Gratitude: The Secret Behind CreativityWritten by Nancy Marmolejo
When you think of being more creative, what comes to mind? Most people think in terms of artistic skills, but creativity manifests itself in a number of ways beyond obvious. Picture creativity like a jet stream that flows all around us: when we step up to flow and dip our hands in, we easily grab wonderful ideas, refreshed insights and innovative actions. At times, things get in our way and we lose our contact with creative flow. We consider ourselves in a rut, not creative, unproductive, dull. There is a simple practice that magically ignites creative juices and brings joy to all parts of life. It takes practice, commitment, and an open mind. It is gratitude. Giving thanks, appreciating others, acknowledging wonderful things we have in our lives. Gratitude is extremely powerful and can’t be activated unless consciously practiced every day of our lives. It can turn a sour mood into a joyous one, make us laugh at our own silly shortcomings, and open our hearts up to increased appreciation of all that surrounds us. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure it out… it just takes willingness. Do following ritual acts daily for at least 30 days. After 30 days, you’re free to discontinue and your misery will be gladly refunded. J 1. Make a Gratitude list. Start reciting alphabet and fill in a person, place or thing for each letter. (If you're stuck for people's names that start with letter X, remember Xena Warrior Princess and my friends Gil and Lily's cool kid Xiarel. He won't mind if you're grateful for him!) Making a Gratitude List is a wonderful way to shift your focus when feeling down. 2. Write thank you notes for everything. Have a wonderful client? Send her a card. Do you appreciate service at a neighborhood store? Write a note saying so. Feeling extra artistic? Make your own card and envelope. Be creative.
| | 7 Easy Creative Rituals to Spark Your Imagination and Inspire Your SoulWritten by Nancy Marmolejo
Creativity is a mysterious force that visits us with great ideas, new ways of seeing world and courage to do things differently. Revitalizing your creative talents will help you in most unexpectedly wonderful ways: a new business idea, a renewed commitment to self-care, an appreciation for beauty that lies all around us. Finding a small bit of time each day to feed this force will not only reward you with increased creativity, but also an expanded sense of appreciation and gratitude for creative process. The following list highlights simple yet powerful actions you can take to spark your creative energy from inside out. 1. Keep a Daily Journal Use a journal to jot down meandering thoughts of your mind. Write, draw, doodle, paste collages together. Stuck between your great ideas are random thoughts, mental notes, and menial observations. Use your journal as a place to deposit these thoughts, keeping your creative mental workspace clear. Think of it as feng shui for mind, a way of keeping creative juices flowing. 2. Create Sacred Space Find a place in your home to keep inspiring, motivating and spiritually significant objects. Remind yourself that creativity flows like water and wind, that it is steadfast like earth and powerful like fire. Collect objects from nature to remind you of this. Place things that awe and inspire you, projects you’re most proud of, and photos of people who support and encourage your creative action. 3. Reflection. Reflection can be a minute of appreciating someone or something, or it can be a day of meditation and writing. Find ways to incorporate reflection into your daily routine, noting how experiences and interactions help you grow as a creative person. This is great for surveying what inspires you and what blocks you, what attracts you and what doesn’t.
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