BREWING SOME IDEAS FOR THE FUTURE

a page from my art journal-not my real artistic work but more informal and laid back processes of using magazine pictures, simple background and doodling

A few ideas have been swirling in my head and beginning to come together to make a plan. I've been listening to Jack Canfield's audio CDs of his book "The Success Principles." Lots of great and encouraging information and it makes the commute to work seem shorter and much more interesting. Listening to him speak really encourages the listener to shoot for the moon and aim for the farthest stars. I am beginning to believe I can do what I set out to do.

One of the most telling "principles" in Canfield's book is the one about "being willing to pay the price," meaning implementing the time and effort and energy required to achieve your goals. And it means being willing to give up doing and having all the other things in your life that do not catapult you in the direction you want to go. That's difficult for me and will take discipline and effort, but I am starting to gain some focus so that will help.

I've been looking for a retirement career and always thought I'd like to teach "Journal to the Self" workshops, which is something I've been trained in and am now a Certified Journal Instructor through the Center for Journal Therapy. But of course I also love writing poetry and making art to go with my poems. Yesterday the idea began to gel about how I can bring this all together.

I want to create workshops that empower women through journal writing, art journaling and poetry. I can form a curriculum around the techniques in the Journal to the Self program and some point in the future further train at the Center for Journal Therapy to be a Facilitator which would allow me to create my own curriculum.

The first thing I did was get a notebook to work out my plan in. Now the next steps are:

• map out my goals for one year
• start posting things on this blog about this journey and about the processes I will teach in my workshops
• read all I can about marketing and promoting this business
• network
• write a book that follows the workshop sessions through the "Blog-a Book" method.
• come up with a title for the workshops and a website
• get a website for the business that attaches to my blog
• read "The Success Principles" book chapter by chapter and complete the tasks
• look into "kickstarter" and other avenues to get funding for this project

will keep you posted on my progress and share more poetry and art.