Un-stick your writing

Do you like to write but feel stuck sometimes?  Why people write:  To share ideas, questions, feelings. To connect, collaborate, and explore. To unwind. To energize.  A couple ideas to encourage your creative spirits:

Choose from these word choices and write yourself a mini love poem- go ahead and piece it together however you'd like! I suggest 1 word from each line to start with.

I am....

INQUISITIVE   FUNNY   KIND

NOTICING   TRYING  BEING

TRUTHFUL   HEARTFELT   BRILLIANT

LEAPING  SLOWLY   MELTING   FIRE

SAVVY   INCREDIBLE   OVER-COMING

STRONG      CREATIVE    THE BEST

PERSON     FRIEND    SISTER    PARTNER....

Un-stick your writing potential! Here's a little encouragement to write something each day, if you simply love writing or want to explore how you might express your questions and feelings through the written word.

Needing a little spark to your day?

Ways to un-stick your writing flow:

-Get a notebook whose colour and texture you like

-Use a pen that feels good in your hand. Do you prefer fine point or something that evokes more freedom?

-Spend 5 minutes each morning and each evening with your notebook. Pick a cozy place in your home to write.

-Collect things that inspire you!  Find them on your daily travels- Postcards, flowers, stones, interesting found objects

Courage and clarity

Courage. Clarity of heart. Cultivation.  Qualities that help when life feels difficult or your heart is weighted down. 1.  Courage to stay open, when closing down feels safer. Courage to ask questions that don't have immediate answers.

2. Clarity on something that you care about. It might seem like a small thing today-such as having warm meals that make you feel cozy, or music that reminds you of a place you love.

3. Cultivating kindness for yourself by remembering  a person or animal that makes you smile.

There are discouraging days, complex situations to walk through, and spinning thoughts that fuel negativity or anxiety. Even through these times, can you see what you are gifted in doing as a person? Or being?

Wishing you courage to look within for the gifts that you bring to the world. To cultivate appreciation for yourself, no matter what the world might be saying. The word cultivate holds powerful meaning in its imagery of cultivating the earth, harvesting food that nourishes body and spirit.

“We must have perserverence and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something. ”  -Marie Curie

Looking inside

Quest. Inquire. Embrace. When watching a movie recently I was inspired by the main character's wisdom about journeying inside onself:

"Look not outside for the things you want. Look inside for what you have not yet unpacked" - from An Englishman in New York.  This notion of seeking to  more fully unpack the aspects of one's inner life strikes a chord for me. I am interested in the different angles from which one might explore their own opinions, values, dreams, questions. Entire days, weeks, years could be spent looking into the rich inner world of one person.  I am learning to become more mindful of what stirs my curiosity, what lights up my sense of joy, what avenues of questioning about life I might want to delve further into.  Of course it is very human that we seek new experiences and compelling, beautiful moments- they bring even more vibrancy to life and awaken us in marvelous ways! Yet can  we also carve out a space to simply embrace and appreciate what we do have in our everyday life, and to foster a kind of contentment around the ordinary-yet-spectacular things? To notice the Beauty of the Mundane. This is a concept that captures my attention!

How are you nurturing your inner journey? Do you write in a journal, send expressive letters to a good friend, play music, go for walks and ponder, paint a canvas, sit with a cup of tea and reflect, cook to revive your spirit......

A little inspiration to keep looking inside, however you may start the process.

What is an Expressive Art session?

You might be asking "What happens during an  Expressive Art session?"  Counseling with a unique twist. A holistic view of how the mind-body connection plays out in people's lives. The way I work is a blending of: Conversation about what is important to you. That might include something that has you feeling 'stuck' or lacking energy; conflict with your partner; or a health condition you're  doing your best to cope with. Encourgaement and tools to make discoveries that lead to positive life changes. For example, we might explore how carrying a lot of responsibility around can be approached in a different way.  Support for seeing a new perspective, or viewing life through fresh eyes.

How can this make a difference?  Presence * Conversation * Encouragement * Emotional Tools * Inspiration *  The gentle, attentive presence of someone who believes you can grow as a person is often uplifting to the spirits. 

With a supportive presence, Karyn encourages people to encounter fuller self-awareness, and to connect with themselves in meaningful ways.

 Notice your strengths. Honour your questions. You are worth it!  I look forward to interacting with you.

One of the best things you can do when the world is storming around you is to pause   -Mitch Thrower

A tree's ancient wisdom

I enjoy stopping by a few beloved trees in my neighbourhood. It's actually a necessity to visit them now and again! I feel their wisdom and sense of history, as though they hold many stories and release sage energy into the air from their branches, and the earth from their roots. The comfort tree: A solid maple that offers me steadfast company when life feels wavering. The connecting tree: The willow branches remind me of the fluid beauty of life, as it shifts and changes.  The calm tree: I have a couple of them.  It's where I go to ponder, when I need to breathe, release emotion and trust. The texture of the bark feels grounding.

I recently discovered Hermann Hesse's eloquent writing on trees.

Trees are sanctuaries. Whoever knows how to speak to them, whoever knows how to listen to them, can learn the truth. They do not preach learning and precepts, they preach, undeterred by particulars, the ancient law of life.

A tree says: A kernel is hidden in me, a spark, a thought, I am life from eternal life. The attempt and the risk that the eternal mother took with me is unique, unique the form and veins of my skin, unique the smallest play of leaves in my branches and the smallest scar on my bark. I was made to form and reveal the eternal in my smallest special detail.

A tree says: My strength is trust. I know nothing about my fathers, I know nothing about the thousand children that every year spring out of me. I live out the secret of my seed to the very end, and I care for nothing else. 

-Hermann Hesse

Where is your favourite tree, and why does it resonate with you?