Disclosure: I have a creative muse crush.

Blog 30 of 30 ~ Effy Wild's Blogalong ~ Thirty Posts in Thirty Days 

Confession time.

I have a creative muse crush.

True story.

It all started when my mom came to visit back in July.

Mom and I got all crafty in my craft room.

I dug out the few Lifebook 2013 projects I wanted to work on.

One of them caught my eye.

"Artful Shamanism" with Effy Wild. 

She takes you on a meditative journey and then you create your vision as a mixed media project.

Her's was a willow tree.

Some back story - I've never been able to draw.

Or rather - I've never really tried.

I've drawn one thing in my whole life and it was a funky witch 
that I drew in 3rd grade. 
It actually won 3rd place in some contest.

My 3rd Grade Witch Drawing 

I have always carried with me the limiting belief that 

"I can't draw."

I have also been known to say

"Drawing? Oh, no. I can't. My brother, Lucas draws.

He got all of the drawing genes. 

I make jewelry and candles."

Part of the reason I took Lifebook, a year long mixed media course, was to dabble with drawing.

I hadn't drawn shit all year.

So - back to "Artful Shamanism" with Effy Wild -

I looked at her project and I thought,

"I can do that. I'm going to draw a tree."

And sure enough.

I did.

"I am The Abundance Queen" mixed media by me, Amy Riddle 

I drew an abundance tree...

I was so happy that I drew and painted a tree!

I went on to draw another tree for the 

"Artful Shamanism" project.

This is my tree of no shame. 

Lifebook 2013 Artful Shamanism with Effy Wild 

I was delighted. I drew another tree.

Who is this Effy Wild woman
that is inspiring drawing power?

I love to research, so I started looking her up.

I checked out her website, read up on her, and

she led me to an incredible art journaling book called,

"Inner Excavations" by Liz Lamoreux. 

Not only was Effy reading the book, 

but having an entire Excavate-Along.

As you read the book and do the journaling exercises, you can see what Effy has done.

Plus the author also posted a whole Excavate-Along with her.

I love this! 

 I love to work on projects with people.

It's inspiring for me to see what others are doing.

It gets me thinking and even more inspired.

I, of course, bought the book 

and started my very own Inner Excavation. 

The cover of my Inner Excavation Art Journal

While I was inner excavating, I noticed Effy was 
planning a blogalong, 

Thirty Posts in Thirty Days.

Effy Wild's Blogalong 

Well - I signed up.

I used to blog 3-5 times a week until April when I moved.

Everything stops when you move.

It was taking me forever to get back into the blogging habit.

What a perfect opportunity to get me back on the blogging train.

So, through Effy's inspiration -

I can now draw a tree, I am art journaling on a deeper level, I am blogging every single day for the blogalong -

but wait -

there's more!

More? 

Yes. More.

Another Lifebook project with Effy.

Fantastic.

I did this project a bit different than the directions.

The directions called for you to 

find a more emphatic way to talk to yourself.

I spend a lot of time doing that already.

I do morning pages, meditate, recite affirmations - 

I'm always working on me.

I wanted to work on a different aspect of me.

The first thing I did was write a letter to all of the "boyfriends" I've ever been involved with, thanking all of them for joining me on my heart's journey.

Without those experiences, I wouldn't be who I am today.

Without those experiences, I wouldn't have my fantastic relationship with Chris.

It felt so cathartic painting over all of their names, 
letting it all go.

It felt so cathartic drawing a heart, complete and whole.

LifeBook 2013 Heart Sight with Effy Wild

Thank you Effy for inspiring me on many levels.

Thank you for encouraging me to dig deeper into my core being.

Thank you for the continued inspiration of writing, drawing, creating, and being authentic. 

You rock Effy Wild. 

Peace, Inspiration, & Love,
 ~Amy
 The Magick Muse

Amy Riddle is an empowerment coach, crafter of sorts, writer,
herbalist, reverend, and all out muse.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Alternative Medicine with an emphasis on herbs. 

She is a certified professional life coach with the Life Coach Institute of Orange County. 

Amy craves to inspire others to be healthy and whole in body, mind, and spirit. 

She has an affinity for striped socks, stinging nettle, and all things faery.

This Week in The Magick Muse

morning pages by candlelight

This Week in

The Magick Muse

Reading: "Inner Excavation" by Liz Lamoreux (I am addicted.)

Listening to: Delerium, Bitter:Sweet, some chanting monks

Watching: "Orange is the New Black" with Chris...we are just 3 episodes in.

Thinking about: community, finding my tribe

Learning: how my new garden space works

Doing: Weeding, brainstorming life coaching biz, art journaling, blogging

Pet Peeves: ...

Happy Thoughts: writing, community

Best Quote: Don't tone down your awesomeness. ~Rebecca 

Looking forward to: Lucas Barker's arrival on Friday! Hell yeah.


Peace, Inspiration, & Love,
 ~Amy
 The Magick Muse

New Book-New Journal-New Inspiration

I got a new book! I got a new book! I got a new book!

Inner Excavation by Liz Lamoreux

I love it. Just holding it in my hands makes my heart leap.

I feel good about this book.

One super cool thing about Inner Excavation is the author, Liz Lamoreux, has an amazing website where you can follow her along with the book. 

She has it broken down by chapter with blog posts and videos where she goes into detail with what she has created. 

I love that! 

How often does one get the opportunity to go through a book with the author? 

I'm in love with this book right now.

Every chapter is designed to guide you to dig deeper 

and really reflect. 

She encourages poetry and photography. 

I'm hoping that I can start writing some poetry. 

Who knows? Anything could happen. 

Here is my Inner Excavation journal.

My Inner Excavation Art Journal

I'm most excited about this journey!

Peace, Inspiration, & Love,
 ~Amy
 The Magick Muse