What Lights You Up? (*Hint: for brilliant results ask often)

If you've been reading my Creative Oasis™ blog or receiving my Mid-Week Oasis Moments for awhile now, you know that I'm a big believer in the power of asking ourselves small questions. It's one of the "super-simple-yet-super-effective" tools we use in Kaizen-Muse® Creativity Coaching. Here's one small question that I turn to time and again for quick creative realignment and a plethora of possibility producing ideas: (try saying that 5 times fast!)

What lights me up? 

This is a great question to ask when you're feeling stuck, are running out of ideas, are looking for something exciting to explore or even are pondering a new place to visit. Asking this one simple question can uncover a multitude of fabulous options and remind us of what we really want to do. 

Why not try it now? 

Want to give it a try? It's easy. Take out a pen and paper, set a timer for one minute and let yourself come up with as many different answers as you can to the question "What lights me up?"Of course, if you're really on a roll after a minute, just keep writing! I'll do it with you. Ready? Set. Go!

What did you come up with?

Here's what came to me off the top of my head: playing with my 3 year old niece, playing piano, making music with my husband, running and walking by the lake, creating collages in my Creative Oasis Journal, reading inspiring books and magazines, trying out new recipes, visiting with good friends, writing just about anything, travel and dreaming about travel, coaching, getting a really relaxing massage, visiting museums and art happenings, seeing concerts and taking photos.

What's next?

What if you posted this list near your computer, in your day-timer or on your fridge or phone – any place you'll be likely to see it at least once a day? Then, the next time you decide to give yourself a five or ten minute Creative Oasis break you can choose something from the list and enjoy!

What I found interesting was the things that didn't show up on my list that I actually spend quite a bit of time doing like checking e-mail, Facebook, twitter and Pinterest. Which leads me to another thought. What if the next time I'm about to hop on Facebook or twitter, I first scan my "What Lights Me  Up?" list and then give myself five or ten minutes to enjoy one of those experiences first? 

To make our lists more visually appealing, I've included a free printable to download below. If you'd like to write your list on this be my guest. And as always, I'd love to hear from you if you want to share what lights you up in the comments section below.

Click here to download this free Creative Oasis printable

Last weekend I had the opportunity to experience something that lit me up as well as the entire downtown Dallas Arts District - Aurora Dallas 2013.

The Aurora Project was a free contemporary art exhibition in the rapidly developing Dallas Arts District. The project presented interactive new media artworks such as light , video, performance, and sound in exciting and unexpected public spaces that transformed 68-acres of downtown Dallas into one of the nations largest outdoor exhibitions of this cutting-edge medium. It was an amazing experience that left me energized, inspired and definitely lit up!

This is a photo I took of one of my favorite installations of the evening. 
I only wish that I'd remembered to write down the name of the artist!

Until next time, all the best from my lit up 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!

What Do You Really Want To Do?

When's the last time you asked yourself "What do I really want to do?" Whether in the grand scheme of life, as in, "What do I want to do when I grow up?" (no matter what your current age!) or on a much smaller scale, as in, "What would I like to do tonight?" asking ourselves what we really want is an important step toward living a happy, fulfilled life. And, I might add, it's a step that many of us often forget to take!

As Percival's quote implies, it can be all too easy for us to jump on the hamster wheel of life and keep running, never stopping to ask ourselves, "Is this what I really want do be doing?" And, if the answer is "No" asking ourselves, "Well then, what do I really want to do?"

One of my favorite tools we use in Kaizen-Muse® Creativity Coaching is asking small questions. It's such a simple yet powerful way to tap into our own inner wisdom, spark awareness, and clarify our desires. And yet, how often do we take the time to ask ourselves what we truly want? Isn't it easier just to stick with the status quo? To do what we usually do?

I'll use myself as an example. On any given Friday night, you'd be likely to find me and my husband watching a movie while enjoying one of my famous homemade pita pizzas and a bottle of wine.  

Feeling fried around the edges after a long week of deadlines and commitments, the easy thing would be to slip into default mode and do what we usually do. 

But...when we remember to ask ourselves, "Is this how we really want to spend our evening?" other options come to light. We become aware of all of the possibilities and our night may take a very different turn. We may decide that rather than vegging out in front of a movie, it would be fun to play and sing a few songs together at the piano or dabble in some low-pressure art fun by drawing, painting or making a collage. We may decide to sit on the back patio and talk while the relaxing sounds of the fountain gurgling and splashing and the cicadas chirping help us to wind down our week.

We may still choose to watch a movie later, but by asking the question "What do we really want to do?" we've given ourselves the option to change things up a bit, reset our "default mode" and enjoy our evening in a more fulfilling, intentional way.

What if you asked yourself "What do I really want to do?" once or twice in the coming week? You may find that rather than saying yes to that party invitation that feels more like a "Have To" than a "Get To" you choose to stay home and do a puzzle or let your daughter give you a pedicure. You may realize that a quick trip to a museum during your lunch break sounds much more satisfying than gobbling down a salad at your desk. You may decide to open that paint-by-number kit you bought for yourself last year and have some low-pressure creative fun with it. You may choose to throw that impromptu happy hour for your neighbors you've been thinking about for months now or to curl up with a favorite book and read the entire thing in one sitting while drinking hot tea and eating gingersnaps. 

Whatever you decide, you can be sure of one thing, by taking the time to ask yourself what you really want to do you'll be treating yourself with the respect and practicing good self-care by giving yourself permission to jump off that hamster wheel and into a more authentically satisfying life!

Here's to all of the Creative Oasis moments (the moments that makes your heart sing and time fly!) that await when we remember to ask ourselves, "What do I really want to do?"

Click here to learn about how I had the opportunity to meet one of my favorite artists, Nick Cave, in person when I asked myself "What do I really want to do today?" and ended up experiencing one of the most amazing creative moments of my life! 

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!

  

You'll Love this Fab, Fun Coloring Experience

My Baby Blue by Jill Allison Bryan

I'm always on the look out for new ways to experience low-pressure creative play so I'm thrilled to share a fabulous new e-book that offers that up in spades! The Collabyrinth Challenge by Tina Gray-Siebers combines thought-provoking Creative Questions plus Musings and Meanderings with free-form abstract black and white coloring pages. Gray-Siebers, a certified Kaizen-Muse® Creativity Coach and artist, says Collabyrinth is a "unique blend of intuitive expression, labyrinth, mandala arts and problem-solving to help color your world in a different way." 

I'll go one step further and say it's an absolute blast! Gray-Siebers has created a wonderful method of giving us permission to experience creative play in a meaningful way. For the affordable price of just $15 the return on your investment for your creative spirit will be tremendous! (Click here to purchase your own copy.) 

I had so much fun creating My Baby Blue piece above! The title can be attributed to my Breaking Bad obsession and the fact that the last scene of the series finale has been playing over and over in my head along with the tune, My Baby Blue by Badfinger. (Click the image below to listen to this classic rock tune.)

Her Creative Questions such as "What if you used more than one medium?" and "How might you add texture?" provided the perfect balance of creative freedom and gentle structure to spark my creative process. After reading the first several pages of her book I felt completely open to playing with my creative supplies in a non-judgemental way. It felt wonderfully freeing to simply sit down and pick up my colored pens and pencils, pastels, crayons and watercolors and add them to the page I'd printed in a playful way. (Hint: Printing the coloring pages on card stock is a good idea if you're going to use watercolors or thick markers.)

Even though I'm a big believer in focusing on the enjoyment of the creative process more than the end product, I have to admit, I'm in love with my piece. It makes me smile every time I see it and I'm looking for the perfect place to hang it in my office. I know it will serve as a colorful reminder that I can experience soul-satifsying creativity in as little as ten minutes! 

I know that I'll be reaching for The Collabyrinth Challenge often to add more Creative Oasis Moments to my life. I also think this will make a super present for friends and family and is a great idea for teacher gifts as well. 

The Collabyrinth Challenge is for you if:

* You want to try something different

* You're in a mental rut and need a jumpstart

* You want to step out of your comfort zone

* You want to be creative, play and have fun

* You want new insight

* You enjoy coloring mandalas

   

If you do purchase a copy for yourself, I'd love to see your creations and hear about your experiences. Drop me a line at creativeoasiscoach@me.com to share. And last, but not least HAVE FUN! 

Final note: though Gray-Siebers kindly shared a free copy of The Collabyrinth Challenge for me to review, I'm not being paid to give my opinion or sell copies. I just adore this book and believe everyone should know about it!

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!

Practicing What I Preach 5 Minutes at a Time

Lately I'm giving myself permission to enjoy creative play even more than usual. The quickly created spread in my Creative Oasis Journal above is an example of how I've been practicing what I preach. Of course, I never wanted to be preachy – but I do love reminding you how  even just a short bit of  creative time can lead to great big creative satisfaction in your busy life!

What does that look like?

* Setting a timer for 5 or 10 minutes
* Opening up my Creative Oasis Journal
* Diving into low-pressure creative play without over thinking things
* Cutting and glueing images, painting with watercolors, writing quickly and freely

How does that feel?

* Fantastic * Freeing * Fabulous *Fun

What happens?

*I experience a huge amount of creative satisfaction in a short amount of time.
* I feel energized for hours afterward in all aspects of my life.
* I'm reminded of why I love my creative time and am more likely to get to it again sooner than later.

Why is this important?

 * It's a quick, easy and fun way to add joy to my day, especially if I'm having a bad day.
* Every part of my life (work, family, friends, personal) benefits when I make time for creativity because I'm a happier, healthier person when I do.
*It's a wonderful way to take a break from my never ending to-do lists and rejuvenate myself.
* Being in the creative flow relieves stress and enriches my life in amazing ways.

As a Kaizen-Muse® Creativity Coach I know this to be true and share this with my clients all the time, still I continue to be delightfully surprised when it's reaffirmed time and again in my own life! 

Some Gentle Reminders

 * It doesn't have to be perfect.
* You don't even have to know exactly what you're going to do when you begin.
* You get to just go for it and have fun.

*Creativity comes in many forms - in addition to painting, collaging, crafting, knitting, making music and writing there's gardening, cooking, entertaining, sewing, yarn bombing, crafting, scrapbooking, dancing, doodling, canning, making cards, taking photographs, enjoying nature...
Like I always say, your Creative Oasis is whatever makes your heart sing and time fly!

What if?

What if you gave yourself the next five or ten minutes to dive into your Creative Oasis?
What might that look like? How might that feel?
I'd love to hear from you.

Until the 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!

Sound Advice from the Mad Hatter

Do you sometimes act like Alice? Do you tell yourself that things are impossible? That you're too old to learn to play an instrument? That you'll never finish writing your book? That you have no artistic talent? That you simply don't have time for the creative pursuits you dream of enjoying?

If so, at the risk of sounding slightly touched, I propose you try acting a bit more like the Mad Hatter and see where that gets you. His philosophy seems to be "It's only impossible if you believe it to be." Interestingly, by simply imagining that something we now believe to be an impossibility is a reality we open our minds to making dreams come true – to making the impossible possible!

In his wonderful book, "The Kaizen Way – One Small Step Can Change Your Life,"Robert Maurer, Ph. D. touts the powerful the practice of Mind Sculpting. This is one of the many transformative tools I use as a certified Master Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coach. A bit like an amped of version of day-dreaming, mind sculpting is a painless, easy way to break through the barrier of "this is impossible" and into the satisfaction of "I'm really doing this!"

Mind sculpture has people imagine they are actually engaged in whatever action they'd like to experience. Rather than closing your eyes and watching yourself as if in a movie, you envision yourself from your point of view engaging all of your senses and emotions in the experience as fully as possible.

For example, if you have a watercolor kit that's been sitting in your closet still in the wrapper for three years, your first small step could simply be to close your eyes and imagine yourself reaching up to take the kit from the shelf, unwrapping the box, setting all of the supplies out on the table  and beginning to paint. What does the crackling of the cellophane sound like as you unwrap the package? How do the painting supplies smell? What does it feel like to fill a glass of water in which to dip your brush? Can you imagine taking those first few strokes? How good might that feel?

After doing this for only ten or fifteen seconds, your mind becomes more open and receptive to the possibility of doing it in real life. How cool is that?

This technique is used by many professional athletes, speakers and entertainers. As Maurer explains, the brain doesn't know the difference between us actually performing the actions or simply imagining performing them. "In one study, people who practiced a five-finger piano exercise for two hours a day showed a similar increase in brain activity as those who performed the exercise solely in their imaginations without ever touching the keyboards."

To create the image for today's Mid-Week Oasis Moment, I used photoshop, something that has felt far beyond my grasp until now. But, inspired by the Alice in Wonderland quote and excited by the prospect of creating a truly magical image, I chose to try on the Mad Hatter point of view for size and believe it was possible. Of coures there was trial and error, but by simply releasing the thought "It will be impossible for me to use photoshop" I opened the door to the possibility that it could work! 
(Cue lightening bolt and thunder for any of you Young Frankenstein fans out there.)

What about you? What's one thing you've been telling yourself is impossible? How would it be to close your eyes and imagine the experience happening – each and every delightful detail? Perhaps it's typing the last page of the manuscript you've been writing –  the clicking of the keys, the sense of satisfaction. Maybe it's sitting in comfy chair with a warm cup of tea and knitting a beautiful, soft sweater as the morning light streams in. You might envision yourself picking the fresh delicious ingredients for a salad out of a garden you finally planted – the earthy smell of dirt on your hands and the satisfying snap of a green bean from the vine.

Until next time, here's to opening the door to what's possible for ourselves using mind sculpting just 10 or 15 seconds at a time and saying Yes! to our creative dreams in the process.

All the best from my Creative Oasis to yours,
Jill

This has been a Mid-Week Oasis Moment. If you'd like these bite-size bonbons of creative inspiration delivered to you each Wednesday sign up here:

http://www.creativeoasiscoaching.com/newsletter.html

You'll also receive a free copy of my short e-book, "Permission to Be Creative 101."

The Remarkable Benefits of Embracing Now

Ever find yourself slipping into the "If Only" mantra? 

If only I could get my home perfectly organized, then I'd start that scrapbook project. If only I could magically add an hour to my day, then I'd finish writing my book. If only I could lose ten pounds, then I'd feel more like working out. (Yes - that's the way of "if only" logic – it's not so logical!) If only I could finish all of my work projects, then I'd open that watercolor kit. If only I made more money, then I'd really be happy. Any of this sound remotely familiar?

Most of us have fallen into the trap of "If Only" thinking at some point. When we use "If Only" as our mantra it has the power to shut us down when it comes to making the time and space in our lives for our own Creative Oasis – or as I like to say – for whatever makes our hearts sing and time fly! 

Fortunately for me (and for you!) creativity coaching offers a treasure chest of wonderful tools and techniques that can help us move past "If Only" thinking and tune into, recognize and embrace what is good...what works well..what is amazing and wonderful in our lives right 

NOW!

It can be as simple as asking yourself positively framed questions such as:

What's working well in my creative life at this moment?

What can I give myself credit for doing today?

What's one small thing that I'm grateful for today?

What's something that I love about my home?

Who is one person who brings light into my life?

By asking ourselves these positively framed questions, we focus our awareness on what's good now in our lives rather than what we think would be good "if only" something else occurred first.

I'm a huge fan of TEDx Talks and recently I found one that now ranks among my top five all-time favorites! If you watch the short video below, you'll see why. 

Shawn Achor uses humor and research to make a compelling case for losing the "If Only" mentality and embracing whatever good we can find in the here and now. Enjoy a few minutes with Shawn and learn the remarkable benefits of embracing now!

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!

Are You In Love With Your Life?

I like to think of myself as a glass half-full person, but I'm realistic enough to know that it's a tall order to love every single minute of every single day of our lives. Stuff happens...sometimes good...sometimes  bad. Many things that happen are out of our control...but we do have a choice when it comes to how we react to them. 

We really do. When I stub my toe in front of my little niece it hurts like hell, but I'm somehow able to keep the string of obscenities that I'd normally let fly to myself. When a car suddenly pulls out in front of me I can let it make my blood-pressure boil or I can let it go.  Either way, I can't change the fact that I've just been cut off in traffic, but I can choose to not let it bother me so much, take a deep breath and move on with my day. 

Am I able to make this grown-up, Zen-like decision every time? Of course not. I'm human and fairly new to this "letting things go" philosophy in the grand scheme of my life. But I can honestly say that when I'm able to take a deep breath and release things that are out of my control I feel soooo much better than when I give myself over to feelings of anger and frustration.

Great example of positive reframing via Blondie!

The flip-side of this coin is I can remind myself of the endless things that are within my control! 

The many choices that I can make on any given day that help me love my life a little more.

 For example, rather than watching mindless TV or surfing Facebook 

I can choose to spend five or ten minutes:

#1 – making a collage in my Creative Oasis Journal

#2 –  coloring in a mandala

#3 – reading an inspiring book 

 #4 – playing the piano 

#5 – I can remember that saying "No" to someone else's request means 

I'm saying "Yes" to my own well-being.  

Here are a few small questions that might help you love your life a little more:

What's a choice you can make that will empower your creative spirit this week? 

Who might you say "No" to in order to say "Yes" to yourself?

What's one small way you can love your life a little more today?

We'll be learning and practicing wonderful new ways to make more time and space for the creative fulfillment we crave in my teleclass beginning September 18, 2013.

Creating Time for Your Creative Oasis

(click here for all the details)

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!