Creatively Curious

Here is a guided visualization to help you connect with your dreams. Sometimes coaching clients have a hard time even letting themselves dream about what they really want so hopefully this can help.

Remember:

Trust yourselfTrust your LifeTrust your dreams

"Your soul is tired of waiting for you to feel more alive." Nick Wilton

⁠Ashlea's Website: https://www.ashleadwalter.com/artwork⁠

⁠Ashlea's Colouring Book on Amazon: ⁠https://www.amazon.ca/Coloring-Book-Anxiety-Relief-Mindfulness/dp/B0CGL4FZJG

⁠Ashlea's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/ashleadw...

Duration: 00:15:16

Change Cycle Square 4 - THE PROMISED LAND

Mantra "Change is happening and that's okay."

Things are working wellKids are sleeping through the nightYou've had surgery and are healed and strongerYou're "back" but "different."Trust your "wings" and enjoy the fruits of your labour.Make small adjustmentsLive in continuous creative response to everything

Two things to do in this Square:

1. Rest until you feel like playing

2. Play until you feel like resting

Question: How good are you willing to let it...

Duration: 00:11:05

The Change Cycle Square 3 - The Hero's Journey

"This is much harder than I expected and that's okay."

*** I talk about the poor audio in the intro to this episode but it's fitting because this was a mistake and the whole episode is about taking action and making mistakes so I left the poor audio in!***

Square 3 is about:

- Taking Action

- Making mistakes, learning from them

- The more you struggle, the stronger you become like the butterfly

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Duration: 00:14:29

Square 2 DREAMING & SCHEMING Key Points:

Mantra: "There are no rules and that's okay."

- You'll get thoughts or ideas about something you want to do and maybe never done before.

- You'll have day dreams and night dreams.

- What does your future look like?

- Who do you want to be? What does this FEEL like?

- ACTION: Make a dream or vision board

- ACTION: Wear different clothes or jewelry or hair styles

- ACTION: Change your home decor or "upgrade"...

Duration: 00:25:19

Square 1: Death and Rebirth

Mantra: "I don't know what the heck is going on and that is okay"

- Meltdown of our previous selves to give way to our metamorphosis

- Pain: from actual events and painful thoughts and beliefs we are hooked on. Coaching can help hold space.

- Let yourself grieve: you may feel lots of emotions (including denial, anger, sadness, acceptance) and that's okay.

- Focus on right now, one day at a time.

- Caring for yourself with: coaching, therapy...

Duration: 00:20:31

CVP Week 12 - LAUNCH

Key Take Aways:

Scaling art requires scaling your tools and especially your thinking.The risk to get a bigger studio is often rewarded by an improvement in your art.The value of a series is compounded by doing another one.Often, the biggest learning in a series occurs after it is completedYour art is love firstly given to yourself and then, the world

"Your soul is tired of waiting for you to feel more alive." Nick Wilton

⁠Ashlea's Website: https://www.ashleadwalter.com/ar...

Duration: 00:19:02

CVP Week 11 - BALANCE

Key Take Aways:

1. Value and Design have the most visual weight.

2. Design, Value, Colour and Texture all can be used to balance your art.

3. Your process is designed by you for you.

4. Art is finished when you feel alive up close and far away - when you really LOVE it close and far away.

5. Later stage changes are smaller but require more sensitivity.

"Your soul is tired of waiting for you to feel more alive."...

Duration: 00:09:26

CVP Week 10: MOMENTUM Key Take Aways:

1. Stay Open, Present and Curious in your process to maintain momentum

2. Most of the time adjusting design and value will get you unstuck.

3. PLAYing longer, especially in the early stages, will enhance the outcome. Playing is an investment in the painting (yourself? your kids?)

4. It's easier to be risky in the first few passes (layers). Rehearse risk taking in the early stages when the stakes are lower.

5. When in doubt GET IN MOTION! This is really advice for LIFE.

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Duration: 00:17:04

Come visit me at the Whyte Avenue Art Walk July 11, 12, 13, 2025 from 10am - 5pm daily. https://art-walk.ca/

CVP Week 9 Process Take Aways:

You have everything you need to create your artYour Path is what you are creating; your art is merely an artifact. Your life will get better and so will your art when you are excited and fired up.Make many rather than one - it's easier and faster and results in art more like you.You're just dating - not marrying. Don't fall in love with your...

Duration: 00:18:46

CVP Week 8 TEXTURE

Take Aways:

1. Play and Experiment with texture to learn and remember

2. Thick paint is a beautiful contrast to thin paint

3. Subtractive processes create areas of transparency (eg scraping and sanding)

4. Layering creates depth, surface and colour richness (harmony)

5. Spontaneity is created by using tools you can't control

(chisels, trowels etc).

Ashlea's Website: https://www.ashleadwalter.com/

Ashlea's Colouring Book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/Coloring-Book-Anxiety-Relief-Mindfulness/dp/B0CGL4...

Duration: 00:15:02

CVP Week 7

REVIEW: Colour has 5 Components:

ValueComplementsSaturationHarmonyTemperature

Take Aways:

Saturation: The intensity or vibrancy of a colourColour Harmony: Occurs when all the colours share a common colourGlazing: Creates colour harmony and transparencyVibrant highly saturated colours can only be created with primary colours that share a common colour bias (near by on the colour wheel)Colour Differences: are more noticeable as value contrast lessens (decreases).

Ashlea's Website: https://www.ashleadwalter.com/lifecoaching

Ashlea's IG: https://www.instagram.com/ashleadwalter/

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Duration: 00:15:07

Creative Visionary Program Week 6 - COLOUR VALUE

COLOUR has 5 Components:

- Value

- Complements

- Saturation

- Harmony

- Temperature

Key Takeaways:

The most visually powerful component of colour is valueIf the value works in your art (and everything is in the right place - design), so will the colourComplementary colours are found in nature - they are rich. When there are lots of colours in all your colours things get richerSecondary colours (organce, green, violet) are made with the primary...

Duration: 00:09:27

Do you ever ask for signs to help you make your decisions?

I do and this time my sign (a dragonfly) came in right away but I didn't notice it. So it came again in a different way. I read about Dragonflies in Sarah Seidelmann's book "The Book of Beasties: Your A-Z Guide to the Illuminating Wisdom of Spirit Animals." which everyone should get. Sarah Seidelmann is a fellow Martha Beck Life Coach and Artist and she is also a Shaman.

Ashlea's Website: https://www.ashleadwalter.com/lifecoaching

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Duration: 00:09:29

This week's Episode reviews CVP Week 5 - DESIGN

Design is the arrangement of shapes or areas in your art (could be painting, sculpture, photography, rooms, buildings, print material, almost anything)Strong design has a variety of differences: Size, shape or placementWe mostly notice design differences in the loud conversationCreate differences in your art for you and the viewer.

Ashlea's Website: https://www.ashleadwalter.com/lifecoaching

Ashlea's IG: https://www.instagram.com/ashleadwalter/

Ashlea's Coloring Book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/Coloring-Book-Anxiety-Relief-Mindfulness/dp/B0...

Duration: 00:12:51

BONUS Episode:

In this Episode I talk about my knee journey which included 4 surgeries and some weight gain post Baby #2 and a knee injury and my 4th surgery.

I also recap a weight-loss challenge I completed with Jennifer Powter who is a weightloss and mindset expert (link below). I'm all about loving my body for all it can do PLUS being honest about how I am carrying some extra weight at this point in my life and how even losing 10 pounds could be helpful for decreased pain and wear and tear on my knee joint...

Duration: 00:26:36

Week 4 of CVP is on VALUE.

Take aways:

VALUE = the lightness or darkness of a shape or area in your artValue is one of the most powerful differences to change and affect your art. This is often where challenges arise in art (not enough value contrast)Value Contrast is what we notice; where your eye goes first in a pictureValue creates Depth: Things that have more value contrast come forward and are more noticeable; things that have less value contrast go back and are more subtle, less noticeable.Differences in our art and our life bring...

Duration: 00:13:11

CVP Week 3! This is such a fun week because we learn how important playing is for our art (and life)!

How will you play this week? Here are some ideas:

- Make up a game with your (kids or dog).

- Use different materials to paint with eg: apple pear mesh sleeve, bottle caps, random materials

- Be curious instead of judgemental

- Try something new eg: go to work or school a different way

- Only do what feels good

...

Duration: 00:11:11

Week 2 of CVP: DESIRE

Be where you are and enjoy where you are.

What do you really want?

What do you desire?

Do what brings you alive to feel amazing and inspired and the art will take care of itself.

Website

IG

Ashlea's YouTube

Ashlea's Colouring Book on Amazon

More about CVP and Art2Life

Duration: 00:11:40

Creative Visionary Program (CVP) Week 1: DISCOVER

I decided to take the Creative Visionary program again this year so this will be my second year. I wanted to give an overview of each week in case anyone is curious about it.

"Life loves to be taken by the lapel and told: I'm with you kid, let's go."

Maya Angelou

My Website

My IG

Ashlea's YouTube

Ashlea's Coloring Book on Amazon

About CVP and Art2Life

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Duration: 00:17:07

I'm on a Money Journey and wanted to record some affirmations for myself listen to so I wanted to share them with you as well. Some people say affirmations are mumbo-jumbo but I think I'm used to saying mean stuff to myself so I may as well say nice things and things that feel good so I can feel good. The more we practice saying good, positive things to ourselves the more we will believe them. It's worth a try right? Let me know what you think.

Ashlea's Website

Ashlea's IG

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Duration: 00:06:46

EFT Tapping can be helpful for stress reduction and if you are experiencing symptoms of anxiety, overwhelm or depression. I go through the points based on a situation I had with my kids where I was stressed and got angry at them. You don't have to get any of this perfect. Get the points in the basic positions and even if you don't say anything when you tap you'll get some benefit.

Start my "rating" your discomfort from 1(not very active) -10 (super active). Tap for a few rounds, rate your discomfort again and likely the number...

Duration: 00:22:23

This Episode starts off with the sound of the healing bowl we bought in Zurich Switzerland from someone from Nepal. It's such a beautiful sound I wanted to share it with you.

Then I talk about letting yourself do things messy and highlighting a point from the Book Creative Calling (see Episode8 ) about letting yourself suck. There is power in just starting even though you don't know exactly what you are doing and that momentum takes you amazing places.

I end with talking about our trip to Europe and how it's been a dream of...

Duration: 00:22:41

I recorded this with a cold so excuse the extra noises and pauses.

I referenced a book called "Creative Calling" by Chase Jarvis since he has so perfectly written what I've known to be true my whole life. We are all creative and meant to live creative lives.

I outline:

- Chase's definition of creativity and why it's important to everyone.

- What it's important to be consistent with creativity

- We usually need to unlearn things in order to harness our creativity

- You want to...

Duration: 00:22:13

CVP is the Creative Visionary Program hosted by Nicolas Wilton and Art2Life. It's a 12-week program (really 14 with two rest weeks worked in) that goes through 12 learning modules: Discover; Desire; Play; Value; Design; Colour - Value; Colour- Saturation; Texture; Process; Momentum; Balance; Launch.

I participated in CVP in 2024 and moved from "panicked" sitting down to a blank page to "excited and curious" about what I could create that day. This is life changing for me because now I actually show up almost EVERY day to do something like painting or drawing. I think creativity is in...

Duration: 00:20:00

In this Episode, I discuss Unhelpful Thinking Styles that a lot of us use in every day life but really don't serve us well for living the big, bold lives we want to live. These ways of thinking develop over time from events that have happened to us or how family and friends think. Maybe you'll recognize some of the styles that you use regularly and perhaps being aware of this will help you chose a different way. When you know better you do better!

If you want more support with thought work reach out or book...

Duration: 00:18:13

Welcome to the Creatively Curious Podcast a space where creativity, life, coaching and occupational therapy intersect to inspire and empower your most authentic life.

I'm your host, Ashlea Walter. I'm a certified Martha Beck, life coach artist, author and licensed occupational therapist.

Each episode will explore the processes, struggles and breakthroughs that shape our personal and creative journeys.

Together, we'll see how creativity could be the missing piece you've been searching for, whether you're an aspiring or seasoned creator, or someone who just loves...

Duration: 00:00:51

In this Podcast I review what Occupational Therapy is and talk a little bit about where I've worked in my OT career. I also talk about what Life Coaching is and isn't and why I decided to become a Life Coach.

My Website: https://www.ashleadwalter.com/lifecoaching

Ashlea's IG: @ashleadwalter https://www.instagram.com/ashleadwalter/

Ashlea's Coloring Book on Amazon : https://www.amazon.ca/Coloring-Book-Anxiety-Relief-Mindfulness/dp/B0CGL4FZJG

Occupational Therapy Links:

Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists: https://caot.ca/

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Duration: 00:21:38

RAIN TOOL

Today I talk about the RAIN Tool (Recognize, Allow, Investigate, Nurture) that Tara Brach talks about in her book Radical Compassion. I use this tool on myself as well as coaching clients to start to recognize all emotions and thoughts and not judge them and to support nervous system regulation. I have other tools to use on painful or unhelpful thoughts but the first step is recognizing the thoughts or emotions we are having and just allowing it all to be present with curiosity. You are safe and loved. Get Creatively Curious!

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Duration: 00:10:13

This is a meditation to help you get clear on what your dreams are. What would you really love to do? Does your dream or vision have a message for you? What did you see?

Ashlea's Website: ⁠www.ashleadwalter.com⁠

Ashlea's IG: ⁠@ashleadwalter⁠: https://www.instagram.com/ashleadwalter/

Ashlea's Coloring Book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/Coloring-Book-Anxiety-Relief-Mindfulness/dp/B0CGL4FZJG

Ashlea's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AshleaDWalter/videos

Duration: 00:08:35

This is a tool I use with Life Coaching clients so they can be better attuned to the wisdom of their bodies. The Body Compass Tool is from Martha Beck's Wayfinder Life Coach training and serves as a guide to living a more authentic life. In short, do more things that feel good and fewer things that feel yucky. Simple yet effective. If you have questions please reach out.

Ashlea's Website: ⁠www.ashleadwalter.com⁠

Ashlea's IG: ⁠@ashleadwalter⁠: https://www.instagram.com/ashleadwalter/

Ashlea's Coloring Book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/Color...

Duration: 00:21:42

This is a helpful and quick way to calm and ground yourself and to get back into your body and out of your head. Feel free to use it before meetings, nervous-nelly situations, or if you feel overwhelmed or out of sorts. You are safe and loved.

Ashlea's Website: ⁠www.ashleadwalter.com⁠

Ashlea's IG: ⁠@ashleadwalter⁠: https://www.instagram.com/ashleadwalter/

Ashlea's Coloring Book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/Coloring-Book-Anxiety-Relief-Mindfulness/dp/B0CGL4FZJG

Ashlea's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AshleaDWalter/videos

Duration: 00:02:55