“A great silent space holds all of nature in its embrace.  It also holds you.”

Every day I reflect on this quote from Eckhart Tolle.  I like to think that by getting in touch with this silent space I am able to unlock more inspiration and creativity in my life.  Every day I make it apoint to craft or be creative in some way.   It is one thing, for me, that remains constant in a world where everything is in flux.

As I adapted to living life with muscular dystrophy, I found myself needing a creative outlet and so began my adventure with Etsy, where I began www.JadeRoseBoutique.etsy.com.  It started as a place where I shared my creations that I would often use, like my pocket scarf which had pockets to keep my craft supplies in that were nearby and handy (not having to bend over afforded me an extra five minutes of craft time daily).      This shop eventually expanded to more  items as I kept designing, including a collection of beautiful, one of a kind walker bags and wheelchair totes.

I became active on myMDA, a community of people affected by muscular dystrophy.  This led to my first blog, JadeRoseBoutique.blogspot.com, where I share an inspirational quote every day, provide free instructions for low cost projects that made my life easier on a daily basis.  My hope is that the many things I’ve learned over the years may help or touch others in some way.

Now that the myMDA website has been shut down, I began a new group on Facebook, MD Community – MD stands for MyDisability – where people can share their own positive spin on disability.   This group is open to anyone:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/228366690573805/

As my body slows down, I find myself spending more and more time crocheting.  The entrepreneur in me thought to begin a new shop of patterns only, which is found at www.JadeRoseCrochet.etsy.com.

I began www.contentedcat.org to showcase my favorite original items which are the cat’s meow - designed by creative artists and artisans and made by hand.  After having my own work featured on many blogs, it brings me pleasure to pay it forward.

Inspiration is something I have always been open to, but there were many times in my life when I had trouble finding it.  As I learned to cope with life with a wheelchair, practicing meditation and patience daily, I started to find it when I wasn’t looking – like from my cat, Jetta.  I look forward to rolling out in the morning and having  her jump onto my lap.  Simple moments like this bring me joy, and with joy, I feel comes creativity.  Along this path of creativity, I find I am guided by books like Stillness Speaks by Eckhart Tolle and You Are Here by Thich Nhat Hahn.

Above all, these are some of the important concepts that Jetta the cat helps me remember each day:

• live in the moment
• nobody owns me
• I am the queen of my domain
• relaxation cannot be over-rated
• there is a time to be out and about
• there is a time to be in and within
• accept people as they are
• accept live as it is
• let it be