to 2011.

Maya Angelou said it best. Twice.

Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can't be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest.

Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage, you cannot practice any other virtue consistently. You can practice any virtue erratically, but nothing consistently without courage.

The Art of Meaningful Communication

The November/December issue of Psychology Today has a good article by Kate Bolick about the importance and art of meaningful communication. It opens with a quote by Michel de Montaigne: "The most fruitful and natural play of the mind is conversation. I find it sweeter than any other action in life". The article says what I know to be true from my coaching practice - that "talking forces us to clarify our perspectives, as well as recall our experiences". We're so distracted by our technology today [and don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of all advances, including technological ones] and the article addresses this as well: "Looking down at a handheld device, rather than into the eyes of your conversational mate, isn't merely rude; it also sabotages the exchange of nonverbal cues that help sustain rich and meaningful attachments." This, as human beings, is what we all want and need - not just conversations and attachments, but meaningful ones.

The Tao Game

A colleague of mine - Edith Samouillet* - with a degree in Psychology and broad personal and executive development experience, has developed a peer tool for exploration and wish-fulfillment called the Tao Game. Experienced in a small, but powerful group of 6 players, over the course of 4 sessions, each 3-hours in length, this is sure to be an expansive and life-changing experience. The first of 4 sessions will be on September 23. For more information, please contact me at Blossoming - 720.226.5291 or Edith directly at Turning Points - 303.895.0940.
*Edith is French, which makes her even more interesting and fabulous!

Coach Training Program In Development

It's been a while since we posted here. Sorry about that! We've been working hard all summer expanding Blossoming with a specific focus on developing our Coaching Training Program. Combining Christine's background in corporate training and development with the business, creative and writing coaching she's been doing with Blossoming, it's a program we're thrilled to be able to offer. You can learn more at http://www.blossomingcoachinconsortium.blogspot.com/.

Well Used

There's knowing, / and then there's knowing, / my work is discerning / what will be of use to me / so that I can be well used.
Vicky Edmonds, Well Used

Blossoming Writer's Retreat in Vail

Join us the weekend of September 17 - 19 for a Blossoming Writer's Retreat in stunning Vail, Colorado!

You don't have to be a capital W Writer to attend. We'll be exploring writing prompts + exercises which are meant to open up creativity + expression through writing + reflection. Whether looking to enrich your personal writing, initiate or expand professional writing, this will be a fantastic weekend. Included in the $190. retreat rate* is 4 writing workshops, 1:1 writing evaluation + feedback with Christine, along with plenty of time to refresh + recharge in the mountains of Colorado. Please email you.blossoming@gmail.com for more information + details.
*Inn reservations/payment made directly to the Inn

Grow.

If I grow and grow, I can give you more of me. I learn so that I can teach you more. I strive for wisdom so that I can encourage your truth.
-Leo Buscaglia

Robert Martinez Showing

See the work of Robert Martinez - talented painter and Blossoming co-op artist - at Hapa Sushi in Boulder, May 9 - July 11. Look for his work at Hapa Sushi Cherry Creek later in the year as well!

Pomegranate Place

Women need a place to call their own. Virginia Woolf asked for a room of one's own. By room, she didn't only mean a physical room. She meant a place to be, feel fully, create unabashadly. Pomegranate Place in Denver is such a place.

The pomegranate has much symbolism surrounding it.
Prosperity.
Fertility.
Abundance.

I have the great pleasure of being a contributing writer + editor for the Pomegranate Place blog - please visit it often and take from it what you can to live + create with more depth + breadth.
www.pomegranateplace.org/blog.

how fortunate.

how fortunate we are to make our life's work centered on experiencing life with depth and creating a soulful response to it. -linda saccoccio

Massage by Lindsay - complimentary chair massages!

Joining us on Saturday, 5.8 between Noon - 2p, will be Lindsay with Massage by Lindsay offering complimentary chair massages.

Create Denver.

This is a cool event put on by Denver creatives; if you're downtown this week, stop by. And look for Blossoming's own, Monkey Mind Design, who was invited to participate!

http://www.createdenver.wordpress.com/

Meet The Artist Event - Judy Prager

Saturday, May 8 from Noon - 2p : a special event featuring the art of Judy Prager. Judy creates lovely pieces from clay and her attitude vases are something to behold! She has many other pieces, including the most lovely bowls laced with suede. Please join us for a wonderful afternoon with a wonderful artist!

april is national poetry month

visit poets.org for a poem delivered to your inbox each day of this month.

On Community + Connection.

It is a grace and privilege to be a businessowner in our community. It's a responsibility - response-ability - that comes with such joy at making + creating connections - especially connecting people with themselves. When someone takes a writing workshop with us, we know it's their creativity + expression they seek. When someone purchases a retail piece or artwork, we know it's an outer representation of their creativity + expression they seek. It is much, much more than commerce we are dealing in here.

Wanderlust Photography Event

Come meet Melissa LaRusso of Wanderlust Photography, and a Blossoming co-op artist. Specializing in travel photography - particularly of Europe - she'll have new work with her [in addition to the pieces we already have in the space for sale currently].

Saturday, March 27
11a - 2p

soul-shaping choices.

The outer path we take is public knowledge, but the path with heart is an inner one. The two come together when who we are that is seen in the world coincides with who we deeply are. As we grow wiser, we become aware that the important forks in the road are usually not about choices that will show up on any public record; they are decisions and struggles to do with choosing love or fear; anger or forgiveness; pride or humility. They are soul-shaping choices.
Jean Shinoda Bolen

kindness.

this is one of my favorite poems by one of our country's best contemporary poets. we're so used to the demands to be nice. so used to constructing our niceties for the family or neighborhood. meanwhile we're frustrated by the demands while craving more authentic connections.

especially as women.

be nice. good girls do this or don't do that. we're supposed to be pleasing and agreeable.

especially as women.

we can strive for kindness.

http://elise.com/quotes/poetry/naomi.htm

Women's Retreat

Blossoming will be hosting a glorious Women's Retreat April 23 - 25. Call us for more details!

6 Sentences [6S]

Today I came upon a cool writing website called 6 Sentences. Writers submit pieces only 6 sentences in length. What a cool idea. I wanted to try my hand at it - or shall I say my pen - so I sent my first submission. It's challenging and fun. I encourage you to try it as well.

[did you notice that was 6 sentences!]

I heard a noise but couldn't tell where exactly it was coming from at first. I listened hard, harder. Oh, ah, inside of me; that's sometimes the hardest to hear. Create and connect it implored. I'm always tempted to react, but I chose my response instead. Blossoming.

Our interior.

Our interior. Filled with all kinds of handmade items from custom jewelry to photography to art. It's a continually evolving mix of things we find beautiful + inspiring. The greatest compliment we get from customers is how they can find things at our space they can't find anywhere else.

Denver + Free + February = Delightful:

2.2 Children's Museum 4-8pm, free evening
2.5 Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield, free day
2.6 Denver Art Museum + Denver Fire Fighters Museum, free day
2.7 Denver Zoo + Denver Museum of Miniatures, free day
2.15 Denver Botanic Gardens, free day
2.16 Denver Zoo, free day
2.21 Denver Museum of Nature & Science, free day

Number 7

Serious Boyfriend #5
Left you on the side of the road. Told you you were fat.
Made you always drive to his house. No roses, no cards. No poems of love.
Serious Boyfriend #6
Didn't want you to shine. Felt threatened by your hobbies. Threw your possessions out of the house onto the porch. Skipped the part about putting them in a box.
Locked the door.
Serious Boyfriend 1 through 4 aren't worth mentioning.
Serious Boyfriend #7
Is out there somewhere, Waiting for you to buy yourself roses Because you are worth it To write poems of love for yourself
To enjoy your self.
So you can see him.

Christine Webb

Now is the Time

A friend of our space sent this to me months ago and I remembered it this morning thinking how beautiful it is. She shared quoting it from the book, Now is the Time:

Now is the time to support an artist.
They bring beauty into our world.
They look at things differently.
They allow us to see ourselves differently.
They inspire us to be more creative.
Yet very few of them make good livings.
They enhance our lives and deserve encouragement.
Look for those who move you.
Support them where you can.

Blossoming at the Botanic Gardens

The Denver Botanic Gardens has a one word "tagline", so you can imagine the pressure on the marketing department to make that one word good.

The word?

Flourish.

Blossoming is a member of the Gardens. It's an obvious relationship.

We'll be hosting a Blossoming at the Botanic Gardens event this Spring in honor + celebration of all the woman to woman relationships that help us flourish. We'll keep you posted with the date + details. Please consider joining us.

http://www.botanicgardens.org

Monkey Mind Design New Products + Sale!

Monkey Mind Design has created the most adorable Valentine's Day cards - check them out at Blossoming. Also, calendars are 1/2 off - $9. - with the his + hers set at $16. These would make fun birthday gifts for January birthdays!

New Letterpress Artist

colette is a sonoma area artist and all of her prints are made from a hand-cut plate with letters cut individually. the prints are pressed by hand [talk about hand-made]. this creates a few quirks: sometimes the plates are not perfectly square, the borders are (meant to be) rough, the ink coverage is different for every print.

sounds like the fabulous peculiarities of life, doesn't it?

the inked area is about 7x9, the paper is 9x12; we have signed, limited edition prints, unframed.

two of my favorites:
"may my heart (all ways) always be open to little birds who are the secrets of living"
-e.e. cummings

thanks is for giving [forgiving].

Creativity Course

Beginning the last Thursday in January and every month for 2010, we're hosting a Creativity Course that will enliven + expand how we engage our creativity.

Following the themes Julia Cameron outlines in her Artist's Way, we will use this and other creativity tools + exercises to explore.

Safety - January
Identity - February
Power - March
Integrity - April
Possibility - May
Abundance - June
Connection - July
Strength - August
Compassion - September
Self-Protection - October
Autonomy - November
Faith - December

For more information and/or to register, please call 720.226.5291 or email you.blossoming@gmail.com.

Co-Op Artists

We have two new co-op artists whose work we're thrilled to represent. One is Wanderlust Photography - gorgeous photos of Europe in frames that will make you swoon. The other is Robert Martinez who paints with a grace and passion evident in his work.

Writing

The experience of our writing workshops is transformative. The obvious is that writing is generated and transformed in writing workshops, yet the transformations take place on many other levels - creatively, emotionally, spiritually. Even as writers - who love words - how can we put words to the myriad benefits of engaging our creativity?

Fabulous Artist Robert Martinez!

We have the great, good fortune to have added a new co-op artist to our space - Robert Martinez. His work is found in some of the best galleries in Denver and we can now count ourselves among them. Come by and see his incredible talent yourself.