Creative flow leads you towards inspiration through feeling and intuition, but when the mind parks you at the same pit-stop for a while, you may actually be stuck in a creativity tourist-trap. The place looks great and feels fun, but is actually serving as a distraction. The scenery and activities, while familiar in a comforting way, aren't motivating or inspiring you to actually do anything that feeds or expands your creative fire. And yes, a pause is just as … [Read more...]
Creativity Kick-Start: Collaborate with a New Creative Partner
September 29, 2014 By 1 Comment
Creative inspiration is catchy, especially when you connect with a collaboration partner who helps bring out new, deeper aspects of your gifts and personal expression. The rush of joining efforts with a like-heart fires up the mind, body and spirit, offering you a chance to see everything with a fresh set of eyes, including what inspires you. The shared understanding you have with a collaboration partner also leaves everything open as you play off the creative energy of … [Read more...]
Can you Tell when Judgment Creep Snuffs Out your Creative Spark?
September 25, 2014 By 1 Comment
Have you ever dealt with judgement creep? It’s the naggy, negative self-talk that drips with comments about unmet expectations and snuffs out your creative spark. On the low end of the spectrum, judgement creeps starts out as a subtle sense that some of your creative projects or work feels “off”. You are unsatisfied with what you’ve created or place your focus on “getting it right” next time. It may take a little time, but after some space you can see the value in your … [Read more...]
Creativity Kick-Start: Watch the Creative Magic of the Sky
August 18, 2014 By 2 Comments
It’s easy to keep your head down to power through life’s to-do’s or laser focus on your “end game”, but when was the last time you looked up, taking in the creative magic of the sky? I have to admit, I don’t take us much time to “look up” as I used to when hours and minutes were a toy rather than a timer. As a kid, watching the clouds and the story they played out was part of a typical summer day, part of experiencing the natural creative magic of the universe as it unfolded in … [Read more...]
Creativity Kick-Start: Confess a Creative Fear
August 11, 2014 By 1 Comment
There is power in confession, especially when it comes to releasing the grip of creative fear. The little, niggly “fear rushes” you feel when you are close to the truth can be almost paralyzing, and serve as an invitation to distract yourself from the source of the fear with things that are breezy and light. The rub? Fear avoidance is fun for a bit, but it also keeps you doing the “running man” in the same spot for ages - while your creative self expression growth gets … [Read more...]
3 Simple Tips for Listening to your Creative Gut
July 24, 2014 By 2 Comments
The creative gut is an interesting creature. It runs on intuition and is a natural part of you. Yet, over time, you might learn or decide not to trust it. Between crushed expectations, negative experiences with someone close to you or old patterns you took on from family, your creative gut can lose the upper hand - and you don’t even realize it. Your inner truth becomes harder to sense, and what you really want to see can be hiding behind a super foggy mirror. This makes … [Read more...]
Creativity Kick-Start: Ask for Help When Creative Frustration Strikes
July 21, 2014 By 1 Comment
Creative frustration is not a four letter word, even if it feels like it. The “stuckness” simply offers you an opportunity to see the truth behind a challenge by finding a fresh perspective. New insight can come through hard work, connections, luck, faith, meditation or simply walking away and taking a breather. However, when your go-to inspiration tools fall flat, along with your belief in yourself, it's easy to toss-up your hands in frustration and walk away from what you’ve … [Read more...]
Does a Creative Impulse Follow a Plan or Purpose?
July 17, 2014 By Leave a Comment
A creative impulse is intoxicating. The rush of inspiration you feel in your mind and body lights you up, offering a body buzz that sends endorphins sky high. It’s dreamy, exciting and fun all at the same time. When the initial feeling passes and your body settles down, sometimes the mind can come barging in with an agenda of it’s own. It’s not trying to ruin your fun on purpose, it sometimes just let’s the ego drive the bus instead of the heart. So when you … [Read more...]
Creativity Kick-Start: Take Photos to Expand the Creative Eye
July 14, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Your creative eye is a window into yourself, whether you realize it or not. Lifestyle, family, relationships, personal highs and lows all play a part (sometimes subconsciously) in what you see as beautiful and inspiring, negative or depressing. These are the real tools that shape what you see as picture-worthy and inspiring, acting as a connection point to your inner creative sense of self. That’s why a creative eye does not require lessons, artistic parents or an … [Read more...]
Blending a Creative Pause into your Lifestyle
June 19, 2014 By 2 Comments
A creative pause is very powerful as a little sweet spot between meditation and action. It’s a time when you willingly take a break from all your activities, routines and planning to enjoy a little treat with no agenda. It can be something you do once a day, once a week or however often you allow in an absence of focus (without guilt), enabling your heart and mind to wander aimlessly to new places and daydreams. While meditation is often a focused time where you try to limit the … [Read more...]