Creativity is the power to connect the seemingly unconnected.
William Plomer
Let’s use that power!
Often when I sit down to think about myself, my values, my skills, or when I begin to plan the route of how to reach my goals and dreams, my mind wanders off. I search for inspiration on Facebook and get lost in tons of interesting but mostly not helpful other posts. They do trigger new ideas for new projects. But that just leads to procrastination.
Recalling Mr. Plomer’s idea that creativity is power, let’s focus on our own creativity. It is a power that we can implement to achieve our goals and dreams. Here is my suggestion on how to get your own creativity working for yourself:
Mind Body Painting
Get a piece of paper that matches the size of your body (e.g. wallpaper). Ask a friend to draw a line around your body while you are lying on the paper. Gather color pencils, wax crayons, watercolors, or finger paint to get started. Answer the following questions by painting them into your body on the wallpaper.
- Head: What are your dreams and goals?
- Chest: Who supports you? Who might help you breathe when things get tough?
- Arms: What can you do on your own? What activities do you rely on for support?
- Hands: What will you let go of? What will be important to guard and defend?
- Heart: What lets your heart jump with joy? When do you feel at your best?
- Stomach: What makes you nervous? What makes you alert?
- Legs: What is included in your route map? What is necessary to achieve your goals and dreams?
- Feet: What are your roots? What gives you strength? What are your values?
Be mindful when you answer these questions. The best answers are your pictures. Draw them. Set your creativity free. Give it space and all the time you need. You might want to listen to your favorite artist while drawing, painting, or thinking. Try to get it done at once. Then step back. Take the bird’s eye view and enjoy your big picture.
Once you’re finished you created a piece of art, a road map to your goals and dreams. It shows the people that support you and what makes you feel great. It tells you what to look out for, helping you to avoid possible dips. It suggests quitting activities that aren’t supportive. It reminds you of your strengths, values, and roots!
Go for it.
