Recently I was invited on the Good Day Show in Philadelphia (Fox news) to talk about adult coloring books. It was my first appearance on television and what I quickly realized is that a 5 minute segment feels like 30 seconds when you’re in front of the camera. It will probably take me a while to fully process that, but since I’m back to writing I’d like to elaborate on some more points about the awesomeness of this simple form of art making.

1. Coloring books are accessible. When you are provided with the structure of an outline, it’s almost like you intrinsically know what to do. The guesswork and intimidation is virtually gone and it’s easy to jump right in.
2. The designs are sophisticated and can be meaningful. While the cliched images that you find in children’s coloring books such as rainbows and bunnies can be endearing, the adult coloring books offer more intricate designs and at times more mature themes. Johanna Basford who created some of the most popular coloring books out there including Secret Garden, Enchanted Forest and the upcoming Lost Ocean, started off as a graphic artist and all of her work is hand-drawn, which is pretty impressive when you look at the details. The thing I love about Basford’s books is that she eventually encourages you to step outside of the lines and begin to engage in your own free design. This way you have the safety of being able to return to structure as you learn to break free on your own. Another popular theme in coloring books is the mandala which is the sanskrit word for circle. And the use of the circle is nearly universal in the artwork of ancient cultures. Coincidentally, the circle is also the first shape that children learn to draw. Carl Jung, the founder of analytical psychology, often turned to the mandala as a sacred symbol in which to explore and value his own inner world as well as those of his patients. Click here to see images from Jung’s manuscript, The Red Book.
3. They are playful. I’m not sure how many people know this, but play is the work that children do. Children engage in play in order to understand and make sense of the world around them. As adults we continue to learn new things and are often introduced to new and unexpected situations. We still need to engage in play to figure things out! So maybe we don’t need to play dentist with our neighbor anymore because we’ve already mastered that one, but I think that coloring and doodling provide a means for this sort of figuring-it-all-out type of play on a much more subtle level through the use of color, lines, shapes and metaphor.
4. Curative factors. Not only do you have the chance as an adult to prove to your parents and teachers, that yes, you actually can color within the lines (something that I am not necessarily an advocate of), there are other benefit as well. When you complete a page in a coloring book, the resulting picture reflects back to you that you do indeed have the ability to engage in the creative process as an artist. Basically, you just collaborated with another artist to create a finished product. Maybe somewhere along the line – probably in childhood – someone (maybe you) told you that you can’t draw, or that your art doesn’t measure up somehow, but here is your chance to prove them – and yourself – wrong, and get back into the swing of things.
5. They can be relaxing and meditative. Probably the most beneficial thing I can think of about coloring books is the meditative space they can take you to. Coloring in this way can be methodic, rhythmic and stimulating. Maybe it’s the combination of using both left and right brain functions that keeps you attentive and on task. As you get lost in the process, you might find that time slips away as you seemingly think about nothing at all.
6. Health Benefits. Let’s first take a look at some of the statistics. Somewhere around 40 million people in this country struggle with anxiety. And somewhere around 6 to 7% of the population is suffering from major depression. So here’s my opinion: if you really want to see some health benefits with coloring, I highly suggest that you add mindful awareness into the mix. Check in with yourself to be sure that it doesn’t become just another source of avoidance or frustration. Bringing just this little bit of intention into your practice can make a big difference. It may be surprising to learn that some people really just do not know how to relax and so these people will need to practice with intention. This may mean that you need to learn some additional techniques like diaphragmatic breathing and progressive muscle relaxation. The more you improve your ability to relax, the more the anxious part of your brain will begin to relax naturally on its own. If you are in the depths of depression, any movement can feel like a monumental challenge so intention is called for here as well. Coloring in coloring books is easy, stimulating and non-threatening. You don’t have to move a mountain, you just have to sit up and engage. What’s it like to hold a crayon or pencil in your hand? How does it feel to absorb the colors? What’s it like to allow yourself to replace “I can’t” with “I can”? You might be surprised to find that the smallest steps can take you a long, long way. Click here for more information about how mindfulness can  actually change the structure of the brain. 
7. Stimulate further creativity. When you allow yourself to step into the unknown world of visual art making, you are creating a scenario where you can begin to engage in conscious exploration, problem solving, and learn to think outside of the box. And I believe that these are all great things that can be extended to  enhance any area of your life.

If you would like to try out some coloring pages for free before investing in the books, click here for some designs that you can download from the internet. Johanna Basford also offers a freebie from her new book, Lost Ocean, to her fans on facebook.  Or click on the mandala above and you can download it onto your computer. 

You can also click here to see my segment on the Good Day Show. Side note: not sure what happened at the end of the segment there, but certainly coloring in the company of an art therapist is always a great idea 🙂

Copyright 2015 ©  Rachel Braun, All rights reserved.

Rachel Braun, ATR-BC  Art Therapist Philadelphia, PA

Specializing in art therapy groups for women who experience depression, anxiety and eating disorders. 

At times I find myself amazed when I hear about the wrongdoings of one celebrity or another. If the crime was committed by someone I particularly admired, I seem to initially find myself thrown in the throes of that back and forth, push pull, What a bad person! No, did (s)he really do that… it doesn’t seem possible, (s)he’s so great! More recently my interest comes less from the action of the celebrity and more from the public’s reaction to it. As the media reports on public outcry, there usually seems to be a split: condemn or defend. Our tendency to either idolize or vilify others can be so strong sometimes, but is there ever a time when it’s appropriate to do both? Think Woody Allen, Pablo Picasso, James Brown, and Roman Polanski – even John Lennon, and Nelson Mandela are not above reproach. So what do we do? When we consider something like child molestation, surely we can agree that the action in itself is bad, so why not hold the perpetrator accountable? Even if we happen to love the perpetrator? Is it possible to love someone and also instill appropriate boundaries? Can I admire Woody Allen as a film maker and also want to see him go to trial for accusations of sexual molestation made against him by his daughter? Is it possible to dance along to “I Feel Good” and still want to see James Brown pay retribution for spousal abuse? Can I hang a copy of Picasso’s Hands with Flowers on the wall in my living room and still want atonement for the emotional abuse incurred by him on his loved ones? We’ve been faced with this dilemma throughout history. Are we afraid of giving up the things that we love by acknowledging the dark side of those we love? To condemn or defend – Is that the only question?

I think we see this all the time in our personal relationships. When someone we love does us wrong, and it’s not simply a matter of finding the strength to forgive; when it’s about putting necessary boundaries in place as a form of protection. How easily we fall into the pattern of labeling this person good or bad. When this person has done something hurtful/harmful, who benefits when those around him or her enable the behavior to continue simply because some may consider him or her to still be a good person? At the same time, who benefits when the punishment far outweighs the crime? We see it on a global level as well, when governments that we want to believe in make terrible decisions, should we abandon them altogether or do we turn a blind eye and let harmful actions continue?

As a human race, our tendency to either condemn or idealize others can be really unhelpful in the long run. It’s easy in the movies or when you read a random article in the paper about someone you don’t know. The bad guy is always clearly the bad guy and the good guy is so clearly wonderful and great. But in reality, life is not like that. We all live in the gray area and it can be quite messy. I think that’s why this post comes right after my writings about trauma and pointing out that we’ve all experienced trauma to some degree. In 1968 Stephen Karpman wrote an article titled “Fairy Tales and Script Drama Analysis” where he first describes the relationship between persecutor, rescuer and victim, or what is now called the Karpman Drama Triangle. While I can’t claim to have studied this extensively, I think it’s helpful to understand how each of us might glide seamlessly between each of these scripts, perhaps more accentuated when one has experienced significant trauma. Maybe this falls right in line with Stockholm Syndrome… When I think of Patty Hearst, her kidnappers acted as persecutors when they stole her away, then as rescuers when they began to alleviate her imprisonment and give her privileges, then they must have presented themselves as victims in order for her to fully join their cause, no? A wise person once pointed out that Cinderella must have suffered from Stockholm Syndrome. Let me try to apply the Karpman Triangle here… The stepmother first entered Cinderella’s life as a rescuer, possibly offering solace to Cinderella’s grieving father and after his death the stepmother quickly became the persecutor as she condemned Cinderella to years of hard labor and was this done out of… jealousy? Because her own daughters appeared rather gruesome by comparison… were they the victims of a narcissistic society? Haha! I get it now. It all fits together. You see, we are all victims. We are all rescuers. And yes, frightening as it may be, we all have it in us to be the persecutor as well. While I’m not the most devoted follower of Carl Jung, lately I’ve become more interested in his concept of the shadow side. I found this helpful blog online about how to integrate both positive and negative aspects of the shadow. Awareness seems to be a key factor. If you don’t have awareness of your dark side, it will sneak up on you in disruptive, manipulative ways. But when you have that awareness, you can make choices on how to manifest that energy in a positive way in the world. 

I remember back during the Eliot Spitzer prostitution scandal when the former New York governor was forced to resign. A supervisor pointed out that this is what happens when one is unaware of one’s shadow side. Here is my favorite quote from his wikipedia page: “Governor Spitzer made his rise to victory in New York City politics promising ‘ethics and integrity to be the hallmarks of [his] administration.’ He had prosecuted several prostitution rings in his career, and his connection with a prostitution ring was felt as a betrayal by some women’s rights and anti-human trafficking groups that had previously worked with him.” Hehe. Is Spitzer good or bad? He worked with anti-human trafficking groups. Was his inability to resist being drawn in by the forces he condemned a sign of malice or weakness? Perhaps it was the lack of awareness of his shadow side that enabled Spitzer to prosecute prostitution rings in the first place. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that people who do bad things have such repressed awareness of the negative aspects of themselves. What about Woody Allen – surely someone who seems to be as brilliant as he must have some awareness of the darkness within. Maybe it’s not the perpetrators who are being tested, maybe it’s us. Maybe they want to be held accountable and maybe it’s up to us to figure out how to do it. There must be at least a few people in the world who understand this. Some judges perhaps, and some parents. Isn’t this virtually the same thing as setting boundaries with a toddler, just obviously on a much larger scale? 

Maybe the real question here is not whether or not to hold someone accountable for their actions, but rather do we punish them or reform? I think it’s an interesting question since it seems that an original intention of prisons was to rehabilitate, but my hunch is that the general public would view prison these days as punishment alone. I find it fascinating that so many celebrities appear willing to stand up in defense of Roman Polanski – perhaps he is a genuinely likable person, despite his horrendous act of drugging and raping a minor. Surely people like Tilda Swinton, Wes Anderson and David Lynch can’t be advocating rape, but it certainly appears that way doesn’t it? Do these people stand in his defense because they fear that he may be sentenced to 50 years in prison, which was Polanski’s fear when he fled the states just before his verdict? Wait… according to the Karpman triangle are these supporters acting as victims, rescuers or perpetrators? Victims… in that they are being denied the opportunity to properly honor one of their artistic heroes? Rescuers in the sense of wanting to save Polanski from seemingly eternal punishment? And perpetrators because they inadvertently seem to send the message that it’s ok to drug and rape a minor? I’m no genius here, but I can’t help but to  think that trauma just seems to generate more trauma when it’s not properly addressed. The victim in the Polanski case, herself, has indicated that the expected sentencing was too harsh and that the judge’s actions condemned both she and Polanski to live out this trauma for the rest of their lives. And how would the judge pan out in the Karpman triangle?

What about John Lennon, did the hateful actions he committed during his youth somehow help to sculpt the peaceful icon we all came to know and love? While it’s nice that he fessed up to his crimes in the song “Getting Better” was there ever really any retribution for his victims? I can only imagine the silent suffering that victims of these people must have endured when their perpetrators were so famously known and loved. What kind of retribution is appropriate for crimes such as these?  We all have a dark side; we are all capable of committing a crime. And wouldn’t even the best of us want to be held accountable for harm we incurred on another? What if, like adolescents, these people are practically begging for attention and appropriate boundaries?

If it’s true that we all experience trauma to some extent, won’t trauma just continue to be handed down from generation to generation until we bring both compassion and justice to the mix? I’ve always loved Gandhi’s quote: “an eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind” (Gandhi being yet another not without critics). But his use of passive resistance seems to indicate that he would agree that appropriate boundaries need to be in place, regardless of how much we may love someone. I think we can all relate to a time when we were wronged and identify with the desire for retribution. And we might even be able to have compassion for the perpetrator if given enough about background and circumstance. But still, it needs to stop, doesn’t it? People need to be held accountable for their actions, no matter how much we may love them. Maybe it’s when we learn to embrace our own shadow sides that we will begin to stop splitting people in two; good or bad, right or wrong, just or unjust. Gray area feels messy and it may be a hard place to find ourselves in, but perhaps it’s better to wallow here for awhile until we find better solutions. How much of our lives are we avoiding simply because it’s too difficult to feel love and hate at the same time? Such strong ambivalence seems to lead us away from doing the right thing at times. My point is that we all know we have consequences for doing the wrong thing, or for even simply making unwise decisions. To me the problem seems to be twofold: Yes, we need to hold those we love accountable when they do the wrong thing, and it’s also essential that the punishment – or better yet, the discipline – not outweigh the crime. 

VA Teen Gets Six Life Terms & 118 Years for Stealing 60 Bucks and Three Joints

Copyright 2014 ©  Rachel Braun, All rights reserved.

Rachel Braun, ATR-BC  Art Therapist Philadelphia, PA

Specializing in art therapy groups for women who experience depression, anxiety and eating disorders. 

A few weeks ago a supervisor asked that a group of us read this interesting article from the New York Times, about the possibility of colleges placing “‘trigger warnings’ on class syllabi that would flag potentially traumatic subject matter.” The idea being that so many students these days suffer from diagnosed or undiagnosed post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that the content of what is being taught in schools these days may in itself be enough to trigger overwhelming disruptive feelings of fear or terror. After reading the article I felt really torn between the two sides. On the one hand, I think it would be a crime to start censoring what is being taught in higher education; it seems like history is only more likely to repeat itself if we can’t address the horrors of our past. On the other hand, this article seems to speak volumes about the issue of untreated mental health issues in our culture. If the purpose of higher education is to churn out responsible citizens who are professionally capable in their respective fields of study, then here is my proposal: put the trigger warnings on syllabi and request that students sign a waiver stating that they are emotionally competent to handle the subject matter therein. If they refuse to sign the waiver, then they cannot take the course. If they have PTSD, then they need to be treated for PTSD. I fully recognize that this sounds like emotional elitism, but I think that it points to something much bigger. What if making the demand that students actually get the help that they need made a difference? 

During our group discussion about this article, one person pointed out how even fairytales can be triggering. Or worse… traumatizing! An hour later in that same day I was running a depression group and this idea was brought up again! For ten minutes the group rattled off the names of children’s movies and children’s stories that triggered nightmares for days, weeks and even years. Maybe trauma is built right into our culture. Recently I watched Disney’s Tangled (2010), and it was almost shocking to see this clip where Rapunzel is finally free from her kidnapper whom she thinks to be her mother:

http://youtu.be/r4JxmGe1iGI

While it seems right that they at least suggested the debilitating trauma that one might experience after being wrongly imprisoned in a tower for 18 years, it also seems that the disturbing emotional content of such a scenario would be far too much for any child to handle, much less begin to understand. 

Later in the week my supervisor put a trigger warning on the bin where we keep fashion magazines in the art studio, so that the women who experience eating disorders can make the decision for themselves whether or not they are able to handle looking at images of grotesquely photoshopped women or be subject to page after page of dieting ads. But the difference is that these women are virtually surrounded by staff who are professionally trained to help them through flashbacks and panic attacks. Where is that kind of support in the school system? Here’s my point: to me, the students mentioned in the New York Times article are letting us know that perhaps we are on the verge of (in the middle of?) an epidemic – one that has been ignoring the severity of mental health issues, especially trauma, across the board for the public in general. Maybe it’s time to bring this matter to school in a way that will simultaneously bring healing. Let’s start with kindergarten. 

Copyright 2014 ©  Rachel Braun, All rights reserved.

Rachel Braun, ATR-BC  Art Therapist Philadelphia, PA

Specializing in art therapy groups for women who experience depression, anxiety and eating disorders. 

When I was in school more than one of my professors pointed out that there is a tendency for students to diagnose themselves as they begin to delve deeper into the world of psychological conditions. As far as I know we all did it, it’s kind of hard not to. I tend to think that everyone on this earth falls somewhere on the continuum of crazy, but it’s really only to the extent that activities of daily living and ability to work are impacted, as well as how much social and intimate relationships are effected, that people will drive themselves (or be driven) to seek treatment. 

While individually we may all struggle with varying perceptions of the world, it might be an important time to take a closer look at collective perceptions. Namely, the stigma that continues to infiltrate the world of mental health. It seems like there are so many aspects that shape this sort of stigma. I think of my parents’ perception that if one were to go for psychological counseling, then he or she would likely find themselves locked away in a mental facility somewhere. After watching the film Titicut Follies (1967) when I was in art school, I was given a better understanding of where my parents’ fears may have stemmed. My sister recently confirmed this when she shared a story about visiting a mental health facility as a teenager back in the 70’s and she watched as patients were lined up and physically slapped or hit if they somehow misbehaved. Just last month CNN posted this insanely (no pun intended) disturbing article about decades of alleged abuse and neglect that took place at the Adolescent and Family Institute of Colorado. Despite multiple complaints made to the Department of Human Services, “The state never shut down AFIC. The facility closed voluntarily on July 1, 2013, after several of the civil suits were filed leading to at least one key member of the staff leaving. Many of the employees, who allegedly participated in the abuse, are licensed to continue working.” It’s no wonder that people shy away from mental illness; it is scary for the people who experience it, and it is also scary from the vantage point of the onlooker. The unknown can be terrifying. Not only is the treatment of mental health patients questionable at times, but the mere association of being related to someone with mental health issues can be stigmatizing as well. When the general understanding of mental illness remains so dim, it creates a scenario where family members may find it easier, at least initially, to deny there is a problem at all; not only to protect the patient in some ways, but to protect themselves from the stigma due to genetic implications in being related to someone with mental illness. With the prevalence of drug abuse, anxiety and depression in this country, I find it hard to believe that there is anyone out there who doesn’t have a relative who suffers from mental health issues.

In school we talked about therapy being a “soft science” in that observation and common sense often drives us more than hard facts. There is still so much about the brain and emotions that we don’t understand but the good news is that we are learning more and more. In some ways it was a relief when the 90’s rolled around and Prozac became a household name. I remember thinking how all of a sudden everyone and their mother seemed to suffer from depression, whether it was diagnosed by a psychiatrist, therapist, family doctor… or a friend who happened to have a prescription. I love that the world is more tolerant these days. It makes me want to jump on the bandwagon and create change. In fact, it’s not just good news that we are learning more, it’s really truly fascinating and exciting. The research that is being conducted on things like neuroplasticity, mindfulness,  and transcendental meditation, offers hope in ways that we’ve never really understood before.

I’m happy to share this trailer for the documentary, Crazywise, a collaborative effort between photographer Phil Borges and film maker Kevin Tomlinson. The creators make “a cultural comparison on how mental illness is defined and treated” in a way that questions our society’s approach to mental health.

In the art therapy studio where I work, there’s an ad that came from Apple’s Think Different campaign posted on the wall. It’s a nice reminder that it’s time to stop throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

Copyright 2014 ©  Rachel Braun, All rights reserved.

Rachel Braun, ATR-BC  Art Therapist Philadelphia, PA

Specializing in art therapy groups for women who experience depression, anxiety and eating disorders. 

Recently I went back to a favorite book from therapy school, Psychoanalytic Diagnosis, by Nancy McWilliams, Ph.D (1994). In her chapter about narcissism, McWilliams explains that this personality disorder can be played out in numerous ways, most commonly presented as grandiosity or self loathing. I often find that when the term narcissistic is used to describe someone, it’s often accompanied by an acrid, spiteful tone, intended to dismiss the person to whom it’s directed. Understandably so, I think, considering the emotional injury incurred on others who are involved in relationships with such people. Still, it may be worthwhile to explore this personality makeup a little deeper. As McWilliams points out, narcissistic problems are epidemic in contemporary society where “media exploit our insecurities and pander to our vanity and greed.”  And a narcissistic personality often results from being a narcissistic extension oneself; a person who is an object of admiration and/or contempt in order to support another’s fragile ego. Think of the parent who pressures his or her child to study law at Harvard rather than pursue a field of interest elsewhere at a lesser known school. The parent absorbs the prestige factor, though it may be far less meaningful to the child. 

In my work with women who experience eating disorders, I’ve inherited a Culture Jamming group that really seems to explore this aspect of narcissism at its worst. Time and again the clients I work with comment on how they feel pressured by society to look like the (at times severely) photoshopped models in magazines. It’s rampant. We see it in elementary schools when children chide one another for not having what is arbitrarily considered the best name brand shoes and clothing. I was dismayed to find out that some elementary schools are now offering photo touch-ups on school pictures. While sure, it may alleviate some of the teasing, and I’m all for protecting the underdog, doesn’t it also simply reinforce the idea that the bully is right? When the media exploit our insecurities, isn’t it fair to say they are acting like bullies? What are we doing to combat this? When will the cycle be broken? Weren’t we all raised this way to some degree? I always think of the interaction between Betty Draper and her husband Don in Mad Men after Betty is in an accident with her young daughter Sally in the car (season 1, episode 2):

BETTY: Did you look at Sally’s face? I think she has a bruise.

DON: I didn’t see it. 

BETTY: On her cheekbone, under her eye. 

DON: I thought that was ketchup. 

BETTY: What if she had gotten a scar? Something permanent? 

DON: I don’t want to play ‘what if?’ 

BETTY: I’m just saying, if it happened to Bobby it would have been okay because a boy with a scar is nothing, but a girl, it’s so much worse. 

DON: Nothing happened. 

BETTY: I keep… thinking…not that I could have killed the kids but…worse. Sally could have survived, and gone on living with this… horrible scar on her face and… some long, lonely, miserable life.

It’s the superficiality of her last statement that gets me. A scar on her daughter’s face would be worse than death and Sally would instantly be reduced to leading a lonely, miserable life. Why is there no mention of Sally’s character or worth above and beyond her looks? Is Betty Draper a narcissist or is she simply reflecting the narcissism doled out by society? I have to say that this passage offered some insight about the society in which my own mother was raised. In a way I find it oddly comforting to read McWilliams explanation: “What narcissistic people of all appearances have in common is an inner sense of, and/or terror of, insufficiency, shame, weakness and inferiority. Their compensatory behaviors might diverge greatly yet still reveal similar preoccupations.”  Insecurities feed insecurities. No, it’s more than that; insecurities generate and create new insecurities in others. If, as some suggest, corporations behave as psychopaths (antisocial personality) then shouldn’t we consider the media narcissistic bullies? Interestingly enough, McWilliams points out the similarity between these two conditions: “Both character types [psychopathic and narcissistic] reflect a subjectively empty world and a dependence on external events to provide self esteem.”  I should probably point out here that there is a continuum of crazy; even if you identify with some of these qualities, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you require clinical attention. Though perhaps if Betty had established more self worth, she never would have found herself trapped in a marriage with such an enormously unfaithful husband. Of course the dynamics of Don Draper would take us on another tangent altogether.

Alas, it brings me back to the Charlie Kaufman quote from the movie Adaptation (2002), “You are what you love, not what loves you.” If we run around continuously trying to please others, we lose our sense of self and contribute to the epidemic of narcissism. As a wise person recently suggested: wouldn’t it be great if a sketch artist could draw all of the beautiful and good qualities about us that exist on the inside? Try it now. For yourself and for those you love. Draw or write about what it is that you value in your relationships with yourself and others that go above and beyond superficial appearance.

Copyright 2014 ©  Rachel Braun, All rights reserved.

Rachel Braun, ATR-BC  Art Therapist Philadelphia, PA

Specializing in art therapy groups for women who experience depression, anxiety and eating disorders. 

I’m a big fan of Julia Cameron, or more accurately I’m a fan of her self-help book, The Artist’s Way. It had been suggested to me on a number of occasions and about ten years ago I finally gave it a go. And I have to say, it worked. Julia held my hand through the twelve week course and I came out a better person. Do it if you have the time, I highly recommend it. (Or more to the point, do it even if you don’t have the time.) What about it was so life changing? For one, she helped me decide that it was ok to seek out a therapist, which was transforming in and of itself. But perhaps more importantly she also led me back to what it is that I love. I love creating and I love helping people. Julia helped lead me to a fuller, more meaningful life and I am grateful. 

When you think about it, it’s amazing that so many of us go astray from the things we love. As we get older, especially, it can be dismaying to realize that time passed by so quickly and we never really made the decisions we intended to make. Perhaps the most important thing that I took from The Artist’s Way is the connection with the creative process. To me, this has everything to do with circumventing the negative commentary from the nay sayers in our lives that led us down the stagnant path to begin with, and then to purposefully look for all the things that support us in living the life we wish to live. Julia Cameron often brings up the concept of synchronicity, or meaningful coincidence. When you look for it, it’s there. When you intentionally bring what you love into your life, it’s amazing to see how much more often it will show up for you. Here’s the thing: you have at this moment, right now, the ability to make a change. It doesn’t have to be a big change. But it can still be life-altering. Take ten minutes to think about this. What colors are you drawn to? What images? What sounds? Is there a particular touch of fabric or something in nature that brings back pleasant memories? A certain taste? What subjects in school piqued your interest? Were there any games that you enjoyed or always wanted to play? Is there some trinket you always wanted but never got? I say find what you love and go there, but what I really mean is find something you love and bring it into your life with intention. Find a way to bring some aspect of one or more of these things into your life today. Maybe it’s a matter of coloring a small piece of paper with a favorite marker and placing it strategically on your desk so that it brings a sense of calm or vibrancy to what you do. Or maybe you bring a caterpillar home to care for it and watch it transform into a butterfly. Maybe it’s re-reading an old favorite book or seeking out instructions to build a model airplane. Whatever floats your boat.  And when you bring the things you love into your life you’ll also be surprised to realize how they enhance other aspects of your life that seem unrelated. It’s all there, you just have to look up and see it. Creating the life you love starts at this root level and works its way up and out. I’m happy that I get to continue Julia’s message and pass along aspects of the creative process to the clients with whom I come in contact. I love it, it’s one of the best parts of my job. 

A Shel Silverstein poem for inspiration:

Listen To The Mustn’ts

Listen to Mustn’ts, child, listen to the Don’ts.

Listen to the Shouldn’ts, the Impossibles, the Won’ts.

Listen to the Never Haves, then listen close to me.

Anything can happen, child, Anything can be.