Note: If this message doesn't display in its delightfully colorful formatting, you can view it on the Web at www.artellawordsandart.com/ARTELLAGRAM-7-23-11.html. Last week, a family in our neighborhood experienced an unfathomable loss: they lost their amazing 8-month old baby only a couple of weeks after learning he had a rare brain tumor. I spent lots of this week just hugging on tight to Kai, holding him as much and as closely as I could, and I plan to do the very same thing this weekend. The world is full of stories of unbelievable loss and sadness, and yet when something happens "in our own backyard" so to speak, we can't help but be touched by it deeply. We all have untold amounts of grace in our lives, and sometimes it takes heart-breaking stories to remind us to appreciate them. In fact, the parents themselves expressed that they feel most comforted by the fact that little James' story inspires others to live in full appreciation of each moment. So I've passed along their story and a very simple invitation this week: HUG what you love A hug is so much more than just a simple embrace. A hug is the physicality of gratitude. We might think of H.U.G. standing for "Holding Untold Grace" as we grab on to the things that are most important in our lives. So HUG what you love...your loved ones, of course, and everything else that truly matters to you: your journal and favorite pens, the sunflower growing tall, the delicious summer apple, your glorious vision for your dreams and goals. We can hold on tight to art, family, friends, our dreams, and other things that nourish us, to ground ourselves in untold grace as we move through the changing scenery of life's blossoms and bruises. 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. NEW! Free "ARTsignment™ Power Hour" Teleclass on August 2! Last Chance…M.A.I.N. Summer Camp Begins on Wednesday! NEW! Get a Free ARTbundance™ Coaching Session with our latest Trainees! ARTbundance™ Community Events for July! Join the Artella Affiliate Program Become Part of Artella's Team! In the Studio with ARTbundance™ Coach and Practitioner Jennifer Knutson Creativity Tip: Baby Mindset Musings Quotz Crystal™ 1. NEW! Free "ARTsignment™ Power Hour" Teleclass on Tuesday, August 2! I'm so excited about our newest free teleclass event, The ARTsignment™ Power Hour: Plug In and Renew Your Creative Spark! Whether you're looking to reignite your own creative spark, or you're interested in learning some new tools for your own clients and students, you are invited to join me for a full hour of experiential, hands-on ARTsignments™ designed to revitalize your greatest renewable resource: your creativity! In this full hour of hands-on ARTsignments™, you will: Identify what your creativity needs…learn what truly "sparks" you! Connect with the power of your creativity to help you make the most powerful and powered-up choices in your life! Apply your creative power to the very biggest questions in your life right now, receiving new clarity and guidance that will dazzle you! Truly experience your creativity as a renewable resource…and learn how you can plug into it, anytime, anywhere! All participants will also receive a fun, follow-up workbook with more fun exercises and ideas to help you "plug in!" Get all the details about the ARTsignment™ Power Hour here! 2. Last Chance! M.A.I.N. Summer Camp Begins on Wednesday! This coming Wednesday, we're kicking off the newest MENTORing and INVENTOring Network program, called M.A.I.N. Summer Camp: A Creative Jump-in-the-Pool for Your Business Vision…and So Much S'More! The M.A.I.N. Summer Camp consists of three weeks of highly-focused teleclasses and accompanying workbooks that apply the ARTbundance™ Principle of Vision to real, practical tasks that will prepare both you AND your business for your significant upcoming growth spurt! You'll discover three key Vision-clarifying questions and actively explore them through a variety of unique tools and "Campercises" including fun things like: Arts-and-Crafts — through ARTsignments™, our unique exercises infused with creativity! Campfire Self-Discovery Songs - Yep, that's right! You have to experience it to believe it! :-) Quick Kindling — quick shortcuts to get the fire going! Trail Tasks — special camping projects And lots S'more… :-) You can get more info and sign up for these three fun-filled weeks here! 3. NEW! Get a Free ARTbundance™ Coaching Session with our latest Trainees! It's that time again! We have a new set of ACT Trainees, and a all-new set of inspiring goodies that you'll receive when you sign up to be a volunteer client for one of our talented ARTbundance™ Coaches-in-training! An ARTbundance™ Coach is a pioneering, unique hybrid of inspiring coach, creativity teacher, workshop leader, and spiritual guide. The Spring 2011 Trainees are near the completion of their certification training, and they are looking forward to working with volunteer clients in one-on-one coaching sessions! To participate, you simply receive your free live one-on-one coaching in a 30-minute session, by phone, and fill out a follow-up feedback questionnaire following your session. In addition to the free ARTbundance™ session, you also receive a bonus gift of an all-new ARTbundant Gift Package, overflowing with unique and inspiring goodies as our thanks! You can get all the exciting details and sign up for your complimentary session, here! A new session of the ARTbundance™ Certification Training Program (ACT) is starting in September! Applications will be available very soon! If you would like to receive notifications when applications are available, simply fill out the form on this page. 4. Free ARTbundance Community Events for July! Another way to support our ARTbundance™ Trainees is to attend the free teleclasses that they are presenting as part of the ARTbundance™ Community Events Series! There are still a couple of free teleclasses scheduled in July that you can sign up to enjoy and get a bunch of fun thank-you goodies, too. See the descriptions of the current events and sign up here! If you would like to receive an email notification when additional ARTbundance™ Community Presentations are scheduled, simply fill out this form. Thank you for supporting our ACT Trainees as you are inspired by these great free events! 5. Join the ARTfiliate Program! Join Artella's generous ARTfiliate Program and enjoy all the new affiliate tools that we've recently added! You can get more info by clicking here. 6. Interested in Becoming Part of Artella's Team? We are expanding our team for all the exciting things we're working on this year, so if you're interested in becoming part of the Artella Team, check out this page for details. For today's "In the Studio" Interview, I'm delighted to present Jennifer Knutson, who has been recently certified as an ARTbundance™ Coach and Practitioner! Jennifer actively practices gratitude and incorporates it into everything she does, so I thought she would be the ideal person to interview in conjunction with our topic this week! Enjoy getting to know Jennifer! Artella: What led you to become a Certified ARTbundance™ Coach? Jennifer: I was a volunteer client for one of the ARTbundance trainees in January of 2010. My session with my coach, TiCo, was so amazing and uplifting; it sparked an interest in my heart and planted the seed that maybe I could also become a coach! I had previously explored becoming a life coach but was always daunted by the length of training and all the requirements for becoming certified; it felt very overwhelming. When I explored the ARTbundance™ coaching I was intrigued by the 9 principles and the ability to learn from Marney in an intimate setting. I have been a fan of Artella and Marney for years. It has been wonderful to interact with Marney on a personal level through training…to receive her feedback and insights on my ARTsignments was a dream come true. Artella: How has your ARTbundance™ training affected your work and/or life? Jennifer: The training opened up my world; offering me the space to try new ways of thinking and being and gifting me with new connections. I was not sure how I would enjoy the online community as I had a belief that connecting in person is "better". This belief was transformed within days of joining the community and I feel so grateful and secure in my relationships with my fellow coaches. The training gave me permission to express all of myself and have it be O.K. In the past I would leave parts of myself at the door to fit into a job description or conform to someone else's expectations. ARTbundance™ was welcoming of all of my sides…even the shadow sides! The idea that I could combine my varied interests and use them to coach others was a mindshift for me. I love envisioning ARTbundance™ as an umbrella that covers all my interests and passions! The training has improved my relationship with others and myself. I find when I experience the world through the lens of the nine principles everything is more vibrant. You can read the rest of Jennifer's interview, here A new session of the ARTbundance™ Certification Training Program (ACT) is coming in Fall 2011. If you would like to be notified when applications are available, simply fill out this form. We naturally look to the concept of "baby steps" to accomplish our goals and reach our dreams. One helpful way to support "baby steps" is to explore your "baby mindset". Have you ever looked a baby, and marveled at the fact that you were once that small…that fresh…that pure? This ARTsignment™ allows you to recapture that purity of spirit. To babies, everything is new and fresh. The world is wide open. They are filled with a never-ending passion to learn new things and discover all the treasures in the world around them. You can create a piece of art to explore this. To start, you might think about the aspects of the "baby mindset" that are often so difficult for adults. Here are just a few examples: Babies are proud of their accomplishments. They naturally think that they are terrific! They laugh so easily, without hesitation, at the simplest things. They are clear about their needs, and if their needs aren't met, they don't hesitate to let you know. They are rooted in the present, without concern for the past or future. They expect good things to happen. They don't worry. They don't give up on their dreams. They set their souls to figure something out, and they won't tire until it's done. Their growth is naturally modular. They don't do anything until they are ready, and they inherently break down tasks into small bits…literal "baby steps"! They aren't threatened by learning…they crave it, and devour every opportunity to do so. They give and receive love so smoothly, like vanilla pudding. I invite you to create a piece of art to explore this enlightened state of being that we all once had, and use it to inspire you to make choices that incorporate elements of this mindset today, as you work toward your current goals. The best news is that the simple, yet elegant, structure for living and learning that comes so naturally for the little ones can still beat vibrantly within all of us! The project is excerpted from the Artella e-course, Artella's AlphaBetter Muse Workshop: 26 Inspiring Art Journaling Muses for All-Around BETTER Living! This Quotz Crystal is a high-resolution jpeg image, suitable for printing. I invite you to print it out and remind you to grasp onto what you hold most dear: ~grateful to share a HUG with, Marney Artella Founder, Mango Lover, Hula Dancer Artella Land ~ the creative isles of words, art, and spirit Artella 9090 Skillman #182A-116 Dallas TX 75243

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