The Dalai Lama Vs. Your Inner Critic

"Everything else on your to-do list is more important than creative projects!"

"Are you kidding? You don't have time for this!"

"You're not an artist, writer, photographer, musician, gardener (fill in the blank)!"

"Who do you think you are?"

"Everyone else's needs are more important than your silly creative stuff!"

"Why bother?"

"You're wasting time!"

"You're wasting money!"

"You stink at this!"

Let's face it...our inner critic voice can be truly awful!

If you ever find yourself thinking insidious thoughts like these, you are not alone.

As a wonderful woman in my recent workshop at the Creative Arts Center put it, "My inner critic is a total asshole!"

We all laughed, while at the same time nodding our heads in agreement. Every woman there could relate on some level to the toxic messages our inner critic spews forth at times.

I'm lucky to be going to see the Dalai Lama speak today, so I've been revisiting some of his quotes that I love.

When I came upon the words above I figured he'd probably approve of the message being used as a reminder for us to be kind to ourselves as much as to others.

So, in true Kaizen form, I leave you with this one small question to ponder today in your journal, or on a walk or right now for that matter.

What's one small way you can be kind to your creative spirit today? 

And maybe the next time your inner critic comes calling you can call on the compassionate words of the Dalai Lama and show yourself a little love and kindness.

All the best from my Creative Oasis to yours,

Jill

Jill Allison Bryan

www.creativeoasiscoaching.com

P.S. ~ If you enjoyed this post please share on Facebook and twitter using the buttons below!  If you'd like to receive bite-size bonbons of creative inspiration like this 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.

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

The Happiness Secret

I came across this photograph I took at a friend's place years ago. It always makes me smile and seemed like the perfect image with which to create this Mid-Week Oasis Moment:

"Learn to let go. This is the secret of happiness." 

– Buddah

Reading this quote, this question came to mind:

When giving ourselves permission to spend time with the creative pursuits we love, what would be helpful for us to let go? 

What if we practice gently letting go of:

* the need to please everyone else

* inner critic voices

* perfectionism

* comparison 

* judgement

* self-doubt

If these seem too daunting, what if you practiced letting go of them just 5% more? 

What if you start by simply reading the words, feeling a glimmer of hope and thinking: 

"Hey! Wouldn't that be awesome if I let go of 5% of my perfectionism today and just enjoyed my creative process?"

Here's to letting go of the thoughts and feelings that don't serve us and embracing our creative spirit instead! 

All the best from my Happy Creative Oasis to yours,

Jill

p.s. – If you’d like to receive Mid-Week Oasis Moments (bite-size bonbons of creative inspiration) as well as my e-booklet, “Permission to Be Creative 101” with my compliments, you can sign up for both right here.

I Can Beat Myself Up or...

I can Be Gentle and give myself a few moments to practice self-compassion in the form of pure creative process. You'll be glad to know that though tempted to choose the former I decided to "practice what I preach" and went with the latter. I chose to Be Gentle with myself…and you can too. 

How? I grabbed my Creative Oasis Journal, a few simple art supplies and gave myself permission to play and quickly create a visual reminder of one of my favorite self-compassion come-backs – Be Gentle. I also added a bit of wisdom from the Buddah for good measure with a quote I recently found and love.  It was as simple as that. 

"If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete." – Buddah

You can see the process and the end result in the 15-second Instagram video below.





Simple truth – today started off pretty sucky. I'm not feeling all that great. A recent class that I offered didn't make. I'm behind on paperwork and a writing project. And I'm a bit overwhelmed by life at the moment. It happens. You get it, right?

Since I wasn't feeling on top of my game my inner-critic knew this would be a great day to get her digs in so thoughts like these kept rolling through my mind: 

Aren't you ever going to finish that new e-course? How long have you been working on that anyway? Look at those piles on your desk! No wonder you can't find anything! You should have done a better job about getting the word out about your class. Etc….

Thankfully, I recognized right away that those negative thoughts belonged to my opportunistic inner-critic. I also knew that her negativity could be shut down (or at least greatly quieted) by the compassionate power of reminders and comebacks. These are two of the many jewels in the Kaizen-Muse® Creativity Coaching treasure chest and especially effective when combined with some low-pressure creative play. 

I quickly countered the harsh running commentary with the reminder that I have the choice…I can beat myself up (not much fun…not remotely productive)…or I can Be Gentle. (feels much nicer…paved the way for a quick creative collage and this blog post)

Do you ever find your inner-critic sneaking in when you're guard is down? What if the next time you're thinking less than kind thoughts about yourself you take a moment to ponder these two simple (but oh, so powerful) words…Be Gentle? What if you give yourself permission to spend five or ten minutes practicing being gentle by allowing yourself to visit your Creative Oasis? (Remember - your Creative Oasis is anything that makes your heart sing and time fly!)

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

Jill Allison Bryan
www.creativeoasiscoaching.com

Wanted Dead or Alive – Procrastination

(Click here to request a free printable version of this poster.)

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 check out Seven Reasons You Might Benefit from Creativity Coaching.

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

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!