a twist of fate and Creative JOY

16 Jun a twist of fate and Creative JOY

I think that the more seemingly out-of-the-blue something is, the more it may be meant-to-be.  In life, we all plug away to get to where we’re going. We plot and plan and walk the path. When opportunities arise from our requests or through hard work, it’s easy to make sense of it; we asked, we put effort in, we got results. But when something falls into your lap—something totally unexpected—that you couldn’t have seen coming? I take those things as signs.

Such was the opportunity to participate in the soon-coming Creative Joy Retreat. When I got word that Susannah Conway was likely unable to get her work visa in time to teach her retreat here in the states and that she and her partners Marianne Elliott and Jen Louden invited me to teach in her place, I was speechless, except for two little words:

Of course.

I can’t claim to know how and why the Universe does what it does. And although answers do reveal themselves sometimes as to the “whys”, they often come long after the fact. I don’t know why this came at the time that it did. But, as Colbie Caillat sings, Who I am to tell fate where it’s supposed to go?

I won’t deny that this was a tricky proposal. It meant that if I in fact did get the official word that I would be leading the photography part of this retreat, that the incredibly beautiful and amazingly talented Susannah would not be. It felt wrong. It still feels wrong; that after all of her dreaming and creating of this gathering, that she would not be allowed to come. But, since sometimes there is no explaining these kinds of disappointments (not now anyway), I am moving forward in Creative JOY both figuratively and literally. Susannah will not be there and although that makes me really sad, I will be there and that makes me really happy.

This wonderful opportunity fell right into my lap and I will not be taking it lightly. In fact, I’m considering it as an unexpected gift. One that I have chosen to receive and also to give. It’s been a sudden shift in focus and scheduling but I know that this all happened for a reason and the best thing I can do right now is allow it to be what it is meant to be.  Wonderful.

Although I know it’s last minute—the  Creative JOY retreat starts on  June 28^th in New York—I’ve been told that there are a few spaces available. That means there’s a place for you, if you choose to claim it. Can you image how amazing that would be?