I just got an email from my friend Tine who asked me questions about my old MAP. This is a impromptu project of mine from several years ago that has ended up charting the course for my (very happy) life. I was in a "limbo" spot career and family wise, I had just gotten married, we were looking for a home. I was half hearted "thinking" about freelancing. One day without any angst or pressure I dug out a piece of my son's poster board and some markers a drew a whimsical "dreamlike" map for myself. No time lines, no barriers just where I would to go and what I would like to enjoy about it along the way. I had fun with it and tucked it away in my cabinet. Within a few shorts months things started happening in my life and career and I got to thinking "Hey, that was on my map!" Or this opportunity was on my map! Suddenly I realized that just the simple act of righting things down with an open heart and mind was actually planting it in my belief system. Yes, these things are possible. And when the first few things started happening, I began to think not only are they possible but I began to EXPECT them to happen. There are a lot of people that are talking this way now with the book "The Secret" out etc. but the inquires that have come to me through my blog and through friends and family have been slanted a bit differently. People WANT to make a map but they have a hard time clarifying their dreams. "What exactly am I drawn to?" "What inspires me?". These questions invariably get mired down into "What could I make money at?" "How could I possibly make that happen?"

I completely understand how your mind will jump right to those questions, I call them "The Blocking Questions" When those thoughts jump in your brain you can get completely off track from "your original spirit". Maybe you have a good sense of what you like and where you ant your "dream" to take you but if your not quite sure let's take a couple weeks and play with some questions. I have done exercises like this over the years and just love to do this, it is a really good way to define your sense of style. It may help you define how you want to live your life and well as how you might want to map you career. I do want to hear your answers!!! I love to learn about other people ans some responses might trigger something in someone else that really leads them down a path or originality!

So... What are you DRAWN to ? Right off the top of your head For me the response was COLOR: it communicates mood, snuggling in for a winter's nap, branching out. Color can communicate mood, taste and trends in a simple flash of color. CREATIVITY: was my next response, I love it in so many forms- from a great cooking to great writing. I always love to see artists who bridge one genre into another, if they paint then they write a novel. I get sooo inspired and it encourages me to reach within myself to be original and who doesn't love originality? PATTERN: for me pattern takes me places. A pattern can take me to Greece in my mind, to grandmas house or to the beach. I am always pleased at the power of a simple motif!