Creativity Countdown Week 3: Releasing "What ifs"

Each Monday leading into the New Year I’ll be posting a Creativity Booster.  There will be a variety of activities to try.  Sometimes there will be videos and sometimes photos.  These activities will boost your creativity and make you feel more creative so that you can express yourself in your jewelry making.What are we counting down to?Well, I’m so glad you asked!  January 5, 2015 we’ll be starting our next round of Rediscover Your Creativity & Make Jewelry eCourse.  It’s a six week eCourse with weekly prompts to help you rediscover or boost your creativity, jewelry lessons and jewelry projects.To learn more about Rediscover Your Creativity & Make Jewelry, please click here.Week 8 can be found here.Week 7 can be found here.Week 6 can be found here.Week 5 can be found here.Week 4 can be found here.This week we're going to work on clearing out some negative feelings from our past to make room for our present and future.  You can't do anything about your past.  It's already done.  However, you can change the way you feel about your past.I say this a number of times on the video and I'm going to say it here, too.  Please do not do this activity if it becomes too painful for you.If it does just stop and do something else.  Make some jewelry.  Go for a walk.  Call your best friend.  Do the dishes, etc.In the video I take you through this or you can read below:The What if Activity:Step #1Pull out your journal or a sheet of paper and write down all your "what ifs."  It may be something like "If I had only ...." or "I wish I would have ..."Basically things that you have bad feelings about from your past.  Write everything down you can think of.Step #2Now pick one of those "what ifs".You can pick:

• The one that affects or haunts you the most;
• The easiest one;
• The most difficult one; or
• Any random one.

Just pick anyone at all.  Sometimes it is best to pick something that's simple or easy and then you can build momentum.Step #3Working in your journal again, write down all your feelings and thoughts about this one particular "what if."Why didn't you do your what if previously?What would be different about your life had you done your what if the way you picture it in your mind?What is holding you back from trying it now?  (if that's applicable.)If it is trying something new that you haven't tried before, what support do you need to feel comfortable trying it?If it's something art related, what do you need to purchase or borrow supplies?If it's something from your past that you cannot change, how can you change how you feel about it?(Note:  I do not recommend talking to people in your past if it's a bad relationship or something similar.  You can heal how you feel without ever talking to the people involved from the past.)Step #4Art Project!Create a piece of work based up on the what if you chose.For example, I have a relationship from my past that took up many years of my life.  I often think what if I hadn't spent so many years of my life on that friendship.  When I get to thinking that way, I have to change my mindset about it.  Instead, I try to think of all the ways I grew from knowing that person or learned from the relationship.* I could create an artwork about all of the positive things I learned from the relationship.* I could create an artwork about all the good things about the person.* I could create an artwork about all the dark things that happened in that relationship.A note about releasing negativity into your artwork:  I have found when I am working out something negative through art, I would prefer to not have that artwork in my house or anywhere I can see after I complete it.  I destroy it.  You could bury it, burn it or even paint over it and create something new and beautiful out of it.Of course, I love making jewelry as a way to express my feelings.  And with jewelry you get to wear the piece to remind yourself of your strength or the lessons you learned, etc.My 6 week eCourse, Rediscover Your Creativity & Make Jewelry starts on January 5th, 2015.  Learn more about the eCourse and get in here before the price goes up!Start out 2015 feeling super creative!  Each week for 6 weeks you get a creativity booster, jewelry making lessons and one or more jewelry making projects via video and PDF eBooks.  People feel unstuck creatively and find their creativity again!  This round I’m adding even more tips and tricks and jewelry making projects.Click here to find out more about this great eCourse.  (Special bonus right now for the next 3 people to sign up get my print book as a bonus!  The price on the course is going up on January 2nd, so make sure you get in before then!)