Every day you make choices. Sometimes these choices are temporary and fluid in nature. They don’t have the same weight of a choice that is finite. You may not even realize how finite a choice is until you begin to see the consequences of it arrive on your doorstep.
One after another, these consequences will show themselves and remind you of your Continue reading
I’m not going to lie to you. I have a natural repulsion to Adult Coloring Books. This is precisely why I chose to create one. I wanted to truly come to terms with why I didn’t like them by creating one that I could love.
This is what I see when I watch people coloring: They are focused on staying in the lines. They suffer over the decisions of which space should be colored which color. They are obsessed with Continue reading
Consequence: A result or effect of an action or condition.
This morning I went for a run. I like to run. I don’t run far or fast, but I enjoy getting sweaty and the feel of my feet pounding the ground. I even enjoy the aches in my knees that tend to let up after a minute or so. But the best part of running, is what happens to my brain. It’s what neuroscientists call “transient hypofrontality.” Really, if you want to know the truth, it’s what I live for. It is what happens when we are experiencing our creative potential. It’s also what happens when people who don’t usually allow themselves to paint or draw give it a try.
I’m no neuroscientist, but basically here’s how it works: So when I run, my body starts doing stuff that it doesn’t do all the time. It has to work at it, because I’m really no star athlete. My age and condition require that my normally busy brain devote some effort to this activity so that I don’t fall off the sidewalk and into oncoming traffic. Yeah, that would be bad. Because my brain is just like yours and the most awesome organ, it automatically knows how to Continue reading
Meet my new best friend, Two-balls In-a-sock. This is what is enabling me to get back at the computer to write. I place it under my head and rest flat on my back. Then I slowly roll it down my spine one inch at a time, resting in each delicious pressure point along the way. Ahhh, the sweet relief!
As someone who is creating constantly, this activity can take a toll on my physical body. There is significant tension that builds in the neck, shoulders, and back. Long days of writing can cause my feet to swell. The old carpal tunnel slowly begins to resurface. I have to remind myself to take breaks and to take breaks often. My dear friend, Mr. T’BIAS can make a good break extraordinary.
Taking breaks from your creating is not only a good idea for your physical body, but your mental conditioning and general well being as well. It’s good to Continue reading
This sounds like the perfect solution, doesn’t it? Just connect with the right person and all your problems will disappear. I mean look at all the people who have won the jackpot by getting the ear of Oprah for a moment or two. There is a catch, though, there always is. Do not be misled into believing that someone else can ever truly empower you.
The kind of empowerment that we are all really seeking, that which has the fortitude to change the world for the better, can only come from within.
Yes, there are people in the world who are incredibly influential. A person like Oprah has the power to make you suddenly be seen by a large number of people. Think of that for a moment. What would it be like to be seen this publicly? Is there anything you are not prepared to share? What is the value you place on your own privacy? What about the privacy of your loved ones? Continue reading
How much time do you spend watching TV? This image appears on page 27 of my book Vitalize Your Creative Life. I stand by this graphic and the message it conveys. I also freely admit that I am a TV binger and lifelong TV addict. By the word “TV” I mean the effortless preoccupation of my brain by programmed sounds and videos on a screen (of any size) while the remainder of my body remains relatively inactive. In part I had no choice. I grew up with TV. I am the product of an early generation exposed to a now common type of addiction. Continue reading
Some people have been asking me why I have been purging my original artwork on eBay for ridiculously low starting bids. Well, I thought I would write about three good reasons why, just as I list another lovely piece of original art from my collection. World, meet “Bean.”
I created this painting in 2008, so it’s been in my possession for nine years now. A lot has happened in nine years, and frankly, I’m ready to move forward. So, part of my purging has to do with Continue reading
Happy Earth Day! Today I had the pleasure of facilitating a Creativity Class at Carefree Senior Apartments. We focused on sending love energy from within out to our home planet Earth. What better way to express our love for our home planet than by creating an upcycled mandala out of recycled magazines, right? Continue reading
You can’t walk a few feet without seeing one around my neighborhood right now. Their cheerful little heads atop long thin stems bobbing joyfully like little yellow flags in the breeze. They seem to shout out to everyone who passes by, “Hey! Look at me! Wheee!” They are wild and their lives may be short, but together they have the capacity to brighten this dry desert landscape. Their very existence proves that even under the harshest of environments, there is beautiful bubbling life, just waiting for the perfect conditions in which to burst forth. Continue reading
Bonnie Kelso 