Recent News
We have exciting news to share...The Joy Guild founder Lori Stone is featured in the new CRAVE ebook Flipped-It! Inspiring Stories of Successful Reinvention.
FLIPPED IT! is a collection of inspiring true stories from 40 women who didn’t ditch their business when flailing or failing got the best of them. They turned it around by doing the opposite, flipping it upside down and going in a new direction to success.
Take a few minutes and do the following exercise. This works anywhere…in the airport, on a break from work, at a coffee shop. Refrain from skipping ahead and peeking at the end result.
{Opinion Piece} The following was a post that I recently made to my Facebook page. I wondered how people might interpret my use of the terms "a joyful heart" in the wake of tragedy. I use that term at the highest level...from the position that it's SO very difficult to KEEP a happy, joyful heart at times that seem veiled and dark.
There are THOSE people in the world. You know them. The ones who bounce around life singing about sunshine and ponies and rainbows. Fa la la. (Guilty, as charged.) And we all know that they inspire us with their smiles and positive spirit. There's never a question about whether or not they will be able to uplift you with their concentrated sweetness.
A few years ago, a chance encounter changed my life and set me on a track of wanderlust, desire, and responsibility. This interaction has been on my mind quite a bit lately, due to recent events and sentiment about the safety of women traveling abroad. I’ll tell you the specifics about my encounter below…bookmark that thought for a minute.
In 2011, I left my job of nine years where I worked as a communications management consultant for a prominent tech company. It was great work, I made a very comfortable living, and it was easy to find good clients, despite the challenging worldwide economy which has recently made us all a little crazy. Since then, I have been on a year-long career break focused on two things: reclaiming my health and reconnecting to my desired path in life…I seem to have steered a bit from it over the past 20 years.
There are 14 national parks in New Zealand, each offering unique, jaw-dropping beauty. On the Stray tour, I visited three:
New Zealand has been on my radar for years...I have heard nothing but amazing things about this place and it has yet to disappoint me--in fact, it's a place where I am already developing roots and I've been here all of two weeks. As I reflect on my vision of New Zealand travel that developed a few months ago, it was always as a solo traveler, not with a group. I will be frank; I am not a big fan of group tours.
I have followed some big advice over the years, but I find that the best advice is always my own. My intuition rarely leads me astray, except those moments that it's feeling a bit cheeky and sends me on a chase. This time, I was spot on and I find myself in the beautiful landscape of New Zealand where time is sitting a bit still and I have settled on keeping it that way for at least these seven weeks.
We've wrapped up yet another great program year and in the midst of our annual Winter Break! Thank you, friends, for your participation and support of all that 2012 offered. We get to meet and play with the MOST AMAZING people. So, take this season for YOU, in celebration...wind down, clear, relax, nest, snuggle, and take deep breaths to release the busy-ness of summer and fall. Here are ten great ways to find gratitude and unwind as we celebrate thanks for each other and honor our creative selves.
Our Fall Creative Art Retreat is now featured as part of Savor the San Juans taking place October 1-31, 2012. Join us on retreat on Orcas Island and then savor the many celebrations of food, art, and culture happening throughout San Juan County.
Register now!
HAPPY SUMMER! We wish you much lounging, fun, adventure, creativity, laughter, and joy. The Joy Guild will be on summer break while Lori travels and teaches down in California. We shall return in the fall with our lineup of fun classes, workshops, and events. Until then, be well friends!
It was a competitive, juried application process so we are extremely proud to have been selected to the 2012-2013 program roster of Storefronts Seattle as a "Creative Enterprise," bringing a blend of our creative arts learning activities and philanthropic “Mark Art. Do Good” programs. Here’s how it works: if/when the Storefronts team discovers a vacant retail space that fits our needs, we will investigate placement and, if it’s a fit, move in for a period of 3-6 months. And YOU will get to come play in the new space.
Spring is HERE! A time of renewal, awakening, and growth. A chance to step out from the cozy winter respite into a fresh, new, shiny YOU! Here at The Joy Guild, we're embracing new partnerships, creative endeavors, and motivation to cram as much joy and happiness into our lives as is possible...and then some! Join us this Spring and early Summer for many exciting events, including our creative art retreats up in the GORGEOUS San Juan Islands. Embrace your JOY!
Social media has changed the way we spend our days--for better or worse, it's part of our lives. How often do you check your social accounts? How much time do you TRULY spend online? Do you engage during work hours? At home? On the road? Take this fun, unscientific, casual challenge to learn how much time you spend online using social media and find alternatives for how you spend time in your personal life every Tuesday in the month of February. It may be more challenging than you think!
We're getting ready to announce our 2012 creative retreat lineup. Stay tuned...but for now, pencil in the dates so you can join us for creativity and fun on BEAUTIFUL Orcas Island in the San Juans. More details and registration information coming soon. April 5-8, 2012 June 7-10, 2012 October 11-14, 2012
January is national cervical health month. Did you know that EVERY TWO MINUTES, a woman dies of cervical cancer - a cancer that can be almost completely prevented! It’s estimated that 250,000 will die from the disease this year alone, yet we are poised to eradicate it with vaccine and screening efforts. Join us as we support the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the National Cervical Cancer/HPV Cancer Coalition to do our part in raising awareness and funds to fight against HPV cancers and bring hope to those currently afflicted in our local community.
