Creating with a Beginner's Mind

Spontaneous play is so freeing, and yet, once we get older, we adopt an attitude that play is for children.  When we stop playing we start getting too serious.  As adults we can easily get consumed by our daily responsibilities and obligations.  We wake at the crack of dawn to an alarm clock, down the coffee just to make it through the morning of getting kids ready, getting ourselves ready, working 9-5, making dinner, throwing a few loads of laundry in, nighttime craziness, crash watching the news or reality TV, and we do it all over again and again and again.  No wonder we are exhausted, confused, overwhelmed, and find ourselves with no time or energy!

When we slow down to play, to try new things and to have more fun, we are reminded of a simpler way of being.  We learn what it means to live with a beginner's mind.

In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities.  In the expert's mind there are few. -Shunryu Suzuki

A Beginner's Mind
You've all seen the pure joy, happiness and wonderment in a child.  You know...that innocent enthusiasm about life.  Being a mom, I get the pleasure to witness my child explore life daily without much hesitation.  He is filled with excitement and wonderment about everything.  I really try to teach him that there isn't a "right" or a "wrong" way to explore, discover and create.  The sky doesn't have to be blue and the grass doesn't have to be green.  There isn't a right way to color, or talk or to be.  His way is the right way for him.  Just as your way, and your path, is the right way for you.

When we create, like a child, we do so without much thought.  We don't judge our work.  We don't limit ourselves.  We don't label ourselves.  We don't tell ourselves we aren't good enough or could never do something like that.

Most new things that we try, at first, don't come without some hesitation or resistance. Think of time when you learned something new.  Like driving a car, or riding a bike, or roller skating...  When we were all learning to do these things, it seemed impossible at first.  Now, we do them without thinking twice.  Eventually, we get the hang of it.  So often, if we forget what it means to be a beginner, and loose site of a beginner's mind, we can keep from trying new things.  It gets comfortable doing the same things.  It's a lot harder to try the things that make us feel scared, uncomfortable and vulnerable.

Let's apply this concept to creativity.  Many of us have trepidations around drawing, writing, painting, sharing, journaling, going deeper, being honest or authentic, being creative or calling ourselves that scary word -"artist."  Practicing as a beginner takes the pressure off.  Think like a child.  What qualities do they have as a beginner?  Here are just a few that I thought of:  a willingness to learn, enjoys the discovery, is curious and asks questions, acts without editing, goes for it, tries again, follows their hearts, sees the beauty in the details and the little things, not jaded by judgments, lives in the moment, is flexible, sees things in a new way, not afraid to admit when they don't know something, authentic... (Can you think of more?)

The idea of a beginner's mind is that you set all of your preconceived judgments, opinions or knowledge of something aside, and do the task anyway, despite what your mind tries to tell you.  When you begin to self-explore, sometimes your mind may say things like, "This is silly," or "I already know that," or "Everyone else is better than me," or "I'm not good enough," or "I really just don't care," or "What's the point?"  These judgments that the mind makes up start to limit our experiences.  It keeps us from living our most vibrant life!  Practicing as a beginner allows us the freedom to fail, the freedom to make mistakes, the freedom to laugh at ourselves, the freedom to ask questions, the freedom to be curious, the freedom to share with others, the freedom to self-study, the freedom to go deeper and the freedom to be ourselves.  Not knowing something is a really great place to be.

Creative play is a perfect compliment to practicing a beginner's mind, as it invites us to look at life with fresh eyes, open hearts and quiet minds.  Playing takes practice.  Let's start today.

Simple Ideas for Playing in your Journal
Supplies: A journal with blank white pages, watercolors, brushes, sponge, piece of cardboard or old credit card, crayons, straw and water

The following ideas are very simple ways to add a little color and background to your journal pages.  Don't worry too much about what kinds of supplies to use.  Remember - think like a beginner.  Use whatever you have around the house.  Even basic Crayola crayons and paints, like the ones you used in grade school, are great for experimenting with.  Take a big breath and have some fun!

Place a paper towel underneath your blank page. Wet your brush, then paint a light coat of water on your page.  Add some color.

Experiment with using a damp sponge to pick up some of the color on the paper.  It will leave a subtle pattern.

Or, use a scrap piece of cardboard or old credit card and draw lines into your page - another fun, subtle way to create a simple background.

Use your crayons to draw fun shapes, patterns and doodles on the page.

Paint watercolors directly over the crayon.

Try playing with more than one color.  Lift the paper and let the colors blend together.

Get your brush good and wet, dip in a color and let it drip randomly on the page.

Place a straw near the drips and blow to get a cool, random design.

Giving ourselves permission to add creative play to our lives takes time and practice.  You will find it gives you more energy and helps relieve stress.  Creative play just makes you feel good.  Be kind to yourself and play more.  You'll be surprised at what you discover!

I have added so many more art journaling techniques and creative play tips to my second session of Inside Out e-course.  If you are ready to try something new and celebrate the artist in you (we all have one!), sign up for this creative adventure!

Your Personal Reflection:  Look at your life today like a beginner - with fresh, new eyes - and see what you discover along the way.

Junk Mail Art and Spring Break Play

Growing up my mom and I had a tradition.  Each year, she'd take me out of school for one day, and we'd play hooky.  We'd go shopping and go to the movies.  We dedicated the entire day to PLAY and it is still one of my greatest memories.  I don't remember what I missed at school those days, but I do remember how much fun we had together.  

So this past weekend, we played hooky once again and enjoyed a spontaneous adventure.  We started by getting our toes done and ate lunch at our favorite restaurant. Then, we stumbled into the most amazing paper store and that's where the creative inspiration hit.  They had displayed fabulous recycled flowers and butterflies created from their store catalogs.  Since I'm much more aware these days about using recycled materials, and the fact that I have a love affair with flowers, I decided this was a perfect project for me to try.    

I gathered our most recent junk mail from the recycle bin, some sturdy wire, old buttons, scissors, a hole punch and a hot glue gun.  (It helps to put on your favorite music.  My choice today was the newest P!nk album.  Love her.)

I cut five petals for each flower, put the ends of the petals together with a small amount of glue, and punched one hole through all the petals.  Then I inserted the wire through the hole and bent it slightly to hide it underneath the button.  I hot glued the button on the wire and paper petals and that's it.  SO easy and so much fun. In fact, I can't stand junk mail, but now...I'm kind of curious to see what comes today.

On a side note, my mom got her toes freshly painted because she headed off to the beach for spring break. It got me thinking. Why can't I have spring break even though I'm staying home?  Why can't I still play hooky?  I may not be able to skip out on my job, considering my toddler relies on me to feed and care for him, but I can create a new version of spontaneous play.  

So, this week, we are having a mock spring break.  We will try new things, experience daily adventures, get our toes out in the sand...uh...um...dirt, and have some much needed springtime fun. We may not have a beach in Kansas, but we're bound to find some interesting things just by getting out to play.  

Your Personal Reflection:  Are you going anywhere for spring break?  If not, what kind of fun and spontaneous play can you do to create your version at home?  

Why I Journal

I have written, sketched, collaged and doodled in journals for several years.  I remember when I was around 12 my uncle gave me a journal and told me he'd pay me $1 for each entry I wrote, up to $15.  I think I wrote 15 entries in just a few short days.  Nothing like having the motivation of getting paid to write!  That experience introduced me to the world of exploring my deeper self through words.  I wrote off and on for years.

About 10 years ago I read The Artist's Way, by Julia Cameron and that's when I fell in love with what she calls "morning pages."  It's basically writing, as much as you can, first thing in the morning.  Writing without thinking about it. That was a new concept for me when I first started.  It was hard to not think.  But the more I practiced the easier it came.  My writings were filled with questions, reflections, confusions, frustrations, and celebrations.  The more I wrote, the more clarity I discovered.

After finishing The Artist's Way, I didn't write morning pages everyday, but I did visit my journal regularly.  My journals have become my old friends.  I can look back at them and see where I've come from.  I can see my struggles.  I can see my patterns.  I can see my fears.  I can see how I longed to be me, to live a life that was true to my nature, one where I felt alive, vibrant and free.

Through writing, I have created visual reminders in my journal.  I can return to them when I'm lost and confused.  I can trust them, and they help me awaken to that place that I know is always there.  I now can say I'm the happiest I've ever been, and I believe my journaling practice has helped me get here.

My journal used to be much more black and white.  I would paint and sketch from time to time, but mostly I loved the freedom of a simple black pen on white paper.  It's only more recently that I discovered my great passion and joy for art journaling.  I now merge my love of free-form (no thinking) writing, with my love for intuitive (no thinking) painting, to express a deeper side of myself.

I journal because it makes me feel safe.  I journal because it helps me build strength.  I journal because I discover new dreams.  I journal because it helps me find peace of mind. I journal because it gets me out of my head and connected to my heart.  I journal because I long to go deeper.  I journal to learn more about me and this life I'm living.  I journal to stay grounded.  I journal to explore my creativity.  I journal because it helps me remember that all of the answers I ever need in life are within me, and that I am right where I need to be in this moment.

Your Personal Reflection:  Do you journal?  If so, why do you journal?  If you've never tried journaling, what other forms of free-form, intuitive expression have you allowed yourself to explore?  

If you've always wanted to explore a deeper side of yourself, check out my upcoming e-course.

Go visit A Journey to a Simple Happy Life on Friday for your chance to win a spot in Inside Out!

Ruined Clothes Get New Life

I saved this blue sweater in the repurpose pile that I created from clearing out my closet last week. I found the striped sweater in my art stash and decided it was time to get cutting.

Both wool sweaters were accidentally washed in hot water, so the fact that they turned to felt made them perfect candidates for some fun projects.  I started by cutting the bottom of this sweater off, as I liked the knit and purl texture.

Then, I cut parts and pieces of the sweater in circles and stitched them together.  I also stitched around the edges to add some color.

The ruined sweater, that has been sitting in my closet, um...for way too long...now has a much happier purpose.

I love my new headband and have already started a few more!  They are so fun and easy to make.

I then cut a portion of the sleeve to make this supercool coffee cup cozy.  I added parts of the blue sweater, along with some leftover felt pieces for embellishments.

Now I'll be totally styling when gettin' my drink on.

I'm using the rest of the sweaters to make flower pins.  My creative mother-in-law made this one.  Check out her felted pouches made from her stash of recycled sweaters.

Your Personal Reflection:  Do you have any clothes that could be reused in creative ways?  Have you joined the growing list of explorers making the commitment to create space in their lives by reducing clutter?  Join the discussion here.

Be Free, Get Messy and Play!

All I know is that the sun is out and the weather is warmer and I've seen little signs of spring around town. I am feeling a great need to feel free, get messy and go play. So I leave you with this bit of inspiration, and hope you find ways to get messy and play today, too.


Special thanks to Sara for this:

As a recipient of this award, I'm supposed to share 7 interesting things about myself and list some of my favorite blogs.  You can read my 7 things in a previous post, and here are some places I like to visit: Artsyville, One Artist Journal, Creative Every Day, Fra(a)ing, Mildly Creative, Swirly Girl, Be...Dream...Play, I Love Plum, Hip Mountain Mama, and M Comme Maman.

Happy day to you today, and always.

Self-Discovery is a Life-Long Journey

I met Hip Mountain Mama on Twitter last year, and we've become good "virtual" friends ever since.  She has been a wonderful supporter of my e-course, and she experienced some life changing moments from taking the class.  Please enjoy this honest, authentic reflection of a glimpse into her self-discovery journey.

Why were you originally drawn to signing up for Inside Out?
I am always looking for ways to tap into my true self...to live the life I really want for myself.  In this busy world we live in, it can be hard to take the time to work on YOU.  I was reading your blog one day and saw that you were offering an e-course on self-discovery...this appealed to me on many levels and I knew I wanted to be part of it!  I really liked that it was an online class that could be taken on my own pace, but that there would also be support from you and the other members.

Have you ever taken an e-course before?
No, this is my first one.

What did you enjoy the most from your experience in the course?
I really enjoyed the guided meditations!  Having the extra nudge to take 15 minutes for me each day was just what I needed.  I also really enjoyed journaling and the deep and thought provoking questions that we addressed.

Did you encounter any surprises along the way?
I think my favorite and most surprising day was when we were figuring out what was really important to us in life.  To do this, we first took the approach of what we did not value or like in our lives.  By doing this I was able to realize there were many situations that did not go along with my values and I needed to let a few things go in my life!  By letting some things go, I was completely surprised by how at peace and happy I felt!

Did you learn anything new about yourself and what are some of the things you've discovered in the course that you've now applied to your daily life?
I learned that I am great at stuffing my feelings and going along with things in my life that need to be put aside.  I have learned that I need to feel and that it is OK to feel and to let these feelings out.  As I said in an earlier answer, I have let some things go in my life that caused me stress and allowing myself to do this has been life changing!

Would you recommend this course to others?  
Absolutely!  Whatever place you are in your life, this is a class that everyone can learn from.  It is amazing to hear how the class affected other people and how everyone takes from it what they need.


Anything else you'd like to share, especially to those who are wondering if the course is right for them?
One of my favorite things about taking the class was waking up knowing I had a friend to go to each morning.  Reading the post for the day, answering questions, journaling, meditating, doing some artwork...I never knew what was going to be in store for that day's class and that was really exciting and fun! Take a leap of faith and see what this class can do for you!

Thank you, Suzy, for sharing your enthusiasm for life with us!  I remember one of her favorite guided meditations from class was the one that focused on creativity.  I'd like to share that meditation with each of you.  Click here to download the audio podcast, set aside 10 minutes of quiet time, get comfortable and enjoy the gift of stillness.

Your Personal Reflection:  Think about the last time you took a leap of faith.  What big, healthy risks have you taken in your life that have changed you?  Are you ready for a new one?

March "Reduce Clutter" Theme: Clothes!

Maybe it's the time of year, but it seems like many of us are in desperate need of clearing out our closets and dresser drawers.  It seems like the perfect time to conquer our clothes!  For all of you participating in Reduce Clutter; Create Space 2010, this will be our "loose" theme for March.  Feel free to clear clothes along with us, or if you are feeling inspired to reduce clutter in another part of your life, then definitely go for it!  Share your journeys with us on the Reduce Clutter Forum.

This can be a very daunting task.  Let me share what worked for me yesterday.  I was surprised to see how quickly I was able to get through the piles.  I gave myself one hour and set an intention to "clear out my closet."  I pulled everything out - plastic bins, clothes on hangers, shoes, and purses...

Then I made three piles: one to KEEP, one to DONATE, and one to REPURPOSE.  If I hadn't worn the item within the last two years, and if it didn't make me smile or feel good when I looked at it, then it went straight to the donate pile.  

I ended up with two large trash bags of more clothes to donate (I've done this about 4 times in the last 6 months!)

I kept my repurpose pile very small, with only two items, a wool sweater that shrunk, and a cool vintage purse that I want to embellish.  That's it, though.  Only two.  Because I'm trying to be very mindful not to reduce one pile, to then create a new pile somewhere else.  I do not need several projects waiting for me.  If I don't get to these projects in three months time, then I'm moving them back to the donate pile.

For those of you with little helpers, include them in your project.  What a great lesson for them to learn, and I found my little guy to be a great sorter!  I packed up my winter clothes (even though it's only 26 degrees today - I'm sick of sweaters!), and pulled out my spring cloths to be washed.

My one small change goal for this month is to not buy any new clothes or shoes until I reduce the current cloths and shoes I have by half!  I'm also going to get more creative with the cloths I do have, and will explore things like "clothes swaps" with my friends, creative recycling and sewing to make them fresh and new.

Please share any creative clothing recycling ideas you have!  And remember, reducing clutter is hard work.  You don't have to do it alone!  Join the other reduce clutter explorers so we can help each other along the way.

Also, does anyone know of organizations that are collecting good t-shirts for Haiti, or others who are in need?

And for those of you participating in Hip Mountain Mama's One Small Change efforts, check out her March giveaway.  Here's a hint: Inside Out E-Course!

Your Personal Reflection:  What do your closets and drawers look like?  How can you reduce your clothing clutter?  What small environmentally friendly changes can you make this month, as we get closer to Earth day?