Connections Are All Around Us
I have been so lucky as I embarked on my new path. It has been very busy, winding, and at times chaotic. However, with the incredible support of others, I’ve managed to achieve some big bucket list items over the past year or so. For anyone deciding to make a big change or to take on a new challenge, it is important to include your close family and friends and to enlist their support. I can’t even begin to describe the support I’ve gotten from my kin.
However, it is also just as important to surround yourself with a good team of professionals. I was extremely naive when I decided I wanted to write a book. I thought I’d just do it and did not consider the how, where, when, who, and what of the equation. Luckily, I serendipitously happened upon some amazing people who lead me to more and more helpful folks. I have gathered a clan of like-minded people who do similar things and I’m dedicating this blog to ‘name-dropping’ and giving shout outs to some great folks that have helped me along the way. As my little chakra-art business has been slowly setting roots, many people have asked how I got started, who I got help from, and I have been asked for recommendations. So this blog is a bit of a bibliography, of sorts, and I hope the readers open the links to the various professionals I will be naming. I’d really love to give some credit to these terrific individuals and groups.
First of all, writing my book, Finding Balance and Forgiveness Through Chakras and Art, would have remained a dream, not a reality, if it were not for Tom Bird’s writing retreats. I attended a retreat in Sedona, Arizona and completed the first draft of my book in 4 days! I attended three more virtual retreats where I completed my book revisions, a year’s worth of blog posts, and the booklet for my Finding Balance and Forgiveness Chakra Oracle cards. Initially, I spent a year doing free online writing work through Tom Bird’s website and then made the nail-biting decision to attend my first retreat in Sedona. I believe everyone should spend a weekend in one of Tom’s retreats, even if it is just to write a book that is not intended for publishing. The experience is life changing; I made some new friends for life and Tom’s unique method works. He is a book whisperer.
I can’t write a thank you blog without naming Candace McKim, author of Yogini’s Guide: Intuition is a Choice. We were destined to meet. I had already been studying Tom Bird’s methods and had booked my first retreat, when I attended Candace’s intensive Intuitive Chakra Therapy training, which was instrumental in launching me on my new path. Surprisingly, Candace had also used Tom Bird’s retreat as a catalyst for writing her first book. Candace is a mentor and has assisted me with many of the decisions related to releasing my book and starting my chakra balancing practice. She also lead me to find the best little Alberta publishing company for one of my projects.
Sabrina Fritts was the first person I talked to about the actual idea for my book and she was the driving force that got me to attend my first Sedona retreat and kept me motivated through 3 more retreats. She is an inspiring woman and she is great at coaxing authors to keep going. John Hodgkinson kept me motivated throughout the many cold winter months of revising and making it through the publishing process. He is a wizard and very kind. He talked me off the ledge many a Sunday afternoon! And then there is Denise Cassino, who somehow managed to help me to understand social media marketing, assisted me to attain Amazon #1 best selling status and met with me weekly for months, helping me with all the fine details, including my book cover. Sabrina, John and Denise really made my book project come to fruition.
I need to do a shout out to Rachael Jayne Groover for the generous invitation to her Denver Awaken Your Impact conference, where she coaxed me to dive into the arena of public speaking…okay, it’s not quite Olympic caliber diving yet…some may say I’ve had a few belly flops but I’m getting over the fear and have started doing on-line videos and interviews…something I never would have done if I’d not experienced Awaken Your Impact!
Denise Cassino connected me with Catherine Carrigan, who interviewed me about my book and the chakra system for her Natural Healing show on UK Health radio. Catherine has been supportive and she too is a very successful author who used the Tom Bird method for writing.
There are so many people I’d like to mention but this blog post would be too long and cumbersome. I’ve saved the final four for last because they have been quite special. Paulette Bodeman, fellow Tom Bird author and amazing yoga specialist, was a light and a true friend during this challenging journey. Amanda and Laurie of LoveLight Creations published my Chakra oracle card deck. These two talented small town Alberta women run a tiny but extremely efficient, ethical, and caring company. I can’t say enough about LoveLight Creations. Mirta Romberg of Sunshine Yoga kept my passion going; her divine yoga sessions and training kept me focused and on the right path. Finally, I came full circle when the delightful Karen Snodgrass (in photo above) of Inspirit Studio, in High River, contacted me about getting my books and cards into her new boutique. She and I trained with Candace McKim 2 years ago and now we are collaborating on some future projects, including a book signing event and workshop. Please, take a trip to High River to check out her studio and boutique…its is inspiring.
Connections are all around us. Pay attention to the signs the universe is providing and you will find all the support you need for your intended path!
For more information about finding balance and the chakra system, check out my website and my book: Finding Balance and Forgiveness Through Chakras and Art.
