It’s the best time of year to set your new years resolutions, so who better to interview than Maddie-Jo Anderson, author of Drawn Dreams Manifesting Gratitude Journal. It’s a tool for achieving your goals and dreams, it boosts your mood, and helps you apply the law of attraction to your life, daily.
I’m Maddie-Jo!
Hey friends, I’m Maddie-Jo! I’m a television broadcast journalist turned journal creator, and I’m into making uplifting videos, practising mindfulness, and spreading gratitude far and wide.
Since age 11 I’ve known the magic of putting goals on paper. Back in 1998 my family and I began jotting down dozens of personal goals on new years day. A year later my parents, two brothers (Tyler and Spencer) and I would be amazed to see over 75% of our goals had come to fruition. This is a tradition we still continue to do at the beginning of each year. I recommend giving it a whirl!
My younger brother Spencer passed on, from an accidental fentanyl overdose Oct 8th 2014, and I began to drown in my grief. The idea for my manifesting gratitude journal Drawn Dreams came through me when I needed it the most, in 2017 when I was living by the sea in Co. Cork, Ireland.
Drawn Dreams helps spark joy inside me, as well as attract my goals into my life every single day. With Drawn Dreams, you draw what you’re grateful for and you draw what you want to manifest. It’s art therapy but for everyone.
What led you to start this creative visualization journal Drawn Dreams?
When my younger brother Spencer was in drug treatment, he was into the law of attraction and gratitude based books The Secret and The Magic by Rhonda Byrne. In a nutshell the law of attraction is: thoughts become things.
When I was living in Ireland, I felt connected to Spencer when watching the movie The Secret. In my favourite scene of the movie, there’s an artist and what he keeps painting keeps coming to fruition.
It was a couple days after re-watching The Secret when the idea hit me like a lightning bolt: I was to create a journal where everyone can draw and manifest their dreams, and everyone can draw their gratitude, therefore, generate joy inside themselves.
What a great idea! Would you say drawing is better than writing?
Yes. The most common feedback I get is people often don’t have the words to express themselves, so they love the freedom of doodling to reflect what’s on the inside.
Sometimes I may even add a few words to my page, whatever my soul is craving in that very moment.
The illustrations, activities and positive affirmations throughout the book motivate me to use it daily, and they inspire me with ideas that keep my drawings fresh.
How has Drawn Dreams worked for you to help you achieve your dreams and goals?
I have so many dreams that have come true, too many to count. Every day it helps me set a positive intention for attracting an epic day.
I used to collect journals growing up and just waste them, I would only fill out a page or two; I just wouldn’t feel motivated enough to ever use it. I actually look forward to drawing my dreams every morning.
It’s helped me with larger dreams such as my dreamy Mercedes and a free month-long 5 star trip to Asia, to daily dreams such as smooth loving relationships. For instance, there’s a person that I was having a hard time with. Now, before meeting up with them, I draw the two of us happy, with hearts around us. When I do this, our time together is great.
I draw to set good intentions for loving connections, fun events, positive meetings, fun vacations, smooth travelling and much more. It works like a charm!
Any great stories from working with a customer?
Yes, great story! For every 18 books, I sell I hand deliver a journal to a drug treatment centre, to honour my younger brother Spencer. I’ll go to a treatment centre with enough journals for everyone.
Spencer was really bored while in treatment and struggled when he was alone. This is, for the most part, an individual activity, which uplifts and even contributes to a bright future.
When I visit groups, everyone gets a book and we draw both what we’re grateful for and our goals and dreams. Then we each share one thing we’re grateful for and we share one of our dreams. While someone is sharing, the rest of the group sends that person positive encouraging vibes. Sharing dreams is my favourite, because just like how group prayer is said to be powerful, I’ve witnessed group manifesting to be quite powerful as well.
Now for the fun story, I was visiting a women’s treatment centre, and a women drew herself getting engaged. The next day I was told, her partner proposed! All the women in the treatment centre were so excited for the proposal and about manifesting. It warmed my heart.
The next week I visited a male treatment centre, and a gentleman shared his gratitude and said. “I’m grateful my fiancé said yes last week, she’s also in treatment, we’re getting sober together, and I had no idea she drew that!” All the men were so pumped, it was so special for everyone.
I can see how Drawn Dreams boosts mental health. Do you offer your group drawing sessions to businesses as well?
Yes! I met with The Canadian Mental Health Association, they love my book and suggested visiting businesses with Drawn Dreams to boost mental health in the workplace. This year I plan to visit businesses, senior homes, schools, and of course treatment centres.
Where can we buy one of your Drawn Dreams?
It’s on Amazon, as well as most online bookstores.
What are your goals currently? As in vision and mission?
I believe gratitude creates joy. My main goal and intention to keep spreading gratitude, therefore, spreading joy.
How do you get unstuck creatively? Do you change your way of working every now and then?
I’m constantly writing scripts for my motivational Instagram videos, working on future projects, creating new books, blog posts, etc.
Even if I’m completely out of ideas, I just have to force myself to start typing. Once I begin typing words the ideas just start to flow. You begin with an SFD (shitty first draft) and it just grows and grows from there.
You can do it!
Also, just living my life and having life experiences sparks so many ideas.
Have you tried a marketing strategy that did not work at all in the past?
Yes, unfortunately.
To avoid a digital marketing disaster I recommend learning as much as possible before you start investing your money in online ads.
In the very beginning, I would blindly toss money at Facebook and Instagram ads without really even know what I was doing. I wasted thousands of dollars, and I was even getting charged for months after without being aware of it.
I’ve learned I must strategize and play my cards smarter when it comes to digital marketing.
Luckily there are various ways to educate ourselves on how to use social media advertising to its full potential: such as Facebook Blueprint’s free e-learning courses. Also, I learned a lot when I attended a social media marketing seminar, but I still have so much to learn.
Are you making sacrifices being an entrepreneur?
Yes, my business is my baby. So much time, money, love, and energy goes towards it.
I recently developed a schedule so I can work like a “normal person”, lol. My schedule is Monday to Friday 9-5, and I give myself weekends off, for the most part. What a relief this schedule is, as an entrepreneur it’s easy to just work 24/7.
What popular entrepreneurial advice do you agree with?
Ask for help. Hire people to help you; don’t try to do every little thing on your own. Websites like peopleperhour.com is fantastic! You can hire people all over the world, for a great rate, to help you with big and small tasks. I’m so grateful for my designer Listya, who’s constantly helping me.
Do you believe in destiny or do you think you can control your fate?
Both! I believe you can attract and manifest amazing things in your life. But I think the universe already knows our path.
What is your favourite aspect of being an entrepreneur?
How clear it is: I fully get out what I put in.
You mentioned you film fun inspirational videos, how can we watch these?
Connect with me here: @DrawnDream5! I’m on The Gram, FB, Youtube, and Twitter.
What’s next?
I’m really excited to share my dream drawing sessions with more businesses and boost mental health in the workplace.
Also, I’ve just completed Drawn Dreams Chinese Edition, so I’m super pumped to share this uplifting activity book with the other side of the world.