“But I’m not an artist!” I hear this statement frequently from friends, clients,  and students.  Are you breathing? Yes?  Then you are an aspect of Creative Intelligence, therefore innately creative and intelligent. As human being we are creative beings, however, somewhere between 2 and 3rd grade we may have forgotten. Perhaps Little Johnny’s crayon rendition of a tree got picked for the art fair and yours did not. Perhaps you had a sibling who could draw really well, so you decided it wasn’t your thing, or perhaps you got a C in a craft class. Or maybe you KNEW you were an artist, but in high school or college you were told to pick a more logical career, or the term “starving artist” got stuck in your psyche. Whatever the reason the artist was put in the closet, or set to the side, I invite you to extend your hand to the creative aspect that resides inside of you, bring them out into the sunshine and into the world.


I know it can be scary to put the toe in the creativity pond, but we can go slow. Rather than going to the art store and picking up a 4 foot canvas, tubes of paint, and a dozen brushes, it can be less daunting to pull out old magazines and tear out pictures that make you happy. Then arrange them on a piece of cardboard or poster board. You may be amazed by a theme that emerges. This process can literally be a doorway to your heart, a portal to your soul and give you valuable feedback about who you are and why you are here.


Another suggestion is to look at the activities you participated in as a child… there is always valuable information about what aligns us to that something greater, to fulfillment, and joy. I have never gone into a kindergarten classroom while involved in an art project, where the children were not having a GREAT (and sometimes very messy) time. As kids we LOVE to play and create. It’s not about WHAT we create, it is that we GET to create! When we get back in touch with that joyful, happy, creative being, we naturally and easily come into alignment, greater health, and deeper fulfillment.


As a kid I loved to sit outside on the grass with crayons and pencils and draw. I also loved to collect colorful stones, play with clay, and pick flowers. As life became more serious, I put my “childish habits” away. Somewhere along the line I also started to get depressed, anxious, and sick. In my Masters Program at the University of Santa Monica, part of the healing process included inviting back the inner child. “Little Tammi” told me in no uncertain terms, it was time to create. I was scared, but I complied. As I did, I started to feel the fog of sadness lift, and a ray of golden sunshine pierce the gray that had become my life. Creativity, and my inner child, have been my constant companions ever since. And now I love supporting others in tapping into the well of fun, joy, beauty, and wisdom within.


As I hold the hands and hearts of my students when they come to an Art for Healing class or Mandala class, I assure them that everything is going to be O.K. They have already done the hardest part…they showed up. I make the process accessible, simple, and fun. By the end of the class many have said: “I can’t believe I created that!” Well, you didn’t do it alone, God did it through you! This is why I create and why I support others in creating. It is a lifeline to the Divine.


If you are ready for a more fulfilling life, greater health, more love, and more joy, consider creativity.  Look up classes in your area and see what ignites a spark inside of you. Ask your inner child what would be fun for them, and DO IT! Create a collage and send me a picture, I LOVE this stuff!


You can also go to my radio interview with creative genius, artist, author, inventor, jewlery designer and mother, Elizabeth Bryan at http://www.empoweradio.com/home/shows/journey-to-center/journey-show-info/862-May-2011—Elizabeth-Bryan-Creativity-Can-Change-Your-World-and-Feed-Your-Soul.html


Let me know your thoughts and be in touch if you need a “Creativity Coach” or want to share your creations. I would truly love to hear from you! God bless and may you have a happy, healthy, prosperous, and creative life!

I have been feeling pretty darn frustrated and stuck – and dealing with many clients, students and friends who seemed to be in the same boat. So I thought to myself, “I wonder if Mercury is in retrograde?” I am no expert when it comes to astrology, but I believe it can be a powerful tool and guide when we need some help understanding the lay of the land here on planet Earth. So I did some research and not surprisingly it was. I also discovered Saturn was in retrograde as well.

A planet is described as retrograde when it appears to be moving backwards through the zodiac. Of course the planets really never go backwards, they all move around the sun in the same forward direction. However there is an optical illusion and they SEEM to move backwards due to cosmic shadow-play. For the sake of clarity, imagine driving along the freeway and if you are driving 60 miles and hour and you approach someone driving 40, it will appear as if they are going backwards for a moment in time.

All planets go into retrograde, with exception of the Sun and Moon. The qualities of the retrograde planet influence the house they are in. Mercury turned retrograde in Aries March 30, and goes direct April 23. Knowing this little tidbit of information can support us in realizing we are not crazy! This is simply a time to relax, turn inward and be more introspective, rather then try to push forward full steam ahead. Because, unless you can defy gravity and the power of the heavens…it will not be very effective!

What does Mercury affect? Mercury rules thinking, perception, processing, communication, commerce, education and transportation. Mercury retrograde gives rise to challenges in these areas and likely includes misunderstandings, miscommunications, glitches and breakdowns with phones, computers, cars, buses, and trains. Traveling can be tough and a feeling of “stuckness,” frustration, and confusion is often present for most people.

It is not generally a good idea to make important decisions while Mercury is retrograde, they will often be clouded by misinformation, challenged communication and scattered thinking. Mercury is all about mental clarity and the power of the mind, so when Mercury is retrograde these intellectual characteristics tend to be less sharp than usual.

As I mentioned Mercury is retrograde in Mars-ruled Aries, which may make some feel some anger, impatience or just plain grouchy. Mercury in Aries gives a nervous disposition that frequently reveals itself as a “short fuse.” Some symptoms likely to occur are headaches, fatigue, stress, tension, pessimism, depression, and general malaise. It is a really good idea to consider what might nurture you at this time to bring you into a state of peace and balance. Maybe some extra time in meditation, a massage, bubble baths and just some quality time to yourself!

Another piece of the astrological puzzle is Saturn in retrograde. This is not quite as challenging, but it is still nice to be aware of it. Saturn is not as close to the sun so it is a slower moving planet, it went retrograde January 26 and will go direct June 13.

Saturn in retrograde slows down the normal rate of activity so that more effective methods and strategies can be developed. Saturn rules the physical and psychological structures in our lives life. It produces the rules and regulations, our sense of responsibility, and our limitations. It encourages us to cultivate our boundaries by checking in with ourselves, honoring ourselves and saying NO when we mean no.

Saturn turning retrograde gives us the opportunity to go back, reorganize, redefine, or renegotiate any activities or commitments that are a source of frustration. If you try to press forward in areas that are not good for you, the frustrations will increase. This is a good time to energetically “weed your garden.” You may want to consider any current sources of frustration and remove them, or at least refine them. Pay close attention to boundaries and do not spread yourself too thin, or say yes if you really don’t want to.

Lastly it is not recommended that you start any new business activity while Saturn is retrograde. Organization is elusive and lots of additional work will be needed to put thing into order down the line. So, in other words, this is a great time to slow down and allow yourself to “cocoon” a bit. Give yourself permission to be creative: write, paint, read, meditate. Ask yourself what would really honor me? What would really nurture my body, mind and Spirit? Then really listen to the wisdom that bubbles up from within.

So, what do you think? Does this information help? Be in touch with any additional thoughts, information, and/or stories. It is really nice to know we are in this together! Sending you blessings of grace, ease, relaxation, nurturing and peace during this season of retrograde!

I long to be centered, aligned with Spirit, and feel the world solid beneath my feet – that is why the name of my website, blog, and radio show is “Journey to Center.” Unfortunately life in its natural color is not always so balanced, clean and clear. Chaos, yuck, it brings to mind messiness and discomfort. Chaos comes from the Greek word “khaos.” To the ancients, chaos was the first state of the universe, or the emptiness of the outer darkness. In modern times, chaos has come to mean disorder, confusion and a total lack of organization. Most of us probably would not consider chaos to be positive – but are their gifts or an upside to chaos? I was assured by some of my recent guests on my radio show on Empower Radio that chaos can indeed be a very good thing.

I was informed by my experts chaos can shake up the status quo, support us in breaking out of habits and patterns and uplevel in our lives. It may be a good idea to set the intention to make friends with chaos if you are on a journey of awakening, self-discovery, or have the desire to expand in consciousness, because it seems periods of chaos are going to inevitable!

I have experienced periods of profound chaos, where at the time, if I were asked, I would have described it as horrible, awful, and tragic. However, in retrospect, the chaos was exactly what I needed to shift, change, learn, grow and expand. Like the phoenix rising from the ashes those periods of confusion, messiness, and discomfort supported me in journeying to a place of higher altitude and greater awareness. Although uncomfortable I feel the quality of chaos certainly contributed to helping grow up spiritually.

In his book Cracking Creativity: The Secrets of Creative Genius, Michael Michalko says, “It is impossible to think unpredictably by looking harder and longer in the same direction. When your attention is focused on a subject, a few patterns are highly activated in your brain and dominate your thinking. … If, however, you change your focus and think about something that is not related, different, unusual patterns are activated.” Chaos sometimes involves deliberately looking at something in a new way, forcing new associations to form new and different patterns.

Now while in the midst of chaos, I find ways to support myself. I allow myself to rest more, meditate more, and I have found it helps immensely to put order into my environment. This seems to assist me in moving through those strange and uncomfortable times with a bit more grace and ease.

On a final note, I love this quote from American writer Henry Brooks Adams: “Chaos often breeds life, when order breeds habit.” So know I am sending you blessings of LIFE, love, expansion along with a generous dose of grace and ease!

The Law of Attraction is a powerful law of the Universe. Like gravity it is consistent, but unlike gravity we can choose to consciously work with this law – or not. However, if we DON’T work with it, we create our lives by default and end up feeling like victims.

As aspects of Divine Mind, we all have so much more power than we think. One way to start exploring this power is to create affirmations. It is a simple concept, but practice and diligence is necessary to get the best results. To put Law of Attraction in a nut shell water finds its own level and like attracts like.
You get what you put your energy and focus on, whether wanted or unwanted. The Law of Attraction is neutral.

All forms of matter and energy are attracted to that which is of a like vibration.

You are a living magnet.

Energy attracts like energy

“That which is like unto itself is drawn.” Abraham-Hicks

I have been playing with affirmations and the Law of Attraction for a while. I have found I cannot have an attachment to when or how things show up. I seem to continually be surprised at the sense of humor the Universe has.

After I set the intention to be of service and be prosperous I was presented with several opportunities to do volunteer work, and other opportunities to make money. It all turned out very different than I expected.

Then I became aware that an aspect of me was still not satisfied. I was missing LA, dressing up and fine dining. So I revised my affirmation to “I am of service, I am prosperous and I am glamorous!” I didn’t really know how the glamour was going to show up, but I had fun imagining the possibilities and relaxed. Several days later I was invited to a red carpet event in LA and the following day I got a call from Vanna White. She wanted to by 10 copies of my book and invited me to the Polo Lounge in Beverly Hills for lunch. As I was shopping for some new cloths, I laughed to myself and thought about how effective my new affirmation seemed to be!

Once you start to get it, the Law of Attraction can be great fun! Once you put your desires into motion and remove and dueling intentions, or blocks of unworthiness, you can sit back relax and wait for your desires to manifest.

So what exactly is the Law of Attraction formula? Here are the basic steps.

1. Ask and be clear about your desires.

2. Source says YES!

3. Relax, feel good, be grateful and graciously receive.

If inspiration “drops in” in regard to taking action steps, be prepared to do so. If something feels right, do it. Then just relax and expect great things. Feel good knowing you deserve the life of your dreams and your desires are on their way to you.

Don’t worry about if, how, when, where and what everything is going to look like. Let the Universe take care of the details and the method of delivery, when you will receive it, etc. RELAX and ALLOW. Although this may sound easy, it can often be the challenging part of the manifestation process. I call it the period of “patience and faith.” Eliminate any doubt; all you need to do is expect it. Get into the feeling state of already having it and BE GRATEFUL!

For more about the Law of Attraction and the other “Laws of the Universe,” listen to my interview on “Journey to Center” with life coach Roxy McAllister on Empower Radio. Here is the link: http://www.empoweradio.com/home/index.php?news=377
And if you would like, drop me a line and share your thoughts and stories, I would love to hear from you! You can leave a comment here or email me at j2center@gmail.com. May you be blessed with grace and ease as you manifest all of your hearts desires!

I am fairly confident you have heard the oft posed question: “Do you want to be right or do you want to be happy?” After being unceremoniously dumped years ago, I was determined to have both. I had clearly been treated badly and was very attached to my story. I was RIGHT about being right about being wronged. Two years later I was still telling my sad story and garnering a certain about of sympathy. But the “happy” part of the equation was elusive.

As I sat and meditated about my dilemma one day, I asked the question “Why am I not happy: why is my life not moving in a positive direction, why can I not obtain my goals, why am I seeing my ex-fiancés head everywhere?” (Unfortunately for me he was a well known actor at that time). The information that dropped clearly into my awareness was I was facing the wrong direction by telling my story repeatedly – and I could not move forward until I was willing to let go of the past and my need to be right. I was not happy about this revelation. After a week of considering it, and continuing to tell my story to whomever would listen – I finally really GOT I had to let this go if I wanted to be happy. * EXASPERATED SIGH* Oh alright. If I only get one or the other, I am going to go for the happy now.

Almost immediately, life started to shift. I started to book auditions, attract clients, and make more money. My old habit of telling my story tempted me, but I remained strong in my resolve. NO I want to be happy!

I also started to do some conscious forgiveness work. When my ex would pop into my head, I would repeat the mantra “God bless you on your path, God bless me on mine.” I also did a guided meditation where I would have my Guardian angel or Higher Self cut the tangled cords that connected us. I would them see him floating away in an irredesant bubble.

A short time later I met a wonderful man, and I know this would not have been possible had I not surrendered my negative connection to my ex. I also went back to school, got my Ph.D. opened a private practice, wrote a book, started painting and teaching classes – a MUCH better use of my time, energy and life force than holding on desperately to my old story and being right!

The “letting of a being right” practice has been so liberating on many levels. I am now willing to be wrong in my opinions, perspectives and memories. I don’t feel the need to convince anyone of anything. What I eventually came to realize I had a deep seated belief that I had to be right, and convince others it was so, in order to be worthy of having value. What a relief to find out that this wasn’t true. I can be flawed, make mistakes and be wrong and still be worthy! I am no longer attached to being right about almost anything. I don’t feel the need to argue my points, tell my story, or garner sympathy. I feel all of this has softened me and made me more flexible and more lovable human being – at least that is what my husband, that wonderful man I met years ago, has told me!

What I have found by letting go of my story is that respect feels infinitely better than sympathy, and happiness feels so much better than being right. Is it easy? No. Is it always fun? Not so much. Is it worth it? HECK YEAH!

Write to me with any thoughts at j2center@gmail.com. And For more about being right or being happy, listen to my podcast about surrendering control on emoweradio.com. http://www.empoweradio.com/home/index.php?news=377