As I stepped into the backyard to let out our dog and enjoy a breath of fresh air and bit of sunshine, I caught a glimpse of something sparkly in the lawn. Shimmering droplets of dew clung to a gossamer spiderweb that looked for all the world like a handful of diamonds spilled out on the grass. I bent down to get a closer look. It was such a beautiful sight that I ran in to grab my phone and snapped a shot to share on Instagram. (You can follow me there at: http://instagram.com/creativeoasiscoach.)
I stood there and stared a while longer…entranced by the simple and ephemeral beauty of nature. I knew the scene would soon cease to exist. The sun would dry up the dewdrops or my dog would unwittingly crush the work of natural art under his bounding paws. The moment felt as exquisite and temporal as the highly detailed sand mandalas created by the Tibetan Buddhist Monks. Their intricate designs are created over the span of a few days and scattered on the winds – released into a body of water as a blessing to the world. (Click here for gorgeous photos and more about this experience.)
I've been tuning into fleeting moments of organic beauty such as this more often lately. Recently I noticed a vibrant prism shining on my living room wall. Again, I was stopped in my tracks by the simplicity, beauty and transient quality of the natural art.
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Indoor Rainbow Moment by Jill Allison Bryan |
The same fabulous return on our own creative time investment holds true. When I play the piano and sing for five or ten minutes my entire afternoon is lifted up. When we spend a few minutes making a collage or picking green beans in our garden or writing in our journal or trying out a new recipe or playing with watercolors the positive energy created by those experiences can stay with us for hours.
I know I say this a lot, but that's because I believe we can all use the reminder. So, I'll say it again: we can easily enrich our lives, feel happier and be healthier by giving ourselves permission to enjoy our own Creative Oasis (whatever makes are heart sing and time fly!) for as little as five or ten minutes a day. The more often we tap into our creative bliss for even a few minutes, the more we want to experience it and we organically build our creative habit just like we build any good habit.
How might you spend the next five or ten minutes immersed in your own Creative Oasis? (*Remember – even daydreaming about what you'd like to do counts!) I hope you'll consider giving yourself at least a brief amount of time to enjoy something that energize and delight you today.
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| Fleeting Morning Pattern by Jill Allison Bryan |
Here's to discovering diamonds in the dew, rainbows in our living rooms and
the treasure of creative joy wherever we look!
Until next time, all the best from my Creative Oasis to yours,
Jill
P.S. – If you'd like to have Mid-Week Oasis Moments (bite-sized bonbons of creative inspiration) delivered each week please sign up here: http://www.creativeoasiscoaching.com/newsletter.html
You'll also receive a free copy of "Permission to Be Creative 101" – my short e-book that will help you take the first small steps to make the time and space for creative fulfillment – your Creative Oasis – in your busy life!
