Life Coaching

Doodle your way through obstacles

0

What happens when the doodle bugs bite?

I love doodling swirling and spiraling things. It can be a mindless, relaxing and meditative thing to do. I also love the way the pen or pencil feels as it slides across the paper. If there was a way to hand write all my blog posts, I would.

Have you even just been doodling on the edge of your paper and been surprised by what you’ve discovered? Did you scribble the solution that you have been looking for? Maybe you let your mind wander a little and doodled yourself a great idea.

: Life Coaching
: , , , , ,

Creative blocks can be signs of stress or a clue that your project lacks meaning

0

We all experience it at some point during the creative process and sometimes more than once. It is totally normal. I’ll admit that I have at times given into this frustration and quit working on a project. Sometimes forever and sometimes just for a little while. Was I just blocked or was the project wrong for me?

All projects have their ups and downs and can threaten to burn you up or out. How do you tell which projects are worth sticking with and which ones just aren’t right for you? Can you tell if the project is really the problem or if some other life issues are interrupting your work flow?

I could go on with an even longer list of questions, but I’ll save you from that. I think that if we are connected to our creative centers then our intuition will help guide us toward great projects. If we are creating deeply with meaning and exposing our vulnerable selves, we must be doing right.

It can be hard to find that connection with projects that we are hired to do. What the client wants may not be something we enjoy making. When this happens it is time to dig really deep and find at least one thing in the project you love. Even if it is something small.

Another way we can lose that connection is life stress. We all have some kind of crap we have to deal with. Stress stifles creativity. Find a form of stress relief that works for you and use it daily if you need to. Meditate, do yoga, go for a walk, put on your favorite music as loud as you can and dance yourself silly. Let the neighbors laugh. You just helped them relieve some of their stress too!

When you discover that the project you have been working on doesn’t really have any meaning to it, let it die. Grieve, morn, throw a wake for it if you need to. Realize it is time to move on to a better more fulfilling project. Don’t waste time trying to cram some fake meaning into it. You will hate the finished product and may be even yourself. Even if only for a little while.

: Life Coaching
: , , , , , ,

Chasing down your dreams is hard work. Get a support buddy!

1

It takes a lot of courage and hard work to go after your dreams. Living your dream doesn’t mean everything is perfect every second of every day. Having support is important to keep you moving through down times. Most people will turn to their significant other or close family and friends first for support. It is a great place to start if they are going to positively support you. Sometimes they won’t. Your support people should be found at the beginning of your dream building process if you can. Keep in mind that some people will not make good support buddies. If you are having a hard time finding support with people you already know, try online support groups or coaches.

Your support person should be willing and able to be your cheerleader, motivator, sounding board, and reality checker. We live in a real world with real obstacles. While we need to fully believe that we can achieve anything (and we can), there will still be obstacles. You support person can point out challenges you might not have even thought of. They will also be able to help you brainstorm for solutions.

Unfortunately, you will find that some people are very negative. The two biggest reasons for this are, they are afraid to live their dreams and are jealous of you or they love and are trying to protect you from the hurt of disappointment. These people won’t be able to offer you the strong support you need and shouldn’t be a part of your support group. Now, that doesn’t mean you should ignore them. They still can have something useful to say. Listen to them and see if they are making a valid point. They may be pointing out some obstacles to your plan. Try not to take their negativity personally. When you take the time and really listen to them, it can have a positive effect on them. They will feel that they are helping you and may not be so negative in the future. When they see you succeeding you could inspire them to follow their dreams too!

: Life Coaching
: , , , ,

What is the purpose of art?

0

I have been reading the book, No More Secondhand Art, Awakening the Artist Within by Peter London. I haven’t made far into the book yet, but it has already really got me thinking, what is the purpose of art? Is it for decoration, expression, money making, or because you’re bored? I started thinking about how I feel while I paint. I have been working on teaching myself to be a better painter.

For me being a better painter means painting more realistic images. I began to let myself be drawn away from painting with emotion to totally focusing on technique. As a result I wasn’t really enjoying painting or creating images that I liked. I’m not saying that having good technique is wrong, I just don’t believe is should be the focus of creating.

Art has a much bigger purpose than technique. Art of any kind is an experience, for the creator and the viewer. It has the power to propel us into action, bring us to tears, draw us back into the past, and help us explore other cultures and more. It isn’t simply recreating a fruit bowl over and over.

I began to realize what was wrong with my “technique” paintings; they were dead, devoid of life. Sure I can paint lovely trees, but recreating a correct tree isn’t the same as painting a living tree. No sharing the symbolism or meaning of that tree. No telling of the story or experience. No hint of the divinity in the tree or myself. Just another image of something I see every day and don’t need a picture to remind me of what it looks like.

Technique is important, but not the most important. The art you create has the power to be transformative and healing. What would happen if you let you intuition lead your brush strokes? What experience would you create?

: Life Coaching
: , , ,
Page 1 of 212»
Calotropis theme by itx