All About Town – Illuminate Chicago – Mind-Body-Spirit-Arts Festival

When you are guided by spirit and listen intently, joyful growth is sure to follow.

I recently attended Judy Bazis’ Illuminate Chicago Mind-Body-Spirit-Arts Festival in Naperville. After eight years of monthly visits to consciousness-raising festivals and workshops, I have to say that this one was one of the best! From the moment I checked in, I immediately noticed that the energy was different than most that I have attended. Once I interviewed Judy, I understood why. While this was her first festival in Chicago, she has been running major events for nine years.

What makes this festival different? To start, Judy’s vision is pure and her mission is clear: “To dispel the idea that these events consist of the stereotype of a person with a crystal ball.” By including art in the offerings, she broadens the experience. Second, the entrance and exhibitor fees are low, making the opportunity more accessible to all. I discovered that she conducts interviews to vet exhibitors prior to allowing them to take part. She also facilitates a meditation and group intention with the exhibitors prior to opening the festival doors. While I too often find myself inundated with a sense of desperation and lack coming from exhibitors at such events, I experienced very little of it here. There was a welcoming ambiance of openness and generosity. In fact, what I found most remarkable was that a couple of the exhibitors offered me free trials of their product, no strings attached.

When I am open and expecting guidance and support, it arrives in droves!

As is always the case, I followed my heart and it directed me to the individuals that I was meant to see. The first exhibitor/speaker I was drawn to was Diana Kushenbach. She is the founder of the Academy of Spiritual Arts. She has been channeling ascended masters like Mother Mary, Jesus and Paramahansa Yogananda for over 12 years, and the message she shared was profound. When she channeled for me, her message was loud and clear: I need to release old thought forms that are centered around my root chakra. We were constantly interrupted as she shared her knowledge with me and noted, “It’s like you are invisible. People don’t see you. It’s time for you to fully commit to being seen.” As soon as she shared this insight, my eyes welled up with tears of knowing.

It’s time to forge ahead, get out of my own way, and create and promote with a joyful sense of ease and anticipation!

Most recently, I have been focusing on a pattern that I have been repeating for quite some time and intend to break: getting in my own way when it comes to financial and business success. I note, especially as of late, how I have been graced with many near opportunities that somehow did not ultimately come to fruition. This pattern has both frustrated and discouraged me. As is always the case, this message was delivered at the perfect time, as I have just signed a contract with G&D Media to write two books. I am thrilled about the opportunity and determined to release the lack and fear consciousness and enthusiastically be seen. I set an intention to have faith and get out of my way so that the books can be birthed and thrive, unobstructed and without lack oozing from their seams!

Getting “spritzed” with generosity of spirit was cleansing in more ways than anticipated!

The next exhibitor I met was Kelly Ferro of Aura Rose’ Clothing, in Kenosha, WI. She sells a clothing line, jewelry and Aura Rose’, a white sage cleansing spray. I was immediately drawn to Kelly’s energy. She was extremely welcoming and offered to do an energy cleanse with the spray. I loved the smell of the spray. After receiving the message from Diana, it was a perfect way to move energy. Her genuine free offer and laid back style have been etched in my mind as a model for the way I look forward to conducting my own sales and promotions in the future!

The final exhibitor that I had the pleasure of meeting was an award-winning photographer and artist, Barbara Mueller. I was immediately drawn to her display. She had a plethora of beautiful, radiant packets that consisted of a card with a magical photo she had taken, with a message she channeled when taking the photo, and charm jewelry that reflected the theme of the message/photo. They were magical and would be a wonderful gift that I’d love to receive, and, in fact, I did! I was digging through the cards, trying to find the perfect photo for this article. Immediately she responded, “Take one, take two. They are yours as my gift to you!” Again, another wonderful example of the generosity of spirit that festival participants embraced.

Do what you love, unabashed, and success will ultimately come your way!

During my interview with Judy, she shared her intention with the Illuminate festivals as being:

• Priced low enough to be accessible to all and are not based on scarcity;
• Based on a “service” mindset, to help heal and unite communities;
• Unique and creative in their offerings. Every festival should look different from the last;
• Focused on local practitioners. building healing within the local neighborhood;
• Intended to help others heal, through connection with healing art and other modalities.

Judy explained, “My work is my play. When I win the lottery, I’ll do the same thing…I’ll just have a bigger advertising budget!” Her 14-year old daughter, Arden, travels with her, and each event is a journey of delight. As she meandered through the festival, her tiny dog in hand, her love and enthusiasm for what she does was obvious. I felt it among the exhibitors as well. It was such a potent and palpable example. So much so, that I set a similar intention with my books, and I have an offering to you, as my dear readers. I will be conducting free weekly webinars that are based on the contents of my books (to be published in the spring of 2020):

8 Ways to De-Clutter Your Brain

After millions of years of inhabiting the earth, the human brain has developed into a highly functional and complex apparatus. That being said, we have come to the point where we actually believe we ARE our minds. What if you realized that you are neither responsible for, nor liable for your thoughts? What if you knew that they are not yours, but are, in fact, an expression of the universal “thoughtmosphere”?

The time has come in our evolution to shift the paradigm, and awaken to the realization that your mind has served you well, but that you are so much more. This revolutionary new book shines a light on the ways in which you deplete your energy, and limit yourself as you attempt to navigate your way through your self-created maze of mind chatter. The answer lies in rising above that maze, so that you can observe its tricks and traps in a non-reactive way. In this groundbreaking book, Theresa will assist you in unravelling the unconscious internal battle of duality that rages within you. As you practice these techniques, you will start to see everything from the place of truth and ultimately learn that it is not about improving your life, it’s about changing your paradigm. In doing so, you can begin to heal both your personal and professional life, and affect the world at large!

I encourage you to join me, as I will be introducing a new way of raising your consciousness that is extraordinary. You do not have to buy anything and are free to join me for each webinar, or drop in when you desire. They will be conducted every Wednesday evening, starting on Aug. 14, 2019, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. via my Theresa Puskar YouTube channel. If you miss any sessions, you can subscribe and view the recordings at a later time.

Theresa Puskar is an author, performer, speaker, minister and motivational audiobook producer. She is the creator of the “Terri” children’s book series, as well as being an actress and director. A powerful inspirational speaker and transition leader, Theresa edu-tains her audiences, by touching hearts and minds in a way that is engaging, joyful and life-affirming.

Her most recent endeavors are her solo show Causeless Joy, her new company, Dragon Soup Children’s Theatre Training and Productions, as well as her upcoming books, 8 Ways to De-Clutter Your Brain, and The Good Morning Mind: Seven Highly Effective Habits for the Workplace. For more information, visit her website at www.TheresaPuskar.com.