distracted by sparkly things since 1969

November Dreamboard: Fear? Jump!


My dreamboard book for November. Isn’t it charming. More pics here.

I’ve been working with life coach Jena Strong of Strong Coaching for the past few months and things are starting to break out all over. After years of driving Jen Lemen crazy with my whining, I’ve finally realized that the only thing left that’s keeping me from publishing is fear itself. Fear that I can’t sustain a book length project. Fear that I can’t get around to finsihing. Fear that I don’t have enough material. (In rational moments, that one really makes me laugh!) Fear that once I get something out there no one will buy it. Fear that once I get something out there everyone will buy it and I’ll be pigeonholed as the “girl who writes about X” for the rest of my live long days. Fear. Fear. Fear. Fear. Fear.

As I wrote in one of my answers to the birthday questions, fear is the one thing I am working hard to shed from my self-definition. Instead, I’m ready to embrace whimsy, to do the impractical and live the impulsive life.

So, I decided to write a book this month. Yes, an entire shitty first draft in one wonderful month. And when darling Jena asked me what I was ready for this list poured out:

I’m ready to be seen as an expert.
I’m ready to get paid for my work.
I’m ready to publish.
I’m ready to embrace whimsy.
I’m ready to jump.

My former neighbor and soulful friend Claire Mack is an amazing artist, and I blame and praise her for introducing me to the playground that is mixed media art. (I’m just a novice, but she’s a real pro, as you can see here. I helped inspire the birdcages! Woot me!) When Claire went to Greece a couple of years ago she took a travel art kit with her and made a lovely little abstract book about her adventures. I’ve always adored it, so this month for dreamboarding, with the November Book Experiment on my mind and Claire in my heart, I made not a board but a book. Some of the pages are already filled with the things I need to get to bookville. Others are waiting for words. Every page is lovely. Every page is full of color, and life, and hope. (I’ve scanned them in here, if you’d like to see.)

I’m so enthralled with this charming little number — it kind of reminds me of those little dance cards women used to wear on silk threds around thier wrist in the era of Jane Austin, only with more chutzpah. It’s completely captured my fancy. I carry it around from room to room. Yesterday I even put it in a ziploc bag and carried it with me in my purse!

Sacred Suzie says that the Tarus moon in November is good for breaking boundaries. So here’s what I think. Let’s break the boundary of fear. What fear-free adventure will you dream into reality this month? What will you ask of the Universe? In the words of my beloved Joseph Campbell, “Jump!”

8 comments

1 Sacred Suzie { 12 Nov 2008 at 6:17 am }

Way to go! This is the perfect time to face fear, throw yourself into your writing dream. I know you can do it. You are so talented and have so much to share with all of us! I can’t wait to see how this dreamboard/book develops. I believe in you Magpie Girl!

Oh and I can’t change the link, it’s an automatic form, don’t worry about it, no biggie. :)

2 Lori-Lyn { 12 Nov 2008 at 6:44 am }

I contacted Jena when I saw your tweet about her – we start working together next week! Here’s to breaking through fear!

3 jen lemen { 12 Nov 2008 at 7:44 am }

yay you!!!!!
i can so relate. i’m right there, jumping with you!!!

4 Jena { 12 Nov 2008 at 11:16 am }

So simple!

5 Jen Payne { 12 Nov 2008 at 3:36 pm }

Rachelle, that book is so amazingly lovely. Love it.

6 Shell { 13 Nov 2008 at 10:20 am }

Having your dreamboard in a book form is pure genius. I love it. May all those dreams come true for you.

7 Karen Maezen Miller { 24 Nov 2008 at 9:58 am }

For starters, I jumped all the way over here.

8 Life Coaching: Client stories and a request for help « Love your work, your life, yourself ~ life coaching with Jena Strong { 30 Nov 2009 at 3:58 am }

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