It is so easy to fall into a mess these days. If we are not careful, we could actually stay in the “down feeling” far longer that we ought to.
I also experience these feelings when I’ve failed at something. But I'll give you the the answer to a speedy recovery right now! Just keep on doing the things you are really good at, without fail & without doubt. JUST KEEP SWIMMING, SWIMMING, SWIMMING...
Recently, when things didn’t work out the way I expected it to & I didn’t feel great at all. It actually made me want to give up & hang out in a pity-party for one. It stopped me dead in my tracks & I only did the things I absolutely had to do.
Believe me, that is not how we create a beautiful life at all. In the back of my head I hear Graeme's voice: "Keep it simple stupid!" & realise that we simply do too much of the things that make life complicated. So, let's turn ourselves around by bouncing back better than before.
A week or two ago, I heard my inner critic beat me up for something that was actually microscopic in relation to what I’ve already accomplished. It wanted me to give up on my goals & rub my small mistake in my face, so to speak. It even prevented me from taking on a new project, until I went over my own advice. You know, the pdf about Overcoming the Dream Crushing Weeds that I’ve shared several times before. Here it is for you to download, just in case you haven't used it yet.
I searched for the last Blog Article I shared it in & printed out a fresh copy.
This time making sure to date the newly printed pages as I couldn’t remember the last time I used the information to overcoming another "Dream Crushing Weed" & move forward for my own growth.
The new date driven to help me deal with my own nonsense once again was 4 June 2022. I kid you not… it sometimes feels unfair that after years of growth, we can still fail. But I can encourage you right now in hindsight about the prospects of things becoming easier. And there's another but: only when you can catch yourself in the act.
So, this time I sat down with myself & decided not to take on another project before I have figured out what the heck is going on with me. I wanted to recover from this awful feeling & knew it was possible to get back on track as I've done it before.
I asked myself: "What will it take to find your way Tanya?"
As I filled in the information held in those few pages, it dawned on me. Turns out, the Overcoming the Dream Crushing Weeds pdf held precisely what I needed to wrap my mind around a forgotten revelation. Once I pinpointed the not-so-mindful thought patterns gnawing at my feelings it showed me how funny a stupid little thing can make us believe that we are less-than-worthy of the bigger successes?
Now I know you want to hear what blunder could have such a rolling effect, but before I dive into it, let me say that I’ll keep it to two sentences because nobody wants to read the ramblings of despair.
I chose to focus on my marketing strategies instead of my daily art, the friends in my community, the website contents & I ended up spending more money on advertising than I’ve spent on groceries. This shocking blunder turned my life upside down & the results were beyond disappointing as the entire campaign ended up costing me more than just the financial investment, it didn’t even result in a single participating engagement & at a mere 7 clicks out of a community of over 1K followers, I felt disheartened, to say the least.
And it wasn’t the community’s fault at all. It was my assumption that spreading my efforts into a section of my business I was not good at, would bring me the results I was after.
You see, I neglected the things I was good at & put a halt on my great stuff
It really opened my eyes to what my community wanted from me. The survey I did a while ago also showed that at this stage there was not a lot of interest in the Business side of my talents, but only an interest in the painting or creative stuff related to mental wellbeing... just as well, because this is where I shine! Gifted with creative talents & a caring heart, I finally figured out why I attract the specific group of other talented people along my journey.
Have you had the experience where people are only interested in your stuff when it is free to download, or free to attend & free every time you offer it? Yes, I also click on those first & then invest in their beautiful vision because I know it will enrich my life exponentially.
Well, here comes a confession; I’ve come to a point in my life where I can commit to just a few free to attend commitments over any given year & any volunteer work is out of the question as the return on my time has not been creatively fulfilling.
What’s very fulfilling right now is the participants, the ones who value my time, the people who use the short moments in their day to find joy. I’m so honored to be part of their lives right now & it truly makes me feel so wonderful to know that there is room for what I'm doing. For this reason, I’ve added new dates for the Play & Paint Sessions as I’m regularly asked to host a special themed event for small groups.
One of these creative sessions are scheduled during the school holidays. I’ll be hosting a School Holiday Play & Paint Fun Session for the kids at Heyfield Community Resource Centre. All the bookings for this event runs through the HCRC system & you can make contact with Donna or Caroline on this Facebook link to add your kiddo's
We are painting imaginary Landscapes in Watercolour with all the supplies & tools provided on the day. From 10am until lunch time I'll entertain your youngsters & show them what fun we can have with bright colours & a little water.
For extended holiday fun, my doors are open for Art Tutoring where everyone learns at their own unique pace with my guidance. I'll teach you all the techniques throughout the painting classes to make the best of your session. Please contact me directly to arrange for Art Tutoring in the following mediums - Watercolour, Gouache, Acrylic & Oil. And, if you're interested in learning the following subjects, I specialise in flowers, botanical studies, floral surface pattern designs, landscape painting & imaginary portraiture (like creatures, fairies & characters)
As I worked through the Dream Crushing Weeds of my own, I soon realise that my hands-on experience & practical advice is sometimes the last thing people want form me. What they wanted was a few ideas to spark creativity again.
With the knowledge of this I wanted to let you in on a trick that can feel impossible at times, yet is so worth it when we use it.
JUST pick up a pencil & jot down our thoughts… the advice you’ll receive from yourself during a heart-to-heart is going to guide you to be authentic to your greatness. When we allow some time for our brains & hearts to connect, magic begins to happen.
I remember reading Dr. Joe Dispenza’s book, “Becoming Supernatural - How Common People Are Doing The Uncommon” & finding myself totally in tune with what I loved doing.
Dr. Joe Dispenza uses the heart math institutes research alongside Dr. Bruce Lipton & Gregg Braden’s research in neuroscientific principles to boost creativity, find innovative solutions, become more productive & my favourite part, the meditations. Dr. Joe Dispenza offers the most amazing meditations where you can rewire you mind & body to heal negative thoughts, eradicate illnesses & help you to reach your full potential.
There are some life changing meditations on his website & one day I’d love to attend a live session with him, but if you need a free session, there are many. To get you started, visit Dr. Joe Dispenza's for his free contents. I’ll link one of the meditations that helped me regain my creative force right here: https://youtu.be/hRYKxJ2QoJM
It has actually done so much more than elevate my creative output, but I have to allow you to discover this for yourself. Take time for your wellbeing & be a little more kind to what you are going through. Continue to make room for your true self while you to figure out what you need to overcome.
A few tips about the things that helped me this time:
- I painted some small postcard landscape scenes in fun colours
- I made a batch of cookies with the special recipe from my Grannies handwritten notes
- I went out for a walk with my camera to look for something pretty to photograph
- I bought myself a bunch of flowers & painted them
- I went down to the Botanical Gardens to get some "vitamin-scenery"
& one more thing, I kept on doing what I knew I loved doing.
Whatever you need in the moment, go & take it for yourself & just stop denying your immediate needs for now. Often, we just need to shake up our environment or the redundant routines a little to wake up that spark of something inside!
Don’t leave a big empty whole where your self-love must be, begin thinking of what you need now & fill up. Once you’ve filled your own cup, I can vouch for a renewed sense of wellbeing as it is the only way we can pick up our lives & move closer to what we want. Even as a creative, I know that not everything needs to be about Art, instead it must be about living the life that brings us joy!
"There really isn’t anything else we should do, except for loving where we are right now & taking smaller steps forward…. moving our hearts closer to our minds & letting our hands reach out to where it is needed, to see what is beautiful to our eyes until it becomes clear. Knowing that getting something done is better than trying to fly before you can run fast enough to take flight. So, go ahead & find your greatness in the things that work well for your lifestyle & keep on doing them. The right crowd will connect with you & become the best supporters of your work. Make the best of every moment, make friends with yourself & find the utmost joy in what you love doing.”
– Tanya J. de Wet
PS: Keep on doing the one thing that makes you great & build momentum forward!
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