Writing Camp with Julie Jordan Scott

When I was small, I was stubborn (tenacious? Knew what I wanted and focused on that direction? Some things never change?) This is Day 15 of #AprilLove2021 At this stage - 14 months - I was still refusing to walk. Maybe my Dad or Mom or whomever wanted us all to stand but I was having none of it. I never noticed the body language of Sue and Jim in this photo. It looks now like Sue is willing me to get up and Jim is trying to make me feel comfortable in whatever choice I make.... Jeff looks like he will follow whatever direction is given to get this whole ceremony to completion. What this photo doesn’t show directly is my family was in quite a bit of upheaval here. It is Easter, 1963. Granny probably sent the dresses Sue and I are wearing. Part of my belligerence is I wanted to still be the baby of the family and already that was usurped by my younger brother, John. I couldn’t have realized how his birth would change everything for our family. He had Down’s syndrome and became my constant concern and companion. I think he was the best teacher of patience I could have ever had. And, like me, he was stubborn, tenacious, and knew what he wanted. My parents were only 31 and 32 at this point with five little ones, 7 and under. I don’t know how they did it. . . . . . #aprillove #1960sstyle #1960sfamilyportrait #familyislove #specialneedsfamily #tenacity #willpower #focusedonmygoals #stayfocused #minime #specialneedssiblings #grannylove

Sometimes the past me takes care of the present me so well! Last year I was writing prompts and creating images from poetry. When I reconnected to them this year, I knew I had a purpose for them when I made them, but I didn't know what it was.... today, I found a blog post and a video related to listening to trees. Clearly, no accidents. All synchronicity. I am known for loving trees, for hugging trees everyday, for listening to trees. While I may have appreciated this con...ceptually in the past, now I experience it daily so my awareness and knowledge has expanded exponentially because I am so intimate with trees. Every day! What is something your "past self" has done lately that your "current self" is grateful for?

It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent. Madeleine Albright Former Secretary of State, US Ambassador to the United Nations... As spring gets brighter, so do the insights I’ve been having. It is rather remarkable and at times, I feel compelled to step outside myself and watch - and see what the one-year-ago me and the five-year-ago me would be thinking. Today in the Spring Challenge we were wearing Spring Layers. It is cooler again in Bakersfield and I literally need to wear a cardigan in order to not be chilled. Thankful. Did I say thankful? I can’t get enough of this floral cardigan, which fits for #thriftpicsApril, too. If this floral cardigan were to speak, it would sing in a melodic, confident voice, wouldn’t she? The jeans aren’t afraid to get messy and the bright blue of the v-neck says Watch me now! If your outfit today could speak, what would it say? . . . . . . . #stylechallenge #thriftedstyle #springstylechallenge#secondhandfashion #thriftedootd #ootd #thriftstorefinds #inspirationalquotes #inspiringwomen #plussizestyle #vulnerabilitypractice #styleover50 #30daysofSpringStyle #thriftedood #thriftstorefinds #frugalmama #frugalfashionista #MadeleineAlbrightquote #findyourvoice #speakup #writingcoach #springfloral #floralcardigan #HartPark #KernCounty #Spring2021

At the end of my last post, we considered injecting joy into our lives and that made me wonder how many of us see joy as a choice - something we may manifest, create and even turn towards in times of darkness - or is joy something we happen upon? This makes for a fruitful writing/creativity prompt. Here are places to start:... Is joy a choice? When I think about choosing joy, what comes to mind is..... Set your timer for 5 minutes and let your pencil or pen float across the page. Allow your fingers to move along the keyboard without thinking. Let your mind be free of editing or judgment and discover what is there for you to discover.

Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day. Henri Nouwen At the bottom of the post, I wrote a question for you to ponder and a creativity prompt for you to explore. ... This is not the normal photo I would post for a fashion challenge AND it was taken yesterday morning - and I am wearing yellow and polka dots and not a speck of make up - not even lipstick - the joy I am wearing says a lot so, I am being vulnerable and sharing anyway. Yellow was the color for the challenge yesterday. I wasn’t feeling up to taking any fashion photos. However, because I am committed to hugging a tree everyday and because I know my day starts better when I walk and tree hug early, this photo came from exploring and experiencing some glorious cottonwood trees in a nearby park I have loved for years. I decided today I would post, even though it isn’t a conventional fashion post. I decided joy is always fashionable, even if it is no make up. Even if it is a flicker of joy, a brief injection of joy to sustain you during a tough patch. It may come from dressing yourself in special clothes or making thrifted outfits for fun, it may come from spiritual practices or art making. Right now, for me, walking and tree hugging along with writing are my daily go-to’s for joy, unabated and regular. Do you have a method for delivering a daily injection of joy to yourself? Writing Prompt: When I think about choosing joy, what comes to mind is.....

This image is camouflage. It is to distract from my interrupted relationship with wishes which is the #AprilLove2021 prompt from a few days back. It’s a cute image though - and weird because what parent sits their child precariously on an armrest of a convertible now? I have had many wishes that haven’t come to fruition which makes me sit poised on the edge of them, muted, not willing to speak them into the air for fear of the muzzle or the axe or the rolling pin that flatten...s them while they are still soft and fragile. I have a dream on the horizon I don’t dare share with many for fear too many voices talking about it will interfere with my courage practice and again, it will somehow cause it to evaporate. The people who I have told don’t talk about it often yet, so I don’t know why I continue to hover in the I am scared about this. I am convinced it will fail and maybe if I pull the denial of wanting this with all my heart and soul card it will somehow stay safer and I can walk away. Little harm, little foul and then I think. I can’t do that again. I can’t let my wish my stillborn this time. I can’t. I won’t. I will follow through and give voice to it and action and breathe it into being even though it scares me. Even though I feel anxiety. Even though I wonder how wise it is to be selfish and unsettled and so excited and unsure. I wondered fifteen minutes ago why I hadn’t shared this yet with the world. May today be my warm up. May this sharing be the next beginning. May I keep flexing and stretching my courage muscle, remembering the other brave things I have done. I haven’t died yet. The only times I’ve come close to death have been when it had nothing to do with wishing or boldness or desire. I have no cutesy smart succinct way to end this. So i will just end this with the vow to pick it up again, tomorrow. . . . . . . #AprilLove #WritingPrompt #WritingPrompts #MiraculousFlow #VintageEphemera #VintageConvertible #distracted #CreateaDiversion #soulgrowth #lifepath #soulpurpose #intuitivehealer #transformationalcreativity #wishfulthinking #wishmeluck #wishwish #wishmewell #goals2021 #intentions2021 #selfreflection #themomentbefore

How would your life change if you made the choice to open yourself fully to each moment as it happens? Stop letting distractions take your attention https://buff.ly/3lefQp7

Emily Dickinson: a woman who created a life on her own terms without regard for others opinions or dictates. . May we continue to learn from her and honor her. . How are you creating your life on your terms?... . . . #EmilyDickinson #EmilyDickinsonPoetry #MixedMedia #layersonlayers #feministart #feministartist #aedm2020 #aedm #poetrylovers #womenpoets #womensbooks #bookishwomen #writersread #bravewriters #readerscommunity #writerssupportingwriters #writingcommunity #womenpoets #womenwriters #powerfulwomen #powerfulquotes #inspiringquotes #inspiringwomen #spirituallifecoach #certifiedlifecoach #lifepurposecoach #creativelifecoach #midlifecoach

I regularly hear from coaching clients that they stop their usual creative routines during time off and then don’t ever get back in the flow. . Here’s the secret: Keep up your creative practices while you travel. I recently visited Yosemite and stayed in a darling cabin... with my notebook by my side and wi-fi I was able to do my writing practice and do my usual YouTube meditations and morning yoga. . What do you do to keep your writing going while you are away from your usu...al routines? . . . . . . #writinginspiration #writinginbed #morningroutine #writingpractice #morningpages #dailywriting #travelwriting #CaliforniaRoadTrip #cabininthewoods #journalinspiration #writersofinstagram #writersnetwork #writinglife #writerslifeforme #dailywriting #morningviews #morningview #intheflow #gowiththeflow #writeeveryday #writeeverydamnday #cozyvibes #cozyfall #centralcalifornia See more

I make the most progress when I don’t have a clue what I’m doing AND I start anyway. Julie JordanScott When do you make the most progress? Lately as I have bumped into mindset wall after mindset wall, I make the most progress when I start without knowing what I am doing. What I mean is, I might have a "to do" on my list that seems bigger than what I know.... When I sit down with a "I am going to do this, even if I don't know how" attitude I am amazed at what I can get done. When do you make the most progress? Share your first thoughts in the comments and/or write about your relationship with progress for five minutes, stream of consciousness style. Then come back and comment and tell us how it went. If you would like to speak with me one-on-one about what you discovered or if you would appreciate some laser coaching, send me a private message.

I will try this approach from a class at USC: improving writing via short film. Techniques and links to short films included (except for final film which looks fascinating. I am going to see if I can find it!) https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/teaching-with-film/

Two days ago I shared my favorite guided meditation to start the morning. I also do bedtime meditation. If you have hesitation about meditation, this article from my friend and content copy writing coach Deborah Ager shares resources to help. If you’re like me who understands and enjoys a meditation practice, you will find value in knowing more places to go for enhancing what you’re already doing: https://greatist.com/live/meditations-for-sleep#1

It is that time of year when I begin to think about the new year that is right over the horizon I have been staring down. This year, after living through 2020, the desire for shift is even stronger. I have been working on my vision for a "future world" as much or more than the future year! Today I started thinking about the One Word process I have done for a long time now. It has been grounding year after year to create a theme to live with for the entire year. This year my ...word was "Intrepid" and it has definitely come in handy throughout this stressful year. When my coaching clients feel unsettled or the need to be more grounded, I ask which of these actions would be the most helpful entry place to feel more grounded: * Move your body * Move your pen or pencil on paper * Move into a space of creativity via paint, collage, markers or crayons on small spaces The image you see above is a combination of two types of movement: moving my pen on paper I had previously used in a quick exploration of mixed media. I was doing an assignment in a workshop with Amy Walsh and her Bureau of Tactical Imagination, building the undergirding of a world that I would enjoy living in, every day, and writing ideas you see in the words on the mixed media squares. I see them like quilt squares, creating this one woman’s world that will in turn be quilted into other folks’ worlds. Emotionally intelligent culture makes bullying obsolete Healing is open, sacred, love-filled, transparent My granddaughter doesn’t know what ‘politically correct’ means Reading my words now, I feel grounded again. This is the world I am creating. Now, in order to create the world we want to live in, our first practice is the days we live in now - how we are embodying the future we want to bring to life into our everyday life today and as we step into 2021. Have you started thinking about your One Word for 2021? Start with moving your body, your pen or your creativity tools. If you would enjoy further coaching or direction, comment or send me a private message so we can get you closer to creating a new year and your new world.

Gelli print pages for tiny art books in November, step by step. So often we only see completion. In November for Art Every Day month I will be sharing process. On Day 1 I did some gelli printing, which I plan to do daily.... My end result for the gelli printing is to create mini books. Today (I’m writing on Day 2) I will also be writing and printing text for the prototype mini book. I’ll share my joyful imperfections along the way. I look forward to seeing what other artists create - @leah has been inspiring me for years with this... I’ve done several projects that have made a big impact, been shown in galleries, and I’m ready to continue. I’m about to leave my pages from yesterday with some medium on them so that they are thicker and easier to add the next layer plus I love the texture and the look. Swipe to see several of the pages in more detail. Cheers to an artful November! . . . . . #aedm #aedm2020 #arteverydaymonth #arteverydaymonth2020 #gelliprinting #bookpageart #acrylicpaint #bookmaking #purplepaint #printmaking #mixedmedia #alteredbookpage #artjournaling #dailyart #artchallenge #creativelifemidwife #setyourartfree #setyourwordsfree #wordlover #booklovee #bookart #mixedmediaartist #smallart #mixedmediavideo #artshowandtell #mixedmediaartwork #mixedmediapainting #intuitiveart #intuitivepainting #intuitivemixedmedia

Yesterday I shared a morning meditation I use every day to determine what being-quality I want to cultivate or engage with on that particular day. The second daily practice is stretching - while still in bed. I never knew how invigorating it might be to stretch in bed before getting up. I’m sharing two videos: one today and one tomorrow. The first is under 5 minutes by a young yogi I. Tomorrow’s stretching video has similar stretches from the perspective of two physical ther...apists. https://youtu.be/7o4waoBbIZA morning #morningroutine

On this #ThankfulThursday in November the ladies of @midlifeloop are celebrating. . I’m so thankful for the beautiful parks here in Bakersfield. I’ve been using parks a lot these last few months for walking and writing and enjoying time outdoors. . It seems to be one of the truly good things about the pandemic: people are outdoors more, enjoying these treasures we have always had but may not have noticed.... . Please take a moment to check out these incredible ladies of the #midlifeloopchallenge to be inspired by their gratitudes. . @judyarazoza @bellclapper @caroleannmitchell @blossomhaiku @debghealth @jenjibee @thequeenofdarnneareverything @tenaciouslyme_ @queengee.2 @lynettejost.health @by_easydone . What are you thankful for today? . . . . . #midlife #midlifeblogger #midlifecreative #midlifetransition #writerslife #communityovercompetition #findyourcommunity #womenover40 #womenover50 #midlifewoman #midlifewomen #gratefulthankfulblessed #womensupportingwomen #midlifeinfluencer #writinglife #writerslifeforme #creativepreneur #artrepreneur #LakeMing #Bakersfield #KernCounty

Good morning, November 5, 2020 For the next few days I will be sharing the steps in my everyday morning routine. I will first share the steps separately and then, at the end, will share a list of the routine in its entirety. I recommend you experiment and engage with the different morning routines to see what fits for you.... Also - feedback is helpful, so please comment what you enjoyed about each segment and also what isn’t fitting for you - and why - because the reasons it is helpful or not so helpful may be of service to others. This is my favorite morning meditation. It is a guided meditation, only 7 minutes long, and helps me with considering my day in its entirety before I get out of bed. #morningroutine https://youtu.be/ux4NJ0sLnJU

What a great idea: taking a virtual trip to bring a calm to this #TravelTuesday with my friends with the #MidlifeLoop! I’ve been wanting to go to Flagstaff to see my parents but hesitate because of the health crisis we’re in the midst of as a nation and across the world. Today, I’m back with my kids visiting my parents and sending love to each and all.... Hopefully we will figure out a safe way to visit soon. What virtual or memory trip would you like to plan? Scan back over photos and allow their w energy to heal and inspire. Know love always finds a way. Check out the other ladies traveling in the #MidlifeLoopChallenge and sign up for our next adventure challenge by following @midlifeloop . @thequeenofdarnneareverything @26kleisen @caroleannmitchell @kendrasfreethymeliving @by_easydone @mojo_and_moxie_ @over60cheekychic . Again, what virtual memory trip would you like to plan?

Hugging a neem tree, when I didn’t even want to go for a walk. To get out of the car, I promised myself a tree hug. As I walked to the cross walk (my first goal) I giggled because it talked to me and it was like a race to get across the highway. Then there was a gorgeous sky and one of my favorite birds serenaded me. . When you do things you don’t want to do, the rewards will be plenty.

Years ago, I heard Joan Rivers use the commanding phrase, "Touch velvet" when she wanted to bring a calming influence into any situation. Why? Because what happens when we touch velvet? Not unlike what happened today when I put on the jacket I a wearing. It is lined in fleece and against my arms it felt cozy, it felt welcoming, and when I zipped up the front of my jacket and put on the hood, I might as well have been a princess because I felt like I had on a crown I felt so g...ood. "Touch velvet" in our minds alone brings a new association into our head space. Try it: close your eyes and "touch velvet". What word associations pop into you head. Write them down on your keyboard, your phone in your notebook. "Touch velvet" again, as imperfectly as it may be, it will shift your experience. Even as I type the words "touch velvet" I feel my breath changing. I feel my energy shifting. In the free and private Word Love Writing Community on Facebook there are 9 writing prompts to go with this concept of tactile writing and touch velvet written especially for social media posts, solopreneurs, novelists, journal writers and more. Click the link in my bio to find out more and sign up to be connected. . . . . #wordlover #wordlove #wordlovers #writingcommunityofinstagram #writingcommunity #writersconnection #writersconnect #writingprompts #writingprompt #writingtip #writinginspiration #writingquestion #writingspark #writingpractice #questionoftheday #personalgrowth #blogginggals #positivityblogger #midlifebloggers #bloggingcommunity #themidlifebloggingcommunity #writingcoach #keepwriting #creativitycoach #becreative #WriterCoach #womenwriters #chooselove #choosecreativity