Month: August 2025

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All the Me’s had a committee meeting!

Posted on by sue boardman

You know how some of the parts of you are easier to chat with? And some of them feel reluctant to show up for tea? And occasionally, one of them says, “No, thanks! I’m having my nails done!” (Or whatever…)

Well a whole bunch of the Me’s showed up this weekend. I’m grateful. You see, I need pretty much all the medicine in my basket just now.

Tea was the first order of business. And cacao. And Red Thread. Then came intention setting. We had two:

Get over the old notion that it would be bragging to tell others you did a cool, helpful thing! It’s now officially excited & determined, which are really helpful things to claim!

Unpack and package all the decks of Grammy’s MetaMod Wisdom Cards and figure out how to get them out into the world… tech challenges and all!

One of the Me’s took over as Recycling Queen and took charge of all the brown packing paper. Another invited virtual Joan Baez along for encouragement. Another Me – one I know well – tended the pot of soup simmering on the stove. The good news is that we made big progress! Even with the heavy boxes and gnarly paper cuts and and puzzles to solve.

In an odd way, all the time one of my Me’s spent scrubbing in surgery came in handy. Setting up the back table with all the tools in order. Filling the tape dispenser. Cutting all the Red Thread at once, rather than one piece at a time. You hear me…

And, running through all the activity… the precious Intentional Creativity® notion that Mattering Matters.

Then came a different sort of ah-hah! The word kind. (Haven’t figured out how to put the techy crossword thing on my laptop again, yet, so we’re going old school…)

There’s more to do. Calling Cloths to claim space for the journey, in transit. Cards to ship. The Decatur Book Festival (10/4) to prep for. And lots more excited & determined for the Me’s to be!

And, a new painting to start! And…

For now, though, huge thanks to the dear friend who showed up in this dimension to help, and fan the excitement.

And more thanks to the Me who just dropped off this link so you can check out the Wisdom Cards. (There’s lots more info and photos!) And, the shop is in the midst of re-modeling!!!

That place where you are called??? Don’t set out without your cards!

ps… Ready to claim your next right thing? Let’s talk. 45 min. My gift. Just click here and the calendar elves will hook you up. Also, I have a very special, time-limited offer for a couple of new 1:1 clients available… and it includes a bonus set of cards!

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Cards on the table?

Posted on by sue boardman

I had a plan for this post. Cheerful. Excited. Optimistic. You see, my eagerly awaited Wisdom Cards are due to appear tomorrow, UPS willing. Fifty decks. Right here in my house!

And, I’m really hoping they will. More, now, than ever, actually. You see, I’m having a really hard time with the Minnesota school shooting. School kids. At Mass. It’s utterly beyond me. And, if we’re being real, not remotely cheerful or optimistic.

I cried. And swore. And prayed. I contemplated skipping this post for today. And then, I knew where to look for some inspiration in this moment.

Grammy’s MetaMod Wisdom Cards! The test runs that helped me learn along the way. Crooked edges. Faded colors. A typo here or there. A reminder of the place where I am called, even on this day when the world’s deep need is in our faces.

I even got out my preview version of the Calling Cloth. Sacred space, if you will, for newness on the road.

And the wonder worked!

So, I am reclaiming my ability to choose, here and now. Not everything that happens, of course, but what I do with it. What my next right thing becomes, in the face of days like this.

You, too, are able to choose. And NOW seems like a really good time to claim that!

First, I made a contribution to a Congressional Rep who gets it. Lucy McBath lost her own son in a school shooting.

Then, as I finish this post, I’m going to go make prayer dots on my #Codex canvas. Dots inside my Unicorn constellation which, according to a tradition I just learned, symbolizes the true teachings of Yeshua.

Making the dots will help soothe my nervous system. (Really!) And, it will remind me of why the hearts in my paintings insist on standing for Concrete Passion & Very Large Hope! It’s the best plan I’ve got!

ps… curious about the cards? Just click here!

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Whole Soul Creating…

Posted on by sue boardman

Well, that’s what it feels like, anyway. All of me. All in. In fact, I’ve been pondering what it must have been like for Michelangelo, painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Lots of ladders. Trying to bring wonder to life, lying on his back. No air conditioning. No cell phones. No friends at Melton’s a with fresh BLT for lunch!

By comparison, some things are easier these days!

I do wonder, though, if his images talked to him as he painted. (I’m guessing they did, though that may be projection!) Part of this has to do with 4 of mine coming home from Scan Camp with lots to say! The one you glimpsed, above, is feeling particularly opinionated.

When she left, her title was She Persists. It is now We Persist! And that feels really helpful, given all the things jumping up and down in my calendar.

She’s back on the wall across from my chair, coaching me, if you will. One of her suggestions was to look up the Hebrew word for persist. Are you ready???

Sarah!!!

And, yes, I’ll add her new name to the back of the canvas! I may need a few more tears, first, though. You see, I’ve known another Sarah.

Yep! One of our Newfoundland rescue dogs! Tradition holds that the multi-colored Newfies have bouncier, more opinionated personalities than their solid-colored cousins. Sarah certainly fit. And she was nothing if not persistent!!!

Also extroverted. And it’s entirely possible that, if she were sending me a message from the great beyond, it would be that NOW is a time for extroverting. Not me, personally, so much, as what I’m creating. Books, Wisdom Cards, paintings, and the next gen #Filters class. And we’re all well into the third trimester!

ps… I’m also supposed to tell you that the real, finished cards – which are on their way, now – will have gently rounded corners and be printed on recycled paper! There will even be an optional Calling Cloth to help set intentional space for your journey to the place where YOU are called! (And it makes a fab scarf!)

pps… what matters to you? Enough to – you know – claim the next right thing? Let’s talk! 45 min. My gift. You bring your journal, a cuppa, and your readiness to take a step toward the place where you are called. And, I have a super-special offer if you’d like some company on the path! Hurry and click here and the calendar elves will hook you up!

Contemplations

I am not finished!

Posted on by sue boardman

…not finished learning. Or becoming. Or creating. Or sharing. Or voting. Or painting… obviously! And, yes… there are new things in the works!

Grammy’s MetaMod Wisdom Cards are being printed as I type, which is one of those things that feels simultaneously hopeful and terrifying! There’s a lot of reaching out and being seen going on, which is both exciting and exhausting. Fortunately, I know that I survived Middle School, and I have a whole lot more choices now than I did then!

Everything feels in-between just now. Plans. Paintings. Projects. And I’m really, really grateful that I have a path. A path to the place where I feel called. And part of that path seems to involve intentionally declining distractions.

I’m guessing you’ve noticed there are a whole lot of them! The challenge, for me, is deciding which of the 5 zillion things in my head are actually helpful on the road to the place where I feel called… and which are the collective trying to keep me from acting! From being me!

Here’s an example… Yes. I need to reach out to the Decatur Book Festival camp counselor and tell her I need a second table. This week. Even though the Festival isn’t until October 4.

No. I don’t need to spend an hour reading a catalog, hunting for some miraculous skirt or shoes that would help people decide to buy my stuff at that Festival! (I’ve been. They really are looking at books! And, if last year was a trend, training service dogs in the enlightened crowd!)

Yes. I do need to move some stuff around in the studio so there will actually be a paint-safe place to put all the cards and booklets and very cool bags when they start arriving. Soon!

People keep asking me why I’m doing all this, especially when it seems to be pain flare time again. Here’s my very best answer…

This is me keeping my promise to live concrete passion and very large hope, in this world, now.

And, since I can’t do it all alone, helping others on their paths is good for all of us! It just might be that this is a huge part of the message for all of us, at this moment in time! For now, though, the painting we began with called me back to my easel!

Here’s the really cool part of the dots and Hebrew words and a smear or two which some folks might call mistakes… I know what it all means and it all matters to me!

I also know it will all be covered up in many more layers of paint, so it makes good sense to give my hand & wrist a bit of an easy day and not obsess about hypothetical perfection. Turns out we don’t know everything there is to know about virtually anything, and I find that hugely comforting!

Oh! Here’s another thing I learned today… if you’re contemplating making your bit of the world more pollinator-friendly, the wild-ish kinds of roses, with open centers, are much more accessible to bees and butterflies! (The garden guy & I are planning for fall planting!) For now, though, stretchy band arm exercises!

ps… what matters to you? Enough to – you know – claim the next right thing? Let’s talk! 45 min. My gift. You bring your journal, a cuppa, and your readiness to take a step toward the place where you are called. And, I have a super-special offer if you’d like some company on the path! Hurry and click here and the calendar elves will hook you up!

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Love, angst, and change…

Posted on by sue boardman

Yep! I’m there, again! New inspirations becoming real. Old patterns becoming less useful. Lots of waiting and anxiety. Lots of not-yet-knowing. And a whole lot of reminders that a thing that many of us find harder even than change would be no hope of change!

Now, I’m going to guess that – if you’re still reading – you’re at least curious, which is an excellent place to start!

This weekend was full of reminders that change is, indeed, happening.

Four beloved paintings delivered to Scan Camp and entrusted to Uncle Barry for a week of photo shoots and singing around the imitation camp fire. (It’s a good bet there will be lots of Joan Baez involved!)

I feel like somebody kidnapped my teddy bears!!! Those paintings were specifically hung in places where it was easy for them to inspire/nag me! Fortunately, they all have space in my phone, too! And they seem to be full of ideas for museum quality prints to have on hand for the Decatur Book Festival on Oct. 4.

The #Filters cards – aka Grammy’s MetaMod Wisdom Cards – have been ordered from Greenerprinter! (On recycled paper!!!)

If you’ve known me for a while, you probably realize that tap dancing naked is not high on my list of desirable activities. (For many reasons!) That is, however, a handy metaphor for how I’m feeling in this moment!!!

I suspect doing things that matter deeply feels like that for many of us, if we’re being honest. I’m not quite sure if it’s a context thing, or an astrological thing, or even an age thing. What I do know is that there are things inside me insisting on being let out of their crates and into the world.

Now, I don’t know much about astrology, though I hang out in places where I’m learning. One of those places is a yearlong journey known as Red Madonna. This year we’re focusing on Mother Nature… ReBirthing and ReWilding. Part of my role is contributing Crone Moon posts. Here are a few of the things that snuck in through my #Filters this month, as I was exploring the digital universe…

This phase (which is now-ish) is all about introspection, release, and clearing the path for new beginnings. It encourages us to reflect on what needs to be released from the past cycle, embrace the wisdom gained through experience, and prepare for a fresh start. Focusing on health is also encouraged.

All of which sounds at least potentially more helpful than swearing at the news!

ps… the photo at the top, which doesn’t, perhaps, seem to have anything to do with, well, any of these words, is actually the reason for all of my learning and creating and sharing. I have two grandteens and that one’s about to be a senior in high school. In this world. Now.

pps… what matters to you? Enough to – you know – claim the next right thing? Let’s talk! 45 min. My gift. You bring your journal, a cuppa, and your readiness to take a step toward the place where you are called. And, I have a super-special, offer if you’d like some company on the path! Hurry and click here and the calendar elves will hook you up!

ppps… Atlanta area friends… digitalartsstudio.net is a great resource for scans & prints of your fabulous art!

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Perhaps, the place where we are called is here!

Posted on by sue boardman

Wow, has this been a day!!! Big decisions. Empowering feedback. That sense your inner-Little may recall of finding missing pieces to the jigsaw puzzle. All of that in the midst of proof-reading and tweaking and stretching from the familiar place known as comfortable toward the one called empowered!

Even sitting down to tell you about it makes my heart go pitty-pat!

There are two kinds of things going on. My most recent adventure with the Intentional Creativity® adventure known as #Codex has begun. Again. It officially began a couple weeks ago with help from a lonely, unfinished canvas in the basement. Sadly, my joints and muscles decided that canvas was too huge for this moment, so I took a bit of a break.

Then, my very first #Codex painting found a new job being a voice in the MetaMod Wisdom Cards, on the condition that I get busy on the next generation. (How could I say no???)

That’s the new beginning, above. And she had a few strong requests! The first one was some ceremony! (It’s a bit of a challenge to be out-of-sync with the group.) Truthfully, I was glad she thought of it!

There are three miracles in the photo I’m about to add. All this morning, before I began actually painting.

  • I put all the paint away! Scattered bottles collected and sorted by color, in their little plastic homes. (Enjoy… it doesn’t happen all that often!)
  • I cleaned off one of my ever-so-useful paint tables on wheels. (ie – recycled enameled table tops from the 1950’s!) Cleaned off as in completely clear to hold the canvas!
  • I invited my new Panda Drum to join the party. Our first ceremony together!!!

Here’s a glimpse, complete with my cheat-sheet index card!

I played Kumbayah! I only know two songs, so far, but I’d have chosen this one anyway. It’s the part that means Come by here… that matters so much in my heart!

There’s a whole lot more painting to go. In theory, 12 1/2 more moons, though I suspect I’ll get obsessed and adjust the calendar a bit. (I know how big an adventure this is!)

Here’s the thing… the place where this painting, the Wisdom Cards, and a long conversation I had with an old friend today all come together. The world needs what you and I have to offer! Now!!! Our Littles need to see us out there!!! And, I have two ways I can help! (Well, three!)

Ready soon? There’s virtual group #Filters class coming up this fall and I’m saving you a place. A step by step journey toward the place where you are called… where your deep joy and the world’s great longing meet!

Ready sooner?? Be sure to check back on Sunday (Aug. 17) for pre-order info on the actual MetaMod Wisdom Card decks!!! And the special bonus info-gift that will only be available to those who pre-order!

Ready NOW??? Let’s talk! Want help along the way to the place that’s more important, for you, than fear??? Individualized, personalized help??? I have a very special package offer to make. Now. The next move is yours. Just click here and the calendar elves will hook you up with 45 minutes. My gift. You tell me (and yourself!) about that place where you feel called. We’ll name a next right thing. And talk about working together… Oh! Bring a cuppa, something to write on & with, some Red Thread if it’s handy, and one visual representation of your journey. A photo. A crystal. A word on a scrap of paper. An old piece of jewelry. I’ll bring 30 years of coaching experience, a huge soup pot full of strategies, and absolute conviction that now is the time! Wondrous things are possible when we open the door in the back of the wardrobe! Right now you can get five private sessions for the usual investment for four. And I only have space for two brave new clients!

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Walking the Courage Road

Posted on by sue boardman

Once upon a summer, about 50 years ago, we had a special night at Camp. It was the last night of the season and the week had been rough. Some big storms. And some big cats! A broken arm. Nightmares. And a young teen I’ll never forget.

It was my first year as a Senior Counselor. She was one of my campers. I found her, sobbing, in the bathroom.

I don’t want to go home, she wailed. Nobody sees me, there.

I did the only thing I knew, back then. I sat down beside her, on the concrete floor, and said, I see you. And I’ll listen if you’d like to say more.

It turned out that her first moon time had begun and she was scared. Embarrassed. And in pain. I ducked out long enough to raid the infirmary, and to borrow a spare Junior Counselor from next door to hang with the rest of my kids so she and I could talk.

When she told me that she was afraid of asking for what she needed, I got chills. The I can relate kind. We talked about different kinds of brave.

I’ve been thinking about brave a good bit, lately. My paintings, who apparently read the news, all seem to feel like it’s a good time for a whole lot of brave.

Given the one who insisted on joining us, I’d say they’re also in favor of healing!

She hangs on the wall, near my chair and whispers about mystery. She was a mystery when she appeared as an elephant on an #Apothecary journey, embodying wisdom, strength, and compassion. And she’s one of the first ones that appeared on her own and waited patiently for me to figure out why she was there! (It’s big fun!)

A whole lot of prayer dots. A myrrh-bearer’s jar. A still-mysterious being on her forehead, with a blessing, I think. And, the #Filters profile image you might glimpse above her head. All of which is huge medicine in our world.

Here’s a better glimpse…

I think she also brought us a quote for this moment. Well, technically, it came from the movie, Princess Diary and it goes like this:

Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something is more important than fear.

What is more important, for you, than fear???

I have several things on my list, just now! One of them is actually publishing my deck of Wisdom Cards! (Stay tuned!) They’re all about things that are more important than fear!

ps… I have no clue – yet – about what’s in the top right corner! I do know it will speak when I’m ready!

pps… Want help along the way to the place that’s more important, for you, than fear??? Individualized, personalized help??? I have a very special package offer to make. Now. The next move is yours. Just click here and the calendar elves will hook you up with 45 minutes. My gift. You tell me (and yourself!) about that place where you feel called. We’ll name a next right thing. And talk about working together… Oh! Bring a cuppa, something to write on & with, some Red Thread if it’s handy, and one visual representation of your journey. A photo. A crystal. A word on a scrap of paper. An old piece of jewelry. I’ll bring 30 years of coaching experience, a huge soup pot full of strategies, and absolute conviction that now is the time! Wondrous things are possible when we open the door in the back of the wardrobe!