Move Your Inner Creativity, Out

Creative Nudge Fridays is here!

Welcome to nudge #26. We're moving our inner creativity, out!

What comes to mind when you think of the world 'creativity'? We each have our own definition of and connection to the word. Though in our busy inner and outer worlds we can feel like there's just not enough time for it. Yet that's what life is. An ah-mazing and ever-evolving act of creativity. Beyond the bounds of time, are you paying attention to the creativity within you or are you pushing it away?

Here is a nudge to amplify your awareness of your inner creativity and move it out into your life. Pay attention to how your inner creativity shows up for you this weekend and then, action it. Follow through in a way that feels life-enhancing for you. Your inner creativity is there to assist you in living the full expression of your highest self. It simply loves to create. It can show up as an inspired thought, an illuminated idea, an intuitive hunch or a spontaneous 'yes' to step out of your comfort zone. It can show up while you are taking a shower, driving, dancing or about to fall asleep (you might like to keep a pen and a notebook on your bedside table for such moments!).

However your inner creativity shows up for you in your life, pay attention to its blazing creative genius.

To remind yourself of your blazing creative genius is always with you, take a pic of your nudge in action, then use the pic as your screen saver or wallpaper on your phone or computer.

If you give the nudge a go, comment below or be a part of the conversation on my Facebook Page. If you share your nudge in action via Twitter or Instagram use the tag #creativenudgefridays so we can find you.

Create on, Jelena x

© Copyright Jelena Mrkich 2013.

Permission is granted to blog about this nudge or 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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Breathe in Joy

Creative Nudge Fridays is here!

Welcome to nudge #19. We're breathing in joy.

Living a life you enjoy happens in the now, whenever you feel or are open to finding the joy within you and in your life. Whether you have a busy outer world or a busy inner one, it's essential for wellness to give yourself permission to take time out for you. Even a little. Especially if you still feel 'on' whenever you try to switch 'off'. One simple way to do this is to appreciate mother nature. 'Always take time to smell the roses' is a well-known phrase about slowing down, noticing what is going on within you and enjoying the journey of your own life.

This nudge is an invitation to do just that. Smell a flower. Any flower.

Find a flower that calls you this weekend, whether in nature, on your everyday path or in a florist. Then, take a moment to put your nose to the petals and inhale its scent. As you breathe in, imagine it's tranquil essence reaching your every cell and filling you up with a wave of tranquility and joy. And as you breathe out, imagine the wave of tranquility and joy sweeping out anything you no longer need to hold on to.

A note, if you happen not to find a flower you can do this nudge quietly within. Close your eyes and imagine that you are holding your favourite flower, then follow the process above.

Taking a moment to connect with nature's beauty can help us connect deeper with our own inner beauty. Nature's beauty is living creativity. And every time you pause to breathe in the natural creativity around you, you expand the stream of conscious creativity that flows through you.

To remind yourself that appreciating nature is naturally nurturing to your whole self, take a photo of your flower, then use the pic as your screen saver or wallpaper on your phone or computer.

What colour or type of flower calls you right now?

If you give the nudge a go, comment below or be a part of the conversation on my Facebook Page. If you share your flower pics via Twitter or Instagram use the tag #creativenudgefridays so we can find you.

Create on, Jelena x

© Copyright Jelena Mrkich 2013.

Permission is granted to blog about this nudge or 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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You are a Meaning-Maker

For those of you who know my blog you know I love to share with you soul-nourishing creative good things and deliver self-empowering invitations via creativity and the written word to help you be more of who you really are. This week I felt guided to do that in the form of a more personal story.

I was searching for a particular tiny notebook I had bought in Milan, Italy after spending a month printmaking in Florence in 2006. I looked all through my studio, in my craft boxes, on my shelves, in my drawers and in the cupboards. It was nowhere to be found. So I took to my art supplies storage space under my house yesterday. I still didn't find it. Instead I did come across a stack of blank watercolour papers that had belonged to my mum, Miki Mrkich (1951-2002) . She was an artist, amongst many brilliant things, who allowed me to find my own way as an artist too. In the ten and a half years since she transitioned, these precious papers were still blank, waiting to be used for something fabulous. As soon as I saw them again, I knew what they had been waiting for. My 365 Acts of Creativity project. I'm already two months into it, creating in a beautiful red art journal. Yet I kept sensing that my project wanted to be in another format. Holding the watercolour papers in my hand I knew their purpose, to be the canvas for all 365 pieces. This means quite a few already completed pieces are going to go through a rebirth and transform as new creations. Quite apt really, for the Year of the Snake. Shedding layers to reveal new layers.

This afternoon I placed the papers on the lawn and lay down amongst them. Grateful that creativity - be it through art, craft, photographs, videos, music, voice recordings, hand-written notes, letters, postcards, poems, hand-painted plates, hand-knitted socks, hand-quilted blankets, hand-beaded jewellery, family recipes, hand-planted mulberry trees or any other creative imprints and expressions - gives form to our essence and when shared with others, allows a part of us to be with them in the present and in the physical when we pass on.

Some may say, 'But it's just blank paper, there's nothing on it.'. True. There is nothing on these papers. But they hold a lot. They were my mum's and as such hold a deep meaning to me. They mean the world to me.

As with anything we own, create or do ~ what touches us and can immeasurably shift us the most is the meaning that it holds or the meaning we give it. Whenever we wish to make or create anything for ourselves or another, it is an opportunity to create greater meaning in our life right now. From my soul to yours I say, "Get your create on!".

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; You are a meaning-maker, http://ow.ly/i5SV9 via @jelenamrkich

Shine on, Jelena x

p.s. Kalvin dove straight into the papers and hopped from one to the next imagining they were stepping stones. Kalvin says life is a journey of stepping stones. Some stones are more challenging than others to travel across. Each one carries its own experience, which can include; joy, sadness, laughter, tears, easeful~ness, frustration, clarity, confusion, expression, suppression, stillness, movement, wounds, healing, anxiety, liberation, grief, peace or gratitude. Each step holds value, purpose and meaning. Each step is what leads us to where we are. And when we acknowledge where we are at, we allow ourselves to be more of who we are. Kalvin says wherever you are at, express your brilliant self. It's beneficial for your whole self and your sense of wellness. And as a bonus, one day someone who loves you just might one say thank you for it too.

p.p.s. For details on my 365 Acts of Creativity project, see the postscript here.

© 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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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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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

The Possibility of Unexpected Goodness

Creative Nudge Fridays is here!

Welcome to the forth nudge. We're tuning in to the cycle of time to invite in the arrival and possibility of unexpected goodness. 

This is a three part process that checks in with the three aspects of time; "Then", "Now" and "Next". When we acknowledge and accept one aspect, we can shift the

Let Found Treasure Find You

Creative Nudge Fridays is here!

Welcome to the second nudge. We're going to let found treasure find us. 

Treasure is always on our path if we open up to seeing {and receiving} it. Treasures do not always show up in the packaging we expect, though it does not make the treasure any less a gift. When we allow ourselves to receive the little

You Were Born to Be {You}

There are an infinite amount of creative ways to express the truth of who you are. To quote Robert Benigni, I'm "full of joy like a watermelon" at the very thought. No matter how many mediums, methods and techniques I've explored, learned, tried, tested, forgotten about, remembered, played and worked with (130 and counting), there are more. An infinite amount of creative ways. Because we

A Love Note to Self, Transcript

This is the transcript of A Love Note to Self. Click here for the original video version + blog post.

Creative Nudge Fridays is Here!

Creative Nudge Fridays is here!

Welcome to the first nudge. We're going to start at the heart. It's where your expression of love - of who you are - begins. Most of us are familiar with living, being and investing enough into who we are not. This weekend, hold the space for who you are. You are energy dancing in form, a reality shaper {you create it!}

Sweet Creation! Be in the Now

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

Got Creativity? Use it.

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

a teaspoon of SpontaneiTea

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.

The truth is in your own heART

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?

a cup of CreativiTea

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.