Happy Monday + Feeling green and inspired!!

I read an interview with famed designer Charlotte Moss recently where she mentioned that emerald green was a big color this year...well,  I'm not complaining! There's something so fresh and spring-like about this jewel of a color.

A year ago, I found an authentic Betty Draper-like vintage silk dress at a rummage sale for a real song, and I've been holding off on wearing it. Not sure why, but this is making me want to pull it out of the closet...

Speaking of spring, I thought I'd share some great kick-derrière inspiration about getting creative right now! Thanks to Katherine Love Seen, great blog. It's so inspiring! Enjoy!

You have a divine right to be creative.

 

Julia Cameron, author of the Artist's Way says that “it is your divine birthright to be creative.” When I first heard this statement, it caused me to feel both excited and skeptical all at the same time.

There was a part of me that had a secret longing to be more creatively self expressed.  I loved the idea of doing creative things like writing, drawing, painting and playing. Whenever I got close to allowing a creative urge to express itself through me, my inner critic was very quick to intervene and point out that I was foolish to think that I had any creative ability at all…

The creative aspects of my personality were being held hostage by my inner critic.  I found myself feeling repressed, frustrated and even angry.

Creativity can reveal itself in many forms.

A few years later, after I had found myself quitting another dull and uninspiring job, I made the decision that I would go to Art School. It was a radical act, so much so that my father out of his deep concern refused to speak to me for weeks.

I stood strong in my conviction, trusted in my intuition and went anyway. Art school taught me that Creativity can reveal itself in many forms.  When I allowed myself to look closely at life, I realized that everything was an act of creativity.

When I was younger my creativity expressed itself most fully in the kitchen. Today, I have allowed it to broaden into other areas of my life as well; including my teaching, writing and healing.

Unblock your creative channel…

Here are 5 ideas that you can use to help you unblock your creative channel.

Idea # 1. Allow your pain to be a creative catalyst:  Are you waiting to feel good before you allow yourself to be a little creative?  Well you don’t need to wait as pain can be an incredibly powerful creative catalyst. Expressing your true feelings makes great art; cry, sing, scream. Write poetry. Beat a pillow. Tell the world how you really feel. Releasing your unexpressed emotions is incredibly liberating as well as healing.  It will also start to free up your creative energy as well.

Idea # 2. Keep a private uncensored journal:  Do you find yourself biting your tongue more often than you would like?  A great way to counter balance this is by creating a safe space for yourself to say whatever you like.  A private journal is a great way to do this.

Write in your journal without thinking and without censorship.  Just let the words flow out of you and onto your page.  Use this time to reconnect with your passions and dreams. Writing from your heart will help give you clarity. With clarity, you can make new empowering choices.

 Idea # 3. Uncover your creative flow through walking: New creative ideas and impulses come more easily when we are feeling open to receiving them. You are much more likely to be receptive to new and creative ideas when you feel good. Walking briskly is a proven way to feel good because it increases the blood flow in your body, effectively fueling your brain with a burst of fresh oxygen.

Idea # 4. Move stuck energy with yoga:  Yoga is an excellent tool to help you reconnect back to your natural creative self.  Start your yoga practice with some gentle stretches and breathing exercises. You can slowly build up to more dynamic practice if you feel the intuitive urge to do so. With your yoga practice, focus on releasing any stuck energy or built up tension.  At the end of your practice take a moment to notice how much more open and expansive you feel.

Idea #5: Experiment by putting your own needs first: Many people, particularly women, state that a big block to their creative self expression is having to attend to the needs of others.  If you can relate to this, try making sure that you set aside a regular time each week to put your own creative needs first.  Try leaving work on time, hiring a baby sitter or even just turning off your phone.

Be kind to yourself and make your needs a priority.  Do what makes you happy: go to the movies, immerse yourself in a good book or just relax in your favourite café. Relaxation soothes your nerves and is a necessary part of reinvigorating your creative spirit.

Keep your creative energy flowing!

Creative energy is never consistent. Sometimes you will be bursting with creativity whilst other times it might feel as if all creative ideas have disappeared forever!

Realize that this is simply an invitation to re-fill your creative well, much like you would keep drinking water to stay hydrated on a hot summer's day.

When you take the time to get your creative energy flowing you will be blessed with new ideas and inspiration and will have more to offer the world around you.
Nourishing your creative self is a deeply powerful and transformative process that has the ability to heal and transform you from within.

Have a great week!

(Images via Scrapbook Melissa and Pinterest)