Tag — Tools of the Trade
Curated Care: Help for those Wounded by Church
Oh, friends. These are two of my very favorite teachers:
Meet Kathy and Phyllis. Don’t they just looks so kind and wise? And maybe you can’t tell from these smile-y photos, but these women are crystal clear on standing in their own power. Kathy continually inspires me to hold on to hope. And Phyllis taught me it was perfectly fine to be angry. (Jesus, she reminded me, sat down and wove a whip.)
But neither of these women stop at anger and hope. No, they move all the way to healing.
From the walking wounded website:
“Have you ever:
-Been asked to leave a church or told you’re not a “good fit”?
-Felt forced to conform or remain consistently overlooked?
-Been told that you are loved but not your sin?
-Questioned leadership or theology and found yourself on the outside?
-Felt sad, angry, afraid, lost, or disoriented after painful church experiences?
-Experienced a significant shift in your theology or faith perspective and find yourself feeling disoriented and unsure?
You are not lost, and you are not alone.
Walking Wounded: Hope for Those Hurt By Church is designed to help you move through the painful and confusing aftermath of a negative faith-based experience.
In this 4 week class you will:
- Connect with others who have similar experiences
- Identify your losses and reclaim your dreams
- Tell your story and receive support
- Work through your unfinished business
- Learn effective practices to restore a sense of sanity
Through interviews, conversation, journaling and storytelling, Kathy Escobar and Phyllis Mathis will guide you through the confusion and into a place of purpose and peace.”
Affordable ($49), accessible (online), doable (just 4 weeks).
Ready, set, heal up!
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Curated Care (formerly known as Tools of The Trade) features carefully selected courses, books, and other treasure that will feed your beautiful soul. I take pride in only reviewing only trustworthy, totally-worth-it products and services. I believe in this course with Kathy and Phyllis 100%. To see some evergreen products and service providers I enjoy, click here. To read all my review posts, click here. Thanks for being here today Magpie!
Curated Care: One-moment Memoirs
This week’s Curated Care recommendation comes from my soulsister Jenna McGuiggan founder of The Word Cellar. I think her new offering is brilliant — especially if you are longing to write more, but only have spare moments between changing nappies, or on your lunch break. Relax, the gentle do-able solution is at hand. Jennifer, step right up…
One-moment Memoirs
by Jenna McGuiggan
That moment when you’re washing dishes, and you see your own hand holding a little metal bouquet of silverware, and for a second you think it’s your mother’s hand.
That moment when your beloved touches your cheek, and you know in your bones that something fundamental has shifted.
That moment when you hear the loud summer buzz of cicadas, and a line of poetry floats into your mind, begging you to capture it for later.
That moment when the sun slants just so, or the clock ticks too loudly, or you get the phone call you’ve been waiting for. Those moments big and small, those moments that matter, those moments that you want to live inside of, or make sense of, or share with others.
Some experiences beg us to write about them, but we often feel overwhelmed when trying to capture the whole story at once. One-moment Memoirs helps you take a relaxed yet focused approach to telling life’s big and small stories in bite-sized pieces.
In this workshop we’ll explore the art of short-form storytelling, also known as “flash creative nonfiction” (which also happens to be the prefect size for blog posts). Using writing prompts and exercises designed to help you connect with the heart of your story, we’ll dig into the details of a single moment. You’ll use these to write your very own one-moment memoir in two to three pages.
I’ll be teaching One-moment Memoirs online as part of wishBIG ecampin February. I’ll also be teaching a full-day workshop version of it this May for The Midwest Be Present Retreatin Culver, Indiana.
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Curated Care (formerly known as Tools of The Trade) features carefully selected courses, books, and other treasure that will feed your beautiful soul. I take pride in only reviewing only trustworthy, totally-worth-it products and services. I believe in this product 100%. To see some evergreen products and service providers I enjoy, click here. To read all my review posts, click here. Thanks for being here today Magpie!
Curated Care: Good Causes
Several things have come across my desk this week that I think are just perfect for curated care. Each one is a brave and creative problem-solving approach. In the spirit of holiday giving at it’s best, I hope you’ll support one these dear-to-my-heart projects today. (Thanks Magpies!)
Graphic Design for GLBTQ Youth: My beloved brutha Shay of Anarchist Reverend helps run a summer camp for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth. (Wow that’s a mouthful!) Camp Osiris provides support and spiritual nurture for young people who are often ostracized and bullied. At Camp Osiris teens and young adults don’t have to wait for it to get better, because they are already in a safe and joyful oasis. Got design skills? Help Camp Osiris create some super hip merch for the campers this summer. Click here to find out more about this design contest. (Contest closes January 30th.)
Support Grandparent’s Rights: This is a complicated story, so I’ll try to sum it up. Kelly Bean is an inspiring light in my life. Without her example and support, I would not be leading a spiritual community outside of the religious institution. When I was floundering in the dark, Kelly’s work showed me there was a way. Kelly, who receives little to no pay for her inspiring work, is now in financial need. The estranged father of her 5 year old grandson is trying to win full custody of Gabe. Gabe is in danger of loosing all contact with Kelly and her husband Ken, who Gabe has lived with his entire life. They are now required to go to court to petition just for simple visiting rights, while Gabe’s father is trying to prevent them from seeing Gabe at all. With grace and dignity, Kelly and Ken have started a Chip-In fund to help with legal costs. If this story resonates with you, please click here to read more about Gabe’s story and chip in.
Have Kids, Will Travel: Finally, my sweet friend Bethany Bassett of Coffee Stained Clarity has an intriguing Kickstarter project up right now, Appertifs and Sippy Cups. Bethany, who has been honing her travel writing skills the past few years, is now ready to write a book full of tips for traveling with young children. An American ex-pat in Italy, Bethany played hostess for me on my solo 40th birthday trip to Rome and Perugia. Her preschool girls completely charmed me, and their tales of travel throughout Europe were downright inspiring. If you are parents (or parents-to-be) and you think you’ll never be able to travel again — be encouraged! Help is on the way. Click here to see the video and make a Kickstarter pledge.
Thanks for supporting the efforts of these beautiful souls!
Much Warmth,
Rachelle
*your magpie girl
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Curated Care (formerly known as Tools of The Trade) features carefully selected courses, books, and other treasure that will feed your beautiful soul. I take pride in only reviewing only trustworthy, totally-worth-it products and services. To see some evergreen products and service providers I enjoy, click here. To read all my review posts, click here. Thanks for being here today Magpie!
Curated Care: How to Set Up a Coaching Practice
photo credit: in her image
Have you met Kate Swoboda? As generous as she is productive, as pragmatic as she is soulful, this glowing woman is ready to coach you into your most courageous life. Kate’s coaching is my favorite flavor — supportive, practical, and chocked full of truth. That’s why I’ve been thrilled to work with her past projects, and to spread the word about her latest timely offering.
Kate’s new program — The Coaching Blueprint — is a toolkit for new and emerging coaches. If you’ve set up a coaching practice, or if you curious about starting one, this course is for you. From setting good boundaries, to time-effective marketing, to booking group retreats and writing courses–The Coaching Blueprint has got you covered.
What I like most about this product is Kate’s deep passion for making it easier on you than it was on us. Coaching is an emerging field. There’s no rule book. I know I felt very lost setting up my practice, and even with a few years under my belt Kate’s program is still teaching me things I need to know–like how to do all my marketing in just 4 hours a week!
Not only do you get Kate’s experience as a coach, but she’s also assembled a cast of coaching insiders including: Tanya Geisler, Julie Daley, Jamie Ridler, Dyana Valentine, Michael Bungay Stanier, Pam Slim, Tara Sophia Mohr, Tara Gentile, Jennifer Lee, , Michelle Ward, Bridget Pilloud, and even a contribution from little ole’ me.
Plus, the price is ridiculous.
Check out Kate’s cheeky, informative video below, and get ready to hang out your shingle!
Click on to get The Coaching Blueprint.
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Curated Care (formerly known as Tools of The Trade) features carefully selected courses, books, and other treasure that will feed your beautiful soul. I take pride in only reviewing only trustworthy, totally-worth-it products and services. I am an affiliate for this product, because I believe in it 100%. To see some evergreen products and service providers I enjoy, click here. To read all my review posts, click here. Thanks for being here today Magpie!
Tools of the Trade: The Art of Earning
I’m a little bit giddy lately because this summer has been so bountiful for me. Not only did I get to see my colleagues and cohorts at The World Domination Summit, but I also got to hang out with them again at BlogHer ’11. There’s even plans in the works for a fall coaches retreat so we can all recharge and refresh. (And talk shop. We always end up talking shop.)
One of the women I’ve been honored to get to know this Summer is Tara Gentile. A business coach for creative types, Tara knows just when to blow the bullshit bullhorn on me, and when to point out that I’m being too hard on myself.
One thing Tara has done this summer is to help me get right about money. You may have noticed, but I tend to be a money monk. I’m afraid money is going to corrupt me so I don’t like to handle it. I under charge for my work. I offer too many scholarships. I forget to collect payments.
This does not serve me well.
Moreover, it does not serve you well.
Tara’s new ebook, The Art of Earning has broken me of that habit. In just a few pages I hit six major ah-ha moments that helped me heal up the bad dynamics I have around money, especially around charging for my work. In fact, I loved the book so much I decided to become and affiliate and spread the word!
Directed at artists and creatives, The Art of Earning is worth both your time and your funds. It’s already fairly priced at $25, but Tara (and I!) want it into your hot little hands so badly, you can NAME YOUR OWN price.
Just click here to find out more.
May you earn some beautiful money today, my magpies.
Much Warmth,
Rachelle
*your magpie girl
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One of my community-building goals here at Magpie Girl is to gather up all the most helpful tools and resources and pass the word along to Y.O.U. I take pride in recommending trustworthy products, and people who give you the biggest bang for you buck. To see some evergreen products and service providers I enjoy, click here. To read all my review posts, click here.
One of my community-building goals here at Magpie Girl is to gather up all the most helpful tools and resources and pass the word along to Y.O.U. I take pride in recommending trustworthy products, and people who give you the biggest bang for you buck. To see some evergreen products and service providers I enjoy, click here. To read all my review posts, click here. And to learn about my current crush, read on!
Darrah Parker: Photographing your life, one slice at a time.
This is Darrah Parker. Isn’t she almost unbearably cute?
Darrah and I met on Twitter. I saw her photography and said, “Hey Darrah, you should teach people how to take these kinds of photos!”
And she said, “Hey! I want to. Can I brainstorm with you?”
At the time I was living in Copenhagen, and she was in Seattle. But as soon as I landed back in town, we started meeting together to dream up all kinds of things for our soulful businesses. Darrah lent me her photographs for my Art of Noticing class, and I sing the praises of her Slice of Life Project. Because you know what? Neither of us want you to miss out on what Mary Oliver calls “your one wild, precious life.” We are quite serious about it folks. You only get one life. Savor it (with ease.)
This summer Darrah is helping you capture images of your one wild, precious Summer with another round of the Slice of Life Project. I call this class “photography for the rest of us.” It’s gentle prompts and encouraging reminders nudge you toward taking photos, without scary tech-speak or tough assignments.
Listen friend, these precious peach-filled days slip by so fast. Slow down. And notice the slice of life that is on the plate in front of you.
Class begins July 11th. Click here to register.. (You won’t regret it!)
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You might also like:
To see a gorgeous collection of student photography from the last click here, click here.
To see how taking Darrah’s class inspired my own work, click here.
Tools of the Trade: DeCluttering
One of my community building goals here at Magpie Girl is to gather up all the most helpful tools and resources and pass the word along to Y.O.U. I take pride in recommending trustworthy products and people who give you the biggest bang for you buck and don’t waste your time. To see some evergreen products and service providers I enjoy, click here. To read all my review posts, click here. And to learn about my current crush, read on!
Your Organizing Coach: Claire Tompkins
I have this problem.
I generate more ideas than I have time for. I spend more time making lists of things that could make money, than I spend actually making money. I have a tendency to spin in circles.
Enter Claire Tompkins, The Clutter Coach. I recently snagged one of Claire’s free Brain Dump sessions. In about 45 minutes, she sorted through the miasma of to-do’s that was fogging my vision, and pinpointed the one thing that would make space for productivity.
Claire offers coaching on Flow, DeCluttering, and just generally Getting It Done! She also has a nifty free ecourse around getting organized. Stop by her blog–you might just find the break through you’ve been looking for! (Drop her a comment and tell her Magpie Girl sent you.:-)
May you have a day that is graced by clarity.
Much Warmth,
Rachelle
Free Business Coaching Calls with Rachael Acklin
One of my community building goals here at Magpie Girl is to gather up all the most helpful tools and resources and pass the word along to Y.O.U. I take pride in recommending trustworthy products and people who give you the biggest bang for you buck and don’t waste your time. To see some evergreen products and service providers I enjoy, click here. To read all my review posts, click here. And to learn about my current crush, read on!
Free Monday Morning Caffeinated Business Chat
As a solopreneur you are you own boss. You set your own schedule. You work alone.
You may also have this teeny-tiny procrastination problem.
Need a shot of something to get going at the beginning of the week? Might I recommend the free Caffeinate Business Chat with Rachael Acklin of the Caffeinated Elf? The Caffeinated Business Chat is a free Skype chat that happens on Mondays at 3pm EST (12pm PST / 1pm MST / 2pm CST / 8pm GMT / 6pm Tuesday in Melbourne). Ask questions of Rachael, or get help from the rest of the folks on the call. Using Skype you can ask your questions out-loud, or share helpful links with others on the call using Skype IM. Sign up by clicking here.
See you Monday at Rachael’s place!
Much Warmth,
Rachelle
Get Your Art OnLine with a Hand-Holding Session
One of my not-so-secret community building goals here at Magpie Girl is to gather up all the most helpful tools and resources and pass the word along to Y.O.U. I take pride in recommending trustworthy products and people who give you the biggest bang for you buck and don’t waste your time.
Today at Magpie Girl I’d like to introduce you to one of those folks: Kirsty M. Hall, visual artist and professional Hand-Holder. Kirsty specializes in helping artists and other creatives get throughthe moat of emotional and technical muck that keeps them from getting thier work up on line. It’s her thing. And guess what? Kirsty is offering Magpie Girl readers a discount on her already affordable Internet Hand-Holding Sessions. (Click here, use the code magpiegirl, thru October 10th.)
“I am not a web designer or a code monkey, I’m an artist. However, I have picked up a fair smattering of tech knowledge and I can do the majority of things on my own WordPress site. So I can certainly tell you about things like plugins; blogs; setting up newsletter forms on your site and moving things around on the sidebar. And if you need heavy technical information, I’ll refer you to someone with more experience and refund your money.
Internet Hand-holding is not just a practical ‘ah, you need to do this technical thing’ experience, there often a lot of emotional work involved too. For example, you may think you’re putting off getting a website because it’s too expensive when in truth, you’re secretly afraid that your images or ideas will be stolen online. I’m skilled at getting people unstuck because I’m good at identifying the real problem and then finding solutions.
Don’t worry, I’ll be gentle with you.”
To let you learn a little more about what she does, let’s get her Behind the Mic. Kirsty, step right up…
Q: What prompted you to offer these Hand Holding sessions?
I had a couple of consulting sessions with Catherine Caine from Be Awesome Online and she strongly encouraged me to do it.
For the last three years I’ve been writing blog posts about how artists can use the Internet and I felt I had enough expertise to start charging for my knowledge. I was constantly answering people’s questions via email or on Twitter so it seemed like the next logical step. I’d been thinking about writing e-books but offering consulting was something I could act on very quickly, so I decided to do that first. The e-books are on the way though.
I’m very passionate about getting other artists online and I’m motivated by a strong desire to help people get past their blocks. I think all artists should be using the internetbecause it’s like being part of a constant exhibition. My website gets between 2,000 and 3,000 visitors a month from all around the world and those numbers are steadily growing all the time. That’s pretty fantastic for someone like me who still hasn’t had an exhibition abroad.
Q: What are some of the “sticking points” you can help people get past?
Often artists and creative people find the web so overwhelming that they procrastinate for years about establishing a web presence. They know they ‘ought’ to have a website but it feels like way too much work, so they just don’t do it.
If you’re inexperienced with the Internet, I can help you devise a concrete plan to get you started. That might include a plan for starting a website but if that feels impossible, I can encourage people to make a start with smaller steps.
It’s a form of guidance and there’s a large emotional component. I have a talent not only for practical problem-solving but also for identifying what the real problem is. Often the root of the problem is quite different to what the person thinks it is. For example, they might think they’re stuck because they don’t have the money for a website when actually they don’t feel ready to expose their work to strangers yet. I help people get to the bottom of what’s really stopping them and then together we find a way to climb out of the hole. Or sometimes I just give them permission not to do something, which can be an enormous relief for people.
I can also help people who are more established but who feel a bit stuck. Maybe they’re not getting the results they want from their website or they need to evolvea social media strategy but don’t know where to begin. I’m very good at visually analysing sites & telling clients where they’re confusing visitors. I recently worked with Diane Gilleland from Craftypod. She’s done a fantastic job implementing the changes I suggested and it’s already resulted in improved sales and better visitor movement around her site.
During the consulting session, we talk through your specific problems and then work out a strategy that’s right for where you are at this precise moment. So it’s a bespoke service tailored to your exact needs. Then it’s up to you to make the suggested changes – I won’t do the work for you but I will point you in the right direction and tell you what to do first, which can really unblock people. Often when we’re procrastinating on something it’s not because we’re lazy, it’s because we don’t know which step we need to take first. Everything feels daunting, so we stay in a place of mental safety by doing nothing.
Q: How has being on line informed your artwork, sales and/or your artistic process?
Hugely. I’m a real net native, having been online since 1995 and I have a deep abiding love of the internet. Promoting my work online doesn’t feel like ‘marketing’ to me, it mostly feels like fun. As a result, I’ve found it far easier to establish influence online than offline.
There are other very practical reasons to concentrate my marketing efforts online. I have a chronic illness that really limits my offline activities so traditional art networking events like attending private views or taking part in conferences are tough and exhausting for me. Being online allows me to be proactive about my career whilst still protecting my health because I can work at my own pace.
I also feel more in control and less at the mercy of others: I’m out there making my own luck instead of desperately hoping to be noticed by curators.
It is still a lot of work, as any marketing always is, but it pays huge dividends. These days, the vast majority of my opportunities come from my online activities – mostly from my blog or Twitter or a combination of the two. I’ve had sales, work opportunities, interviews & exhibitions, plus I’ve made lots of useful contacts with cool and interesting people. Hardly a day goes by without something exciting happening because of my online presence.
Kirsty M Hall is an artist & purveyor of mad obsessive projects. She blogs about art & chickens and helps other artists get on line with her affordable Hand-Holding Sessions. Magpie Girl readers half-price on their first session thru October 10th — £35 ($55 US). Click here, and use the code magpiegirl at the check-out. (Thanks Kirsty. You’re so nice!)
Got some time on your hands? Check out all our Behind the Mic interviews, of find more reliable Tools of the Trade.
Tools of the Trade: Special Price on Third Tribe Marketing
I know I’ve been kind of sell-y this week at Magpie Girl, what with the spots coming open at Flock and all. But I truly believe that an offer which meets your reader’s need is a gift, not a sale pitch. That’s why I would just kick myself if I didn’t let you know about this deal that is closing on Sunday, May 31st.
Are you trying to sell your art, coaching services, or Ecourses on line? You need a tribe.
Third Tribe is a membership site dedicated to helping people market their business in a non-slimey way. It’s hosted by already very helpful people like Darrin Rowse at ProBlogger, Chris Brogan, Brian Clark from Copyblogger and Sonia Simone of the amazing Remarkable Blueprint. Each month Third Tribe features a mp3 seminar just chocked full full of practical tips for on-line business — plus they help you take action with “next step” worksheets and other resources. But my favorite is that each seminar has a follow up Q&A Call where you can submit your specific questions.
I listen to these on repeat as I walk, bike, and bus around Copenhagen. (So, SO helpful.)
Click here if you already know you want to join at the intro price of $47/month, before it jumps to $97/month on Monday.
Otherwise, read on and I’ll tell you how Third Tribe has helped me.
Another benefit at 3T is the a huge collection of forums where you can ask your business questions, get advice, and find partners. Third Tribe forums have helped me:
- find the right email service provider
- set up a membership site (Flock!)
- launch my first ebook
- figure out affiliate marketing
The price for Third Tribe is taking a tremendous jump. At the current price of $47 a month, it’s a great value. The new price of $97/mo will be hard to fit into a tiny starting-up budget. Honestly, it may too pricey to be worth the value. So get in there now and get your business LAUNCHED!
Click here to join before June 1st and take advantage of this introductory price.
If you have any questions about 3T, shoot me an email. I’m happy to help. See you in the Tribe!
I take pride in featuring services and products you can count on. Doing some soulwork? Building your soulful business? Need a little help getting over the next hurdle? Tools of the Trade are the books, courses, services, and coaches that get my gold star. Come find what you need to move forward.
