Monday, December 17, 2007

HEART OF THE VISIONARY: A New Book from Shiloh McCloud and the Cosmic Cowgirls


Today is the beginning of Our Cosmic Cowgirls Blog! We just published Heart of the Visionary!
Help us tell the world!

The work of a woman visionary is to know the past, dream the future and take powerful action in the present. Shiloh McCloud
Introducing the HEART OF THE VISIONARY E-Book

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Order Information: http://www.wisdomhousecatalog.com
Contact: elizaBeth Benson (925) 209-3908
Mary MacDonald 1-888-385-6866
Press e-Mail: bethbenson@mac.com
Information email: cwoman@mcn.org
Publisher: http://www.palmofherhand.com

SHILOH MCCLOUD PARTNERS WITH THIRTEEN WOMEN TO CREATE “HEART OF THE VISIONARY” TO LAUNCH AS AN E-BOOK ON 12/12/2007

Finally! A much needed workbook for entrepreneurial women designed to empower women to create and sustain a business in alignment with visionary values.

Mendocino, California, December 12, 2007. Innovative artist and author, Reverend Shiloh McCloud, famous for the healing power of her illustrated Color of Woman Journals and her vibrant woman-centric imagery, collaborates with other women to publish 'Heart of the Visionary', a revolutionary interactive workbook that guides women to create a vision plan for manifesting their life work using a right-brain-left-brain approach.

The Heart of the Visionary Workbook features inspiring illustrations, poetry, stories and creative practices as a backdrop for learning business basics and writing a visionary business plan. McCloud says the book is an invitation to do business as a creative, and even, a spiritual practice. She and the other authors focus the material on women's ways of doing business, which includes a call to create heart-based sustainable projects, that are strongly rooted in financial principles. She encourages women to make every effort to choose a work life that is in alignment with who they are. She says,"Women are good at creating extreme value, and meeting a need with that value - we are just not always as good at charging for it. This has something to do with how we value ourselves. We can do both - make good money and do good work! This book provides the 'how to' tools that make creating abundance for our works more accessible by providing a template that lessens the gap between 'the idea' and manifesting the idea. I believe that all people are called to a life work that is specific to them. If each of us could answer that call, we would create a profoundly more whole paradigm, not just for business, but for all of life!"

The research for this book is based on over a decade of Shiloh’s work and research with thousands of women, inspiring them through her workshops and books to realize their vision for their life work. She saw first hand what it meant to put the tools into the hands of the women, with instructions on how to use them! McCloud was so inspired by this work, and the results it provided that she wanted to make it available to as many women as possible. As part of her own journey, Shiloh McCloud is sharing her visionary business process by inviting women to be member-owners in a company dedicated to empowering independent media, and also by having them write and illustrate and receive compensation for their offerings. In the service of this dream, Shiloh founded Palm of Her Hand, a division of Cosmic Cowgirls Ink, LLC. Palm of Her Hand also published a collaborative card and poster line with Alice Walker and Shiloh McCloud earlier this year.

'The Heart of the Visionary' is truly a workbook in the sense that there are fill in the blank templates and journal exercises and creative actions and activities spread all through out the teaching and wisdom sections written by women entrepreneurs. Other topics include a manifestation process, a painting day, budget sheets, writing your personal legend, pricing formulas, how to write a mission statement, a marketing plan, defining your client, niche - or, as the book calls it, -who you serve-, and writings from a former corporate America woman on her journey down from the corporate ladder and her recomendation not to spend all of our creative energy for others gain, while we neglect our own creative selves.

“I wanted to create a business know-how workbook for women who are starting or wanting to improve their business,” says Shiloh. “Most of all, I want women to see that they CAN do business, that they CAN do it their way, that they do not need a ton of money, a lot of people, or even a traditional business plan to get started. I am hoping that women will see being an entrepreneur as a vital creative path that can empower us to live a life in alignment with WHO we are. When we are doing what we are here to do, the world becomes a better place for everyone. I define the ‘feminine business paradigm’ as a movement that stands for justice, ecology, beauty, abundance, service, fairness, spirit, uncompromising ethics, compassion based business choices and self inquiry. In this context, all business decisions are based upon wholeness for mind, body, and heart, with every single part of the process in alignment with our values as mothers and guardians of life.”

Shiloh McCloud, whose artwork has generated sales in excess of a million dollars, previously published five Color of Woman journal/workbooks, all of which are still in print, widely collected and used by tens of thousands of women as a tool for transformation through creativity. These books, originally conceived as tools for therapists, are being used by cancer survivor groups (Toledo Hospital), in women’s recovery programs (Pine Grove), as curriculum in school programs (New College and Mt. St. Mary’s), Aids Survivor Circles (Foothills Aids Foundation), and Native American Circles (Owen’s Valley Tribal Taniff), in women’s prisons, and girl’s educational programs. The list goes on and on! To see a few of the hundreds of testimonials and for more information about Shiloh’s work go to: http//www.wisdomhousecatalog.com.

Shiloh asks “What if the suffering we have experienced could be transformed into medicine and healing for others? What if women were actually able to financially support themselves through their creativity and teach others to do so? What if we have done enough healing work to enable ourselves and others to get on with the work of the visionary within each of us?”

Quote from the book:
“If you are a woman on a journey, considering possibilities for your life work, this book is for you. If you want to start a new business or if you already have a business you want to refine and improve, this book is for you. If you are a mom who wants to start a day care, or a woman who designs software, this book can reach you where you are. This book does not promise six easy steps to managing your business, or guarantee how to make your first million, but it does make those things more possible! If you are looking for a transformative journey, a creative space in which to define and develop your plans for your life work, 'Heart of the Visionary' is for you.”

One dollar from the sale of each book is to be donated to Girls Inc. a national nonprofit youth organization providing vital educational programs to millions of girls, particularly those in high-risk, underserved areas.

Palm of Her Hand is working with girls at Girls Inc. to create a teen rights of passage book to be released in early spring. Palm of Her Hand is also collaborating with other organizations to create a women's addiction recovery journal, and a Cancer survivor journal. They have plans in process for hundreds of other books in the coming years. McCloud says" Our intention is to create healing opportunities for women to empower and awaken themselves. The books are a guide, a place to start, but the real work happens from the writing and drawing of the women as they journey through the pages.

Authors and Illustrators include: Shiloh McCloud, Mary MacDonald, elizaBeth Benson-Udom, Caron McCloud, Shannon McCloud, Caterina Rando, Gennifer Mountain, Julie Lampros, Ama Zenya, Nancy Ballard, Sherri Morris, Nikiah Seeds and Sue Hoya Sellars.

Treat yourself, or a person you love, this holiday season and start your new year off with a new endeavor by ordering the e-book HEART OF THE VISIONARY. To learn more, order the e-book or the pre-release hard copy of the book, or sign up for the Heart of the Visionary workshops based on the book go to: http://www.wisdomhousecatalog.com or visit the Wisdom House Gallery in Mendocino to see Shiloh McCloud’s art.

Heart of the Visionary Workbook Specs: $19.95 - 8.5X11- 244 Pages With Illustrations - Hard copy to follow in Spring 2008, as well as a Spanish version. Get ready to print your book by having a ream of thick white paper and a binder with a clear plastic sleeve for the full color cover.

Will you help us by forwarding a link to this blog? We are so very appreciative of folks who are willing to be a part of our grass roots effort to forward this press release onto your community. At this time, none of Shiloh's books are being offered through chain stores, or amazon.com in an effort to support the over 350 stores nationwide that carry her work. So getting the word out happens at a grassroots level. Thank you in advance!

May your own life, and life work be blessed! May you take a risk on behalf of what YOU want to do. May you ALWAYS include creativity as a part of your life. May beauty and transformation be guiding lights for your journey.

order your copy at http://www.wisdomhousecatalog.com/colorofwomanjournals.html

This Work of Women by Shiloh McCloud

Yes. It is time for a revolution of women and path,
women and money, women and business, women and art,
women and marketplace.
We do not choose to give away
our works for nothing.
We are not starving or frivolous artists.
We are creators whose creations
save lives, heal the world, heal wounds.
This work of women, priestesses and practitioners of every
kind is VISIONARY WORK.
Your work is vital. Essential. Needed. This work
of women must include creating livelihood. This is
not easy, quick, fun nor likely. This is not accepted
or encouraged. But this is what we must do:
Create and abundance revolution
We must create our own path.
We must create our own money.
We must create art.
We must create our own marketplace.
We must be compensated.
We are creating our own mystical cosmic luminous
overflowing BANK.
A bank that does not cause,
contribute or condone
the suffering of others for profit.
A women’s bank. Believe it. Create it.
Deposit into it. Draw from it.
Invite other women into it.
Enter the income stream in your little
golden boat and dream
and work and pray and play
and do not stop. Keep going.
It will almost always seem impossible.
But we will make miracles.
Miracle are organizing themselves around our dreams
our work, our visions,
right now.
Let us go out, armed with what matters
and the prayers of our grandmothers,
shining.

By Shiloh Sophia McCloud, 2008 Copyright - The Heart of the Visionary


Are You Wondering, Is This Book For Me? This book is for:

Women Who
are starting a new business
are thinking about starting and want to explore
visionaries who want to take their project to the next level
are creating projects that need to be run like mini-businesses
are going to college and want to treat their career like a business now
are thinking of leaving a corporate job
are in a corporate job and want to create a side business
are interested in turning ideas into income
want to improve their existing business
have been in business for a while and are ready to go to the next level
have a side business they know could be more profitable
need to create a business plan and want to create a business with heart!
desire to create a life work in alignment with their values
want to SEE what a business looks like on paper before beginning
want to quit their day job, but can’t yet
would like to create a vital life work
have always known there was a ‘greater work’ for them.
are rebellious and wild woman who cannot bear a traditional model.

Are you a woman with an idea and a desire to make it happen?

Then this book is for you.

http://www.palmofherhand.com

What is your wish?

1 comment:

elizaBeth Benson said...

it has been my distinct honor to participate in the powerful, collaborative process of contributing to and midwifing this book. now, she is out in the world, learning how to find her way. the work of and with the cosmic cowgirls acts like a lightning rod for me--attracting all the opportunities and possibilities my soul has been yearning for--and then, the hard work of showing up for them, being available for them, learning how to negotiate them and step, powerfully, into them, is the work i am faced with. dreaming is the fun part--living the dream is the challenge--this book and the work it invites from all women offers encouragement and support for the daily journey of *really* doing it.

thank you for making a way for me to play--and work--and show up for myself & my dreams.

(i'm blogging out loud about my connection and association with this work on www.writressworder.com. come visit!)