Tag Archives: Creativity

Make today better

Posted on by Linda Matthews
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Every week I leave the house and do something fun. This might not sound like such a big deal, but when you live and run a business from the same house, it’s very easy to get *too* comfortable with your surroundings.

My weekly outings often involve a visit to the craft store for a few creative supplies because, honestly, in what world is that not fun?

Cobblestone

But this week also included breakfast at Panera Bread. I recently began a practice of mindful eating which means I don’t count calories or points or portion sizes; instead I stay mindful about my food choices and what my body needs to stay healthy. I must admit that this isn’t as easy as it sounds and I fall off the mindful eating wagon every now and then, but it is getting easier with time.

On the plus side, it means I can eat things like this delicious Cobblestone for breakfast – without a side order of guilt.

Cobblestone

I don’t know why they give you a fork; it’s impossible to eat with anything but fingers.

Cobblestone

Mmmm, delicious.

Cobblestone

I like Panera Bread and not just for the creative energy they use to make their delicious breads and sandwiches and pastries, or their social philosophy. I also love the little creative surprises I often find there.

Like this banner which was hanging right in front of me as I ate my Cobblestone.

Banner

If you can’t quite read the main question, it says – How our guests say they make today better. Which of course started me thinking – “How could I make today better?”.

This is probably not a question that immediately comes to my mind each morning when we wake up; I know it’s not something I generally ask myself. But what if it was? How would that make a difference to your day? Would it change the way you approached your day? Looking for something positive to add to your day instead of just taking from it as a way to get through it? And at the end of the day, how would it feel to know that you did one small simple thing that made your day, or someone else’s day, better? I think that’s pretty powerful stuff.

I’m thinking that this question would make a big difference to my day so I’ve decided it’s important enough to include in my morning ritual. The morning ritual is a topic that we’re discussing this week in The Creative Explorer’s Club and it’s all about beginning your day in a positive way with a strong focus and guided energy. It’s used as a way to avoid the many distractions that can get in our way during the course of the day that stop us from achieving our creative dreams and our goals.

The question “How could I make today better?” is a perfect way to end that ritual. And traveling through the day looking for ways to make things better also serves to keep us in the present moment which is where our creative energy is most powerful.

So … what are you doing to make today better?

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Blocked Creatively? Here’s a Get Out of Jail Free Card

Posted on by Linda Matthews
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An article by Valery Satterwhite

The most damaging restrictions on a creative person’s freedom are self-imposed. What may have started out as a new idea, a new methodology, becomes routine, a habit, after awhile. Habits are the comfort zone. Once snuggled into a comfort zone there is a tendency to stay. However, this is not what a creator is here to do. Staying in a comfort zone habitually creating the same kind of thing over and over again does not feed the artist’s soul. Comfort zones are safe. Comfort zones bore creative people literally to tears. Stagnation goes flies in the face of an artist’s passionate desire to expand and express their full creative potential.

Habits are not limited to craft. The greatest crippler of the creative spirit is habitual thinking. Habitual thinking turns the innovator into the academician; passion into melancholy; fulfillment into despair.

“A ship in the harbor is safe. But that’s not what ships are built for.”
Anon

It is said that an artist of any kind brings a lot of himself into the work. The artist isn’t as interested in the subject of his creation as in his own reaction to that subject. When you change your habitual thought patterns you also change your habitual reactions. You literally have new eyes with which to see and observe the experiences in your life and your world. Newer expanded vision births newer expanded creation.

“Most new discoveries are suddenly-seen things that were always there.”
Susanne K. Langer

When an artist is stuck, dug-in, in the mire of rigid or habitual ways of creating he literally puts a cap on the availability of his own intuition, his inner muse. Those magical “in the zone” moments of full creative energy and accomplishment are fleeting because very little inspiration is allowed. Inspiration is limited to what fits into a self-limiting set of possibilities. The artist has unknowingly handcuffed his soul.

If an artist isn’t personally evolving; stretching, growing, moving beyond comfort zones, then her art isn’t evolving. Stagnation suffocates the potential creative expression that is the artist’s birthright. Treading water in life, not moving in any direction, is exhausting! Swimming against the stream, holding back your full creative potential, is exhausting. Let go of tired old ways of being, thinking and doing. Rediscover the playful child in you. Approach your art with the wide-eyed wonder and awe of a child at an amusement park where everything is new, exciting, waiting to be experienced. Fear and judgment is left behind. Play is what turns the utilitarian into the discoverer of new interpretation, new invention. Play is the vital heartbeat of the creative spirit.

If you think you might be treading water in life or your artistic endeavors, give yourself permission to play. Play with your craft, indulge your passions, do a silly dance. Shake up your stagnated energy. Fully alive and present, be open and available for whatever comes next. That glorious state of being is the ultimate freedom.

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Looking Back

Posted on by Linda Matthews
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Looking Back

I don’t know about you, but I seem to do a lot of internet travel during the course of a week. Some weeks it’s like visiting with your least favorite relative and you can’t wait to leave, but other weeks it’s like Christmas where you get to discover new and amazing wonders. I’ve founds lots of interesting, creative and free stuff this week. Enjoy!

My favorite find of the week. Just for Kindle lovers.

Creative blocks? I have em, you have em. Here’s a toolkit for dealing with them.

Have you reserved your spot yet in the largest online classroom ever? Don’t miss out.

You would never guess that this is done with thread.

Now these are my type of pumpkins!

This just makes my eyes happy.

Looking Back

Do you love sunflowers? This will make you look at them in a whole different way

Things to do with leftover thread (I gotta try this)

In my next life I’m going to do nothing but make felt like this.

Some free masks for photoshopoholics.

I love using sharpies but this is awesome!

And finally – get out of my head! I’ve been obsessed with this video and this song all week.

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Being vulnerable

Posted on by Linda Matthews
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When I get a spare half hour or so, I love visiting the Ted website where so many inspiring and creative people share their thoughts and ideas. This is the internet at its absolute best.

One of my favorite videos is by Brene Brown who is a researcher and storyteller, and in this particular video she talks about the power of vulnerability which is something she has spent many years researching.

I was particularly interested in her findings that while vulnerability is at the core of shame, fear and struggle for worthiness, it’s also the birthplace of creativity.

Dealing with my creativity is a daily challenge for me and that can be a problem particularly as it’s the basis of my business.

Some days I have so many creative ideas I cant’ write them down fast enough.

A lot of days I spend turning those creative ideas into reality.

But some days there’s nothing in my head, and I mean nothing. It’s totally empty in there. It’s like someone blew out the creative candle and I’m stumbling around in the dark trying to find it. And that induces fear. Fear that I’ll never find it again.

Of course I always do. But this is a recurring cycle. And it’s exhausting sometimes. And then there’s the anxiety of waiting for the cycle to come around again and again because you know that it will, and … well, I know you know how this goes.

So …

If, as she says, vulnerability is at the core of fear but the birthplace of creativity, my very own personal cycle of doom, if I deal with my vulnerability issues instead of worrying about the fear and the creativity, then I might learn to disconnect from my cycle of doom?

An interesting thought and worthy of investigation.

Grab a cuppa, you’ll enjoy this talk; she’s funny and touching and of course, vulnerable.
(PS – if you’re reading this post in a reader or by blog-email, you’ll need to click through to the website to view it)

If you enjoyed Brene Brown’s talk, you might also enjoy her blog. You can find here.
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If you’re not prepared to be wrong …

Posted on by Linda Matthews
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… you’ll never come up with anything original.

So says Ken Robinson. And I tend to agree.

Growing up, I’m sure most of us were told to avoid making mistakes and this has subsequently contributed to a whole generation of “perfectionists”. Yes I’m talking about you. And me. Maybe not so much me anymore, I simply don’t have the energy for it that I used to have. And of course being a perfectionist is one of the easiest ways to kill your creativity. It’s only through mistakes that we learn and grow. I wish they’d taught that lesson in school.

Enjoy this TED talk by Ken Robinson; it’s very humorous and inspiring.

The ElementA few days after I saw this TED lecture I happened to be in the book store and came across his book The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything, so I grabbed it as I thought I might enjoy it.

This was a really quick read and very inspirational with lots of examples (maybe just a tad too many) of how many famous people found their element – the place where passion and natural talent collide. Some of us are very fortunate to have found this place, and I know some are still looking. But I don’t think it’s ever too late and you’re never too old to find it.

I really enjoyed the book. It was very thought provoking and entertaining. I hope you do too.

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