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

Which Creative Oasis Places Inspire You?

I snapped this photo on one of my glorious, solo sunrise beach walks during our vacation last week. Just looking at it now I'm compelled to take a deep breath and relax a bit. (If you just took a deep breath  and relaxed a bit too – yay!)

I am a beach lovin' gal…no doubt about it. I can honestly say that break-of-day beach walks are one of my absolute favorite pleasures in life. 

Perhaps one reason they're so special is the fact that I don't actually live at the beach so that heavenly feeling of my toes sinking into cool soft sand usually only happens once or twice a year at best. (Much more frequently in my dreams though.) 

A week of early morning beach walks can energize me for months! The same can be said of my early morning runs by the river in Colorado. There are just certain spots on this planet (my Oasis Places) that always re-energize, delight me and set my spirit free. I believe with all my heart that time spent enjoying them is time well spent!

Though my beach and mountain times are fewer and farther between than I might like, I'm blessed to live a short ten minute walk from a lovely little lake here in East Dallas. My sunup walks and runs always contain a dash of vacation feel and a nice a way to enjoy a boost of Oasis Places energy.

Even though we can't live our lives in permanent vacation mode, we can tap into the rejuvenating feeling right in our own home anytime we like!

What's one small way you might spend a little time enjoying some Oasis Places Energy today? 

*Perusing through some favorite vacation photos? 

*Five minutes googling places for a "dream" trip you'd hope to take someday? 

*Creating a quick collage using images from magazines that give you that special vacation feeling? 

If you feel guilty about spending time in your Creative Oasis Places, why not practice using the mantra above as a gentle reminder? 

"Time spent in places that set your spirit free is time well spent."

How about you? Where are your favorite Oasis Places at home and abroad? Where have you traveled again and again? Where do you dream of visiting someday? I'd love to hear - if you'd like to - share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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

Jill

www.creativeoasiscoaching.com

P.S. – You'll find easy and fun ways to tap into the creative pleasures of your favorite summer oasis places using my Create the Summer of Your Dreams Do-It-Yourself Kit. 

Click here for all the details if you like! 

Mountain Lesson #1 – Oxygen - Ubiquitous, yet Precious and, even Magical

At 9,600 feet elevation, you have a new appreciation for oxygen and your lungs ability to pump it through your respiratory system. I’ve been thinking about this a lot as I take my morning run through the scenic mountain town of Breckenridge. During the first five minutes or so, my lungs experience a slight burning sensation and my brain sends little “are you kidding me – we’re really going to do this?” messages. But, soon, I find my rhythm and the clean mountain air feels great and my mind focuses on the tranquil beauty of the river, bright blues skies and surrounding mountains. (especially novel and amazing sights for a flatlander from Dallas, Texas) My body takes over and does what it’s designed to do without my giving it another thought.

It’s so easy to take something as omnipresent as oxygen for granted in our day-to-day lives. And yet, when we experience something as basic and ordinary as breathing in a new set of conditions (in a higher altitude, as we exercise, or a combination of both) its preciousness becomes more apparent. Even in my everyday life back in Dallas, I sometimes notice that I’m not taking full breaths. When I have this realization and remedy it by taking in a few deep, cleansing breathes, the relaxing and energizing effects are immediate and transformative – an instant oasis, if you will.

A wonderful doctor, Dr. Margaret Christensen, posts as signs all around her office that simply say “Breathe”. I’m always amazed how within the course of a visit with her, I’m reminded to breath a half-dozen times or more and how wonderful it feels. It’s unbelievable really, but most of us forget to really connect with our breath and breathe deeply the majority of the time. It’s as if we have this magical device at our disposal that we neglect to use. Feeling stressed, anxious or nervous? Take a nice deep breath and let it go. Dangerously close to losing your cool with your co-worker or kid? Breathe deeply and feel the calm flow throughout your body. Feeling particularly grateful for something, breathe in and let the positive energy expand within you.

My dear friend, Jane Baldwin, founder of Pranasalara, (which translates to “breathing through illusion to freedom”) leads amazing breathing circles. Using special breathing techniques, she guides you into a state that transcends the usual mind/body/spirit condition and allows you to experience a soul-cleansing release that is truly extraordinary.

So, the first lesson the mountains have shared with me this summer, and my gentle reminder to you is this – remember to breathe. You have the magical power to bring a calm, focused energy to yourself – anytime, anywhere – your breath. How great is that?

All the best from my oasis to yours,
Jill