I have long believed a little idle time can help us re-connect with what’s important and create a little room for new ideas to form and and old patterns to drop away. Disciplines like Yoga and Psychology refer to it as mindfulness where we actively focus our attention on the present so we may more wisely respond to our environment rather than react to it without much thought.
Finding ways to express yourself creatively has never seemed a problem for me and yet the ability to remain focused on a task some days….well, is oh such a tall order! Even though you may feel like avoiding work, sometimes doing just that can be beneficial.
“Every moment contains a spark of eternity”
– Elie Wiesel
Stealing a moment to explore your artistic skills is never wasted! While not all of us are artists, we are all creative. The very popular adult colour therapy books which are sold widely in the shops are a case in point. They allow everyone to sit down and be creative. The simple process of filling in colour between the lines like we did when we were kids offers a lovely distraction tool that relaxes our mind and unblocks the path to connecting with who we are and what makes us happy. The sheer enjoyment of creating without expectation of where it is going or when you might complete it is not only fun but, experts indicate it can help slow down our thoughts and even allow us to see things from another perspective.
For me, one of the best ways to do this is to doodle. It doesn’t require a lot of time and can be started in a moment. It may be the simple action of writing a word or a name or even drawing a squiggly line with your finger in the sand or on wet glass….once you start you are on your way to changing a thought and igniting those creative juices. If you are like me, you HAVE to add colour to this, even if it is a highlighter pen or two!
So next time you hit a mental roadblock and find yourself checking your phone, or social media, watching tv or doing a little online shopping (uh huh…cough), try picking up a pencil instead and begin to draw…you may just surprise yourself!
