Client Interview- Lisanne Libner & SweetBrush Productions

"It felt like the walls were breathing & that quality inspired me to start SweetBrush Productions." shared Thriving Artist Alliance client, real estate investor & artist, Lisanne Libner.  "Dad was American & Mom Swiss so as a child we spent the school year in Connecticut & summers in Switzerland.  Italy was 20 minutes away. The frescos, villages and farm houses all had these plaster walls - they were so beautiful.  I was fascinated."

LA: Tell us a bit more about your artistic journey

Lisanne: I got my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Clark University in Worcester, MA and moved to Denver in 1992. My last "real" job in the corporate world was  working as the Director of Telecommunications at Berger Funds.  I'd take faux finishing work for friends on the side.  It was 2 things really that converted me to a full-time artist; I discovered joint compound and I met  interior designer Rhonda Hiatt.  

Everything here in the US is so new but when I discovered joint compound I realized I could recreate that same feeling of breathability & luminescence that I'd experienced in Europe.  Rhonda loved my work & promised that she could keep me busy full time doing my art. So I made the leap & went to work with Rhonda.  She was an amazing friend & mentor, teaching me how to stay calm, relaxed and focused as I strove for perfection in working with our clients.  Working with Rhonda gave me the confidence to be an artist & a business women."

Then in 2003 my Dad got sick so I chose to move back to Connecticut to care for him & my life took another turn.  I began managing some commercial properties Dad had. It was three years of caring for Dad but when he passed I missed Colorado everyday - in 2007 I returned to Denver.  

LA: We'll get into the real estate side of your life in the next blog installment.  For now tell me more about SweetBrush.  Where does your inspiration come from?

Lisanne: I've recently rented space inside The Collection at 9th & Broadway to sell my furniture pieces.  I still take private clients and I'm teaching classes on some of the faux finish techniques I've created, most of which were born of mistakes.  Like one day I was working on a Venetian plaster piece for a client & I spilled my coffee on it.  Where the big pool of spill was didn't look so good but where it splattered was very cool.  Out of that accident came my "signature" joint compound with coffee technique.  I'm inspired by the work of McKenzi-Childs too.

Once we are moved into the new house I'll have a home studio.  In September I plan to offer classes in; Venetian plaster, furniture refinishing, relief stencil and burlap as canvas. The burlap as canvas creates such an interesting texture and can be used to create framable art or even to cover walls.

LA: In the first part of this blog you shared your journey as an artist and business owner.  Would you share with us a bit about your real estate investing & how you balance it with your art?

Lisanne: I have 2 rental houses, 1 here & 1 back in Connecticut, I'm still managing the commercial properties and I've just bought a live/work home in Lakewood so soon I'll convert my current home into a rental once we've moved to the new place.  As for achieving balance - I've discovered it works best for me to segment by whole days.  So some days I only make art or work creatively and other days I do the administrative work for my real estate.  I found it very difficult to switch hats, you know, spend 2 hours working on admin stuff then spend a few hours creating.  So if I start with art in the morning then that's what I do all day.  If I start with admin stuff then that's my day.

LA: What advice would you give other creatives thinking about investing in real estate?

Lisanne: I found my leases on LegalZoom.com.  Their documents are pretty thorough, its easy and inexpensive.  Over the years I've modified them to include things that have come up particular to situations with my renters.  I know being a landlord isn't for everyone so if you don't that job then hire a property manager.  I do spend time managing my properties and that works for me but may not be for everyone.  Sometimes it makes sense to spend a little bit of your income from the property to get the freedom you want as an artist.

LA: We met when you called from one of my listings on the internet.  You were looking for a property with a good amount of land, a small house and the ability to grow food, keep chickens and maybe even horses.  At the time you didn't know about Thriving Artist Alliance or my specialties in working with creatives and live/work properties.  What are you envisioning for your new home?

Lisanne: It's no accident how we met!! I didn't know about your affiliation with the Thriving Artis Alliance and your specialties...but what kismet that we had been put together. You helped us find the most charming 3 bed/1 bath place. It sits on 17,000 soft lot, has a 2-car detached garage with a small studio space attached, raised garden beds, and a 2-stall barn.  So I'll be letting my rented studio go and moving SweetBrush operations to my new home.  We are thinking of building an additional building/studio apartment along the NW line of the  paddock, adding more food growing gardens, and we'll be getting some chickens.  Meeting you under the circumstances of looking for homes was just the tip of the iceberg. The enthusiasm that you brought to the search of our new home and the interest that you showed in our needs, wants, desires made the whole process fun and enjoyable. I loved it when we started to quickly gel, and know what houses worked and what houses didn't. I'll never forget the time I somehow found a house on a lake in Wheat Ridge that was way out of my price range, but I wanted to see it anyway -- and you joyfully took me there. What I like best about getting to know you is your very easy spirit. You love to learn and you have a very sacred talent - you listen with attentive skill and compassionate understanding. Your sense of humor is amazing and you have what it takes to get people home. House hunting with you is an art form in and of itself. 

LA: Lisanne, thank you so much for taking the time to share with us about your life and art.  I'd like to let readers know we'll be doing a Thriving Artist Potluck at Lisanne's house in the Highlands sometime soon - so keep a look out for that invitation.  

To learn more about Lisanne's classes, see beautiful examples of her work and see furniture she has for sale go to her web site:
http://www.sweetbrush.com/SweetBrush/Welcome.html

 Lisanne Libner

5D MODELING PROCESS TO MANIFEST YOUR VISION

Scott Perlman – 

5D MODELING PROCESS to MANIFEST YOUR VISION

Scott Perlman has been in the creativity business for a long time and he has a unique method of helping individuals and corporations tap into their ability to manifest their dreams.  He calls it 5D Modeling, a process developed with Todd Siler, Ph.D. (M.I.T.), author of “Think Like A Genius” (Bantam Books), and his brother Eric Siler, that results in a physical 5-dimensional model/sculpture of your vision. 

What is Visualization?  If you’ve ever watched Olympic skiing then you’ve most likely seen athletes standing at the gate waiting to take their turn down the slope.  You’ll see them go thru the course in their mind.  They literally visualize each gate, turn & bump of the course – they see themselves successfully navigating the course with perfection and of course, a winning time. 

5D Modeling dimensionalizes visualization, making it tangible, and giving form to one’s thoughts.

The 5 dimensions are as follows:

1D – The vision is born, you have an idea or dream you want to make reality and you use words to describe your vision.  This is akin to a white paper document.  It captures the ideas but doesn’t necessarily inspire you or others.

2D – You use 2D images to illustrate the dream/goal much like a “vision board” with photos & other imagery illustrating/representing the vision.

3D – You get invested in the process and you start to see it.  You run scenarios in your mind (like Olympic skiers), you take steps in the 3D world.  This is much like an architect’s scale model of what a building will look like.

Most of us in one way or another have done these first 3 steps and intuitively understand how the more dimensions you add to your visualization and communication, the more effective you are.  The final 2 steps are where things get more powerful as a manifestation tool.

4D – Involves leveraging Symbolism & Metaphor.  For instance the sentence; “The band’s song rose to the top of the charts.”  The mind responds to this statement differently than, “The band’s song had a meteoric rise to the top of the charts.”  The mind draws on the metaphor “meteoric” bringing an emotional sense of power & speed.  Scott makes the point that “the use of symbolism and metaphor is a natural process for the human brain and when we apply that ability to our ideas with intention it brings more dimension & meaning.  That added power taps the emotions and enrolls others in the process of making our dreams reality. This is not just conjecture, but is backed up by current brain science. Specifically Elaborative Encoding, which shows that adding dimensionality, such as a tactile element (3D) and an emotional hook (4D), is how are brains integrate information.” 

Making dreams reality requires more than just the individual dreamer.  This has certainly been true for my vision of Thriving Artist Alliance as a company dedicated to helping artists build wealth with real estate & benefit from the economic wealth that they create.  Dozens of people from strategic partners who provide complementary components of expertise for clients, to people who love the idea invite me to speak to their members, to clients & friends who refer me to new artist interested in buying, selling or investing in real estate, to people who host TAP (Thriving Artists Potluck) Evenings – all have helped build & improve TAA.

Which brings us to the 5^th Dimension of Scott’s technique:

5D – Sharing your vision with others.  Putting your idea out into the world.  Inviting others to participate.  Thru vividly sharing your vision with others you’ll learn more about your dream, and how others react to it.  You’ll get new ideas that feed the vision, participation from others, a deeper understanding of how to bring your dream into reality.

The process looks like this:

The 5D Modeling process always begins with a “Focal Question”.  To develop your focal question ask yourself: “Ideally, what is my vision for my ... art, company, project, life…  (fill in the descriptor that best fits you) over the next three to five years?”

As you work through the process consider:

-       What does “success” look & feel like to you?

-       What hurdles must you/your team overcome”

-       What resources do you need?

-       What is you unique contribution to the world and how does your project reflect your core values”

-       Who will benefit from you product/service?

-       How will you inspire, enroll & empower others to help fulfill your vision?

Scott, along with his partner, Sheri Burnham, and their company Rayo Strategic Partners, are passionately dedicated to the empowerment of his clients.  He works primarily with socially responsible companies, both for-profit and non-profits, to help them define their vision, get buy-in from the essential people and raise the capital necessary to bring their vision into reality.  If you’d like to know more, you can reach Scott directly at:

Rayo Strategic Partners
Scott@RayoPartners.com
720-988-8855

Manifesting Dreams - Once More with Feeling!

Laurie Miranda - aspiring author, feng shui master and interior designer

For Laurie, manifestation is about alignment of thought, word & deed.  "Some people think in different ways. The majority probably thinks in words, others in images.  Imagery is one of THE most powerful ways to manifest & when you attach feelings, the ability to bring it to reality is potent.  It's all about what you are declaring to the universe."  Laurie's power to create is so strong she's pioneering a new genre of literature - Buddhist Sci-Fi.

Due out sometime in the next year, Laurie's book uses the Mayan calendar as its jumping off spot.  Hollywood has portrayed 2012 (the Mayan calendar's end point) as an apocalyptic event. Laurie's story uses it as a critical turning point for our planet - an awakening of consciousness bringing mankind & nature back into balance.

What brought Laurie to the verge of publishing her first work of fiction?  

An interesting story that started during a rafting adventure down Cataract Canyon in Utah, (Laurie comes to Denver via New Jersey) progressed with years of studying Japanese Buddhism & chanting, and fed consistently with a nightly dose of visualization. While on the raft, she was overwhelmed by an image to write a book. Years later, while unable to fall asleep, a story arrived in her imagination. "My bed-time movie picks up each night where I left off the night before."  Twenty years after the rafting trip, while engaged one morning in her Buddhist practice, she was encouraged to share this nighttime story, currently in the editing process.

The book is a story which teaches us the power of thought-that we are creating our reality. "The ability to manifest is grounded in our awareness and genuine knowing of who we are." Laurie shares.  "Its critical to know yourself, to know what you want & how you are dealing with your thoughts & feelings, throughout the course of the day.  The sequence of your thoughts is key.  Be mindful of what you want.  Anytime a negative thought, a doubt or trash thinking that doesn't serve your goals comes up; if you are aware then you can intentionally let the counter productive thought go and shift back to the path of what you want to create. It's critical to not give doubt power." When she closes her eyes at night she sees a "movie" of the life she wants to build complete with experiences she wants to have, the people she hopes to meet, the milestones she seeks to achieve. It is this SEEING the desires come true and then allowing herself to FEEL what it feels like to actually DO those things that makes her realty.

"How does one do that?" I asked.  

 "When you become aware of a doubt that counters the vision your a creating, imagine yourself put it inside a balloon.  Then take a pin and pop the balloon and let the doubt go with it.  Then make your declaration of the reality you are wanting.  This is how we can change the world. Embrace determination and imagery to set a course for the life you choose." 

Manifesting Dreams - Don't Worry About the HOW

DARICE JOHNSTON:Efficiency Training & Life Coaching for the Entrepreneur

What does "manifesting your desires" mean to you - personally ... professionally?

People come to me as an efficiency coach so they can get new results, they are looking to manifest different result - ultimately manifestation hinges on who you are wanting to become.  It must come from the point of BE-ing not the point of DO-ing.  People know what they need to do but they don't always do it.  It’s important to understand that it’s NOT a lack of action that's the problem its who they are BEING that is the problem.

There is action that feels like it’s a big effort or there is Inspired Action.  Most people are in a state of lack and then decide they need to make changes.  But we can't be successful when making change from a state of lack.  When we take action from a state of inspiration, possibility and excitement that is when success is attainable.  So I focus my efforts with my clients to get them into a state of inspiration, excitement.  I don't do "accountability coaching" because its frequently given and taken in a state of Do-ing.  So I work to re-frame clients' thinking into a state of BE-ing.

Once the Be-ing is in place then they are ready to take inspired action and greater success results.

When you work with coaching clients, how do manifesting techniques play into the sessions?  How do you help people get into sate of BE-ing?

Through shifting feelings.  There are only 2 visceral feelings - one feels good, one bad. The Law of Attraction is the basis for all of my coaching.  If you take action from a place of felling good then more of same will come - I always go back to the question of "what do you want?" and how does that feel to have what you want?  Once you can really FEEL the good of having what you really want then that's the place from which to launch into action.

Shifting into a new space of positive feeling - whatever they are feeling - they must take ownership of where they are now & that they have manifested their current state.  Then we focus on their belief that they are capable of turning things around.

I attribute my style of coaching to Abraham Hicks & Michael Bernard Beckwith.  I study Universal Law to help my clients.  Their current state of affairs has nothing to do with the potential of what they can create.  

What's the single most important thing anyone can do to manifest what they want? 

Be clear about what is wanted and trust that they do NOT need to be clear about the HOW.  Stay focused on elevating your feelings to be continuously good.

Truth is in a realm of its own - Meaning, it can't be altered, changed or touched, but beliefs CAN be altered.  That's how you know the difference - Beliefs are simply thoughts we keep telling our selves - you thought it and then looked for the evidence of it to support it.  If one wants to change a belief then go look for the evidence of the correctness of the new belief.

Our beliefs are the greatest road blocks to achieving our greatest desires.  They can also be the greatest propellant to what we want to achieve.

I live with tear filled gratitude to be doing this work.  The more I see my clients excel the more blessed I am.  Seeing people move from the perspective of I have to effort my way through life to realizing life is easy.  

I'm living my heart-felt calling and I get as much if not more back from working with my clients.  

To learn more about Darice go to http://www.daricejohnston.com/

Manifesting Dreams - Do It Yourself – Head Trash Removal

How to manifest what you want ... ? There are so many paths that lead to a life of your dreams.  Bottom line, the target zone, the Holy Grail ... 

     FEELING THE EMOTIONS OF ALREADY HAVING WHAT YOU ENVISION. 

the next 4 posts offer an interesting array of intriguing people, each with their own unique approach to creating what they want in their own lives & the lives of others.

First up, Jonathan Manske – an expert in the field of human energy, Jonathan has worked with thousands of people addressing a spectrum of conditions from terminal cancer to the simple headache.  Recently Jonathan released his latest book: “The Law of Attraction Made Simple” - an easy read, jam-packed with simple tools & exercises for “how to” manifest what you want in your life. 

I asked Jonathan, “What one piece of guidance would have the most powerful impact on a person’s ability to manifest?”

Jonathan: “Inner work is essential in order for things to change.  It is impossible to out perform your self-image.  Like a field of dandelions, if you only remove the tops the weeds come back because the roots below the surface will continue to push up new flowers. “   Here Jonathan is referring to the conscious mind/above the ground and the non-conscious mind/under ground. 

Our non-conscious mind process something like 11 million bits of information per second, our conscious mind about 40.  Obviously the lion’s share of information is processed without our being aware that it is happening.  And these non-conscious processes and patterning houses beliefs, automated responses, decision tactics & ways of being that comprise the “head trash” standing in our way of manifesting what we want in our lives. 

DIYHTR – Do It Yourself – Head Trash Removal

 Is a system for identifying & clearing out non-conscious programming that can prevent you from manifesting your dreams.  It seems kind of silly at first but I have had success with it so here goes:

            Using your body as a “feedback device” make a clear statement about a dream/goal/desire you have.  For instance; “It is okay for me to make money selling my art.”  Then notice how your body feels.  Did it come out smoothly or did it catch in your throat? Did the little voice in the back of your mind say, “Yea, right?”

            If you get an adverse or disconcerting reaction then you know there is a conflict between your conscious & non-conscious programming.

            THE STEPS:

1)   Keeping your statement in mind, tap repeatedly for 30 seconds on each of these spots: the karate chop point of either hand, the bone beneath your eyes, the outside edge of the toenail of your second toe.  Cycle through each spot tapping for 30 all while focusing your mind on your statement.

2)   Tapping the karate chop point on your hand, slowly roll your eyes (not your head) from floor to ceiling, tapping as you do.

3)   Say your statement out loud again.  If it feels strong & true you have succeeded in clearing the non-conscious programming.  If not, go through the procedure again.  Perhaps, a few times a day, over several days.  You can also think of other ways to make the same basic statement.  For instance: “It is easy for me to make money… “ or “I enjoy making money…”.

This is my shortened version of Jonathan’s instructions for this technique.  For a fuller explanation  & more easy to use tools for manifesting your dreams, goals and desires check out a sample of his book on his web site: www.JonathanManske.com

Next up we’ll hear from three powerful manifesters and how they

Live/Work - Floral Design from a Bungalow

In my continuing exploration of interesting live/work arrangements I recently had the opportunity to talk with Sarah Tedford Owner/Operator of Ladybird Poppy Floral Design and part-time floral designer for the Brown Palace.  After working as an employee of 6 different floral shops, 3 years ago Sarah made the bold choice to go into business for herself.  "It was the bottom of the economic collapse and my family thought I was nuts.  Now I do 30-40 events a year designing primarily for weddings and special events for clients with sophisticated tastes.    


The toughest part was getting set up as a business - setting up my accounting & bookkeeping."  When I talk with small business owners, the business set-up always seems to be a big issue.  Sarah uses FreshBooks.  This allows her to track project costs, bill clients, and determine if her project margins are on track.  

Sarah has a unique live/work situation - her entire operation is run out of the 2 bed/1 bath bungalow in the North Country Club neighborhood she shares with a roommate.  A small storage room in the  basement holds the little bit of inventory she needs to keep on hand; vases, ribbon, florist tape & foam, dried flowers.  An enclosed back porch acts as her staging area for creating floral 

arrangements.  All her pieces are built fresh either the day-of or day-before an event.  Working from home keeps her costs down, and those savings she's able to pass along to her clients.  

How do you like to work with clients? "I'm very intuitive and like to get to know my clients' design style, color preferences, themes they are considering, and budget of course.  Knowing these preferences then guides my choices when I go to the floral market."

Like all entrepreneurs who operate their businesses from home, "When I have a job it can take over the house for a short period, 2-3 days."  Sarah faces the challenge of keeping life & work in balance.  "I currently hire help seasonally and have an event planner I work with periodically whenever the job calls for it."  

What does the future hold for Ladybird Poppy? "I'd like to build a small team that would offer 1-Stop shopping for weddings & events.   Eventually a studio space where we could meet with clietns would be nice.  I love going to the flower market early in the morning to buy what I need to complete a job but it would be nice to have some refrigeration to keep some basics on hand."

What I found most impressive about the way Sarah approaches her live/work situation is the individual, client-centered approach she takes with each project, and her calm awareness that when a job takes over her home & her physical space could be viewed as chaotic, she knows its only for a short while.  She keeps her eye on fulfilling her promises & exceeding client expectations.

Check out http://www.ladybirdpoppy.com/ to see samples of Sarah's creations or to get in touch regarding your next event.

Tony & Lisa - A Place to Start Their Life Together

 Tony & Lisa had just arrived in Denver and the college sweethearts were ready to find their first home.  They wanted to be in central Denver; Baker, Park Hill and they wanted a great deal.  Tony is handy so they were open to distressed properties- short sales or foreclosures.  We found a charming bank owned bungalow in Park Hill.  The house was in great shape with room for Tony to apply his building skills to improve the unfinished areas.

We proceeded thru the due diligence period and then days before closing the city placed a sewer lien against the home and they were requiring the sewer be replaced before closing!  I set to work negotiating with the city to allow Tony & Lisa to close on their home as planned.  The city agreed, Tony & Lisa closed on time, moved in & then fixed then sewer line.  One year later they were married.

T