A La Peanut Butter Sandwiches! Wild Creative Heart joins 21 SECRETS!

As Sesame Street's Amazing Mumford says, A la peanut butter sandwiches!

After Invoking the Wizard in early January, magic is most definitely infusing my life!

Connie Hozvicka, of Dirty Footprints Studio and mastermind of 21 SECRETS: An Art Journal Playground, asked me if I'd join with her and 19 other professional artists in the Spring 2011 21 SECRETS! I am amazed and excited, honored and thrilled!


A la peanut butter sandwiches!


Connie says, "21 SECRETS is an online, self guided, Art Journaling workshop that runs for a total of four months where Art Journalers receive the opportunity to dive into different techniques, methods, and approaches to Art Journaling from a tribe of diverse, passionate, professional Artists. Each participant is able to choose which order of the 21 classes they take and have an active online community to share and grow with. All information including, pdf's, videos, and supportive text and photos are always available and teachers are present in a timely fashion to answer questions and share their comments. "


21 SECRETS will go on sale Monday, March 14 and will open April 1st. So be watching THIS space for information on signing up! Won't you join us?

Take a look at this list of AMAZING teachers!


Aimee Myers Dolich
Artsyville http://artsyville.blogspot.com


Alma Stoller
Alma Stoller http://almastoller.blogspot.com


Barbara Nigg
Creative Fires Studio http://barb2.typepad.com/blog


Connie Hozvicka
Dirty Footprints Studio http://www.DirtyFootprints-Studio.com


Debra Cooper
A Little Imagination & A Pile Of Junk http://www.littleblackkitty.typepad.com


Erin Kenepp
Erin Kenepp Mixed Media Art http://erinkenepp.blogspot.com


Goddess Leonie
Goddess Guidebook http://www.goddessguidebook.com


Gretchen Miller
Gretchen Miller http://www.gretchen-miller.com


Heather Plett
Sophia Leadership http://sophialeadership.com


Ingrid Murray
My Peacetree http://mypeacetree.blogspot.com


Jane Davenport
Jane Davenport http://www.janedavenport.com/blog


Jeniffer Hutchins
Joyful Arts Studio http://www.joyfulartsstudio.com/blog


Kelley Brown
Art Journaling As A Creative Process http://artjournaling.blogspot.com


Lisa Dieken
Wild Creative Heart http://wildcreativeheart.blogspot.com


Lisa Wilson
Life Unity http://lifeunity.blogspot.com


Natasha Reilly
Creative Nachos http://www.creativenachos.com


Rachel Whetzel
A Year In The Life Of An Art Journal http://oneyearartjournal.blogspot.com


Silky Hart
Expressive Hart http://expressivehart.wordpress.com


Tamara Laporte
Willowing http://www.willowinglove.blogspot.com


Tammy Garcia
Daisy Yellow http://daisyyellow.squarespace.com


Violette Clark
Violetteʼs Creative Juice http://www.violette.ca

Creatively Awake

To live creatively awake is a choice. When we make that choice we become servants for something bigger and wilder than life itself. Just as much as this creative force challenges us, torments us, and tortures us, it generously rewards us. At least for a moment, and what a glorious moment that is!

At its core, the force of creativity doesn’t have that much to do with us at all. We don’t own it. We serve it.

~Chameli Ardagh

Wizard Wednesday 1/26/11

Welcome to Wizard Wednesday!

As we are in appreciation for the potential of, and holding space for, surprising breakthroughs, unexpected opportunities and magical gifts from Spirit, more can occur in our lives. Know that these can happen at any time! (modified from Lena Stevens at http://www.thepowerpath.com/)

How has the magic of The Wizard shown up in your life this past week? What magical, synchronistic, small and delightful, or maybe awesome events have occurred in your life that you'd like to share and celebrate?

Some items for me this week:
~Slowing down and coming back to center. Ahhhh!

~Contacting and conversing with the "Light Council", new Guides who have recently showed up for me. mmmm.....

~ Saying Yes! Saying Yes to painting, leading me to saying Yes to life, (I didn't realize I had been saying "No" so often!) then receiving my very first DailyOM which just happened to be about saying Yes to life! Then receiving an email about this very same topic from a friend of mine... (Do you see a theme here? :) )

~Sunday I posted this quote on Facebook: "Come to the edge, he said. They came. He pushed them and they flew. ~Guillaume Apollinaire" Sunday night Van Halen's song "Jump!" showed up in my dreams, so I'm thinking, "Why wait to get pushed? Jump!" Similar to the "Say Yes" theme, isn't it?

~And I don't recall a song ever showing up in my dreams before? At least not recently...

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
How to play Wizard Wednesday:

Keep track of magical, fun, synchronistic events and experiences and share them here on the Wizard Wednesday posts! Feel free to post comments anytime, not just on Wednesdays.

They can be small, seemingly trivial things, or big exciting things. It can be similar to a gratitude list or a rampage of appreciation. Many exclamation marks allowed!

The important thing is that we are focusing on magic, fun and things that make us feel good. When we focus on them, we begin to see and experience more and more of them!

Be brave and join in! Let's play!

Namaste,
Lisa
♥

A Different Perspective on Self-Love

Dear Wild Creative Heart™,

In early 2009, I was reflecting on self-love and cherishing myself, asking for guidance on the best way for me to do this, or deepen it.

I was sitting at my computer at the time. This is what I typed in response to my question:

The theory of self-love happens to be the most misunderstood of all time.

I was a bit taken aback after writing that. I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue after such a bold statement. But I thought I might as well see where this was going. I re-aligned myself with the flow of information coming through me.

Loving oneself is actually getting in touch with, living, embracing and embodying Source.

Because that is WHO YOU ARE. That is Self, with a capital S.

Yes, you can get massages, exercise, eat right, talk to yourself in a kinder way, and all of those other ways of treating your mind and body in a loving way. But that is not true SELF - LOVE.

Think of it like this, you are not your body, you are not your mind. You are consciousness, you are Source energy. You are Source, you ARE LOVE!

So actually SELF-LOVE is redundant, you are SELF and you are LOVE, they are one in the same thing.

This is interesting...

So the correct question is:

Wow, I am actually being told to ask a different question....

How can I express myself as Source energy? or How can I be my SELF?

How can I BE LOVE? How can I live as SOURCE?

Being kind to yourself is taking the time to open and expand your energy to encompass all that you are.

So that you are giving and doing from that place of Source and from no other.

When one gives and takes action from any other place than that of Source, depletion occurs. Your body and mind have constricted and no longer allow in the love, empowerment, kindness, joy, enthusiasm, creativity, that comes from Source, Spirit, God if you must.

Living as Source is living in internal stillness, living in the state of expansion, and emanating the love that you are.

Rather than talking about "filling yourself up" in order to give, you are giving from the place of limitless love, with no constriction.

So be it.

At the time, I was actually quite amazed at what had just flowed through me while I sat at my computer and typed.

Love,

Lisa

♥

(c)2011 Lisa Dieken, All rights reserved

Creativity according to Osho

The experience of creativity is an entry into the mysterious. Technique, expertise and knowledge are just tools; the key is to abandon oneself to the energy that fuels the birth of all things.

This energy has no form or structure, yet all the forms and structures come out of it. It makes no difference what particular form your creativity takes - it can be painting or singing, planting a garden or making a meal. The important thing is to be open to what wants to be expressed through you. Remember that we don't possess our creations; they do not belong to us. True creativity arises from a union with the divine, with the mystical and the unknowable. Then it is both a joy for the creator and a blessing to others.

~Osho Zen Tarot

(my emphasis with the bold)

Say 'YES' and PLAY!

“Slow down!” Connie tells us. (in the DEEP program)

I had recently completed a painting that I loved. It contained all of the elements that I “think” I want my art to look like. Spontaneous, loose, vibrant colors...

I love the messy spontaneity of the background, I love the lack of clarity of the stems and leaves, I love the magenta peeking through the stems and leaves. I love the little flowers and that I didn’t painstakingly make each petal, I love that I created them in one swoop of the brush. (Well two swoops with the magenta and the white) I love that the white had accidentally turned to pink and it worked so well... I love the bright yellow...

Not only do I love the outcome, the process was fun too. I was in the flow, in the present moment, not concerned with outcome, just “listening” to what to do next... and doing it. It was peaceful, harmonious, enjoyable.

As I continued painting on other paintings however, my mind and inner critic made themselves known. “Why do I have a zillion different styles?”, “I want to paint like I did on THAT painting.”, “I want to create more paintings that look like that.”, "How will I do that again when it was an accident? It wasn't planned or orchestrated.", "Will I only paint flowers? Forever?" and on and on....

So as I’ve slowed down this week, I’ve come to realize what I need to get back to, and really concentrate on, for my intuitive painting (spontaneous expression) practice: (what Connie calls FEARLESS Painting)

1. Surrender! Stop wanting to control the outcome. Don’t be attached to what I “think” I want something to look like, or what I “think” I want my style to be or even what topic or objects want to show up on my painting. Say ‘yes’ to what shows up on the paper or canvas, no matter what it is. No matter what it looks like. No planning or editing.

Surrender the outcome to the Divine, to my “Creative Source” as Connie calls it. It doesn't matter what it looks like. Just paint. I even noticed there are things in my life right now that I’ve been attempting to control, why would painting be any different? My ego doesn’t like it. My ego wants SOMETHING to control. But intuitive painting is not about control. Intuitive painting teaches us to Let. Go. Of. Control.

2. Take notice: What is my mind doing? Whether I am painting fast or slow, what is my mind doing? Is it calm, or racing with thoughts of what to do next, how something looks, what object wants to be painted, worried about using the wrong color, etc? Or is it calm? At rest? To hear my intuition, my inner guidance, the Divine, my mind needs to be calm. I need to be resting in the space between my thoughts.

3. Enjoy the process. Play! I have always heard if you aren’t enjoying it, why are you doing it? Well, because I have to, because there is an inner urge to create, to bring forth and if I don’t do it, I suffer. I suffered when I created, because of my inner critic, and I suffered when I didn’t create.

I have been spending the past year or more really concentrating and getting a handle on my inner critic and not letting him run the show. I have let him run the show for a long time, even to the point of NOT creating, because it was, well, torture. I finally realized, thank goodness, that I had to take my power back and learn how to shush him, put him in the back row, or maybe even remove him altogether.

Creating is about enjoyment, harmony, and though there may be times when deep healing takes place and it might bring up long stored sadness, grief, anger, or other emotions, the first and foremost thing is to enjoy the process. After all, it is surprising and magical to watch paintings emerge from one’s intuition!

The painting above was quite unintentional. I had started the painting by playing with colors of new paints I had purchased. I think this is important as I wasn't concerned about the outcome. I went into it with a sense of play and being curious.

So thank goodness for slowing down. I was able to calm my mind, get back to center, and realize what my work is: To calm my ego and it’s ideas of what things should look like, whether in painting or other areas of my life, quiet my mind and listen to my intuition, say “Yes” to it all... and PLAY!

Happy Creating!

Love,
Lisa
♥

(c) 2011 Lisa Dieken, All Rights Reserved

Wizard Wednesday 1/19/11

Wizard Wednesday! Happy Full Moon!
How has the magic of The Wizard shown up in your life this past week? What magical, synchronistic, small and delightful, or maybe awesome events have occurred in your life that you'd like to share and celebrate?

Some items for me this week:
~Feeling the warm sunshine and smelling the earthy fragrance as the snow melts and after a period of cold and snow. Feeling the warm breezes after the cold. Magical!

~Becoming the center of attention for some horses in a pasture. They suddenly became aware of my presence and had to come over and check it out. Sweet...

~Having a wonderful "studio" area to paint. Soul nurturing...

~Seeing Fox, learning about her medicine and how she is here to assist me. I do believe she has shown up because I have asked for assistance. Magical!

~ A waterfall of insights

~ Seeing Bald Eagle

~ Hearing the sweet noises the ducks (not sure what kind they are) make on the lake. They sure have a lot to say, especially when Bald Eagle shows up!

~Taking photos of my wizard figure! :) Love this one of The Wizard facing into the sun with the flame in his hand. Like he is honoring the sun.

~Being in appreciation for the potential of, and holding space for, surprising breakthroughs, unexpected opportunities and magical gifts from Spirit. Knowing that these can happen at any time! (modified from thepowerpath.com's Full Moon update)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

How to play:

Keep track of magical, fun, synchronistic events and experiences and share them here on the Wizard Wednesday posts! Feel free to post comments anytime, not just on Wednesdays.

They can be small, seemingly trivial things, or big exciting things. It can be similar to a gratitude list or a rampage of appreciation. Many exclamation marks allowed!

The important thing is that we are focusing on magic, fun and things that make us feel good. When we focus on them, we begin to see and experience more and more of them!

Be brave and join in! Let's play!

Namaste,
Lisa
♥

My December Inner Work

(Note: I began this topic in my January 1 newsletter, I've modified and added to it for this post.)

As I wound up 2010, I found my Spirit Guides urging me to spend much time going inward and to heal myself in preparation for much newness that I am being told is imminent.

I knew something big was happening when I took dictation from Spirit early in the month about surrendering to my Spirit Guides and surrendering to healing: http://wildcreativeheart.blogspot.com/2010/12/surrender-dear-one.html

What has been occurring is a shamanic death and dismemberment on a scale I don’t recall ever experiencing. Much inner listening and journey after shamanic journey to surrender my heart to my soul’s mission and let go of many things no longer serving me. It has been a purging of my psyche.

Many people feel shock when hearing those words, "shamanic death and dismemberment". I know when I first heard them and experienced one in a shamanic journey I was a bit shocked. But really it is a very good thing. It is about letting go of illusions, limiting beliefs, programs we hold in our bodies. It is ego dissolution; a process of becoming more of your True Self.


I like Sandra Ingerman's description of dismemberment in her book Medicine for the Earth:
She begins, "The process of dismemberment is a cross-cultural method of initiation as well as a spiritual practice used to deepen one's connection with the source of all Life and remember the truth of one's nature and identity."

Dismemberment occurs as a vision, in a shamanic journey, dream or meditation.

Ingerman continues, "In the vision, one is literally dismembered by helping spiritual forces. A few examples of this might be where the initiate is chopped up, burned down to the bone, eaten by an animal, pecked down to the bone by birds, or stripped of skin and fesh by a sandstorm. The spirits can be quite creative, so these are just a few examples."

She also says, "The process sounds gruesome, but it actually marks an initiation into a spiritual path and practice and provides healing. In dismemberment you lose your ego and sense of self as well as all that weighs you down from experiencing your connection with the divine. As you lose your ego and allow your body, mind and emotions to be devoured by spiritual forces, you are once again reunited with the source of all life, from you which came."

I've had spontaneous dismemberments in journeys before. One I remember is being chopped up and put into a large cauldron. Remember it is only my body and ego that were "chopped up", my essence and witness consciousness were still very aware. The spirits would add things and remove things from the cauldron. The "soup" that was to be the new me became more and more solid, until it was like clay. Then the new and improved me was formed from this clay.

I was magically led to Nicki Scully and Linda Star Wolf's book Shamanic Mysteries of Egypt for my December dismemberment. Chapter after chapter of initiation, letting go and being rebirthed. I found it to be extremely powerful and the Egyptian deities remain with me very strongly.

During a dimemberment, you aren't always told what is being removed or stripped away. For some reason I was told that the things being transformed during December were guilt, shame, and not feeling good enough. I was told these were internal programs coming from this life and previous lives.

It isn't an emotion of guilt or shame being addressed here, rather it is a belief or program of it. So I could be feeling great happiness, yet this program was still in the background, perhaps limiting the amount of happiness I could feel and holding me back in many places in my life.

So I am celebrating the transformation! I feel lighter and somehow feel different in my body. I feel more confident.

Many of us carry these programs with us and don’t realize how it affects our lives. I wish for you a releasing and transforming of these limiting programs as well!

If you are interested in a guided dismemberment journey or meditation, I can lead you through one. Contact me at Lisa AT WildCreativeHeart DOT com. For more information: http://www.WildCreativeHeart.com/PartnerSpirit Soul Retrievals are also available.


Celebrating a new year and new life!


Namasté,
Lisa

(c) 2011 Lisa Dieken, All Rights Reserved


Recommended Resources:

I highly recommend both of these gifted women who assisted me during December:

Thank you to my friend Natalie Kimbrough, spiritual teacher/healer for her generosity(http://www.healingisis.com/) for asking me to be a guinea pig for a new process she is learning. (The ZPoint Process) I believed this also helped tremendously with releasing core beliefs and programs.

Also many thanks to Shamsi Charlie Pettus, psychic intuitive and friend, (http://www.shamsidances.com/ ) who validated many things, brought me new helpful information and led me to Nicki Scully and Linda Star Wolf's work (Shamanic Mysteries of Egypt and The Anubis Oracle).

Wizard Wednesday

Wizard Wednesday Begins!
How has the magic of The Wizard shown up in your life this past week? What magical, synchronistic, awesome events have occurred in your life that you'd like to share and celebrate?

A couple items for me this week:
I am deeply grateful for being mentioned on Michelle Geoffroy's blog The Creative Healing Studio. Michelle was the winner of a no-charge Partnering with Spirit™ session drawn from my newsletter subscriber list. It just so happened that I knew her from Connie Hozvicka's BIG class. The session was a powerful soul retrieval session. Michelle wrote a beautiful testimonial/recommendation for me and how it is synchronistic with her "Abundance Manifesting" theme for 2011.

Thank you, Michelle. I am not only grateful for your words, but for how you shared them publicly. Many, many thanks! Thank you also for trusting me to do this work with you. I'm looking forward to witnessing how 2011 unfolds for you!

On another note: I went to the local craft store to purchase paper for DEEP, and found paper, brushes AND paint on sale! Woohoo! Then I was excited to find my favorite Levi's jean style! The place I used to get them had discontinued them. Bought three pair, same style different colors! I was running really low! Silly I know, but jeans that fit aren't easy for me to find! (Ordering them online didn't work out well for me either.)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

So, keep track of magical, fun, synchronistic events and experiences and share them here on the Wizard Wednesday posts! Feel free to post comments anytime, not just on Wednesdays. They can be small, seemingly trivial things, or big exciting things. It can be similar to a gratitude list or a rampage of appreciation. Many exclamation marks allowed! The important thing being to focus on magic, fun and things that make us feel good. When we focus on them, we begin to see and experience more and more of them.

Be brave and join in!

Namaste,
Lisa
♥

Invoking the Wizard

Inspired by my New Year Questions and Connie Hozvicka's DEEP program that has begun...

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

INVOKE:
1. to petition or call on for help or aid.
2. to call forth or upon (a spirit) by incantation.
3. to cause, call forth, or bring about.

I hereby humbly invoke The Wizard for assistance in DEEPening my connection to my joyous inner child. To allow her the expression she so desires, to listen closely to her, to nurture and appreciate her. To bring about the feelings and experiences of
IMAGINATION * PLAY * LAUGHTER * MAGIC * ENCHANTMENT * JOY * LIGHTNESS * INSPIRATION * FREEDOM

May The Wizard permeate my body, mind, spirit and my life experience

with these feelings and ways of being!


And may all who choose it, receive the same assistance if so desired!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shhh.... Do you hear the Ancient Ones chanting the incantations?

Do you feel The Wizard in your midst?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With DEEP appreciation for The Wizard and for YOU.

So be it.
:o)

~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~


*Note: The Wizard is directly from my inner child. I've wanted to discover a female version of this and nothing has the same feeling. I believe that The Wizard may be male or female! :)

*Note: The photos are from a interactive assemblage sculpture I created in 2007 called The Wizard's Cabinet. (It was created for the theme of 'Jack and the Beanstalk' ) The events and experiences surrounding the creation of it were very synchronistic and magical. I wish to move forward with that same feeling of magic and bless others with this feeling as well.

Beautiful Prayer

Found this on http://www.thepowerpath.com

~~~~~~~

Great Spirit (insert here your preferred name for the Source),

Thank you for my life, for my awareness, for creating me to share the universe with you.

Thank you for giving me the power to create just like you.

Help me to wake up from my dream, from all the distractions and all the illusions at this time.

Help me to remember who and what I truly am, a being who is exactly as you created me to be, nothing less.

Lately my dream has shown me a world polarized, a world where the structures seem to be falling apart, a world of great stress and worry, a world filled with fear and hatred.

Thanks for reminding me that those are old and immature parts of myself that I am releasing now just like toxins I release during a cleansing fast.

I know the world is as I dream it and it is time for a fresh new dream aligned with your intent.

May my intent be your intent, may my willingness be your will, may I accept myself fully and unconditionally along with all my brothers and sisters.

Bolster my imagination so that I envision a world of harmony, a world of beauty and balance.

May I be aligned with the transformation that is upon us and be of service in bringing about the most positive outcomes for our planet.

May my nation and all nations be healed, may fear be abated, may we choose inspired leadership to support our will and highest dreams.

May love prevail and may my heart sing with happiness each day as I go about my business.

May I remain untouched by the ups and downs of daily life, the drama, the concern, and let me know for a fact that all is turning out well.

I am walking your path of good fortune, always.

May you be blessed and may you bless this dream and me the dreamer.

Bless all of nature that it be healed and infused with your greatest beauty, bless all the people that they find peace, joy, abundance, and health.

Aho.

~José Luis Stevens Ph.D
http://www.thepowerpath.com/

Questions for the New Year (or anytime)

Happy New Year!

(This was taken from my newsletter, with a few tweaks, that went out today. Sign up at http://www.WildCreativeHeart.com )

Over the next few days, as we settle into the newness of a new year, I am being urged by my guides to ask myself a few questions:

~Where in my life can I be more gentle and compassionate with myself? How can I be more gentle and compassionate with myself?

~What are the things I’m doing or participating in that take a lot of my time and energy, that I don’t enjoy and can be released? This could be things like worry, fear, a relationship, a work situation, groups, etc.

~What things bring me great joy and a feeling of purpose that I could do more of?

~How can I bring more fun and laughter into my life?

~What can I do for the pure enjoyment of it and for no other reason? How much joy and pleasure am I willing to experience?

~How can I honor and take care of ME?

Take some time to ponder these. You don't even need to answer them. Just ask them, once a day, once a week, whatever feels good to you. Allow your life experience and inner guidance to carry you to the answer.

May you experience an incredible 2011 filled with more joy, fun and abundance that you can imagine!

Namasté,
Lisa