Artist != Athlete

Posted on September 20, 2021 by Bhanu Misra Marya

I’m a little rusty in coding/developing. It’s been 4 years since I last SQL’ed.

With all that said, I am building my skills. I am completing courses. I am learning and I am getting better with every action I take.

Just like I do every time I pick up my camera or lace up my asics.

x = ‘artist’
y = ‘athletes’
print (x + ” are not like ” + y + “. ” + x + ” cannot win gold. “)

txt = x + ” cannot ‘beat’ other creatives. “
print(txt)

txt2 = “an ” + x + “‘s craft is subjective.”
print(txt2)

txt3 = x + “s create to connect to the people who need their energy. “
print(txt3)

txt4 = “Create in your way.”
txt5 = “, show up, and focus on your unique brand of magic.”

print(txt4)
print(“we are all ” + x + txt5)

Artists are not like athletes. Artists cannot win gold. Artists cannot ‘beat’ other creatives. An artist’s craft is subjective. Artists create to connect to the people who need your energy. Create in your way. We are all artists, show up, and focus on your unique brand of magic.

Be the most unique version of yourself

Posted on August 30, 2021 by Bhanu Misra Marya

I know I’m not the first but to anyone who can challenge the norms, unlearn what hinders them and try something new (like wearing a sari with pants) knows that being the most unique version of yourself is above everything!

I’ve learned that getting out of your comfort zone and finding ways to improve yourself is key. Here are some ways to do that everyday:

Practice Gratitude Everyday
Digital Detox 2 hrs Before Bed (if you can’t do it every day, start with Mondays)
Personally Greet Everyone You Meet (by name, appropriate pronouns and with respect)
Talk Positively to Yourself
Do Something for Someone Else Once a Day (without expecting anything in return)
Execute on your Ideas

Happy Monday!

Learning about India’s independence

Posted on August 18, 2021 by Bhanu Misra Marya

On Aug 15 1947, India claimed independence from the United Kingdom. It actually happened during WW1, where Mahatma Ghandi advocated (and possibly unintentionally) led for peaceful end to British rule (love the juxtaposition in that!)

We as a family took it upon ourselves to learn a little more about the Indian flag. Given all of the social education happening in our world – I found it fitting to learn and teach our girls about their background and heritage.

Sharing a few of the quick facts about the Indian Flag that I found intriguing!

The flag is tricolor and each colour means something different. Saffron/Orange represents courage and strength, White indicates peace and truth, Green is for auspiciousness and growth.
The Chakra depicts the wheel of duty/law and that there is life in movement. There are 24 spokes in the chakra represents a few different things: Indians working tirelessly for 24 hours, 24 different paths for humans and lead any country on the path to progress. Also! The original spinning wheel was replaced by the chakra :O

We kept it light by creating these cute renditions of the flag, perfect for little hands and grown up creatives alike.

I am officially a winter runner!

Posted on February 22, 2021 by Bhanu Misra Marya

I read this quote recently and couldn’t agree more…

Running is the hardest thing to start. But when you are running regularly, it’s the hardest thing to stop.

I started running when I was in middle school. I have memories of being dropped off early at school to run cross country. I remember running on grassy trails, in forests and along rivers. As I got older I moved indoors on to tracks and treadmills. I’ve been running indoors for a majority of my adult life. I only became a winter runner at the end of 2020.

I am slowly getting more used to it. I still have to psych myself up for weekend runs (aka long runs in cold weather). But what I’ve learned is that winter running is very refreshing, it’s a challenge I didn’t know I needed and with a little planning can be a great experience.

On cold days I like to double up on the pants, starting with a thermal layer and then adding a brushed or fleece lined legging on top. Same goes for tops, I like to wear 2 long sleeves, tucked into my pants (to prevent cold drafts!). I wear merino wool socks, mitts, windbreaker and even a balaclava. I’ve also considered wearing ski goggles on days with blowing snow!

Some other tips to keep in mind with winter running:

If you don’t have access to clear side walks, run on fresh snow!
Walk over icy patches
Hydrate
Wear sunglasses, the sun’s reflection off the snow can be intense
Add a pre-run routine (I’ve been following this one)
Be sure to swap out into warm clothes when you get home

Sitting still and breathing

Posted on January 25, 2021 by Bhanu Misra Marya

I used to think that meditation was about sitting, uncomfortably, for long periods of time. I thought it was mythical and that only a few people achieve it’s intended benefits. I thought it had to be done in complete silence. I thought people who meditated could easily turn off the sounds, sensations around them and thoughts in their mind could be ignored.

I had to let all those ideas go to find my own meditation journey. That said maybe some day I’ll be able to meditate that way. Until then I’ll rely on my favourite guided mediation app Insight Timer.

This app lets you choose the topic of your meditation and a preferred time of the meditation.

My topics of choice are usually: morning meditation, chakra clearing, future self, protective white light, breath work, affirmations or mindfulness. Time wise the sweet spot for me is 7-11 min, preferably 8-9 min.

Now for me the absolute game changer has been to journal after my meditation. I always include a gratitude list but other than that I may journal about what the meditation taught me, what I saw or learned, affirmations, future journaling/thank you letter etc.

I learned this trick after completing the 21 day meditation challenge created by Deepak Chopra and Oprah. It was a whatsapp meditation group (sounds awks – but the community was helpful). And although the meditation topics didn’t resonate with me completely, the practice did (thankfully!)

2021 Words of Intention

Posted on January 6, 2021 by Bhanu Misra Marya

I used to be really big into new years resolutions (see here and here). I mean I still am into making resolutions but they don’t need to be beginning at the start of the year. I set goals or dream big any time of the year, month or given day. Continuous improvement is just that – continuous!

I still have a few goals but they are ongoing/refreshed from things I was working towards last year.

I was journalling the other day and 3 words came to me:

Joy

Expression

Transformation

I want everything I do this year to be an embodiment of these words.

If I go for a run, I want to stop and take some pictures of me and my surroundings be cause that is an expression of my joy.

As soon as I have an idea for a post whether it’s on the blog (here or here), LinkedIn or Instagram, I am not going to sit on it – I am going to immediately express it.

If I need to upgrade, change or create something – I am going to make that transformation happen.

I think using words as intentions for your year is a great tool. They can be easily reminders providing quick ways to act.

Do you set resolutions at the start of the year?

Have you tried using a words as intentions for your year?