a cup of CreativiTea

Earth Hour, Mandala Power

2011-03-26T19:50:00.017+11:00

It's lights off at 8.30pm tonight for Earth Hour, a global event to celebrate a worldwide commitment to protect our planet. Great reason to gift yourself some 'off' time too in order to check in with your inner world via the creation of an Earth Mandala. The word mandala is Sanskrit for both circle and centre, and sacred circles have been used as a meditation, focusing and ritual tool since ancient time. The Universe is a master mandala maker, creating natural mandala's throughout all of creation, from the cosmos to our very cells. An archetypal symbol of wholeness, protection and healing, psychologist Carl Jung worked with the mandala as a therapeutic tool to help make the unconscious conscious. Mandala making is a part of all my Classes & Workshops, and when appropriate it is often used during my one-on-one Soul Work Sessions to help hold safe all that is placed within its enclosed and contained space. Inspired by Earth Hour, here is a process I have created to help you make one wherever you are.

Earth Mandala:

You will need paper to draw on and a drawing tool like pencils, crayons or pastels. Draw a full size circle on your sheet of paper. This is where you will create your mandala. Sitting in a comfortable place, close your eyes and bring your awareness to your breath. Breathe in. Breathe out. Repeat 3 times. Allow your breath to relax your being. Now bring your awareness to your heart centre and take a few deep breaths from this space. Breathe in. Breathe out. Repeat 3 times. Imagine you can see planet Earth in front of you, with it's land masses and blue oceans. Imagine all the living beings that currently live on and with Earth. Imagine all the cycles, seasons and movements Earth experiences in one day. Breathe this is. Breathe this out. Ask yourself, "What does Earth mean to me?". Allow any words, shapes or images to come to mind. Sit with this for a few moments. Then, when you are ready slowly open your eyes and express this out within your circle, creating your own Earth Mandala.

p.s. As Kalvin likes to point out, flowers are one of Earth's natural mandala's. Yes, that's him in the centre of one. He said he's embodying my process. In order to do this he took a journey to the centre, literally, and just breathed. He said he felt wonderful and took a fancy to focusing on his breath and using it to help him be in his centre, that space where we simply be and we simply are. Kalvin tells me each new dawn is a daily invitation from Earth to be our true selves, to centre our being ~ to sit in our own mandala within.

p.p.s. Kalvin reminds me to tell you no worries if you don't create an Earth Mandala at precisely Earth Hour time, any hour is a good hour to create one!

© Copyright Jelena Mrkich 2011. Share

Jelena Mrkich is an Art Therapist & Workshop Facilitator, Intuitive Catalyst for Creative Transformation, Artist, Artisan & Designer. In-person sessions with Jelena are currently available on Sydney’s northern beaches. She also runs regular creative & empowering classes and workshops. For more info or to make a booking please visit www.jelenamrkich.com

Sweet Creation! Be in the Now

2010-08-19T12:47:00.008+10:00

Creative expression is an opportunity to be present in the moment, to release what you no longer need and lift the veils of doubt and fear. To create is to be in the now, its energy allows you to experience, integrate and embody who you really are. It creates the space for you to access and express your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual bodies, paving the way for abundant benefits to your mind, body, soul and emotions. It enables and aids you to; get in touch with your intuition, inner wisdom and guidance; gain greater clarity, understanding and compassion within; remember how to play, imagine and reinvent the self; uncover and access your inner and outer resources; strengthen your coping mechanisms; explore what lies within in order to bring out and activate your highest and greatest potential; experience greater balance, alignment and joy within; enter into a space of healing and transformation; develop a deeper sense of connectedness, wholeness and meaning; reduce stress and anxiety and feel more relaxed, refreshed and rejuvenated; enhance your self confidence and esteem and expand your sense of freedom as you go beyond your mask of everyday living.

The benefits are abundant. Drawing upon creativity and expression via creative elements, pursuits and explorations allows the essence of creation to stream through you. Its flow is like a river of light. The more light that pours through your being the lighter your being feels. Shine it from the inside, out.

p.s. Kalvin says if you think this is magical that's because it is. He reminds me we are living within an ever-expanding abundant Universe within Cosmic Creation. We are created from its creative life impulse. We breathe in its essence on average 28,800 times a day (it's a bit more than that for Kalvin as he happily points out piglets breathe faster than humans). Our cells, each atom and every molecule in our being is a part of creation. When we allow ourselves to enter the space of conscious creation we are aware, connected and attuned. Kalvin says from this place we can access, express and claim our authenticity, and enable and empower the self to maneuver from here to there, to live the life we were born to create. Kalvin thinks that's magical. But he says there's no need to wait for magic or until pigs can fly to be creative. He reckons this week is a good a week as any to enter the realm of creativity and connect deeper to your creative self. He dares 'ya.

p.p.s. Kalvin says if you are unsure where to start, ask yourself, what creative things did I love doing as a kid? He says our inner child is one smart cookie.

p.p.p.s. during the photo shoot Kalvin munched through a few Coconut & Crunchie Cookies, he insisted it would make the shot more authentic. To bake your own batch, follow this Lelicious Recipe.

© Copyright Jelena Mrkich 2010. Share

Jelena Mrkich is an Artist, Artisan, Transpersonal Art Therapist, Workshop Facilitator & Energy Intuitive. In-person sessions with Jelena are currently available on Sydney’s northern beaches. She also runs regular creative & empowering classes and workshops. For more info or to make a booking please visit www.jelenamrkich.com

Flutterbys, Stars & Creative Transformations

2010-03-29T16:10:00.004+11:00

In the words of Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900), "You need chaos in your soul to give birth to a dancing star". If we hold the chaos, rather than hold on to it, we create the space for its creative transformation.

To hold a thing is about creating a safe space for it to be, allowing it to open up to what it needs to become. This safe space may be an imaginal one you meditate upon, an attitude you embody or a literal vessel that you find or create. To hold on to a thing limits its growth and potential. Without room to be what it is, its ability to share lessons and gems with you is stifled. When things are held, such as emotions, dreams and creative thoughts, this acknowledgment helps them grow and transform into what they are meant to become. With the things you would rather not hold or hold on to, it may be time to let it go, to release it back to the Universe or perhaps give the following exercise a go; Find a stone or shell by the water. Imagine it is the thing you want to let go. Set an intention of what this stone or shell is representing. Allow the stone or shell to embody this energy. Speaking directly to the stone or shell, say what you need to say to this thing that you want to let go. Then when you are ready, open your eyes and toss the stone or shell back into the water. In essence, letting go of a thing is also a transformative experience.

From stars to starfish, everything in life has a pulsating life force. Chaotic or not, when we give things room to breathe, transformations beyond our imaginations and expectations are possible.

p.s. Kalvin was so excited during the making of this college, he tripped over the chair and landed inside the golden box. He admits he did panic for a second, after all it was a bit dark in there and it can be a slightly startling to land somewhere unexpected. The more he tried to hold on to the box and climb up it, the more he slid down. So he stopped, closed his eyes and breathed. When he opened his eyes, he looked up and noticed all the butterflies and birds above him. At that moment one flew down, picked him up and placed him safe on the ground. Kalvin wondered how many times are answers, help and guidance right there, but when we are too busy holding on, we just can't see it. He says when we give things room to be, and space to breathe (including our own selves), we automatically enter a space of letting go from holding on ~ creating the space for creative transformations, highest potentials and dancing stars to birth.

© Copyright Jelena Mrkich 2010.

Jelena Mrkich is an Artist, Art Therapist, Designer, Creative Constultant & Energy Intuitive. In-person sessions with Jelena are currently available on Sydney’s northern beaches. She also runs regular creative & empowering classes and workshops. For more info or to make a booking please visit www.jelenamrkich.com

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Got Creativity? Use it.

2010-03-24T17:27:00.035+11:00

There I was in the garden collecting zucchini flowers for eating when I had an a-ha! moment. Picking ripe flowers continues to birth new ones on a consistent basis. But when left unpicked, creates a limited supply that become over ripe and when past their use-by-date eventually wilt. The amount of flowers that blossom doubles when the ripe ones are regularly picked. The same occurs for the rest of the garden, from the basil and coriander to the rocket and bok choy. Nature contains a system that allows resources to rejuvenate and birth plentiful ‘fruit’ when nurtured and made use of in balance.Ignore, neglect or over-use a resource and it blocks it from achieving its full potential, becomes hidden under gathering weeds or exhausted from excessive use. This natural system is alive and around us every day. Many of us are familiar with this cycle when it comes to physical activity. When we maintain a balanced form of exercise in our life the more energy we gain and the greater motivation we have to keep on going. Pause for too long and it can be challenging to start up again. The same too with creativity, the act of tapping into it and using it simultaneously allows the self to simply be more creative and open up to its transformative, nourishing flow.

Resources in life, edible or otherwise, help sustain, fuel and maintain our well being. When used in a positive and balanced way they allow for fresh growth and abundance - opening the way for healthier pickings, tastier morsels and a more fruitful life.

p.s. Kalvin says that even when our creativity (or a zucchini flower) is pushed aside, paused, forgotten or neglected, a resource by its very nature contains within it the opportunity for renewed growth. The moment we give it a delicious drink of water aka more attention and use it, the healthier the plant, aka self. He would also like to mention, if you feel a plant or resource is too wilted for renewed growth, roll up those selves, pull out the weeds and plant a new packet of seeds. The way he sees it, life loves to birth life, and with it new growth is always possible. Whether you make use of your resources, are in need of replenishing hidden ones that have previously nourished you or want to plant a fresh batch - Kalvin tells me all nourishing resources love it when made use of and consciously included in our daily lives. Oh and he was quite chuffed that he actually fit into that flower, he reckons he looks like a goldfish.

© Copyright Jelena Mrkich 2010.

Jelena Mrkich is an Artist, Art Therapist, Designer, Creative Constultant & Energy Intuitive. In-person sessions with Jelena are currently available on Sydney’s northern beaches. She also runs regular creative & empowering classes and workshops. For more info or to make a booking please visit www.jelenamrkich.com

a teaspoon of SpontaneiTea

2010-02-26T16:54:00.020+11:00

I finished my morning meditation, opened my eyes and spotted a surfer bobbing around on his board, searching for a wave. Suddenly he layed down on his board, flat on his back. He seemed calm, free and unbothered about water he had been so intent on watching. Minutes later he shot up, caught sight of a potential wave, got on it and rode it in.

It reminded me of a lesson a copywriting teacher taught me years ago about the creative process. To birth out a good idea, gather info, do research and immerse yourself into it. During this stage, while your mind is soaking it all up, a change in gear happens.
You might feel like giving up, or a block might surface or you may have got hold of an idea but are yet to lock it in. Then, procrastinate. Drop what you are doing (if you try push through it most often the body will steer you to pause, like in the form of distraction, such as suddenly wanting to check the weather or log into your facebook). Be spontaneous, do anything but work on your project. While it may seem like you are doing bubkas on your project, your subconscious will be using this time to churn over and digest what has been ingested. When bam! Out will birth your brilliant idea.

Whether this process takes months or minutes, when we create the space for rest and pause, eventually you will find yourself riding to the shore.

p.s. I was drinking a cup of coffee while pondering on this entry. Meanwhile Kalvin was trying to figure out how to get in the cup, he is after all partial to a hot delicious beverage. He tells me he’d been jumping and jumping, trying all sorts of ways to get inside. Then unbeknownst to me he sat in the teaspoon, feeling somewhat deflated and a bit defeated. When bam! I picked up the spoon, stirred my coffee and looked up to find a lil’ piglet surfing in the froth. I plucked him out as he was telling me how he just embodied the creative process. He thought this was hilarious and had a big snort laugh. He says how pig-cular that right when we surrender, that exact moment is an opportunity to detach from expectations, fears and doubts. Creating an opening for that which needs to flow in, be it a wave, an innovative idea or a soy flat white.

© Copyright Jelena Mrkich 2010.

Jelena Mrkich is an Artist, Art Therapist, Designer, Creative Constultant & Energy Intuitive. In-person sessions with Jelena are currently available on Sydney’s northern beaches. She also runs regular creative & empowering classes and workshops. For more info or to make a booking please visit www.jelenamrkich.com

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The truth is in your own heART

2010-02-25T11:37:00.007+11:00

Creativity is a transformative energy, it can help you with where you are at, if you are willing to be present to it, and open you up to what is there for you right now. Transpersonal art therapy consciously works with this to assist you to live a more authentic life. But what exactly is art therapy?

Art therapy is a creative expansion and transformational exploration of who you really are. It involves empowering techniques, creative processes and a client centred approach to assist you in peeling away the proverbial onion skin layers to uncover and access your true self.
Holistic, healing and therapeutic, art therapy utilises art and creativity as tools for expression not impression. The transpersonal aspect looks beyond the mask. It is soul work and a path toward self realisation. Tapping into an abundant pool of creative elements including painting, journalling, myth, storytelling, dreams, meditation, drumming, dance, ritual and more, art therapy it is not about creating a professional masterpiece, it is about expressing from your authentic self, from your heart centre.

Whether you are contemplating life choices, embarking on a new path, in the middle of a crisis or wanting to get to know yourself better – transpersonal art therapy meets you to assist you where you are at, wherever that may be.

Is it true? The truth is in your own heart.

p.s. that's a heart I handmade from clay. While taking the pic Kalvin jumped in. He loves to get in-volved in the moment. He reckons what better way than to sit in it. Right in the heart of it. Sure, this is fabulous when ‘it’ is a clay object with a curvy crevice to park your tukkas. But when it's a piece of chocolate cake, well, I keep telling him lil' chocolate hoof prints all over the place takes forever to clean. As he was saying, when creativity flows from our heart space, inner shifts, self healing and magical things can happen. He reminds me it definitely helps when the heart is open to travel into known and unknown spaces and places of the self. He says, what if everyone took ten minutes every morning to consciously sit in it, right in their heart?

© Copyright Jelena Mrkich 2010.

Jelena Mrkich is an Artist, Art Therapist, Designer, Creative Constultant & Energy Intuitive. In-person sessions with Jelena are currently available on Sydney’s northern beaches. She also runs regular creative & empowering classes and workshops. For more info or to make a booking please visit www.jelenamrkich.com

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a cup of CreativiTea

2010-02-22T23:04:00.008+11:00

I love my morning soy chai. It has become a ritual that marks the beginning of my day, no matter what the weather. Stormy, cold, blue skies or humid, I like to have my tea. Much like art and creativity for me, no matter what my inner weather. Joyful, refreshed, hesitant or frustrated, I tap into the creative realm daily. It is not so much what I do. It's the movement behind it, what's going on behind the scenes that is nourishing to the self. Creativity is motion, an energy that stretches the imagination - immersing in its process of transformation and transmutation is a fuel to maneuver one's self beyond one's own boundaries. It is a tool of opportunity to uncover greater realms of truth, love and joy within.

This space is for exactly that, to go beyond the surface, to live a more authentic life via creative expression. Here you will find art therapy information and articles, creative tools and musings, artistic good things and inspiration to explore and express who you really are. In this very moment, wherever you are at in your life journey, thanks for dropping in.

May you enjoy a cup of CreativiTea. Good things for your soul. Brewed fresh.

p.s. who's the lil' pink piglet? Meet Kalvin. He was made to sit on the top of pencils, but he much prefers life at ground level and well, quite frankly it's a bit uncomfortable to sit on a pencil all day. He is a lucky piglet for me, so I like to take him places. Kalvin enjoys adventures, car rides, pistachios, cupfuls of creativiTEA and is quite the curious cat, er pig (as a result he has gone missing in action on more than one occasion). That's him in the pic checking out what kind of tea I'm drinking today. He likes to know. He's an advocate of imagination, play and having an oink of a time. He insists these creative energies are essential ingredients in life that can assist our personal journey's way after kindergarten. A special shout out to his brother Kevin Just-call-me-Mr-Pig Bacon, not the American Actor, but the crazy fabulous piglet currently living in London as part of a round-the-world trip he has embarked on with his pal Owlie. We hope they launch a blog soon cause those two are a hoot.

© Copyright Jelena Mrkich 2010.

Jelena Mrkich is an Artist, Art Therapist, Designer, Creative Constultant & Energy Intuitive. In-person sessions with Jelena are currently available on Sydney’s northern beaches. She also runs regular creative & empowering classes and workshops. For more info or to make a booking please visit www.jelenamrkich.com

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