Creativity & Manifesting Your Life's Purpose - The Goldilock's Dilemma

​About the Author: Geraldine Banes was born in the UK, on the Southwestern-Most Peninsula of Wales, close to Ireland. From an early age she was interested in art, design & creative writing. Geraldine got her education in the Art and Design field, married, divorced and then on her own with a small daughter, ended up getting a job with an American company, Microsoft. This brought her to the US. What started out as a short-term contract job turned into a 22-year career with Microsoft. She loved her job and may have stayed, if it were not for a life changing event that made her reconsider everything.
      In 2009, at the age of 50, while on business in Britain, Geraldine suffered a heart attack. Her right super dominant artery was 98% clogged with a clot. She had a stent placed, and her femoral artery bifurcated. She realized that she had to change her life. Like the phoenix from the ashes, 2010 was to be her pivotal point. She already had an interest in Alternative Health, specifically Craniosacral Therapy & Reiki as she had found these modalities helpful in her own recovery. She enrolled in Massage School to learn about Anatomy, Physiology and Kinesiology. She found an office space and started her practice.  After 5 years, she began looking for her own space. She had a vision of what it would be like. She looked for almost two years and nearly gave up. One day a building came up that spoke to her the minute she set foot in the door. It was a historical building, an old bank building, with great bones. After another year of renovation and manifesting, it turned into her beautiful Studio Beju in downtown historic Duvall, WA. She set out with a wing and a prayer to build a community of like-minded women practitioners who combine both alternative health and creative expression. Today it exists and is thriving! It is a place for uplifting workshops, classes and services and celebrates 3 years in business this April 2018! She has found her purpose and passion in life!
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 Studio Beju
15630 Main Street.
Duvall, WA 98019
425-318-6422
 www.studiobeju.com

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      ​Most of us are familiar with “Goldilocks and The Three Bears”, a popular nursery tale. Goldilocks goes for a walk in the woods and finds a house. She knocks on the door, no one answers so plucky thing she is, she goes in and finds 3 bowls of porridge: One was too hot, one was too cold, but the last one was ‘just right.’ After eating the porridge, she finds 3 chairs: One was too big, one was too small, and then there was one that was ‘just right’ but on sitting on it she broke the chair into pieces! Then she went upstairs because she was tired and found 3 beds: One was too hard, one was too soft, but one was just right and so she snuggled down to sleep.
     Of course, the Bears came home and complained loudly that someone had been eating their porridge, and that someone had been sitting in their chairs, and had broken one, and going upstairs they found the culprit sleeping in one of their beds!  With that Goldilocks springs out of bed, jumps through the window and escapes, never to return again. So, what’s the story really about? A cautionary tale of too much entitlement or a tale of discovery to find her own ‘just right’? There are many ways to view this, from the duality of organization vs chaos to the literary use of repetition and the use of three. Notice that every third trial is ‘just right’ in the nursery tale – two wrongs ultimately leading to a ‘right’.
How do you find your ‘just right’ in business, creativity or life? The answer may lay in the magic of threes. I found out myself that there's a psychological magic in the number 3. For example, if I put out 1 or 2 printed newsletters in front of the Studio they don't get picked up. If I put out 4 or more, they don't get picked up. But 3, Oh boy. Yes, every time!  I need to replenish the front table as soon as I notice one or two have been taken by passersby. That way we shift ALL the newsletters every month. Like magic!
Similarly, in broad general terms when we think of optimal health for the body we are looking to find a motile flexibility, where the body or mind is not too rigid, nor too flexible, but within the range of a Goldilocks zone where everything seems ‘just right’. This Goldilocks zone is the optimal sphere of existence, balance and resilience.
      So how do you apply this to your Creativity and/or manifesting your life’s purpose? Why not try applying the rule of three. If you are super creative, but have difficulty turning this into reality then try 2 somethings that are the opposite of you. Something more rigid and orderly. It can be anything from learning to de-clutter or applying for business mastery at night school. If you have a natural tendency to order and neatness, go out of your comfort zone and explore what it feels like to be messy, spontaneous, and free thinking. Find a messy creative friend to help loosen those orderly chains! Let go of control and enjoy creative freedom. The point is to learn enough to find your own ‘just right’. 
This month I'm celebrating the 3's and late March/early April is the Studio Beju’s third year in business!!  In starting out, I had a general idea of what the place would be. I drew my Vision Board with as much vibrancy & care as possible. 

Geraldine's Vision Board

      ​I envisioned a place that combines Mind/Body/Spirit practices and where you could explore art, craft, music, meditation & movement as a healthy holistic way of being.  Spaces for rent, a hub for people to find a modality or skill or way of being that appeals to them & maybe helps them in some way or helps them teach & give back something that has helped them. I decided to give it 5 years to see if it could be achieved as I'd read that it usually takes up to 5 years to get established. I've just read that those who work in small business say it's the first 3 years that show whether they will survive and have what it takes. Some small business advisers say that the venture is still in the start-up phase for the first 3 years.
This is because there's so much to learn about setting up a business. Whoo! They aren’t wrong there. So, this year three is the seminal year and certainly a year to take stock. Things that work, things that don’t so much, and things I’ve started to gain a measure for.
     From the spectrum of orderly vs chaotically creative, I am definitely in the chaotically creative camp. I’ve been lucky to be creative all my life. Ideas flow!  But, I am also messy, disorganized, and hate paperwork. So, this year I’m going to take a leaf out of my own book and take some scheduling classes, pick up some Feng Shui tips and learn how to organize my office more effectively & maybe engage an orderly & patient friend to help me over my own hurdles & build that 5-year plan I should have done in the first place. What are you going to do? 

Geraldine's Creation - Studio Beju