Active Hope: The Holiday Detour Guide
"I heard a bird sing / In the dark of December / A magical thing / And sweet to remember: 'We are nearer to spring / Than we were in September.'" — Oliver Herford
Are you a Detourist? Share your detour story here! (Or just respond to this email!)
Check out my upcoming (virtual) events here!
t’s a different December for all of us. But why not make this season uniquely ours? A season of hope.
Are you missing community right now?
We may not have the community we visualized surrounding us for the holidays this year, but this season, think about the community in your own life and feel gratitude. How can we find a supportive environment where we can laugh, celebrate, and feel joy?
Being part of a community fills us with a positive and wonder-filled experience of life. No single person knows the whole story of the universe, but together, we can each contribute what we know.
Here are some ideas that can fill this holiday season with joy, hope and community for you:
Here’s an awesome holiday playlist to make your season bright, curated by Victoria Shaw
How about a great movie to watch? A Muppet Family Christmas: Why You Haven’t Seen the Most Important Holiday Special Ever Made
Connect with those around you to help lay the foundation for peace, on the inside and outside…
Some painting I’ve been doing, and a song I’ve been writing….
Here are some great Chanukah gift picks. Honored to have my memoir listed here, and the AUDIOBOOK for “My Beautiful Detour” will be out in time for the holidays, so keep checking back on my audiobook site for updates, and check out a teaser and more. Soon you’ll be able to find it on Amazon, Itunes, Audible and more!
What was the real miracle of Chanukah? Was it the oil that should have lasted one day lasted for eight days? Thinking about what we’ve all been through this year, the Chanukah miracle is that the Jews bothered to light the Menorah at all, knowing that they didn’t have enough oil to make it through the week. They still chose to act - to have active hope. This year, find a way to actively hope for the future YOU want to see on your detour. Make it a beautiful detour.
Here are some latkes I cooked up - cooking is a great way to create. What seeds of hope do you want to manifest in what you cook?
Check out the brand new LoveMyDetour shop! Just in time for the holidays, can't wait to share my books, art, apparel, home decor, private lessons, workshops, yoga mats and more! I hope these little sparks of joy help you find those flowers on your paths, wherever they may twist and turn!
My newest workbook Creativity & Gratitude is about to be released!
“There’s no such thing as a mistake. A mistake is only an opportunity to do something else.” - Ralph Steadman
New Podcast! There is no straightforward path for life, creativity or healing. A few steps forward and back takes patience, determination and compassion...but stick with those steps and you'll be wonderfully surprised by what you'll find - no telling when, but the real joy comes not "when" but being there for each single step. Like today.
I was excited to share the tools that help most on this journey on this great new podcast, How to heal from Trauma through Creativity. You won't want to miss this one.
The #FullMoonPositiveBookClub: I’ll be Richard Skipper’s December guest, discussing my memoir “My Beautiful Detour: An Unthinkable Journey from Gutless to Grateful”
December 29th (Full Cold Moon) at 2PM ET Streaming LIVE on Richard Skipper Celebrates on Facebook and YouTube. https://www.facebook.com/RichardSkipperFullMoonPositiveBookClub Let’s keep the positivity flowing!
My latest solo musical is...in the works! It's going to incorporate five of my superhero friends - different allies than the ones I described in my memoir, but the elements all around us - water, fire, earth, air and spirit. I've created some paintings based on each of these healing mentors, and so excited to get them onto a yoga mat...and a few other things! Check out the yoga mats here!
What element is speaking to you the most today? Fire in a holiday decoration light, earth in the fresh ground we walk on, air in what we breathe and sing for holiday carols, or the spirit of gratitude?
Apple watches, stationary, pillows and more with my art on it - check it out!
This month, remember that small changes often appear to make no difference until you cross a threshold. Be patient and keep planting seeds, every day!
My latest shadow puppetry…check out my new Puppetry page where you can see some fun new videos.
Find beauty anywhere and everywhere. Here are three great videos, pictures and inspirations to remind you of the art, spirit and joy we can find in the beautiful world we live in:
'Sistine Chapel of the ancients' rock art discovered in remote Amazon forest
Why is the world so beautiful? An Indigenous botanist on the spirit of life in everything
Detourists, I truly hope that this month is a time to plant small seeds of active hope, day by day. Find a random act of kindness you can do - even a smile underneath your COVID mask will make your open eyes pop! Plan a zoom call with someone you haven’t spoken to in a while. Scribble on the back of a napkin. Think good thoughts before bed. Baby seeds of hope will grow those unexpectedly wonderful flowers on your detour…#LoveMyDetour.
But for now…
#TrustYourDetour. One step at a time.
t’s a different December for all of us. But why not make this season uniquely ours? A season of hope.
Are you missing community right now?
We may not have the community we visualized surrounding us for the holidays this year, but this season, think about the community in your own life and feel gratitude. How can we find a supportive environment where we can laugh, celebrate, and feel joy?
Being part of a community fills us with a positive and wonder-filled experience of life. No single person knows the whole story of the universe, but together, we can each contribute what we know.
Here are some ideas that can fill this holiday season with joy, hope and community for you:
Here’s an awesome holiday playlist to make your season bright, curated by Victoria Shaw
How about a great movie to watch? A Muppet Family Christmas: Why You Haven’t Seen the Most Important Holiday Special Ever Made
Connect with those around you to help lay the foundation for peace, on the inside and outside…
Some painting I’ve been doing, and a song I’ve been writing….
Here are some great Chanukah gift picks. Honored to have my memoir listed here, and the AUDIOBOOK for “My Beautiful Detour” will be out in time for the holidays, so keep checking back on my audiobook site for updates, and check out a teaser and more. Soon you’ll be able to find it on Amazon, Itunes, Audible and more!
What was the real miracle of Chanukah? Was it the oil that should have lasted one day lasted for eight days? Thinking about what we’ve all been through this year, the Chanukah miracle is that the Jews bothered to light the Menorah at all, knowing that they didn’t have enough oil to make it through the week. They still chose to act - to have active hope. This year, find a way to actively hope for the future YOU want to see on your detour. Make it a beautiful detour.
Here are some latkes I cooked up - cooking is a great way to create. What seeds of hope do you want to manifest in what you cook?
Check out the brand new LoveMyDetour shop! Just in time for the holidays, can't wait to share my books, art, apparel, home decor, private lessons, workshops, yoga mats and more! I hope these little sparks of joy help you find those flowers on your paths, wherever they may twist and turn!
My newest workbook Creativity & Gratitude is about to be released!
“There’s no such thing as a mistake. A mistake is only an opportunity to do something else.” - Ralph Steadman
New Podcast! There is no straightforward path for life, creativity or healing. A few steps forward and back takes patience, determination and compassion...but stick with those steps and you'll be wonderfully surprised by what you'll find - no telling when, but the real joy comes not "when" but being there for each single step. Like today.
I was excited to share the tools that help most on this journey on this great new podcast, How to heal from Trauma through Creativity. You won't want to miss this one.
The #FullMoonPositiveBookClub: I’ll be Richard Skipper’s December guest, discussing my memoir “My Beautiful Detour: An Unthinkable Journey from Gutless to Grateful”
December 29th (Full Cold Moon) at 2PM ET Streaming LIVE on Richard Skipper Celebrates on Facebook and YouTube. https://www.facebook.com/RichardSkipperFullMoonPositiveBookClub Let’s keep the positivity flowing!
My latest solo musical is...in the works! It's going to incorporate five of my superhero friends - different allies than the ones I described in my memoir, but the elements all around us - water, fire, earth, air and spirit. I've created some paintings based on each of these healing mentors, and so excited to get them onto a yoga mat...and a few other things! Check out the yoga mats here!
What element is speaking to you the most today? Fire in a holiday decoration light, earth in the fresh ground we walk on, air in what we breathe and sing for holiday carols, or the spirit of gratitude?
Apple watches, stationary, pillows and more with my art on it - check it out!
This month, remember that small changes often appear to make no difference until you cross a threshold. Be patient and keep planting seeds, every day!
My latest shadow puppetry…check out my new Puppetry page where you can see some fun new videos.
Find beauty anywhere and everywhere. Here are three great videos, pictures and inspirations to remind you of the art, spirit and joy we can find in the beautiful world we live in:
'Sistine Chapel of the ancients' rock art discovered in remote Amazon forest
Why is the world so beautiful? An Indigenous botanist on the spirit of life in everything
Detourists, I truly hope that this month is a time to plant small seeds of active hope, day by day. Find a random act of kindness you can do - even a smile underneath your COVID mask will make your open eyes pop! Plan a zoom call with someone you haven’t spoken to in a while. Scribble on the back of a napkin. Think good thoughts before bed. Baby seeds of hope will grow those unexpectedly wonderful flowers on your detour…#LoveMyDetour.
But for now…
#TrustYourDetour. One step at a time.