When Minou Hexspoor and her husband found themselves trapped at home in Beirut at the start of the quarantine, a simple idea for a photo took them on an unexpected journey of documenting fun and different experiences … right from their living room! What began as a seemingly random Instagram post to commemorate Mother’s Day during quarantine, became a 60-day photo project that featured different movie characters, a day at the beach, a safari, fishing trip, and even camping!

But more than just setting up intricate and detailed scenes to post in social media, Minou realized that there was power in what she calls “practical imagination”. And ultimately, she found that the photos held more meaning than just being creative; to her and to many who went on the journey with her, the photos became instruments to teach JOY even during these challenging times.

So listen in as Minou and I exchange thoughts and insights on:

• How the photo project first...

We’ve all been there: days when our creativity just flows so naturally -- even magically! -- and we are so inspired that the ideas come one after the other without any effort.

Then one day, it all disappears. We lose the enthusiasm to create anything, we feel uninspired, and we don’t know how to get back into our groove again.

This is the ebb and flow of creativity and yes, my friends, I say “we” because I’ve been through this process, too. In fact, I felt like I was pulling from a dry well as I thought of what I wanted to talk about this week on the Podcast. And if you ask what helped me get out of the rut, then I invite you to tune in as I share with you how I unclogged my drain and let the creativity flow freely again.

In this episode, I fill you in on:

• The 7 go-to exercises I practice to recharge my creative juices
• The book by Julia Cameron that has helped me and many others on their journey to meaningful and creative journaling
• The time in my...

In just a couple of days, a new year will begin. And with everything that has happened in 2020, it just begs the question: what do we want this coming year to be like? If we were free to imagine the best life for ourselves this 2021 and even beyond, would it feel unlimited?

The internal exercise I share with you on today’s episode for choosing your word of the year is meant to be an intentional practice. It asks for a deep examination of what happened this past year, and calls for a bold vision of what you want your life to look like in the next 6 to 12 months.

So grab your pen and paper and get ready for meaningful reflections as I share with you: 

• My 5-step exercise for coming up with your word of the year, that has really become a goal-achieving machine for me and can work in the same way for you
• How your word can impact not only your goals and the way you see yourself, but more importantly, how you make decisions as the person you already see yourself becoming
• What...

There's a story prompt I teach called,  "Trials to Triumph"... and this month's spotlight feature certainly fits that storyline. 

I first met Shannon Rafalowski when she attended our very first Storytelling Symposium in Dallas, Texas. 

I could sense immediately her story was raw and fresh. She was at the very beginning stage of healing from a 35+ year battle with an eating disorder and body image issues. 

She had just finished up her life coaching certification and was searching for a way to share her story in hopes of helping others. 

That was in May of 2019. 

Over the past 2 years, I've had a front row seat as Shannon has unraveled and rebuilt her life from the ground up.

This work isn't for the faint of heart, but it's worth it when you are able to look back on your story and see how beneficial it can be to share it with others. 

These days, Shannon pours her energy into her Tush Tribe Community, where she is helping women recover from their own...

There is something to be said about a woman's confidence and how it translate in the clothing she wears. When you walk into a room, sometimes how you carry yourself can be directly reflected in whether or not you feel good in what you are wearing! 

This is why I love the work of Melanie Wolff, a personal stylist who owns Your Confident Style. 

When Melanie first landed in the LIGHTbeamers Community, she was struggling to find her own confidence with being more visible and sharing her offerings to a larger audience. Putting some of her own advice to work, she started showcasing her style tips and putting on her best outfits to make herself feel more energized about getting Visible! 

And she really dove head first into Video -- showing up weekly during our Wednesday Live sessions to get more comfortable on camera! 

And it has all paid off! 

Today, Melanie has a thriving business and a growing social media presence helping other women dress with confidence. 

...

One of the best parts of the Lightbeamers Community is to see a woman burst onto the scene and then watch her rise!

Reaiah Cubero of ReeCreation Ministries first showed up during one of our Wednesday livestream days — she appeared quiet, nervous, unsure, yet concretely determined.

She stuck with it.

Week after week her confidence grew and her gorgeous storytelling unfolded.

She surprised us with her talents around spoken word poetry and artistic endeavors!

She’s passionate about mental health, and incredibly grounded in her faith.

She shows shows up regularly on live-streams on her various channels and is making a huge difference in this world, especially for other women who may also be struggling with mental health, conflicts around their faith, and identity crisis.

Take a minute to get to know her better in this months Lightbeamers Spotlight!!

APRIL: Tell us a little bit about your journey leading to the creation of ReeCreation Ministries?

REAIAH: It's...

I first met Louisa Garrett through a mutual friend on the internet. I was taken immediately by her enthusiasm, bright smile and laugh, and intense determination to "Make Kind Loud" 

Louisa is the epitome of a LIGHTbeamer because she uses her social media channels relentlessly to share her message of Kindness. 

She shows up LIVE every single day spreading a message of compassion and empathy toward others. You can't help but fall in love with Louisa within 2 seconds of meeting her. 

She's infectious.... and a powerful LIGHTbeamer leading the way to make this world a better place. 

I'm honored to feature her for this month's LIGHTbeamers Spotlight! 

_____________________________________________________________________

APRIL: You are the powerful creator behind The Kindness Summit and Make Kind Loud... tell me how that began. 

LOUISA: I started my "Kindness journey" nearly a decade ago. But before that, I was super sarcastic. I lived and...

BRAND NEW FEATURE SEGMENT 
I'm thrilled to bring you a brand new feature to LIGHTbeamers -- a monthly community spotlight highlighting the story and journey of one of our resident LIGHTbeamers. 

INTRODUCING Susan Tomlinson
Susan first stepped into the spotlight at LIGHTbeamers during one of our annual storytelling challenges in the Fall of 2019. Immediately following the challenge, Susan joined our VIP membership, the Visibility Accelerator. 

What I noticed about Susan right away was her tenacity and consistency.
She was eager to learn, and willing to share her story! Every single month since she joined, Susan has showed up for every group strategy call and she's participated in all of our quarterly challenges and ongoing story prompts. I'm so impressed by her willingness to try things new and take action! 

I love an action taker -- and Susan is an action taker!

When I first had the idea to start these monthly Spotlight features, Susan immediately came to mind...