Dearest Rebel Angels,

I saw this quote on Pinterest yesterday and all the muses inside me went, "Yes, yes! Write about that!" And they preceded to throw glitter and spill their tea cups. So of course I had to do what they said. We are a slave to muses, are we not?

Here's what they want me to tell you about leaving your shine on the world...

Wear some sparkle.
Yep, you could literally wear some sparkle. I've been wearing silver sparkle eye shadow and pearl shimmer on my brow and cheek bones. It's a nice, light summer look.

Laugh + smile. 
Don't hold back! Let out that beautiful laugh. Flash your smile with determination. If you're happy and you know it...

Plus, all that happy energy spreads. Have you ever just been smiling, looked at someone randomly and they smiled back? I love those moments :)

"At a dinner party in New York, one of the guests, a woman who had
inherited money, was eager to make a pleasing impression on
everyone. She had squandered a modest fortune on sables,
diamonds and pearls. But she hadn't done anything whatever about
her face. It radiated sourness and selfishness. She didn't realize what
everyone knows: namely, that the expression one wears on one's
face is far more important than the clothes one wears on one's back." ~Dale Carnegie

Flatter others.
Everyone loves a kind word and a compliment and you'd be surprised at how many people don't receive them. I know it may seem like the supermodel-esque woman standing in front of you in the check-out line doesn't need another compliment, but if you truly have something nice to say, say it! You never know what someone's going through.

Speak positively.
I bet wherever you go you hear your fill of negativity and complaining. Be a rebel and share your gratitude and love for the world.

"Try leaving a trail of little sparks of gratitude on your daily trips. You will be surprised how they will set small flames of friendship that will be rose beacons on your next visit." ~Dale Carnegie

Listen to others.
I think a big reason why people like having me around is because I actually listen to them. In a crowded room there's always one person who starts talking and gets ignored. Make eye contact with her/him and listen. Listening to others will get you remembered.

Speak with passion.
Have you ever been around someone who spoke with so much passion that you wanted to crawl inside them and feel all that energy? I love spending time with people like that. Even if I could care less about what they're passionate about, their energy spreads and I get excited too. Don't be afraid to profess your passions!

Be weird.
There's a little weird inside us all, it's just that some are better at hiding it. I say, let that freak flag fly! I remember this guy telling me once, "You're so weird. It's refreshing." Normal is boring, babe. The world needs your brand of weird.

Dearest Rebel Angels,

Confidence creates magic. 

I can say this because my own confidence has shifted, expanded, and I wake up everyday with so much passion to write and share beautiful things with the world.

And this is what I want to express to you today...

that when you believe you're a bombshell (in looks, in biz, in personality, whatever) without anyone telling you, the world takes notice. It stops and stares.

Things expand - relationships, business, passion. Life gets easier because you're not comparing yourself anymore, you're doing your own thing. Lighting your own fire and blazing the path.

When you have confidence, you do things that scare you and you believe in your ability to conquer the world.

You stop caring what other people think and go for it.

Best of all, you start loving yourself more. You know you're fabulous and become your own best friend.

Expanding confidence is a journey. It simmers and shifts throughout our lives. You can't hurry it up, but you can inspire it. It takes a little work, a little blood and sweat, but it's so worth it and you deserve it.

Boost your confidence with creativity.

Have you seen the radical self-love bible inspiration on Gala Darling's blog? 

Start your own self-love notebook and fill it with love notes, positive quotes, self-portraits, and anything that electrifies your heart.

Wear confidence like an accessory. 

If you're an introvert like me, it might feel awkward at first, but put a little swagger in your step, hold your head high, and straighten your spine. Act like you own the place and people will believe it.

Read about other confident women.

Whenever I want a dose of confidence inspiration, I turn to my favorite blogs written by woman who strut their stuff. And it's not just about beauty with these ladies - they create magic in their lives and businesses and own that power.

My faves:
Veronica Varlow 
Gala Darling
Erika Lyremark

So tell me, what makes you fabulous? Spill the beans, bombshell!

Sometimes it's the smallest things that cause us fear and keep us from something we really want. And sometimes we feel like we can only do things if we have someone to do them with.

When I first started driving and needed gas, I couldn't stop by the gas station and pump the fuel by myself. I always had someone else do it, until one day I was driving alone, on empty, and had no other choice.

And there are tons of these instances. Situations where I was too afraid to do something or go somewhere by myself.

Today was different.

I was sitting in the hammock on the patio listening to a recorded call on my iPod when the sun came out. We've had three days of clouds and rain so this was quite welcome.

The light illuminated the ocean that is our backyard – gorgeous deep blues and turquoise, crystal clear, big schools of fish leaping, children splashing and playing. I knew I wanted to be in the water.

But this fear rose up in me; I didn't want to go by myself, but Jason was napping. I could try and wake him up and get him to go with me, but chances were slim that he'd stir much.

So I listened to the rest of the call, surveyed the beach, wondered what it was I was so afraid of.

I went inside and tried to wake the sleeping giant. “Do you want to swim? The water's really clear.”

“Maybe later,” and he rolled over.

I knew I either had to go on my own or forget it.

So I had this conversation in my head about why I was so afraid to sit on the beach by myself. Mostly it has to do with people staring at me (being one of the only white females in this town catches people's eyes). Then I came to the conclusion that I wasn't going to miss out on a gorgeous day in the sea because I have some kind of stupid fear.

I put on my bathing suit, took a breath of confidence, and walked to the water.

Yes, some people stared, but only for a blink of a moment, and it was mostly kids who smiled and waved. 

And once I was in the ocean I felt at home, content, happy that I chose to do it on my own and not wait for someone to hold my hand. I didn't let fear guide me.

I nestled my feet into the sand, watched the fish leap, rolled onto my stomach and let the waves rock me.

It felt divine.

So here's what I've learned:

Don't let fear guide you.
Sometimes stuff is going to feel really icky until you just do it.

Ask, "What's the worst that can happen?"
It's hardly ever what you imagine it to be.

Don't rely on other people to make you happy.
If I had waited until Jason was ready, it might have been too late and I would've missed out on an incredible afternoon.

We are writing our own stories. Today I wrote that I wanted to swim in the ocean and I did it. 

Do you have a similar story? A time you did something scary on your own, no matter how big or small.

Tell me about it.

As a writer and creator I need all the inspiration I can get. Sometimes the muse doesn't show up and things don't flow as freely as when she does. During those times I take a dip into my mind's inspiration swimming pool and see what I can find. I may not come up with anything worthwhile at first, but the deeper I go, the more treasures I find.

One tool that helps me on these creativity dives is an inspiration altar. 

I set one up in my writing spaces to fuel my inner muse. 

And I'm not the only one; just take a look around the internet and you'll see all kinds of beautiful sacred spaces arranged with meaningful nick knacks. 

Some go to their altars to worship, others to create. In a way, it's kind of the same thing!

My personal inspiration altar back home was a small dish with a lighted candle, crystals, a fairy figurine, and a postcard from Francesca Lia Block - my writing hero and mentor. 

Now it's a half a coconut shell lined with a silver star-patterned, cosmic blue drawstring bag and filled with beach stones and crystals, a vase filled with shells and flowers, and that same postcard. 

Speaking of Francesca, in her writing workshops she encourages students to bring an item to place on the writing altar she sets up before each class.  It can be anything: flowers, stones, photos of loved ones, personal mementos, tarot cards...

Many of her students, like me, continue this outside the workshops.

Burlesque queen Veronica Varlow of Danger Dame created a traveling altar - a makeup case filled with magical things she takes on tour. 

What to place on the inspiration altar...

An altar is a personal thing and it's really up to you what you collect for your sacred, creative space. 

Feathers, flowers, stones and crystals, antlers, figurines, photos of loved ones and personal heroes, tarot cards, candles, heirlooms, poetry, prayers, lockets...

Look at the items around your home, the ones that hold meaning and magic, and use those. Of course you can always buy things that catch your eye and feel inspiring. You might even come across magical things on a walk. My grandpa found an old skeleton key buried in the dirt and gave it to me. Just think of the stories it holds! Keep your eye out for little treasures.

Everything I place on the inspiration altar is imbued with a certain kind of magic that helps my pen/marker/keyboard feel juicy.

How to use it

Again, being such a personal thing, it's up to you how you use it. 

You might want to include it in your morning ritual, mediate near it, say a prayer. 

Or you might just want to sit next to it with your laptop when you need some extra oomph to write your next blog post.

I let the items on my altar inspire my words. When I'm writing I think about how I feel and what I want to express. I think about what my readers are feeling. I think about my favorite writers sitting at their desks with pen to paper. 

Do you already have an altar? What's on it? How does it help you?

Let me know in the comments or on Facebook/Twitter! Post a picture of it if you'd like. I'd love to see :)

It's somewhat of a joke between family that I'm a nudist. My sis gets a kick telling people I do ballet in the nude. 

And it's true. I love fashion and buying clothes, but I also love, and prefer, lounging around in undies. Sometimes nothing at all. It's just easier, ya know? Especially now that I live in the tropics. It's just too humid to be bothered with clothes.

I also love dancing in the buff. I don't think it's that I specifically get naked to dance, but that when I'm naked I tend to dance.

It happens a lot before a bath or shower. Like I said about the naked ballet, I've practiced plenty of arabesques and port de bras nude. It helps to see my body unrestricted.

In Nia we learned to look at our bodies in the mirror and hold no judgement. Yes, we had to stand in front of the mirror and stare at our body (clothed) and play observer, not critic. Then it was suggested that we do the same at home, but naked. 

I do this all the time, have been for years (as most of us probably have), and getting better at noticing the beauty - my own beauty.

So let's get down to the nitty gritty and talk about dancing in our underwear (or naked!) and feeling beautiful while doing it. 

♥ If it helps, cover or put away the mirrors so you can really be in your body instead of judging your "technique." Trained dancers, you know what I'm talking about.

♥ Set the mood with lighting. That could mean turning off the lights and lighting a few candles or hanging fairy lights and dancing under their twinkling magic.

♥ Spritz on your favorite perfume to awaken your senses.

♥ Put on music that makes you feel sassy, sexy, and confident. Lately, I've been gobbling up burlesque music.

♥ Sway your body, circle your hips. Let your hands run through your hair and make their way down your curves.

♥ Do what feels good, even if it seems weird. Smile, laugh, wriggle on the floor.

♥ Think about the sexy, brave, confident woman you're becoming and embody that. Let it permeate every cell and light you up inside.

If there's ever a moment when you feel insecure, tell that insecurity to eff off! You're dancing and nothing can stop you. 

Now own your beauty. Dance your beauty. 

"Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You" −Dr. Seuss

After your gorgeous dance session, lounge around in your undies :) 

If ya want, stop by and tell me how it went. How did it feel to dance inside your own beauty?

There are all kinds of writing advice lists out there: Henry Miller's 11 Commandments of Writing, Jack Kerouac's 30 Keys to Life and Writing, Brenda Ueland's If You Want to Write. So I thought it was about time I create my own. Here are my 12 tips for writing a book you'll love.

What gets you writing? Inspires you? Keeps you going? Are you working on anything right now? Let me know ♥