Creativity- Coaching Q and A

Hey Inspiring Souls! It’s Coaching Q & A time again!!

Q: I really feel the pull to do something creative, but I just think I may be one of those people who is just not creative. The things I have tried are just not as good as they should be. It’s discouraging, how do I start to find my creative voice, or am I just better off giving up that idea and moving on?

A: Let me start with this: You are creative, you were born that way. We just lose sight of what that looks like as we get older. Most times when we are young we don’t struggle to make sure our forts and imaginary friends are as good as other people’s, but as we grow up we get so stuck in comparing and looking at how things “should” be that we lose sight of own creative voices. Some ideas to start exploring and defining your  creative voice are:

1-First take a deep breath, you can do this, allow yourself to be as open as possible

2-Willingness to explore, when in the process of finding your creative voice (and when redefining etc.) we need to be willing to explore. There are so many ways creativity can show up and a willingness to explore some of them is essential!

4-Exploration, try lots of different things. There are a zillion things to try! Some ideas are: Visual Journaling, Writing (by hand or on the computer, it doesn’t matter just allow yourself to play with words), knitting, cooking, jewelry making, painting and photography. Those are some ways to express yourself creatively. Experiment with some of those or something else. You will know when you have hit on the one(s) that really speak to your soul!

5-Don’t compare! This can be a real creativity killer.. Take inspiration from others not that the way they do it is the only way. Allow yourself to “mess up” as it’s all part of the process. I remember when I first started visual journaling I had times where I wrote “this is supposed to be fun” I was frustrated because my pages didn’t look like they should (getting the should from how other people did their pages”) Then I learned there is no “Should” when it comes to expressing myself. I pushed through it and am so happy I did.

6-Learn to push through and learn to be gentle. There are times where you are just hitting a bump of self-doubt and it needs to be worked through. Other times we need to allow ourselves to step away (and perspective is often so helpful!) be compassionate with yourself when it’s called for!

7-Look for (and even write down) the ways that you are creative now. The way you problem solve, decorate, dress, cook and so on. There are so many instances in everyday life we are creative and looking at those can also be great clues into finding our creative voices.

These are just some ideas, I have a lot to say about this subject (clearly!) and in my Clarity Coaching or Authentic Living Coaching we dig a bit deeper in this subject! You can check it out here if you are interested!

Have a coaching question of your own? Contact me hstoliveinspired @ gmail.com

Here is to living Inspired, Creative and Empowered

Heather

Enough-Coaching Q and A

Hey Wonderful Souls! Welcome to this weeks Coaching Q & A this week we have a powerful question that many of us can probably relate to on one level or another.

Q:

When life circumstances change and you find yourself needing to “shrink the rice bowl” as it were (i.e., to be able to get by on less than you’ve been used to), what can you do to ease that transition? What if you’ve managed to entangle your identity (ego) into the notion of what is “enough” and now that you must do with less, you feel you’ve been somehow diminished?

A:

As there often is, it’s really more than one question here. First let me say I am sorry you are going through tough times.

Lets look at the first question: What can you do to ease the transition during tough times and times of change.

-Do your best to find the good in the situation, I know that sounds simple but I know from experience it’s often not, you may really feel like you have to stretch to see what good there is in this situation. You reference “shrinking the rice bowl” A possible blessing in this would be to have the opportunity to really start defining on a serious level what things, expenses etc are in your life because you were used to having them there and what ones really bring you joy, peace and so on. It’s helpful (note I didn’t say always fun) in looking at what things are really important to us.

-Put in routines that are nurturing to you, when we are in the midst of change it’s often really easy to let go of all the good habits and things we were doing because we are so focused on the problem and trying to fix it. Make some non negotiables for yourself daily and weekly. Maybe you used to meditate, exercise, create etc all the time but that has all gone to the if I get time list.. We feel we don’t have time for those things like they are luxuries, but they are actually the total opposite they are foundations for us. Often if we took even a short time to engage in those on a regular basis we would actually get more done because we would feel more centered, calm, nourished, energized etc..

Part 2 of the question is related to worth.. It sounds like you have a big part of your worth tied up into what you do, what you provide on a monetary level and that you are feeling like you are not enough. The word “diminished” was used and  that is a really powerful and telling word about what you are feeling. I deeply encourage you to journal/write out some thoughts and responses to the following:

First though, I want to remind you that it’s really truly about how you show up, who you are not what you do. You are NOT what you do or what you provide on a  money or stuff level.

-Think about some people in your life who bring a lot of soul value to you. Ask yourself, do the people I really value and love do I love and value them because of the monetary things they provide for me? Why?

-Think of the things you provide to those around you that have nothing to do with money. You can even if you feel comfortable ( or even slightly uncomfortable) ask some of those around you, close to you what ways you bring value as YOU to their lives.

-What is important to you, truly important to you?

-What does enough look like to you? Before you were having to live off of less did you feel then like YOU were enough?

-Remind yourself daily: Try an affirmation or word that reminds you of your true  value, your soul value… A starting point could be something like this…  I value myself for who I am, for the soul gifts I bring to those around me and I know that I am enough.

If you have any follow-up questions on any of the Coaching Q & A that I do or If you have any new questions that you would like answered by a passionate coach then contact me hstoliveinspired @ gamil.com Your question will be published your personal information will not. To find out more about my coaching packages go here!

Here is to living Inspired, Creative and Empowered

Heather

Coaching Q and A- Feeling Deserving

Hey Beautiful Souls! Welcome to Coaching Q & A

Remember you can send me your questions by email, comments, facebook etc.. Your info will be kept private! You can email your questions heather.shafer  @ gmail. com

Q: I make great money at my job.  Trouble is, I don’t feel like I deserve it!  How can I feel more grateful?

A: This is a multi layered response for this one. A few things to think about and reflect upon.

-Look at what you are grateful for that this job/great income affords you.  Some may be material while others may be more in line with peace of mind.

-I want you to ask yourself, why don’t you feel you deserve it? Why not you? What would make you feel you were deserving of it?

  This is really more of a matter of self-worth, a lack of self-worth in this case. That is not something that can be healed in a matter of a Q&A response it’s more multi layered then that. But I will suggest as well as the above questions to ask you to really think about (and journal about) some positive things about yourself (physical but also and mostly spiritual and mental stuff)

Make that list, step away for a while and come back to it, look at it,really soak it in. Are these traits of someone who is not worth a good income and good things in life? If these things were a list of someone elses traits and positives would you look at it and think: “Oh they clearly don’t deserve the good things that come to them”? The answer would most likely  be of course they do, so I ask again.. Why not you?

Here is to living Inspired, Creative and Empowered

Heather