by The Creating Room | May 31, 2016 | creativity, Ten Minute Tuesday
Instead of a ten minute exercise today, I am giving some quick ideas that you can do in a five minute break. If all you have is a ten minute break, then you might only have just five minutes to do something creative or to play. Here are four great go-to ideas for a five minute play break.
- Play Dough: I keep a small container of play dough around for goofing around with. Sometimes if my anxiety is high or I am stressed this little ball of dough is perfect for squeezing and stretching and oozing through fingers. Since it is such a tactile play tool, it really helps when I have limited time.
- Watercolors: Easy to set up and easy to use. You don’t need a lot of space, money or materials to paint a quick sunrise or the ocean. Sometimes it is just as relaxing to simple play and swirl the colors around on the page, creating an abstract of some sort. I have done that and turned into backgrounds for taking pictures of affirmations and such.
- Coloring: Adult coloring books are all the rage right now. Get on board. You can even pick them up at most dollar stores now. You can even free coloring pages online. Go to Pinterest and type in coloring pages. Oodles of links will pop up. Get your Color On!
- Building Blocks, Legos: If you don’t have access to these things because you are a grown-up, after all, then build with what you do have. Just make sure it’s play. My friends’ son likes to use miscellaneous things to build like pen boxes, books, keys or just what he has on hand to build with. There is something about blocks and legos that remind us we have amazing imaginations. If you do have them, what can you build in 5 minutes? Can you use all the blocks?
Here you go, four really simple creative play tools that you can do in just five minutes. Have a grand Tuesday! Don’t forget to play!
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by The Creating Room | Feb 4, 2016 | creativity, inspirational
*This post contains affiliate links.
Every creative person has their favorite books they go go when they are stuck in a rut or need a little inspiration. Books become like trusty friends that you can turn to when you need a fresh perspective or need to be reminded of something you have forgotten. The list below is compiled of books or authors that I have come back to time and time again. They are some of my favorites. A few have worn covers and tattered pages while others have been replaced because I felt compelled to hand them off to someone who needed them. A few I keep on my Nook tablet with favorite passages tagged so I can go back over them again. This list is a great beginning creative souls list. Happy Reading!
- Creativity for Life by Eric Maisel: Eric Maisel is a creativity coach in southern California. He works with artists to help unblock creative walls. In Creativity for Life, he provides examples of how he coached some of his clients and then asks the reader to participate in finding their creative goals with exercises and questions at the end of each section.
- The Artist Way by Julia Cameron: This is a must go-to for a beginning artist. The Artist Way is the first in a series of books meant to connect the artist with their spiritual nature to be in their art more authentically. I have read and re-read this book many times when I needed an artist pick me up. She incorporates many exercises to help the creative soul along.
- Billy Collins (any of his poetry books): My favorite is Sailing Around the Room and Other Poems. However, he has many and they are all great. His poetry is real and honest; he pulls from ordinary world around him to create his excellent writing. He is two-termed Poet Laureate of the U.S.
- Creating a Life Worth Living by Carol Lloyd: Carol Lloyd takes the creative person on down a path to discovering what they want from their passions. Each chapters asks the reader questions about their craft, the life they want, and other important details so they may create their own lifestyle beyond society’s norm.
- A Creative Companion by SARK (or any SARK book): Another must read for the creative being. A quick read, SARK inspires with her bright colors and handwritten pages. This a fun and lively reminder for the artist to slow-down, open their eyes, and see the world around them with their creative soul.
- poemcrazy by Susan Woolridge: A great book to read on poetry. This takes all the mystique out of poetry and breaks it down into the idea that anyone is capable of writing poetry. It is manner of learning the skills. Susan Woolridge does just that in this delightful, easy to read book.
- Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg: A “bible” of writing culture. Natalie Goldberg talks about getting to the bones in writing. A zen teacher, artist and writer, she incorporates her teachings through examples in her book. A lot of insightful information for the creative person.
- The Art of Non-Conformity by Chris Guilbreau: Here is the non-conformists BOOK! If you do not want the standard 9-5 every day lifestyle then this is the book for you. Chris tells you his story and how he went from dropping out of college to the entrepreneur that he is today. He has also been to every country in the world and incorporates some of his genius traveling hacks in this book and on his website.
- The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp: Twyla Tharp got to where she is by one thing: she made her creative outlet a daily habit. She practices her creativity every day. It is woven through out her book that even when one feels as though they cannot create, they should continue the habit of creating to stay conscious of their art. She is a no-nonsense writer with many excellent ideas.
- Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
A must have writers book. Anne Lamott dives into the creative side of writing but this book is also a great guideline for other creative beings. The philosophy of “bird by bird” is a concept that can be applied to any creative project that may seem overwhelming.
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by The Creating Room | Oct 1, 2015 | Uncategorized
Most of us have heard the voice in our head.
Not the one that tells us how successful we will be, or how beautiful our creations are, but the other one.
The one that tells us, “Don’t bother painting, nobody will see” or “nobody likes what you write”, or “that blog is much better than yours”. Some days it is easy to ignore it, or turn it down so it becomes like static whispering.
On other days, for me, on the days, I am about to put a deep amount of passion into my project, the voice gets louder and louder. It is more persistent. There is no “shushing” it. If I let it, that voice will keep me from creating.
That’s when I decided to FIRE THE VOICE! (for me, it is an old bald man, wearing a sweater vest and glasses)
Here is the dismissal poem I gave to my inner critic:
Firing My Inner Critic
“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,
Leaving you standing with your arms crossed and
frown lines on your face
and tapping your foot.
Its not working for me
to have you shred my skin away and
expose the broken bones beneath
while
you hide under the bed
inside your glass house.
I’m letting you go.
I’m saying good-bye
before I pick up stones and
you and I are the same.”
He packed up his briefcase, rather reluctantly, walked out the door.
He does pop in from time to time, unwelcome and uninvited, and I send him back on his way.
Somedays, though, I beckon him. I ask him to come sit with me while I edit. He guides me then, ever so kindly. The inner critic can do things that I cannot do. He tosses out my precious lines when they aren’t quite right; he moves paragraphs, and kills of characters for the sake of the story. These are his strengths.
He has been fired from permanent employment. Now, he is just a brief consultant.
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by The Creating Room | Sep 29, 2015 | Ten Minute Tuesday
I have written previously about how to stop your Creativity sucking monsters.They can sneaky, distracting little creatures that keep us from doing our choice of creative work. For myself, it doesn’t seem to matter if I am writing or doing photography or making pendants, I seem to run into the same monsters time and time again.
For today’s ten minute exercise, I want you to play with paints, pens, pom poms…whatever creative or artsy materials inspire you. I want you to make a Creativity Sucking Monster Poster. Get to know them. Learn their habits. What do they look like? Sound like? Get to know them intimately. That way when they come knocking on your creative brain, then you will recognize them and be ready to defeat the ones right in front of you. Just remember, sometimes they create a full coordinated attack, and as soon as one is down, another is up. Just keep reminding them where they belong. As with all things, monsters have their place, and sometimes we may even sweet talk them out to play when we need them but for todays task, Just recognize them.
Here is how I did mine in three steps. Getting to know them revealed that some did not look like I suspected. My nemesis of “are you sure it’s good enough” monster, looks sweet and innocent, and sounds all sing song, but really the message she is sending is very negative. It reminds me that sometimes what comes out looking like a “voice of reason” may really be a monster trying to sabotage my creative efforts.
I began by using a mix of watercolor paints and stamp pads, my fingers and one monster was created with a paintbrush.
Then I added googly eyes and cut up pom poms to make hair.
The orange and blue one or the “twins” of cleaning and children. The little pink one is my nemesis, “Good Enough”. The big red one of avoidance, black of no sleep, blue for the little boy, and the orange of having fun with friends and procrastination.
What do your monsters look like? I would love to see. Share on my Facebook page.
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by susrene@gmail.com | Sep 11, 2015 | Interviews
It’sFriday! Here is the second of my six week series of interviews.
Today, I have Lamisha Serf- Walls of Life Once Dreamt coaching.
Lamisha is in LOVE with helping women pursue and accomplish their business and life goals. I mentioned her here in another blog post of people who have great blueprints to follow. She has a vibrant and positive energy that she brings to each conversation. I totally believe she is smiling, even in serious conversation, when she speaks due to her of passion of helping others.
Limit has helped me a few times with getting unstuck about some of my artwork goals. She was able to get directly to what needed to be focused on and gave clear ideas on how to do it. Her excellent intuition and organizational skills reach to the core of an issue and help someone become “unstuck” and move forward with their goals and dreams. Your “Life Once Dreamt” works to become a thing of the past as she leads you to your dreams. Lamisha is no stranger to taking the leap from the daily 9-5 world and plunging into her dreams. SHE HAS DONE IT. She is living it. Her passion is to help you do it too.
1) What was your “Ah-ah” moment that turned your path?
Everything changed for me when I realized I had been waiting to begin doing the thing I absolutely knew I was meant to do for about 2 years. I had a phone call with a co-worker at the time and she said “Sometimes you just have to take the leap.” and shortly after I did just that! I started a blog and trusted that my path would be laid out before me and it absolutely has!
2) You talk about taking a “leap”, what did that mean for you? Can I you tell me a few specifics about what it meant to take that leap?
My leap was essentially a leap of faith into my work. It meant that I would finally stop waiting for the ‘right’ time to start coaching (which at the time I was delaying because I wanted to get into a coaching program first and could never find the right one), and just begin. I had no expectation of what would happen or how it might work out when I took on my first guinea pig client, but I can say now looking back, it was exactly what I needed to do to begin.
3) Though your path was laid out when you took the leap, did you run into any bumps along the way? How did you handle them?
I’ve run into TONS of ‘bumps’! This road is full of opportunities for learning more about myself and they usually come in the form of a bump. For example, for about 5 months in 2014, I really questioned if I was cut out to run a ‘business’. I wasn’t making much money, had been laid off of my FT job months before and was struggling to find clients. I KNEW I was meant to do this work so I kept going. I kept learning, reaching, dreaming, and taking inspired action which eventually led to getting help from someone who was much better at the business side of things and things started to take a turn for the better. The best way I’ve come to handle the bumps is to listen to the message within them. There’s always a message (even if I’m trying to ignore it) and then surrender. When I surrender, things start to move forward again, and the path smooths out a bit.
4) What kind of support did you have when you decide it was time to switch career paths and follow your dream?
I had the moral support of my wife for sure. When I started my business I was still working full-time, but within about 2 weeks of ‘launching’ (and by launch I mean email my friends and family members letting them know I was taking clients), I found out my position was going to be eliminated within a few months. The Universe had big plans for me that I wasn’t even sure I was ready for. Since then, I’ve been working in my business full-time and if it wasn’t for my wife I wouldn’t have made it this far.
5) In coaching women, what do you focus on in trying to get them “unstuck”?
It’s usually mindset. Everything we experience in our lives is in some way of our own making so when we are feeling stuck, I like to get into the mindset of it all. I have this sort of super power that allows me to see very clearly what is blocking a client from their highest potential and I am generally guided to ask questions that lead us to the very thought pattern or issue that is holding them back. From that point it’s all about setting new mental pathways to build positive life-affirming believes etc.
6) “From that point it’s all about setting new mental pathways to build positive life-affirming beliefs” How do you work with a client to do this? Can you give a brief description of your coaching style and what someone may get when working with you.
When we start building new beliefs we might do that by using affirmations, mantras, or developing what I call a ‘high vibe practice’ that literally raises your vibration and shifts your mindset. Depending on the client we might do something like repetitive visualizations or continually talk through the new beliefs to get a bit more practice and really develop those new pathways.
My work isn’t a one-size fits all approach and the ‘programs’ I use with clients aren’t necessarily designed ahead of time. My work is highly intuitive so I trust the messages, insights, and ideas that come to me in regards to working with a client. My goal is to empower women and to give them tools and tips they can use long after our work has stopped. I don’t want to necessarily have to work with a client for 6 or 12 months (though I’m happy to if they choose), because I really want clients to feel the support and power I offer and move forward armed with the tools they need to continue to fly. Since everything is specific to the client, each client may get a mix of things like affirmations, recorded calls, videos, and other tools along with our coaching calls. It really just depends on what they are after.
6) What led you to choose to work (usually) with women?
I think I’ve just always felt more comfortable working with women. My strategy is very feminine and gentle and while I’ve worked with some men, it seems women respond better to how I work and it just sort of organically happened. With that said, if I felt like we were a good fit, I’d never turn down a male client just because of his gender. I’m an equal opportunity coach 😉
7) What is your best piece of advice for someone who is “missing something” from their current working/life situation?
Get back to what you love. Make a list and start there. When we start doing more of what we love in whatever capacity or shape that takes, it changes everything. Doors open, people reach out and before you know it-it seems you’ve got all the pieces you want and you are much happier for it.
8) I know you have a love of writing as well; Does the writing influence coaching or coaching influence your writing? What other type of writing do you enjoy?
I’ve always been a writer. I can remember writing a letter to a local newspaper editor when I was in school about divorce and feeling really passionate about the topic. I’d say the coaching and writing typically go hand-in-hand. When I’m working with clients, I tend to get inspired to write articles based on situations they are going through and then occasionally I’ll remember something I wrote about in an article and pass that info along to my clients. Before I started my coaching business, I began submitting inspirational poetry to be considered for greeting cards. I’ve had several greeting cards published with Blue Mountain Arts and some poems in a few anthologies with them as well. Poetry is a big one for me. I hope to write a book or a few someday soon too.
9) How do you unplug? Coaching and writing require a lot of energy from a person, so what is your preferred method of recharging in this hectic world?
I try my hardest not to work on weekends. I don’t work with clients at all during the weekend, but I have to be very conscious about not checking my phone 100 times a day or logging onto Facebook. I really enjoy getting outside and spending time with my wife and son. That is really what brings me joy.
10) Who is one of your biggest influences/inspirations? why?
Oh wow, there are so many. I follow a lot of spiritual teachers like Abraham Hicks, Dr. Wayne Dyer, and people like Louise Hay, but I have to say the book that really changed my life my first year in business was by Tama Kieves called Inspired & Unstoppable. It’s a book that described everything I was going through and gave me hope and inspiration when I wasn’t sure what to do to move forward. I love that book!
Tell us about your coaching services and programs.
I like to set up various ways for clients to work with me. I have 2 1:1 programs and a membership program that offers group style coaching for women. I want my work to be as accessible as possible to the people who need it most so I have created a few different options. If anyone is interested in learning more about how I can help them, they can sign up for a free 30-minute consultation here: https://lifeoncedreamt.acuityscheduling.com/
FUN Questions:
What is your fave, all out, nothing held back meal?
Pizza!!! I love carbs, cheese and veggies so it’s the perfect combination. 🙂
Where is one place that you really want to go?
Australia! I’ve worked with some amazing people in Australia and I’d love to visit or host a workshop there one day.
Lamisha Serf-Walls is a life coach for women who are ready to live an amazing life on their own terms, but feel held-back and frustrated in how to make that happen. Her mission is to create a community of empowered, free flowing, lovers of life who live a life of freedom with ease and inspire others to do the same. You can learn more about Lamisha and what she offers by joining her free community, visiting her Online, on Facebook, or Twitter or grab her free audio 5 Ways to Break Free From Stuck.
Life Once Dreamt Life Coaching
www.lifeoncedreamt.com
www.facebook.com/lifeoncedreamt
www.twitter.com/lifeoncedreamt
(Online scheduler) https://lifeoncedreamt.acuityscheduling.com/
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Hello Everyone! I’m Susan: a Writer, Speaker, Coach and Creator.
Creativity and I have been friends since I was a kid. I was always involved in a creative project…from putting together neighborhood skits and plays, writing stories, dance, theater. I loved to play with my creative side from painting, photography, to writing... 