Month: January 2022

Years and years ago, when my business card said MDiv, DMin, Pastoral Counselor, I was already busy learning about things like neuroplasticity and magic. I just didn’t know it then!

One client I’d worked with for a while helped me learn a lot. She was a bright, caring young woman who wanted to make a difference and kept getting stuck.

Not stuck, in a general sense, but in a very specific old story.

Every time she told the story, she’d fold into the same curled up posture on my sofa. Shoulders pulled in. Chin tucked to her chest. Trying, in many ways, to disappear.

One day, a light came on for me.

She was accessing this story stored whole-chunk in her brain with auditory, visual, and kinesthetic patterns and the patterns were so deep that the story was the same for her, every time. Carved in stone, if you will.

So, one day, with huge thanks to some NLP teachers of mine, I interrupted her gently, and asked her to trade places with me.

Literally.

I went and sat on the sofa, while she sat in my magic rocking chair. The one that helped me help others through all the years of knee surgeries. The very same rocking chair in the photo!

You’ve already guessed what happened.

She couldn’t curl into the story in the same way, seated in the magic rocker, and so she could actually tell the story differently. And hear it differently!

And, yes, in that moment, change became possible!

Little did I know, all those years ago, that the magic would also work with paper and markers. With red thread. With images and symbols. And with questions that make all the difference.

Yep… with stuff that fits a lot more easily and flexibly into a (virtual or literal) medicine basket than that very antique, very heavy chair!

Now, in case you’re curious, that young woman from years ago and I have both kept learning new things.

So has my very talented Intentional Creativity® sister, Natalie Moyes.

And we’re thrilled to have an accessible way to share those things with you in the adventure known as Medicine Basket your way…. unsticking stuck_______________________ stuff!

The mysterious blank space in there is, indeed, to create curiosity. To get you to click the big link, below, and find out what kind of stuff you might unstick if you decide to join us. And we really hope you will!

And, yes, we know we’re kind of filling your email box with a bit of a Medicine Basket blizzard lately.

Here’s why… this world could, in our opinions, use quite a bit of healing and hope. This is our way of doing the most we know how to co-create a future that works better and better… for all of us!

(Especially since a good American Empire antique oak rocker is pretty hard to come by! And really, really heavy!!!)

So, uncurl yourself from wherever your stuck place is. Take a deep breath. And…

Click HERE to learn more and sign up NOW! (The early-bird discount is still active!!!)

We’ve got you. And the world needs you!

ps… if you have questions, ask them! Here’s my calendar link Let’s discover! 15 min. No charge. Just hope!

pps… Daphne, the recently re-christened bear in the chair, is a story for another day. Soon!

ppps… many, many thanks to The Legendary Husband for heroic assistance with the photo shoot!

When you were small, did you ever pretend that you were invisible?

I did. Possibly because I sometimes felt like I was. And it felt safe.

I’ve been pondering that a lot, lately.

And it’s time to quit pretending.

It’s time for a different use of the letters, v-i-s !

It’s time because, while invisible definitely has its comforting moments, I also have a vision.

And, just between us, vision and invisible don’t feel like they go well together!

So… photographs. On camera interviews… one with actual tears.

And you know what? I’m actually okay with all that. Stay tuned!

And, yes… if you’ve known me for a while it’s fine to gasp or laugh or whatever. (Me, too!)

But, that thing on my emails about having two granddaughters growing up in this world… that’s changed a whole lot of things for me.

The things I’ve learned about Intentional Creativity® as a powerful healing modality, layered up with a bunch of the other amazing things I’ve gathered along the way, have left me with a new batch of filters and a whole lot of medicine in my basket.

Medicine for me, certainly. But also medicine for this world where my girls – and all our kids – are growing up.

Kind of ironically, one of the voices in my head these days belongs to my old friend and teacher, Walter Brueggemann.

Yep… Just tell the story!

It’s kind of the point where all my medicine comes together. Stories don’t help much unless we tell them!

And the telling part is the part I can choose.

Gladly, I have a buddy on this road. My IC sister, Natalie Moyes. And, together, we have a plan. Medicine Basket, your way… unsticking stuck stuff!

Lots of stuff. The kind of stuff that comes with navigating this Covidian era. And, after that, the kind of stuff that has to do with money. And bodies. And relationships… all kinds. Stuff that gets in the way of living into visions!

Four journeys of 4 weeks, each. Your choice… 1, all 4, or any combination that calls to you. Guides along the way. New medicine for your basket. The kind that you choose.

Here’s the thing… we start, virtually, on February 22, 2022. Some of my friends tell me this is auspicious! (I had to look it up!) Here’s one interpretation…

A power day known for “Divine energy channeled into material form…. and all the 2’s will maximize your creativity!“

I’m certainly no expert on numerology, but… why not? What could be better than maximizing our creativity for getting unstuck???

Just below this, in bright purple text, I’m going to add the link to all the details for the journeys. And I’m hoping you’ll take a big chance and let yourself check this opportunity out.

Now, please. The early-bird pricing ends on January 31 and Natalie and I want to make it as easy as we can for you to join in!

Click for more information and the magical sign-up button!!!

ps… the bonus elves are busy in the back room and there will be prizes!

pps… yes! please share this email with people you’d love to be in circle with!

ppps… questions? HERE’S MY CALENDAR LINK! Let’s chat!

By the time most of you read this, my kid… my one and only… will be 20 years older than I was when he was born!

And, yes, this is a bit of a mind bending framework for me!

My first thought is, blessed be!

Dave is a bright, kind, funny, and deeply decent human being. (And, yes, there’s also the whole Kelly & the girls thing!)

My next thought is, who’d have thought???

If you’ve been reading along for a bit, you may have noticed that the odds, on many levels, weren’t good in the beginning. Today, however, is a day for celebration, and the photo fairy in my phone was in a helpful mood!

Yep… a magnificent web, visible by blessings of light and humidity and timing. And – it’s worth mentioning – by noticing!

I had the gift of some early help noticing webs from my dear Jean… friend, mentor, teacher, and – these days – heart sister. Also, summer camp director/boss and environmentalist extraordinaire!

Of course, I can’t know what the story behind the story was for Jean, when she introduced me to the red thread and the ways we are all connected. I can only know how those experiences as a young teen help me understand my recent encounters with the Legend of the Red Thread.

The legend that says, among other things, that we were all connected, even before we were born, to those who would be important in our lives.

At first I thought it was about puzzling out how spiders, shall we say, were connected to poison ivy.

After Dave came along, I began to realize that it was also about all the amazing people who were either there for us, or who would come into our world, and help us not only survive – which was a huge thing – but to thrive, as well.

So, Charlotte. The one on E.B.White’s mythical farm. One of my early friends. (Pearl is a fan, too!)

Using the marvels available to those of her kind to do good in the world. To send messages of insight and kindness and hope.

Messages like, Some pig.

At the risk of blowing the ending… which I suspect you already know… not all of Charlotte’s messages had the impact she hoped.

And yet, she spun on.

The inspiration – and the courage – to spin on are Dave’s biggest gift to me. A gift I’m doing my best to live into, still.

For this moment, Happy Birthday, dear Dave. And thanks! Mom’s on it…

And, for you, an invitation from Charlotte and Natalie and me… to claim some of your gifts and connections and messages. The world needs all of us spinning hope!

ps… the super-special deal for joining in early won’t last much longer!

Click NOW to learn more…

This was the way my Gramma Elsie started so many of her stories. Especially the ones that had to do with what her 5 prank-prone sons were up to!

One of their hobbies was tipping over outhouses in Indiana farm country.

I’m hearing Elsie in my head today, with a bit of editing.

Bill and I were home at work… when some folks with nothing useful to do hacked my Facebook account. (Again!) This time was a bit scarier.

First, please hear me say thank you to all of you who let me know you’d gotten a sketchy message. I’m truly grateful!

One of you… my wizard buddy, Veronica, sent me an urgent text saying Change your password now!

I did. Which took a bit of experimenting.

We chatted a bit later.

Apologizing for the blatantly age-ist reality, she explained that old-ish women were popular targets for people who, in my opinion, should cause trouble by spray painting bridges!

Then she went on to say that the up-side to this adventure (and the fact that it’s happened a couple of other times recently) is that it’s a sign that my message is being seen.

After a fair amount of swearing, I’m choosing to find that comforting.

I’m also choosing to model believing in my message enough to shake off the sh*t and tell you the story I meant to tell you today!

Here goes…

Please imagine that we’re starting over and the title at the top of the page now reads:

Up to my eyebrows…

On Monday, I was off to an unexpected appointment with a friend I hadn’t met yet. As I juggled my list for the morning to include getting ready to go outside… where it was cold… I had a new thought.

My new make-up strategy for intelligent masking would save time!

Moisturizer. Eyebrow enhancer. Done.

Another example of a helpful one step reframe with a big gold bow!

Now, please hear me. I’m definitely looking forward to a day when I can choose makeup based on what works for me in the moment, rather than what is safe, responsible, and considerate. Until then, my new strategy does have advantages.

It saves time and money and even the occasional bit of self-doubt.

This is learning I can use! At the very least, I can make situationally helpful choices, instead of being glued to the way we’ve always done it and what will people think?

And… punch line alert!

If I can do that in the context of heading out the door for an appointment, I can do it in other contexts, too!

And, to be blatantly obvious, so can you!

Which brings us to Medicine Basket… your way!

My Intentional Creativity® sisters, Natalie Moyes and Pearl, and I are sorting through our baskets for the very best tools we’ve learned to help wise and concerned folks like you act out of your very best knowing. (And maybe add some new cool stuff, too!)

In short, we’re Unsticking stuck stuff… beginning with stuff that we might fall over in the peculiar context of this moment!

The magic link is just below, with all the details and a very special deal for those who join the circle by January 31.

There are two things we can promise… there won’t be any outhouse tipping involved and the perceptions and tools you’ll gather will be ones you can use and share with those you love. Especially, your littles!

ps… here it is! The road to a future that works FOR you… Just click!

Medicine Basket… your way!

pps… community and creativity will abound! If you feel the glimpse of my Soul Fire painting calling to you, now is the time!

So… there’s a lot going on around here, and a lot more hatching, as it were. It seems The Muse decided she needs reinforcements!

You see, I had a dream. (Which feels like a seasonally appropriate kind of event, on the eve of the day when we, in the USA, remember Dr. King!) I suspect though, that my dream may have at least started out a bit differently than his might have.

First, somebody you need to meet and a bit of history…

This is Pearl. She was a gift from an aunt for my first Christmas. I was 10 months old.

Pearl became the friend who helped me get through a childhood full of moves and changes. She was always there. It wasn’t an easy life for her.

To begin with, her brand name from the toy company was Poor Pitiful Pearl. Really! Rumor has it that she came with a fancy dress in addition to the original version of the one in the photo.

My dad, apparently, didn’t like the fancy one. I have no memory of it.

A puppy chewed one of her thumbs off. My sister, who was mad at me, snatched her bald on a bad day.

Years ago, her original dress literally dry-rotted and I whipped up an imitation out of a handy bandana.

Pearl has, apparently been paying pretty close attention lately. You see, there’s been a whole lot of conversation about the new program Pearl’s honorary Aunt Natalie and I are creating.

Things like why it matters – especially now – and who to invite and how to explain what we’re doing.

In my dream, Pearl began with this:

I think your beloveds might relate to my story!

She had a point! And we’ll get to the story in a minute.

First I had to go hunt up our new Intern. She was camped out on top of the dresser in the guest room/closet, looking just like she does in the photo, above. I was shocked by how grungy she’d gotten.

We started with a bath. Then I washed her dress. And re-braided what’s left of her hair, complete with red threads. By then, she was ready to say more. (I could tell she’d been soaking up a lot of what’s been happening around here for the last several years!)

I began with a question: Why now?

There are so many things that feel hard in the world. I’m tired of all the sad, tragic, helpless, hopeless things going on. I’m worried about people who feel like I do. Powerless, I guess. And I want to help. I need to help. I want to help others move on from old labels and losses and fears. To listen to their own deep wisdom.

The next question was obvious: How would you start?

We need to help people remember the magic – the tools – they already have! And make space for anyone who is struggling to admit they have things that they want, even when so many people aren’t here anymore. To remind them that it’s okay to still have dreams and needs, and to ask for help! Besides, some of us are going to have to do more than we’ve been doing… and that sounds scary! Then we’ll go on to new magic!

All of which is quite a mouthful – even in a dream – from a doll in her early 60’s who has clearly been rooting through my bookshelves when I wasn’t looking! And she’s right!

So, Medicine Basket, your way… unsticking stuck ___________________ stuff!

Then, Pearl, who’s on your side, gently suggested that you might be curious about what kind of stuff you could unstick.

That’s easy! Pearl and Natalie and I are so hoping you’ll actually click the button. You see, we do have a dream…

That many, many of us will claim our medicine and get unstuck enough to go for our big dreams! If not now, when???

ps… Pearl has already signed up!

pps… The Muse wants me to remind you that she’s the visionary one in the big painting at the top who was wise enough to expand the team!

Meet Griffin! One of my grand-cats. Often sweet and cuddly. Just as often, a whirling dervish with a fetish for climbing trees, aka prized house plants.

I am, in this moment, giving thanks for all my recent training in the herding of cats. (Griffin has a sister named Raven. Ditto on the cuddly dervish thing!)

That training helped me put medicine in my basket for this very moment in time.

We have a high wind/winter weather warning in Georgia. Well, warning might be a bit optimistic. It’s really cold and windy. The trees – very old, very tall pine trees – in my back yard are dancing in a way that would be lovely if it weren’t quite so close to the house. And the power lines.

And I am in the middle of a launch. Not through the air like a kitten, so much, but the kind where dreams and plans get born to make a difference in the world.

It’s been a bit of a trip.

Three dear, busy, creative women (and a doll!) separated by 4 hours in the conventions of time. Lots of other pressing things on our lists. Plus, a similar weather warning in Nova Scotia!

And a voice whispering inside me… Model what you hope to teach!

So, with thanks to Steve Glenn, and my personal conviction that control is most often an illusion and, on our best days, we have influence… I’m making a new plan.

Which is, I suppose, a lot like maximizing my influence!

The blog post waiting eagerly backstage for today, is on hold. (Hopefully, only until tomorrow. Bonus!)

Our team now has space for a couple of deep breaths, some more testing, and a nap – or three!

And, when you get to read about our new adventure, all the bells and whistles will be working. Probably!

In this moment, having had a recent power outage experience, I’ve turned the thermostat up so that we have some more warm stashed away in case we need it.

The big beasties have made their first out and down adventure for the day and are back to keeping the floor from escaping.

I’m wearing the InstantHot gizmo out, filling thermos bottles, having not enjoyed a decided lack of tea during our last rustic adventure.

And it’s REALLY raining, now. In fact, it sounds a bit crispy.

I’m also giving thanks for the blessings which make it possible for me to try to adapt, rather than just to endure.

So, prayer dots. Especially for those who are cold and without homes or hot water. For those who have fewer choices. And for the work and witness of Dr. King, and all those prophets in his visionary lineage, who have helped me to see more clearly.

Stay tuned…

ps… If you haven’t had a chance to go on the Intentional Grandmother Archetype quiz adventure yet, now could be great! Grand-Elders of all sorts and even very brave Grandfathers welcome!

The sorting and re-arranging goes on.

Progress abounds. And more would be okay, too!

Have spent a fair amount of time tearing old mixed media journals apart. Keep what I still need. Reclaim blank paper for more art. Recycle the rest.

It would be easier on my achey wrists to just toss the whole things, but I don’t seem able to.

Here’s an amazingly timely surprise I discovered wandering through one of those old journals. A timely surprise, dated October 27, 2016!

Imagine blue ink on white watercolor paper with a scattering of proofreader’s marks…

Standing on the Edge

I am standing on the edge.

Toes curled under.

Hanging on.

Like climbing too high on a ladder.

Trying to decide if I’m terrified.

Or excited.

Knowing that, in my body, the experience is the same.

Knowing that whoever decided we could only feel one feeling at a time was wrong!

Knowing that this is neither good news,

Nor bad.

The wise old man on the mountain was right.

Trying to glimpse the beyond which is past the edge.

I like beyond.

I like creating.

Abracadabra!

I will make something of the word.

Though I may paint a bit more first.

I am standing on the edge.

Hoping I’m excited!

-Sue Boardman

I feel this, in so many ways, even more, in this moment, than I did when I wrote it.

This world — the context in which we live and create and grieve and hope — was unimaginable for so many of us just five years ago.

And yet, here we are. Many, many of us needing help. New strategies. New community. New hope.

As I mentioned, my friend, Natalie Moyes, and I have a plan. And there’s lots more info to come. Shortly!

For now, just in case you learned the same silly thing I did somewhere along the way, whoever said we could only feel one feeling at a time was, indeed, wrong. And there is hope.

For all of us.

When we’re ready.

ps… the painting is called In the Beginning… aka, Our Lady of Bountiful Earth. She’s moved from the hall to the library, presiding over our new intentional space for Health and Abundance.

pps… just in case you’re feeling a need for a bit of intentional space in your world, she’s got friends available for adoption. Just check FierceArtWithHeart for all kinds of inspiration, from mugs for your favorite cuppa to original paintings!