Sparking Creativity and Fun

A few months ago, I tried my hand at acrylic painting. It was fun and relaxing. The paintings did not turn out exactly the way I envisioned but it was an overall success. The true reward was allowing myself the freedom to be creative and uninhibited.

Being a very serious person, I am fascinated by what sparks creativity in people.  What makes some of us think in terms of black and white and others swirl with tye dye?  If you were wondering, I am the black and white voice of reason and practicality in my family and the “boys” are both 100% tye dyed!

If you are having trouble sparking your creativity or breaking out of the day-to-day routine, try some of these fun suggestions from Doug Hall author of Jump Start Your Brain and Jump Start Your Business Brain. These suggestions will help you get in touch with the uninhibited person you were as a child.

  • Inhale the contents of a helium balloon.
  • Buy a joy buzzer, pepper gum, black soap, and fake dog poo and learn how to use them properly.
  • Climb a tree.
  • Fly a kite. Pretend you are the kite.
  • Hang by your knees from the monkey bars.
  • Roll down a hill.
  • Swing as high as you can.
  • Write a letter in crayon.
  • Visit a fun house.
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The Reason We Celebrate Independence Day

On a hiking trip last weekend, we stopped at a unique mountain town just off the Appalachian Trail -- Helen, Georgia.

We toured some of the shops in town.  As we entered one shop, Gold Valley, the owner Jeff stopped ringing up a paying customer, walked over to us and asked my honey and I if we were military veterans.  Phillip said yes.  He shook his hand, thanked him, and took the time to ask where and when he had served.  He then asked him to sign his book.  As he signed, Jeff explained that the entire top of the store is bordered with pages of signatures from veterans that had visited his store.  Only after thanking Phillip again, Jeff returned to his customer.  The customer patiently waited and did not say a word; she stood with a smile on her face and a sense of pride that seemed to come with her being part of that moment.

United States military members volunteer to uphold the constitution even at the loss of their lives.  They believe in this country and the values that we hold dear.   They believe that everyone, in every country should be free.  

I have been fortunate to be part of the military community for the majority of my life.  I was a granddaughter to an Air Force/ Army World War II veteran, a daughter to an Army Vietnam Veteran, a stepdaughter to an Air Force Gulf War Veteran and a Navy wife during the September 11 tragedy.

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Slow Down - What a Wonderful World
We are all in a hurry to make money to support our families, get to our kids’ baseball games, cook dinner, do the laundry, or any of the other things that we ‘must’ do in a day.  We are stressed out and overworked.  Everything is faster, bigger, and we need more ‘stuff’ to get to the next level.  What would happen if we slowed down?  

I had the great pleasure of attending a seminar given by Andy Andersen earlier this month.  Andy’s presentation revolved around slowing down, helping each other, and healing.  He has a passion for making a difference in each person’s life that he touches.
   
He reminded me of some things that gave me perspective on my life and he has given me permission to share some of the key points of his keynote with you.
  • We are always working harder to make more money to obtain things we do not need to impress people we do not like.  In doing this, we are missing the true joy in our lives.
  • Leadership is at home, work, school, and in every aspect of your everyday life.  
  • You have the power to change your thinking and your environment for the better.
  • Be kind to those around you.  You never know what others are going through.
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Change...Are You Ready for a New Beat?
C-H-A-N-G-E. Just the word paralyzes some and sends others beating a path to the next adventure. Which are you?

If you feel paralyzed, step out of your emotion for a moment, and take a breath.  You are likely feeling the same emotions felt when your mom or dad first took your “binkie” away.  

Your ‘binkie’ made you feel comfortable, warm, secure, and sometimes as invincible as Superman or Wonder Woman! Do you remember how you felt when they took it away?  Probably not. You adapted to your new comfort zone. Surely, you are happy that you are not carrying your ‘binkie’ to the grocery store or the office. A positive outcome.

Change is constant and dealing with change is similar to grief. First, you deny that the change is happening then you bargain or negotiate to keep things the way they were.  Next, you become angry because the change is moving forward without your “permission.” Once you have moved through these steps, you can begin to accept the ‘new normal.’
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Self Care is Critical to Physical and Mental Wellness

How many times have you said, “I’m tired” or “I just can’t get focused.”  It is true that we all have only 24 hours in a day, and we all have things and people that compete for our attention.  Do you feel like you are competing for time with yourself?  

Some of your reasons for not taking care of yourself might be:

 

  • I don't have time
  • Everyone is depending on me
  • I don't have the energy
  • Everyone will think I am selfish
  • I don't have the money
  • If I don't do it, no one will
Sound familiar? Let’s look at it from a different perspective.

"Time out" or "Time off" gives you time to reset and rejuvenate. If you consistently take care of everything and everyone, eventually, your energy reserves diminish, and you will continue to feel out of control, time pressed, and exhausted. At that point, you might be plagued with mental disorganization, depression, or even illness.
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