Giveaway winner! (and a little note about creativity)

We have a winner!!

Congratulations to Jacqui Hall!!!  Connie will be in touch to tell you what happens next.  You are going to love 21 Secrets!!

A truly heartfelt thanks to all of you who entered.  All I asked was that you leave a comment as to why you want to take part in 21 Secrets.  But some of you really opened your hearts and I thank you especially for this.  

A common theme seems to be making a connection with your creative self and your creativity.  And this is a theme which really resonates with me.  

I had many, many years (over 20 of them) when I was not in touch with my creative self.  She was pushed into the background for a multitude of reasons.  But about three years ago when her whispers became too loud to ignore, I allowed her back in to my life.  This wasn't easy and it took time but I am so glad that I did. The JOY that I feel when I am in my creative space and in flow is something I now cannot live without. I wonder how I lived for so long without feeling that joy.  

I am feeling more and more drawn to help women make this connection (or often reconnection) with their creative self.

Unfortunately, I only have one spot to give away on 21 Secrets (generously donated by Connie). However, I am designing my own ecourse which will be starting at the end of April.

The purpose of this course will be to help you make that creative connection - it may be through art journalling or through painting, I haven't decided yet.  But the purpose will be the same - connection to your creativity, connection to Source and Flow, connection to JOY... 

I so want you to experience the joy too...

If you think you might like to come on this journey with me - then sign up here to stay in the loop (no pressure or commitment).  

From my heart to yours

Rachel xox

ps if you're new here, you might want to sign up for my newsletter (as a small thank you, you'll receive some of my art to download)

Some Spring paintings and a sneak peek into my Glorious Goddess workshop

It feels like Spring here - the grape hyacinths are blue and the primroses are yellow - we have crocus and daffodils.  In fact, the sun is shining and all this makes me feel so good...

The Spring weather and the little bursts of colour in the garden have inspired me to make some new paintings.  

These flower paintings have really helped to bring in some fresh new colours and direction.  I think I need a bit of a re-boot and shift of energy after so much time spent on ,my 21 Secrets workshop.  

There's still time to sign up - it launches on 1st April - and I've created a little video to give you a sneak peek into my Glorious Goddess workshop.

And you still have a few hours left to enter my giveaway for a free spot in 21 Secrets Spring 2014.  Entry closes at midnight GMT Friday 14th.  Go to last Friday's blog to enter.

I hope to see you there.  If not, perhaps you would like to join me in my first ecourse, starting in April?? This is still in the planning stages - sign up here to be kept in the loop...

That's it for today!  Lots of love to you and have a great weekend

From my heart to yours

Rachel xox

21 days till 21 secrets and 21 secrets about me!!

Guys!! It's 21 days till 21 Secrets launches on 1st April. 

You can still enter my giveaway (details at the end of this post)...

Just for fun I thought I would let you in on 21 secrets you (probably) don't know about me: 

1. I'm writing my own ecourse - to be kept in the loop, sign up here
2. My favourite food is marmalade on GF toast (I'm in good company - this is Mary Berry's favourite food!)
3. I lived in Toulouse, France for a year when I was in my twenties
4. I started a post grad course in Fine Art but didn't finish it (again in my twenties)
5. I'm 57 years on this planet (!!) who knows how many years on numerous others...
6. I love to swim, especially in warm sea water
7. I am a trained Aromatherapist and have a highly sensitive 'nose' - my favourite essential oil is Rose
8. I practice self healing every day using Angelic Reiki
9. My favourite flowers are sweet peas
10. I love peppermint tea but don't like green tea
11. The book I'm reading at the moment is 'Game of Thrones' - I haven't seen the TV series, but my son insisted I read the books (I love it)
12. I'm an Apple fangirl but have a pc not a Mac
13. I was born in Shrewsbury, Shropshire but have lived most of my live in the north east of England
14. I long to live by the sea (but you knew that already)
15. I used to teach aromatherapy and art to adults with learning difficulties - what a fantastic job that was
16. My favourite artist is Matisse
17. I'm a magazine junkie
18. My favourite colours are turquoise and magenta (but you probably guessed that)
19. I love all sorts of music but my favourite listening at the moment is the Lumineers
20. I run my own training business
21. I live with my soul mate

Like I said, just for fun...If you'd like to share some secrets about you - please leave me a note in the comments or contact me here.

To enter my giveaway to win a free place go to last week's blog and leave  a comment telling me why you want to take part in 21 Secrets 

From my heart to yours

Rachel xox

ps sign up here to be kept in the loop about my upcoming ecourse  

pps sign up here for blog updates and other news in your inbox and receive some downloadable art as a gift from me to you

testing testing

What are your coping strategies when things go wrong or become so frustrating that you want to throw the whole project out of the window?

I'm still in the throes of producing my workshop for 21 Secrets but the technology has been beset by gremlins this week.  Error messages keep appearing, work won't save, I can't find files.

Apparently, Mercury is in retrograde and this affects such things.  I just know it's frustrating, whatever might be causing these problems.

Yesterday, having burst into tears, I walked away from the laptop and down to my studio. The paint flowed and the world turned the right way up again.

The technical problems are still there today.  Frustration abounds but I know I can go and make art and feel better.  

My other coping mechanisms are: 

• ask my technical, left brained son for help (I don't know what I'd do without him)
• going for a walk
• put some music on
• go and do something different - anything - bake a cake, clean, dance round the kitchen
• talk to the cat (she doesn't know anything about technology but she makes me happy). 

What do you do when you are working on something,whatever it is, and nothing seems to be going right?  

Let me know in the comments box, I do love to hear from you

From my heart to yours

Rachel xox

The Goddess, Truth & videotape

My main creative activity at the moment is creating my Glorious Goddess Workshop for 21 Secrets. As it's a secret (!) it's not easy to share images but as it's taking up so much of my time I'd like to share some of what's happening.

When Connie invited me to teach on 21 Secrets 2014 I was surprised and excited but more than a little scared.

I'm a qualified teacher, taught for years in Further Ed and I've taught lots of art and holistic/spiritual workshops in person. But taught online?  No... Taught through video?  No!! Created a video?  No!!!

Wow this has been a steep learning curve! And editing?!!! Thankfully I have a tech savvy son who has done his own research, created his own little videos and then written some Mum friendly tutorials for me on how to edit in Adobe Pro. Piece of cake :D (Actually I think he should be teaching, or selling these tutorials).  

This process has been a tough but invaluable exercise in facing my fears. Each day I have been walking through them as I set up my desk and camera.

What's interesting is that once I start the the video, start teaching, start creating and talking I move into flow.  This is a truth that I need to remember.

I'm still excited. And here's another truth - fear and excitement are flip sides of the same coin.

I'd love to share my Glorious Goddess workshop with you.  The launch date for 21 Secrets is the 1st April - just over 6 weeks away.  If you'd like to sign up jump over here. And there's more info here.

What fears are you facing today? Are you stepping up to meet them? I hope you feel supported, as I do, by the abundant flow that is always there for all of us...

From my heart to yours

Rachel xox

ps don't forget - if you would like to be kept in the loop about my upcoming ecourse - sign up here and for in person workshops here xxx

pps I do have another assistant who I couldn't do without...

Tigi from Rachel Andrews on Vimeo.