A good friend of mine quit his job today. Bang! Just like that it was over.

"I was sitting in an important meeting,and I was sitting there listening to them talk I was thinking,'this is crap! Everything you are talking about is crap.' I didn't tell them that though, " he confided in me, "But I felt it, and when the meeting was over I went back to work and handed in my notice. I've felt this way for a long time and if you don't feel the passion any more what's the point in being there."

Before you quit your job with nothing to go to stop and create some time to reflect. It may be too much stress that's causing you to lose the passion. Or maybe you just need a big dose of inspiration. Here's a few links to articles by creative people who are feeling the same way. Perhaps some of their suggestions may strike a chord with you.

"You need to have a life first so you have something to draw from and you need to consistently produce work.” quotes one photographer. The second half of the quote is something I have long understood and believed in, " he continues, "we must produce something that is a result of our work, our skills, and our intelligence. It makes us happy to create. To bring these two ideas together is something we must all strive for – balance."

You can read the rest of his post here http://blog.patitucciphoto.com/2009/08/26/having-a-life-first/

http://thinksimplenow.com/ "For the next four weeks, I will be living in an ashram near Bangalore India. I will be attending a meditation and spiritual retreat called Inner Awakening that I have been anticipating for many months now..." writes one professional blogger. "A month without technology sounds like a really nice cleanse of its own, "she continues. As to why she feels going on a retreat is essential, " I also strongly feel that the retreat will teach me things, and give me the clarity and insight that will help me better serve this site, and future projects related to my personal purpose." you can read the rest of the article here http://thinksimplenow.com/clarity/retreat-time/

If you could do with a bit of balance in your life click here http://www.cassandragaisford.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=30&products_id=130&osCsid=soiggom7en37ob4rc43i9ctbq2

Or maybe you just need a fresh start. Do you have a feeling that you could do something else if only you knew what it was! For less than the price of three coffees this inspirational eBook may be just the kick start you need. Click here to preview http://www.cassandragaisford.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=29&products_id=64

Taking a stress break or making plans to reinvent your career can be a great life saver. However sometimes people have just had enough. Are you at that stage in your career or do you know someone that is. Is it time to quit? Here are some of the classic reasons that people move on:

These are the top ten reasons why you might want to quit your current job. These are difficult, if not impossible, work problems to solve. You need to look out for your best interests. Your job consumes too many hours of too many days of your life for you to stay where you are if you're miserable. No excuses, now. If these problems exist in your current job, make a plan, and quit your job. Read more here:

"I have always been able to see what others were unable to see; and what they did, I did not see."

- Salvador Dali

Several years ago while in New York I stumbled on a book that was to change my life - "Psychic living: tap into your psychic potential" by Andrei Ridgeway.

"In this technological day and age filled with busywork, " he writes, "many of us neglect our psychic potential. Our instincts are repressed and our inner voices buried...."

"...For many, the word "psychic" is so big, so titanic, they can't accept it. They don't realize it is a normal state of being, that as a lover, and a friend, we use this part of ourselves all the time."

Today as I continued to feel my way toward my preferred future, my true path with heart, and needing a boost I decided to try one of the exercises in the book - evoking the seer.

"For an artist, whatever, he is looking at has meaning. He doesn't need to use the word "clairvoyant, " because the whole universe is holy. Whether it be a spirit that appears out of thin air, or a piece of fruit on the table, it has soul," he writes. Then he encourages us to see the world as an artist and expand our vision to see into other times and places. "It is a wake up exercise, like a cup of coffee for the eyes."

Seeing exercise

Try Andrei's exercise - I just did and it was extra-ordinary! (I've posted my experience at the end of this entry)


Step one Go to a bookstore, library, art gallery or museum and visit the art section. You can make it a filed trip with a friend or lover. Give yourself time. Pretend you are living in the Renaissance, before the invention of People Magazine, when art mattered. Go through the books as if you have never seen any of those painters before, and be especially open to painters whose work you have never seen before. If you have not been in the painting world for a while and feel the need for a starting point, try one of these artists: Salvador Dali,Alex Grey (especially his book Soul Mirrors), Georgia O'keefe, or Claude Monet.

The books that you are drawn to will contain images and colours that resonate with your soul. Go through the pages/view the paintings at a leisurely speed. When you find a painting that really moves you, that stirs your optic cells, sit there and stare at it for a while. Let the light and the colour fill you up.


Step two Write a paragraph about your favourite painting, why it touched you, what is was about it that awakened your soul, Write stream of consciousness (IE just free write without "thinking") I liked the painting because it made me think of god and being a little kid and no end to wonder with yellow warmth and excitement in my belly. Let your pen go wild. No censorship.


Step three When you enter back into reality - your home, office, or the coffee shop next door - see if you can perceive in the objects and people around you the same level of beauty you saw in the painting. Rarely do painters create strictly from the unconscious. Most of them combine their hidden selves with the world around them, blending spirit with matter int heir own masterful way. See what it feels like to perceive life through this double lens, to bring your soul vision into the mundane, to see in the face of a stranger the same wonder and intensity that lived in the painting.

If the painting you chose was famous, buy yourself a print and put it somewhere in your home. It will act as a reminder of how your soul sees the world, keeping your eyes attuned to beauty as you pass through the day."

(excerpt from "Psychic living: tap into your psychic potential" by Andrei Ridgeway, pg 43)

Seeing Cass


Leap Away Girl 1969, Ian Scott

Today I went to Te Papa and after wandering around the many walls of art this painting "Leap Away Girl" by Ian Scott immediately called to me.

Here's what I wrote:

"Fresh yellow greens, clear blue sky and white puffy clouds - the colours call to me as does the name of the painting - Leap Away Girl. "go follow your dreams" the painting called, "look to the horizons and keep following your dreams, allow the fresh, invigorating colours of nature to guide and inspire you - the red energy of passion and goals, of motivation; green the energy of pastures news, of the heart chakra , of feeling energetic and alive, connected to nature, of following the seasons; blue the colour of peace and calm of warm days and summer skies of mother earth and the heavens that envelope her; white the colour of purity, marriage, union, partnership and marriage - contracts of love."

The energy and vitality of the painting arrests me, stops me in my tracks, draws me deeper still - it's joyful, hopeful, sensual,epxectant . The curvy shapes of the clouds in the sky and of the hills - dancing, playful, irregular, creative, uniform - heralding surprises, defying expectations.

"Let go. Let live. Follow your dreams," it challenges and encourages me. Allow the green of the heart - of courage and positive emotion, growth and renewal to nurture you; the blue of the horizon and sea to guide you - to flow like their currents to distant shores and new memories awaiting. The white of the clouds to soften your fears to life you higher still."


Now that I am back at the office the painting lives inside me still, whispering to and challenging my soul. I have printed out a copy of the painting and placed it on my inspiration wall, saved it as my screen saver, and pasted it in my inspiration journal. I see myself in the image of the girl - colourful, jubilant, happy beyond belief. It reminds me of my dream "I dream I am on vacation, it's the perfect career for me" - taken from a song by the Eagles. And of my morphing back toward art, writing, photography and photo journalism - and there on my business card for all to see is a reminder:
Cassandra Gaisford - Artist, life coach, author, photojournalist"


"Art washed from the soul the dust of everyday life." Pablo Picasso


Try this exercise yourself - I'd love to hear how awakening the seer within transforms your life.

Labels: Colour, Cultivating Creativity, happiness, intuition, Life coaching, Motivation, Spirituality in art, Thecolourgirl.com

Last month a friend commented to me that my soul looked like it was tired. I nearly burst into tears. I guess it's the sort of relief people must feel when someone who has been ill gets a diagnosis. Finally, my dis-ease had been named - burnout and emotional exhaustion. Some of it was self created - some of it just happened.

It seemed as though overnight everything had changed. I was trying to juggle a new relationship, full time study, living between homes after renting my house out and on-going dramas with my family. My new relationship started to show strain and my partner pretty much cautioned me not to neglect him for the sake of our relationship. Something had to give so, prioritising my relationship, I gave up my course.

Now I find I have a bit more space but oddly enough my partner doesn't - a whole bunch of family dramas have hit him. All the negativity was killing me and taking a step back I realise that his total unhappiness with EVERY aspect of his life was taking a toll.

My girlfriend said what I needed was to get away for a while and take a retreat. Now what I'm finding is so many people I look up to are doing just the same thing - taking time out to re-centre and think about who they are and what makes them happy.

Last night my partner had a melt down and accused me of not being there for him - this when he cancelled the night out we'd been planning for weeks because of an ex-created drama. Today I went around to see him and he sulked and literally turned his back on me. I didn't feel anything - other than feed-up with all the drama.(He later rang to apologise - so that's progress.)

Importantly what I'm realising is that I really need to get away. And the Universe is telling me to go for it! Synchronicity is the Universe's way of saying "you're on the right path!). Today for example, my good friend Maartje let me interview her re her own transition - and told me she took a gap year in her mid 40's to think about who she was and what she wanted.

Last week, as I said, my friend encouraged me to contact a retreat in Australia and offer some of my services in return for a break. Either that or get a gap-job somewhere cruisy.

Then today I read Tina Su's post

For the next four weeks, I will be living in an ashram near Bangalore India. I will be attending a meditation and spiritual retreat called Inner Awakening that I have been anticipating for many months now.It’s an opportunity to learn directly from an enlightened guru in a serene environment, along with several hundred other spiritual seekers from around the world.

I’ve decided not to bring my laptop or cell phone, and to fully immerse myself in the experience. Besides, a month without technology sounds like a really nice cleanse of its own.(she's since said that she's extended her trip for 2 months!)

I don't feel like I need to go away on a spiritually lead guru-style retreat but I do feel like I need to grab some space and time to myself. So once my baby sitting task is over I'm going to grab some soul time and take off for a while. Somewhere quiet and somewhere warm - right now Samoa is looking good.(I have 2 weeks more to go before my mother returns from France and I can hand back her very cute, but needy,dog.

Here some of Tina's tips for creating your own retreat:
Create Your Own Personal Retreat

While I am away, I want to make sure that you guys are taking care of yourselves, by creating time out of your week (or day) to connect with yourself, to love yourself, and to give thanks for the things you are grateful for.

If you want to experience a piece of what I am doing, consider doing one or more of the following ideas:

* Cleansing Day - Take one day (a month or a week) off to spend with yourself. Spend the day on your own without the computer, phone, music players and tv (shut everything off). Spend the day communing with nature, going for walks, contemplating in your journal, and maybe reading inspirational things. Optionally, consider spending the day without speaking, unless you are addressed by another person.

* Take a Meditation or Yoga Class - at the local gym or meet up. Many temples of various religions offer meditation classes for free. It doesn’t hurt to be open to it and experiment with them. When I first moved to Seattle, I would go to a local Tibetan Buddhist temple for this.

* Moments of Stillness, Everyday - spend 10 minutes everyday with your eyes closed in silence. Start with some deep breaths and focus on your breath. Whenever thoughts come, just bring your focus back on your breathing. Extend it to longer than 10 minutes if you can. 21 minutes or more gives best results.

* Write a Love Letter - to yourself, to another person, or to the Universe. The point of this, is practicing of gratitude, and realizing the abundance of goodness you have in your life.

* Selfless Service - Do something for someone, or for some group of people without expecting anything in return, and don’t tell people that you did it (bragging that you did something counts as expecting something, and it no longer becomes selfless service).

* Inspirational Reading - Read something that inspires you, and gives your inner space a sense of peaceful clarity. I highly recommend “The Power of Now” and “Living Enlightenment” (Here’s the shortened version of the book). I also really liked “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari“.

Labels: Cultivating Creativity, happiness, intuition

In two days we’ll be launching the brand new Colour Girl website – www.thecolourgirl.com.

It’s very, very cool – or should I say hot...in no small part thanks to the fabulous logo that my old surfing buddy Lionel Taylor (www.taylormcallum.co.nz) came up with. If you need a very talented, creative, professional graphic designer he's your man. Not only is his work amazing but he's such a honey – when I asked him where my invoice for all the hours he put into creating my awesome logo he said he’d much rather have one of my paintings – so I’m going to send him two!

"Hey Girl, What invoice??" he wrote to me, "Don't think I ever mentioned charging you.... ha! Send me up an art piece - one of yours. It will appreciate more than any funds sitting in any bank these days. Studio colours are Black, Greys, White walls with lots of chrome and splashs of red and burgundy. x"

So instead of the currency of money we're trading passion, purpose and skill. Here are the two paintings I am sending up to Lionel today - both were created with extreme passion and joy with Max Gimblett at the Sumi Ink workshop he ran on the island of Maui last year.



I think they'll go perfectly with Lionel's new colour scheme. Here's hoping he likes them, so far he seems optimistic! ""Right, send me up a piece ... before I can't afford one - Carp Diem... Seize the Day, it will look good in my studio, talent of the year, with creds and a web address of course.... chur!!!"

Keeping it simple- making it real - the art of Sumi
I came across this while researching Max Gimblett who very much is a fan of this technique (as am I ...it is so serene and beautiful...even tho you may say at first "anyone could do that" I don't believe this is so....a good stroke is a beautiful thing and requires much skill)

"The Philosophy of Sumi-e is contrast and harmony, expressing simple beauty and elegance. The Tai Chi diagram demonstrates the perfectly balanced interchange of the two dynamically opposed forces of the Universe, the dot represents integration.

Sumi-e employs these principles of nature's vitality in its design and execution. The balance and integration of these forces and the eternal interaction of Yin Yang are the ultimate goal of Sumi-e. The art of brush painting, aims to depict the spirit, rather than the semblance of the object. In creating a picture the artist must grasp the spirit of the subject. Sumi-e attempts to capture the Chi or "life spirit" of the subject, painting in the language of the spirit.

Patience is essential in brush painting. Balance, rhythm and harmony are the qualities the artist strives for by developing patience, self-discipline and concentration.

The goal of the brush painter is to use the brush with both vitality and restraint. Constantly striving to be a better person because his character and personality come through in his work.

Sumi-e is more than a technique, it is a Spiritual Journey."

Labels: Commissioning a work of art, Spirituality in art

The simplest way to gather an audience -- dating back to ancient times -- is good storytelling. And when the story is popular, make it longer and add to it. To clarify: "Good storytelling" is a story that makes people sit up and listen. It is worthy of their attention, worth remembering and retelling. It can be as short as a joke or as long as Homer's "Odyssey," but the storyteller must engage and captivate an audience. It must be entertaining. You can spot a good storyteller in any crowded room. He or she is the person surrounded by a group of captivated listeners.
I came across an interesting article recently by By Corey Torrence, "5 ways to inject storytelling into your campaign"

I like the idea of being told an interesting story when it comes to the marketing of products and services.

Acoording to Corey with a greater focus on story and content, brands should even be able to connect with the consumer unlike ever before. Content that attracts -- and does not interrupt -- consumers establishes a far more positive relationship.

AS he say, "Because consumers can shut out advertising and choose what they want to watch, the quality of branded content is crucial. The best content can flow from one medium to another seamlessly, captivating the audience through the emotional attraction of the story and not the technology distributing it. This, if exploited, develops the brand-consumer relationship far more than the TV model ever could.

Once you have entertained your audience -- with comedy, with drama, with story -- you have made a connection, and the better the comedy, the drama, or the story, the stronger that connection becomes. It is no longer sufficient to deliver a message -- audiences don't care about the advertiser's message. They want to be entertained, so a smart advertiser must now embed the "message" within entertaining content."

I just wish he'd provided some exciting examples within his article. Do you have any? Stay posted and I will come up with my own. How I left behind years of dead-end relationships and attracted my soul mate for example! I'm going to start writing it up tomorrow:)

here's Corey's top 5 tips:

"if you are a brand or an agency looking to evolve with the times and create storyline-rich content that resonates with an audience, I'd suggest the following tips when producing content:

1. Consider technology. The influx of new media platforms is dramatically affecting who is and, more importantly, who is not watching your content. Because of social networks, mobile phones, TiVo, etc., consumer viewing patterns are drastically changing. This is obvious, but so easily forgotten by a brand manager or account director trying to "check the box".

2. Promote quality storytelling. Anyone can write a story, but not everyone can write a good story. Make sure your writers know what they're doing. In the 20th century, good writers went to Madison Avenue, but great writers went to Hollywood; the market pays for quality. Start producing assets that consumers will want to consume and interlace brands that make sense from there. The below Nike case study demonstrates an example of good story interwoven with a brand message; better yet, as we learned from the Nike case study, brands, themselves, should create storyline-rich, entertaining content that speaks to their specific demographic.

Case study
During this year's 2009 NBA Playoffs, a series of shorts emerged on broadcast networks and the internet parodying the rivalry between the Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant and the Cleveland Cavaliers' Lebron James, who were projected to go head to head in the finals. Each weekly "episode" satirized a different feud between the two basketball stars, played by puppets. The rabid NBA, Lakers, and Cavaliers fans understood this and found the serial strikingly entertaining -- Kobe and Lebron fans alike were able to laugh and enjoy the poke-fun-at-Kobe antics while the same applied for the Lebron jokes.

Furthermore, the nature of the content reached non-NBA fans as well, meaning that the viewer didn't have to be an NBA or team-specific fanatic to get the jokes and enjoy the content. Rather than TiVo through the episodes, viewers would stop to engage and be entertained by the well-written, well-produced content. Subtleties of Nike branding were discreetly strewn throughout each episode, whether it be the Nike logo on a t-shirt or a simple Nikebasketball.com link at the end.

This campaign, created by Wieden + Kennedy, brilliantly produced high quality content that resonated with the audience while promoting engagement and return viewership. This gave the client, Nike Basketball, a good reason to continue episode development through the end of the season.

Such is the power of a good branded entertainment property. If brands and advertisers want to survive in this evolutionary climate, they are going to have to embrace quality content creation and good storytelling techniques. Wieden + Kennedy is an agency that is paying attention to the current climate and adapting accordingly.

3. Take risks. Don't expect every branded content campaign to be a break away viral hit. How many stinkers does Universal produce to get one break-out hit? Why do film studios spend tens of millions of dollars in promoting each film? Invest in numerous campaigns, see which work, and then promote the hell out of those with further development and media support.

4. Avoid banner ads. Like filming a billboard and broadcasting it on TV. Banner ads are not a viable option in today's market because they do not promote interactivity nor engagement -- so don't use them. Now is the time to streamline advertising efforts to maximize ROI. Think of banner ads as the equivalent of radio static. Advertisers continue to throw money into this abyss, but my advice is to avoid banner ads, and re-allocate the saved ad dollars towards developing engaging and interactive content that will resonate with the audience.

5. Track and maximize engagement. Focus on building and developing a rabid fanbase centered on good content, rather than on "good advertising." Good content can become the "good advertising," but that equation is rarely reciprocal. Note for the CFO: Whoever finances content development and subsequently owns the IP -- client or agency -- opens up the business model for a whole other discussion.

Corey Torrence is CEO of Animax Entertainment.

I received an email today from a lady who attended one of my The Colour Girl workshops: " how colour and personal branding can enhance career and life success."

"after attending your inspiring workshop I know it's time to rid myself of black," she wrote

yay! I thought.... I can't wait to help. As my Dutch friend and dress designer says, "why does everyone in New Zealand dress like they are going to a funeral?"

here's what the ladies at the GBL sponsored function said:
"it's easy
it's slimming
we don't have to think
it's safe
it goes with everything
no one notices us - we don't stand out
it's strong
it's sophisticated..."

While black is not without its merits too much black can be:

bland
boring
depressing
aging
draining
tiring
sombre
unimaginative
career limiting
everywhere!

Do yourself and everyone who comes into contact with you a favour and create more joy in the world - wear more colour

Stand out from the crowd and watch your life soar - you'll be amazed at what a bit of colour can do. Wearing colour makes me feel happier, look younger, attract positive attention, generate business, inspires others, feeds my passions, led me to my life purpose, and attracted my soul mate

what will colour create for you?

Labels: Colour, happiness, Thecolourgirl.com