#CreativityThursday – Page 2

Happy Creativity Thursday: Sign Up for 4/24 Online Creativity Workshop

Posted by Ananda Leekeon April 17, 2014April 17, 2014in Ananda's Events, Creativity Coaching, Creativity ThursdayLeave a comment

Photo Credit: http://blog.ali-comunicazione.com/?cat=3

Happy Creativity Thursday!

Do you know what creativity looks like in your life?

Do you need to open your creative heart?

Do you know what your creative voice sounds like? Are you able to access it? What is it telling you?

Are you ready to give birth to your creativity?

Do you need support and tips on how to give birth to your creativity or navigate your creative process?

Photo Credit: http://cormiercreative.com/creativity-is-contagious/

If you answered YES to one or more of these questions, join me on Thursday, April 24 for the “Giving Birth to Your Creativity” online workshop from 8:30 p.m. EST to 10:00 p.m. EST. The online 90 minute workshop will offer a small group of five participants the following:

Creative Self-Care Practices (breathing exercises, guided meditation, affirmation, and kind and gentle office yoga for your eyes, hands, mouth, and shoulders).
Ice Breaker Exercise and Sharing Circle.
Talk on “Giving Birth to Your Creativity with a Creativity Recipe.”
Journaling Exercises with Sharing Circle and Creativity Coaching Feedback.
Action Planning Steps and Tips for Giving Birth to Your Creativity.
Two free creative coaching email check-ins (one in May and one in June).
A special discount on creativity coaching sessions and packages.

The workshop is based on exercises and information contained in my book, That Which Awakens Me: A Creative Woman’s Poetic Memoir of Self-Discovery (available on Amazon). It will be delivered via conference call on FreeConferenceCall.com. So all you need to participate is your telephone. Once you register and pay for the workshop, I will email you an agenda with handouts, the special discount on creativity coaching sessions, and the telephone number for the conference call.

Click here to register and pay the workshop fee of $23.95 on Eventbrite.

PS: The “Giving Birth to Your Creativity” online workshop will be offered again on May 15 and June 19 from 8:30 p.m. EST to 10:00 p.m. EST for $23.95. Stay tune for more details on how to register in the coming weeks.

Happy #CreativityThursday: The Power of Creativity Conversations

Posted by Ananda Leekeon April 10, 2014April 10, 2014in UncategorizedLeave a comment

Happy #CreativityThursday!

This week has been filled with mega moments of creativity conversations.

Listen to today’s podcast to learn more about the creativity conversations I had on Sunday with two patients at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Wednesday afternoon with creative professional Delvona Rabione (www.delvonarabione.com), and Wednesday evening with digital sisters, Inez, Star, and Tea. Clicked on link below to listen.
http://soundcloud.com/ananda-leeke/listen-to-ananda-leekes-8

Are you having creativity conversations?

Happy #CreativityThursday: Listen to National Poetry Month Podcast with Twitter Poem

Posted by Ananda Leekeon April 3, 2014April 3, 2014in Creativity Thursday, National Poetry MonthLeave a comment

Happy #CreativityThursday!

Happy National Poetry Month!

What does poetry mean to you?

Who are your favorite poets?

Click on the link to listen to my podcast to hear my definition of poetry and a poem about Twitter. Enjoy!
http://soundcloud.com/ananda-leeke/listen-to-ananda-leekes-5

Happy Creativity Thursday: What are your favorite art forms?

Posted by Ananda Leekeon March 27, 2014March 31, 2014in Creativity ThursdayLeave a comment

Happy Creativity Thursday!

What is your favorite art form?

Mine is collage. I can make them all day long. They help me express what’s waiting to burst forth from my creative heart. They also help me visualize my creative making process. I use them when I am writing my books and working on other projects. I also use them in my visualization boards.

Ananda's books and paintings — Ananda’s books and paintings

What creative dreams are you longing to give birth to?

I long to give birth to more books and paintings. I have a few e-books and a novel inside of me. I also have some big paintings that long to live on the canvas.

May we all use the Spring season to give birth to our creativity!

From now until March 31, I am offering a special discount package on my creativity coaching services. See details below.

My Creativity Coaching Practice: Click here to read more about my approach and background as a creativity coach.

Discount Period: The creativity coaching packages must be purchased via PayPal by March 31, 2014. They must be used by July 31, 2014.

Fees and Services:

1) 1 one-hour session with 2 email follow ups – $99.95 (original price – $139.95)

2) 3 one-hour sessions with 4 email follow ups – $359.95 (original price – $389.95)

3) 6 one-hour sessions with 7 email follow ups – $769.95 (original price – $799.95)

4) 9 one-hour sessions with 10 email follow ups – $1,169.99 (original price – $1,199.99)

5) 12 one-hour sessions with 13 email follow ups – $1,569.95 (original price – $1599.95)

Contact Information: If you are interested in one or more of the packages, please send me an email at kiamshaleeke@yahoo.com to schedule a free 20-minute consultation call (available via telephone, Skype, and Google Hangout).

Happy Creativity Thursday: Creative Wisdom from Artist Frida Kahlo

Posted by Ananda Leekeon March 20, 2014in Creativity Coaching, Creativity ThursdayLeave a comment

Frida Kahlo's painting, The Two Fridas (1939) — Frida Kahlo’s painting, The Two Fridas (1939)

Happy Creativity Thursday! Happy Spring!

Today’s podcast offers creative wisdom from Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. It also includes a short poem I wrote about the impact Kahlo’s work has had on my creative life. Click here to listen to the podcast.

Need some creativity food for thought to start your Spring season? Check out the message below. Share your thoughts in the comment section.

SPECIAL MARCH TREAT — Opening Your Creative Heart Coaching Special Discount

From now until March 31, I am offering a special discount package on my creativity coaching services. See details below.

My Creativity Coaching Practice: Click here to read more about my approach and background as a creativity coach.

Discount Period: The creativity coaching packages must be purchased via PayPal by March 31, 2014. They must be used by July 31, 2014.

Fees and Services:

1) 1 one-hour session with 2 email follow ups – $99.95 (original price – $139.95)

2) 3 one-hour sessions with 4 email follow ups – $359.95 (original price – $389.95)

3) 6 one-hour sessions with 7 email follow ups – $769.95 (original price – $799.95)

4) 9 one-hour sessions with 10 email follow ups – $1,169.99 (original price – $1,199.99)

5) 12 one-hour sessions with 13 email follow ups – $1,569.95 (original price – $1599.95)

Contact Information: If you are interested in one or more of the packages, please send me an email at kiamshaleeke@yahoo.com to schedule a free 20-minute consultation call (available via telephone, Skype, and Google Hangout).

Happy Creativity Thursday: Expression of Creativity in Your Life

Posted by Ananda Leekeon March 13, 2014March 14, 2014in Creativity ThursdayLeave a comment

Happy Creativity Thursday!

How do you express creativity in your life?

I express creativity in the clothes I wear. I love wearing colors that represent the seven chakras. They energize me.

I also express creativity by visiting museums like the National Museum of Women in the Arts.

Last weekend I went to the National Museum of Women in the Arts to see an exhibition featuring feminist artist Judy Chicago. I also saw the quilt exhibition. Both exhibitions got my creative juices bubbling. New art is coming!

Happy Creativity Thursday: Be the Most Brilliant Color in the Box

Posted by Ananda Leekeon March 6, 2014March 8, 2014in Creativity coaching clients, Creativity ThursdayLeave a comment

Happy Creativity Thursday!

As a creativity coach, I am always in search of creativity wisdom to share with my clients. Earlier this week while most of Washington, D.C. was shut down due to the snow, I took a field trip to Lettie Gooch, a fabulous boutique located in my U Street neighborhood (15th and U Streets, NW) and discovered an inspirational card that urged me to be the most brilliant color in the box. That color would be pink since it reminds me to open my heart and share my gifts with others. Click here to listen today’s podcast for more information.

Since you are also the most brilliant color in the box, what color are you?

Opening Your Creative Heart Coaching Special Discount:

From now until March 31, I am offering a special discount package on my creativity coaching services. See details below.

My Creativity Coaching Practice: Click here to read more about my approach and background as a creativity coach.

Discount Period: The creativity coaching packages must be purchased via PayPal by March 31, 2014. They must be used by July 31, 2014.

Fees and Services:

1) 1 one-hour session with 2 email follow ups – $99.95 (original price – $139.95)

2) 3 one-hour sessions with 4 email follow ups – $359.95 (original price – $389.95)

3) 6 one-hour sessions with 7 email follow ups – $769.95 (original price – $799.95)

4) 9 one-hour sessions with 10 email follow ups – $1,169.99 (original price – $1,199.99)

5) 12 one-hour sessions with 13 email follow ups – $1,569.95 (original price – $1599.95)

Contact Information: If you are interested in one or more of the packages, please send me an email at kiamshaleeke@yahoo.com to schedule a free 20-minute consultation call (available via telephone, Skype, and Google Hangout).

Happy #CreativityThursday: Using Creativity to Serve Others

Posted by Ananda Leekeon February 27, 2014February 27, 2014in Creativity, Creativity ThursdayLeave a comment

Happy #CreativityThursday!

Have you ever used your creativity to serve others?

How does it make you feel?

When I use my creativity to serve others, my heart opens and fills up with gratitude.

Click here to listen today’s podcast and learn more about how I use my creativity as an artist-in-residence for Smith Center for Healing and the Arts at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to serve others. A poem from my book, That Which Awakens Me: A Creative Woman’s Poetic Memoir of Self-Discovery is included. Enjoy!

PS: The photo collage includes artwork made by military family members at Walter Reed.

Opening Your Creative Heart Coaching Special Discount:

From February 1 to March 31, I am offering a special discount package on my creativity coaching services. See details below.

My Creativity Coaching Practice: Click here to read more about my approach and background as a creativity coach.

Discount Period: The creativity coaching packages must be purchased via PayPal by March 31, 2014. They must be used by July 31, 2014.

Fees and Services:

1) 1 one-hour session with 2 email follow ups – $99.95 (original price – $139.95)

2) 3 one-hour sessions with 4 email follow ups – $359.95 (original price – $389.95)

3) 6 one-hour sessions with 7 email follow ups – $769.95 (original price – $799.95)

4) 9 one-hour sessions with 10 email follow ups – $1,169.99 (original price – $1,199.99)

5) 12 one-hour sessions with 13 email follow ups – $1,569.95 (original price – $1599.95)

Contact Information: If you are interested in one or more of the packages, please send me an email at kiamshaleeke@yahoo.com to schedule a free 20-minute consultation call (available via telephone, Skype, and Google Hangout).

Happy Creativity Thursday: The Power of A Creative Breakfast

Posted by Ananda Leekeon February 20, 2014in Creativity Coaching, Creativity ThursdayLeave a comment

Happy Creativity Thursday!

This morning I woke up and decided to honor Creativity Thursday with a Creative Breakfast that included oatmeal with cranberries and agave in a cup decorated with Egyptian women and art (purchased during my 1995 trip to Egypt), a banana, a glass of decaf green tea, the Inspiration issue of Poets & Writers (January/February) magazine, and three quotes about creativity by African American artists, musicians, and poets that were published in my book, That Which Awakens Me: A Creative Woman’s Poetical Memoir of Self-Discovery. Click here to listen to my podcast about my Creative Breakfast.

I chose to start my day this way because I needed to open my creative heart with some intentional moments of creativity. Why? I’ve been moving at a pretty fast pace over the past ten days with little time left to nurture my creative heart.

After I finished eating breakfast and reading three articles in the magazine, I took a few more moments to look through some of my fashion magazines for images I need for a collage I am planning to make to celebrate the spring season. When I finished collecting images, I realized my Creative Breakfast turned into a mini artist date at home. How cool is that?

Have you ever had a Creative Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, or Snack?

What did you eat and do to make it creative?

PS: Check out two of my most recent Vine videos that celebrate creative journey.

Video 1 – My creative word mantras I use to write my books
Video 2 – The book that opened my creative heart — Danielle LaPorte’s The Desire Map

Opening Your Creative Heart Coaching Special Discount:

From February 1 to March 31, I am offering a special discount package on my creativity coaching services. See details below.

My Creativity Coaching Practice: Click here to read more about my approach and background as a creativity coach.

Discount Period: The creativity coaching packages must be purchased via PayPal by March 31, 2014. They must be used by July 31, 2014.

Fees and Services:

1) 1 one-hour session with 2 email follow ups – $99.95 (original price – $139.95)

2) 3 one-hour sessions with 4 email follow ups – $359.95 (original price – $389.95)

3) 6 one-hour sessions with 7 email follow ups – $769.95 (original price – $799.95)

4) 9 one-hour sessions with 10 email follow ups – $1,169.99 (original price – $1,199.99)

5) 12 one-hour sessions with 13 email follow ups – $1,569.95 (original price – $1599.95)

Contact Information: If you are interested in one or more of the packages, please send me an email at kiamshaleeke@yahoo.com to schedule a free 20-minute consultation call (available via telephone, Skype, and Google Hangout).

Happy Creativity Thursday: Celebrating Photographer Kofi Handon

Posted by Ananda Leekeon February 13, 2014February 14, 2014in Creativity Thursday2 Comments

Happy Creativity Thursday!

I started February with an artist date to the National Museum of African Art’s Earth Matters celebration and exhibition. It was just what I needed to open my creative heart: spoken word, live DJs spinning groovy music, body art performers, African dancing and drumming, live bands performing incredible music, and an opportunity to be photographed by Kofi Handon, Founder and President of Loves Life Photography.

Photo Credit: Kofi Handon, Founder and President of Loves Life Photography

After I had my photograph taken, I spoke briefly with Kofi about his work. As I listened, I was struck by his humility, kindness, and soulful creative energy. The next day, I visited his web site to learn more about him and discovered the beauty of his photography. I also learned he is a fellow Howardite. So I decided to reach out to him for an interview. Read on to learn why I am celebrating him today and be sure to visit Loves Life Photography online, Facebook, and Twitter.

Q: Thanks Kofi for agreeing to do an interview with me today. I am a huge fan of your photography. Let’s start with a six-word memoir that describes your passions.

KH: Life. Love. Legacy. Beauty. Art. Everlasting.

Q: What is your definition of creativity?

KH: Creativity is allowing yourself to develop or mold your inner artistry naturally.

Q: What do you want people to gain from your photography?

KH: I want people to look at my photographs and remember that given the weight of day-to-day struggles, they should seize moments where the load of life is lightened by smiles, laughter, hidden message, and love.

Q: What lessons have you learned from being creative and a photographer?

KH: I have learned five key lessons.

There is beauty in everything.
There is no limit to what you can create and do if your heart is in it.
There is always something new to learn. The craft of photography doesn’t stop. It will continue to evolve.
It’s important to network and partner with others.
Stay true to who you are.

Q: What were your top four creative moments in 2013?

KH: I traveled to France, Spain, and Morocco, and chronicled my journey through photographs featuring the various cultures, food, people, and places I visited in January and February 2013. I also shared the photographs with my Facebook community. Shooting the sunset in Essaouira, Morocco was one of my favorite moments.

Traveling to New York City with the Andinkra Group to shoot political activist and artist, Femi Kuti was a great moment!

Another moment was covering Sweet Honey in the Rock at The Howard Theatre while First Lady Michelle Obama was there. I spoke to Mrs. Obama’s assistant and told her I would put together some framed and signed action shots for her since she follows the group and that was one member’s last show in D.C. before retiring.

In November 2013, I did a photo shoot for Maimouna Youssef, a Grammy-nominated singer, emcee, songwriter and poet. I spent eight hours using and learning all of my equipment.