My Hair Was on Fire (literally)

At the bottom of this issue is a little extra relaxing reverie and a free PDF permission slip.     Dear Friend, I am reminded this time of the year of when my hair caught on fire at a candlelight service when I was sixteen. Leaning down to pick up my purse while holding a candle was not the smartest thing I ever did, but it could have been my last. Luckily my brother, who routinely clobbered me on the head for no reason, now had a valid one as he swatted the flame out. I whimpered as the congregation sang Silent Night and the church smelled of burnt hair.  I had an involuntary new look for the New Year.   Hair catching on fire is great material for a writer.... years later. All of life is fodder for a writer.  There is material EVERYWHERE, all the time.   Usually some time must pass before a painful memory is distant enough that it can be seen as something funny. Carol Burnett once said: I got my sense of humor from my mother. I’d tell her my tragedies. She’d make me laugh. She said comedy is tragedy plus time. Mark Twain and Mike Birbiglia also said that. I say it frequently. May your holidays be tragedy free filled with the funny stuff any way.    I'm trying to pay more expanded attention to humor because I know it's power to heal.   Yule Be Fine, Jill        Make Creativity Even More Important in 2025.  It's a world we can believe in. It transports us in the healthiest way possible to our best selves.  It makes visual what our soul has to share. It celebrates our human potential. It beats cleaning the fridge.         Despite the reference to profanity, if you'd like a kinder and more original way to bring in the New Year since... things will be different in 2025, , join me in 2025: You Must be @#(&ing Kidding Me.   For more #$%&ing information   This workshop will just be the softness of love, the gentle recalibration of attention,  playful art and writing to remember the haven we always available to us no matter what, a break from the frenzy, and validating joy of creativity. All that but NO politics! This is the only life we have, don't let the Grinches steal your joy!

Other Ways to Make 2025 Your Year of Creative Celebration           Stay Drunk on Writing on Zoom Wednesdays 2-3:30 January 8- 29 Stay drunk on writing here   Art as a Solution to Reality on Zoom through the La Jolla Athenaeum Thursdays, 2–3:30 PM PST/ 5pm eastern January 9–30 Sign-up and information   Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coaching Training January Registration has closed. Taking applications for March 2025.  Check www.kaizenmuse.com for more information.    The Muse in Winter Taos Retreat February 8-12, 2025 Creativity at the Mabel Dodge Luhan House in Taos. TWO SPACES  Let's immerse ourselves in the mystery and healing of the creative process for four days. As the week goes on, you will experience your creativity deepening.   Kate Mann will be back to give us a private concert. Four Days of creativity immersion, nurturing, far away from the maddening crowd. Find out why people keep coming back, all levels from intimidated beginners to pros.     Wild Abandon: Embrace the Freedom of Imperfection at Omega 2025! Rhinebeck, New York Sept 28-Oct 3, 2025  A short video of what you get when you attend. More here   The Underground Highway to Creative Results: On going monthly workshops, weekly prompts, and a supportive community of nurturing people. Anti-overwhelm, pro-inspired, chill. One of the best ways to make creativity more of a priority. More here.   Underground Highway to Creative Results: Making Showing-up Easier The Muse is IN www.gomnb.com         Get Certified as a Dispatching Creativity Facilitator for another stream of joy and income Starts in January Learn to facilitate your own creativity groups based on the book, The Nine Modern Day Muses (and a Bodyguard).  In this 12-week course you will learn how to gather your own tribe of people in the spirit of unleashing creativity and/or can take your own creative replenishing journey. More about dispatching creativity here.       Follow me on Substack for a more regular dose of inspirational humor and creativity tips. Free but perks for paid members (like class discounts and special benefits ).     Being a part of a class, workshop, or training is guaranteed to make showing up for your creativity easier in 2025       Whenever you can: Find Your Own Way

A Little Relaxation           If you're like me... holiday stress compounded by any chaos you may be soaking in from the news or your inner war with yourself can ruin your joy, drive you to over-nog, and make you cranky.   If there's too much reality happening, I invite you to get lost in Toshio Ebine's painting up there, Ancient Wind, ^  even if it's just for 30 seconds.    What would it be like to be a float on an ancient wind filled with joyful reverie of every human throughout the ages? Or maybe just 160,000 of them? Here's some float inducing music to help    Sometimes simply asking a question like without needing an answer feels better than exposing yourself to incessant world weirdness and various machinations of stress that zap the energy you could be using for creative exploration, sending a note to a friend you haven't contacted in a while, or laying under the Christmas tree and gazing up into the wonder.   Those of us always producing, need a time where we surrender our own efforts and enjoy the magnificence created by others. It's everywhere. Just waiting for us to float on it. Even for just a moment. Enjoy the art, music, writing, dance, photography of whomever brings you awe.

Creativity is a Different Way of Seeing Things

And in conclusion ...   Thank you for being a kindred spirit.