Are You Daydreaming Enough These Days?

(Empowered Quote by Mary Engelbreit & Jill Allison Bryan.
Click here to learn more about how to create Empowered Quotes of your own.)

We've been practicing the power of Kaizen (small steps to continuous improvement) in my Living the Creative Life classes the past couple of weeks.

When I invite these wonderful women to break down one of their creative wishes into as many small steps as possible they're often surprised when I suggest they add "daydream" to their lists. They're also delighted to learn that not only does daydreaming count, it's actually an important and useful (though often overlooked) small step. Why?

Daydreaming helps us step away from our never-ending to-do lists for a bit and imagine new possibilities. (Just writing that statement made me take a nice deep breath!) 

It's also a wonderful way to stop and ponder what it even is that we want to experience.

Spending some relaxed time (even just a few minutes) allowing our minds to wander and consider "what if" scenarios can open the door to all manner of creative options we may never think of otherwise.

Add a little gentle structure to your daydreaming (such as simply keeping the phrase "what if" in your mind) and you may find yourself coming up with all manner of fabulous creative plans and possibilities.

When's the last time you gave yourself permission to daydream? I'm guessing it's been a while. And you're not alone.

I invite you to set a timer and give yourself the next two minutes (That's less than a bathroom break!) to stare out the window, gaze at your navel or close your eyes and simply ponder the question "What if?"

Next, click here to download and print the free Permission to Daydream fun sheet below. Then give yourself the gift of another two minutes to engage in some guilt-free, lightly structured daydreaming with your wise inner self.

So there you have it. In less then five minutes you've treated yourself to a relaxing (and hopefully, eye-opening) time to dream up some new ways to say yes to your Creative Oasis this week!

Until next time, all the best from my Creative Oasis to yours,

Jill

Jill Allison Bryan

Daydream Believer/Singer/Songwriter/Creative Coach

Creativity, Oxygen & Chocolate...the Essentials.

If you're still laboring under the illusion that time spent enjoying creative endeavors is a luxury, I invite you to flip that belief upside down and consider creative time as a necessity to your well-being...as essential as oxygen, water and, in my case at least, dark chocolate.

As I love to say, your Creative Oasis is whatever makes your heart sing and time fly. It's any and all creative experiences that energize and delight you from writing to gardening to painting to meditating to cooking to choosing what jewelry to wear.

Too often our creative joy is the first thing to fly out the window when we find ourselves over-scheduled and under-nurtured, which quite frankly, is most of the time for many of us.

Here's a quick and easy three-step process I've created to help you practice spending a bit more guilt-free time in your own Creative Oasis starting right here and now.

#1 ~ Breathe. Yes, I know you're already breathing or you wouldn't be able to read this, but I invite you to take two or three nice deep breaths. You may even want to close your eyes to allow yourself to really focus on the fabulous, nurturing feeling that deep breathing can bring.

#2 ~ Listen. To your own inner wisdom that is. Now that you've enjoyed a few deep breaths and feel a bit more relaxed than you did a minute ago, ask yourself "What creative experience is calling my name right now?"

Perhaps you'd like to read an article you've been saving...enjoy some low-pressure doodling...flip through a cookbook to choose a new recipe to try...take a quick photo with your phone...write a note to a friend...maybe you want to simply sit quietly and enjoy a few more deep breaths in peace and quiet. What sounds good to you?

#3 ~ Begin. What if you set a timer and give yourself permission to spend the next five or ten minutes enjoying one of the the Creative Oasis experiences your wise inner voice shared with you just now?

I invite you to savor this time as you would a delicious piece of chocolate knowing that by giving yourself even just a few minutes to rejuvenate your creative spirit, you're taking a wonderful step toward good self-care, stress relief and personal fulfillment.

So, how about it? Why not step away from the computer for a bit and dive into something you've been longing to do but haven't had the time.

I promise that when you've finished enjoying your Creative Oasis moments your family, work and home to-do lists will still be there waiting for you. The only difference is you'll meet them with a renewed sense of energy, peace and satisfaction.

If you'd like to share something about your creative experience below in the comments section, I'd love to hear from you!

If you enjoyed this post I invite you to share it with your friends! 

Until next time, all the best from my Creative Oasis to yours,

Jill

Jill Allison Bryan

www.creativeoasiscoaching.com

Procrastination~ Wanted ~ Dead or Alive! (a blast from the past)

* Felt like a good time to bring back this blast from the past. Enjoy! * 

(Request a free printable version of this mini-poster in the comments section below.)

Procrastination...it's one of our most common creative blocks.

It keeps us from enjoying our creative endeavors by allowing our inner critic to whisper in our ear: "You're no good at this. You don't have time for this nonsense. Who do you think you are?"

Procrastination convinces us that everyone else's stuff is more important than our own.

It causes us to hop up and look for something to eat when we're not the least bit hungry.

It fills us with a strange desire to re-organize our perfectly organized sock drawer or pantry or creative closet.

Procrastination tempts us to check Facebook, Twitter and email about ten times more often than we need.

It thrives on busy-work that could easily wait until tomorrow or even never in many cases.

It encourages our stubborn refusal to delegate and assures us that we must do everything ourselves.

Procrastination sucks. Literally. Procrastination sucks the creative life out of us. 
So how to we rid our lives of this insidious creative block?

Simply acknowledging our various procrastination habits is a great first small step. When see our blocks for what they are...when we're aware of the many ways they creep into our lives, that's the first step to hunting down procrastination and putting it behind bars where it belongs.

Here's an easy way to start. What if you make a quick list of all the various ways you might procrastinate today? By taking a moment to acknowledge the different ways you might keep yourself from making time for creative joy, you'll be more aware when your excuses pop up through out the day.

You may realize: 

"Oh, look - here I am on Facebook again. I could spend the next 15 minutes here, 

or I could get out my watercolors and paint." 

You may find yourself staring into your fridge and think,

"I'm not the least bit hungry for food. I want to play the piano!"

You may find yourself shuffling papers around your desk and have the epiphany

"I'd much rather be writing!" 

The idea is, when we're on the look out for our blocks we can stop them in their tracks. We can remind ourselves that we have a choice. "I can spend more time doing this thing I don't really need or want to be doing, or take this time back for my creativity." It takes practice, but it's a doable way to begin. And even if you only open up an additional ten or fifteen minutes in your day for creativity – well, that's ten or fifteen minutes more than you had before – so it's great movement in the right direction! 

Here's to rounding up our procrastination habits and locking them up where they belong so we can free up more time for creative satisfaction in our life!

Need more help saying NO to procrastination and YES to creative fulfillment? One-on-one creativity coaching may be just the ticket. 

(Click here to discover how I can help you embrace your own Creative Oasis.)

Until next time, all the best from my Creative Oasis to yours,

Jill

Jill Allison Bryan

Recovering Procrastinator

Singer/Songwriter

Master Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coach

Founder Creative Oasis Coaching

Warning! 10 Documented Side Effects of Creative Oasis Classes

I feel it's only fair to warn you that when you take a Creative Oasis class you're likely to experience some, if not all, of the side effects listed above. But don't take my word for it. You can click here to see what a few of my clients and colleagues have to say about their experiences.

If you live in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area of Texas, I invite you to join me for my upcoming 6-week  "Living the Creative Life" class. During our time together you'll:

~ Enjoy fun, low-pressure creative experiences

~ Learn and practice ways to live a more creatively fulfilling life

~ Move past blocks like procrastination and perfectionism

~ Get to know other wonderful creative loving women

~ Receive gentle accountability and compassionate support

~ Delight in using creativity to foster good self-care

~ Experience the energizing delight of discovering your own Creative Oasis

Sound good? Click here to quickly and easily register to save your place today. 

Class starts Wednesday, September 17, 2014 and meets weekly through October 22, 2014.

Choose the class that best fits your schedule: 

 Morning class meets from 10:30 to Noon

Pigment School of the Arts

4605 West Lovers Lane

Dallas, TX 75209

or 

Evening class meets 6:30 to 8pm

at Artistic Gatherings

9440 Garland Rd. #138

Dallas, TX 75218

$275 includes all creative materials

Class size limited to 8 and pre-registration is required.

Click here to register and save your place today.

If you have any questions, pop them into the comments section below and I'll get back with you ASAP! 

Until next time, all the best from my Creative Oasis to yours,

Jill

www.creativeoasiscoaching.com

White Rock Artists' Tour Goodies Galore!

I'm delighted to share a special Creative Inspiration Guide I designed to help you tap into your own creative spirit while enjoying the White Rock Lake Artists' Studio Tour this fall. What better way to celebrate Creative Oasis Coaching's third year as a proud tour sponsor?

Click the "Grab Your Goodies Here!" button below to request your free guide plus a complimentary copy of my recently updated e-book "Permission to Be Creative 101." 

Consider them a Welcome to Your Oasis gift from me.
But grab 'em soon, because this special Creative Inspiration Guide will only be available to download for free through October 13, 2014. 

Grab Your Goodies Here!

I recently redesigned and expanded my ebook "Permission to Be Creative 101" to contain three new pages of easy and fun creative prompts to help you enjoy more time with the creative endeavors that make your heart sing and time fly ~ your Creative Oasis. Be sure to click "Grab Your Goodies Here!" to receive all of these special creative freebies for yourself.

I hope you have fun exploring this year's White Rock Lake Artists' Studio Tour using this playful Creative Inspiration Guide. If you happen to see me out and about on the tour, please to introduce yourself and say hi. I'd love to meet you in person!

Remember to request your Creative Inspiration Guide above today. It will only be available to download for free through October 13, 2014. 

Until next time, all the best from my Creative Oasis to yours,

Jill

Jill Allison Bryan

Founder Creative Oasis Coaching

Singer/Songwriter

www.creativeoasiscoaching.com

Radical Suggestions & Gentle Reminders ~ A Creative Oasis Manifesto

When we give ourselves permission to enjoy what makes our hearts sing and time fly we experience our Creative Oasis. You've heard me say this before but we can all use a gentle reminder from time to time, right?  

Because our Creative Oasis is unique to each of us and because there are so many fabulous, fun, fulfilling experiences out there waiting to be explored, I decided to write a free-form list poem of some favorite Creative Oasis moments to share as examples and before I knew it I'd written a full-blown manifesto! (Click here to download your free printable copy.)

Of course this list contains only a smattering of the oodles of experiences out there just waiting for you to discover, revisit, explore and savor...but it's a good start. 

Here are five quick and easy steps to help you use my new Creative Oasis Manifesto to spark some creative joy of your own (sooner than later I hope!):

#1 ~ Read the manifesto aloud with a blank piece of paper or your journal open to a new page. Each time you come to a word or phrase that gives you a tingly, energized feeling, makes you smile or sets you to day dreaming about doing that very thing, jot it down. Our body is like our own personal polygraph machine. If we pay attention to the signals it sends us (warm fuzzy feelings, sly smiles, jazzy jitters and what have you) we're sure to stay on the right track!

#2 ~ Next, read over the list you've written. Quickly and intuitively (without overthinking) put a star next to your three favorites. 

#3 ~ For each starred moment ask yourself: "What are three super small steps I can take to enjoy this Creative Oasis moment?" Write those down too. You may feel compelled to doodle hearts, stars, moons and smiley faces all around your steps. If so, my professional opinion is to break out the colored pencils and go for it!

#4 ~ Each day for the coming week, you get to choose one of your super small steps to enjoy! Repeat as time allows throughout the day and week. 

# 5 ~ To make getting to your small steps even easier why not add them to your calendar or day planner? This really helps give your creativity priority just like everything else on your to-do list. 

In fact, I'm going to radically suggest you put your creative small steps at the very top of your to-do list! That's right, you heard me. Puttering in the garden trumps laundry. Felting for a few minutes comes before your meeting. Pulling images for a collage has priority over making dinner. (We're only talking about 5 to 10 minutes here, so I feel safe in saying no one will starve as a result.) 

#6 ~ Also, what if you set a timer for just 5 to 10 minutes to lower the pressure and help you begin?Another benefit of practicing small bursts of creative joy throughout the day is it helps us practice getting to our Creative Oasis more often rather than waiting for those big chunks of free time that rarely, if ever, come our way! If you have time to do more ~ Great! If not, no worries. At the very least, you know you'll be enjoying a few minutes of Creative Oasis time most days.

If you have trouble breaking down your Creative Oasis moments into small, doable steps, please drop me a line in the comments below and I'll be happy to lend a hand.

Until next time, here's to gentle reminders, radical suggestions and the Creative Oasis Manifesto!

Jill

P.S. ~ If you enjoyed this post and would like to receive bite-size bonbons of creative inspiration like this in my Mid-Week Oasis Moments plus a free copy of my e-book "Permission to Be Creative 101" join me here: http://www.creativeoasiscoaching.com/newsletter.html.

Creative Enchantment with Peaches and Tom Robbins

Several wonderful experiences inspired me to create the empowered quote above.
(Click here to learn how to quickly and easily create empowered quotes of your own.)

Since I do my best to practice what I preach, I enjoyed using my "Create the Summer of Your Dreams" Kit myself the last few months. A few Instant Oasis Ideas I chose to enjoy were to eat more in-season fruits and veggies, take more photographs and read some fun books.

These lovely summer intentions commingled when I found myself reading Tibetan Peach Pie ~ A True Account of an Imaginative Life by Tom Robbins, enjoying the sweet taste of fresh Texas peaches and photographing them as well.

"I have an appetite for enchantment." 
~ Tom Robbins

I felt instantly simpatico with this phrase and added it to my growing list of favorite quotes right away. (Feels like time to revisit some of his books I loved back in college like Still Life with Woodpecker, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues and Jitterbug Perfume.)

While playing around in photoshop with a photo of ripe summer peaches I'd taken, I was inspired to add my own love of making creative magic to Mr. Robbins' words to create today's Mid-Week Oasis Moment. What transpired was delicious creative summer fun with this empowered quote and the visual above.

"I have an appetite for enchantment and making creative magic!" 
~ Tom Robbins & Jill Allison Bryan

If nothing else, I delighted myself. The image and the sentiment make me smile. They remind me that we can experience creative magic in all areas of our lives. A bowl of fresh peaches in the kitchen becomes a playful reminder that "I Get To" see life through the lens of creative wonder and delight whenever I like ~ which is pretty much always!

What's one small, easy way you might make a little creative magic today?

What if you give yourself five or ten minutes for some low-pressure creative play?

What might that look like? How might that feel?

If this sounds good but you don't know where to begin I'd love to help you discover what your own personal Creative Oasis could look like.

If you like, check out my quick video invitation to my Fall 2014 Creative Oasis classes, workshops and one-on-one coaching below.  (Please share this invitation with any friends you think might like to find a little Creative Oasis of their own!)

Until next time, all the best from my Creative Oasis to yours,

Jill

p.s. ~ If you enjoyed this post and would like to receive bite-size bonbons of creative inspiration like this in my Mid-Week Oasis Moments plus a free copy of my e-book "Permission to Be Creative 101" join me here: http://www.creativeoasiscoaching.com/newsletter.html.