by susrene@gmail.com | Apr 18, 2017 | Ten Minute Tuesday, writers, writing
We all have at least one in our head. One critic that doesn’t shut up. He or She is the critic in the stands that Brene’ Brown often refers too. They aren’t supposed to matter because they do not get down in the arena with you. They don’t wrestle with the world and come up dirty. This critic tries to stay above it all. Always criticizing but never trying. Since this is National Letter Writing month let’s write a letter to this critic, Tell this critic what you think of them. See who they are clearly in your mind. Man or woman? Insolent child? Think of this letter as standing up and addressing them directly. If they are a critic that is not willing to get down in the mire with you, do you fire them? Send them on vacation for a while? What do you want to say? I once wrote a letter to this critic firing them. He was a cranky old man in my head. One who was never happy with anything at all. It didn’t matter how good something was, HE did not like it. So I fired him. Now, I will warn you, since firing him, he does not come around as often, though a couple of new ones took his place. But everyone once in a while the cranky old man slips past my defenses and into my head once again like an employee who never gets the hint that he is doing terrible at his job. So I have to fire him again. Here is my letter to the critic in my head and how I fired him.
Dear Critic in the Stands,
I’m letting you go.
I’m saying good-bye to your harsh tones and your sandpaper words
that scrape away
the soft parts of my heart.
I’m turning away from you,
and
Leaving you standing with your arms crossed and
frown lines on your face
while tapping your foot.
This relationship is not working for me.
I do not enjoy having you shred my skin away,
expose the broken bones beneath
while you are up in the stands, keeping your hands clean
and your bones safe.
I have made my list of the ones who matter,
tucked it in my pocket… the loved ones who get down in the mud with me.
So, I will tell you again.
I’m letting you go.
I’m saying good-bye.
Please leave the arena now,
you are fired.
Sincerely,
Susan
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by The Creating Room | May 31, 2016 | creativity, Ten Minute Tuesday
Instead of a ten minute exercise today, I am giving some quick ideas that you can do in a five minute break. If all you have is a ten minute break, then you might only have just five minutes to do something creative or to play. Here are four great go-to ideas for a five minute play break.
- Play Dough: I keep a small container of play dough around for goofing around with. Sometimes if my anxiety is high or I am stressed this little ball of dough is perfect for squeezing and stretching and oozing through fingers. Since it is such a tactile play tool, it really helps when I have limited time.
- Watercolors: Easy to set up and easy to use. You don’t need a lot of space, money or materials to paint a quick sunrise or the ocean. Sometimes it is just as relaxing to simple play and swirl the colors around on the page, creating an abstract of some sort. I have done that and turned into backgrounds for taking pictures of affirmations and such.
- Coloring: Adult coloring books are all the rage right now. Get on board. You can even pick them up at most dollar stores now. You can even free coloring pages online. Go to Pinterest and type in coloring pages. Oodles of links will pop up. Get your Color On!
- Building Blocks, Legos: If you don’t have access to these things because you are a grown-up, after all, then build with what you do have. Just make sure it’s play. My friends’ son likes to use miscellaneous things to build like pen boxes, books, keys or just what he has on hand to build with. There is something about blocks and legos that remind us we have amazing imaginations. If you do have them, what can you build in 5 minutes? Can you use all the blocks?
Here you go, four really simple creative play tools that you can do in just five minutes. Have a grand Tuesday! Don’t forget to play!
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by The Creating Room | Sep 29, 2015 | Ten Minute Tuesday
I have written previously about how to stop your Creativity sucking monsters.They can sneaky, distracting little creatures that keep us from doing our choice of creative work. For myself, it doesn’t seem to matter if I am writing or doing photography or making pendants, I seem to run into the same monsters time and time again.
For today’s ten minute exercise, I want you to play with paints, pens, pom poms…whatever creative or artsy materials inspire you. I want you to make a Creativity Sucking Monster Poster. Get to know them. Learn their habits. What do they look like? Sound like? Get to know them intimately. That way when they come knocking on your creative brain, then you will recognize them and be ready to defeat the ones right in front of you. Just remember, sometimes they create a full coordinated attack, and as soon as one is down, another is up. Just keep reminding them where they belong. As with all things, monsters have their place, and sometimes we may even sweet talk them out to play when we need them but for todays task, Just recognize them.
Here is how I did mine in three steps. Getting to know them revealed that some did not look like I suspected. My nemesis of “are you sure it’s good enough” monster, looks sweet and innocent, and sounds all sing song, but really the message she is sending is very negative. It reminds me that sometimes what comes out looking like a “voice of reason” may really be a monster trying to sabotage my creative efforts.
I began by using a mix of watercolor paints and stamp pads, my fingers and one monster was created with a paintbrush.
Then I added googly eyes and cut up pom poms to make hair.
The orange and blue one or the “twins” of cleaning and children. The little pink one is my nemesis, “Good Enough”. The big red one of avoidance, black of no sleep, blue for the little boy, and the orange of having fun with friends and procrastination.
What do your monsters look like? I would love to see. Share on my Facebook page.
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Hello Everyone! I’m Susan: a Writer, Speaker, Coach and Creator.
Creativity and I have been friends since I was a kid. I was always involved in a creative project…from putting together neighborhood skits and plays, writing stories, dance, theater. I loved to play with my creative side from painting, photography, to writing... 