Be Kind to Your Mind

Our thoughts are impressive. They make an impression on how we feel, what we do and how centred we are within our being at any given time. Where our mind goes, it creates a groove that invites our whole self to move in that direction. When we think life is always blessing us - our energy, emotions and actions tend to draw more blessings to us. When we think everything is going against us - our energy, emotions and actions tend to, well, make everything go against us.

When we think enough similar vibrational thoughts (be they calm-grounded-grateful, inspired-kind-mindful or chaotic-overwhelmed-suffering), it's like the mind sends out a memo to your team-of-you, that reads, "Heads up team! This is where we are going now! Let's align!". 

It takes a lot to keep your inner world in the state that it's in. Enter your team-of-you. It consists of all your inner aspects, from the unsure self to the assured self and every other self in between. To check in with the state of your team-of-you, observe your thoughts. Are they self-loving, supporting and encouraging? Are they helping you to move forward on your highest path? Are they impassive or reactive? In harmony or arguing? Peaceful or frustrated? Growing and flowing or stuck in an old pattern that's on replay? Too busy being busy they've pushed aside your dreams and desires? Where your thoughts are at informs you on the state of your team-of-you aka your whole self. Your team-of-you doesn't judge your choice of thoughts (conscious or subconscious), it receives them as your focus point and draws more of the same to you.

If you love the way you think, brilliant. If you desire to transform the goings-on in your mind, it's possible if you think it is.

To think the way we desire we need to break through old thought patterns. To fight, deny or dismiss them can turn up their volume. Instead thank them. Love them. For they have brought you to here. If it resonates with you ask them what message they have for you. So often old ways and modes of being, including old thought patterns want to be seen before they can move on. Acknowledgment is a powerful key for unlocking the energy of transformation.

Let any old thought patterns know; I see you, I hear you and I now let you go.

As the energies of this weeks Full Moon reminds us, when the mind is at ease it steps into its highest role of being a positive ally to our deep inner knowing.

Wherever you are at in your life journey right now, be kind to your mind. To think is to imprint. May you think the way you desire.

I'd love to hear from you. In what ways are you kind to your mind? Add your comments below or be a part of the conversation on my Facebook Page.

Shine on, Jelena x

© 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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Up Your Inner Bliss

What if you knew that pleasure, as a way of being, was seeking you right now. Would you answer its call to lighten up? Would you seize the opportunity to expand your joy? Would you accept its invitation to be more playful with who you are? Or would you press pause, take a ticket and push it aside for later?

Pleasure is expansive, soul-nourishing and boundless. It is readily available to us in each moment. But how ready are we really to be present to it, and to accept it?

Every experience of sheer joy need not be off-the-richter scale states of euphoria. True inner joy is cultivated one happiness at a time, no matter the intensity. Yet how we respond to pleasure on one level informs us a great deal about how we respond to pleasure on any level. Let's consider for a moment one of the most intense points of physical pleasure aka the "big O". It is interesting to note men have little challenge experiencing this. On the other hand, according to Planned Parenthood statistics, at least one in three women have issue in this department. Our culture calls it "Female sexual dysfunction (FSD)". The very word 'dysfunction' suggests that in fact intense states of pleasure are a natural part of female functioning. Others say women just aren't built 'that way'. As George's dad in an episode of Seinfield says to Elaine, "What the hell does that mean?". She responds, "That means whatever the hell you want it to mean!". 

So, what might really be going on beneath the surface of such an imbalance within humanity? Regardless of gender we each hold masculine and feminine aspects within. Our divine masculine makes no excuses for immersing in fun on all levels and is more au fait with meeting its own needs of pleasure, including but not exclusive to sexual pleasure. Our divine feminine however, has been placing the pleasure of others (including the inner masculine) above the needs of her own pleasure, also including but not exclusive to sexual pleasure. We are living in a time where this is shifting. The divine feminine is awakening on an individual and collective level. The more we surrender to this awakening within our own selves, the more we awaken to its positively powerful ability to transform our lives, our relationships and our outer world.

Adept at self bliss, our divine masculine is now ready to expand its definition of pleasure to include the embodiment of heart-based love. Experienced with heart-based love, in particular expressed toward others, our divine feminine is now ready to expand its definition of pleasure to include her own bliss.

Inner bliss is a vital part of the full expression of who we are. Every little morsel of joy matters.

I'd love to hear from you. In what ways do you pursue or push aside your inner bliss? This question can also be used as a journal prompt! Add your comments below or be a part of the conversation on my Facebook Page.

Shine on, Jelena x

p.s. Kalvin says when we surrender to bliss~fullness on any level, it helps us surrender to bliss~fullness on all levels. Pleasure can show up in an abundance of ways depending upon where you are at in your life right now. It might show up as a smile in your eyes, in being present in the moment when immersed in play or in greater actioning of what feels good for the highest vision of your life. Kalvin says pleasure as a way of being is seeking you right now. To help you up your inner bliss here is a pleasure activating affirmation; "I breathe with pleasure. I allow pleasure to flow through me. I open to the pleasure in my life right now."

© 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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You Can Hold Mountains

You can hold mountains, metaphorically speaking. The climb-up-the-healing-shadow-side one-step-at-a-time mountains you conquer and celebrate from within. We conquer what we think we are capable of conquering. Your potentials, possibilities and the level of your self-love, inner happiness and peace flow (or not) to the rhythm of your self-worth and self-esteem - that which you think you are worthy of holding and what you think you can or can not conquer.

What are you holding right now? 

Imagine a pair of balancing scales in front of you. The ancient bronze two-pans-hanging-from-a-beam kind. Allow these scales to represent your current self-perspective. Now, on one side of the scales place all of your strengths - that which lifts you up and makes you feel courageous, including all of your aspects that help you love, trust, believe, stand up and show up for yourself. On the other side of the scales place all of your growing edges - those parts of self that feel imperfect, that challenge you, make you feel vulnerable and those aspects you would rather not face, yet.

See the scales in your minds eye or if you feel inclined literally be the scales. Standing (or sitting), place your arms out to the side with your hands open, palms facing upward. Begin in the balanced position with hands at the same height. You might even like to close your eyes as you feel the strengths in one hand and your growing edges in the other. Let your body and arms intuitively move in relation to their individual weights, sans judgement. You might be surprised when you open you eyes to see how similar or different they are to what you think they would be.

So, how do your scales weigh up? Are they hovering in an equalised state or is one side holding more than the other? 

Whether the way your scales currently weigh up makes you feel hopeful or hopeless - the empowering quality of scales is that they move. By changing what one side or aspect is holding creates an immediate shift on the other side. We can release and transmute aspects or add and deepen our connection with others to adjust our level of inner-balance.

Growing edges are often described as weaknesses. Yet it is in the moments when we view those so-called weaker parts with worthiness and a deeper knowing that they serve a purpose - that they transform into the bravest parts of our being and shift the scales of our vulnerability, how we see ourselves and what we think we are capable of holding, doing and being.

When you think you can, you really can hold mountains. The anything-is-possible kind of mountains.

As William Blake reminds us in his poem, Auguries of Innocence;
"To see a world in a grain of sand
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
And eternity in an hour."

I'd love to hear about your current growing edges! What helps you transform them into strengths? Add your comments below or be a part of the conversation on my Facebook Page.

Shine on, Jelena x

p.s. During the above photo shoot Kalvin was sitting on my other hand and said it has been quite a journey for him to feel harmonious balance between his strong-points and not-so-strong points. Kalvin reckons our culture is all too quick to view strong as good and not-so-strong as bad. But he says our not-so-strong points are actually fabulous. It's normal to have growing edges. Even necessary if we want to be the full expression of who we are. It is of great assistance to our life journey to feel our vulnerabilities. Feeling their weight is different to letting them weigh us down. Cultivating a healthier perspective of our whole self, deepens our experience of inner harmony. Which can open our hearts to more self-love, open doorways for greater happiness and open our hands to hold more than we once dreamed possible.

© 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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Write it, Light it, Let it Go; A Letter Burning Ritual

Creative Nudge Fridays is here!

Welcome to nudge #16. You'll need a light. 

Whether we are conscious of it or not, whatever we hold in our energy fields is noticed by our being. One thing many of us are familiar with is holding onto unfinished business, be it for a day, a month or years. Perhaps we didn't like how the story unfolded, maybe we didn't agree with the way it ended or maybe some part of us is still wishing for a different outcome, seeking an answer or wanting to get some words off our chest.

Here is a nudge to help you prune a part of your path and pave the way for a greater sense of inner peace. Write a letter. But we're not going to deliver it. We're going to send it up to the Universe via sacred smoke by burning it. Safely of course. You will need a piece of paper and a writing tool. This nudge will take as long as you need it to take. Or if you prefer, set yourself a specific amount of time for this exercise, say 30 minutes.

To begin think of someone (or something) you feel you have unfinished business with, and are ready to finish or bring to closure. You might want answers or maybe you have words to express yourself. The person you think of could be in your everyday life or perhaps you haven't spoken in years or they may have passed on. Bring that person into your awareness, imagine they are standing in front of you or sitting beside you. Then, in your mind's eye start your dialogue, open to its flow without judgement. Ask your questions or share what you need to say. Allow the words to flow. Then allow the other to respond. Let the dialogue unfold until it feels complete. When you are ready, at any point of the process, write it down in the form of a letter. Once your letter is done, hand your words up to the Universe. Find a safe place to burn it, such as in a fireplace, a fire-proof container, outdoors in the sand at the beach or in your kitchen sink. Be sure to keep away from anything that can catch on fire.

Note, you can transmute the energy of unfinished business and/or closure by releasing your letter in other ways. Alternatively you could; shred your letter, tear it up and throw it in the paper recycling bin, bury it, turn it into paper pulp and create new paper out of it or transform it into an artwork.

All things being connected, we can uncover all our own answers and reach closure from within.

To remind yourself that all that you seek is within you, take a photo of your transformed letter, then use the pic as your screen saver or wallpaper on your phone or computer.

I'd love to see your letter transformations!

If you give the nudge a go, comment below Add your comments below or be a part of the conversation on my Facebook Page. If you share your letter transformations 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 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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Sip From What Makes You Shine

Everything we absorb, drink in and soak up is used as fuel for our being.

What we eat, the fluids we drink, the thoughts we think, the air we breathe, the emotions we hold, the beliefs we have, the inspiration we devour, the responses we experience, the actions we do, the movements we make, the words we speak, the words we attach to and how we perceive ourselves and our outer world - all fuel our being. On the surface they all appear to be very different types of fuel. What can be and often is similar is the quality of what we consume.

When the quality of our fuel is of a lower or dense vibration, our being requires more energy to process it. As a result we might find ourselves feeling depleted or drained of energy. When we gravitate toward higher vibrational fuels, we increase our health and sense of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. As a bonus higher quality fuels allows our inner furnace to burn energy more efficiently on all levels - giving us better digestion with everything we consume. Notice this in your own life, higher quality fuels enables you to literally digest emotions smoother, inhale more love, take in more joy and be more present in the now.

Eating an bunch of grapes is different to gulping down an emotion or swallowing an uncomfortable thought. Yet when we are aware that all these things provide fuel for our being - we can shift from leaving the quality of our fuel up to chance to consciously engaging with the quality of our fuel by choice.

Our being does not label fuel 'good' nor 'bad'. We all have moments when we feel triggered to do something we know is not so brilliant for us. Or moments when we simply fancy a treat. Like having a makes-my-inner-child-happy butterfly cupcake or a weekend fry-up for breakfast. On a not so side note, having such things on a regular basis shape-shifts a treat into an energy depleter. What matters is the quality of fuel we most often choose on a regular basis.

To create positive change in your life, or increase your sense of wellbeing on any level - check in with the quality of your fuel.

I'd love to hear about what fuels you! How do you notice the difference in your own life between lower and higher vibrational fuels? Add your comments below or be a part of the conversation on my Facebook Page.

Shine on, Jelena x

p.s. Kalvin says what fuels us brews together to form our very own personal blend of life tonic. It's like a bowl of goodness from which we draw our sustenance from. Of course the goodness in your bowl can only be as fabulous as the ingredients you put in it. Kalvin says our personal blend of life tonic is magical, in the sense that we can change it at any time. We can add to or subtract from the blend. We can dull it down or perk it up. We can neglect it as a resource or make conscious use of it as a self-nourishing tool with abundant boundless possibilities. Making more nourishing choices with what fuels you can transform you, your path and the vision you have for your life. Sip from what makes you shine.

© 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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Move Toward Your Light

Seedlings and plants have an innate response to "move" toward the light. Super sensitive to their environment, they bend and grow in the direction of their light source. We too bend and grow in response to our environment.

Each and every day our whole self experiences movement. From moment to moment our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual states can shift slightly or significantly. As we go about our daily routines and regular happenings, our senses are receiving word about our internal and external environment - whether sensory via what we hear, see, smell, taste and touch or extrasensory via intuition (commonly known as the sixth sense), visions and telepathy. Our response mechanisms are so ah-mazing that it doesn't even matter whether stimuli is actual, imagined or a fallacy. We can be triggered by such things as; a tangible object, a real action, an imagined happening, a meditative experience, a factual memory or a false perception. This is a remarkable gift, as we have the capacity to consciously use our imagination and the power of imagery as tools to create positive and purposeful change in our lives.

We encounter stimuli throughout our entire day from the moment we open our eyes, be it; the natural light of daybreak, the sound of a little one stirring, an animal friend wanting food, an alarm clock sounding, a neighbour mowing the lawn or traffic driving by.

But what effect is your response having on the direction of your own growth? 

Tune into your current responses to gain clarity with the direction you are moving in right now - further away or closer toward your own light. 

If it resonates with you, here is an awareness exercise you can do wherever you are and no matter what unfolds during your day, whether a lot or very little. Pick a day this week and be aware of what shifts your states and when. You might like to write it down in a journal. Alternatively, during the day check in with yourself on the hour every hour and note down any inner or outer shifts. Do this without any judgement. Simply allow yourself to observe what shifts you. Notice what changes your body posture, what alters your mood and what triggers reactions within you. Take note too of what changes your energy levels.

The more aware we are of what shifts, uplifts or squashes us, the more empowered we are to make different choices if we desire. As a bonus, paying attention to what triggers us opens the doors to a rather fabulous personal resource library. When you know what gives you more energy, greater clarity, harmonious emotions and calmer thoughts - the more readily you can draw upon these experiences in your life when you feel otherwise.

What direction are you growing in? To tweak your course, pay attention to how you are responding to your inner and outer environment.

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; Move toward your light, http://ow.ly/irIsJ via @jelenamrkich

Shine on, Jelena x

p.s. Kalvin was sitting in my hand as we both became the tree during today's photo shoot. He laughed and laughed himself silly saying sometimes he feels teeny tiny in the world. But through the power of light and shadow he was able to be like the tree and stretch his limbs up to the Sun. He said this made him feel as tall as the tree and like his own roots were planted firmly in the ground. In that moment, as his shadow and mine became an extension of the tree, he realised that it doesn't matter how big or small we might think we are in relation to others or other things in the world, what matters is that you are here - like every plant and every tree, you have a place in the world.

© 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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Transform an Ideal Feeling into a Real One

Creative Nudge Fridays is here!

Welcome to nudge #14. We're creating a sacred reminder that whatever we desire to feel is already within us.

The desire to transform any part of ourselves or our life often births from the desire to feel better than we do. Whether that is to be happier, healthier, wealthier or more loved, valued and seen. One of the most powerful ways to get to a more positive place of being is from where we are right now, by connecting deeper to any desired state from within. As the words by Mahatma Gandhi remind us, "Be the change you wish to see in the world."

Here is a nudge to encourage you to be the change you wish to see in your own life. Create a visual mantra. A mini-one that you can place on your desk, on your dashboard, in your pocket, wallet, bag or wherever you know you will regularly see it. You will need an old business card, scissors, glue and collaging papers. This exercise can be done in 20 minutes, though create in the time that feels right for you.

To help get in the space for creating your visual mantra, ask yourself;
- What would I like to change the most in my life right now? It might be one aspect or area of your life, or it could be your entire life.
- How do I really feel about this (the thing I want to change)?
- How do I desire to feel? It might be one feeling or a combination of feelings.

Use your desired feeling(s) as the inspiration for your visual mantra. Express it out through a collage, using the old business card as your mini canvas. If you feel to use another medium or work with mixed media, do it! You could also add words that reflect your desired feeling.

Note, collaging paper can include; used magazines, brochures, leaflets, wrapping paper or old book pages.

To remind yourself that you can be the change you wish to see, take a photo of your visual mantra then use the pic as your screen saver or wallpaper on your phone or computer.

Your view. If you like this post, click LIKE below 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 visual mantras! If you share your visual mantras on Twitter, Instagram or elsewhere on the web, 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; Transform an ideal feeling into a real one, http://ow.ly/ibYe0 via @jelenamrkich #creativenudgefridays

The visuals around us, whether tangible or imaginary, can affect our whole self - including our emotional state. Raise the vibration of what you see to help transform an ideal feeling into a real one.

Create on, Jelena x

© 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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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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Transform a Pause into a Possibility

Creative Nudge Fridays is here!

Welcome to nudge #10. Ready to step out of your creative comfort zone? 

A comfort zone is where we might feel safe, comfortable and aware of what we think we can or can't do. They serve a purpose until we are ready to stretch ourselves forward and grow into more of who we are. We step out of them whenever the pull of our desire is greater than the grip of our fear. That pull is one of the ways our ever-evolving truth connects to and communicates with us.

Here is a nudge to encourage a pause in your life to transform into a possibility; Uncover *one creative thing* that is calling you to step out of your creative comfort zone right now. Then, use this calling as your personal invitation to take an action step forward. As the action step will be specific to you, this nudge will take as long as you need to action that step.

To uncover your *one creative thing*, ask yourself;
- What have I wanted to try ever since I was a kid, but haven't tried yet?
- What do I wish to explore, but feel incapable of doing?
- What would I really love to do, but really think I can't?
- What do I dream of doing, but am scared to do?
- What do I wish to do, but others have told me I can't?
- What do I keep telling others I want to do, but haven't done yet?
- What did I used to love doing, but stopped and would love to do again?

Your responses might be similar or they might be different. There is no right or wrong. This is your own uncovery process.

Then, when you are ready pick *one thing* from your list that is calling you the most right now - and take an action step forward. After taking a step you might even begin to feel a momentum to take another step. Take it.

A note; your *one creative thing* does not need to be mammoth to be meaningful. It might be trying out a new recipe, using your phone to take those pictures you've been meaning to take, writing a short poem, getting your knitting needles out again, turning your sewing machine back on, returning to your garden or picking up an instrument you know how to play but haven't played in a while. Or it might be learning how to sing, buying a canvas and painting on it, attending a dance lesson, trying out a cooking class, having a go at a new instrument, writing a book, starting a veggie garden, signing up for an e-course or enrolling into a workshop to develop a new skill. Let it be whatever feels right for you.

To remind yourself that stepping out of your creative comfort zone means stepping into more of who you really are, take a photo of your *one creative thing* in action, 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 creative actions! If you share your creative actions 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; Transform a pause into a possibility. Go beyond your creative comfort zone, http://ow.ly/hlOtk via @jelenamrkich #creativenudgefridays

Each step out of your comfort zone {tiny or massive} stretches you forward, beyond what you once thought possible for yourself.

Create on, Jelena x

p.s. Rather than feeling taunted by our comfort zones, thanking them for serving their purpose can help to transcend them. Paying attention to that which calls you forth is also a helpful process for strengthening self-trust.

© 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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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.

Impossible = I'm Possible

Today marks 30 days until 21 December 2012 ~ the commonly known end date of the Mayan Calendar. As all calendars do, this one is set to start again once it completes it's cycle. Only this Great Cycle has been a big one. 26,000 years. What an ah-mazing time to be on Earth. And an apt time to share with you a love note I wrote to 2012 on new year's day.