CREATIVE SUCCESS NEWSLETTER
NUMBER 43 – April 15, 2004

Suc^cess Strategies for creative souls series

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Welcome Subscribers
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Announcement
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All of our previous newsletters are now conveniently archived at
http://creativesuccess.com/newsletter/index.html. There are 42
content packed issues with personal and professional growth
exercises and tips and strategies for creating the life you strive
for. Enjoy!

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IN-PERSON WORKSHOPS WITH GAIL
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June 2, 2004
"Recreate Your Life with Positive Choices" Keynote for Women's
Success Network, Saphire Manor and Inn, Sharon, MA at 6 PM,
http://www.womensuccess.org
Contact Christine Asmus at mailto:c.asmus@att.net to register.

July 3-9, 2004
Rancho La Puerta, Mexico
Positive Life Choices workshop with Alice March

Advance Notice: Summer Teleclass: Creative Project Infusion
Coaching
Are you ready to commit to a summer creative project or path of
discovery and exploration? Don't wait--this 3 session teleclass in
the convenience of your own home will help you to fine tune your
vision and achieve the action steps necessary to meet your goal.
If you are ready or longed for creative results, this group will
inspire you and keep you accountable. There will be a
series of contemplations and exercises for each month and an
opportunity to work with a creativity "buddy" if you wish in
between sessions. You will complete the following steps:

*Commit to a Vision that Excites and Nourishes You
*Design an Action Plan that Honors Your Personal Style
*Develop an Offensive Strategic Plan for your Roadblocks and
Saboteurs
*Carve out the Time and the Tools Needed to Move Forward

Class Dates: The Tuesday evenings of June 29, July 27, and August
31, 2004 from 8-9:30 PM
EST via Bridge Line
Fee: Summer Special Price of $39.00, including materials
To Register email Liz Murphy at mailto:Liz@CreativeSuccess.com
with your and she will get in touch with you to collect your
credit card information. Liz will also send you the Bridge Line
number and the preparation exercises for the June session. Join us
for a celebration of your creative ideas, bring your friends, and
experience the life changing satisfaction of completion!

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Strategy for Creative Souls #18: The Energy of Adventure and Rest
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I will be taking a dream vacation in May and therefore
you won't hear from me again until June. I am treating
my creative muse to a cruise in the Mediterranean to
experience Barcelona, the French Riviera, Italy,
Croatia, and Greece, followed by a few days in London.
I love cruising as I resonate with oceans, but also I love
the ease of travel. The food is awesome; they clean your room
twice a day, and I don't need to spend every waking hour with my
nose in a travel book, as
the ship has arranged excursions for us in each port. With the
world challenges upon us, this feels like an important time to go
abroad and enlarge my perspective. My intuition has guided me to
have this adventure now. I know there is something I am supposed
to gleam from it that will strongly influence my work and my life.
I even gave myself permission to go in the midst of my
website redesign – impractical as that may be.

There are two kinds of vacations: Adventure Vacations and Rest
Vacations and we need both. I fully expect that after traversing
around six countries, I will be stimulated and pulsating with
creative energy, but physically beat. My desire was to experience
an overview of lots of different cultures and scenes quickly. The
possibility that I may even miss a site due to exhaustion is part
of the plan. Yet, the Adventure of immersing myself in the
Mediterranean seaside and revisiting my love of art history and
mythology will be glorious, even if I'm in bed by 9 PM every
night. Fortunately, my husband loves Adventure Vacations too, but
also has to pace himself.

Which brings me to the second kind of Vacation: Rest Vacations. I
have been hearing my clients and friends express a true longing
for rest and stillness over the past several years. A Rest
Vacation is one where you stay put and meander through your day.
No schedules, no deadlines, and no long list of sites to see. Many
people are heading for the woods for silent retreats–no
conversation–no stress–just peace and quiet to illuminate your own
thoughts. Spas are hot as they offer pampering and soothing
treatments in a serene setting. I'm ready for one of these
vacations too and will be flying off to Rancha La Puerta in Mexico
in July for a week. Except for co-presenting a workshop with my
friend Alice, I yearn for lounging, reading, communing with
pools and mountains, and eating a vegetarian diet.

Of course there are hybrids of the Adventure and Rest Vacations–a
varied menu that suits a mixed venue. As we approach vacation
season, tune into what you're craving for yourself. Even if it's
not a year for a luxury trip (I haven't been in Europe for over 20
years and have never been to the Mediterranean ever), make a list
or a collage of what you need to experience this year to recharge
your intellect or your inner artist, or mellow your body, mind,
and spirit. As I wrote in both of my books and my tape, time off
and times away are powerful creative catalysts. You have to make a
space in your life for inspirations to appear and communicate with
you. Change houses
with someone, go camping, take a workshop, stay in a hotel
overnight alone, or hit a day spa–but do something novel and
rejuvenating that clicks for your original self and appeases the
vacation gods of both Adventure and Rest. Bon voyage!

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Creative Acts and Resources
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I was recently interviewed by the web resource for women titled
BellaOnline: The Voice of Women, on the topic of Creative Burnout
and Women. Becky Short, who is BellaOnline's Creativity Host, has
gathered together a wealth of resources for the creative journey.
To read our interview click on
http://www.bellaonline.com/index.asp?srcname=www.bellaonline.com

Check out the wonderful new print newsletter "Meaning and
Purpose(TM) published by Christine Hegstad, featuring timely
articles on personal and professional growth. I was recently
featured as a guest editor for the Coach's Corner in the
March/April issue. That same issue featured articles
on Meaningful Journaling, Barriers and Breakthroughs, and Nurture
Your Mind/Nurture Your Soul. You can email Christine at
mailto:mapconnect@earthlink.net or call her at 515-490-0604 to
subscribe at $30.00 per year for 6 issues.

Pam Hale Trachta, M.A. is co-sponsoring The Wisdom Project event:
A Journey into the Heart of Power in Tucson, AZ on May 21, 2004
from 8:30 AM-4:30 PM. This one-day workshop is open to men and
women who want to increase their effectiveness and success as
leaders. For additional information, you can email Pam at
mailtophtrachta@qwest.net or call her at 520-825-5463.
Pam is also the author of the beautiful Sand Spirit cards, which
are part of my spiritual practice.

Talk to you in June.

Creatively yours,
Gail McMeekin
Creative Success: Career, Creativity, and Life Choices Coaching
and Writing

Author of The Power of Positive Choices: Adding and Subtracting
Your Way to a Great Life and The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative
Women: A Portable Mentor and an audiotape workshop Positive
Choices: From Stress to Serenity –all items are for sale in our
secure Creative Success
Webstore at http://www.creativesuccess.com.