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I love rainy fall days. Today was the perfect day to curl up in the studio with some Ugg boots, coffee and my  computer.  I worked  on my new Feisty Females TM t-shirt design-which I must say I love-and a new chapter of the book. 

As a mountain woman, I have to negotiate with my workaholic gremlins for time outside. I was content today in the studio working on the t-shirt and book because I fed the gremlins on Saturday. I ventured out for a gorgeous fall hike with my girlfriends.  The leaves were peaking and I could feel all my springs unwinding as we hiked up to the base of our town’s beloved Mt. Sopris for a picnic lunch. See the division between the row of dark green trees and the mountain? That is where the Thomas Lake and our picnic await us.

Onourwaytothelake

I was reading Joseph Campbell’s, The Power of Myth the other day. This is the kind of book you can read thousands of times and never experience the same thing. In one of the chapters he paraphrases a quote by Shakespeare, "Art is a mirror when held up to nature." I reflected on this quote as we hiked through the endless shades of color to the base of the mountain. This idea speaks to me in so many ways as both an artist and a coach. From the names of the paints waiting for me in my studio, or how the landscape speaks to my soul and inspires my work in a way that is not conscious.

Although I left the work week in the studio, thoughts of a couple of clients made their way into my mind as we hiked. I am very lucky that I have long term relationships with most of my clients. The women come to do a level of their work, go out on their wings, fly
for awhile, and then come back in when they are ready for the next
layer. Since life is a series of beginnings and endings, our story is constantly evolving. Sometimes it helps to have a string to help us find our way out of the labyrinth. Watching stories and dreams unfold in myself and for the women I work with, is what let’s me know I am living my life’s passion.

This week I was able to see where several clients journey’s have led them They have clearly stepped fully into the dreams they manifested for themselves. One has come to know that she always has been an artist and can now say the words out loud with pride. She can now see what the rest of us could always see, that she is lives la vida artista. She is about to take an adventure and delve fully into her artist’s soul. The other client shared that finds herself "living in the life vision" she created in during a guided imagery we did several years ago. And artist Claudine Hellmuth finds herself on national television with Martha Stewart. Now that is pretty dang feisty!  You can see the clip of Claudine and Martha on Claudine’s site.

I find joy and comfort every day in these stories, knowing in the deepest place
of my heart that it is truly possible to live the life of our dreams. And even as we hiked I was reminded that along the road to our dreams, the path may be challenging, yet there is always gold to be found by taking the journey.

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Our picnic spot at the lake

2 Responses

  1. I finally made it over here! 🙂 I agree with you about fall…and the scenery around you…ah…breathtaking! Sometimes I miss my beloved west! It is not quite fall here in temps or scenery, but I am so looking forward to it!

  2. Hey Ash,
    Welcome! Happy to see you here. How is your blog going?
    Holy weather change. There was frost on the ground this morning.
    Time to dig out the wool sweaters…I hope we get one more indian summer before winter.