I was honored to contribute to Mati's Daring Adventures in Creative Biz ecourse last year! I had just arrived in Hong Kong, glowing and beaming with love and light. I'm thrilled that she's allowed me to share this with all of you now.

Here's Mati's sweet introduction:

"I met Willo years ago while selling my wares at Renegade Craft Fair and was blown over by her enthusiasm and warmth. Shortly after we connected at a talk by Brené Brown, and realized that we were neighbors! That year we formed a Creative Biz group called LIDL (Ladies Independent Design League), where we'd meet every Monday morning at the Peet's coffee in the Ferry Building in SF for Creative Biz accountability alongside other creatives. We took many hikes up our neighboring Bernal Hill, hashing out all of the juicy details in our lives and challenges in our businesses. These conversations led us to co-create our ecourse, ReConnect, on Getting Unstuck & Finding Your Magic. I have immense admiration and gratitude for this lady in my life and witnessing the amazing journey she's on by saying YES!"

Here are the links mentioned in this interview:

• Pioneer Nation talk + Systems that Support You
• Two interviews with Willo, made for Creative Entrepreneurs like you: 
• Startup Sessions Interview: Thriving as a Creative Entrepreneur
• Starve the Doubts Interview: Facing the Fear & Following Your Heart Anyway
• Willo's 2011 Creative Sustainability Video Series
• ReConnect eCourse (now an upcoming retreat!)
• The Miracle Morning book, and the author's podcast; which you can subscribe to on iTunes, Apple’s free Podcast app, or Willo uses an iPhone app called Downcast that she really likes.
• The Enneagram Test — free online, if you're curious
• The Hendrick's Institute and Gay Hendrick's book "The Big Leap"
• Our Writing Teacher Laurie Wagner, 27Powers

What are your big take-aways from this interview?
Anything bubbling to the surface around clarity, finding your passion and saying YES?

The post Daring Adventures in Creative Biz: Mati Rose Interviews Willo appeared first on WilloLovesYou.

Now a 3-10am sleep schedule may be fine for some, but as I’ve matured, both in life and in my business, I’m more acutely aware of how my sleep schedule affects my energy, mood & productivity; all three of which are crucial when you’re supporting yourself doing what you love!

When I notice patterns, I like to explore and get curious as to what’s driving the behavior.

– What am I really longing for?
– What am I afraid of?

Instead of allowing a self-defeating pattern to play out and affect my life, how can I get clear on what I want–effectively coaching myself–to create the experience I desire. Easier said than done! But I’ve created awesome new habits before, and I’m up for the challenge.

Step One: Clarify your intention

My goal is to integrate new habits that support me in feeling awesome physically (energy), emotionally (mood), and mentally (productivity).

Step Two: Identify the pattern 

One of the key factors that plays into my late night, self-sabotaging cycle is that I actually don’t like going to bed early. Knowing that, my self-coaching process went something like this:

Me: I don’t like going to bed early.

My inner coach: “Why?”

I don’t want to wake up early.

“Why?”

I don’t know. I don’t really want to be awake in the morning when it’s dark and cold. Something about it seems boring and I’d rather be snuggled in bed.

“What time would you like to wake up?”

I’d like to wake up at 7am every day.

“Is that happening right now?”

No, because I keep staying up till 2 or 3am.

“So what time do you wake up when you stay up till 2 or 3am?”

If I’m lucky I can sleep until 9 or 10 to at least get 7 hours of sleep, but that usually never happens, because of noise, or light, or early morning meetings, so then I’m only getting 5 or 6 hours of sleep.

“And that’s not working for you?”

No.

“Why?”

Because I wake up groggy and tired. I feel behind on my day already. I have less energy to get up and get things accomplished (exercise, projects, housework, etc.).

“And how does that make you feel?”

Behind. Tired. Fuzzy. Mad at myself for not getting myself to bed earlier.

“Why didn’t you go to bed earlier?”

I didn’t want to go to bed.

“Why?”

I guess because I had gone out, or worked all night, and I just wanted some time to chill.

“Even though you knew it might mean sleeping in later the next morning or not getting enough sleep?”

Well, at the time I don’t really care. I just want to watch some shows and not think about anything else.

“Sure. You’ve had a long day, so you deserve some time off, right?”

Ya. I want some time to myself… to feel “normal.”

“What’s normal?”

Not having a million things to do… decisions to make, places to be, everything relying on me to make it happen.

“I can see how you need some down time to recover from that. It sounds like that time is also a little bit of an escape for you?”

Totally… except when I’m on this schedule I tend to do it all over again the next day… and I’m tired! So I don’t really feel like I’m recovering.

“So you’re seeing a pattern here that’s not really working for you… how does that make you feel?”

Out of control. Off my game. Mad at myself for not being someone who can get myself to bed earlier.

“What kind of person do you want to be?”

I want to be someone who crawls in bed with a book and goes to bed at a normal time. I want to wake up early, feeling awake and amazing, and be super productive throughout my day!

“Have you experienced that before?”

Totally and I love it!

“So you actually like waking up early? Because earlier you said you don’t want to wake up early.”

No, I do… I guess I just don’t like going to bed early.

And herein lies our pattern.

Patterns are habits we’ve formed, most often through
unconscious thoughts, that then produce behaviors that stick.
[ Click to tweet this ]

So, how do we produce new behaviors? We create new behaviors through uncovering our unconscious thoughts, and forming new pathways through conscious, intentional thought.

Step Three: Reveal your unconscious thoughts

For me, I make lists. I challenge myself to get clear on a belief by writing down 10 truths. In this case, I’m challenging the conflicting thoughts that are creating a pattern I’m not happy with:

– I don’t like waking up in the morning.
– I want to wake up earlier.

Which (finally) brings us back to the title of this post…

10 Reasons Why I Love Waking Up Early (and why I want to start loving going to sleep earlier)

If you’re interested in doing something similar, know that this exercise is just a stream-of-thought, get-everything-out process. Some may seem similar, but in writing these down, each of them are different enough to me to warrant a new line of feeling truth and exploration.

1. I feel best when I wake up by 7am.
   “Why?” I don’t like still being in bed at 9am, especially on a day I want to work and get things done.
2. I love waking up feeling wide awake, happy, refreshed and alive!
   “Why?” When I go to bed late, I wake up groggy, feeling behind, and stressed I didn’t get enough sleep. And that’s usually because my morning hours are always interrupted by noise and light!
3. Waking up early gives me more time in the morning to do things I love, like go for a run, or hike. Do yoga or meditate. Journal, write or read. Just reading these gets me so excited to make time to do them! But when I wake up late or tired I don’t feel excited to do them. I almost forget my love for them entirely.
4. I want to never feel like I need coffee! Sometimes when I get off on my sleep schedule I start craving coffee, and it’s a crutch. I’ve been off coffee, and I definitely don’t ‘need’ it. I want to feel naturally awake and bright-eyed! I want to juice instead.
5. I will make more money & be more successful. I will be more productive from the get-go, and have more working hours to get stuff done.
6. It helps me stay healthy, physically. I am able to stave off colds and sore throats. Plus my skin is clearer and healthier, vs dry/sallow/unhealthy looking skin & breakouts.
7. When I get enough (good) sleep, I am mentally clearer, and more emotionally stable. I don’t get caught up in my own mental cycle of feeling behind, or beating myself up for feeling groggy/lazy/tired. I can make better decisions, faster.
8. I feel more in control of my life. I have choice. I’m taking an active role in my life/future.
9. I feel like I’m on top of it. Ahead of the game. Peak performance. Cutting edge. Kicking ass.
10. I love the idea of crawling into bed with a book and reading a little bit every night. I don’t read as much as I’d like, and this would be a way for me to get through more books; fill my mind and heart with knowledge, insight and spiritual/emotional perspective. My dreams would be more intentional and on track with the thoughts & concepts I want to focus on vs TV (e.g. Breaking Bad or Newsroom political drama).

The Weird Fears that Stop Me

Where there is light, there is darkness, and in my quest for clarity around this behavior I wanted to uncover the fears – irrational or not – about what was holding me back.  

“What are some of your fears or dislikes about going to bed early?”
(Note, these are things to be compassionate about.)

1. I like proving to myself I can. Because I’m an adult.
   “Don’t tell me what to do.”
   “I don’t wanna!”
2. When I was a kid, I didn’t really having anyone putting me to bed early, or at consistent times.
3. I want to check out. Watch another show. Escape/avoid responsibility. Feel like a normal person.
4. I’m afraid if I go to bed early, I’ll always be the girl who gets tired early. And then I’ll never be able to stay up late again. This challenges my own perception of who I am: “I like to party, and stay up all night. I’m the energizer bunny! You can count on me to stay until the end. I’m a night owl.”
5. I’m afraid of change. I identify with being a night owl who sets my own schedule and can sleep till whenever I want.
6. I don’t like feeling tired, so I fight it. I don’t want to give in to it. I want to win.

Try to list out 10 truths/feelings on your lists, and feel free to list out more if they keep coming. If you’re not able to get to 10, that’s fine too. You can always add more later, as you’ll find once you start listening and clear some of the surface ones off the top, you may open the space for a few deeper-seeded thoughts to arise.

Step Four: Integrating & Creating Change

As I said earlier, creating change is way easier said than done. We are creatures of habit, and we’ll always have an underlying conviction, or persona, that wants to hold on tight to the way it is.

In step one we set our intention, which is really our WHY. In step three we dug deeper into that why. Not only why it’s happening, but how we feel about it. What we like, what doesn’t feel good, what we REALLY want, etc. Our minds have a funny way of conveniently forgetting what we really want when faced with stepping out of our comfort zone.

The Best Life-Hack I know: Listening & Compassion

After you’ve revealed some of the unconscious complexities at the core of your pattern, you’ll want to implement triggers that bolster your accountability. These can be as simple as:

• Posting a large post-it or sign on your wall or TV, with your key why’s that you can glance at [to remind yourself] when you feel the hesitation or old tapes playing
• Setting an alarm on your phone, with a detailed reminder of your intention & why’s
• Having an accountability buddy to check in with
• Creating a routine that supports your plan (e.g. hot tea > jammies > book)

Most importantly, however, is that you keep listening & have compassion for yourself! I go into this in great detail in my “How I Found My Way Back to Running” post. Essentially, you must stay conscious to the tapes that are playing, and not beat yourself up for having a hard time in the beginning.

Take baby steps. Watch where it feels hard. Befriend yourself through the process. Change won’t happen overnight, but with patience and determination, you can create the life you want!

Shining a light on unconscious thought patterns
is key to ensuring they don’t run your life.
[ Click to tweet this ]

Do you struggle with funky sleep patterns?
What would support you in feeling awesome physically, emotionally, and mentally?
What’s the new habit you want to create in your life?

I’d love to hear from you in the comments.

I’ve written a number of posts about forming new habits, as a commitment to Creative Sustainability & self-care. This is my first where I reveal some of my own self-coaching process, and I hope by sharing my self-dialogue it helps others out there.

If you feel you’d benefit from having a coach walk you through this process, to clarify your goals and reveal some of your unconscious thoughts creating patterns that aren’t serving you, schedule a complimentary consultation with me and let’s talk.

The post 10 Reasons Why I Love Waking Up Early (and the weird fears that stop me from doing so) appeared first on WilloLovesYou.

“We were made to accomplish the easy
things and made to live through the things that are
hard.” ~ Charles Bukowski

We were made to accomplish the easy things.

There are a million little easy things that can eat up a day. This app has a number, check it. Clear it. Read it. Respond to it. Like it. Share it. Email it. Save it. Bookmark it. Make a note of it. Cross it off. Make a phonecall. Write it down. Make a mental note. Let it go. Talk it out. Pick it up. Put it away. Move it again. Water the plants. Take it off. Wave it away. Say hello. Kiss goodbye.

We were made to accomplish the easy things.

These things in our lives that challenge us like a game of bop the badger or whatever it’s called. We build blocks, and we knock them down. We build it again. We move it. We change it. We look at it. We like it. We hate it. We stop. We start again.

We were made to accomplish the easy things.

As I sit here, I hear the hum of the people in this cafe. I see the couple who just moved outside. Made a table their own. The petitioner outside saying hello. Wanting to talk. The guy who just threw his jacket on the chair to save it while he gets something to eat. The cars, taking a right. Stopping. Taking a left.

One foot in front of the other, we were made to accomplish the easy things.

I talk about this a lot – and have been holding it very consciously in this new/re-discovered chapter of my business: the importance of decomplexifying.

I feel like I have more control and awareness around this now. There aren’t necessarily a million things to do as there was before. And maybe that was my issue. I took on too much. I tried to do too much. I tried to do it all. I was being driven by ‘not good enough.’ And that not good enough meant I clearly wasn’t working hard enough. As trains move faster, do they need more coal? Or is there a centrifugal energy that actually enables them to require less coal as they propel themselves faster and faster down the tracks?

I have hit many times in my career that I’ve found myself working for hours. Working too hard. For too long. Perfectionism. Not knowing where to stop. Not prioritizing.

Stopping to do the admin work. Stepping back to recognize what’s the most important thing I need to be doing right now. What are my priorities right now, and what do I need to start working on right now in order to get where I want?

I feel like I’ve been doing great at this – but what does that mean to be doing great? What’s the measure for that? Who says so? What was the goal in the first place?

Setting goals and timelines is key.

We were made to accomplish the easy things, but with so many of these easy things in our lives, how often are we just on a hamster wheel, going from one thing to the next to the next, without any recognition of the path we are on, let alone the celebration of what we’ve accomplished thus far. This is important and crucial to our being conscious as we walk through this life.

Conscious choices.
Conscious steps.
Conscious accomplishment.

As an artist, it’s nice to be unconscious. It’s nice to roll through our lives in a flow, letting the current take us where it may. However, sometimes this can take us out to sea before we know it. And we must stay aware of the times when we we’re no longer steering our own ship. The current has us, and before we know it we’re wading in foreign waters. Having to paddle harder, and longer to find our way back to the bays where we live and the waterways we intended to take.

Feeling lost and coming home again is tied to how we are made to accomplish the easy things… and made to live through the things that are hard.

Originally written some time in February, 2013

The post We were made to accomplish the easy things appeared first on WilloLovesYou.

One of my long-standing habits has been to check my iPhone as soon as I wake up. Living alone, the thing is like my stand-in boyfriend. “Good morning, lover!” It’s a shot of endorphins, a form of communication to the outside world, and there’s usually something in there that reminds or tells me what I need to take care of today.

That can all sound great at the offset, but here’s the rub. What usually happens is I wake up, looking at my notifications through crusty eyes. Choose one (did you know that instead of swiping the unlock, you can swipe an individual notification to dive right into that one?) and the cycle would begin. Depending on where I started, it would usually involve checking text messages, then email, then Twitter, then Facebook. Maybe Instagram, then Path, then back to email or Twitter. Sometimes I’d do this for 15 minutes, or sometimes an hour. Quite frankly there’s something to be said for how awesome it is that the iPhone is this mini computer in your hands, and I actually could get a lot of work done right from my cozy bed. Well, “a lot of work” really is just answering emails and maybe some “research” (reading articles) and sending or scheduling social media (marketing).

The thing is, I started getting the same creeping feeling I have reading trashy magazines, where they brainwash you into thinking it’s all about pleasing your man and dropping 20lbs… but worse. As an ambitious artist and creative, that horrible comparison feeling creeps up, where you start feeling like everyone else is doing something awesome with their lives, “They’re so creative! So on top of it! So successful!” What happens here, with this dangerous creeping comparison feeling, is I start to forget MY purpose.

When you think about it, when we’re just waking up we’re in a very vulnerable place mentally and spiritually. We’ve just barely left dreamland, and our subconscious is still swimming and waking up. And here we’re bombarding it with news and status updates and emails and expectations all from the outside world.

I tried to kick this habit last month, and quickly realized how hard it was for me. “But I like looking at my iPhone in bed first thing!,” I whined. It seemed like a luxury that I didn’t want to give up. So my first step was to ask WHY. Why did I like it? What was it helping me do? How was this habit serving me, or rather how did I think it was serving me, given that I had started to identify that most often it wasn’t actually helping me feel great about myself or the day ahead.

For the most part I don’t think I totally got the reasons why I felt like I needed it so much until I actually STOPPED. I had to see what was left in the space between. I’ll get to that in a second.

Leading up to changing this habit, I mentally prepared myself. I first had asked my community, and loved hearing the varied responses on how others behave around this habit.

Do any of you bounce right out of bed after the alarm (or no alarm)? Has anyone sworn off snooze and/or checking your phone in bed? #fb

— Willo Sana (@WilloLovesYou) October 25, 2012

• View the varied responses on Twitter here »
• View the varied responses on Facebook here »

A few of them jumped out at me, one being from my mindful friend, MD, who said her intention with waking was simply to place her feet gently on the floor. I liked that.

@WilloToons I did a tiny habit that said after the alarm rings or I wake up, I sit up and put my feet on the floor gently. Worked great!

— M Dundon (@quietaction) October 25, 2012

Mati & I had been talking about changing this habit, and one day I led us through a clarity session around it:

Identify What’s Not Working
Get clear how your current habit isn’t serving you, and why you want to change it.

What do I want my morning to look like? How do I want to feel? Paint the picture for your ideal morning:

What’s my intention for creating this new habit? How will it serve me?

Write a Purpose Statement

With your vision in mind, create a purpose statement for how you’d like your day to look. Include words that remind you of who you are, that inspire you, and that define how you want to feel.

If it helps, you can use this as a starting point, “Today I choose to show up and…”

Implementing Change
We can talk about changing/creating a new habit until we’re blue in the face, but the real change happens when we make a commitment and take action.

For me, I find that it helps to not make some big arduous plan, but instead make the commitment to show up every day, and take it one day at a time. This helps keep me present and mindful. I also embark upon change with a keen sense of curiosity. As I said before, I want to see what shows up in the spaces in between.

November 1st I started.
For the first day I had my iPhone far away from the bed, so that made it easier. I had also written myself up a morning routine, inspired from the clarity session. Mine looks something like this:

Wake up, and gently be with the dreams I was just having

Feel my body. How was it all night? Cold? Hot? In one spot all night, or tossing and turning? Just a gentle hello to my body… which at that point may want to streeeeetch!

Almost like a meditation, I listen to any sounds that are around me. Either birds outside, or the mild hum of my refrigerator. Maybe there’s a mower or people talking as they walk by outside. Just listening.

To my surprise in the beginning, this process usually led me to naturally feeling like, “well, there’s nothing else to do here, so I guess it’s time to get up!” whereas usually I would have had plenty to “do” checking all of my emails, etc., therein giving me no reason to get out of bed. I also realized how much I was relying on my iPhone to “help” me wake up. Interesting to remind myself what it felt like to wake up without it. It feels amazing!

Also, a quick note on having the phone by the bed. As I said, the first day I had it away from me, but as I write this I’ve been keeping it next to my bed, to serve as an alarm if I need it. In the morning I will allow myself a quick scan of the notifications on the home screen, just to make sure there are no emergency calls or texts, but that’s it. I won’t even unlock it or read one if there’s not. It all can wait.

Placing my feet gently on the floor (thank you, MD), I then start the morning routine *I* want to have:

• Snuggle my kitty
• Put slippers on
• Go pee
• Put the kettle on for tea
• Maybe do any dishes in the sink while the water is boiling. I’ve actually found this surprisingly meditative right in the morning. The warm water. Being present with each dish and fork, and hearing the slow rise of the kettle as it heats up.
• Light a candle & sit down to write*

It can be so easy for us to dive into our days, tackling the tasks at hand, putting out fires, etc. As a small business owner I call this letting your business drive you (or run you over in some cases). As a creative – or anyone who wants to actually PRODUCE something into the world – it’s KEY you make space for creative output, and there is no better time than to do that at the beginning of the day, before all the outside world seeps in.

*You may choose to meditate, stretch, do yoga or go out for a walk. One of my intentions lately has been to write, write, write, so that’s been my choice for this initial time.

Regardless if your intention is to write, I’m a big believer in the Morning Pages (or Wild Writing, as Laurie Wagner calls it) for just getting it out and clearing all the stuff out that’s right on the forefront and potentially blocking the juicy creative bits underneath. As you start this practice, you become more aware of what wants to get down on the page. From the moment we wake we’re having thoughts, and I find there are usually patterns in the morning that I hear speaking to me as I walk to the bathroom, then walk into the kitchen, put on the tea and do a few dishes. I listen, knowing that I will be sitting down to let it all come out and be heard.

Both Julia Cameron’s Morning Pages and Laurie Wagner’s Wild Writing are usually done long hand. However at home, and with the projects I have as my focus lately, I’ve been enjoying doing mine on the computer. Thing is, sitting down to your computer first thing, where your email wants to get read, etc., can be challenging, so I have created a routine to set this as a sacred space for myself:

• I have my tea.
• I light a candle.
• I put my headphones in and I open Ommwriter. This provides an immersive, peaceful screen.

Ommwriter has really lovely music and sweet sounds that happen when you type, hence the headphones. Also, while you can save your Ommwriter files, I actually end up copying all the text I’ve written and pasting it over to Evernote to save them when I’m done. Ommwriter is simply where I write. I can then take that text and save it in my Journal Notebook in Evernote, create a blog post (as I’ll do with this), or add it to a larger book project. Bottom line is don’t do your editing in Ommwriter. Let it be a sacred space where you just write, write, write, unedited.If you have time constraits on your day, simply set the timer for 15 minutes, and give yourself that. This time isn’t about editing, it’s just about getting it out. As Laurie instructs us in Wild Writing, write horribly. Write really bad. Or as Ann Lamott calls it, “shitty first draft.” It’s just about getting it on the page.

At this point – gently waking up, making tea, and sitting down to write – I have given myself the first 30-40 minutes of my day. What a gift!

You may need to start getting ready to go to work, or you may want to get out and take a walk. Give yourself a break here to stretch and transition, even if it’s small. If you are working on a project that needs more creative time, now is a great time to dive in. You’re in the flow, you’ve cleared out the muck on top, and you’re ready to go deeper. If you’re an artist, get yourself to the canvas. If you have a book you’re working on, dive in & start.

Stay present with what comes up as you make these shifts. Where are you resisting? Resistance is a funny thing, because so often we resist the resisting. Like we’re in a battle with ourselves! And that’s exactly what it is. Work on being in relationship with yourself. Gently sit next to this resistance and ask what it’s afraid of? Listen, or better yet, write it out. Then – very important! – remind yourself who you are and what you want by revisiting the purpose statement that you created for yourself. Then, START.

This is Day 5 of 5 in my week of posting about forming new habits as a commitment to Creative Sustainability & self-care. It took me a little while to finally get this last one published… but next I’ll post an update on how they’re all going. Stay ‘Tooned!

The post Kicking the iPhone Habit appeared first on WilloLovesYou.

This interview is from a series I produced in 2011, called WilloToons Connect.

Many of you have already heard me raving about Marianne Elliott, and her incredible 30 Days of Yoga program, that I did in January. If not, I’m here to tell you that – regardless of your interest in yoga – this woman is someone to stop and listen to.

From the very beginning, my experience of Marianne and the work she is doing, has been nothing short of eye-opening. As you’ll learn in this episode, Marianne has served valiant human rights work in very challenging situations, and as a result has learned how necessary it is to maintain her relationship with her body (yoga/walking), writing and meditation.

How often do we find ourselves at the brink of overwhelm and stress, and yet, in the most crucial moments, still not giving ourselves the self-care our hearts are yearning for? I just wrote about this the other day, and Marianne Elliott knows this challenge all too well, so I was so grateful for the opportunity to sit down and glean valuable insight from her experienced wisdom.

For any one who is committed to serving the world by doing their important work, I think you’ll agree, this episode echoes a deep resonance around the importance of self-care and creative sustainability to support our passion.

Find Marianne Online:  
Marianne-Elliott.com + 30DaysofYoga + Twitter

This is only my third WilloToons Connect episode, and I’m totally in love with this one. Do you like where this is going? I hope so, and would love to hear your comments!

Speaking of… because I’m just getting started, I could really use your help spreading the word. If you like this episode, share it with your friends, and feel free to post the trailer for WilloToons Connect on your blog, too. I think the whole world can benefit from the awareness around self-care and serving the world with your true work.

Wishing you all happiness and health!

The post WilloToons Connect: Meet Marianne Elliott [Full Episode] appeared first on WilloLovesYou.

This interview is from a series I produced in 2011, called WilloToons Connect.

I discovered Mati Rose’s work at a Renegade Craft Fair in 2009. Stepping up to her booth, I instantly fell in love with EVERY SINGLE THING she had and before I knew it bought over a $100 worth, while exclaiming, “Oh my god, hurry and ring me up before I buy one of everything!” Needless to say, I’m a fan.

Since then, we’ve become close friends, co-created Ladies in Design League (LIDL) meetups in SF, and I continue to be inspired watching her cultivate a full, creative life that most artists only dream of!

Her journey hasn’t always been paved with gold, yet Mati’s tenacity for following her heart has totally paid off. Her fabulous paintings are sold across the country and she has her work licensed on cards, magnets, tees, and more. She’s been featured in many books, is in the process of writing her own, and has a successful online course, called Get Your Paint On. How’s that for making it happen? Hallelujah!

In this conversation, Mati and I discuss how important it is to stay true to your work, and giving time to yourself amidst the pressure of deadlines and expectations that come with being a full-time artist. Mati is an incredible inspiration for never giving up on what you love. The fact that she has fearlessly continued to pick up the paintbrush and create no matter what, is a beacon for all of us who have that small voice within, begging us to give life to our gifts.

Visit Mati Rose Online
MatiRose.com

Does this conversation hit home for you? Are you an artist who works full-time on your business, or wishes you could? I’d love to hear your thoughts and/or questions in the comments!

UPDATE: I just posted Behind-the-Scenes photos and Mati’s answers to my Creative Questionnaire!

Click here to view all the related posts in this video series.

The post WilloToons Connect: Meet Mati Rose McDonough [Full Episode] appeared first on WilloLovesYou.

This interview is from a series I produced in 2011, called WilloToons Connect.

For my very first full-length episode, I could not be more thrilled to introduce you all to one of my most favorite creative ladies, Mrs. Helen Jane Hearn. We met at SXSW in 2006, and since then, year after year, I continue to be inspired and completely in awe of her talent, beauty and wisdom.

“I want to help people feel like creativity is something they can grab. I feel the best way to do that is through celebrating.” ~ Helen Jane

When I first had the idea for WilloToons Connect, I started thinking of self-employed creatives who not only work for themselves, but those who work from the heart. Dynamic movers & shakers who get how incredibly awesome and amazing it is to have the freedom to do what you love, and yet also have felt the major challenges that come with running your own business based on your passion; all the while balancing an active social life, having a family and staying connected to creativity. Helen Jane gets it. And then some.

In this episode, Helen Jane and I discuss being honest with yourself, taking good care of your creativity and listening to your dreams in order to bring more joy into your life.

Can you relate to this conversation? We’d love to hear your thoughts and/or questions in the comments!

Visit Helen Jane online:
HelenJane.com + HJEntertains + Facebook + Twitter

This is my first full-length episode for WilloToons Connect! Do you like where this is going? I hope so, and would love to hear your feedback (either in the comments or via my contact form). Especially if you’re having trouble seeing the video… I need help working out the kinks.

Speaking of… because I’m just getting started, I could really use your help spreading the word. If you like this episode, share it with your friends, and feel free to post the trailer for this episode or the trailer for WilloToons Connect on your blog, too.

I think the whole world can benefit from the awareness around self-care and listening to what you want. Wishing you all happiness and health!

Behind-The-Scenes with Helen Jane!

I hope you loved this episode as much as I loved spending time with her.

Great news – there’s more!

I just uploaded some behind-the-scenes photos from the video shoot on the WilloToons Facebook page. Become a fan, if you haven’t already, and check them out!

WilloToons Connect Creative Questionnaire
And that’s not all! For even more juicy behind-the-scenes action, I had Helen Jane answer a few fun questions for us:

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
An artist and a secretary.
I loved to create and I longed to wear high heels just like the secretaries on television.

What is one artistic avenue you’ve never explored, but would like to?
Spoken word poetry.

Coffee or tea?
Both!
Half caf. Black.

What meaningful advice do you have for aspiring creative entrepreneurs?
You can charge a premium for excellence at your craft. Practice your craft until you master it.

What would you do with 1 miiiiillliiooooon dollars?
Invent something.
Throw a giant party.
Invent something else.
Tuck it in the college fund.
Give some to a person who could use it.

How do you practice self care on a daily basis?
Write morning pages.
Floss (I keep it near my monitor to remember).
Walk the dog every day for at least 30 minutes.

What is one piece of technology you can’t live without?
Speakers!

What has been your biggest obstacle in living your dream?
Financial stress. Not knowing more about money.

In the past year, what accomplishment(s) are you most proud of?
Launching HJEntertains, keynoting the EVO conference, keeping my two daughters alive and my sexy manfriend happy.

What’s your one tip for successfully running a small business?
Schedule time in your calendar to follow up on your expenses and income every single day. Really know what’s coming in and going out.

What does ‘Creative Sustainability in Life and Business’ mean to you?
Putting good practices into place to create for the long haul.

How do you know Willo?
I met her at SXSW in 2006. I handed her a juice box filled with wine. The. End.

Given the choice between relaxation and adventure, which vacation would you choose?
Relaxation. Totally. Regular life is too adventurous on its own!

What goals do you have for your business in the next 6 months?
Try more creative endeavors without the constant worry of income.

What has been your favorite moment so far today?
I was given a fancy (!) digital (!) camera (!) today for my birthday from a VERY generous client. Unwrapping the bubble wrap made me unreasonably happy.

Name one thing that owning your own business has given you the opportunity to work on.
Writing.
This year I tried some freelance writing jobs and found them truly enjoyable. I wouldn’t have had that opportunity previously.

Do you have any rituals that help you get in the flow?
I write my lists on copy paper clipped to a clipboard. I can’t get started unless I have my list right next to me, the right pen and have made my bed.

Do you remember your first experience with the internet?
Yes. I signed up for a Phish listserv. Also pot recipes. Come on, it was 1994.

What’s your next big adventure?
I’ve actually just taken a day job with Federated Media. I’m joining a corporate gig to get a chance to be at the forefront of online storytelling. Corporate creative sustainability!

What’s a question you wish I would have asked?
Question: What’s your favorite unsolicited advice to give?
My favorite unsolicited advice to give is that if you don’t know what you want, you can’t have it. Spend some time figuring out what you want and you’ll be surprised at the speed your unconscious helps to bring those things to you.

Ah, that Helen Jane… so adorable & wise! Love her. Congratulations on the new gig, HJ & most of all: Happy birthday, to an amazing woman!

If you liked these answers, you’ll love the full episode!

Are there any questions you’d like to ask Helen Jane? Which behind-the-scenes photo is your favorite? Let me know with a comment… or even answer one of those questions for yourself! I’d love to hear from you.

The post WilloToons Connect: Meet Helen Jane Hearn [Full Episode] appeared first on WilloLovesYou.

Hearing this made me feel so much sadness and compassion for this woman. Not being honest with ourselves is the biggest disservice we can ever do in our lives, and creates an unhealthy cycle of shame and illusion around what’s really going on. And she’s certainly not alone. Humans are faced with many scruples in every day life, in order to navigate the social hierarchies that play out. However, when we’re not being honest with ourselves, or making up stories to save face, it inevitably leads to consequences.

In the extreme, this kind of self-abandonment can lead to addiction, depression and compulsive behavior, but what about the moderate little white lies we tell, that we think aren’t hurting anyone? Those consequences might show up in the person who justifies their shopping habit, but is actually in major debt with several maxed out cards. Or the person who is 30lbs overweight, but if we looked closer we’d see they actually eat late at night, because they’re lonely or stuffing the fact that they’re dissatisfied with their life or their job. Or the coworker who calls in sick, but really they’re hungover from escaping their truth the night before.

These are only examples, and it’s not about judgment either. First of all, every single one of us has lied, stolen something or escaped our truth in some way, shape or form at some point in our lives. We are human and we are not alone in this. Step one is awareness and step two is compassion and forgiveness.

Committing to the Truth

How often do we make up little white lies to cover up the truth? And why? For example, I may be running late for an appointment, and my first instinct might be to contrive a story: “Sorry I’m late, I got an important phone call at the last minute.” or “Sorry, traffic was horrible!” or blame the trusty scapegoat: public transportation.

When we tell little white lies, who are we trying to cover for? Are we trying to make the other person feel OK, or are we trying to make ourselves feel less ashamed about the real reason? Furthermore, if you are truly honest with yourself, is the truth all that bad? “Sorry I’m late, I totally should have left my house 15 minutes earlier.” “My apologies for not being on time, I really wanted to be and hate it when I’m not. I’m here now though… so good to see you!”

Often our white lies are our inability to forgive ourselves for messing up or not knowing better. So if we lie to ourselves, and others, we’re really just trying to be [an illusion of] perfect. By blaming something else, it’s not your fault. Or by making up an answer, you don’t look stupid. What if we started accepting responsibility? What if we committed to being aware of our feelings in those moments we find ourselves wanting to make up a story, and get curious as to why we feel compelled to speak anything other than the truth? Even if that means admitting you’re embarrassed or ashamed. Don’t take this as an invitation to beat yourself up about your shortcomings, just be aware of what’s really going on.

Personally I made a commitment a few years ago to watch for those times that I feel compelled to make up a story, and started practicing being really honest. In fact, what inspired this post was my not being completely honest with someone last week: I was in the check out line at Trader Joe’s and the cashier asked me how I planned to prepare the red quinoa I was buying. Well, to be perfectly honest, it might be the first time I’d ever bought red quinoa (I’d prepared the regular, but not red), and I had no idea. I had, however, read what was on the back of the box before I put it in my cart (or maybe it was online?), and it said something about an avocado salsa. Before I even had a chance to think about it, my answer rolled out that I was thinking about preparing it with “sauteed mushrooms and a simple avocado salsa.” Oh ya, I’m a total red quinoa expert and completely comfortable in the kitchen, nothin’ to see here! Jeez. Part of me can chalk that up to creative improvisation, but really? What if instead I answered with 100% honesty, what would that have looked like? “You know, I haven’t made quinoa too many times… do you have any recommendations?”

Despite my silly white lie – that most likely no one but me was privy to (i.e. I’m only disrespecting myself in that dishonesty) – he did give me a recommendation… and a great one at that! See: How to Sprout Quinoa

Vulnerability is Sexy and Endearing
It doesn’t have to be all serious, either! Some of my favorite moments are when people humbly apologize and can laugh at themselves. Nobody’s perfect, and we’re all doing our best. Let’s commit to accepting and respecting ourselves enough to be as honest as we possibly can. We stand to learn a lot about ourselves and feel free-er and lighter than ever before.

If this post hit a chord with you, I recommend the following books:

• The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are
  
• Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting out of the Box
  
• Trusting Yourself: How to Stop Feeling Overwhelmed and Live More Happily with Less Effort

The post Lying to Ourselves appeared first on WilloLovesYou.

An interesting awareness that I got in writing all of this out — effectively, curious listening — made me realize that all of my stress/escape messages are all about diving within to be with my body and spirit, vs. outward distractions, e.g. partying or fleeing the scene (not that I haven’t done that or dreamed about that at some point, too). This is awesome, because I truly believe we have so much wisdom, strength and creativity within each and every one of us. It can take courage to harness it, but man, it is SO worth the journey.

The life you want starts right here. Right now.
In the last month I have been listening, and I have heard over and over, “Wake up, Draw, Paint, Write.” I’ll get into some of the fears and such that have come up a bit later, but for now I’m proud to report that since I’ve made a commitment to listen and act on these dreams, I am doing just that: I am seeking an art studio/office space for drawing/painting/creating!

As most of you know, I’ve been a full time artist for the last 7 years, running two small businesses. I worked out of my home for the first 5 years – which I loved, but was also delighted to have my home be just my home again. Then I was fortunate to have offices downtown in the last 2 years, but they’ve all been very corporate settings. Meaning, not space to paint & get messy.

In this same vein of making space, in June I started doing some major clearing in home: I got rid of my TV (gasp, I know!), which helped clear out an entire piece of furniture, and then some (see my post with photos). Since then, my purging and spring cleaning has barely slowed down: I’ve gotten a new couch, continued to clear out my drawers and closets and have another fun home project in the works.

So as much as I’ve been loving cultivating space in my little home, in advance of not waiting around for the perfect art studio, on New Years Eve I rearranged my living room to make it a temporary office/art studio! I am excited about eventually moving it out to a larger space, with other artists, but for now I’m thrilled about it being here and *ready*. Come on in, creativity, there is space for you here!

Mind you, my living room is also going to be my yoga studio for the next 30 days.
It’s a small room, but I’ve made it feel big, so I think it’s just right for now.

Blank Canvas
Another super fun painting adventure I’m embarking upon is this awesome course by my friends — and two of my favorite painters! — Mati Rose and Lisa Congdon, called Get Your Paint On! You can even see one of Mati’s paintings sitting to the right of my monitor in the photo above.

I’m suuuuuper excited for this class, as I really haven’t taken a painting class, ever, I don’t think (how is that possible?). I was daunted at first, but I gotta say, I’ve been doing really good at wrangling my inner critic lately, so now I’m mostly just giddily excited.

Wahoooo! This year is going to be awesome.

The post Making the space and inviting change in appeared first on WilloLovesYou.

Cultivating a home practice
When I saw Marianne Elliott’s 30 Days of Yoga I was intrigued. I first signed up for her newsletter, which provided a download to a 10-minute intro video, so I could get a sense for her voice, the video quality, her teaching style, and just what it would be like to do yoga in my home, with just my laptop. And then I read her shame-free yoga post, along with a few others, and was like, OK, I’m doing this.

The more I’ve thought about it the last few weeks, cultivating a home practice is so apt to what yoga truly means to me: It’s about connecting with my body, my Self and Spirit. So, inviting this daily flow and cultivating the connection to my Self, within my home… it just all makes sense.

download as desktop wallpaper (1024 x 683)

Going back to that whimsical “if I could do anything at all” thought process I mentioned, that’s something I’ve really been looking at a lot in this last year. You know when you’re stressed – maybe at your job, or feeling like you’re getting run over by your own business, with a gazillion things to do – and you start dreaming about the “If onlys”? Well, I found myself doing this earlier in the year, and I made a commitment to myself that I would LISTEN to what those dreams were, and start integrating them into my daily life.

When it comes down to it, we’re so spoiled. I mean, maybe you’re not, but chances are if you’re reading this, you have a computer, and you’re sitting in a warm home or office with clean clothes on. And you’re leisurely reading my blog post. This in large part means YOU CAN DO ANYTHING! OK, so I will speak for myself: Sometimes I’m a big whiney baby about stuff. i.e. Even though I know it would be amazing for my health to run every day & not eat any sugar, “I don’t waaanna. I just waaant a cooooookie!” Sound familiar? One thing I’ve learned about myself is I often confuse my quest for freedom in life with letting go of all discipline in an effort to do whatever I want. Fine line there.

Child’s mind
I’m naturally a very curious person. I want to learn everything I can, and while that can sometimes lead to my getting distracted, it can help when I’m trying to get to the bottom of my own fears and limitations. Note: It can help to have a coach or a therapist in this process, to help you untangle some of the stickier bits and sustain focus through the process, but it’s not absolutely necessary. In general, I believe only good things can come from looking within, and learning about yourself.

Sometimes we have fears that are buried deep (often for no good reason, really, but they’re our fears nonetheless) and need to be uncovered a bit. I myself have been doing some deep excavation into what lies beneath. I want to stop just dreaming about these things, and instead make them a part of my life. To listen and act on them.

Intention
My word for this year is intention. And I just learned from Marianne’s email today, there’s actually a Sanskrit word for this: sankalpa, which means “will, purpose, or determination.” As I was putting together this post, I remembered that I actually modeled for Yoga Journal about 7 years ago, and when I went to go look at it, I laughed when I saw the word headlining my quote. Check it out:

Ready, set, go!
I’ll keep you posted as the 30 Days of Yoga practice gets underway. I predict it will give me a lot more energy, and grounding. I haven’t been wanting to go out much lately, and am trying to get on a better sleep schedule, etc. Much of this has been culminating for a few months now, but nothing like a new year to kick it all off feeling fresh and ready to invite in major change!

Listen closely to what your heart, mind or body is wishing for. What’s on your list?

Read my continuation post: Making the space and inviting change in

The post Be the change you want to see in your life appeared first on WilloLovesYou.