Your Universal Purpose

If there is a universal purpose we all share, it is to be who we are, not who we think we are.

When we are conscious of our desire to know more of who we are, we enable our essence to flow more ease~fully from the inside, out. We create the space to thrive, and rather than thinking this means a smooth-sailing and problem-free life, we gain the awareness {usually via direct experience, unexpected or otherwise} that being who we are and thriving, can and often does, push us out of our comfort zones. Right out.

We are pushed out of our comfort zones to be more of who we are. We might not always understand the why's and what-for's. But when we ask to be shown the gift in any experience, it reveals itself when we are ready, and when we need to know it. If you think you are ready and need to know it right now yet nothing is budging, you might like to ask yourself;
- What aspects of me are not ready?
- What message do these aspects have for me?
- What part of me does not want to know?
- What does this part wish to say?

When we are pushed out of our comfort zones we can let it block the flow of our essence or use the experience to bring more of our essence into our lives on all levels {physical, mental, emotional and spiritual}.

Moving beyond who we think we are {or ought to be} calls us to step up to something greater than where we are at. It asks us to be okay with not always being ready, with not always knowing everything we think we need to know. It invites us to let go of the details, step into the unknown and open ourselves up to the fullness of our ever-evolving truth.

Being who you {uniquely} are is a universal purpose that we collectively share. It will push you out of your comfort zones. Right out and into who you are, activating a deeper level of your personal purpose.

Your view. If you like this post click LIKE, add your comments below or on my Facebook Page.

Pass it on. Here is a ready-to-go prod for you to share on Facebook, Twitter + elsewhere on the web; Your universal purpose activates your personal one, http://ow.ly/hfP9K

Shine on, Jelena x

p.s. Kalvin reckons being who we think we are is a bit like taking a selfie from miles away. You know it's you in the picture even if you are as tiny as a dot. And when you are a dot it's kinda challenging to see your whole self. But when we open to being or knowing more of who we really are, Kalvin says it's like zooming in on ourselves. Right in on our face. Kalvin thinks this is brilliant. Because it means we can see every fabulous laugh line and maybe even up our nostrils. And Kalvin, being a piglet, loves nostrils. They make him snort, and he says there really is nothing like a good belly snort laugh to help you open up to even more of who you are.

© Copyright Jelena Mrkich 2013.

Permission is granted to share this post and images within it freely on the condition that the author is credited and this byline is included. Jelena Mrkich is an Artist, Art Therapist and Creative Catayst who is passionate about creativity as a tool for healing, transformation and self-awareness. For more info visit JelenaMrkich.com or for regular creative good things join her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

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Your Creativity is One Clever Cookie

Creative Nudge Fridays is here!

Welcome to nudge #9. We're getting into some sweet business. With a pinch of salt. 

The ways to nourish our blazing creative genius are infinite. Sometimes it asks us to get out tools like glue, scissors, paint brush, knitting needles, yoga mat, cd or djembe drum. Other times is calls us to get out our mixing bowl. And a spatula. Here is a nudge to encourage you to add a cup of conscious creativitea in your kitchen. It's a recipe. For baking a batch of homemade yum.

Lelicious Almond, Honey & Coconut Cookies
Makes approximately 24 cookies

Ingredients:
150g almond meal
150g plain flour
150g pure honey
80ml coconut oil
1 egg
1 teaspoons ground ginger powder *optional for a dash of subtle spice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch natural pink salt
handful of shredded or desiccated coconut

Method:
- Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Grease a baking tray with spray cooking oil or line with a baking sheet.
- In a mixing bowl add meal, flour, ginger powder (optional) and salt. Add honey, oil and vanilla extract. Whisk egg separately in a cup and pour into mixing bowl. Combine well.
- Use a teaspoon to scoop up the dough and roll into balls. Evenly space them on baking tray. Press each ball down flat using the back of a fork. *To prevent the fork sticking to the dough, dip the fork in warm water and tap dry on a tea towel.
- Sprinkle tops with a pinch of shredded or desiccated coconut.
- Place in oven for 12 mins or until golden.
- Let cool on a wire rack. And, enjoy!

To remind yourself that your blazing creative genius is one clever cookie, take a photo of your freshly baked batch, then use the pic as your screen saver or wallpaper on your phone or computer.

Your view. If you like this post, click LIKE or if you give the nudge a go, please let us know. Share a pic with us on my Facebook Page, or add your comments below. I'd love to see your baked creations! If you share your baked goodness on Twitter or Instagram, let's use the tag #creativenudgefridays so we can find you.

Pass it on. Here is a ready-to-go prod for you to share the nudge on Facebook, Twitter + elsewhere on the web; Your creativity is one clever cookie, http://ow.ly/h8Tld via @jelenamrkich #creativenudgefridays #recipe

Most of us spent time daily in the kitchen. Which makes it a brilliant place for daily creativity. Making edible creative goodness is nourishment for our being~ness, and it's even more nourishing when we get to share it with our loved ones.

May you always bake from your heART.

Create on, Jelena x

p.s. this recipe can be altered to suit your dietary requirements. If wheat flour is not for you, replace with almond meal (making the almond meal total 300g). Note, this will change the consistency of the cookies a little. Coconut oil can be found in your local heath food store, or can be replaced with melted butter.

© Copyright Jelena Mrkich 2013.

Permission is granted to share this post and images within it freely on the condition that the author is credited and this byline is included. Jelena Mrkich is an Artist, Art Therapist and Creative Catayst who is passionate about creativity as a tool for healing, transformation and self-awareness. For more info visit JelenaMrkich.com or for regular creative good things join her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

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There's an Angel in My Tea

"Do you have tea?", I asked the lady.
"Yes.", she replied.
I waited a moment to hear the selection, though no such details were forthcoming.
"What kind of tea?", I enquired.
"Hot tea.", she replied in a gentle and genuine tone.
"Perfect," I said, "I'll have that thanks.".

It was oolong loose leaf. And as I went to take a sip, I noticed there was an angel in my tea. I put the cup back down and took a moment to observe my minuscule visitor. The oolong angel spoke to me of being present.

Being present gifts our full presence to whatever we are doing, wherever we are at. It creates the space for being in sync with our whole self. 

Our ability to be present works in partnership with where we place our awareness and what we give our attention to. When our awareness and attention are somewhere else, we can be doing one thing but a part of us can be doing another. There are times when this can be super useful, such as when we need to multi-task. But there are other times where it causes us to miss the magic and power of the present. Such as; when we are resting, but our minds are racing; when someone is speaking with us, but we completely miss what they have said; or when we action a task in one moment and forget that we did in the next. Whether we feel too busy, stressed, distracted, disrupted or are in denial in any way - being elsewhere can cause our whole self {body, mind, emotions and spirit} to feel out of sync. And when we feel out of sync we can either sit in it or shift through it. Sitting in it can attract more experiences of out-of-sync~ness.

Each out-of-sync experience is an invitation to break-through the pattern. Because our natural state of being~ness gravitates toward wholeness, a whole self that is in sync on all levels. 

Bringing our awareness to the now and giving our attention to where we are really at, assists us to shift through out-of-sync~ness and realign with being present.

We all have moments of not being present. Though the more we are conscious of where our awareness and attention are at, the swifter and smoother the journey back to the present, our own presence and being in sync with our whole self.

Tea, anyone?

Your view. If you like this post click LIKE, add your comments below or on my Facebook Page.

Pass it on. Here is a ready-to-go prod for you to share on Facebook, Twitter + elsewhere on the web; There's an angel in my tea, http://ow.ly/h5Y8s

Sip on, Jelena x

p.s. Kalvin {lover of creativitea in all its forms, including the sipping kind}, nearly fell off the table from excitement when he realised there was an angel in my cup. He went to dive in and splash around but the tea was still a tad too hot for such shenanigans. Kalvin says that tea {like art and creativity} has fabulous benefits for our whole being. It can soothe the mind, calm emotions, help heal the body and it's delicious. He reckons the journey of life is a bit like a pot of tea. Sitting in the hot spots too long can result in bitterness. But gifting your whole presence to the experience of drinking it, opens you up to its fullest flavour, richness and sweetness.

© Copyright Jelena Mrkich 2013.

Permission is granted to share this post and images within it freely on the condition that the author is credited and this byline is included. Jelena Mrkich is an Artist, Art Therapist and Creative Catayst who is passionate about creativity as a tool for healing, transformation and self-awareness. For more info visit JelenaMrkich.com or for regular creative good things join her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

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It's All in Your Hands

Creative Nudge Fridays is here!

Welcome to nudge #8. It's all in your hands. 

Creativity can increase self-awareness. It can also help raise awareness within our local communities and within our family of humanity. I CAN WE CAN is a collaborative art project developed by A Window Between Worlds. It's about noticing what {you} CAN do to end interpersonal violence and abuse in all its forms (physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual). We all have a right to feel safe in our inner and outer worlds.

Here is a nudge to creatively contribute to a new vision of what is possible by looking at what {you} CAN do. Create an "I CAN" artwork. On your hand. Gather materials for your hand creation, such as; body paints, make-up, non-toxic paints, washable markers, words on paper (you can apply with water or water-based glue and a brush) or any other skin-friendly washable materials you like. This process can be done in 30 minutes or take as long as you wish.

Tune in to the possibility of a world without violence. Begin by asking yourself, 'Would I like to be part of creating positive change within humanity?'. Notice any resistance you have to this. Let any excuses or "I can'ts" to surface. Allow yourself to sit with this for a moment or you might like to journal it out. When you are ready, using your breath, consciously breathe out any "I can'ts".

Then, imagining that all is possible, ask yourself, 'What can I do?' and 'What do I think really makes a difference'? Allow yourself to sit with this for a moment or you might like to journal it out. When you are ready, take your creative materials and express out your I CAN creation using one of your hands as the canvas.

To remind yourself that when things feel out of hand, look to what your hands CAN do, take a photo of your hand creation, then use the pic as your screen saver or wallpaper on your phone or computer.

Your view. If you like this post, click LIKE or if you give the nudge a go, please let us know. Share a pic with us on my Facebook Page, or add your comments below. I'd love to see your creations! If you share your hand creation on Twitter or Instagram, let's use the tag #CreativeNudgeFridays so we can find you.

Pass it on. Here is a ready-to-go prod for you to share the nudge on Facebook, Twitter + elsewhere on the web; Creativity raises awareness. It's all in your hands, http://ow.ly/gWJ4g #CreativeNudgeFridays #ICANWECAN via @Art2EndDV #1billionrising

One creative action might sound like a little. How does a little of anything do much? Because positive change happens one I CAN at a time. Together it makes a movement. We CAN make anything possible.

Create on, Jelena x

p.s. this nudge was inspired by the I CAN self-led workshop. If you would like to be a part of the I CAN WE CAN community wall, add your I CAN hand creation here. I CAN WE CAN is a part of One Billion Rising, a global event on 14 February 2013 where one billion women and those who love them are being invited to walk out, dance, rise up and demand to end violence. In the words of Albert Einstein, "Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions." I imagine a world that holds gratitude, kindness and respect for all.

© Copyright Jelena Mrkich 2013.

Permission is granted to share this post and images within it freely on the condition that the author is credited and this byline is included. Jelena Mrkich is an Artist, Art Therapist and Creative Catayst who is passionate about creativity as a tool for healing, transformation and self-awareness. For more info visit JelenaMrkich.com or for regular creative good things join her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

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Shine On, Like the Moon

As beings of light even our shadow has the potential to shine. And when our shadow shines, our whole self illuminates. We are full. Like the Moon.

From Earth's perspective there are two sides of the Moon that make up its celestial self. The dark or far side, which is the side we never see (though it does actually see the Sun), and the near side which is the side we do see.

When Kindness Activates Itself, Bookmark It

Creative Nudge Fridays is here!

Welcome to nudge #7. We're creating super food for the soul aka kindness. And passing it on. 

Kindness is connecting, uplifting, life-enhancing and sets a cycle in motion for its energies to flow back to you, through you and into your life. It's free feel-good

Postscript to The Liquid Saltiness of Harmony

In this week's blog post The Liquid Saltiness of Harmony I wrote about how cultivating, maintaining and/or reconnecting to harmony can first make us sweat.

Here's a fresh example;

This morning I went outside to give my chickens leftover angel hair pasta for their breakfast. Only to notice two of the six chickens were missing. I looked inside the

The Liquid Saltiness of Harmony

You are a physical embodiment of your soul spark. Made up of stardust some say. 

Your light is made manifest into the visible world via your actions, thoughts, feelings, beliefs and what you hold in your energy fields. When you have awareness of and own your whole self - your body, mind, emotions and spirit

365 Acts of Creativity. Let's Do One.

Creative Nudge Fridays is here!

Welcome to nudge #6. The arrival of a new year is a brilliant time to begin new things. 

This week I've embarked on "365 acts of creativity", a creative exploration for my year ahead (details below). 3 down. 362 to go. This weekend join me on the

Your New~ness Emerges

From the old emerges the new.

Via positive changes, welcome shifts, unexpected upheavals, breakups, breakdowns and break-throughs, 2012 was a cosmically guided tour into our heart space. Inviting us to listen to the sometimes-not-so-quiet whispers of our soul's calling, visions, dream seeds and purpose. A bridge that carried us across