Browse Creativity

Oh Momma -the guilt of it all! You've been inundated with parenting advice meant to nourish the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual growth of your child. And within that information is a fabulous array of advice for supporting your child's play, imagination and creativity. After all, play is the child's work. Not only is it their way to process and make sense of the world, it is their way to discover, explore, and develop their passions and gifts.

We are creative beings. We live in a creative universe. Creativity surrounds us, and is in us – in all of us, not just the gifted few. Although at its core, creativity is a mystery, the creative process is knowable, and we can use it as a template for living a more fulfilling, aware, meaningful life.

Three months ago, in a freak accident involving a puppy, a feral cat, and a nasty curb, I broke my leg in two places. After emergency surgery I awoke from my anesthesia haze and faced my most grueling physical teaching yet. Painful and frustrating as it was, this injury offered an incredible first hand view of the healing process. I observed the parallels between physical recovery, and emotional, psychological, and spiritual repair. Here is what I learned about healing from my very broken leg:

Ready to hit the trails but without the beef jerky? Here are a few vegetarian backpacking recipes you can try, along with some simple snack foods. Olive Oil Noodles This is a simple recipe that you don't need to write down. Bring a small bag of spices (whatever kinds you like), some dried vegetables, pasta and olive oil. Soak the dried vegetables while you are setting up camp. Then cook them along with the pasta.

Hurry Up and Relax! Hurry up and relax! I saw this on my Mary Engelbreit's calendar and had a good chuckle. Every day this week, I think I am going to get everything done and then go sit and relax by the pool. Well that didn't work so then I just forced myself to go sit outside but even though my eyes were closed, my mind was racing about what I could be doing instead. Or even worse, what I would do once I got up from this chair. Sigh. Sound familiar? Here it is July and how many of us are hurrying up the "to-do" list so we can relax? Isn't summer supposed to be more laid back?

When I was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer in June, 2008, I focused on the high chances of recovery. I imagined myself a warrior in a dark adventure, full of unknown challenges that would force me to find solutions to help all of us that face this journey. As both a patient and a doctor, maybe I would even discover a natural cure. As the days of chemotherapy and radiation closed in, I didn't feel so adventurous. Above all, I became obsessed with how to deal with losi

Conscious Parenting or Entering a Spiritual Parenting Journey Parenting IS the most difficult job in the world. The Journey of Personal Development magically enfolds in front of the Parents that are at all times asked to increase their capacity to Love, and Understand this complex matrix of impulses we call Life. The world belongs to our children and we are their soil, their water, their air and if we are full of love, understanding, and wisdom our children will grow into free and inspired adults.

There are many ways to find affordable housing. There are even ways to make the home you have more affordable. Here are some of the best. Move to a cheaper location. This is often not considered by people, but the difference in housing costs between two cities within an hour of each other can be dramatic. This can be true whether you are renting or buying. If the new location isn't too far away, you can commute to your job.

Of all the ways to save money grocery shopping, the one that comes to mind first for most people is probably using manufacturers' coupons. Unfortunately, this is not only time consuming, but it rarely saves you much money. That's because even with the coupon a given product is usually more than a perfectly adequate alte ative. Unless you really want the particular brand represented by the coupon, there are better ways to cut your costs. Here are a few examples. Bring a calculator and cash. If you need to budget for groceries, then bring only what your budget allows.

As much fun as I’m having learning Corel Painter X, there is a small mercenary voice that keeps asking, “So how do you approach making money with this product?” I’ve found I’m not the only photographer knee deep it wet pixels asking this. So a side trip of the art ...

As a child, you may have yearned to play the piano professionally, to act on Broadway, to write a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. Perhaps you mentioned your aspirations to someone and were met with laughter or the assurance that there was no money in it. You swallowed your creative dreams and satisfied yourself with listening to music on the radio, to reading books or watching movies. How often have our creative selves been swept to the sidelines, to being the observer? We inte

“Dance is the most immediate and accessible of the arts because it involves your own body. When you learn to move your body on a note of music, it's exciting. You have taken control over your body, and by learning to do that, you discover that you can take charge of your own life." An expression by Jacques D' Amboise that is so poignant, that it sets you thinking. How true the above passage depicts the expression – dance. When one rejoices a happy moment or mou s some loss, the body shows it all.

Is a real life perfect? Is your life perfect? Is your life real? There is no way to know where you will see the most beauty in your life, or have the most profound experience. Battlefields and graveyards are as full of enlightening and profound, happy and beautiful life experience as the playground or, for those of us who love equines, the paddock.

Dear Daughter, You are a wonderful person and your mother and I think the world of you. It will not be long before you leave home to make your way in the world. Can I please give you some friendly advice? Here are some things that I think you should never do. 1. Never Despise Yourself. You ...

What is it that allows you to wake up in the morning feeling energized and inspired? The particulars are going to vary, but I think the majority of us feel most alive when we experience being aligned with some greater purpose. That purpose is often related to becoming more of who we are, to ...

When we hear about wealth creation it is usually presented as gaining money and other valuable assets. Make money, then invest it to grow your net worth - a common formula. Those who look a little deeper see that assets alone don't necessarily pay the bills, stress making your money and assets work for you to produce streams of income. In any case the basic idea as understood by most people is that wealth creation is a matter of accumulation. There is a difference between creation and transference, though.

To know how to tell when someone is lying, it helps to first look at the three basic types of lies. These are lies of omission, commission, and embellishment. What follows is a short description/definition of each, and some ways to detect each kind of lying. Lying By Omissio A lie of omission ...

Advances in communication technology since the mid-1990s have made e-learning (sometimes known as “virtual learning” or “distance education”) a feasible educational option. The idea is that a teacher can reach students in remote locations, which enables students to learn subjects to which they ...

Lie detection may start with watching for signs of lying in a person. But sometimes you have to do more than just listen and watch. Sometimes you have to trap a liar. Here is one of the many ways to do that. Lie Detection - Introduce An Assumptio This is a common trapping technique. Here is ...

One of the most powerful ways to turn back the biological clock, improve your health and become more radiant is to greatly reduce the amount of food you eat.

Want to be more "out of the box" in your thinking? Here's an example of a simple problem-solving/lateral thinking game that can help. Following that I have some suggestions to get you started with your own mental exercise. A group of college students was shown a barometer. Then the professor ...

Many creative artists are uncomfortable with praise and compliments. We can be so busy judging ourselves harshly that we don't quite know what to do with positive feedback. nnWe almost wish people would just "come out and say it," "it" being the negative thing that they're REALLY thinking, just to prove our negative self-perception.nnInstead, when we can learn how to embrace positive feedback and accept compliments graciously, we open up the door for more positive thoughts an

To be a deep thinker you simply have to get in the habit of asking deep questions about everything around you. What is a deep question? Let's look at a couple examples. Suppose someone lies to you, and you simply explain it by saying, "He's a jerk!" That may be true, but it is shallow thinking. ...

Everyone has some sensitivity to inner experiences and emotions, to the moods of others, and to many other sensations. But highly sensitive people have unusually strong awareness and reactions. Artists, including actors, are often highly sensitive and use this personality trait to be more ...

We live in a science-driven world of charts and statistics, we listen to the hum of experts telling us the data from their fields of expertise. I grew up in the last half of the last century when those in the "know" were convinced we would be eating pills of compressed food balanced nutritionally with all our needs by now. We would be flying around in individual tubes controlled by power sources soon to be discovered. It was a heady time. We thought we could "cure" everything.

As people enter the world of music, there are certain things every musician struggles with. Some people are able to overcome these struggles more easily that others, but everyone faces these struggles. Knowing what these struggles are can help you prepare for them and overcome them more easily and quickly. So, what are these struggles?...nn 1. Not Knowing How To Practice nPractice makes perfect, right? No. Perfect practice makes perfect. If you practice something incorrectly,

What is a collage? (ko-lahj’)nnA collage is pasting or gluing papers or two-dimensional objects onto a surface. nnWhat is an assemblage?(AH-SEM-BLAHJ’)nn If you think of the word assembly the definition becomes somewhat clear. Assemblage is a combination of three-dimensional objects glued to a surface. . These objects can be anything organic or man-made. Scraps of wood, stones, old shoes, baked bean cans and a discarded baby buggy – or any of the other 84,000,000 items

There are two ways to improve the good luck / bad luck ratio in your life. One is to take steps to do those things that lead to more good luck. The other is to stop doing the things that cause bad luck. This lesson is about the latter. It is an examination of the actions, habits and thinking of ...

Thinkers relish the challenge and stimulation of brilliant games. They enjoy games for the pure thrill of exercising their minds and judgements in pursuit of victory. You can take pleasure in any number of great games. Here is a selection of recommended pastimes. Add them to your Christmas ...

Love is Metaphysical and it is the core of our personal development and spiritual evolution. Love reaches beyond our physical reality. Yes, love is a soul experience and when it is unconditional, its powers are far reaching. Love is Metaphysical because it has flow and frequency. One could say there is a Metaphysics to love. And that would be to let it flow and as it flow, it heals, restores, and rejuvenates. Love is the key to our personal and spiritual evolution because love shows us how to grow. Love itself is a universal and spiritual law.

1. If you're learning a piece that you find complex, learn each hand's part separately. Learn piano from one hand to the other for a much easier learning curve. Once you've mastered playing each hand separately, it will seem like you are playing without even thinking. This will make it much easier when you combine both hands to coordinate them both because you won't be trying to think about two separate processes at once time.nn2. Learn to play the piece before using the foot

Perfectionism can be a virtue in the pursuit of excellence and mastery, but it may also have a dark side, with unhealthy obsessions or chronic dissatisfaction getting in the way of creative imagination, healthy relationships and life satisfaction. Filmmaker Jerry Bruckheimer has been called "a relentless perfectionist who never allows a single detail to go by without notice." Martha Stewart calls herself "a maniacal perfectionist," and says "If I weren't, I wouldn't have this company. It's the best rap!" Psychologist Stephen A. Diamond, Ph.D.

Even if you are an experienced actor or other performer, you may still experience stage fright or insecurity. But there are effective ways to deal with anxiety so you can work with more power and creative satisfaction. The list of people who experience stage fright includes Kim Basinger; Barbra ...

If you are trapped by a reaction despite the clear fact that there is a better way to act, you are a victim of mental slavery. We all are. Every one of us sometimes find ourselves saying or doing things that we later regret, and wondering why. Ignorance can be a factor, of course. We all can make straight-out mistakes based on a lack of knowledge. But what we’re referring to here is those instances when we say, “I knew better than that,” or “I should have known better than that.”

To avoid being seen as too weird or different, and to fit in better with others, gifted children often learn to cover up their unusual abilities. As adults, many still follow a pattern of hiding. When she began directing in the forties, Ida Lupino sometimes claimed not to know the best way to ...

Don’t you just love snuggling up with a bag of potato chips as you catch some television? Watch a movie with someone you love as you pursue a bowl of ice cream. How about a huge sandwich, or a couple burgers and some French fries for lunch. While you may have liked these foods you have just witnessed the ugly in the diabetes diet plan. Sure there are uglier foods but this is a good place to start. nnI mean I used to thrive on this stuff all the time. (Thrive is an interesti

As we become more developed in our knowledge about channeling creative energy, we discover that creativity flows from two chakras in the body. One chakra from which creativity flows is the "Throat Chakra," but creativity also flows from the "Sacral Chakra"--the same chakra from which our sensuality flows. With this evidence, it is apparent that creativity is not only a mystical experience but also an experience that brings great ecstasy. Now to say that the flow of creativity and inspiration is a mystical and ecstatic experience may seem salacious; it seems salacious because it is.

To change your life, change your mind. Everything in your life is an expression of your mental diet. The three steps to change are: 1) Awareness, 2) Practice and 3) Curiosity. The articles that follow will outline the process and practices you will need to achieve the goal of a happier, more fulfilled life. When I was growing up I thought I was supposed to figure things out. It seemed as if that was what school and everything else I participated in was all about. Preparing myself to be able to figure things out.

I remember seeing that phrase "You must be present to win" in the rules of a raffle or something a long time ago. If you weren't there when they pulled your number out of the hat, well they pulled another number. Somehow that phrase has always stuck in my mind. "You must be present to win." I think that makes a lot of sense, really. As human beings, we create every moment of our lives. Most of the time, we just don't know it. We create unconsciously. We're not aware that we're creating anything. We often only think of the word create as it relates to art.

Perhaps I push too often, push too hard, am too unyielding with myself. Perhaps it is that I always look for the fault within first, despite my judgmental nature. Perhaps it is that I am harshest with the woman I see too rarely in the mirror, preferring the representative green reflection of ...

Making a transition in life can be difficult to accept and face head on. There aren't many people who enjoy the process of change or accepting a new reality in their existence. Whether you have made the decision yourself or someone has made it for you, these times can be full of unexpected trials and tribulations.

Sunglasses are mainly used in summer to protect the eyes. People are also using the sunglasses as fashion.nnYou can see many people uses different style of frame and the glasses of their choice. You must have to select the sunglasses taking some factors of health, safety and durability in the mind.nn Here are the few tips to select the sunglasses: nn1. The ultraviolet ray radiation is specially harms to our eyesight. They cause the big waterfall, the macular other diseases de

Our Personal Development Journey Self Realization Journey is a most amazing Journey we will ever embark on. It never ends and it is always successful because an invisible driver (our soul) directs the Journey. Our commitment to grow as spiritual beings is always beautifully rewarded.

There is a saying most of us have heard, “curiosity killed the cat, satisfaction brought him back.” Curiosity is one of the most valuable states of mind we can have. If we are curious we can be open to what is in the present moment. It’s when we get caught up in the past or the future that our emotions get hold of us and we ignore the present and therefore anything it may have to tell us.

When I was growing up everyone around me gave me suggestions for “what to do when…” I grew up. My friends and I wrote on our notebooks and in our jou als what we wanted, to do, to be, to have and to hold. We girls tried different names on with our “first” names, we got “married,” wore “big” clothes, generally did everything we could to avoid being who we were; little girls growing up.

The Body eavesdrops on the mind. What makes each of us so unique? We are always being told there is no one else like us. We are unique. How can that be? How can we believe this and why would we want to? We are community-driven beings, nurtured in common, educated in groups, labeled by the year we were born, what we accomplish in the world, our relationship to each other and to the work we do or don’t do. How can we each be so unique when we are driven by our nature to be together?

nnThe guitar is one of the most popular instruments in the world. It has been adapted to the native music of nearly everywhere that it’s been introduced. The music of the great classical composers has been adapted to it. Great works have been written for it. It has symbolized social change and upheaval.nnIt is also an instrument with a poorly systemized approach to playing it.nnA big reason for this lack of systemization is that it has always been, at least partially, an in

Have you ever turned on your computer and -- nothing! nada! Zero. Panic, because I make my living on the computer. So I call my computer expert and he appears at 10:00 a.m. Many calls to his supervisors throughout the day, with no solution. He promises to stay until the situation is resolved. I feel that anxious buzz in my stomach. My conscious mind warns me that negative stress is one of the major factors that influences my health and accelerates the march to fatal disease. I am determined to turn this into positive stress – the kind that promotes action and creative problem solving.

Different people will react to a given situation in different ways, and your reaction determines your behavioral style. These styles depend largely on how people approach a problem. Similarly, the way you interact with people and influence them is also significant. Other important factors ...

If you are like me, your mind must be searching for answers.rnWho could be the best among them all? It's a tough competition. Edword de Bono? Michael Michalko ? rnMay be Tony Buzan? You might have someone else in your mind. Like one of your teachers or a workshop leader.rnAs they say, there are no right or wrong answers. But in my view, It's not one of those highly googled gurus with a high page rank. rnIt's not one of those celebrated consultants and workshop leaders. The be

Glass can be cut into strips, geometric shapes, circles, ovals, curves and with a glass saw, almost any shape.nnSome Things to Keep in Mind n• Warm glass (glass at room temperature) cuts easier than cold glassn• Work surface needs to be flatn• Score on the smooth side of glass rather than on the textured siden• Hold glass cutter in a vertical position as you would a pen or penciln• Don’t use excessive pressure. Too deep of a score can result in a bad breakn• For

No matter how brilliant and invaluable your idea, it is worthless unless you can share it with others. For this reason, effective communication is crucial at every level of an organization. However, the ability to communicate effectively does not come easily to many people, and it is a skill ...

Taking on a new project, learning a new skill or trying something you’ve never done before often comes with it’s own set of obstacles, which are addressed in the book, 101 Reasons to be Yourself, as well as in the online course, No Regrets 101. What happens when you actually begin something, then ‘hit the wall’ before you finish? Hitting the wall can be a painful and deflating process that leaves dreams in the dust.

An Honest Look into a Mindfulness Journey from Ancient Europe's Perspective "Look at every path closely and deliberately, then ask ourselves this crucial question: Does this path have a heart? If it does, then the path is good. If it doesn't, it is of no use." Carlos Castaneda

Mindfulness exercises let you "tune in" to yourself. Distractions are let go, and your brain power is increased. The exercises help you think more clearly and concentrate better. The best news is that they are easier than you might think to learn. Easy Mindfulness Exercises Anytime you are ...

Many Small and Medium businesses (SMB's) struggle for a piece of the action in very competitive markets. They find it difficult to spend great amounts of money on advertising, yet fear being left behind if they don't. Public Relations can be a cheap or even free alternative to regular marketing and advertising efforts, sometimes producing even better results (since news items are considered more trustworthy than advertising).nnBelow I list some ideas to help you run creative

Can love be trained? How to open this amazing door to Happiness? True love, Personal Development and Happiness Now, maybe this will sound strange for some very young lovers, but the essence of this wonderful feeling, this joyful state of being is that Love can and must be trained. Happiness as a Way of Life

Divergent Thinking: Essence of Creativity Divergent thinking is essential for creativity. It is the ability to see lots of possible ways to interpret a question and lots of possible answers to it.

Even for those with high potential, making positive contributions to the world is not automatic or assured. Malcolm Gladwell and others describe some of the key aspects that affect how gifted and talented people realize their abilities Dr. Linda Silverman, director of the Gifted Child ...

Doing anything creative often brings up fears, anxieties, insecurities. Courage may be defined as going ahead in spite of fear. But many creators not only live with their fears, they welcome them. Fear is perhaps the most basic emotion we have. As Leonardo da Vinci reportedly said, "Fear arises ...

Next to your sewing machine, your iron is your most important piece of equipment for sewing.nnFor the best results with your sewing projects you should start every project by pressing the pieces of fabric to be cut, and then pressing in between every line sewn. This allows you to have good crisp edges, corners, and seam lines. It sets your stitches (this means the thread is blended in with the fabric instead of sitting on top of the fabric), flattens and smoothes any puckers,

Nowadays couples tend to search for really unique wedding invitations. There are also a number of wedding invitation designers who provide this service. Yet a couple may want to have their own idea and concept for designing the wedding invitation. A question follows this notion will be “Is there any formula to generate these ideas?” The answer is yes and no. There is no such formula in the view of design. However, there are some methodologies that we can follow to make a beau

Can you draw? nnnnYour answer to that question reveals a surprising namount about your brain and the way you integrate nyour right and left hemispheres. (In this article, the nleft side will be referred to as the dominant one, which nis by far the most likely scenario.)nnnnYou see, the left side of the brain excels at verbal, nanalytical, rational and logical tasks. It's the dominant nhalf. It takes over most of the time, using words to ndescribe and define, figuring things o

Copyright 2005 by William G. Covington, Jr. PhD Formal education emphasizes the left hemisphere of the brain, the part that processes information in a rational, logical way. However, in recent years, there has been increased interest in exploring the overlooked right hemisphere which houses the intuitive, creative activities. Some people have been so focused on the logical side that they have largely ignored the value of developing this less explored arena. It should be not

Line art illustrators in the UK use a method of drawing where the style involves working with lines, usually on a plain background. Rather than being complex, these drawings are straight, distinctively curved without any shading or colouring to create the two-dimensional or three-dimensional effect. Colours are used sometimes, although line art is invariably single colour. The emphasis is on form and lines over colours or shading and texture. The result is pure clean lines th

The “Dinzel Group”, integrated by Ignacio Lavalle Cobo, Monica Peri among others said: Psicotango is based in the universal value of the embrace, and in the gregarious ritual of the dance. The bodies that in movement are the royal pathway to the unconscious. The diseases are pictures of bruises of the deep psichysm. The emotions released and working into a protective frame connect us with the health. In his book, “Tango Terapia”, Federico Trossero said:

It is definitely time for change. You can feel it in the air. This recession is living proof. Lucky for me, I hit my own recession/depression about a year ago, giving me plenty of time to gather strength for what is happening now. Yes, I did say lucky. Ignoring my intuition, dreams and creative abilities in favor of a steady $24/hour paycheck in a soul-sucking workplace landed me in the dumps, which led to a powerful breakthrough. I am lucky because it happened then. Had it happened now, I don’t know if I would have had the courage to break loose and follow my dreams.

In the "9 Secrets to Successfully Teach Your Child to Sew", I discussed knowing your child's personality. The 4 questions were:n1. Is your child a perfectionist?n2. Do they get frustrated easily?n3. Do they like following specific directions, or do they like to invent things on their own?n4. Are they able to stay on task for a block of time, or do they learn in spurts?nnBefore we delve into the answers to these questions, it is important to remind you of the crucial point of

Success Skills and Future of Learning ‘You may give them your love but not your thoughts, For they have their own thoughts. You may house their bodies but not their souls, For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams. You may strive to be like them,

If you work in a large organization and are ambitious for career progression then here are a number of things that you can do to assist your journey. 1. Do your job well. I know that this is stating the obvious but it is the starting point. For promotion it is a necessary but not a sufficient requirement that you perform your current duties diligently. Many people think that this is all they need to do and that the rewards, recognition and promotion will follow. Corporate life is not ‘fair’ in this sense. Many people do great work and are passed over.

After a year and a half of homelessness in both Pennsylvania and Califo ia, I have been that friend going through hardships. What I appreciated most were the friends who listened actively and assisted directly without my having to ask. Those friends were few and far between, but I remain grateful for each one, and owe my current recovery to them ad infinitum. I am a direct witness to what steps and words of encouragement for a friend can help:

What causes bad luck? To begin with we have to admit that sometimes events are just random, or at least with causes beyond our ability to understand at the moment. Therefore even the luckiest person will have occasional "bad luck." On the other hand, it is unlikely that a person who is normally ...

Introducing Zen into a creativity brainstorming session provides stimulating discussions, invigorating stories, and compelling exercises. It is especially useful in shifting paradigms, redirecting the group’s thinking, and sharpening everyone’s focus. Although there are around 1,700 different ...

Dear Cristina, I read somewhere that the colors I like tell a lot about my personality and that certain colors can affect my moods. Is it true that you can you tell what a person is like when you see the colors they paint their home? Can color change the way I feel? J. Vigil It’s ...

The energy of the Creator/Destroyer is a very fierce face of the feminine, and one that is disowned for many women today. Yet her energy is celebrated in a number of cultures across the world. Kali and Durga from the Hindu tradition are great examples, as is Pele the volcano goddess for Hawaiians. In my women’s wisdom circle this month, we dove straight into the arms of Kali. With a necklace of skulls and hair that is matted and wild, she asks us “what stuck pattern have you

How do you choose the best meditation music? Baroque music is often recommended, and particular pieces may have the right number of beats-per-minute to alter your brainwaves. But more on that in a moment. The science isn't that settled in this area yet, and you may find that any music which you ...

Welcome to Creative Thinking With.... Your premier source for creativity techniques and idea generation from the great minds to stimulate your creative thinking.

Writing, Drawing, Storytelling, and Memoir. An inspiring way to learn and travel. Find new sources of inspiration, break through creative blocks, take pleasure in your imagination, give yourself the permission, time, and encouragement to do creative work

Multiple drug-free self-help products and programs to relieve social anxiety, phobias, stage fright, performance anxiety and other forms of anxiety.