantime, I have a 3rd book mulling about in my head, eking to get out.� I�m strung out on books.

Creative spark
When I see or hear about a quirky character my mind instantly starts going to where they have been and could go.� I just want to spend more time with them.� The best part about writing fiction is that you can hang out with all the weirdos you can create and you don�t have to be offended by their body odor, and you can leave and come back whenever you want without offending them.

I know I've made it when ...
When I was a pre-teen I subscribed to Seventeen magazine and they used to ask the same question of celebrities.� I used to wonder how anyone could really know, and what if you were mistaken and thought you�d made it, but it turned out you hadn�t, it was just a false start.� Then I wondered what would be the one thing that would tell me I was where I was headed, that I had finally arrived.� I got frightened by the fact that if I knew the answer then I might quit trying so hard.� Maybe it�d be better if I never knew for sure if I�d made it yet and just kept trying my darnedest.� If I can one day support myself on the income from my books, then I suppose I would consider that a �Whew, I made it!� moment.�� But I�d probably say, �Whew, I�m making it so far.� Gotta keep going.�� I guess this says a lot about my personality as obsessive compulsive.� Hey, we get a lot done!

Most favorite achievement
My first novel, so far, MOONPIES AND MOVIE STARS (Viking/Penguin 2006).��

How you get ideas for writing your books?
It�s all fodder as far as I�m concerned. I read the obituary page faithfully for the terrific biographies written in 25 words or less.� As a fiction writer, those are the best characters.� Someone may seem so basic and ordinary on the outside, but there is one trivial detail that gives them so much more richness and experience that�s what� I like to mine to the core. It might not be someone else�s truth, but it�s what I find to be the truth.� As a result, all my characters end up being bits of me, and how I see the world.� For example, I read last year that the man who played in the mariachi band at JFK�s inauguration died.� How do you get to have that opportunity?� And did the deceased consider this his �I knew I really made it when�� moment?

Any scheduled events?
The most exciting event coming up is probably a dream come true, only I never knew to dream it.� I am on two panels at the LA Times Festival of Books on April 28-29th.
http://www.latimes.com/extras/festivalofbooks.� Saturday�s is on Fiction writing, and Sunday�s in on Southern Fiction.� I�m sitting with a bunch of fabulous and famous folk!� Besides the fact that I�m there, it�s a great event for any and all writers and readers to attend.� It�s always been one of my favorite all time weekends.
May 10th I�m at the Huntington Beach Library doing a luncheon lecture. http://www.hbpl.org/events_FOTL.htm
I have a reading in Morro Bay at Coalesce Bookstore on the Saturday before Mother�s Day, May 12th.�
I will be attending the International Book Festival in Shreveport, LA on July 13-15 put on by the wildest and craziest bunch of readers and the country�s largest book club, called the Pulpwood Queens.� www.beautyandthebook.com
I also do various and sundry book clubs in reader�s homes.� I love doing that because it makes the questions and discussion so much more intimate.� I think I learn the most about my readers from doing this.� If anyone is interested in having me participate in their book club either in the Southern California area, or by teleconference, I can be contacted at amyliz@amywallen.com.
All of that should get us through the summer and keep hardcover sales going.� My website also lists all upcoming events:� www.amywallen.com

Thanks for letting me share!� I hope to see everyone along the way.

Moonpies and Movie Stars

 

Creative Room: April Aha-phrodisiacs: Creative Prompts and Poems

mixed media by Jill Badonsky

April� is from the Latin word aperire 'to open (bud).

See the winning poems from the Prairie Home Companion Spring Lyric Contest starting with one of my favorites:
The Republic of Sun

April 3 is Doris Day's Birthday. Let's make her birthday as an inspiration for writing, art, or song through association:
One of her songs is Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered � Think of three words that start with the same letter as a title for either writing (poetry, an entry in your journal, prose, stream of consciousness) Or Art (a collage, a drawing, a painting or a doodle).

Two more�songs Doris Day sang are When I Fall in Love and It�s Magic. Pick one of the following incomplete sentences and complete it at least 10 times in 10 different ways.. the faster the better (if one of those ways takes you off into an enjoyable flow - go with it for gosh golly* sakes):
When I fall in love�.
Magic is �.
(feel free to share any of your results �� at
info@themuseisin.com )

*Doris Dayism

April Poem by Nicole Pitman

�April was a fool.� But she didn't care.
She danced and frolicked while she ate a pear.
She bayed at the moon when it was full in the sky,
She dotted her "T's" and crossed her "I's".
She hugged total strangers when she was out in the street,
And she wore pink furry pompoms on the tops of her feet.
She was full of flight and of fancy- she was all over the map,
She loved to day dream, and doodle, and she loved late afternoon naps.
She drank marshmellow mochas and read books that she wrote,
About her adventures- these floated her boat.
She adored playing with children and animals too,
Often she overnighted at various zoos.
She was right in the middle of that time we call spring,
She was 30 days of wonderful, but alas, just a fling.
She was unique and dynamic in every which way,
Until her month ended and slipped into May.
(c) 2005

April in Paris Fitzgerald Ella 1957

 

Adieu

I am pleased to announce that Holly Wheeler is now the Associate Director of KCM3. Holly brings to the association many years of evolved business savvy with major corporations and key individuals, creative ideas and the ingenuity to spread the news of how creative fulfillment is possible for all who seek it. Watch for more about Holly at www.kaizenmuse.com

Let April�be your favorite month (then�consider May)

Jill



Support the monthly Muse Flash.. donations accepted ...�see address below

unique dog art

JILL BADONSKY'S EVENTS AND TRAININGS

APRIL 10, 2007 Tuesday� 5:30pm pst� 6:30pm Mtn, 7:30 ctl 8:30 p.m. est
FRE.E Creativity Coaching Teleconference: How Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coaching Keeps Going Where The Secret Stops (rerun by popular demand)
email
info@themuseisin.com to get the call code.

APRIL 19, 2007 Thursday 7-9 pm. The Third Thursday Drop-in Writing Workshop at Book Works in The Flower Hill Mall, Del Mar, CA��

APRIL 26th, 2007 Thursday noon PST Scripp's LaJolla
Replenishing the Creative Spirit : 10 Guides Through Resistance to Joy�

Sundays, MAY 6, 13, 20 and June 3, 10, 17 (6 sessions, no session May 27) 2-4 pm
Invitation from the Muses: Playing with Writing
Pre-Register for six sessions IN SAN DIEGO at San Diego Writer's INK

MAY 8th, 2007 Tuesday :3O pm Pacific/8:30pm Eastern, Tuesday, May 8th
Nurturing the Muse:�Take an Hour to Renew Your Relationship to Your Creative Juices Jennifer Louden and Jill Badonsky .
To sign up or for more information

MAY 9th, 2007 Wednesday 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Unleashing Creative Brilliance

North County Women in Networking (NCWIN) at the Lake San Marcos Country Club, CA

Beginning MAY 20:Learn to Facilitate Your Own Muse Groups�Teleconferences.
April 18th there will be a fre.e�informational call on this training. More information
here.

JUNE 11�-�SEPTEMBER 7, 2007
KAIZEN-MUSE CREATIVITY COACHING CERTIFICATION TRAINING
http://www.kaizenmuse.com/page/page/4079744.htm

OCT 12-14th 2007�Agelessness and Creativity Retreat
Spirit Fire Ranch Massachusetts See Retreats for details and retreat agenda

Details for the above events in second article.

For full class descriptions click here

 

creativity soup

 

Rosie and Mambo

Dog herding cat.

 
Links:
A Creativity Portal - peek through
Classes help your creativity flourish!
Freedom wig: one-painting-a-day website
creative writing prompts










do NOT back up � (severe tire damage)

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