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.

Felt Inspired

Several weeks ago I sent a felted necklace to a beautiful woman, and new friend, who lives in The Netherlands.  I think my necklace was sent to Neverland instead, because she never received it. I felt sad about it for a few days, but then decided that maybe someone else is enjoying that necklace somewhere, and I was grateful that I had all the wool and beads to recreate a new one. 

It felt so good to get my hands on some fiber again.  Ever since launching my e-course in January, I haven't touched any wool or yarn, and doing so brings me great joy.  I love the texture.  I love the smell.  I love the comfort I feel when my hands are in the wool.  I've been feeling in need of some restore time, and I find felting to be such a peaceful activity.

After making the beads for the new necklace, I pulled out an old project that I never finished.  It's a flower landscape, and considering I'm still craving spring, I thought it would be the perfect project to brighten my mood.

Not sure if I'll ever really feel finished with this piece.  I kind of like the organic, alive quality it has as I continue to add and change things to it every so often.  It feels like the garden is growing over time.

Regardless, gifting myself with time to do something that I love, helped me feel more creatively inspired, energized, and reminded me of the healing qualities that come from making art.

And since I know so many of you are also itching for spring, I thought I'd leave you with a bouquet of colorful flowers.  If I can't see the flowers blooming in my yard, I might as well make some that last year round.

Your Personal Reflection: What creative activity helps restore and energize you?

There's Some Knitting & Felting Goin' On

Today - Sunny. 66 degrees. No plans. Loving life.

As I continue making art every day for the month of November, I've had the bug to play with some fiber. Here are a few of my recent projects.

Funky, fuzzy, knitted scarf:

And felted wool rings. I'm excited to make more of these!

Your Personal Reflection: What are you creating today?

Creating Through Vulnerability

Yesterday was day three of the Art Every Day challenge that I've happily (and willingly!) joined for the month of November. The first two days went super smoothly and I had bursts of creative energy working on a new scarf, and I finished the class content for my upcoming e-soul creative adventure course (more to come). It felt amazing and I was on a natural high. Then, day three hit.

I was home all day with Kestan, which is what I do during the days. AND I LOVE IT. However, feeling a little spent from all the right-brain activity, I was tired and was finding it ever so difficult to make any sort of art with the likes of a toddler in my midst.
Just when I was about to give up the notion that any art-making would be happening that day, I saw a blog post on Jessica Gonacha's site about Gemma Correll's fun What I Wore Today project. Without thinking, I pulled out some markers, colored-pencils and chalk, along with my journal, and my babe, and we found ourselves on the studio floor making art.

As a life coach specializing in creativity, I often talk to my clients about the act of "creating in the middle of things". It's so easy for us to find excuses not to create. While it can be difficult, finding ways to create in the middle of things, is a must. So, on this day, I chose to find a way to create in the middle of my mommy-duties, and happened to learn a thing or two about myself.

The spontaneity of deciding to draw this picture brought up a mix of feelings; joy, nervousness, happiness, and vulnerability. I mostly felt vulnerable because I don't draw. I make art and do LOTS of creative things, but drawing makes me feel nervous, rigid and child-like. And yet, in a weird way I also felt free. I let go of any expectations of what my drawing should be in the end, and just treasured the moment of sitting there, side-by-side, with my sweet boy. I watched him. He didn't think about it. He just reached for colors. He just drew. He let his nature pen stroke be expressed. No judgement. No limitations. No fear.

So I took his lead, and even posted my drawing on the Flickr group. Because it's not about the drawing. It's about the act of making art, and the growth that comes from facing our creative fears.

And now, on day four of the challenge, I see things differently. I am looking more closely at the world around me, and seeing everything as an opportunity to practice a new sketch. Taking the time to see the details, like what I am wearing, and what "seeing" it takes to draw that, is the continued practice of being more present.

Your Personal Reflection: When is the last time you felt vulnerable? Have you tried creating out of your comfort zone? What kinds of creative fears will you face today?