This week’s M&T Spotlight pics would have been even sweeter if the niners had made it to the Super Bowl. But these 6 ideas are fun for celebrating anyone who’s in the game. Whether you’re gathering with family or friends, these ideas are the perfect way to say “Go Team!”  **Next week: I’ll be featuring [...]

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I’m taking the next few Fridays to spotlight my amazing contributors. Next up on the list is Amanda of Craft who contributes once a month to our Kids Craft page. Amanda is my kind of gal. She comes up with kid craft ideas that are the kind I wish I had come up with. Happily, she’s now writing [...]

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Are you connected to your creative community?  It's one of the best way to grow your business.  Connecting with fellow creatives is not only fun, it can also put a little boost in your sales with increased awareness and exposure.So, here are 5 ways to connect with your creative community:1. Make your blog your community hub by blogging on a regular basis, displaying photos of your work and responding to comments when necessary.2. Be vocal and grow your community!  Get involved and take part in a discussion on your favorite blog, fan page or group forum.  You'll get to know others and they will get to know you.3. Use pictures to share your work! People want to see what you make, the process of making it and the finished product so share the pictures on your blog, on Flickr, on Pinterest and on your online store...and don't forget to add the story along with it!4. Comment on a fellow artisan's blog.  If you find a blog you like, comment on the projects/products their showing or the ideas their sharing.  You don't need to be an expert to comment, just be relevant and sincere and you'll be on the right track!5. Use social media! It's simple and easy to connect with others who share the same interests using Facebook and Twitter.  And, it's a great way to showcase your work with others so don't be surprised about the relationships you build and the business you create with social media.How do you connect with your creative community?Main image courtesy of Steve-h

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Last week, we shared our conversation with Patti Dobrowolski, author and business consultant and today we wanted to share a short synopsis from her book, Drawing Solutions: How Visual Goal Setting Will Change Your Life.The ability to embrace change is considered to be among the top survival skills needed to thrive in the 21st century.  It is now more important than ever for young and old alike to be as adaptable and resilient as possible.  With that said, statistics show that only 1 in 10 individuals have the tools to empower themselves to create—not just react to—change.In her book, Patti shows readers how to visualize the transformations they desire through a mapping process that will turn their dreams into reality.Drawing Solutions is also filled with inspiring stories of personal and client experiences that will convince readers that they don’t have to be an artist or know how to draw to use these tools. Her fun, step-by-step methods require only that individuals be willing to honestly assess where they are in life and imagine where they want to be in one year’s time.This book is divided into four parts beginning with “Why Mapping Works: Visual Images and Change,” which provides readers with basic information about how the brain functions and why visual images are an important part of goal-setting success. In part two, Ms. Dobrowolski guides readers through “The Mapping Process: Current Reality Becomes Desired New Reality,” as she helps individuals think beyond where they are today. She urges them to create a list of three bold steps to help move them in a new direction. The third section, “Working with Visual Maps: What to Expect Along the Way,” offers readers insights into working through their own fears as well as handling possible critical reactions from others. The last section of the book, “A Quick Guide to Mapping,” recaps the process and is one that readers will want to return to again and again.Drawing Solutions is written for those longing to make bold new strides in their lives, but not sure where to begin. It will also prove useful to those who are stuck repeating the same behaviors that hold them back or anyone seeking the means to brainstorm, strategize and visualize in order to achieve their wildest goals with panache and confidence.Visit her website to see a few examplesDownload a template to create vision mapsPurchase her book on AmazonAbout Patti"Patti Dobrowolski is a nationally acclaimed comic actor, high-performance business consultant, speaker and the author of Drawing Solutions: How Visual Goal Setting Will Change Your Life. She consults one on one with individuals to help them unleash their creative genius. She also works with teams at a number of leading Fortune 500 companies, including Microsoft, Pepsico and FedEx, to help them create more effective workplace strategies.Ms. Dobrowolski received her Master’s degree in psychology with an emphasis in drama therapy from the California Institute of Integral Studies. She is currently a member of the National Speaker’s Association and was a TEDxRainier speaker in 2011. She won the “Woman of Achievement Award” from the Association of Women in Communications in 2004 and was a recipient of the “Make Mine a Million $ Business Award” in 2008."Book Giveaway!  Patti is generously giving away 20 copies of her book in a contest right her on Meylah that will start on February 13, 2012 so check back here soon for more details.

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We first met Patti Dobrowolski at TEDxRainier and were very impressed with her technique on Visual Goal Setting and how it can help you to achieve your goals. In her just released book DRAWING SOLUTIONS: How Visual Goal Setting Will Change Your Life she shows readers how this technique really works.Dan Roam, author of the international bestseller, The Back of the Napkin, has praised her book: “A wonderful book.  What makes Patti great is that she actually does what we all should:  she DRAWS out her ideas where we can all SEE them!”We were very fortunate to get the opportunity to speak with her and learn more about her visual goal setting techniques...Meylah:  How did you initially learn to solve problems by drawing the solutions?Patti: One sunny California afternoon, I found myself on my hands and knees crying in a stranger’s garden. At first I was crying because I had tried unsuccessfully to prune a lemon tree.  The hacked up tree showed quite clearly that I was pretending to be a gardener because I was not able to find any other job. Up until then I had been a successful actor and writer –I’d even been on Broadway and then something happened that I never expected: someone wrote a really negative interview about my work and me. Despite my trying to get over that review, some part of me realized my career was history and I needed to make a change.That’s when I decided to own by life and my destiny. I dreamt of a desired new reality and I thought, “I should draw this out.”  So I did, and things started to shift and change.  I started to meet my goals much more quickly.  Whenever I felt lost or confused about my next step, I drew my thoughts and ideas on paper. The more I did this exercise, the more I was able to realize my dreams using what I call my “Snapshot of a Big Picture” process. Since that time, I have used this process with thousands of people in a wide variety of settings, both personal and business and found it to be amazingly effective helping others navigate changes in their lives.Meylah: Tell us about your new published book.Patti: The good news is we can live the life we desire. It’s right in front of us. To achieve it, you have to see it, and then, you must graciously ask your brain to help you execute what you see – your vision.  The inspiration behind this book, DRAWING SOLUTIONS: How Visual Goal Setting Will Change Your Life, was to give tools and techniques I have used to everyone, so that they could see how to use a simple picture to help them get what they want. My book allows you to draw your desired reality through a simple, fun, visual mapping technique that will help make changing your life easier than you think.Meylah: Any parting words for our creative community?Patti: The only thing we can count on in life is change. Knowing how to use a well-proven technique to navigate changes when they happen to you is critical for your success, happiness and ultimately survival.  Whether you dream to be an author, successful business owner or pursue your creative dream, don’t give up. I encourage you to try something different; which is both a great way to start this process and a means to wake your brain up by telling it “Pay attention, new things are happening here!” Plus you will have a great time turning your dream into reality!About Patti"Patti Dobrowolski is a nationally acclaimed comic actor, high-performance business consultant, speaker and the author of DRAWING SOLUTIONS: How Visual Goal Setting Will Change Your Life. She consults one on one with individuals to help them unleash their creative genius. She also works with teams at a number of leading Fortune 500 companies, including Microsoft, Pepsico and FedEx, to help them create more effective workplace strategies. Ms. Dobrowolski received her Master’s degree in psychology with an emphasis in drama therapy from the California Institute of Integral Studies. She is currently a member of the National Speaker’s Association and was a TEDxRainier speaker in 2011. She won the “Woman of Achievement Award” from the Association of Women in Communications in 2004 and was a recipient of the “Make Mine a Million $ Business Award” in 2008.”Here are a few additional resources to learn more about Patti and her innovative goal setting techniques:Watch her TedxRainier PresentationVisit her WebsiteSpecial Surprise! Patti is generously giving away 20 copies of her book in a contest right her on Meylah that will start on February 13, 2012 so check back here soon for more details.

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I believe that within all of us lies dormant the potential for tremendous transformation that can lead to greater happiness. More...

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Excerpted from Mind Work: Shedding Delusions on the Path to the Creative Core by Peter Clothier. More...

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Excerpted from Mind Work: Shedding Delusions on the Path to the Creative Core by Peter Clothier. More...

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I have such mixed feelings about Valentine’s Day.  I love boxes of candy.  I love roses.  I love the pink and red combo.  I love cards.  I love cute, homemade stuff.  I love my kids.  I love my husband.  I should love Valentine’s Day, right?  Well, I do.  Really, I do.  But, I don’t really [...]

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Mangoes were on sale and I went a little crazy. I have a hard time passing up a good deal. I used the mangoes to make my usual smoothies and salads, but I still had ripe mangoes to use. I decided to mix things up and make Mango Chocolate Chip Bread. You might think the mango/chocolate combination [...]

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