Who inspired you in 2013? And why?
What gifts did they give you? And how will you carry these forward in to 2014?

What a yummy question!  

When I read it the first person who popped into my mind is my new friend Ruth Schowalter that many of you will know through #Reverb13 or The Daily Creative Practice Group Facebook.

Ruth and I met just a few months ago on August 24th when I went to my first Atlanta Interplay play date in town 🙂

Jennifer and Ruth Interplaying together 🙂

Why does she inspire me?  For so many reasons two of which being her authenticity and welcoming nature.  When you first go to her blog you read: 
 
On my PILGRIMAGE, I seek AUTHENTICITY. Courageous and Soulful Joy is my motto. I invite you to SHARE your JOURNEY with me.  

And she really means it 🙂 Within a couple of quick “chats” after we met Ruth wrote the following to me:

That said. We can talk about where you want to go with your blog from that starting place. Be thinking about your MISSION. Why go to your blog and write? What is your PURPOSE for blogging. An overarching MISSION that you are totally committed to will keep you blogging enthusiastically. Also, who are you writing for??? Who is your audience and what do they need to know about your MISSION. Enough said. You are a lovely writer.

This is the conversation that prompted me blogging on a regular basis – The blog that kicked off daily blogging back in August.   

Another reason she inspires me is her artwork!  Check it out at coffeewithhallelujah.

Ruth is a wonderful artist and in addition facilitates the The daily creative practice group on face book that is (according to Ruth 🙂 )  a destination for anyone who is flexing their imaginative muscle with loving persistent daily dedication and wants to share results with other like-minded souls. Whether you are a visual artist, blogger, dancer, poet, lyricist, singer, musician, scientist, entrepreneur, teacher, yogi, knitter, philosopher, or peacemaker, your images, performances, writings, or thoughts are welcome here.

You may not have hit your stride yet in BEING CREATIVE EVERY DAY, but developing and deepening your IMAGINATION is possible through perpetual, loving habitual PRACTICE. Just as you brush your teeth each day or perform any other daily habit, so can you draw that vision, pen that poem, produce that song, play that instrument, express that thought, knit that whimsical structure, construct that idea, and kick your feet up in dance! 

She lovingly invites all of us to be our best selves – what a wonderful gift to the world!


Right before a hand dance at the “Secrets” weekend

Ruth has given me the gift of a beautiful new friendship, the courage to blog, the inspiration to create art daily and a new soul sister in the journey of Interplay.  I plan to carry all of these gifts forward into 2014 as they feed my soul in ways that make me light up from the inside.  If you haven’t already, check out her blog at coffeewithhallelujah 
I promise you will be delighted 🙂

-Christine