RSSLiving Life in the Present
May 26
Uncategorized Cope, Coping, crafts, Creativity, Depression, Emotions, Future, Help, Ideas, Inspiration, Life, Past, Present, Rut, Thinking, Time No Comments
Inspiration for my work, both painting and jewelry making, comes rather sporadically sometimes and is often in stops and starts. After a few troubles in my life recently this certainly has been the case. So after reading an article in the recent UK Coast Magazine I have been inspired to write about it and to try to live life in the present…
“As a culture we focus on long-term goals, when actually we can only realise them by concentrating on what can be achieved today” explains life coach Karen Morley, and what with todays modern technology we are always plugged into we are quite often detached from reality. This can effect our mental health and most importantly for us artists/crafters, our creativity. I feel that, and certainly in my case, emotional stress we feel is a result of getting stuck in an emotional rut. However, living in the present gives us a new focus. I believe that concentrating on the here and now, and accepting that we can only influence today makes us feel stronger and empowered. It is also supported in several studies that mindfullness-based therapies and living in the present can significantly reduce anxiety and relapses of depression.
It is because of this that I have decided to do exactly that… Live life in the present! This may be harder than I first imagined, considering my jewelry business relies 100% on the internet and modern technology such as the wonder that is Twitter. But since I am leaving the day job in no less than two weeks I have decided to take much more time for creating and for spontaneously living in the moment. I can’t tell you the amount of times I have had a radical idea for a new design or the sudden urge to paint something, but have simply scribbled it quickly on a scrap of paper only to forget about it later on. So from now on I will act on those impulses, I am going to train my mind to not focus on the future, the past or personal baggage (of which I am sure we have bucket loads of) and I really hope this helps my work.
Breaking away from your normal routine can reconnect you with the present and for me the coast has an important part in reflecting on life and inspiring my work. The wonderful sensations at the sea, from the smell of the sea, feel of the wind in your hair and sight of the crashing waves can make you intensely aware of being in your own body. Tonight I am going to break away from my daily routine by taking the dog on a long walk along the coastline, when I reach a point which takes my fancy after a few miles of walking I shall stop and just sit! I will turn my phone off, detaching myself from everyone and everything in my life and shall get out my pen and paper to, hopefully, sketch some new designs and perhaps write a poem of two. If you do not have all the time in the world because of children and/or day jobs I strongly advise you try to give yourself a daily three minute breathing space where you consciously focus on the present.
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