Mutti Blu's- Blog life backup from 2012-2025

Under the names: 

Olive and Ash

Studio 517

Juli Schuster Studios

I've been saving the Mutti-Blu's name for something or other since 2013ish and thought what better way to use it than to back up my two existing blogs to start a new one. 

Another Flood and the Future, 9.24.24

 As I've spent the last few weeks revamping the exterior of the studio space, gathering some new art for my little gallery space at Blumenhof Winery, I've also been weighing the pros and cons of this little business and wondering what to do with it and about it.  I'm a firm believer in signs and that, somehow, the universe will show me what to do, if I just get still and listen. So, I've been doing a lot of that. This is what I've been shown. 

Yoga has been a regular part of my life for over 15 years. For the past 7 years, it has been my steady rock and almost constant focus, as without it, it felt like I would just float away. I held onto it like a lifeline. Now, through living my yoga (not just doing my yoga), I feel balanced and steady on my own. I can now loosen my grip a little, hanging on to the parts of my practice and lifestyle that I still need, and will always need, and let go of everything else that is not really serving me. 

I am still very passionate about the role yoga has in my life. That will never change. But gathering in person has proven to be difficult over these past 6 1/2 years. Now, I'm feeling a strong pull towards teaching only online. There are a few reasons for this. 

1) The first thing I considered was my own practice. I prefer to practice at home, in the morning, following along to an online class of some sort. I also like having the option of practicing at other times- not a set time of the day or day of the week. I'm just assuming that other people might think the same way. 

3) It's been hard to find my footing here with so many other options available in this area and there is not one ounce of me that feels competitive at this stage of my life. I would rather just keep looking forward on my own path, offering what I can. In the end, I think I have a unique combination of skills and I'm sure there are people out there who would benefit from them, maybe more so if they were offered in a convenient online format.

4). Retirement is just around the corner for me and it will be an entirely new chapter. My goal for this new chapter involves having a very open schedule- having time to work on some new art ideas I've been playing with, being able to travel and being available to help my kids and grand kids at a moments notice, if needed.

 And, finally, 5). The sign that prompted this post. After an awful basement flood over the summer, which covered (or rather, filled) 80% of the basement, including the studio, with disgusting, muddy water... it happened again, last night. That was the final straw. I took it as my sign to move forward and make some decisions about the future of the studio. So, I'll do just that as I take the time to deal with this muddy mess, once again. 

The studio will be closed until further notice. I will continue to hold the Yin Sundays at Blumenhof as long as there is interest and the weather holds out. Beyond that, I don't know. If you are interested and/or curious, be watching for another post. I would also love to hear comments or suggestions. If you are interested in my art, I will be updating my little gallery space at Blumenhof with lots of new art- manifestation mandalas, Reiki energy art, some traditional still life pieces and some custom options. Everything will be in place by the weekend, so check it out if you can. 

I would love your feedback about this decision. Would you take classes online? If so, what kind and what length of time would be most appealing to you? I hope to hear from you!

Talk to you soon!

Be Still. Be Strong. Be Happy.

Be Good.

Do Good.

~ Juli

Day Dreaming, 9.8.24

Perpetual soul searching is my thing. I've been daydreaming from as early as I can remember. Daydreaming, on the surface seems to be a waste of time, but I've accomplished quite a bit and each achievement started with a daydream. Now, 58 years in, I'm still daydreaming and soul searching. These days, my dreams lead me back to my kids and grand kids. At first I thought of this as "coming full circle", but then I realized that it's more like a pendulum, making it to full swing from one side to the other, then, finally, settling at neutral, or the set point. My set point will always be my kids and even though I've loved being of service to my students, both art and yoga, being of service to my kids is where I will settle.  

Even though being available for my kids will be my top priority, I will still have a lot of time on my hands. As I'm sure I've mentioned here before, I have many ideas, passions, plans, etc.- not just sometimes, but all of the time. With another change on the horizon, I need to prioritize, so it's been a little extra to be in my brain lately. As I've been searching for help with this, I've been reading about brain dumping and other ways to prioritize time and energy. One method that really resonated with me involves list making, my favorite! 

To do this, make three columns with the headings Passion, Practicality and Procurement. Then answer the questions, "What is my passion?"(What light you up?), "Is it practical?" (Will it easily fit into your lifestyle so it's achievable?) and "Will it lead to procurement?" (Will it help you achieve your goals?) 

First, list your passions (and every single subcategory of each one that you can think of). Then, starting back at the top, run each of the items on your list  through the practicality filter. Some of your ideas will immediately be eliminated if they aren't practical. From there, go back to determine if each one that checked off both the passion and practicality boxes, will also lead to the achievement of your end goal.  Each item on your list will either check all of the boxes or just one or two. Very quickly, you've narrowed down your options and you can go from there with a much clearer mind. 

It's such a relief to simplify your thought process. It is for me, at least. I'm not quite ready to announce what my list revealed, but I wanted to share the process with all of you, because of how helpful it was for me. (One hint about my answers is that it led to a major clean out of several spaces in my home, which is just an added bonus.) 

I hope this helps if you, like me, are overwhelmed with ideas and plans and just need a little help clearing your head of a few of them.

Be Still. Be Strong. Be Happy. 

Be Good. Do Good. 

~ Juli

P. S. Another recent discovery is journaling in the 3rd person. Pretty powerful stuff. No need to explain, just do it and you will know.

Healing Art, 8.23.24

  I've been teaching all of my classes about mindful art and how it can be a powerful tool to ease anxiety, improve focus and clarity, and calm the nervous system. Every, single, day I can see that I've made the right choice because these kids are starving for quiet and calm. It has made this first week, which started pretty crappy, end with feelings of hope and fulfillment. 

So, this first Friday of the first week of school, I came home and started on my own mindful art and also went back to some pieces that I started years ago and never finished. When I read the words I had written around the perimeter of this mandala, I was taken right back to one of the hardest times of my life, but also to the very beginning of my healing.  I turned to art making when I'm surprised I could focus on anything at all. But I got a start. It seems fitting that it has been sitting, unfinished for 6 years, waiting.

Now it's time to bring it "full circle". I finished it with new words, along with before and after dates, so I'll always my remember why this mandala is so significant. 

This is just more evidence of the  power of art and I'm so happy to spread the joy of it. 

Above: 2018 (top), 2024 (bottom) 

(Different house=different lighting=different colors!)

Be Still. Be Strong. Be Happy. 

Be Good. 

Do Good. 

~Juli

8 Don'ts and 1 Do, 8.17.2024

I told you in the last post why and how I ended up here: art teacher turned yoga teacher and Reiki Practitioner.  Now for the "how" I made it here, feeling better and more confident than ever? Well, I made a lot of mistakes, that's for sure ( I'll get to those below). But, in the end, I had to learn how to turn the negative into a positive. I had to look at my situation from the outside in, rather than the inside out. I had to surrender to the fact that I could only control myself and to the fact that this trauma, crisis, grief, etc. was placed before me to make me better- to learn the lesson, move on, and help others do the same.

So, to recover from a traumatic event, work through a crisis, survive a loss, etc., here are my DONT'S: (feel free to add yours in the comments, as every situation is different. People experience things differently and we are all here to help each other. These suggestions come from my own experience.  

1) Don't react . (If you must, make it a thoughtful response, not an irrational reaction.)

2) Don't vent. (If you must, vent to yourself in the mirror, or just make sure you trust the person you vent to 150%!)

3) Don't think that just reading things you see online will be all you need to pull yourself out of despair (This is what I call a pit. A pit that you can't crawl out of and honestly, sometimes don't want to crawl out of). Reading remedies, motivational quotes, affirmations, etc., can't hurt, but if you are at the point of despair (in your pit) you need much more than that. Tell someone how you are feeling and get professional help. 

4) Don't let what other people say about you cause you to feel differently about yourself. You know who you are and if you know you are a good person, a good parent, a good friend, etc., that is all you should be thinking about. When someone who is angry and resentful about something in their own life directs that negative energy onto you, it's not about you. It's about them. 

5) Don't gossip! Gossip is what led to the destruction of so many relationships I had with family members. If it isn't your story to tell, STOP talking. Have you ever seen those exercises in group trainings where one thing is said and as that message gets passed down to several people, the message ends up completely different?  It's a pretty powerful example of how a change in tone of voice, change in the order of words, change in context, forgetting one word or adding another, changes to entire message. I know, right?

6) Don't add to the negativity of the situation with more negativity- towards yourself or someone else. It's hard to be positive or turn a bad situation into something positive when you are hurting, but if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. Common sense, right?

And a couple of very specific and embarrassing examples from my own personal repertoire of "don'ts".

7) Don't stay awake all night, driving around aimlessly so the "thinking" doesn't consume you. It helps nothing and then you end up exhausted, unable to work. and even less able to deal with anything in a rational manner.

8) Don't throw your cellphone against a wall when you hear or see something that triggers you. Seriously, what good does that do? It improves nothing and then you have to go get a new phone, which is, in itself, traumatizing.

Now, onto the "Do's".  There is only one. 

1) Surround yourself with people who support you, care about you, trust you and love you. Find your people! They don't have to be related. In fact, it might be better if they aren't, depending on your situation. I have a handful of people in my family who I can trust with my life, my reputation and my word. Everyone else who helped me recover were outside of my family. I had (have) co-workers who listened, mentors who offered their advice, recommendations and services and therapists who counseled. I don't know where I would be (or if I would be) if it weren't for these special people. I definitely had to step way out of my comfort zone to find them, though. So, be brave and FIND YOUR PEOPLE!

Missing the boy behind me, like crazy, every day. The two on either side of me are positioned perfectly, as they have been what has held me up for the last 8 years. 


Be Still. Be Strong Be Happy.
Be Good. Do Good.

Juli

8 Don'ts and 1 Do, 8.17.2024

I told you in the last post why and how I ended up here: art teacher turned yoga teacher and Reiki Practitioner.  Now for the "how" I made it here, feeling better and more confident than ever? Well, I made a lot of mistakes, that's for sure ( I'll get to those below). But, in the end, I had to learn how to turn the negative into a positive. I had to look at my situation from the outside in, rather than the inside out. I had to surrender to the fact that I could only control myself and to the fact that this trauma, crisis, grief, etc. was placed before me to make me better- to learn the lesson, move on, and help others do the same.

So, to recover from a traumatic event, work through a crisis, survive a loss, etc., here are my DONT'S: (feel free to add yours in the comments, as every situation is different. People experience things differently and we are all here to help each other. These suggestions come from my own experience.  

1) Don't react . (If you must, make it a thoughtful response, not an irrational reaction.)

2) Don't vent. (If you must, vent to yourself in the mirror, or just make sure you trust the person you vent to 150%!)

3) Don't think that just reading things you see online will be all you need to pull yourself out of despair (This is what I call a pit. A pit that you can't crawl out of and honestly, sometimes don't want to crawl out of). Reading remedies, motivational quotes, affirmations, etc., can't hurt, but if you are at the point of despair (in your pit) you need much more than that. Tell someone how you are feeling and get professional help. 

4) Don't let what other people say about you cause you to feel differently about yourself. You know who you are and if you know you are a good person, a good parent, a good friend, etc., that is all you should be thinking about. When someone who is angry and resentful about something in their own life directs that negative energy onto you, it's not about you. It's about them. 

5) Don't gossip! Gossip is what led to the destruction of so many relationships I had with family members. If it isn't your story to tell, STOP talking. Have you ever seen those exercises in group trainings where one thing is said and as that message gets passed down to several people, the message ends up completely different?  It's a pretty powerful example of how a change in tone of voice, change in the order of words, change in context, forgetting one word or adding another, changes to entire message. I know, right?

6) Don't add to the negativity of the situation with more negativity- towards yourself or someone else. It's hard to be positive or turn a bad situation into something positive when you are hurting, but if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. Common sense, right?

And a couple of very specific and embarrassing examples from my own personal repertoire of "don'ts".

7) Don't stay awake all night, driving around aimlessly so the "thinking" doesn't consume you. It helps nothing and then you end up exhausted, unable to work. and even less able to deal with anything in a rational manner.

8) Don't throw your cellphone against a wall when you hear or see something that triggers you. Seriously, what good does that do? It improves nothing and then you have to go get a new phone, which is, in itself, traumatizing.

Now, onto the "Do's".  There is only one. 

1) Surround yourself with people who support you, care about you, trust you and love you. Find your people! They don't have to be related. In fact, it might be better if they aren't, depending on your situation. I have a handful of people in my family who I can trust with my life, my reputation and my word. Everyone else who helped me recover were outside of my family. I had (have) co-workers who listened, mentors who offered their advice, recommendations and services and therapists who counseled. I don't know where I would be (or if I would be) if it weren't for these special people. I definitely had to step way out of my comfort zone to find them, though. So, be brave and FIND YOUR PEOPLE!

Missing the boy behind me, like crazy, every day. The two on either side of me are positioned perfectly, as they have been what has held me up for the last 8 years. 


Be Still. Be Strong Be Happy.
Be Good. Do Good.

Juli

Moving to Substack, 8.17.24

 All information from this blog has now been transferred to Substack. Please go to https://jschusterstudios.substack.com/publish/posts to see more.