MEWS AND MOOS

The Official Newsletter of Swimming Tigress Music and Notalotabull Press
Issue No. 1   May, 2007

Welcome to the very first issue of Mews and Moos, the official newsletter of Swimming Tigress Music and Notalotabull Press!

This newsletter is all about fun and inspiration for those in the creative world or for anyone who has that whimsical side. Not only will you receive updates on Swimming Tigress Music and Notalotabull Press, you can share your stories, poetry and be encouraged on your journey through life.

Just in case you're looking for it, this first issue does not contain the usual "if you wish to unsubscribe" thing because we'd like you to sign up of your own volition. So, if you'd like to subscribe to further issues of Mews and Moos, click here and just type your name in the body of the e-mail so we know who you are. 

Enjoy and let us know what you think! Feel free to offer your suggestions as we will be expanding as time goes on. And if you know someone else who might get a kick out of it, pass it on. The mooore the merrier!

BULLS AND TIGERS AND BOOKS, OH MY! THE STORY OF SWIMMING TIGRESS MUSIC AND NOTALOTABULL PRESS

So, what are Swimming Tigress Music and Notalotabull Press all about? Well, they were both established by Tiffany Prochera, a composer and author from Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada with a mission to inspire and enlighten through words and music. It all started when, in 2000, Tiffany decided to establish a record label, Halo Central Productions, to release her debut pop/rock recording under the name Tiffany Lauren. She then began recording, producing and performing and co-writing with other songwriters in addition to continuing with her own projects. In 2006, she decided it was time for a change and renamed Halo Central Productions to Swimming Tigress Music because, in the Chinese Zodiac, she is a tiger. About the same time, she was in the process of finishing her first book, A Candle at Both Ends: Thoughts of Inspiration for the Beginning and End of the Day, which ultimately became a book and CD collection. One morning, during contemplation about how these words would actually see the light of day, she thought, "Why not start a publishing company?" and poof! Notalotabull Press was born, so named because, well, she's a Taurus. So, she registered the business, found a printer to work with and three months later, the first book was released to the public. And the rest is history! 

Stay tuned for future articles on how to start your own creative business!

The Yes Revolution is all about focusing on what you want to see in your world instead of dwelling all all the things you don't want. The following is a manifesto of sorts, written by Tiffany. We encourage you to share your stories by visiting her web site, www.tiffanyprochera.com, or by e-mailing us at notalotabull@mts.net  and help inspire the world!
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A Plea for Yes

This is a request to all inhabitants of the earth. 
Please, please start thinking yes instead of no.

There is so much focus in the media of late about the wars on terrorism, global warming and poverty just to name a few. Many people would contend that war is not the answer but this is how we deal with such situations in our society.

We wage war on them and this is precisely the reason why we are losing! 

And the reason for this lack of progress? It is my belief that this could be attributed to two main factors. The first is the fact that it is generally more difficult to do something from a negative psychological place than from a positive one. When you are excited about something and see the potential joy in your action, don’t you feel you have more energy to carry out the task than when you are just doing something to avoid the opposite from happening?  For a person who seeks to lose weight, do you think it is more motivating to be completely frustrated with their present appearance and to not wish to be like that anymore or to keep their eye on the lightness and increased energy they are going to experience in their new body?

The second contributing factor is based on the adage that “what we resist persists”.

When we claim the world is a dangerous, violent, scary and unhealthy place to be – even in the name of improving the situation – that is exactly what we will see more of.  More danger, more violence.    When someone on the news tell you that more women die of heart attacks than men or there is a 1 in 3 chance you will get cancer, what thoughts enter your consciousness?  Exactly. You become filled with fear and all you can think about is the idea that you will likely die a horrible death before your time.  The same goes for the reports with statistics claiming an increase in crime or other threats to safety.  These are not hopeful visions conducive to a healthy body or mind.

Here is an everyday example. Have you ever had the situation where you are experiencing feelings of “I am always missing the bus” or “I can never find a parking spot” and you come across someone who claims not to have that problem at all?  I have and I had the notion that this person might be sincerely deluding themselves because, well, everyone misses buses or has trouble finding parking on a frequent basis. But they may, in fact, have been right. And it is precisely because they don’t believe they have these problems that they do not exist.  As a creative individual, I have often experienced crises of confidence. I tell myself that no one likes my work and why should I bother - all of that. But, you know, I firmly believe that, when I am having a good day and feeling like I do have something valuable to offer, the universe tends to agree with me. Little kudos begin to appear and the interest in my work increases. Coincidence? Perhaps but, even so, isn’t believing in yourself and having faith in others a much more pleasant way of moving through life?
This is not to say that the challenges facing us today are to necessarily be ignored. But we can affect greater change when we view these challenges as things of the past rather than  ever-present plagues. Because that’s precisely what they will continue to be.  

Our world is in serious need of positivity on so many levels. If the nos are counterbalanced by the yeses there will be such beauty and hope as we have never known.  I urge you all to spend even a few moments every day contemplating the changes you wish to see in your life and in the environment around you in a positive light.  Try using phrases like “I have” or “I see” instead of “I don’t want anymore of” or “I can’t stand” and watch what happens over time.

I would love to here about some of the changes you experiences after trying this approach, so feel free to contact me and I will share them with others.

 
Do not rage against that which do you not desire. Leap joyously towards that for which your heart truly longs. That is how miracles happen.
 

Seeing as this is the maiden voyage of Mews and Moos, we would love it if you joined us on our newsletter journey. So, here's the deal. If you officially sign up for Mews and Moos before June 15, you will be entered to win one of two copies of Tiffany's first book and CD collection, A Candle at Both Ends.  We will be announcing the winners in the June issue. Good luck!
SIGN UP FOR MEWS AND MOOS NOW!

MEWS FROM THE WILD

Mews from the Wild is a chance for us to share events and goings on at Swimming Tigress Music and Notalotabull Press. More information about the mews may be found at the home site, www.tiffanyprochera.com. 

Coming Soon - Custom Affirmation CDs

Swimming Tigress Music will soon be making available custom affirmation CDs. Imagine hearing a soothing voice affirming your specific life goals with music that you have chosen in the background. It doesn't get more powerful than that!

Tiffany Performing at the University of Manitoba

On Sunday, June 3, Tiffany will be performing at a recital at the University of Manitoba. With works by Mozart, John Duke, Hugo Wolf and more, it is sure to be an entertaining afternoon.

Buy Your Copy of A Candle at Both Ends Today

Just a reminder that Tiffany's first book and CD collection, A Candle at Both Ends, is available on line at www.tiffanyprochera.com and at McNally Robinson Booksellers. It is an inspirational work that will allow you to greet the day with hope and enthusiasm and go to sleep resolved and peaceful. 

INSPIRING TAILS

Inspiring Tails is a section to share inspiring stories and moments in life where you just have to say "Wow!" Have you overcome obstacles? Have you experienced splendiferous moments of serendipity? Did you accomplish something you never thought you could? Let us know and we'll tell everyone about it! 

So, I suppose I'll start with a personal story that is not exactly inspiring but it serves to remind me to count my blessings and, hopefully, it will encourage you to do the same.

Well, just over two weeks ago, I was hit by a car. I was at a crosswalk and I'm not sure how it happened because I'm very careful about such things, you might say paranoid. Anyway, the woman gets out of her car and asks me if I'm okay and, surprisingly, I was fine. A couple of scrapes and a finger that won't bend all the way just yet but no serious damage done. I went on my way to my meetings and such but, later that night when I got home, I realized that 4 other people were hit by cars that day in Winnipeg and some of them were in serious condition - comas and all. I was already thankful that I was okay but realizing that others were experiencing the same situation and were not as fortunate really made it hit home. So it might serve us all to be grateful for the good things we do have in life and for the times when we are safe and sound.  

Submit your inspirational tails

JUST CUD

Just Cud is a place to discuss issues surrounding life and creativity. We'd love to hear your comments on these monthly articles and we will post them in the following issue.

To Be or Not To Be Public

So, as creative folk, we generally wish to share our work with others - whether it be our writing, our music, our art. And along with that can often come public attention because, even if we are not actually performing for audiences, we are in the position of having to promote ourselves and our work. Now, the question is, how much attention is too much and how do all the personal details affect an artist's career? They say that the public wants to know all of the nitty gritty about their favourite celebrities - who they're dating, where they shop, what they had for breakfast - but is this really the case? Do we just take it in because it is there or would we actively be seeking this information out? And I wonder, does the information we receive affect our reaction to an artist's work? If a musician you really admired started going out with someone you thought was a bad match or acted in a way you disapproved of,  would you stop buying their material or throw out the CD's you already have? Can an artist be simply viewed and judged strictly in terms of their work anymore?  Hmmm...

Send us your thoughts and we'll post them in the next issue. Please tell us whether you wish to remain anonymous or not.

Your thoughts

POETRY CORRAL

Poetry Corral is, as you can probably guess, all about poetry. Do you have a creative spark? Send us along some of your literary bursts of inspiration and we'll share them with the world! Now, just so you know, while we are open-minded, we may be hesitant to list works of an overly graphic nature. Please feel free to submit anything you like but we do reserve the right to refrain from including any submissions in the newsletter.
So, to start things off, I, Tiffany, would like to put a couple of poems out there. The first one is an excerpt from A Candle at Both Ends and the second is just something that popped in to my head. Enjoy!

Submit your poetry

DANCE THROUGH THE DAY

Fluid in motion, light on your feet
Glide o’er the earth with an angel’s grace
Delicate treading, sure but aware
Of all creatures great and small in their place
 
Hear from within you the songs of all time
Words of the ancients and music they play
Feel the power that pulls like string
Let your soul be lifted and dance through the day
 
The pulse of the universe, steady and strong
Runs through your veins like a runaway train
Carrying you forward and driving you on
To a glorious destiny you’ve yet to claim.
Hear from within you the songs of the earth
As your heart beats in time with the drums as they play
Feel the power that pulls like string
Let your soul be lifted and dance through the day

- Tiffany Prochera

MEN IN DARK SUITS

The President's table holds a seat in my name.
a lofty introduction to this new world
Anticipation is glue on the bottom of my stilettos
not paralyzing but slowing the step
Am I ready? Am I at an appropriate stage of evolution?
Escorted to the VIP room filled with tall men in dark suits.
whose names escape me but who are no doubt 
known throughout the land
their endeavours affecting many while I, under my rock,
seek only to please myself.  
My slightly more creative attire leaves me curious ...
Do I attempt to assimilate in the future? 
Do I seek the status quo or stay true to my vision
safe in the belief that I have a place here 
among these men in dark suits?

- Tiffany Prochera

Contact Us

If you have any questions or would like to contact us for any reason, e-mail us at notalotabull@mts.net, info@swimmingtigress.com or visit our home site, www.tiffanyprochera.com.

Well, thank you so much for reading and we hope to see you again soon. If you want to subscribe to further issues of Mews and Moos, click here. And feel free to pass this on to others you think might enjoy it.

Have a fabulous day!