A wonderful day of shared creativity

The latest Fuel for the Creative Core workshop was Sunday, and once again, I was delighted with the great group and wonderful energy in the room — not to mention the fabulous creative work that was done by all of the participants. (The pictures shown here are of a piece that was done by 3 participants in a group project. Their subject was a late-night wild party at a zoo and they had a blast creating it together.) 

Even the overnight snow storm couldn’t stop most of the hearty Bostonians from making it to my last workshop of the year. We settled in for a cozy day that was filled with creative talk and activity.

As I look ahead to 2014 and my upcoming workshops, I want to thank everyone who has attended a workshop with me this year. You are all amazing people. You have inspired me and one another. I have learned and grown from working with all of you, and I am very grateful.

Reflections and Gratitude

With Thanksgiving coming up on Thursday, everyone I speak to seams to be hurrying to fit a week’s worth of work into three days. People are cooking and have lots more cooking to do. Many are facing car and air travel that will surely be stressful. Hanukkah shopping and preparation is another challenge for many of us, as that holiday starts so very early this year, overlapping with Thanksgiving. In all of the rushing it’s easy to lose sight of the meaning and importance of the Thanksgiving holiday.

Can we all just push the pause button and refect for a few minutes? Can we give ourselves a short and meaningful break from the hustle and bustle? Try this — I promise it will take one minute and give you lots in return.

Close your eyes, relax your shoulders and lower jaw and slowly draw in a deep, full breath. Then, slowly exhale. Make it a long and complete exhale. Repeat. Open your eyes and smile.

That’s it. A moment for yourself. A gift. A snippet of time to refresh your body and your mind.

And, if you can spare another three to five minutes, make a list of at least 12 things for which you are grateful. Beyond the things that come quickly to mind, see what you find in your heart. Maybe you’ll want to make a new list every day this week and see what comes up for you. You can use these simple practices often to bring light into your life. That's what happens when you take a little time to care for yourself and focus on the truly important things that bring you joy.

As I reflect on the past year and all that fills me with deep gratitude, I wish you a joyous holiday, safe travels, love and abundant creativity.