why retreat (with erica)

Today, I am sharing another post in a series of guest posts from a few of the ladies who have attended my retreats over the last few years. My hope is that these posts will give you a glimpse into the Be Present Retreats and invite you to realize the importance of taking time away from your daily life to recharge, connect with your kindreds, and rekindle your creativity.

As I am in the midst of re-entry from the Unearth Retreat this week, I am so happy to welcome these words from kindred spirit Erica about her experience of retreating earlier this year. Thank you Erica for sharing your open heart and beautiful words. 

***

why retreat?

because sometimes we lose ourselves amidst the hay-day of life. sometimes we realize, we need to take a moment, or a few hours, maybe even days, for ourselves. so we can reconnect with our true inner- self. i realized the need for this moment last year as i browsed through my new magazine to which i so joyfully and unexpectedly found at our local stationary store.

i truly believe the best things come to you when you least expect them, but need them most. this was the case when i was instantly drawn to the cover of mingle magazine. it was as though i secretly knew there was something unique awaiting my discovery. it was whispering my name. i recall saying "this magazine has my name written all over it".

i recall the evening like it was yesterday, when i flipped to the double page spread that said "BE PRESENT RETREATS: Community and Creativity" followed by "Once you get here you won't have to worry about anything" these two phrases could not have appeared at a more perfect moment in my life. community and creativity? yes. not have to worry about anything? book my ticket!

this all surfaced in front of my tired eyes at a time when I was feeling lost from myself. overworked, overwhelmed and out of touch with what truly makes me, me. as i read on, i felt the pull inside of me. i shed a few tears as i knew i had just discovered something so rich, so inexplicably meant to be. i knew i needed to go. with the support of my loving husband a few weeks later, i finally booked my ticket. i was going to seattle. to retreat. to be at peace with myself. to look inward. to cultivate, uproot and reroot myself.

 

i assummed, based on the fabulous article in mingle there would be a lot of time to heal, nourish, rest and rejuvenate. that much i knew would be true. what i hadn't realized amidst all my pre-retreat jitters (and believe me....there were many!), was just how much it would all resonate with me. stick with me. guide me. lighten me. capture me. envelope me. balance me. it did all that and so much more, too.  

it got me out of my head and into my heart. it connected me, spiritually with myself, the universe and beyond. it helped me remember who i really am. it helped me recognize there ARE people like me, with passions like me, in this world. i am not alone. there are souls out there who love writing, all things vintage, getting messy with paint and being at one with nature and your camera. yes! this retreat allowed me the time and space to accept myself for who i am. it provided the opportunity to invite myself to be me.

this poem best sums up reasons why kindred spirits such as those i met on this fabulous retreat should retreat. 

i rested
i thought
i created works of art with my hands 
with color
with love
with ambition 

i wrote poetry
it poured out of me as if my heart were a volcano
juicy, molten poetry lava is what i released 

i ate 
deliciously, yummy food. 
got back to my roots.  

i met beautiful women
with open hearts
wanting what we all want in life
to love and be loved
like and be liked
be happy and bring forth happiness  

i explored the beautiful woods of frog creek lodge
i gazed at the mossy green trees
alive like fire
green fire 

i captured moments with my camera
i relished in my time with nature 

i listened to the rain
again and....
again

a beautiful place in a beautiful world

i let myself be me
without judgement
i worked hard to let go of the powerful critic within   

i accpeted the present 
i released the past 
i embraced the future 

i looked inward
seeked the quiet inside my mind 
i was present
present with me

erica lives in the beautiful annapolis valley of nova scotia, canada with her phenomenal husband and two cuddly fur-babies. she describes herself as an eclectique woman and lover of the sand and sea. you can peek inside her world  at www.femmeclectique.blogspot.com where she blogs, not as much as she wishes, as she is currently completing a masters degree in counseling and completing her yoga teacher training, along with working as an elementary school teacher full-time. she looks forward to less busy days and is patiently awaiting the completion of her garage-turned-studio makeover where she plans to "retreat" so she can: sing. play the piano. paint. write. sew. do yoga. sit fireside. read delicious books. seek the necessary quiet inside her mind. she plans to continue to nourish her soul and express herself the way retreating so gently reminded her that she deserves. 

saying yes

new mugs . one is waiting for you

Over here, I'm saying yes 

to making space for more beauty, more lightness, more me.ness

to more sewing

to laughing out loud while watching television while everyone else is asleep

to finally cleaning off the nightstand (and waking up and thinking i was in a new room)

to cranberry juice and 7up

to a whole new level of self-care

to playing with yarn (even if that means abandoning a project i'm not liking)

to reaching out to say hello

to soaking up so much goodness

to printing out more photos and putting them right on the wall with washi tape

to bringing in new ritual to my retreat preparation

And you, what are you saying yes to today?

PS thank you for your kind comments and emails about last week's video post. so grateful for you.

thoughts from here

I think this could be called, "The one where I muse about how I think our soul chooses our family and how my role isn't to keep Ellie beside me so I can grab her hand when I need it and how it all connects to daycare and making the best choices for our family." It's about 13 minutes, so settle in with a cup of tea and a muffin or a glass of wine and dark chocolate.

But if that doesn't appeal, well, come back Monday for another story...And if it does, trust that I really mean the part at the end about continuing the conversation about the things we are "afraid" to blog about.

Anyway, these were thoughts that needed to tumble out of me yesterday afternoon even though I wasn't wearing any make-up and my hair needs a little something something and this morning, my heart tells me to share them here.

I mention my yoga teacher Laura Yon Brooks and one of her teachers, Eric Klein, in the video.

Happy weekend,

Liz

nine {with hannah marcotti}

The Nine is an interview series with creative folks that began on my blog, Be Present, Be Here, in the Spring of 2009; the interviewees are asked to respond to nine questions in photographs (or video). All the interviews can be found here.

Today, I am welcoming Hannah Marcotti to my corner. Hannah's Instagram photos are so often favorites of mine (I heart Instagram) and if you aren't already signed up for her newsletter, you are missing out on beautiful words delivered to your inbox each week. She deeply inspires me with the way she looks at the world, the honest ways she shares her truth, and how she invites others to be themselves through her bravery and her stories. 

Enjoy these slices of Hannah's world as she answers the Nine questions.

***

Question 1: Who are you?

Question 2: In this moment, where are you?

Question 3: What are the textures of your corner of the world?

Question 4: If you had an hour alone to just play, what would you do?

Question 5: How do you seek joy?

Question 6: What nourishes you?

Question 7: When you need to simply take a breath and ground yourself, what do you do?

Question 8: How do you nurture your creative dreams?

Question 9: Does your heart have a secret wish you want to share?

***

Hannah Marcotti is a quietly impassioned motivator who serves as guide to your gorgeous life and business of the heart.

She is a highly sensitive mama who wishes to help you dream and seek out the truth of your purpose and help you celebrate life. She is often found tattooing joy on the spirits of those in her community.

Connect with her at her website.

(all photos copyright Hanna Marcotti)

this is me

this is me.

me wrapping trust around my wrist. me on the path. me finding my daughter's barrette on the floor and slipping it in my hair. me drinking tea, drinking life, choosing yes. me head bopping, mumford and sons singing, me.

me releasing the whispering, taunting ghosts. me resting between grace and fear. me holding out my hand. me creating space for joy. me needing a shower. me needing more space, white space. now. me.

me talking in circles. me getting off the train. me releasing me from what it has to be. me hearing you circle. me steeped in gratitude. me sloughing off the anger. me barefoot, heart sleeves, hammering, twirling, breathing it all in. me trusting. me.

right here. breath. light. love. me.

an interview with catherine odell

Stella Finding Balance . print available here

Today, I am thrilled to share an interview with artist and musician Catherine Odell. I love the way Cat looks at the world and how she is inviting us to come along with her on an adventure with her current project: writing and illustrating a children's book about Stella, an elephant who finds herself in the circus. First, a peek into Cat's creative world and how Stella came to be:

Watching this video, so many questions came up in my mind about Cat's creative process and Stella's story, and lucky for us, Cat agreed to answer a few:

Q: I love that Stella came out of a sketch you drew while in the middle of a recording studio, and I really want to know more about this. Do you often have your sketchbook with you so you can turn to it when you need to process or simply shift your energy a bit?

A: Absolutely. When there are a lot of things swimming around in my head, I pull out my sketchbook. It helps me channel the swarm and give the mess some purpose or direction. If I get an idea out of my head and onto paper, then it doesn't haunt me anymore. I can focus, sort through it, develop it. And there are other times when I turn to my sketchbook because I'm looking for something to do. I wouldn't call it boredom, but maybe just that I'm feeling stagnant or detached from my surroundings. Just by making lines and shapes, I can almost jump start my brain, spark a new idea. So it's both. Sometimes it is a shift, from stagnant to active, and others times it's about calming the storm, it's about processing. Mostly I just feel more connected to my thoughts when they are sitting there staring back at me. 

Q: Can you share a bit more about how the idea for that first sketch appeared? Was it fully formed in your mind before you started sketching?

A: That one in particular was in my mind before it hit the paper, but it was fuzzy around the edges. It's almost like seeing something that is lit from behind, and you can just barely make it out. And the closer you get, the more the figure appears and the light fades. It becomes real. This is probably my favorite sequence in drawing. Sit and think, let it take shape in your mind, and then put that on paper. But since it doesn't always happen that way, sometimes the best thing you can do is to just draw a line, and then another line...softly at first, and then see how they take shape. Stare at the page. Turn it. What do you see now? 

Thinking About the Next Step . print available here

Q: I have to admit to projecting a bit of Ellie's story as a toddler onto Stella. When I saw Stella looking at the tricycle "thinking about the next step," I couldn't help but think about how in some ways this is part of Ellie's everyday because so much is new to a two year old. But then I started thinking about how this is really true for all of us - we are always learning and trying to decide if we are going to risk taking that next step. Is Stella inspired by anyone in your life? Or maybe by your own journey?

A: I keep finding pieces of myself in this story that I didn't even recognize at first, and the more time I spend with Stella's story, the more personal it becomes. That wasn't my goal when I set out, and it still isn't, but things come out and sneak their way into the picture. Illustration is a lot like songwriting to me. No matter what my initial intentions are, it seemingly always ends up incorporating bits of my life and subconscious. Even though Stella knows failure might be inevitable, she still tries.  

Q: What's next for your journey with Stella? 

A: For this initial phase, I've allowed myself time to simply draw, without expectations. The freedom to jump around. No direction, just raw impulse. Now it's time to get down to business. I just pulled out the post-it's, so you know it's serious. Rather than keep everything locked up Willie Wonka style until the book is finished, however, I'm documenting this journey in my brand spanking new blog. I'm opening the doors to my little garage, and letting myself be accountable to strangers. Even as I sit answering this question, I'm starting to get that buzzy feeling in my arms (or is that the iced toddy?). It makes me nervous. Really!? Is this a good idea? I have no idea! And that's why I'm doing it. And maybe the process is only interesting after you see the finished work. Maybe no one cares about what's behind the scenes until they've seen the end result. I don't know. It's all an experiment, but I like to think that I will learn something simply by sharing it, that writing it down will be revealing, and that maybe I'll connect with a few kindred spirits along the way.

***

Learn more about Catherine and Stella by visiting www.canyoufeedthedog.com and connect with her on Twitter. You can buy original sketches and prints at her Etsy shop. 

[You might also recognize Cat as one half of one of my favorite groups Hello MTN (the other half is my brother Matt). So this means that when Ellie watched the video above, she squealed with delight when seeing her Aunt Catherine who not only sings her song (the song Matt and Catherine wrote for Ellie when she was born) but also draws her favorite animal. Best. aunt. ever.] 

yes. this.

evening backyard shenanigans

Tonight a little voice from down the hall called out "Mama."

Mama.

For months, she's been saying mama in the name everyone in our family and point to them sort of way. But tonight was the first time she said it without being prompted. Said it while by herself. Said it in the way I have explained so many times, "When you need help, you can just say Help or Mama and I will be right there." 

Her words are tumbling out these days. I know you said they would. She's understood so much for so long that it just didn't seem to make sense that the words weren't there. But of course they were. She is just saying things in her time. As she should.

But as the words kept coming, a little part of my heart kept wondering when she would say that one word in that way that means, "Hey, you who loves me. I need you."

Tonight she did.

Yes.

a conversation with jennifer louden

Today, I am delighted to share a conversation I recently had with kindred spirit Jennifer Louden. A few highlights: We muse on the question "why retreat," Jen shares about her first book tour when she drove around the country with copies of her bestselling book The Woman's Comfort Book in the trunk of her car, I admit to needing to remember to practice self-care at my own retreats, and Jen talks about why her course TeachNow (taught with Michele Lisenbury Christensen) is called TeachNow.

I've been a fan for a long time (from Jen's Comfort Queen years!) and am honored to have her visit my corner of the world today. Enjoy!

A little about Jen: Jen Louden is a personal growth pioneer who helped launch the self-care movement with her first book The Woman’s Comfort Book. She co-created, with Fortune 100 executive trainer Michele Lisenbury Christensen, the popular course TeachNow for people who need more confidence, more income, and more power in their teaching – no matter the subject. On September 19th you can try TeachNow for free with the call Jen mentions in the video. Find out more about the call and TeachNow over here.