What Inspires?

by | Aug 8, 2022 | Inspiration

Living INSPIRED! If you’re in my circle of newsletter connections, you know I’m all about living an inspired and free life.

This week I had the opportunity to work with a client who is a professional performer. They came to see me because they had lost their mojo. They wanted to live in inspiration and create new material from a full tank. None of that was happening.

As we explored more, inside them existed a full tank of grief, heart break, and loss. There was no available space for inspiration to move in.

Fast forward to this Sunday’s CBS Sunday Morning show. In this week’s show they interviewed Jon Baptiste and his wife, Suleika Jaouad. In this interview, Jon and Suleika articulate many points they came up in my client’s session earlier this week.

● Find your way

● To express the unendurable

● Triumph over adversity

● Turn on the Light

● Focus on the Light

In my opinion creativity is life and creative expression is the verb of creativity, creating. Both are essential to living an inspired life.

● Everyone needs to exercise and experience free creative expression

● Allowing this movement of energy, which needs an outlet, a vehicle to carry the expression. Creative expression allows it to move through, not settle in and make camp!

● To express beyond the mind’s definition of what needs to be expressed, free of interpretation.

● The healing/gifts are in the act of creating, not in the production of a product.

This doesn’t occur by painting well; it occurs by painting (or whatever you are drawn to do).

If you’re a living human being, you have been presented with many uninvited pains. What are you going to do with yours? Let them silently kill the spark in your life? I surely hope not. I invite you to “find your way” to make creative expression a conscious part of your life. If you need support, contact me. I’ll be your tour guide to living fully expressed and free.

Sending smiles,

Cherie Ray

Summer Hoopla

by | Jun 29, 2022 | Inspiration, Thought

Here we are in the full swing of Summer 2022. I hope you are full of enthusiasm for how you will spend your time.

I just returned from facilitating an Intuitive Painting workshop at Esalen Institute (esalen.org) in Big Sur, CA. Esalen has a very long history for supporting holistic education. We had a group of 36 people who took time off to explore what Intuitive Painting has to offer. The people who participated walked into the workshop from around the globe! This included people from the Netherlands to Massachusetts, from all professions. As the workshop was ending, we loaded all of the pages of paintings (26”x30”) on 2 tables for sorting. There were over 400 sheets of paper where these wonderful people explored the limitless nature of creating and the limited nature of their mind-set. What I saw on their faces at the end of the workshop was a fresh brightness. 

I credit their bright faces to the experience of having a richer connection to their true self and a spaciousness they are taking into their lives to live more authentically and freely. Thank you to everyone who came.

Share the spaciousness and freedom (a real friends with benefits moment of these participants) and embrace your summer. I have several fun events available for you this summer. I hope you will join in! They are listed below on this email and a complete list can be found on my website, Cherieray.com.

Sending smiles,

Cherie Ray

“Life-giving” in Taos, NM

by | Jun 29, 2022 | Being Human, Inspiration

How are you? Are you busy with graduations, weddings, or other big life events? I hope this email finds you well and smiling with new hope for what’s ahead.

I just returned from Taos, New Mexico where a group of incredible human beings took a giant leap exploring their creative process. During the 9 days we spent together, I was very inspired by their courage for moving into the unknown and their desire to be free from their limiting mental restrictions.

As is always the case, the brightness of their eyes starts to shine when they grant themselves permission to paint what comes naturally. The bright eyes are also fueled by the surprise of what happens when they get out of our own way.

Isn’t that true for all of us? When we get out of our own way, we connect to a vibrant aliveness that resides inside us. Who doesn’t want to experience that more? Nothing is impossible from that connection.

My intention for the workshop was for it to be “Life-Giving.” At the end of the workshop, each person was shining in their own brilliance. When I see this happen, I know the problems this world faces will be solved by people, just like these.

Thank you to everyone!

Sending smiles,

Cherie Ray

A Good News Story

by | Mar 15, 2022 | Inspiration, Thought

 

Who doesn’t need a good news story these days? Here’s one for you. Kids creating and being fearless or creating in spite of fear.

For many years, I have volunteered at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (rodeohouston.com) serving on their Horticulture committee. I love working on this committee because I get to work closely with the kiddos as they compete for scholarship monies.

Participants register for both individual and partner events from floral design to landscape design and planting. Each competition has strict rules and guidelines that must be adhered to in order to be judged.

The competitions I enjoy the most are the floral design events. Why? Because each scholar is given the exact same materials to create with. While every scholar gets the same materials, no creation looks the same. I find this fascinating. Each creation is unique. Just like every human on the planet!

The scholars range from 10-18 years of age, both female and male. This year we had 113 participants. Each event is timed with a specific assignment. The scholars are brought into this huge ballroom, given an apron and a creating station, while they wait for the announcements. Some tower over their table, some barely reach the table. Some look cool as cucumbers, some look like it’s a high stakes game.

As soon as the rules are announced, the timer begins and off they go. Each participant’s process is unique to them. Some start by sorting their followers, getting organized. Others just grab stems and go for it. One of the more precious sites is watching a 10-year-old boy creating a bridal bouquet! He gives it his all. HI hands are barely large enough to hold the bouquet.

With lots of monitoring eyes and cameras capturing the action, they always beat the timer and submit a creation. What entertains me so, is the amount of focus and engagement they give these events. I admire each one for getting in the game to play with life.

Being in a room with 113 creatives creating is a fun energy to be in. I just soak it up. The energy is so intense as they sit in their anticipation and subsides when to buzzer goes off. I love the idea of kids creating with their hands, freely, with no one telling them what to do and with something alive.  I believe it brings them an opportunity to get grounded and connected. When kids have the opportunity to draw from within, they GET that they have what it takes. Who doesn’t need to be reminded of that?

What have you been up to? I’d love to hear from you.

 

Sending smiles,

Cherie

Holiday Greetings

by | Dec 10, 2021 | Inspiration, Offering

I wanted to take the opportunity to wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving! My wish is for you to relax, enjoy, and savor all the flavors the season offers. I’m giggling because in these ‘flavors’ I’m including all of the flavors of humanity that will cross your path. Without those who are so different from us, we would live in a soup with much less texture, color, and flavor.
 
I’m hoping this season will hold more compassion for our differences and to see the differences as complimentary instead of problematic. Entering into the holidays standing on the truth that each person sees a world that is unique to them, we can create space at the table for everyone.
 
Thank you very much for being a part of this community. It has been a gift and a pleasure to share fun times with you.
 
Happy Thanksgiving!
Cherie