Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Creativity Prompts

Taken on a recent walk on my block
Lately, my creativity has been vaporized. I've been wanting to be artistic and do something inspiring but, alas, I'm too haggard by the end of the day to even think. I won't say that suddenly being a single, 42 year old mom of two older children is the reason...however, the lifestyle change cannot be denied. :) Still...#adoptionrocks.

So last night I left the kids to their own devices, locked my master suite door and have hidden myself away so that I could lead my heart and mind towards something imaginative. (or at least briefly stimulating) While searching for writing prompts, I scrolled across three prompts that hinted at being deserving of attention. Maybe they will inspire you as you read along as well.

  • Name three places that make you feel whole. 
  • What do you never want to forget about yourself or your life right now?
  • Make a list of 10 things you want to stop overthinking.

My Three Places: Being in the sanctuary of my master bedroom gives me privacy, calmness and more wholeness. It's a warm, clean, and spacious chamber filled with reminders of past adventures, future dreams and modern comforts. My backyard is another place where a feeling of wholeness swiftly yet sensitively embraces me. The grass is lush and my massive fig tree shelters me from most of my neighbors' view. There I can rest, think and read quietly as birds chirps and a few mutts bark. The third "place" that I feel whole inside is a secret place of my spirit when I take communion on my knees. Even if loads of people are around me, while on my knees during this time, I feel simply drawn close to God...the ultimate Home for me. 

Cementing This Time: This is a curious prompt but one that I knew fit well for this time in my life. I would never want to forget the past few months as I've fought hard to stay centered and build my family through adoption. I'd like to remember how many times my son has expressed his view of me, "You are always happy." This seems strange to me since, in my book at least, I've lost my patience an extreme amount of times. But I know that in my perceptions of events, I often cast myself in a negative light. So, may I remember instead that many times I'm a hero in my own life story. 

My Top 6 List of Overthinking (which was written as 10 above but six was all that came to mind...yay!)
  1. If the words I share about life, wisdom and Jesus are enough for my children to heal and grow?
  2. If my children feel my love and care or do they feel overwhelmed by redirection?
  3. What work will be like with a new boss?
  4. Do I have ample savings?
  5. Is Trickle (dominate, resident cat) really sick or does she just have bad allergies?
  6. Where did all my creativity go?
I'm hopeful this little post will help me get into my creative routine again and inspire someone else too. Thanks for reading!