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A New Approach
To Igniting And Sustaining Creativity NEW!
by Anne Paris, PhD
Mary squirmed in her chair as she continued, “I just don’t know what
is wrong with me. Why can’t I just do it? I feel stressed all the time
when I’m not writing. ‘I should be writing’, I say to myself, but I
don’t. I think, if I just get the laundry done, then I’ll be free to
sit down and write the next chapter. But then I don’t. Maybe I need to
exercise first, and I go for a run. I get back home, fully intending to
sit down at the computer. But I don’t. And all the while I’m feeling
bad and stressed about not writing. What is wrong with me? Maybe I’m
just lazy. Or maybe unconsciously I don’t really want to write. Or maybe
it just means that I’m not really cut out to be a writer. ‘Writers
write’, I tell myself.
Through thousands of
hours of psychotherapy with artists, I have found that most are quite
familiar with the experience of being artistically blocked, or of
procrastinating and avoiding their creative work. “If only I weren't so
distractible” or “I must not really want to succeed” are common
complaints I’ve heard. These blocks can lead to non-productivity as well
as to more serious problems such as depression and addictions.
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Intuitive Painting As A Spiritual
Practice NEW!
by Chris Zydel
People paint for a lot of different reasons. To relax, to express themselves , to create beauty and meaning, to make money, because they have a passion to create, to gain approval, to stay sane, to make sense of the world, to play and have fun. All of the above are wonderful and valid motivations to put a brush filled with color onto paper or canvas. But did you also know that there is a way to approach painting that can be used very effectively as a form of meditation and psycho spiritual practice?
This type of painting goes by many names. It has been called Process Painting, Intuitive Painting, Free Expression Painting, Soul Painting and Source
Painting. No matter what it is called, when you paint in this way your intention is to use the process of painting to connect with your inner life and to journey into the invisible worlds of soul and spirit.
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The Secret of
the Three “Only” Things NEW!
by Robert Moss
The great secret of
fulfilling our heart’s desires and living in joy and abundance is an open
secret. It is a power to be claimed as soon as we awaken to its
existence and adopt the tools and habits required to bring it through.
The lesser secret
involves the law of attraction: whatever we think or feel strongly, the
universe says yes. If we carry
around feelings of failure or dread, the world will give us lots of
reasons to feel those things. If we follow our creative passions and are
willing to make a leap of faith, the universe will support us and will
bring us resources and opportunities in magical ways.
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You
Are The Colors You Choose
by Elizabeth Harper
We all have our own fashion style, but did you realize your choice of
colors may actually reveal more about you than just your tastes or that
the colors you wear may even affect your moods?
It is now accepted that color can be used to stimulate or inhibit certain
behaviors. Advertising executives are well aware that a product can have a
completely different impact if the color of the packaging is changed.
Psychologists have found that certain colors in our immediate environment
can help us perform some tasks. For example, exercise is best performed in
an environment of warm colors, such as reds and oranges, whereas the
tranquil blues and greens are ideal for mental concentration.
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Balancing
Your Yin And Yang Energies With Color
by Mike Z. Wang
Have you ever wondered what feelings you have when you look at a bright
red rose in the garden? Can you imagine a garden that does not have
colorful flowers, but only green foliage? Early in the morning, when you
see a newly opened flower in your garden, your heart is filled with joy
and happiness. Each flower in the garden has a different color and hue
that affects you differently. While the white lily touches your soul for
its serenity, the red rose with its vibrant energy elicits a feeling of
love and passion. The feeling is different because the flower is
reflecting a different color and Feng Shui uses this natural magic of
colors to transform your life.
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____________________ Ten Roadblocks to Creative Success
by Jan Marie Dore
To stay competitive in the world of work today, you must use your
imagination and creativity. These innate gifts have the potential to give
us an edge in business and in life, yet we are often blocked and fail to
accomplish the projects we intend to.
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____________________ Accessing
Your Spiritual Guidance For Healing
by Margaret Paul
Everyone in a state of healing knows that they cannot heal without a
connection with their Higher Power; yet for many, this connection is
illusive. Still, it is the birthright of each of us to have a direct line
to God, whatever God is for you. Yet few of us have learned how to do
this, at least on a daily basis. Surprisingly however, it is not hard to
do.
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Gratitude:
The Secret Behind Creativity
by Nancy Marmolejo
When you think of being more creative, what comes to mind? Most people
think in terms of artistic skills, but creativity manifests itself in a
number of ways beyond the obvious. Picture creativity like a jet stream
that flows all around us: when we step up to the flow and dip our hands
in, we easily grab wonderful ideas, refreshed insights and innovative
actions. At times, things get in our way and we lose our contact
with the creative flow. We consider ourselves in a rut, not creative,
unproductive, dull.. There is a simple practice that magically
ignites the creative juices and brings joy to all parts of life. It takes
practice, commitment, and an open mind.
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The
Reincarnation Of Paul Gauguin?
by Michelle Moshay
Peter Teekamp is an artist and near-death experiencer living in Washington
state who accidentally discovered a drawing that might be worth millions
of dollars. He believes the drawing to be an original artwork by the
famous 19th century post-impressionist artist Paul Gauguin. He discovered
the drawing hanging on the wall of a restaurant which he visited by pure
chance. Coincidentally, Teekamp happened to be writing a book about
Gauguin at the time. Having studied Gauguin for many years, Teekamp knew a
Gauguin when he saw one. Eventually he bought the drawing from its owner
for $5,000. After further examination and an ugly court battle with its
previous owner, Teekamp gathered evidence to support the claim that it is
indeed an original Gauguin. Forensic experts are needed to prove the age
of the drawing and examine the evidence.
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6 Simple Steps To
Accelerating Your Learning
by Jake Sim
What is Accelerated learning?
Simply put, accelerated learning is the ability to absorb and understand
new information quickly, and also to be able to retain that information.
It involves the process of unleashing the abilities within us. Every one
of us learn differently. Accelerated learning calls upon us to learn
techniques of learning that exactly match our personal learning styles.
When we are learning in our preferred ways, learning becomes natural,
easier and faster. That's why it's called accelerated learning.
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Are You Starving Your Soul? Reclaiming
Your Creativity
by Edward Toupin
The soul is your compass, your battery,
your guide, your best friend, and your worst enemy. It is that little
voice in your head and that funny feeling in your stomach. The soul is the
wild roar for a victory and the deep sob for a loss. It is the tears
of anguish and excitement. It is everything that you could ever want to
be, but just don't know it yet. Your soul is your spirit to achieve,
and be, and live beyond the wildest dreams that are indeed within your
reach.
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Creativity: It's Only
Human!
by Melanie Votaw
When
I was in school, the class I dreaded most was my eighth grade art class.
The teacher put down my every attempt at completing an assignment. I
simply couldn’t produce art the way she wanted it. Luckily for me, I had
already proven myself in other creative areas besides the visual arts –
such as writing and dance. Yet, that art teacher was successful in
convincing me that I had no talent whatsoever for painting, drawing, or
anything remotely related to them. Imagine my surprise when years later, I
published my nature photography and became – of all things – a
volunteer art teacher!
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Using
Colors And
Stones With Meditation
by
Keith Zang
Meditation
is a very powerful tool to use for reducing and releasing the stress of
the day as well as for healing and bringing enlightenment into your being.
There are many methods for meditation. Some tap into mindfulness to bring
the present moment into focus. Others utilize the breath to create a sense
of timelessness by focusing on a single sensation or point and letting all
other distractions go. This article will be focused on another type of
meditation, that of the energetic healing form where the energies of the
body and surrounding life force energies are focused for dynamic and
accelerated healing.
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__________________ Meditation: Going Beyond Ego
Barriers
by Dr. Darryl Pokea
This author views meditation and relaxation as essential to healthy survival in our painfully chaotic, often insane world. The events of 911 and continuous re-generated fear of further terrorist attacks and multi-country world conflicts can be overwhelming for even the most mature adults. A mind congested by fear can easily slip into the habit of fragmented thoughts and loss of objectivity. The mind continually chattering in response to our deepest fears may become so loud, that it drowns out the gentle, calming whispers of our Creator's Spirit.
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Article
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Celestial Sounds And
Soul Songs: An Interview with Andrea
Arrowsmith
by Celeste
Allegrea Adams
Andrea Arrowsmith describes herself as neither a scholar, a philosopher,
nor a musicologist. The perspective that she holds on the music of the
spheres comes from her own personal experiences.
Although Andrea has been hearing impaired since birth, she hears the music
of the spheres, and plays it on her keyboards. She hears the music that
radiates from all things and can see angels reflecting the color of the
sounds they sing.
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The Half-Finished Painting
(not
just for artists)
by Robert Najemy
There is a spiritual truth which claims that everything which has occurred
and which is occurring at this moment was and is perfect. The future we do
not know. But once the future has become the present, then that too is
perfect.
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How To Write A Children's
Book In 30 Days Or Less!
by Caterina Christakos
The first time I attempted to write a
children's book it took me three months and several years of promising
myself I would do it "one day." In that time I managed to wash
the dog a million times, rearrange my closet, get my apartment so clean
that they should have done a commercial about it and procrastinate in ways
that gave the word a new name.
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The
Olson Interviews
Recommended Books
Click on the book links below to read more
about—or buy—the recommended book from Amazon.com (the Internet's
largest bookstore):
____________________
More
Articles & Education
Paul
McCartney Paintings
Wolfgang Suttner speaks with Paul
McCartney
by Paul McCartney
This text is based on eight interviews with
Paul McCartney that took place between September 1994 and December 1995.
Paul McCartney: Yes, one of the
things I realized with a lot of painters many years before I started
painting seriously was that they often didn't know what to paint and they
did a lot of soul-searching about what to paint, so I tried to find a few
tricks to get over this because I knew that if I just felt like painting,
I did not want to stand in front of a canvas for three hours worrying
about what it was going to be. If painting is to be fun for me, and for me
it was necessary for it to be fun, then I had to get some tricks. So I
heard things like de Kooning used to write his friend's name in charcoal
and then he would make a big abstract over that, but at least he had made
a mark, he'd started, and I met de Kooning quite often through the years.
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Sourcing
From The Divine
by Linda
Marks
So many of us as human beings yearn to do
God's work in the world. Each of us is born with unique gifts to give to
the world if only we can recognize them, develop them and build our lives
around their expression. Creativity is really sourcing from the divine and
grounding what we receive through our hearts, bodies and minds in some
medium that can hold and emanate an essence in physical form.
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How Intuitive Would You Like To Be ?
by Neal Ryder
[Using Art To Get In Touch With & Improve Your
Intuitive Ability]
How intuitive are you? Being more intuitive
is just a conscious decision to use more of the natural faculties we all
have. Intuition and logic are not separate as they are both functions of
the mind and operate better in harmony with each other. Like two strands
of rope or graceful dance partners, intuition and logic complement each
other. There is nothing mysterious, magical or mystical to being
intuitive, though using and acting upon our intuitions can lead to viewing
life as a mystical, magical journey.
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Talking Flute: An
interview with Rick Roberts, Native American Style Flute Maker and
Musician.
by Carol Bedrosian
As with most magical events in life, a
series of flirtations with synchronicity brought Rick Roberts to the door
of Spirit of Change. Two months ago. Just as I typed in the last
word for a classified ad seeking an office manager, the phone rings. It's
Linda Roberts, Rick's wife, inquiring about employment. "Does Spirit
of Change, by any chance, have any office positions open?" she
asks.
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Read Article
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A Journey In Song
by Lyndsey Watson
Almost eight years ago, now, I was sitting in my cubicle at Boston College
(where I had been working as a secretary for 3 years) preparing to seal an
envelope with my application to graduate school. I was at a point in my
life when I was beginning to think there had to be more to life than
getting up, going to a job, going home, going to sleep, only to start all
over again the next day. I was thinking I should take advantage of one of
my employee benefits--free tuition. My plan was to get my masters in
Elementary Education, a natural follow-up to my undergraduate degree in
the same area of study. Why not? It was "free"; it was a natural
progression; my father would be proud of me; it was the "normal"
thing to do. Yet I had never taught children in a classroom; I didn’t
even have the desire to do so. So why was I planning to spend more years
in school to learn better ways to do something I didn’t want to do?
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Article
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Sound, Music, & Medicine
by Julianna Souza, RN, HNC, HTP.
Recently I have been delighted to observe
an increased emphasis on music and sound as a medium for healing. Perhaps
because music has been an integral part of my life I am more keenly aware
of this phenomena. On occasions when I have felt my soul inspired by a
particularly beautiful piece of music, I have realized that I would
literally wither if music were not a part of my daily life. For me, music
assumes many forms and I am as deeply touched by the musical sounds of
nature as I am by a beautiful concerto.
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Aura-Soma, The Color
Therapy for Your Soul
by Katharina Wehrli
The holistic color system
called Aura-Soma combines the ancient traditions of color healing with
herbal extracts, essential oils, gem and crystal energies. It is a soul
therapy using light and color in working with the body and the human
energy field. Vicky Wall, an English apothecary and practicing therapist
for forty years was the founder of Aura-Soma. In her book 'The Miracle Of
Color Healing' she describes how this unique system came into existence
during the 1980's. Since then it has become very popular in many countries
in Europe such as England, Germany and Switzerland. While the Color
Academy in Tetford, England remains Aura-Soma's headquarters, courses are
being taught worldwide...
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Lightposts
For Living:
The Art of Choosing a Joyful Life
The Color of Joy:
Living in the Light of Abiding Happiness
by Thomas Kinkade
What color is a yellow chair?
For me as a painter, the answer is not
quite as simple as it sounds.
I learned long ago that the apparent color
of an object (the way it looks) is a very different thing from its
intrinsic color (the color it really is).
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Drawing
From Within: Unleashing Your Creative Potential
by Nick Meglin and Diane Meglin
When you are drawing from within, your
chief concerns should be what and why rather than how a drawing is done.
Therefore, you won't find much information in this book about media and
materials. Here, a pencil is a pencil is a pencil, and 2B or not 2B isn't
the question. Materials don't make drawings, artists do! Technique and
rendering have little to do with making a personal statement.
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