Wednesday, December 28, 2016

~Bye-Bye 2016 ~ Hello 2017!~



~Order Out Of Chaos~
by Jan Steinle

"I think of creating ‘order out of chaos’ when I look at this…with focus, structure and intention, we can bring order to a chaotic world."

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Looking over this past year and the new year approaching, we can reflect and see how far we've come from where we were a year ago. How well were you navigating through 2016? Did you meet your most pressing goals - personal and professional? 

There is no denying that life hands us challenges and circumstances that may not be of our choosing, or to our  liking, but we keep on. The last ten years of my life have been riddled with situations that I had no control over. I look back and realize I discerned what was important to me by where I directed my energy. 

Some questions I ask myself: What does purpose look like? Do I have a reason to get up in the morning with bright eyes, seizing the day with a warm heart and a purposeful agenda. What will I do that is productive in my day, serving others? Is my attitude aligned with my goals? What makes my heart beat a little faster, brings out the passion in me and directs me to where I am meant to be? Where am I meant to be? How do I figure it out? 

I ended up in Dr John Stanko's classroom in 2014, (purposequest.com) trying to figure out what path to take next after Mom died. By the end of that year and only two months from Mom's life ending, I decided to, no I needed to write my book - The Artistry of Caregiving: Letters To Inspire Your Caregiver Journey - a book of comfort, hope, peace, love and recovery that includes support and affirmations through my words and Zentangle Caregiver Art. I had tunnel vision for two years until I completed the book project. It was my heart, my soul, my being, that the book became my sole focus - to help others while living in the slippery slope of Caregiving. I'm happy that I completed that project and I feel good about what I've shared with others. I hope I make a positive difference in the reader's life. There is nothing more for me to do with that project, other than sharing with you that my book is now available on Amazon in paperback and kindle. A labor of love ~ a song to sing to you in a hopeful, affirming way, to compel you to pick up my book and read the words and see the images that speak to your heart, letting you know you're understood and not alone. 




In October of this year I won lst Place for the TAZ - The Authors' Zone Award in Pittsburgh, PA, under the self-help category. It was a thrill and the icing on the cake for this project. I also noticed just prior to that event on the Proof page of the book (last page), Mom's birth date is the time stamp! The book had been in my possession since August and I never noticed it. The night I discovered it I had biG tears of joy - Mom gave us her blessing in black and white! My sister Jan designed the book cover and my Dad was my original editor. The book is a beautiful reflection of my family life. Truly a blessing to behold. 


So, what's next? I'm currently working on a new launch for Caregivers with a new partner. We are all about Caring for the Caregiver, Nurturing the Nurturers. We're projecting to launch by mid-February and we're so excited to share something new that we think will have a positive impact in your life and your Caregiving Journey. Stay tuned... As the new year approaches and new horizons present themselves, grab hold of the support and resource we will be supplying with great motivation, passion and heart to share with you in the coming months. For now, it remains a secret, but soon enough we will start our joint venture together with bright eyes and big dreams, sharing from our hearts.

Take some time the next few days to determine what will take place in your life in 2017. Time marches on and there is no stopping time, no matter how we are feeling. Seize the day and open your mind and heart to where you will be lead, how you will be lead and who you will impact in the coming year. 

If you don't know right now where you want to focus your energy, give yourself some room to breathe. Read some books on purposeful living. Check out purposequest.com and pull up the free survey to help you get going and figure out where you want to spend your time. Time is our most precious commodity. We can't recapture a moment, an hour, a day, a month or a year. All we have is NOW. 

Make an outline or a list or grab a journal and start writing away so you can see on paper what your next move is. And, if you don't know now, keep digging, go deep inside and ask the important question - what is my life's purpose? Do the work you need to do to find the answer/s you need to move on and make a difference in your life and those around you. 

You have everything it takes to make a life worth living. I believe in you!

Cheers to a very Happy & Healthy New Year coming your way:)

Best Wishes, 
Carole 


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~If you're interested in being a guest blogger, please reach out and let me know.~ cbrecht4@gmail.com




To read my recent interview with www.nextactforwomen.com

To read my recent interview with www.ellensmithwrites.com 

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To follow on Instagram: bit.ly/SanGenIN

To follow on Twitter: bit.ly/SanGenTW

To follow on Facebook: facebook.com/sangenwoman

Sign up on TangledArtBoutique.com to stay connected.


Copyright 2016




Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Carmen Buck ~ Special Guest


Heart to Heart by Jan Steinle

"Connections of the heart...how we experience love, self worth, validation and so much more."

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~Introducing Special Guest Carmen Buck~
Photographer, Nurse Practioner & Creator of Love Still Lives Here



Have you thought about your legacy?   How will you leave the world a better place?  The older I got the more I wondered about the legacy I would leave the world. I was a holistic nurse practitioner in a busy neurology clinic caring for people with dementia and their families. I didn't have a lot to offer by way of medications, but I had attention, kindness, and my presence.  My patients and their families comfortably shared their stories, their worries and the darkest moments of their lives. I listened with awe and learned from them, because dementia has also entered my family. Their situations were often unimaginable yet the love and devotion were palpable. I often thought that in this time more than ever, their inspirational stories needed to be shared with the world. After years of being in reverence of my patients, I realized these so rarely heard stories of love and devotion in the face of fear would be shared with the world, and I would help to make that happen.  I left my clinical work to tell those stories and build a photography business.  

Creating images that tell stories, have meaning and to become a part of a family's legacy is my passion.  I am a nurse practitioner and photographer specializing in bringing beautiful art and memories to families.  At first glance, it may seem like nursing and photography have little in common, but in truth, healing happens at the bedside, in the clinic and even from behind the camera.   Love Still Lives Here is my upcoming book (Spring, 2017) and is a book of powerful love-based stories and photographs demonstrating the devotion of families and loved ones impacted by dementia.  Their stories tell us the importance of connections with others, giving and receiving love, hope, trust, faith, exclusion and how to come out on the other side of grief.

I launched a Kickstarter Campaign for Love Still Lives Here a few weeks ago.  

Kickstarter is specifically for CREATIVE PROJECTS.  It helps artists and authors like myself find the resources and support they need to make their ideas a reality.  Love Still Lives Here is a creative project.

Tens of thousands of creative projects - big and small - have come to life with the support of the Kickstarter community.  I want to be one of those!  

People who specifically want to pledge to creative projects venture to Kickstarter and share their favorites with their friends.  This continues to raise awareness of dementia and family Caregiving  and this is good for all of us.

It’s all or nothing- if 100% of my goals is not attained by December 16, 2016 at 1:56PM, the project will not be funded.  No pledges will be collected unless I reach my goal.  

Click  Love Still Lives Here to go to my page.  You can continue to help us raise awareness and share it to your own social media pages.

I am grateful to Carole Brecht for all she does for Caregivers, making the world a better place.  I’m sure if we lived near one another, we would be meeting over coffee in person to encourage each other along our respective journeys.  The 12 families who contributed their stories to my book continue to delight me with their updates and their tears of joy as they clutch the photos I’ve gifted them.  They give me the fuel to continue my work with legacy photography.  I spent years with families and patients who faced the most difficult times they could imagine.  I offered suggestions, made referrals, spent countless hours on the phone and in person, but I received so much more than I gave because there is nothing so honorable than to allow someone into your heart and home.  I have so much to be grateful for.

I live just outside of Austin, Texas but have been known to travel with my camera in hand.  Here are some of the ways to find me:

Carmen with Carmen Buck Photography
Legacy Photography
Round Rock, TX  78665
512-920-2825

Social Media Links:
Facebook-Business
Twitter  
Carmen with Carmen Buck Photography~Legacy Photography




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Check out my Paperback/Kindle on Amazon - The Artistry of Caregiving: Letters To Inspire Your Caregiver Journey -bit.ly/ArtistryofCareCBrecht - May my book bless you as you navigate the emotional journey of caring for your loved one. I hope you're inspired, find peace, connection and community. 33 Letters written from my heart to yours. Designed to read on the go, in no particular order. Your daily companion letting you know you're understood and not alone. Too tired to read or focus? Get supported and affirmed by 35 Caregiver Zentangle designs throughout the book. You inspire me. You are my hero. <3

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A recent review on Amazon about my book:

"This beautiful book combines art and poetic text as a collection of letters, mixed with a biographical narrative. It is a breath of fresh air to start the day of any Caregiver. I think it would be fair to call these letters “love” letters because each is filled with honest admiration for Caregivers. Plus the letters are quite brief, so you can read just one each day, easily and quickly, and feel empowered! In them, she creatively addresses the Caregiver differently each time, calling the Caregiver “Protector” “Pillar”, “Air-traffic Controller” and “Peacekeeper” to name a few, thus bringing attention to the vast and multifaceted role Caregivers are called upon to play.

Although original in format, this book is a very honest take on the Caregiving experience and doesn’t hold back on the sometimes cruel realities of the situations you could encounter. But it is also tenderly personal, with writer Carole openly expressing her feelings and occurrences directly to the reader. There is a slight focus on caring for an Elderly parent because Carole references her experience of caring for her mom quite regularly. Yet much of it is relevant for any Caregiver! It almost felt like a conversation just for me! I was able to genuinely connect to Carole and her uplifting and supportive words.

I think what I loved most about this book is how much it makes Caregivers feel so incredibly valued, building a solid sense of pride as you read through and are acknowledged again and again. As Caregivers are still not given as much recognition in our society as they deserve, this book is a welcomed companion – a cheerleader really that all those managing the constant and complex demands of this unsung role will benefit from. 
Thank-you Carole!" -K.H.

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FREE Kindle app on my book page~
-To get the most accurate preview of the Look Inside feature on my book page - view on a computer. 





Best Wishes, Carole
cbrecht4@gmail.com


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To read my recent interview with www.nextactforwomen.com


To read my recent interview with www.ellensmithwrites.com 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


To follow on Instagram: bit.ly/SanGenIN 

To follow on Twitter: bit.ly/SanGenTW

To follow on Facebook: facebook.com/sangenwoman

Sign up on TangledArtBoutique.com to stay connected.


Copyright 2016