August. It feels like the last gasp of summer. The calm before the storm. Cicadas and katydids are in full song. Days are still long but not quite as long as July. There’s a different slant to the light.

Summer vacations are grabbed before school is back in session. The morning commute is lighter. There is a pervasive sense of ease.

We know that change is imminent.  But, oh, how we want to hold on to the feel of summer freedom! We want to keep dipping our toes in the water and walking barefoot on dewy grass. Because we can. Because we have the time. Because our schedules are looser and life is quieter. Even if just for a few more weeks.

At The Purple Ink Cafe, August is our time to kick back and relax. We’re still here, but not at the same intensity. Time slows down. We allow for shifts in our individual routines. All of a sudden, it’s okay to put your elbows on the table, have tomato sandwiches for dinner and let the melted butter from hot corn drip down your chin. The air carries a whiff of the freedom we remember from when we were youngsters.

Ironically, the approach of September can also carry a flutter of sweet anticipation. Our back to school mindset persists, even if it’s been a long time. Perhaps, we’re hard wired that way. We are fickle folk, indeed!

So, August can be a little bittersweet, a trifle wistful. We want it to stay but we know it will have to go.

Or, will it? What if August could be an eternal state of mind?

How about it? Let’s bottle up some summer to pull out when needed, like the berries or tomatoes that you put up, the jars of pesto in the freezer or the pretty woven picnic basket packed away for the season.

​Serve up a dollop of summer when the November sky glowers!

A few questions first:

• What is the essence of summer that you want to hold on to? It’s probably not the heat and humidity. If you had to put it into a short sentence, how would you describe it?
• Can you distill it down to one or two words? Is it long days? What is it about the long day that is special? Is it warmth or lighter clothes? Is it really those Bermuda shorts or is it being unencumbered?
• Where else/ when else do you find those qualities?

What quality would manifest the essence of an August day for you? We thought about this while preparing our last newsletter. Here’s a little infogram to help you along with relaxation thinking.

#eternalaugust

First, we must say what it is not. It is not a brick and mortar place to which you would physically go. There are no windows to wash or floors to sweep. Its doors are virtual.

The Purple Ink Cafe exists in your imagination.

What’s great about this is that you can come from anywhere – different cities, countries, continents. It can look however you want it to look. It can look different each time you pop in. If you need a calm, relaxed vibe today…you’ve got it. Looking for an energy boost? You’ve got it.

Any time you come to something at The Purple Ink Cafe we gently bring you into whatever space you need at that moment. In the beginning that might feel a little strange. You may get distracted during the guided imagery. Perhaps the cafe will just look like the room in your home where you happen to be.

That’s okay. We will see you and welcome you with open arms.

Connection, creativity, collaboration

When you arrive at The Purple Ink Cafe you are immediately connected with others. Sometimes that connection is for a specific purpose: a presentation, a class or workshop, a master mind or a coaching session.

Other times you show up for companionship, accountability and camaraderie as you tend to your own work. We call these times Creative Work – Inspired Play™. We “come into” the cafe, declare our intention (or what we’ll be doing) and go off and do it. We then regroup and celebrate what we’ve accomplished. It never ceases to amaze us how much gets done in that hour. Although physically apart, there is an energy generated that motivates you to do what is important to you at that time.

Creativity is always in the air. It could be quietly at your side as you use your imagination to come in during a guided imagery. It is in the way you are encouraged to think differently. It can be the presenter who has a group doing art at their individual kitchen tables or a master mind that has you approach your clutter in ways you never would have thought.  It can be a way of looking at our worlds through a different lens that enables us to approach joy in new ways.

For many of these patrons, The Purple Ink Cafe has become a place of collaboration. Women who have met over a training or a workshop have gone on to work together on a project or master mind. The Purple Ink Cafe is fertile ground and seeds are strewn. Cross pollination occurs. Seemingly disparate ideas find a thread and become something new and rich.

The Purple Ink Cafe is also a place of acceptance and belonging. We love the diversity of our patrons. They are fascinating, audacious and talented women. We learn from everyone who comes through our “doors”.

Do you crave community? Do you seek connection with other interesting, inspiring, imaginative women?? What else can The Purple Ink Cafe do for you?

Yes! And no.

The basic concept of a master mind, two or more people coming together to work as one greater unified mind, needs no improvement. It is an example of selfless collaboration and cooperation that can yield tremendous results.

How a master mind looks, feels and is delivered can be re-invented, however, and the KMI Master Mind™ sets out a truly new way of delivering one.

But why?  When we speak with people and ask them what their idea of, or experience of, a master mind group is we often get responses like:

• Wealthy businessmen in suits
• Corporate and high powered
• Pressurized accountability
• Overwhelming expectations

We don’t hear words like fun, creative, inspiring, innovative or imaginative.

Both of us (Kathy and Mary) gravitate towards the collaborative and the creative. A master mind that incorporated both PLUS the gentle power of Kaizen strategies was a no brainer.

We also focused on the master mind’s design. Structure is important for many creative people. Structure has been shown in studies to enhance creativity. A study of children playing in fenced and unfenced playgrounds showed that the children were more adventurous and used more of the space available when the boundaries were clear. The children in the unfenced playgrounds tended to stay mainly near the center of the area. The same is true for idea generation and problem solving.

Structure is provided via the KMI Agenda™. Structure that is flexible, not rigid or restrictive. The KMI Agenda™ sets out a repeatable and familiar guideline of how each KMI Master Mind™ session will unfold. In addition, it can be customized to meet the needs of the members and to provide an organic flow to a session. In addition, each component has been carefully chosen to enhance the overall experience for members.

Structure also comes in the form of regular meetings, consistent expectations, and between-session touch points provided by the facilitator.

In our next blog we will share with you the concept of Kaizen and how applying these strategies to the master mind creates a very low pressured, process focused environment that allows members to build sustainable momentum towards their goals.

​Please leave a comment below with your thoughts.​