Creativity Articles

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 ...

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