Cynthia Morris's Blog, page 43

Ever get overwhelmed? Here’s how I cope

You may think because I’m fairly effective in getting things done that I don’t get overwhelmed. That I don’t get distracted by what other people are doing and that I never fall prey to Bright Shiny Object Syndrome.

Oh contraire. I think this happens to all of us. And that’s normal. If we aren’t affected by the world’s bounty, we wouldn’t be creative people, would we? It’s good to let ideas and people influence us.

And, it’s good to be able to process all that goodness and turn it into meaningful things we care about sharing. Easier said than done. This is the kind of thing I coach my clients on all the time.

Here are my simple steps that help me get focused when overwhelm threatens to overtake me and my effectiveness. These practices are great for any time you are overwhelmed, not just post-travel.

Tend the nest. When I take care of my immediate physical environment, everything is better. I unpack immediately and do laundry. I make sure I have the groceries I need and I process my postal mail right away. I make sure my home is as tidy as it can be, and of course, I bring in fresh flowers. They make all the difference for me.

Let the body lead. On this recent return, I expected that I would come home and hit the ground running on my work projects. But oh no! My body had another plan.

Turns out it was saving up its tiredness (late nights with friends, dance parties, biking all around Portland) for when I got home. I was too tired to do much, so I resigned my weekend to naps, reading, restorative yoga and whatever else my body wanted. Trying to override the body’s needs just leads to bad things, so I listen to my trusty vessel.

Get digital downtime. That’s right, step away from the computer. When I am unfocused, I spend too much time checking email and Facebook. I’m not at all effective, so I step away from the computer and…

Pause and tune in. I either meditate – yep, just sitting there – or journal or doodle. All of these methods help me get calm, get focused and get clear. It doesn’t take long before the next right step is clear to me and I am able, with a refreshed mind, to take action.

Get physical. I go for a walk or a bike ride or to a yoga. I find that being in my city on foot or by bike helps me re-enter.

It takes longer to recover from an intense trip like this than it used to. I have to count at least three days to get a grip, to get focused and to replenish with my nourishing foods and teas. That’s okay. I like that my body slows me down. This helps me to integrate and to take action from the right place.

Don’t make major decisions. Sometimes, in the discomfort of overwhelm, we want to make a big decision. I try to quell this desire to reach for certainty in a time of upheaval. Instead, I return to my original impulse, getting clear on my overall life purpose and current focus. This helps me get grounded and prevents me from making rash decisions from a depleted place.

Have these ideas helped you? What helps you recover from overwhelm? Let us know in a comment below. And if you know anyone who struggles with overwhelm, please pass this article along.

The post Ever get overwhelmed? Here’s how I cope appeared first on Original Impulse .

Behind the Scenes of My Two Hands Paperie Illustration Project

It’s so fun collaborating with other artists. So far this year has seen a lot of fun projects that I get to do with others.

I’m in the final revision process for the book I am illustrating for Cory Huff of The Abundant Artist. I just finished a project with Two Hands Paperie and I want to share my experience with you.

It’s been fun to photo document the process of making something. There was a steep but satisfying learning curve, but solving these kind of problems is fun for me.

In this photo essay, I hope to share some of that process with you. You may have seen some of these images from my Instagram feed.

The project: Full-spread illustration for Two Hands Paperie newsletter

The idea: Travel like an artist with my visual journaling capture process, Capture the Wow

My creative edge: What’s the point of view? How to lay out a pleasing page?

The deadline: June 18, 2015

I love being in my studio, so all the time it took to figure this project out was enjoyed. Even when I was clueless or insecure, I liked being engaged in this process of making something.

Espresso with almond milk and a smoothie start almost every day. Beverages are important to my work, as you will see.

I spend hours studying travel magazine layouts. I trace one in my notebook to see how complex yet clear a page can be.

I assemble sketches, illustrations, journal blessings and capture tools alongside studio scraps onto a page. This feels great to see different elements come together. I studied magazine journalism at university so this analogue mockup felt like a throwback to that time.

Time to get out of my head & studio and into the world. Off to Capture the Boulder Wow at my favorite people-watching café, Ozo. My travel kit, ideas to explore, a cappuccino….I love this artist life.

I saw so much in Boulder that day, and paused many times to savor it. My journal captured a lot of ideas that made it into the final project.

Back at the studio, time to lay out the page. I tape four pieces of watercolor paper together and start sketching out ideas. Washi tape along the edges gives me a colorful border that I know will come off later.

I spend a good deal of time penciling it in, laying things out on the page so I can see how everything works together.

With the deadline a few days away, I have to commit. I start inking my favorite part – the Beverage Cycle wheel in the middle. These are my handy tools: pens, pencils, eraser.

Many hours later, I completed the piece at Two Hands Paperie on the deadline. Ignore the color; the newsletter designer is going to add that in based on my blue tag notes. It felt so great to finish this!

The next day, I cleared the studio desk for the next project. I realized the illustration for Two Hands Paperie wasn’t done. I think of at least 5 things to add or change. But it’s too late. I have to let it go and move on to the next project.

Want to Wow it up with me in Boulder this summer? I’m teaching a half-day Capture the Wow class in Boulder on Saturday July 25th. Space is limited so if you’d like to Wow it up with us, head over to Two Hands Paperie to register.

The post Behind the Scenes of My Two Hands Paperie Illustration Project appeared first on Original Impulse .

Mid-Year Review with Mind Mapping

It’s June, halfway through the year. I love summer for the chance to play a bit more. But before I go into the play zone, let’s do a mid-year check-in. This doesn’t have to take long. Enjoy a glass of lemonade or tea and check in on your year so far.

Doing this kind of reflection process helps to:

see if you are on track with your priorities
surprise yourself with all the wonderful, unexpected things that have happened
celebrate how much you’ve already accomplished
prepare for the next part of the year

I love my mind maps, and here’s another way to use them as a project management tool.

In January, I did a quarterly mind map of my major projects. The focus for this map is my art and art business. I laid out the known projects for each quarter. I don’t use goals as much as a focus on projects and intention. You can see in the middle of my map is my focus for my art this year – Make and Sell Things.

Cynthia Morris Art Quarterly Mind Map 2015

Additional notes:

There’s not a lot on Q4, leaving room to grow and also to have room in case some of the earlier projects aren’t complete by the last quarter.

The 100 Day Project and subsequent show weren’t on the map at the beginning of the year. This is turning out to be one of the best things of the year, and I am glad I made room for it.

I later added a goal of $10,000 or more gross income from art sales. I thought I was halfway there, but doing this review forced me to look up the numbers. So far I’ve earned over $8,000 in art sales this year. It’s exciting to feel that I’m going to surpass my art income goal this year! This is a huge confidence booster and a good reason to do the review in itself!

When I revisited this, I added some things and relished that I seem to be on track with my art goals. Time for some coconut milk ice cream to celebrate!

A few coaching questions for you to reflect on your year to date:

What was the focus of your year?
What has helped you stay committed to your focus?
What unexpected surprises happened?
What’s your focus for the rest of the year?

Have you done your mid-year review? What did you learn from it?

Let us know in a comment below, and if this was helpful for you, please share with your friends!

The post Mid-Year Review with Mind Mapping appeared first on Original Impulse .

Hop, Skip, Jump! What’s Your Play Personality?

I’m inspired by the spunky new guide by creativity maven Marney Makridakis: HOP, SKIP, JUMP: 75 Ways to Playfully Manifest a Meaningful Life.

Find out if you are a Hopper, Skipper or Jumper: take this fun quiz.

When you’ve taken the quiz, come back here and let us know which one you are. Feel free to share a bit about what you learned from knowing your Play Personality. (I’m mainly a Jumper!)

We’ll choose one commenter to win a copy of Marney’s book HOP, SKIP, JUMP: 75 Ways to Playfully Manifest a Meaningful Life.

Leave a comment here by midnight EDT, November 6th, to be entered into the drawing for the book.

 

 

The post Hop, Skip, Jump! What’s Your Play Personality? appeared first on Original Impulse Blog.

Make Your Creative Time More Effective

You’re in the middle of writing the most fabulous paragraph when the phone rings. It’s your child’s school and you’ve forgotten to pick her up.

You leap up, caroming from blissful creative mode to full-on panic mode. You rush out the door, the cursor on your screen blinking, your creative bliss lost.

Sound familiar? This wrenching transition style happens all too often. We lose track of time and pay the cost. We become grumpy, resentful and our desire to write dissipates. It’s one of the main reasons we fear entering the creative zone. We’re afraid we won’t be able to make a graceful return to the ordinary world where our real-world obligations await us.

Transition with awareness

It doesn’t have to be wrenching. Transitions between life and writing can be easy. But it requires some effort and some training on our part to make transitioning between our roles work for us.

How can writers and artists make the transition smooth and easy? I suggest ritualized acts help to honor the creative time. Below are ten transition methods that my clients have used successfully. Experiment to see which rituals work for you.

1. Use free-writing for a quick way to move from one thing to the next. Limber up your brain and word flow with ten minutes of flow writing. You may write about your topic or about what you are transitioning out of, as a way to release that role and focus on the writing role.

2. Read a short and inspirational passage from a book about writing or another inspiring text. Better yet, read the last things you wrote and pick up from there.

3. Create a mantra or saying that helps you to step into creativity. “I honor my creative time” or “Welcome to the creative zone” or something that suits you. Feel free to make a sign and post it in your writing zone.

4. Tune in to music to train yourself to easily access the writing zone. Try playing the same music when you write or have a handful of inspiring tunes ready. Mozart’s music is known to stimulate creativity and brain power. I have also used the relaxing Hemi-Sync music when writing my novel to help me access the flow state.

5. Take a walk before or after you write. Get your body moving and let your mind wander. You may pick up some fresh ideas along the way, so bring a small notebook or have your digital device ready to capture your brilliance.

6. Prepare your writing space. When things are in order and ready for you, it is easier to jump into the flow. End your writing sessions a few minutes early and take that time to tidy your writing zone.

7. Identify your insertion point. At the end of every writing session, pinpoint where you will start the next session. This will save you so much time and help you move past any emotions that may try to dissuade you from writing.

8. Do some stretching or other physical activity. Prepare your body to sit still for longer periods of time. This will serve you both going into and coming out of the creative zone.

9. Get still with meditation or simply sitting and breathing deeply for a few minutes. Accessing a deeper, sacred space can help you to swim in the creative pool more easily.

10. Honor the boundaries you have set up around your writing. If you have communicated that you are unavailable, do not be available. Turn off your phone and put it out of reach.

What helps you transition into and out of creative mode? Share your transition rituals in a comment below.

 

The post Make Your Creative Time More Effective appeared first on Original Impulse Blog.

Get your writing moving, no matter what

People often ask me what they can use free-writing for. In  my experience, it’s great for every kind of personal or professional writing imaginable – for the first draft at least.

This week, I brainstormed 20 ways you can use free-writing now, even if you don’t consider yourself a writer. Best of all, free-writing is a great way to just. get. started.

Check all the ways you see free-writing as useful for you now. This will help you to identify how you can use writing now to enjoy your life and creativity more.

1. Get that shaggy first book draft on paper.

2. Brainstorm a list of blog articles.

3. Write drafts of those blog articles.

4. Get all your inner critic’s objections out on paper.

5. Have fun playing in a new genre.

6. Revisit a memory and write a new version of it.

7. Write letters to loved ones, both living and dead.

8. Make resolutions for how you want to grow.

9. List chores that need to be done.

10. Write a vision for your ideal day.

11. Rant about something that has been bothering you.

12. Sort out strategies for your work.

13. Vent about what you loathe.

14. Savor what you adore.

15. Write chapters of your book.

16. Write stories about things that you’ve experienced.

17. Write a vision of things you want to experience.

18. Write a letter to yourself, reminding you of all the great things you do.

19. Write a letter from your champion, encouraging your writing efforts.

20. Anything that comes up…Flingers love being surprised by their own pen!

These are just a few ways my Free-Write Fling students use the month of focused writing. In community, they discover so much about their best writing practices, their subject matter and their truest, most authentic selves.

We start in just a few days! We’re rallying in October in the Fling Zone for the final FWF of the year. If you have any of these or other reasons to write, this is a great way to get into the groove. Join us.

Don’t just believe me – here’s what a couple of Flingers raved about this class:

“What a fantastic month of writing! Despite having a giant month of action I kept writing through it all – and it kept me (somewhat) sane. Thank you so very much for holding this space, for your TLC and encouragement, and for your always-refreshing candor. You rock the Free-Write Zone!” – Frances Clements Fawcett

“It feels like bliss to be in the FWF. The format, freedom and the gentle, validating guidance that you provide, Cynthia, helps me to open and become less full of self-judgment and doubt. It’s an atmosphere unlike any other I’ve encountered in the online courses in which I’ve participated. Merci beaucoup, Cynthia!” - Rosanne

This is only a little drop of the love that Flingers feel from our writing month together. Join us now. 

The post Get your writing moving, no matter what appeared first on Original Impulse Blog.

Is Your Consumption/Creation Ratio Out of Whack?

by Cynthia Morris

This article originally appeared on Fuel Your Writing. It’s such an important topic that surfaces again and again, so we’re sharing it here. 

These days, it seems that if you’re not consuming something – videos, podcasts, blog posts, books, magazines, films, social media streams – then you’re probably asleep.

There’s so much good stuff out there and many of us feel compelled to keep up at a dizzying rate. My clients and students confess that their biggest challenge is finding time to create. Everyone’s busy and overbooked.

But a closer look usually reveals that most of us are consuming a lot, and that much of that time that could be spent creating. If you’re trying to create and ship something, you may need to check your consumption/creation ratio.

I know you’re thinking Eek! I couldn’t give up my morning news reading! I am NOT letting go of my New Yorker subscription. I absolutely must start my day checking in with everyone on Facebook.

What my book stack usually looks like

Don’t worry. I don’t advocate pulling the plug completely on what you’re consuming. Instead, if you’re truly committed to bringing your own ideas to the world, consider fine-tuning your consumption/creation ratio.

What you consume directly impacts your creativity 

Before we go in with a weed whacker to eliminate items in our inbox, take a moment to clarify what you’re getting from your media intake.

There are many reasons we consume – to learn, to escape, to be moved, to be updated on progress in our industry and let’s face it – to procrastinate.

I’m not judging what or why you consume. Everyone has the right to enjoy whatever they want. I am pointing you to an awareness of what you consume and the impact that has on you.  

Why is it so important to be vigilant with our consumables? Our time is precious and limited. The abundance of consumables can add to stress. Our creative work is directly affected by what we consume.

We must guard our precious creating time or life will slip by and all we have to show for it is that we scanned a lot of articles and watched a lot of YouTube videos.

Just like food or beverages we take in, what we read, watch or listen to has an effect on our mental, emotional and physical states. And our mental, emotional and physical states are critical to our ability to think, feel and create.

Check your consumption

Take a minute now to take this consumption/creation assessment. This will take about ten minutes.

Make a quick list of things you consume on a regular basis. Categories could include:

Blogs
Newsletters
Newscasts, either print or digital
Magazines
Books
Podcasts
Videos
Music

Next to each item on the list, jot a rough estimate of how much time per week you spend with each item.

Next, ask yourself this question for each:

How does this further my current professional goals or enrich me personally now?
How much time a week do I spend creating?

Put the consuming number next to the creating number. This is your consumption/creation ratio.

What do you notice?
What would you change to feel more satisfied with your ratio?

Bring balance back

The tendency when doing this may be to let our inner critic dominate the process. The part of us that likes to judge us and make whatever we’re doing wrong loves assessments that show us how much better we could be.

Ahhhhh

Send that part of you out to mow the lawn. This isn’t about haranguing yourself about what you read or listen to. It’s about noticing how your consumption impacts your creativity.

Once you’ve done this exercise, you’ll know what’s really fueling you and your creative goals. You’ll be able to enjoy what you enjoy even more, and turn the dial down on things that aren’t contributing to your goals.

In this dynamically crowded world of information, the real game for all of us is to manage our consumption. Our ability to deal with and process information is vital to our success. Be aware of how your consumption impacts your creativity and adjust accordingly.

What did you learn about your consumption/creation ratio? What changes might you make this week to swing the emphasis from consuming to creating? Share your thoughts in a comment below. And thanks for consuming this article!

The post Is Your Consumption/Creation Ratio Out of Whack? appeared first on Original Impulse Blog.

Is Your Consumption/Creation Ration Out of Whack?

by Cynthia Morris

This article originally appeared on Fuel Your Writing. It’s such an important topic that surfaces again and again, so we’re sharing it here. 

These days, it seems that if you’re not consuming something – videos, podcasts, blog posts, books, magazines, films, social media streams – then you’re probably asleep.

There’s so much good stuff out there and many of us feel compelled to keep up at a dizzying rate. My clients and students confess that their biggest challenge is finding time to create. Everyone’s busy and overbooked.

But a closer look usually reveals that most of us are consuming a lot, and that much of that time that could be spent creating. If you’re trying to create and ship something, you may need to check your consumption/creation ratio.

I know you’re thinking Eek! I couldn’t give up my morning news reading! I am NOT letting go of my New Yorker subscription. I absolutely must start my day checking in with everyone on Facebook.

What my book stack usually looks like

Don’t worry. I don’t advocate pulling the plug completely on what you’re consuming. Instead, if you’re truly committed to bringing your own ideas to the world, consider fine-tuning your consumption/creation ratio.

What you consume directly impacts your creativity 

Before we go in with a weed whacker to eliminate items in our inbox, take a moment to clarify what you’re getting from your media intake.

There are many reasons we consume – to learn, to escape, to be moved, to be updated on progress in our industry and let’s face it – to procrastinate.

I’m not judging what or why you consume. Everyone has the right to enjoy whatever they want. I am pointing you to an awareness of what you consume and the impact that has on you.  

Why is it so important to be vigilant with our consumables? Our time is precious and limited. The abundance of consumables can add to stress. Our creative work is directly affected by what we consume.

We must guard our precious creating time or life will slip by and all we have to show for it is that we scanned a lot of articles and watched a lot of YouTube videos.

Just like food or beverages we take in, what we read, watch or listen to has an effect on our mental, emotional and physical states. And our mental, emotional and physical states are critical to our ability to think, feel and create.

Check your consumption

Take a minute now to take this consumption/creation assessment. This will take about ten minutes.

Make a quick list of things you consume on a regular basis. Categories could include:

Blogs
Newsletters
Newscasts, either print or digital
Magazines
Books
Podcasts
Videos
Music

Next to each item on the list, jot a rough estimate of how much time per week you spend with each item.

Next, ask yourself this question for each:

How does this further my current professional goals or enrich me personally now?
How much time a week do I spend creating?

Put the consuming number next to the creating number. This is your consumption/creation ratio.

What do you notice?
What would you change to feel more satisfied with your ratio?

Bring balance back

The tendency when doing this may be to let our inner critic dominate the process. The part of us that likes to judge us and make whatever we’re doing wrong loves assessments that show us how much better we could be.

Ahhhhh

Send that part of you out to mow the lawn. This isn’t about haranguing yourself about what you read or listen to. It’s about noticing how your consumption impacts your creativity.

Once you’ve done this exercise, you’ll know what’s really fueling you and your creative goals. You’ll be able to enjoy what you enjoy even more, and turn the dial down on things that aren’t contributing to your goals.

In this dynamically crowded world of information, the real game for all of us is to manage our consumption. Our ability to deal with and process information is vital to our success. Be aware of how your consumption impacts your creativity and adjust accordingly.

What did you learn about your consumption/creation ratio? What changes might you make this week to swing the emphasis from consuming to creating? Share your thoughts in a comment below. And thanks for consuming this article!

The post Is Your Consumption/Creation Ration Out of Whack? appeared first on Original Impulse Blog.

Prepositional Alignment from Camp GLP

At Camp GLP last week, I had the chance to do something I’ve wanted to do since I was a girl.

photo by Gregory Berg

I have an odd talent of having the prepositions committed to memory, and I’ve wanted to perform them onstage, with a bit of spice. At our Talent Show, I was able to finally express a life-long dream. The feedback was fantastic, and I plan to work on this as a performance piece to share elsewhere.

When it came time to write an essay about my camp experience, of course I had to extend the preposition structure with this poem.

Prepositional Alignment

Cynthia Morris

Aboard the yellow bus we wend our way to camp.About now we’re wondering how we can flee back to safety. But

above the gate, iridescent giant bubbles float, inviting us to play.Across pebbled paths we haul our baggage

After all that effort and packing, we finally arrive.

Against the backdrop of fun, our demons rise up to blah blah blah their complaints.

Along the way we get to choose what stories we align with.

Amid the discomforts of cold and rain we uncover new strength and resiliency

Among new friends and mentors we find courage to step up to our soul work.

Around this much relentless positivity, it’s impossible to believe the old moldy stories

At this confluence of learning, growth and play, we arrive.

Before camp, it was easy to believe we were alone.

Behind the glow of campfire and melting of marshmallows, we warm to our new paths.

Below the surface thrums an impossibly loving beat.

Beneath all the excitement, our true essences wait patiently.

Beyond all borders and stories lies a field: let’s combine our colors there.

Between sessions we share conversations that reveal we are not strangers after all.

By the time we fall into our soft taco beds, a lifetime of love has coursed though our veins.

Down by the lake after dark a disco springs up.

During the rapping and gyrating we embed joy in our cells. We’d dance all night like princesses

except the early morning om time comes all too soon.

For KC only we pull ourselves from fitful sleep to om together at 6:00 am.

From this group stillness we ground the exuberance into deep knowing.

In our communal breath we ease our tender bodies

into a greater tribe of world changers who are always

near us, one breath away.

Of science of flourishing, Emiliya brings soul and depth.

Off button? There isn’t one here, life is full-on, waiting for us to claim its bounty. We shine

on, raise our arms and voices to salute the incontrovertible joy of being human together.

Over abundant banquets we swap stories, ideas, addresses and recipes.

Past the Arts and Crafts cottage,

through the copse we dive into workshops that grow us and show us how

to rally our minds, hearts and bodies into our unique creative expression

toward an individual and collective impact that will ripple outward for a long, long time.

Under a steady drizzle we bravely step

up to listen, to learn, to grow and share, building

upon Stephanie and Jonathan’s rallying cry to make, love, and give in alignment.

With all this abundance, where to go next? Simple….go

within and bring all the bounty of Camp straight into the heart.

Without fear, take the leap into your exuberant, aligned action and make the world glow.

 #CampGLP

The post Prepositional Alignment from Camp GLP appeared first on Original Impulse Blog.

Book Review: The Happiness of Pursuit by Chris Guillebeau

Chris Guillebeau of The Art of Non-Conformity comes out with his third book, The Happiness of Pursuit. This book is all about finding meaning through engaging in quests that matter – first to the quester, then to the world.

Watch the video for more.

I’m giving away several copies of The Happiness of Pursuit here. By Monday September 22nd, please leave a comment below answering this question:

What quest are you on right now and what’s important about it for you? 

The post Book Review: The Happiness of Pursuit by Chris Guillebeau appeared first on Original Impulse Blog.