Creativity Archives - Dr. Debra Mandel

About Psychotherapy · Anger · Communication · Creativity · Depression · How to Thrive! · Monday Mood Modifier · Self-Image · Self-Love · Spirituality

In A Rut? Five Tips To Break-up The Monotony

All of us get stuck in situations, or with people, where we feel like we’re trapped in some version of “groundhog day.” As such, we may experience our lives as monotonous or boring, even sometimes to the level of purposelessness. Sound familiar? Don’t despair!

Whether you’re entrenched in a dead-end job, a stale relationship, an empty house after your children have launched, or some other unfulfilling circumstance, you can make quick and simple changes to help you feel more excited about life right now! Try the following tips:

Pick a hobby and take the first step toward starting it. Sometimes it’s easiest to add something new into our lives rather than attempt to massively delete or change major events.
Identify what it is that’s causing you to be in a rut. Are you afraid to make a change – do you fear failure – do you suffer low self-esteem and don’t feel deserving of something better? These are examples of the many questions you need to ask yourself in order to pinpoint what it is that keeps you stuck.
Create a vision board. Write out your goals without judgment. Dream big!! Eventually you will fine-tune these items and create practical methods to achieve what is possible.
Make a goal with three steps to accomplish it within a week. For example, if you are bored with your job, set and intention to research new opportunities. Then 1) pick three job websites and start exploring the various categories, 2) take a vocational skills assessment online and 3) redo your resume.
Say aloud what it is you change. For example, say “I am happily enjoying changing (fill in the blank) in my life for the better.”

Most Importantly, trust in your own resources! You can do it! But always remember you cannot control other people, places, or things, only your own reaction to them. And, you are responsible for being proactive in your life-so don’t wait around for a magic wand to make things better!

(Note – if you suffer from depression or debilitating anxiety and don’t believe you can make the changes you desire, please seek professional help.)

October 25, 2023

Communication · Creativity · Depression · Friendships · How to Thrive! · Relationships · Stress Management

Feeling Some Post-holiday Funk? Six Tips To Purge The Emotional Junk And Pave The Way To A New Year Free Of Gunk!

Some of us, myself included, can push ourselves to the limit by constantly trying to please others, giving the perfect gifts, and/or providing holiday cheer to all. While the excitement of all the festivities can exhilarate us to an adrenaline rush akin to jumping out of a plane – we may not always land on two feet. Hence, some will crash, leading to adrenal burnout or, at best, exhaustion!

If this speaks to you – try the following quick tips:

Practice the word “NO” for one whole week. I mean it. Unless it’s going to cost you your job or mess with your family duties, try rejecting request that you don’t have to do otherwise your energy will be depleted yet again.
Make time for exercise! This is not a prescription for diet and weight loss. Putting our bodies in motion makes us feel better. Whether you aim for three 10-minute walks a day or a jog in the park – just do something active.
Eat your greens and other highly nutritional foods. This probably sounds cliché and something your mother has always advised you of doing – but it really makes sense! More than likely you, like the rest of us, indulged in too much of those yummy treats surrounding us at family and friends’ gatherings. Healthy eating gives your body a chance to repair. Besides, you want to be prepared for extra helpings of your favorite chocolate at Valentine’s Day! J
Without breaking the budget or putting yourself in debt, treat yourself to something you didn’t get as a present, but desperately wanted. A little bit of healthy self-indulgence can actually make room for more compassion and energy for others.
Make a date with your closest friend or your lover where you can hang out and relax with no pressure to accomplish anything. Simple bonding with another human being can help to soothe built-up tension. And if you can add in a couple of hugs—all the better!
Release any negative energy that may have developed from unpleasant family interactions. This can come in the form of meditation, journaling, deep breathing, or anything else that invites in positive flow.

So here’s to a funk and gunk-free, slam dunk New Year. Now there’s a mouthful!

October 25, 2023

Creativity · Goal Setting · How to Thrive! · Monday Mood Modifier · Self-Image · Self-Love · Stress Management

New Year, New You: Stop Chasing Resolutions! Start Making the Changes You Desire!

Are you someone who makes New Year resolutions but tend not to follow through? If you answered “yes,” you certainly wouldn’t be alone! In my experience, both professionally and personally, most people rarely make changes in their behavioral patterns simply because of a specified “date.” While positive intentions motivate the aspiration, specific dates and times of the year have no real power to actually press forth a desire to change. Rather, the capacity to make changes comes from igniting an internal fire!

So rather than stating a laundry list of resolutions for the upcoming New Year, get honest with yourself today and initiate one small step toward a goal you’ve been coveting. First, do whatever it takes to get your mood modified so that you will be successful at whatever change you undertake. And then, as said by the Nike marketers, “Just Do It.” For instance, if you want to lose 5 pounds, practice a meditation daily where you visualize fat shedding from your body. Then translate that into a behavioral modification: don’t eat that extra piece of apple pie or that handful of white-chocolate-peppermint covered pretzels at your company’s holiday party. Rather, opt for the veggie platter with a small sampling of the other goodies. Or if you desire engaging in a new hobby in your spare time, like making ceramic bowls, rather than searching for the perfect class at just the right time to fit your schedule, go out and buy some Play-doh and go at it!

Most importantly, remember it is you who controls whether or not you move toward or away from your goals. While life’s circumstances can certainly make our lives harder or easier, don’t forget you are still in the driver’s seat of your life. So, choose and change at your will!

October 25, 2023

Creativity · Depression · Friendships · How to Thrive! · Monday Mood Modifier · Relationships · Self-Love · Stress Management

Monday Mood Modifier: Six Tips To Beating The Holiday Blues

Are you excited about the holidays or do you have a sinking feeling of dread? Or maybe, you have a mixture of both. While for many people the holidays can conjure up positive memories and anticipation of good times –for others, the year-end festivities bring about sadness, stress, and possibly even despair.

Some people have always had a “Scrooge-like” attitude toward “tis-the-season-to-be…” whereas others may have once welcomed the winter gatherings but have now developed negative sentiments because of various life events. For instance, up until four years ago, I had always looked forward to year-end celebrations. But then, my father passed smack dab in the middle of the holiday season. While it was clearly time for my pops to let go and say “goodbye”, I now experience bittersweet feelings when this time of year approaches—a mixture of both joy and a sense of loss and sadness.

The holidays can also raise levels of angst because family members don’t get along or because someone doesn’t have family and friends close by. If you’re somebody who cringes at the sight of penguins on wrapping paper or shelves of menorahs begging to be bought, it just might be time to generate or rekindle some holiday spirit. Try the following six mood modifiers:

If you buy presents for others – remember it’s the thought that counts. Too many people stress over picking the perfect gift. You can’t please everyone all the time. So cut yourself some slack.
Stay within your budget. In other words, don’t kill the buzz by racking up credit card debt you’ll have to pay down for the entire next year!
Create your own group of loved ones to share special time with during the season. If you don’t have family around, or you have family but you don’t care to spend time with them, gather up a group of friends. Plus, celebratory gatherings don’t have to land on the specific day of a holiday, just plan something during the season so you have an event to look forward to.
Take care of your own needs. Many people burn out during the holiday season because they put everybody else’s needs first and forget about their own needs. So be mindful of striking a balance between the two.
Do activities to relieve stress. Examples: exercising, resting, eating healthfully, walking the dog, etc.
If you find yourself melancholy, then allow yourself a bit of indulgence in experiencing your feelings to the fullest. But don’t make it a pity party. Instead, give yourself a time limit so that once you’ve had a good cry it’s time to pick yourself up and face the day!

Ok – so maybe you won’t be “dashing through the snow…laughing all the way,” but at least you won’t be saying “bah humbug!”

October 25, 2023

Anger · Creativity · Depression · How to Thrive! · Relationships · Self-Image · Self-Love

Treat Your “Inner Child” Like A Superhero!

No one has had a perfect childhood. Rather, most of us endured some sort of hardship, trauma, adversity or, at the very least, something less than ideal while growing up. As a result, whether we are consciously aware or not, we have an “inner child” who carries forward some sort of negative fallout from those early years into our adulthood, and who often aches for some healing. Ideally the emotional healing we often crave for our wounds should have occurred at the time the wounds were created. But more often than not, no such healing comes from the original source, or at the optimal time. As a result, you may have boxed away feelings, memories, or other painful remnants of the past as a way of disconnecting from your inner child. Yet, this split-off part of you will continue to hold anger, resentment, sadness, hurt, etc. until you address these buried feelings. And, the little beast could wreak havoc somewhere in your adult life.

How your inner child inevitability draws attention to her/himself is varied and unpredictable. Regardless, some negative fall-out with regards to interpersonal relationships or self-worth will likely occur. For instance, if you were mistreated as a child by someone significant, such as a parent, you might be drawn toward emotionally abusive relationships in adulthood—not because you are masochistic, but because you are attempting to resolve what wasn’t resolved with your caregiver. Or, you may suffer from an undercurrent of irritability and resentment, causing you to be snippy with others. Yet, this “re-creation” of old wounds with new people won’t repair the past.

The examples above are just a few of the myriad of situations wherein your inner child begs to be acknowledged, yet she doesn’t turn her attention to you because she doesn’t trust that you will be the best source of her healing. Hence, your inner child turns into an inner monster and continually seeks healing in all the wrong places and from all the wrong people, with no satisfaction.

If this speaks to you, it’s time to nip this negative feedback loop in the bud and start treating your inner kid like the superhero she/he is! BTW: this is not a prescription for believing, or acting as if, you are better than others. Rather it’s merely a suggestion for you to embrace all aspects of yourself in order to create a positive relationship with your inner child. Also, you aren’t required to love every aspect of yourself to achieve self-acceptance. In fact, it’s good to regularly evaluate our behavior, and the choices we make, to determine the value of them in our present surroundings. Then we can make changes where we have control. But it’s not okay to shame and berate ourselves or deny our emotional baggage because, without integration and acceptance of ourselves, we cannot thrive!

Don’t know where to begin? Practice the following tips:

Stop being mean to yourself and practice self-love! State five positive affirmations daily. For example, pick a quality you possess such as “compassion” and say aloud: “I am proud to be able to be compassionate and understanding toward others.” Keep the affirmations simple and realistic. Either repeat the same ones or create new ones each day.
Look in the mirror every day and say these words aloud to your reflection: “I am here for you and will love you no matter what.” This is a trust building exercise between the “adult” you and the “child” within you.
Observe a parent who is exceptionally loving toward her infant or toddler. Then practice treating yourself in the same manner. If you don’t know of anyone whom you can emulate, find a character in a movie of TV show, or go to a local park and observe a parent-child interaction.
Smile at least 10 times per day. Don’t feel happy—then fake it, ‘til you make it. And, if you can muster up a good belly laugh or two, that will get you there quicker!
Commend your inner child regularly on having made it through difficult times in the past. Take this a step further and state how grateful you are for being able to give yourself the emotional nurturance you deserve.
Vow to do something playful every day. For instance, play a game you truly enjoyed as a child to remind yourself of fun times or think of a favorite memory and recreate it!
Make sure you attend to your basic needs on a regular basis. You wouldn’t deprive an infant of food if she were crying out with hunger pains, so why would you skip eating when you’re hungry? This applies for all basic needs such as sleep, affection, nurturance, etc.

Above all, use your imagination! After all, “play” is what children do best—so let your inner child have fun!

October 25, 2023

Creativity · How to Thrive! · Self-Love · Spirituality · Stress Management

The Power of Imagination – Bring Your Dreams to Light

The Power of Imagination-Bring Your Dreams to Light

Do you remember the days, as a young child, when you could sit in your room for hours all by yourself as long as you had your imagination to play with? Or, can you recall, as a teenager, having grandiose fantasies about how you were going to become world-renowned for your innovative contributions to the planet? Or, maybe you remember a time when you were the ultimate optimist and everyone else seemed so unnecessarily pessimistic?

If you answered “yes” to any of the above questions– you were in-tune with your imagination! Whether it came in the form of having make-believe friends, visualizing your future, or creating fictional stories about traveling to faraway places with your BFF– you were implementing the power of your imagination. Sadly, however, many of us grow to suppress our natural inclination to enjoy the playground of daydreaming without restrictions. Because of harsh parenting, societal judgments, experiencing trauma, or having your dreams squashed over and over again, you, like millions of other people, may have become dismissive of your dreams, maybe even cynical about life or your future.

Well, it’s time to interrupt this negative feedback loop and get back in touch with your inner world of play and imagination! Don’t know how to get started? Try the following:

Dream big-but accept that all your dreams won’t come true. While some people seem to be born with a silver spoon handed to them, most of us have to work hard at turning a dream into reality. But remember, you can’t make a dream reality if you don’t have any to start with.
Dreams don’t have to be grandiose. Rather, they can be practical and achievable. For instance, if your savings plan does not afford you that 50- foot yacht you’ve been eyeing your entire life–you might consider revising your fantasy to something more doable. Maybe you could save enough to charter a smaller boat with a few friends for a week, or you could volunteer to be crew on someone else’s boat– just to get the experience.
Pick something tangible to work toward. Break a big dream down into manageable parts. If you hope someday to have a million dollars, take steps everyday toward saving money. While maybe you’ll get lucky and find a winning lottery ticket, more than likely you’ll need to work to earn your pot of gold.
Sometimes, just allow a dream to remain a fantasy with no expectation of it ever becoming reality. Imagining positive experiences can boost the release of certain neurotransmitters in our brain associated with happy feelings. Just thinking about lying on the beach on a tropical island when you’re feeling stressed out can have a calming effect (unless of course, you hate the sun and have a fear of drowning J).
Interrupt catastrophic thinking as quickly as possible. There is no quicker way to turn a dream into a nightmare than by killing it off with dark thoughts. If you are traveling down a negative-thought highway, imagine a stop sign in your head and make a U-turn towards more positive thoughts.
Visualize a bubble around your dreams to protect from negativity around you. The world at large is not always so friendly toward dreamers. Sometimes it’s best to keep our dreams to ourselves. Those around us who tend to be highly pessimistic, envious of others, or fearful of taking any risks, will often attempt to quell any dreams we may be enjoying. If you encounter a dream-wrecker, don’t let him or her stop you from dreaming. Don’t personalize the negativity and refrain from sharing your visions with this person. Instead, share with someone who encourages and supports you!

So go ahead and make space in your daily life for imaginary play. While this challenge might be easier for parents of young children to fulfill, keep in mind that it’s possible to play in our minds at any age.

Happy daydreaming!

October 25, 2023

Creativity · How to Thrive! · Self-Image · Self-Love · Stress Management

The Contortionist Mind – How To Untangle From Negative Thinking

The Contortionist Mind- How To Untangle From Negative Thinking

If you’ve ever seen a contortionist willfully twist his body into a pretzel, you’ve probably been awestruck. Like a contortionist, the mind (structurally known as the brain) can bend, stretch, twist and turn in many incredible directions. We use it to think, foreshadow, plan, create, and reminisce about the past. We use our minds to solve complex problems, experience deep emotions, and feel compassion for others.

However, the workings of our minds don’t always bring positive results. Just like a contortionist who doesn’t take proper steps to keep his body extremely strong and limber, our minds can lead us to painful experiences, causing us to doubt, worry, ruminate, contemplate danger when there is none, and stir up feelings of hatred, jealousy, and envy. Our minds can play tricks on us, leading us to distort the truth, go into denial, and even manipulate others for personal gain. Hence, while the mind can bring us happiness and bliss, it can also lead us to misery and despair.

So how do you work with your contortionist mind to create a better inner world for yourself? Try the following tips:

Don’t allow negative thoughts to twist you into a knot. A thought is just a thought unless you give it fuel through action. For example, thinking about slashing your ex-boyfriend’s tires because you found out he was cheating on you is not the same as actually doing it.
Bend negative thoughts into positive ones and take action toward those. For instance, using the example of the tires above, change your thought to “I don’t need to waste time dwelling on an old boyfriend’s behavior.” Then take steps to grieve your loss and create a new dating strategy.
Don’t summersault into catastrophic thinking. Our anxiety can take us from A to Z in a split second if we travel down the “what if” highway of life. Instead replace “what-if” thinking with “what-else” thinking. For example, let’s say you get a flat tire and will be late for work. Instead of pondering the notion that you will surely get fired and then never work again, yada yada, replace the thought with the idea that probably your boss will understand as long as you give him/her a heads up and don’t become a perpetual excuse-giver.
If you hyperextend into fear, trust that you will be able to pull through and handle what’s in front of you. Our bodies are equipped with fight-flight-freeze response. So it’s better to save your survival instincts for occasions where true danger strikes and not waste energy on imagined danger when there is none. Otherwise you’re revving up your nervous system for nothing and ultimately causing yourself unnecessary stress.
Stretch toward the future with positive beliefs. How often do the things you worry about actually come true? Probably not many–unless you’re truly psychic. Hence, it’s far better to believe good things will come to you. Mind you, this is not a directive for practicing denial or self-deception. Rather, it’s simply an encouragement to deal with what’s right in front of you. It is in the present where you ultimately have control, not in the past or in the future.
Practice mental flexibility. While contortionists often have an innate ability to maneuver their bodies in unusual ways, they too must stretch and continually build and maintain good muscle strength. Do not let your mind stay idle. Challenge yourself to think about things in different ways, stretch your comfort zones and always be open to filling up your toolbox of coping mechanisms with new behaviors and actions. For instance, if you tend to be a passive person, work on developing assertiveness.
Strengthen your body with healthy nutrition and exercise. The workings of our minds are dependent on the wellness of our bodies. We cannot have a healthy mind without a healthy body. So don’t skimp on taking good care of your physical wellbeing and your mind will thank you!

October 25, 2023

Anger · Creativity · How to Thrive! · Self-Love · Spirituality · Stress Management

God Needs a Vacation! Stop Waiting For Miracles and Take Charge of Your Own Life Now!

Let me start by saying that the content of this blog is in no way meant to offend anyone, especially those who have faith and belief in God. Rather, it’s simply meant to put a fire under your butt to urge you to take action in your life instead of idly waiting for external forces or sources to take action for you.

Plus, a little bit of humor never hurts!

I often ponder the question (as do many of us): “Who/What is God?” This is just one of the hundreds of questions I have when it comes to understanding God. And, while I can’t say I’ve ever come up with a definitive satisfactory answer, suffice it to say that I usually end up deciding that I hold spiritual faith in something, but I’m not entirely certain what that something is. And I must admit, my version of a higher power changes almost daily.

So if there is a God, what role should (S)He/It play in our lives? Maybe you’ve heard the saying: “God helps those who help themselves.” Seems like a good motto. Yet sadly, so many people have options at their fingertips to make things better, yet they remain stagnant in hope that the Universe will sweep in and fix everything for them. But many of these people would fare better claiming responsibility and taking constructive steps on their own toward changing what isn’t working. So maybe it would be better to take Him/Her/It out of the role of janitor (whose job is to clean up our messes) and instead give God a little break!

Well, why not? After all, the Universe is approximately 14 billion years old. Hence, God’s been around for even longer. So just like we all need a vacation from the intensity of our busy lives and responsibilities, wouldn’t it be nice for God to have a little R&R now and again? That doesn’t mean that God isn’t still ever-present. But maybe we all need to be a little more respectful and turn to ourselves and our community (even our Angels) for the help and support we need rather than constantly pester our purported Creator, especially when it comes to relatively trivial matters—such as, “please, God, let me get that promotion!”

So whether you have full faith and a unified internal sense of what God is to you– or you’re floundering about trying to figure it out – here are a few tips on how to claim the power you have at your own fingertips to make your life a little better.

Don’t dwell on the past or over predict your future. Instead, focus on taking immediate action in the present.
Practice the saying – “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.” Remember, by the time tomorrow shows up it will already be today.
If you’re having stress or some other life concern, rather than wait for a miracle to save you, instead – ask yourself what is in your power to do differently to make positive changes? More often than not, we have options for change. We just must assert them.
If you feel defeated and struggle with your own resources – ask a trusted friend or loved one who can point out feasible and reasonable actions you can take. While sometimes our friends can be leery of laying out perceptions they may have of us, especially those that might be considered negative, usually with prompting and encouragement, our true friends will give us valuable feedback about our struggles and our responsibility for creating them.
Beware of being a naysayer and/or someone who asks for help and then rejects it. Even if a suggestion you receive is not a perfect fit – modify it to your liking and take the action recommended.
Use community resources. While some communities are more resource-rich than others, with the accessibility of the Internet, more than likely you have resources available to you. Of course, you shouldn’t trust everything you read on the Internet. But if you gather information from reputable sources, you’ll likely walk away with something valuable.

I guess my message is: continue practicing your faith in God or a higher power if you have one. But please also consider giving God a little break and instead push yourself to take charge and make positive changes in your life now! And then when a miracle occurs you’ll truly appreciate it!

October 25, 2023

Communication · Creativity · How to Thrive! · Relationships · Romance · Self-Love · Stress Management

Do You Need Some Space From Your Lover or Others? 8 Tips on How to Create Alone-time Without Being Offensive!

Throughout most of my life, I’ve been referred to as a contact chunky! That’s right – someone who couldn’t get enough connection with other people, especially from a significant other no matter how much attention I was given. Truth is – it wasn’t so much about truly loving the contact – but more about my internal loneliness and low self-esteem. In my quest for more and more connection, I falsely believed that someone would finally fill up my empty well. Wrong! Plus, since I was prone to interpreting other people’s need for space as a sign of personal rejection, I feared that my intimate partner would feel the same way. And I certainly didn’t want to be responsible for hurting someone’s feelings.

Through many years of therapy and personal self-growth – I finally was able to grasp that it was me who needed to fill up that hole inside me and let connections with important people around me be a bonus pack– not the substance to my existence. Now, years later, and quite a bit more self-content and self-accepting – I find that I desire a considerably more personal and psychological space. It’s not that I don’t cherish my relationships with my lover, family members, friends, and clients but I just don’t need to be attached at the hip anymore.

I noticed, however, in my plight for separateness and independence– like many others who begin expressing a newfound need, I became a bit of a bull in a China shop and I lacked the proper finesse in stating my needs. For instance, rather than making time for myself, I would sometimes manufacture something to be angry about in order to get some space rather than just ask for it. If you share a similar struggle, here are 8 tips on how to set loving boundaries.

Recognize the difference between the need for personal/psychological space versus physical space. Sometimes we are perfectly capable of hanging out with someone in the same room as long as we are free to do our own thing and only periodically connect with our loved one. This is called “parallel play.” Other times – not only do we need a break from interaction with others, we also need some physical distance to feel fulfilled. That would be called “solitary play.” By allowing ourselves these two forms of play, we create space for “interactive play.” Keep in mind that needing space is not the same as rejecting or abandoning someone. All three forms of play are essential to creating quality intimacy and avoiding resentments or feelings of being smothered.
Know the difference between extroverts (whose tanks fill up in the presence of others) and introverts (whose tanks fill up in their own internal world). Knowing the difference helps you understand that the need for space and/or closeness is sometimes simply due to one’s natural temperament.
Use technology to your advantage. If you are with somebody who tends to be a bit insecure, give him or her some reassurance. For example, send a text message with a term of endearment or leave a loving voicemail. A couple of extra minutes of effort in this department can buy you hours of free time without worrying about whether your partner feels neglected.
Make sure you and your partner work on filling up any self-esteem holes so that the two of you can enjoy the benefits of both aloneness and connectedness. After all – a true love connection does not go away simply because you’re not in one’s physical presence.
When you are with your partner, make sure you are truly present. Most people, if they feel honored and attended to when you are with them, will have an easier time in your absence.
Avoid creating conflict in order to get your separate time. If you need some space, just ask for it with love and kindness in your voice. For example, say the following to your lover: “Hey sweetie, I’m thinking it would be good for me and ultimately for us, if I spend Saturday doing my own thing.”
When you do schedule time to be apart, use the time wisely. If the goal is to replenish yourself, then do something with your time that makes you feel fulfilled. Then when you do reunite, you’ll be a better partner.
Create sacred time to be together. Remember, becoming a “space-junky” is no healthier than being a “contact-junky.” So don’t let the pendulum swing too far the other way. Instead, find the balance that allows you to have both!

October 25, 2023

Creativity

Finding Your Creative Talents

How do you respond when asked, “What are your creative talents?” If you’re like many people, you might answer—“none.” Why? Because you might falsely believe that creativity or talent is synonymous with only those activities associated with the artistic fields. Like many, you think that if you can’t act, sing, dance, write, draw, paint, etc., you lack talent. In fact, in over twenty years of clinical practice as a psychologist, I’ve often heard people say things like “I don’t have an artistic bone in my body” or “I couldn’t carry a tune if my life depended on it,” when describing their picture of creativity. They simply can’t fathom that they are oozing with creative energy through all kinds of activities.

Lisa, a mother of two young children, and an elementary school teacher, failed to recognize how much productive energy it took to raise her kids and work a full-time job. Haley, an awesome twenty-something year old, was surprised to learn that her ability to get people to loosen up and enjoy themselves at parties and office meetings came out of her creative energy. Like all of us these two women are multi-talented and we all deserve to embrace our gifts!

Creativity defines the essence of being human and allows each of us our own unique identity.

When we fully acknowledge our creativity we become more alive and inspired toward growth and enrichment. And, while if may not always seem as such, every action we take can have creative energy behind it. Even if we don’t consciously recognize our gifts, each and every one of us has them nonetheless. But, we can be ever more empowered toward positive contributions when we can fully realize our talents.

So what are your creative talents? They can include crafts like cooking, sewing, gardening or woodworking. Or, your gifts may be related to personal relationships like being skilled at getting people to communicate their worries and fears, making friends easily, or calming people down when they appear anxious or stressed. Your talents may center around caring for children or inspiring people to give to charity. You may be great at planning vacations for your family or arranging the flowers at a dinner party so that everyone who attends says “WOW—the table looks so beautiful!”

Go on, be bold! Give yourself credit for any creative talent no matter how big or small. All creative energy has merits. Therefore, one talent should never be compared to another as better or worse.

Unfortunately, if you’re not careful, your creativity can get buried and become difficult to reach. Creative energy can be very sensitive and temperamental, vulnerable to being bruised. As much as we may want to express our positive energy, often times, life gets in the way. Conditions of stress, overwork, worry, anxiety, depression, poor self-care all minimize the ease with which we can tap our creative juices. And if we don’t develop a fertile ground for our creative talents to flourish, we’re likely to miss out on experiencing the awesomeness of this powerful energy.

So how can you rev-up your creative motors? Below are FIVE tips.

For every activity you do in a day, identify the creative energy behind it and acknowledge it fully. For example, if you put forth effort to address a difficult issue in your life, acknowledge the creative energy of problem solving.
Ask a friend or loved one to share with you her ideas about your creative talents. We’re not always in-tune with our creative forces, but others may see them more clearly for us. So don’t be afraid to ask.
Keep a journal, praising yourself for any positive energy you put forth toward bettering your life or others. This doesn’t have to be an elaborate effort, but writing things down has a tendency of making them more real in our minds.
Keep stress to a minimum by keeping your body, mind and spirit in good shape. Clearly in a fast-paced culture pressuring us to go, go, go and do, do, do—this is no easy task. But it’s essential if we want to make room for our creativity to shine! For example, take a walk even if only for ten minutes, take a yoga class, lounge in a bath loaded with bubbles, practice deep breathing, and say positive affirmations. And if you’re really ambitious, take up meditation. Whatever you do to de-stress, make sure you create a ritual that you practice daily.
Everyday engage in an activity that makes you feel inspired. While most of us have many things we “have” to do in a day, it’s important to all make time to do something you truly “want” to do for no other reason than because it feels good. By doing so, you build a channel through which your creativity can flow more freely.

If you’re having trouble tapping into your creative energy, find a hobby or anything that interests you and just start doing it. Don’t put it off and don’t judge your performance. Just have fun and get the energy going. Once it’s in motion, it will become unstoppable. So forget about being Michelangelo or a superstar musician. Just enjoy being you!

October 25, 2023