Empowerment

You are Creative

Lynette M Burrows

Do you struggle with the idea that you are creative? Creativity isn’t about a single, brilliant, completely original idea. You are a human being, therefore you have the capacity to be creative. What is Creativity? Creative folk have a lot to say about that. What is Creativity If you doubt whether you are creative, you may need to be reminded what creativity is. These folks, from many walks of life, share their thoughts. Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. Steve Jobs Every new idea is just a mashup or a remix of one or more previous ideas. Austin Kleon Creativity is the power to connect the seemingly unconnected. William Plomer Creativity comes from a conflict of ideas. Donatella Versace Creativity is intelligence having fun. Albert Einstein Creativity is a continual surprise. Ray Bradbury Creativity is the greatest rebellion in existence. Osho Creativity is bound up in our ability to find new ways around old problems. Martin Seligman Creativity comes from trust. Trust your instincts. And never hope more than you work. Rita Mae Brown Creativity is not talent but […]

Will You Make It Fun?

Lynette M Burrows

Recently, I read a post about how constructive criticism can be destructive. In my experience, I know this to be true. I’m sure you’ve had the same experience. So why do you (I’m including me in this) continue to be your own worst enemies? Why are you your harshest judge? To fight your way free of the mental blocks (writer’s block for those doing nanowrimo). You know the ones that say housework is drudgery or the day job is soul sucking. Or something many of us are saying, 2020 is the worst year ever. It is, but… By telling yourselves over and over and over how bad things are, you reinforce the feelings that only bad things happen. For your sanity, you have to get past that. How? By having fun? What’s that you say? How can you make it fun when things are so bad?  If you obey all the rules you miss all the fun. Katharine Hepburn Unstructured Play Ms. Hepburn may have been talking about rules of acting or laws or life. But here, we’re talking about having fun, unstructured play. A playful attitude and a little bending of the rules that allows all sides to have […]

How to Spot Your Strength When You Feel Powerless

Lynette M Burrows

Last week I talked about finding your joy, especially in these crazy days of 2020. This week let’s talk about how to spot your strength when you feel powerless. There is lots of crappy stuff going on in 2020 that makes us feel helpless. But there are ways to take your power back. A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles. – Christopher Reeve Strength Can Be Learned You have power over your mind– not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength. – Marcus Aurelius Yes, it can. Like a kid learning to walk or to ride a bike, it’s not a one-and-done deal. The first step is to train yourself to recognize the things that make you feel helpless. These are your triggers. Once you recognize them, train yourself to avoid them or to respond to them differently. Sharpen Your Awareness There are certain images or words or places that trigger a feeling of helplessness. Knowing what these are, avoiding them when you feel vulnerable are one way to take back your control. Pay attention to your physical body. Do you feel shriveled up, closed, tight? Then […]