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I was out running some errands a few days ago and I did a little eavesdropping experiment. I listened to the conversations around me and made a note of how many times I heard the words "busy" or "tired" or "stressed". Perhaps not surprisingly, given this bustling time of the year, those words or something similar surfaced in almost every single conversation I heard.
The holiday season is equated with a dizzy busy that has become so normal, we've come to expect it. But does this have to be the case? When did it become so acceptable to be over-busy, over-tired, and over-stressed…during the holidays or, for that matter, any time of the year?
I think that it's easy to forget that we have a choice in the matter. I've found that it can be as simple as making a different choice. Our choices are the pieces of the quilt of our lives, and the words we use each day are the threads that hold those choices together. Just because everyone else around us is stressed by the holidays, doesn't mean that we need to be. I'd like to share a fun little ARTsignment™ exercise that I developed that combines creative word play with the powerful act of reframing our choices. I call the process "Transwordation" :-)
I believe that changing the words we use is one of the most powerful things we can do to change our lives. And it's probably no mystery that I love word play LOL! So for this simple little exercise, all you do is start with a word that describes how you're feeling…and then see if you can find a rhyme or pun that transforms the word into something else.
For example:
Instead of feeling stressed...try feeling blessed
It looks so simple, right? But this simple word association is actually a very powerful tool! With this Transwordation, you now have an instant reminder the next time you are feeling stressed; you can change your thoughts, and instead of being overwhelmed with stress, you can start thinking about all the things for which you are grateful.
Here are a few more silly little examples for words that can actually be powerful if we let them transform us this holiday season the way we can transform them. So,
Instead of feeling busy…
what would it mean if you were feeling bliss-y?
This might mean that when you're feeling busy, you can stop and ask yourself, "what could I do to bring more bliss into this short moment?"
Instead of dealing with obligations….
how about Ah-Ha Bligations?
This might mean that you give yourself a new challenge and attend to each of your holiday responsibilities with a goal to discover something new about yourself and others.
Now, of course your Transwordation doesn't need to be an exact rhyme. You could try something like….
If you're feeling overwhelmed by shopping….
perhaps you need to listen to some Chopin!
You get the idea! Have fun playing with Transwordation! You might be surprised how a little bit of word play can make a huge difference in your holiday sesason!.
If you're interested in learning some other ARTsignments™ that allow you to incorporate creativity into the choices that you make, you might be interested in the free downloadable recording of the ARTbundance™ Coach Training workshop that I presented earlier this week. In addition to sharing information about the 2010 ARTbundance™ Coach Training Program, the class also presents some creative exercises around the ARTbundance™ Principles of Choice and Intuition, and I'm delighted to invite you to download the workshop to enjoy at your own convenience. You'll find all the details below.
For those short on time, to simplify this week's Artellagram, here are some ”quick links” to the highlights in this edition. You can simply follow the links that you're interested in and go directly to that section.
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 1. NEW! Quick, Easy Gifts…at 55% Off! You can now save 55% on Artella gifts! We've created just the thing for everyone on your gift list, including yourself: a six-month or full-year Luxury Gift Membership to one of Artella's Luxury Cabin Memberships!
There are five different Membership to choose from…truly something for everyone on your list (including yourself!):To take advantage of our spectacular 55% Off Special for Gift Memberships, read the descriptions above, and when you're ready to order your Gift Memberships, go to this page to order your gifts. We'll take care of all the details, deliver the Gift Membership details to your friends in artsy, Artella style!
This is also a great opportunity to get or upgrade your own Artella membership at 55% off as well. It’s the best offer we’ve ever had on membership so if you are a current monthly member and would like to save up to 55% on your membership during the coming 6 months or 1 year, this is the promotion to take advantage of. The 55% Off prices are valid through December 20.
 2. NEW! Your Free recording of ARTbundance Coach Training Sample Class! On Tuesday, some recent graduates of the Inaugural ARTbundance™ Coach Training program joined me to present an inspiring free workshop and information session for Artella's 2010 ARTbundance™ Coach Training. I'm happy to invite you to download your free ARTbundance™ Workshop, which presents some fun, interactive exercises on the topics of Creativity, Intuition, and Choice, as you determine where your best path and next step in life might be. When you listen to the recording, you'll also get a first-hand look at what training to be an ARTbundance™ Coach is really all about, as you determine whether applying for the full 2010 Training Program is the inspired next step for your creative journey!
We are now taking applications for the 2010 ARTbundance Coach Training, which begins in February. Note that for those interested in applying for entrance into the program, applications need to be received by January 15, 2010.
If you would like to download the free recording, or find out more about ARTbundance™ and ARTbundance™ Coach Training, simply visit this page.
 3. NEW! Clearance Art Supply Boxes! As you probably know, we're moving our storeroom, and on December 2, we officially closed it to any more orders of individual items. So for our last "hurrah", we've decided to package some of the remaining stock into Clearance Art Supply "Love Boxes"! Our clearance-priced art supplies come to you nestled in beautiful, mint-condition, (and obviously odor-free) handmade cigar boxes. Even by themselves, the boxes are sure to be a fantastic addition to your studio, with their romantic "Romeo y Julieta" theme.
Inside the box, you’ll find at least $50 worth of art supplies, including a combination of new, still-in-the-package commercial art supplies and top-quality authentic vintage supplies. You get an amazing all-time low clearance price, plus the beautiful box itself, which you can use for decorative storage or your own special art projects. The contents vary from box to box, but all supplies are inspiring, artsy, and in great condition. The final day we'll accept orders is Thursday, December 17, unless we run out before then. Our "Love Boxes" stock is extremely limited to only what we have left in the storeroom and orders can only be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. See sample art supplies that come in a "Love Box" here!
 4.NEW! Holiday Art Supplies! We've got lots of holiday-themed goodies in the Artella Store, just in time to inspire you as you create your holiday cards, invitations and gifts.
Here are links to just a few of our holiday-themed items!
 5. NEW! December YOUpons codes are here! Take a look at the December YOUpons, and you'll find discounts on many of the holiday items listed above, plus Complete Idealist Super-Bundles for creative entrepreneurs, and more! Happy Holidays from the Artella Elves! :-)
 6.Earn money and great prizes for spreading the word! Join Artella's Generous Affiliate Program! If you're looking to make a little bit of extra spending money this season, join the affiliate program and find out about the great bonuses we have going right now!
 7. Interested in Becoming Part of Artella's Team? We are expanding our team for all the great things we're planning to do in 2010. So if you're interested in becoming part of the Artella Team, check out this post in the Artella Cafe for details.
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 When I was writing the article at the beginning of this Artellagram, and I wrote, "our choices are the pieces of the quilt of our lives", I thought of Lynda Thompson, who is a wonderful quilter whose beautiful work is in The Shoppes of Artella. I knew she would be a great artist to feature in today's Artellagram. I hope you enjoy this opportunity to get to know Lynda a bit better.
Artella: Do you find that creating art helps you deal better with challenges in life? Does art play a healing or helpful role for your life?
Lynda: Art definitely is very healing for me. It has helped me through my health problems and gives me something else to focus on. It helps me to have a more positive outlook. Art can teach you a lot of lessons about life if you let it, if you take quiet time to meditate on it, and if you observe a quiet time. Mistakes are a reminder of our humanity.
Artella: The possibilities to "create art" when one is just starting out seem endless -- where's a good starting place?
Lynda: I like to go places, this gives me a lot of inspiration. You can find inspiration anywhere. Office buildings, churches, hospitals, parks, homes – literally anywhere can give you inspiration. Observe things that draw you to the place, capture it in photos and/or drawings. Keep your drawing pad, scribble pad with you all the time. Many artists use Moleskine sketch books and there are so many sizes. I keep a small one in my purse. I have also kept a pack of blank playing cards (available at a hobby shop) in my purse so I could sketch on them. You can keep a sketching kit in your car trunk for when the inspiration hits you. The more you draw, the more you have to create art. Things don't have to be the exact image of what you saw, you can create from anything.
You can read the rest of Lynda's interview, here
See Lynda's products in The Shoppes of Artella, here.
 If you want more artist interviews from Artella, take a look at our eBooks Artist Profiles Assembled and Artist Profiles Assembled, Vol 2.
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ART AND WRITING TIP OF THE WEEK: If you like the idea of the "Transwordation" ARTsignment™ that I described in the article above, you might want to take it a bit further. Instead of simply thinking about the new association in your head you can create a piece of art to illustrate it.
Here's another Transwordation that might be helpful for the holidays:
Eevery time you see a Santa Claus (in the mall, on TV, etc), think: Santa Pause…..and remind yourself to take a pause, a deep breath, and a moment of quiet for yourself.
And here's a little sketch I made for the "Santa Pause" Transwordation, to remind me how I most WANT to feel this season:
Give it a try! You might even want to start a new notebook filled with words and images for your new Transwordations!
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Marney