Ten Tips to Undo Creative Blocks

Ten Tips to Undo Creative Blocks

Creative blocks. They can happen to anybody. They are frustrating. Discouraging. Even maddening. Blocks can happen when we are stressed, when we feel disconnected, or even simply unmotivated to be creative. However, creative blocks also hit us out of the blue. We just wake up, sit down to create and realize that there isn’t anything there in our heads to create. This sometimes happens when we have been working and working without a break.  Creative blocks can be a wake up call that something in our creative life needs to change or be shaken up a bit. What are the keys to getting unblocked? I have compiled a list of ten ways that you can use to move through the block and back into your creative groove.

  1. Change the Scenery: If you work at home or studio, go someplace else. Work from a coffee shop or at the park for a little while. Pack up the minimum amount of supplies you will need and just go. I have, on a few occasions, packed up scissors, glue, papers, and cards and gone to Starbucks around the corner. I sat with my coffee, people watched and made cards. I have even taken my laptop and knocked out two to three blog posts at a time sitting at a coffee shop. For some reason, I can sometimes tune in easier there than I can at home.
  2. Do Something Different: If you are a card maker that uses stamps, try your hand at some watercolor paints or clay. If you are a writer, it might mean your mind needs a words break, so color or draw. I find that I keep a few projects on hand that aren’t on time schedules that I can pick up and do when I am stuck on writing or card-making. It breaks up the monotony of the same thing. Even when you love it, sometimes the brain needs a break.
  3. Come out of Isolation: I have noticed many creatives get busy and into a project and they isolate themselves to get their work done. They are in “the zone”. This is great but if you suddenly find yourself stuck instead of creating, one of the things you can do is socialize. It can be with your family or friends. Go out to lunch with someone you haven’t seen for a while. Sit down with the kids and see what is going on in their world. It is so easy to become intensely focused when we are zoned in on a project that we forget we need the company of other people sometimes.
  4. Read Inspiring Blogs/Posts: Even if you read it before. I have gone back and read a post more than once because I found it inspirational. I also make sure there are bloggers that I can go to for some inspiration when I need it. Some great ones are: Jamie Riddler, Tery Lynn, Lamisha Serf- Walls, Leonie Dawson, and Chris Guillebeau. I am sure there are more. I discover them all the time using Pinterest. It is also a great place to go for some inspiration and ideas when you have creative blocks.
  5. Practice Mindfulness and Affirmations: This is an easy one to forget to do when we start or end our day. It is so easy just to jump into our work or to crash into bed that we often forget the importance of being mindful and practicing affirmations. I put these together because I use them as a practice at the same time. When I write my affirmations down, I am practicing being mindful of my goals and dreams. I create an awareness of them in conscious mind so that they stay with me through out the course of the day. Done right, I use them to reinforce choices/decisions that need to be made for the interest of myself, my family or my dreams. Mindfulness can also be just breathing for five minutes in silence. Allowing yourself to simply be in the moment before you jump into work or fall into sleep. Affirmations, ones that are believable to ourselves, have been shown to be a positive force in following our path and reinforcing a positive outlook on ourselves and our lives.
  6. Read: Pick up a book. It doesn’t really matter what kind it is so long as it is fun and enjoyable to you. Let the book inspire you in one way or another. I remember I was so inspired by Eat Pray Love, I bought copies for my co-workers and friends. Over the years, I have found inspiration in many types of books. I love Brene’ Brown, Chris Guillebeau, SARK (Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy), and just finished You are a Badass! (which I LOVED and was totally inspired by). On the other hand I am currently reading Simon Sinek’s, “Start with Why”, which is inspiring in a totally different way. I also find inspiration in poetry such as Billy Collins and Mary Oliver. Reading can be a great source of inspiration and bring a resurgence of creative energy.
  7. Get Physical: Move. Go for a walk. Put on some music and dance. Go for a bike ride. Visit the gym. Just move your body. The movement of our bodies does great things for our brains, producing all kinds of happy chemicals that help our brain work. When I was in college, I worked with an instructor who would give us breaks during long working periods. She would guide us through movement and simple dance exercises to help us refocus our brains and wake us up after sitting for so long. If your creative work is something like dance or theater where you are already physical, try some other type of movement. Do something you normally would not do to break up the routine.
  8. Nourish Yourself: Have you eaten anything? Did it nourish you or was it a quick sugar rush and now you are crashing? It is so easy to get into a zone of concentration and forget to properly take care of our body. It needs fuel. Our brain needs fuel. It is easy to grab the sugary treat at the coffee shop or just drink a cup of coffee at home and start working but our bodies need more than that. They need nutrients for sustained energy. That way we don’t crash. I am not innocent in this. There have been plenty of times I have skipped breakfast or had a sugary muffin or slice of pumpkin bread. However, I have been on a new path, food wise, and have begun to learn the importance of balanced eating, especially not skipping breakfast and including more protein. I didn’t realize it but for years I have been protein deprived. I added some more vegetarian substitutes and protein shakes to my diet and it has made a huge difference. If you are feeling blocked because you are crashing, check what you are eating.
  9. Make Connections: Connect with other writers, artists, card-makers, dancers, or have a mixed group of creative minds. But connect with people who know what it is like to get into the creative zone. Other people who understand creative blocks and failures. Connect with them in person or through social media but connect. It is awful to feel alone and as though no one understands the creative quandary you may be in. Hang around like minded creative people who you can bounce off ideas and may offer constructive criticism. Get Connected.
  10. Know this will Pass: Creative blocks, like many things in life, will pass. They happen, we work through it, instead of fighting it, and then we move forward. Just keep reminding yourself that this is only temporary. The creative block will pass and you will keep going.

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Ten Minute Self- Care Rituals

Ten Minute Self- Care Rituals

The phrase self- care is abuzz everywhere. Therapists are recommending it to clients, as are coaches and spiritual teachers, even in some places of business, the phrase is being used to make sure employees are taking care of themselves. What does self- care mean? The act of self- care is to attend to ones own mental, physical and *spiritual health. These are key components of human existence. When we don’t attend to our personal needs for whatever reason, we can slip into depression, become angry and bitter, disappear into isolation, or fall to unhealthy habits such as drinking heavily or using drugs to hide how we are feeling. Caring for ourselves is shown to improve mood, connectedness with the world, and improve our physical well-being.

What does self- care look like? It can look like many things. For example hiking in the woods, to yoga, meditation, or reading a good book. The possibilities are as many as there are people that make up the world. One of my favorite forms of self- care is curling up someplace with a book and reading until I lose track of time. (Rarely happens but when it does, it is a treat.) However, we don’t always have long periods of time to attend to our self-care. We may only have the amount of time that it allowed on a work break or in between classes, or between picking kids up from here and there. I have put together a list of ten minute self- care ideas that you can do on your own or with the help of a smart phone, or a couple of simple tools.

Meditation: This is one of the most obvious ones and the one I seem to hear that most people are afraid to try. They are afraid they will fall asleep or do it incorrectly. What I have learned is that there really is no wrong way to meditate. It is all about taking the time to find a way to reconnect with yourself and if you believe in one, you higher power. It can be as simple as focusing on your breath for as little as five minutes. Letting thoughts go as they pop up instead of keeping them around to interfere with your quiet reflection. Another great thing to use is your smart phone and download any number of Apps that will guide you through a meditation. I currently love the App Calm. It plays soothing ocean waves when you open it and you can select different meditations that last about twelve minutes. Or use your computer or phone and go to YouTube to find an abundance of guided meditations that last from five minutes to an hour. One of my favorites for when I am particularly cranky is one called, “F*** That”, a two and a half minute mediation that lightens my mood when I need to let go of something that is bothering me.

Mindset Work/Affirmations: I love writing affirmations. They got me through some really rough times. I love them so much I currently have three decks of cards with different positive affirmations on them for sale on Etsy. I still work on affirmations (almost) daily. I do forget to do my mindset practice and it throws me off a bit. But working with a practice in the morning, for me, helps set my day up to be more positive and invites into my life the things that I want. I am not talking about just material objects, but ideas such as experiencing more kindness or compassion. When I write down what I want, I tend to look for it in my day on a subconscious level. I can spend around thirty minutes on my practice, however, the simple act of reading or writing affirmations to start the day doesn’t have to take more than ten.  Sometimes, I just pull a card or two and reflect on them in journal writing or in a meditation.

Get Moving: Our bodies need to move. The more they stay at rest, the more they want to be at rest and over time, we end up feeling worse. Exercise/ Movement, even in small increments has shown to have positive results on our mood and our physical health. In this article by Forbes, a study is cited that shows that even a ten minute stationary cycling experience at a moderate level showed improved health benefits. When we physically feel better, our moods tend to be better as well. A peer counselor I knew in the mental health field used to say, “Take your a** and your mind will follow.” So throw on some music and dance your heart out for ten minutes, walk, or ride a bike. Make those ten minutes count for your physical and mental well-being.

Develop a Creative Practice: Acts of creativity are good for our minds and our souls. We are born to be creative people. It is part of who we are. We are inventive and innovative. A creative practice does not mean you have to sit down and devote hours to a painting, though you are welcome to. It means we set aside time to let our imaginations out to play. This can be done in any number of ways. The boom in the coloring book market for adults is born from the discovery that even the act of coloring an already drawn picture, is an act of creative work and causes us to engage our imaginations.You can doodle, take out watercolor paints, or even use play dough. Play dough can be kept in a desk drawer and taken out to use during a ten minute break.  So can color pencils and a coloring book. Looking for something a little more challenging, a painting does not have to be done in one sitting. Break it up into smaller pieces of time that you can fit into your schedule. Creativity is an act of playing and we need that playfulness for our spiritual and mental well-being.

Eat Mindfully: This is a harder one but can have benefits to your physical and mental health. We often rush through meals, not really tasting what we are eating as we run off to the next thing on our to-do list. I know I used to do this regularly. However, I have begun taking the time time to taste my food. I take smaller bites, and therefor eat more slowly, setting my utensils down between bites. I realized I feel full sooner and am more satisfied because I actually tasted my food. I am not wanting for flavor because I was able to enjoy what was already before me. In slowing down and realizing I am full, then I stop eating. So often, we (in general) eat until we are stuffed and we can’t possibly eat another bite. By then we have consumed more calories than we needed and we, usually, feel like we can’t move because we are so full. Mindful eating keeps that from happening. I have more leftovers now, and I am ok with that. I am learning that I don’t have to eat my whole plate (an idea that was instilled in me as a child by my dad and step-mom.) It is a freeing way to eat. Paying attention, being mindful bleeds into other areas of our lives over time, and I am learning the art of slowing down and not rushing through everything.

These are five, fairly simple, and easy to implement activities to attend to your self- care. Only you can be responsible for your self- care. It is especially important if what you do during your day job is to attend to other people’s needs such as being nurse, a therapist, or a teacher. I am sure there are more out there. But we can only be our best self if we take care of our own needs as a person. I challenge you to pick one and try it today to see how it feels to take ten minutes and devote it to the care of you. Just you. Dance. Buy a coloring book. Listen to a meditation. Eat your lunch more mindfully. Take care of you.

(*Spiritual does not mean religious here).

 

What I know to be True

What I know to be True

I have made no secret of how much I love a good TEDTalk. I find them educational and inspiring. The most recent inspirational talk I have heard was from this year, 2017 TED Conference. It was by Anne Lamott, well known in writing circles for her book Bird by Bird. In this particular talk, Ms. Lamott discusses the twelve things that she knows to be true, written just before her 61st birthday. It is a mildly humorous and thoughtful way to look at the lessons we learn from life.

 

Inspired by Ms. Lamott’s talk, I decided to write my own list of things I know to be true at 43. Here is my list below:

  1. We are each traveling on our own journey through this thing called life. However, occasionally, we bump into other people on their journey, and we decide to take some of it together. This makes the voyage not seem as lonely or as difficult.
  2. A good piece of chocolate will calm most nerves. And the smell of fresh vanilla makes most people smile.
  3. Writing out what you want to say, especially when upset or angry, can be as cathartic as it is helpful to know what you want to say.
  4. If it doesn’t work, do not bang on it. Suck it up and contact customer service, just make sure you allow plenty of time for waiting.
  5. When you fall down, you will rise. You may take your time. You may need some help and some dusting off, even recovery from injuries, but you will rise again.
  6. Dress for your Joy. Nothing else matters. If people are going to judge you, they were going to do so anyway, so be happy and comfortable in what you are wearing.
  7. Creativity belongs to everyone. There isn’t a single person alive that does not have creativity within them. It looks different in every person but that is what makes it cool not absent.
  8. Time alone is good for the soul and the mind. The world can be loud and overwhelming, learn to disconnect.
  9. Be Grateful. Say thank you for any good that comes into your life. It changes how your mind sees the world. You begin looking for the good that there is.
  10. Be Kind. Nothing replaces kindness. We have a chance to be kind or to be cruel; to make someone’s day or to tear them down. Be Kind.

 

Click to Download Poster: What I

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Ten Minute Tuesday: Talking to Your Critic

Ten Minute Tuesday: Talking to Your Critic

We all have at least one in our head. One critic that doesn’t shut up. He or She is the critic in the stands that Brene’ Brown often refers too. They aren’t supposed to matter because they do not get down in the arena with you. They don’t wrestle with the world and come up dirty. This critic tries to stay above it all. Always criticizing  but never trying. Since this is National Letter Writing month  let’s write  a letter to this critic, Tell this critic what you think of them. See who they are clearly in your mind. Man or woman? Insolent child? Think of this letter as standing up and addressing them directly. If they are a critic that is not willing to get down in the mire with you, do you fire them? Send them on vacation for a while? What do you want to say? I once wrote a letter to this critic firing them. He was a cranky old man in my head. One who was never happy with anything at all. It didn’t matter how good something was, HE did not like it. So I fired him. Now, I will warn you, since firing him, he does not come around as often, though a couple of new ones took his place. But everyone once in a while the cranky old man slips past my defenses and into my head once again like an employee who never gets the hint that he is doing terrible at his job. So I have to fire him again. Here is my letter to the critic in my head and how I fired him.

Dear Critic in the Stands,
I’m letting you go.
I’m saying good-bye to your harsh tones and your sandpaper words
that scrape away
the soft parts of my heart.
I’m turning away from you,
and
Leaving you standing with your arms crossed and
frown lines on your face
while tapping your foot.
This relationship is not working for me.
I do not enjoy having you shred my skin away,
expose the broken bones beneath
while you are up in the stands, keeping your hands clean
and your bones safe.
I have made my list of the ones who matter,
tucked it in my pocket… the loved ones who get down in the mud with me.
So, I will tell you again.
I’m letting you go.
I’m saying good-bye.
Please leave the arena now,
you are fired.
Sincerely,
Susan

Fourteen Tips of Self- Care for the Creative Person

Fourteen Tips of Self- Care for the Creative Person

Being creative is its own form of self-care. However even creative people need to take some time out and refuel their souls. Self-care is the new trend in today’s need to tend to our body and souls that are sometimes starving from lack of attention. Creativity is one of the recommendations for self-care. If you are a working creative, who spends every day head deep in being creative, even you need some vital self-care. Here are fourteen of my favorite tips on taking care of a creative persons spirit.

  1. My first inclination when I need to take some time out is to go for a long walk somewhere where it is green and pretty. I long to be out in nature. Sometimes I take my headphones but most of the time, I simply listen to the sounds of the world around me. If I can get away, I like to take hikes, not long hikes right now, but somewhere in the forest, usually among the redwoods, is my favorite place to go. There are times when all I can do is go to the walking trail around the park near my house. Then I walk around it a couple times, maybe take my shoes off and walk barefoot in the grass. There is something calming about walking in the grass with my bare feet. It is as though I’m being grounded to the earth again.
  2.  My next suggestion is to pick up a good book. Honestly, I recommend two books: one for just for fun and the second something I want to learn more about. When I am doing this kind of self-care, I am giving myself permission to step away from the tasks of writing or doing crafts and spend some time filling my mind with words. I love reading and can often devour a book or two in a weekend. Sometimes though, I savor them and they will last me at least a week. The last few books I have read that were for learning for by Brene’ Brown and Elizabeth Gilbert. Brene’ Brown’s book, The Gifts of Imperfection, actually made me break my rule of not writing in books. I highlighted so much because I wanted to hold on to all that I could and surprisingly I did. I consider all her books life-changing. The other book, Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert was also incredible and such an inspiration for a creative person. If you are creative, I highly recommend reading this and filling your soul with its stories.
  3.  Slow down. Find some place to sit in the cool of the evening and watch the sun set. When I was much younger my friend and I would drive out on the country roads listening to music. Then we found the perfect spot to park on the side of the road, sit on the car hood with sandwiches and watch the sunset nearly every weekend. It had such a profound effect that I can still see the sun sets in my mind nearly 20 years later.
  4. Let’s color. There are so many adult coloring books out there right now. You can pick them up anywhere from the department stores to the craft stores and I’ve even seen them in the drugstores and once at a gas station. Coloring has been proven recently to release stress and tension and allows the mind to relax.
  5. On Pinterest once, I saw someone set up a inflatable pool in their backyard filled with pillows and blankets in order to watch the stars. I recommend this. Though it’s getting harder with more light pollution in my neighborhood, I still sometimes like to sit on the porch with a blanket in the evening and watch the stars overhead. Or better yet, my friend and I sometimes like to walk late at night so we can see the stars while we walk. My recommendation is maybe you can get an air mattress laid out on the lawn in the backyard with pillows and blankets lay down and watch the stars; maybe watch them with someone you love.
  6. Journaling. I cannot say enough about journaling. There are more ways to Journal than I can possibly mention here: there is brain dump journaling, art journaling, bullet journaling, journaling with prompts, journaling about your past, and the list can go on. There are as many ways to Journal as there are people. But there’s something to be said for writing down your thoughts, clearing them out of our heads to make way for new thoughts and new ideas. My favorite form is the brain dump. I usually do this at night before bed. I pour everything that’s been in my brain on the paper. Some of it is good and some of it’s bad, sometimes a review of the day, and other times it’s just reflective. It’s basically anything. I think that’s why it works for me. I also like some kinds of art journaling where I am journaling on a theme or an idea but I haven’t worked with that as much.
  7. Meditation is a word that is being thrown around a lot these days. I know many people have this image of someone sitting perfectly still for 20 minutes, 30 minutes, or an hour and fully focused and not moving. But meditation can be simple. It can be sitting with your mind quiet for five minutes. Or you can try guided meditations by using YouTube or audio recordings. I have found I like to read a reflection and meditate on that for about five minutes. I like to have something I can focus on when I meditate. Though, if I’m sitting in nature, like at the beach, I listen to the sound of the ocean waves and slowly go into a deep meditative state where I can sit for an hour or more.
  8. Try an art activity with friends. I talked about this briefly in Taking Your Artist Date in a New Direction. Pick a friend or two and go do something together: a painting place or a ceramic shop or take a class like a dance class or a cooking class. The point is that sometimes it’s all about just having a little fun and having it with our friends. Our friends are a great source of reminding ourselves that we need to take care of our souls.
  9. Making intentions list. I did this at the beginning of the year instead of writing out goals ever out intentions things that I am mindful about creating in my life rather than setting a goal to master. This made more sense to me and is easier for me to accomplish. When I get lost I can easily go back to my intentions list and get myself back on the right shirt direction again. I also try to keep my intentions in different categories so that I’m a little more balanced and different aspects of my life. Here’s the sheet. New Year Five &Five List
  10. Visit any water location near you. Water is cleansing and grounding and can make us reconnect with her and ourselves whether it is the ocean a river a favorite lake it doesn’t matter. Water has amazing soothing capacity.
  11. Move your body stretch it out. I know we all can’t afford to do yoga classes and sometimes we think we can’t even do yoga. Personally, I have not yet tried yoga. I’m afraid to. But I have watched videos on stretching on YouTube and on a couple of health websites. Your body needs to stretch. It needs to feel the full length of its muscles and be in tune with itself for it to function fully. Stretching does get our minds back in touch with our bodies and our body in touch with our mind and is essential for centering ourselves.
  12. Treat yourself to a movie night. Pick a favorite movie, pop some popcorn, cuddle up with your favorite blanket and just chill. Or is there new movie how you want to see? Take yourself to the movie theater. Treat yourself to a movie. You can go alone or with friends it doesn’t matter. For me going to the movies as a treat especially with the cost and having three kids. So most of the time I wait for the DVDs. But when I do get a movie I really want to see is an exceptional treat and I thoroughly enjoy it. I get to be in the moment with the movie.
  13. Take yourself a little day trip. Hop over to the next city or town over or someplace you haven’t been before. Play tourist. Go do touristy things: looking all the little shops, have a little snack, take some pictures. Just enjoy the area that is new to you.
  14. Create a positive morning or evening routine. I often start out my mornings by reading a reflection or sometimes two. It helps to center and focus myself to start the day. I also start off with a cup of coffee and my routine of watching a little bit of morning news with just me and my dog while the kids sleep. This is my little time to myself. When it gets disrupted, I can feel it in my whole day. Having a consistent routine is good for our self-care for our body likes to predict what is happening next and is comforted by that knowledge.

There you have it. Fourteen tips on taking care of yourself. Our creativity depends on our ability to know when and how to implement some self-care. It is not an act of selfishness; it is necessary. We are not little bunnies running on batteries. We are human beings and are very complicated. When we take care of ourselves, our bodies and our minds, it makes it so much easier to take care of the rest of our life and our family and friends.

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