Category: spiritual lessons

being sensitive · spiritual lessons

Seeing the Value

designingfairy1 Comment

dancing flower

 

I learned an important lesson this week on feeling valued.

Usually while you are in the midst of living, you curse, complain and suffer through when bad things happen or you are uncomfortable. You don’t see the message or what you are learning until AFTER the fact.

I am teaching kids design and storytelling. My design class is eager and they carry their sketchbooks around to every class designing pants outfits and dresses during break times. They burst through the doors with enthusiasm ready to sketch. Teaching this group is invigorating and fun. I want to come up with a ton of ideas to inspire them and nurture their budding talents. They value the class and the subject.

My story class has been…a challenge. Part of the issue is we aren’t set up with the computer programs or cameras yet and so there is a lag on what I can cover vs. what I want to cover. The group of kids are all over the place in attention. They are rude, talk over me when I am trying to teach, and have little enthusiasm for the projects. I have one child that tends to finish all assignments in two minutes, handing over her notebook crying out “Done!” as if it is a race. I plan my curriculum the day before with such love, and spice it up with inspiration and fun, hoping it will catch on with this group of students. After the second try with this group, I took one look at them and set it straight. I told them we were thinking of canceling the course because this was not rewarding for anyone. I wasn’t going to be a babysitter, or jump up and down and entertain. I was physically and emotionally drained and defeated when I left that class and I never want to feel that way teaching. After my big speech the kids focused on the exercise before them, but I had already made my decision.

This was a turning point for me and I am surprised there wasn’t a big lightbulb that burst over my head in the middle of the speech. I don’t usually just give up. I have a long-standing habit of giving so much where it isn’t valued. I just keep giving and giving, and if that doesn’t work, I try harder. I was able to FEEL the devaluing while teaching in that classroom. Perhaps the feeling was shame and insecurity first because I internalized their devaluing as rejection. Then I just felt hopeless and depressed and later, the drain.

If they don’t see the value of what you are giving, you are going to feel a huge energy loss.

It’s time to look back over everything I give and decide, where is it valued? Keep those. And instead of keep trying and trying and putting it out there (in all aspects of life) only offer where its worth is reflected back.

 

spiritual lessons · whimsical illustration

This week’s featured artwork

designingfairy

manifesto2

 

The One Rule print, lesson learned while in the Forest. Available in my ART STORE.

Decks are selling like crazy! Did you order yours?

spiritual guidance · spiritual lessons

This week I am learning…

designingfairy

fairywithoutorange (2)“I resist the urge to give MORE when I am not getting what I need.”

being sensitive · Empath skills · empaths · spiritual guidance · spiritual lessons

If you need a good cry…

designingfairy2 Comments

I am one that will hold on tight to my emotions in order to stay in strength, but sometimes, I need some releasing of the dam to maintain balance or mine erupts. Because I’m not a crier easily, I need to jump-start the process. Perhaps, you are the same. Here are my top Crying Resources to allow me to have a good cry, release, and be back in balance. Drum roll please.

Top 5 Crying-starting Resources:

  1. Watch the finales of any competition reality show. I just watched Robert win Jim Henson’s Creature Shop Challenge (spoiler alert) and the tears flowed in happiness for the guy. It’s wonderful watching someone’s hard work pay off and dream come true. This is a good cathartic cry that is unchallenging and doesn’t push too many buttons. 
  2. Watch more television. Last night I watched a marathon of Pretty Little Liars and witnessed the usually perfectly-attired and made-up actresses fall apart by wearing mis-matched clothing and minimal makeup while their sanity and lives fell apart. I cried along with them in unison but this cry brought up pass pain to release, and should be monitored to avoid going down roads that are unhelpful and unnecessary to the therapeutic process.
  3. I read an article today in the Facebook Feed about a local puppy that is in the hospital after being thrown from a car window. This was an ugly, torturous cry. I felt so deeply for this baby and anger for those who hurt it, and a deep sadness for the state of humanity. This is a tough cry that should only be tackled on courageous days you can handle it, otherwise, to be avoided. 
  4. Sappy feel-good movies such as Field of Dreams are perfect for feeling better about life in general and experiencing a really healthy cry. Best antidote after reading Facebook feed puppy stories. Look for movies that you know will end happy. We don’t want surprise twist endings here. AVOID movies like the current one in the theaters where everyone is dying. The Titantic is about a sinking ship. You know that one won’t fare well. Use your common sense here.
  5. There are good spontaneous cries when someone gives you a hug when you need it, or says something so perfect that you feel seen and validated. These cries can’t be arranged, but fall under really good release cries. Increase these any time you can.

Well, there’s my recommendations. What’s yours? Or, are you the type of crier who needs no help?

being sensitive · creative inspiration · self care · spiritual lessons · storytelling · teaching videos · whimsical illustration

When I stopped making things

designingfairy

DSC00078

I stopped making little films.

It hit me the other day when I felt the urge to make a little film for my social media client. The hunger to make one made itself known with familiar pangs and growls. It had been over a year since I gathered images and wrote a story and this confused me. Why did I stop?

Why do we stop doing what we love? “We lose permission” is the thought that came into my head when I asked this. When I was going to Grad School, I had permission and a structure which included definite expectations and assignments for the reward of a certificate. Most of these assignments involved making little videos to teach our message. I dove into the task with such lust that I knew this was my passion. I experimented with light animation, silly web shows, and personal stories in color pencil. I was always a storyteller, but now I had a vehicle that really matched me.

newcrops

When school ended, I was left without permission. I needed to dive back into the work world and make money, and the films now seemed impractical. They needed to make a lot of money right away for them to be “worthwhile” and I didn’t know how. So I shut down that part of me.

A few months ago, I told a new friend what I did for a living. I hesitantly included creating little movies. “Oh, that’s a hobby then?” she said. I cringed down into the deep hollow of my stomach. “No,” I replied. “That’s my passion.” The words bursted out on their own before I could stuff them back in.

We stop painting, woodworking, writing songs. We stop crafting, jewelry-making, ceramics painting, doodling and drawing for fun. We become the “grown-ups” who are responsible, accountable, and serious, and if we have a teeny bit of time leftover, we let ourselves indulge. Many folks wait until they retire to have permission. All this withholding creates bitter, depressed, dried up people that take away the joy from the world.

Part of the creative process, whether by career or choice, is the PLAY stage. When scientists discover cures, they are first experimenting, which is their idea of playing. We experiment with tools, play, try out materials and techniques, and what comes out of that process can be very fruitful and helpful to others. When I made my FAIRY GUIDE I was playing in the garden. I wanted to learn about nature and healing. And what came out of those notes was a school that is over eight years old and international, and hopefully, helping many. Engaging in your creative passion is necessary. Nurturing your loves and where your creative impulses are taking you is following your intuition/gut, which is leading you to your greatest success (financially and/or emotionally) and where you need to be. It’s responsible. 

I’m self-nurturing now by diving back into movie making. It feeds me like nothing else does. I feel filled up, joyful and 100% me. And it could lead to huge financial success in ways I haven’t even discovered yet,  and/or it could just make me happy, and I deserve to be happy.

I give you permission to play, experiment, and dive down into your creative passion.

permission

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You might enjoy my upcoming Fairy Healing the Feminine (which talks about self nurturing) or Telling Your Story creative class which both start June 27th.

spiritual guidance · spiritual lessons

Who are you responsible for?

designingfairy5 Comments

I am learning…Many sensitive people carry too much. We’re the responsible type and have an inflated sense of what is our responsibility and what is not. Believe it or not, even though we care deeply for others, it is not our responsibility to make sure they are happy or their needs are met, it’s their job. (With the exclusion of the responsibility of taking care of children and animals). When we stand our ground and say what we need, and someone doesn’t like it, it’s not our responsibility. We need take care of ourselves. That’s our jobs. This morning a burst of guidance came through I wanted to share. I need to say this several times a day and let it sink in. 🙂

responsible

creative inspiration · lessons from the fairy · online courses · online fairy class · spiritual guidance · spiritual lessons · storytelling · whimsical illustration · writing

Tell Your Stories class starts on FRIDAY

designingfairy

I’ve been busy compiling the first lessons for the new storytelling and intuition class. We’re going to have a nice group. I’m very excited. It’s been awhile since I have been able to create a new class for the curriculum of Fairy and Empath Online School.  For that little peek, lessons will include these fun sections:

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a movie lesson of the week

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Options to choose from for your homework

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Written lesson and fun exercises

And….

lots more. Want to join us for this intriguing class so you can reach your intuition/soul by letting it tell its story?

SIGN UP OVER HERE. Class starts on Friday.

fairies · fairy lessons · spiritual lessons · storytelling · whimsical illustration

Honoring all parts

designingfairy1 Comment

treecopy

 

It’s Fairy and Empath Online School Friday! Woot!

Today’s excerpt is from the Fairy Healing the Feminine class (offered in April). Our bodies are like the trees. All parts are sacred.

Screen Shot 2014-03-14 at 8.54.10 AM

being sensitive · spiritual guidance · spiritual lessons · storytelling

Re-injuries and Broken Leg Theory

designingfairy

reinjuries

There’s some seriously powerful energies been brewing up lately. Can you feel them? On one hand, I feel my intuitive abilities have just leaped up a notch. I’m feeling much like young Superman who burned holes in the wall from not knowing how to control his superpower vision. On the flip side of all this psychic mojo is a lot of STUFF is releasing that I’m guessing really need to be released. A step up must move a ton of crud out of the way.

Back when I was in high school, I was pretty dedicated to my dancing. And in the process of dancing in lessons after school and in high school dance classes, I was overusing my dominate leg tendon too much. When I was forced to run several miles around a track in a gym class I hated (still have nightmares about gym classes) I seriously pulled that tendon to its breaking point. For the first time in my life, I was on crutches trying to navigate my life until it healed.

I’m thinking that when we get hurt emotionally in life, whether from someone else’s actions, or from loss, or just from life circumstances, we are injured and have a wound, much like my hurt tendon.

The other day I got triggered. My emotions were set to high and you would think I was injured that day, but it was that old wound just getting re-injured. You know that saying, salt in a wound? That’s just what happens after big wounds. Some wounds don’t heal properly the first time around. Or, maybe, we just couldn’t feel at the time. It wasn’t safe and now that we are, it can truly heal. And just like any injury, the best thing is to stay off the leg for awhile so it can bring itself back into balance, and that means looking at the trigger and deciding what needs to be expressed, or felt, or even avoided what can trigger for healing’s sake until we are off the crutches. (Interesting how my dance injury did keep me out of gym class for several months, but forced me to miss dancing).

Years later, I am still dancing whenever I get the chance to, even spontaneous bursting into steps when the radio plays, but that leg still carries a small throb as a reminder to take it easy, and be extra careful with my soft spots.

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You may enjoy my post on Broken Leg Theory, which is also included in my book, Help! I’m Sensitive. 

being sensitive · spiritual lessons

The Ditzy Fairy and Labeling

designingfairy1 Comment

fairy

In Arizona right now, there is a law sitting on the Governor’s desk that will allow businesses to discriminate and not serve those that are gay based on religious beliefs. This legislation got me thinking about labels and how we perceive people when we only look at the surface.

Years back, I had an experience when I overheard an acquaintance tell her friend I was “flighty.” I had a legitimate reaction: I almost whacked her with my wand. Being a sensitive person I have two forms of reactions in my arsenal: I either want to smack people over the head and get bitchy, or I feel hurt. (I usually feel both). And yes I have wings that I only show my dearest and closest friends, so I can take flight sometimes when I need to, but being called flighty pissed me off. This woman knew me at a time when my whole life was crumbling, my beloved dog, Foxy, was in the process of leaving this world, my family was crumbling, and what this woman saw was my world’s ungrounded-ness. She, not knowing me well or knowing any of this, only saw the surface and made an assessment.

The definition of “flighty” found online: “not serious or dependable” “irresponsible” “flakey”

I equate flighty with being ditzy, which would be really nice, as you are never weighed down with thoughts.  (Finally, a good night’s sleep!) Ditzy equals lightheaded, not all there, a not super bright kind of formula. I wouldn’t want to be labeled that, ever. The truth of the matter is there isn’t a moment that I’m not thinking three thousand thoughts, including analyzing the meaning of the life while trying to figure out the formula for the back of Post-it paper. And like most sensitive empaths, I’m overly responsible feeling like it’s up to me to make sure most of the world’s population is happy and fully taken care of.

If we believe in magical things like fairies and the light, imaginative, happy part of this crazy world, are we then seen as ditzy and not down to earth? Are we prejudiced against? What if Arizona businesses had signs that said “No folks that believe in anything magical allowed here.” How would these businesses even know we thought this unless we carried a sign saying so?

Now, I can understand why she might have felt that way about me. I can look very ungrounded, flying around the room with a ton of hummingbird energy. That is my natural energy reserve because I am just plain excited and passionate about what this planet seems to offer. But I guarantee my head is not in the clouds but is in a planning/organizing stage. And give me sugar or caffeine and my sensitive, little body will be hanging from the ceiling lamp making giggling noises and I’ll be talking a mile a minute. I can also get overwhelmed with too much information coming in all at once which can give me that glossed-over look.

Over at my Facebook page I have my featured cupcake of the day and I like to share pictures of fairies and sweet dogs smiling.  Does that mean I am flighty and not seriously dealing with the big life issues of the day? Nope, the opposite. It’s because I have felt and lived the depth of this world — deep pain, deep love, deep hurt, deep everything —  that I know how crucial it is to share the good so we don’t get loss in that pain.

So before we label anyone inaccurately, we need to remember we are only judging the surface, and by labeling, much like those signs that might go up in Arizona restaurants, all we are doing is keeping so many others out, and missing out on the beautiful experience of seeing their greater depth.

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*And many of us have experienced prejudice and labeling about just being sensitive or highly intuitive