A sunset, a rainbow, the endless power of the ocean…
All of these fill me with awe and wonder. They inspire me to try to express in words what I see and feel in these moments of awe.
What inspires you? Is it nature? Music? Or something else entirely?
Take a few moments to consider, then set your timer for 5 minutes and ready … set … write!
I was looking at my posts and realized I hadn’t posted anything in 4 months… and before that, it had been sporadic for quite some time.
So… it’s time for me to start again. To revise my expectations so that they are achievable and sustainable… then keep going.
What about you? Have you ever had to start over again and again… and again?
Set your timer for 5 minutes and write about a time you (or your character) had to start over.
Are you ready? Get set. Write!!!
I’ll be the first to tell you, “I’m not an artist.” In fact, it’s only been recently that I have begun to understand art.
Now, that’s not to say I haven’t enjoyed my share of plays, concerts and other art forms… but did I really understand them?
No. At least not in the way that an artist would.
Fortunately, I’ve been blessed with artists in my life, and they’ve helped me understand art on a deeper level.
I can look at some and at least recognize that they are trying to say more than the surface if the picture shows.
Or, I can listen to a piece of music and “get” that they are saying more than the words convey.
I’m still very much an amateur…
But isn’t that one of the beauties of art? The purpose is to create… from wherever you are. Then to share.
Whatever the form, all art is a perfect expression of the imperfect world we currently inhabit.
And though my offerings will never be as grand as those artists in my life, they are a perfectly imperfect expression of what I am feeling… or wanting to feel (or express) right now.
So for today, I challenge you to set your timer for 5 minutes and then write, or draw, or compose… anything that makes you happy.
Then, let me know how it went in the comments.
Happy writing… or drawing, painting, or other arting 😉
Denial is a strong coping mechanism … and it can be effective for a while.
But eventually, the truth will not be hidden and our fears will make themselves known … often in explosive and hard to explain ways.
What do I mean by explosive? Well, we often hide our fear behind anger. So when the fear becomes so big, the anger can no longer hide it … the fear creates an eruption, spraying the debris from the anger to everyone within its reach.
Unfortunately, this explosion rarely addresses the cause of the fear, so the cycle of hiding and exploding starts again.
Facing our fears – or at least taking an honest peek at them – is the only way to identify what is actually causing the problem so we can start to fix it.
But oh, is it hard!!! Some of our fears have been so well hidden, they’re difficult to recognize even if we’re looking right at them.
But be brave, take one peek, then another. Find one fear, acknowledge it, and figure out why it’s there. Start to work on it, then take another peek to identify the next one.
It is hard and requires bravery! But oh, is it worth it when you no longer are a slave to your fear!!!!
What do you think? Do you have fears hidden in the corners of your mind?
Be brave, take a peek, and get help if you need it. Today’s free write is taking the first step by writing what you think of fears hiding and requiring bravery to face.
If you’d like to share, put it in the comments. But for now … Ready … Set … Write!
Between stimulus and response, there is a space. And in that space lies our power to choose. In our response lies our growth and freedom.
Some version of that quote has been ascribed to various people from Stephen R Covey to Viktor Frankl to several others who have said similar things over the years.
But no matter who said it … it got me thinking about my power as a human being. Power for good … power to create change … power to make the world a better place …
The more I thought, the more I had to agree with this quote. The ability to make good choices requires space (and practice).
Sometimes, I have to consciously expand that space. Other times, there is plenty of space naturally occurring before I can respond.
What do you think? Does your power lie in the space between stimulus and response? What will you do with that power?
Okay. Set your timer and ready … set … write!
Do you ever feel like this bear? Standing on a cliff, trying to juggle all of the tasks and commitments of your life?
If so, it may be time for a “time out” to re-center yourself, prioritize and create a plan for re-centering and moving away from the cliff. Do you need to pass off some of the things you are juggling? Great. Add that to your plan.
Next create a plan for moving forward in a sustainable way.
This will probably take several sessions of freewriting, and will probably take more than 5 minutes, but use today’s free-write to get started.
Bringing balance to your life is well worth the effort – and if you can get started before you are worn to the core it will take much less time and effort to achieve that balance.
So what do you say? Are you ready to start? Okay … ready … set … write!
Today, I heard a quote by Adam Grant. He said that “the most meaningful way to succeed is to help other people succeed.”
I have personally found this to be true in my life. Anytime I help someone else do their job better or encourage them on a path that will improve their life, I feel satisfaction, fulfillment… success in my work.
What do you think? Do you agree? Have you experienced this as well? What does helping others succeed look like to you?
Take a minute or so to think about it, then ready … set … write.
What inspires you? A sunset? A path that disappears into the unknown? A misty, foggy day at the ocean?
I find that I am inspired by many things, but as you may be able to tell, nature in some shape or form is my biggest source of inspiration (at least in the “awe” category of inspiration).
What about you? Is nature the driving force of your inspiration? Or is it something else entirely?
Think about it for a minute, then set your timer and ready … set … write!
A famous quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson is “The Earth laughs in flowers.” When I see a field of daisies or sunflowers, this certainly seems to be the case.
Other flowers seem more stately and elegant rather than playful and laughing. Nevertheless, they make me smile.
But that leads me to our question for the day. How do you laugh? Is it a great big belly-laugh, or more of a gentle, rolling chuckle? Or something else entirely?
Take a few minutes to think about it and then set your timer and Ready … Set … Write!
Do you know the saying “When life gives you Lemons, make lemonade?”
I have to say that is one saying that I love and hate all at once.
As an optimist, I totally want to make the best of any situation, but as a realist – particularly when I am the one facing some lemons, I just really want to throw them … and maybe stomp on them … and maybe throw a fit like a three year old.
What about you? Do you like orndislike the saying? Do you make lemonade when life gives you lemons?
Let me know in the comments if you’d like to share, then set your timer and ready … set … write!