Category Archives: Creativity

Things in your control right now

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I’m trying a new thing with my workouts, including using a paper journal to write down my fitness routine. Staying optimistic but hoping that using a different strategy to track my workouts (ie: not digital) will keep me more honest and consistent with resistance training and challenging myself.

OOTD, Style, Fashion, FashionBlogger, Animal Print Dress, Waterfall vest, Spring Fashion

And I feel that holding power over my workouts, romanizing it and even disrupting my usual exercise regime (within a controlable “blast radius) makes me feel like I have a little moe control in my life given the current socio-economic-politico environment…

But it’s more than my workouts, I feel like I have control when I take the time to put on a cute outfit to have dinner with the fambam. Annnndd because I loved all the depth and texture of the outfit, I took a little more control by taking a whole bunch of pictures of me in said outfit #FashionBlogger :)

May sound a little cheesy but it’s all about that #MainCharacterEnergy – and we all need to acknowledge that energy in our own life now and then…

If you are feel like not yourself, that something is just off or need to change things up a bit because you feel like you are just being tossed around …consider taking control of what you can to feel more like yourself…and to start…here are some ways:

Your thoughts: Replace negative self talk with the action of writing down positive affirmations or statements about about yourself!

What you eat Eat When was the last time you ate healthy whole foods, drank a full glass of water or switched up your coffee with an herbal tea.

How we spend our spare time: Give you mind a break from work/Netflix/unproductive activities (scrolling, gossiping etc) and do something creative, active, journaling (ie: to do lists, gratitude, brain dump)

How you react to things: Before immediately giving someone or a situation your attention give yourself a moment to pause before immediately reacting, it might actually change how you respond.

What content you consume Put down your phone and pick up a book. Unfollow and mute accounts that don’t lift you up. Learn or study instead of mindlessly watching. Create more than you consume.

Who you spend time with Surround yourself that build you up and inspire you. And it’s OK to spend time on your own as much as you need.

How we treat others Don’t waste energy treating people badly. Use that energy to focus on improving your well being or hanging out with people who matter to you.

OOTD, Style, Fashion, FashionBlogger, Animal Print Dress, Waterfall vest, Spring Fashion
This reminds me of blogger me circa 2011

Boots – Amazon | Dress – Joe Fresh | Vest – M Boutique | Purse – Aldo

OOTD, Style, Fashion, FashionBlogger, Animal Print Dress, Waterfall vest, Spring Fashion

5 things to quit this week

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A few days ago, I realized that it had been some time since I picked up my camera and take some creative shots.  So I set up some items around my house, put on a cute outfit and cleaned up my desk to get some photography.

Sometimes I hold myself back from 1) actually taking the time to create with my camera and then 2) sharing it here on instagram. And I’m not entirely sure why. I think creativity was meant to be shared with the world. That doesn’t necessarily mean friends and family will like it or even agree with it – which is OK (I’m being taught this lesson over and over by different situations).

Also part of the creative process is taking some rest so you can come up with the crazy ideas that you plan to execute on. So picking up my camera after a few months of rest is something I need to give myself grace about.

With all that said, most times it’s the voice in our head is what’s stops us from doing the things we know will nourish our soul. So I’m sharing 5 things to quit this week which helped me get out of my creativity rut!

Staying in your comfort zone: Sometimes I think “it’s just easier to not shoot photos because then I don’t have to worry about them looking terrible”. And although this thought can be comforting, it’s actually creating more harm than good. Be consistent and be comfortable getting out of your comfort zone.

Overthinking: Ruminating, spinning, wondering why you did something a certain way or wishing all together you hadn’t done something at all. Such a terrible habit and so defeating to your self esteem. Instead, let your mind think about the thought/situation, ask yourself if it will matter in 5 years (in most cases it won’t) and then let your mind consider what was one good thing that came from the experience.

Sacrificing your own happiness/mental well being for others:  This is a simple and obvious one. It takes time to realize that you don’t need to be responsible for anyone’s happiness but your own.

Being afraid of being different: If you want to wear the hoop earrings – do it. If you want to compliment someone – go for it. If you want to be off camera during a meeting while everyone is one – don’t let it stop you. This one came in waves this week but you accepting yourself/your decision is the most important thing.

Ignoring your purpose: Whenever you hear that voice in your mind saying “you should pick up your camera/paint brush or take those dance lessons or spent an hour writing” don’t ignore it!

It’s time for another chocolate cookie recipe

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It’s been 3 days of “back to remote” learning. 3 days too long!

Sending good vibes to all the parents who are finding themselves in the 3rd lockdown (which means doing everything all of the time).

With that said – I’ve got a few things to share 1) an amazing new cookie recipe and 2) a few things that are keeping me focused.

I’ll start with what’s keeping me focused:

  1. My morning routine! Meditate & Journal – helps to get my mind right and even if the days goes to sh!t, at least I took some time to set up my mindset
  2. A daily walk: I try and go in the morning but if meetings don’t allow for it, I get my dose of vitamin D and forrest vibes in the mid afternoon
  3. Daily workout: Whether it’s a fully body releasing stretch or a heavy lift day, workouts are a way to increase movement in my day after sitting at my own work desk or hunched over a JK’s desk
  4. Prioritizing a personal goal: whether it’s reading for 10 minutes, making some art or making progress on a project – making time for myself makes me feel good

And for the days when even the above doesn’t work, we will always have a great cookie ;)

Sharing a new recipe I tried: Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie (because sometimes making cookies does WONDERS for the soul)

Crystal Ball of Delusion

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Showing up as your present self:

Passage from a book…

One of our favourite ways to abandon our self control is to justify our sins of the present moment with planned virtues of the future. For example, research shows that simply planning on exercising later, can increase the likelihood not eating healthy right now. This way of thinking not only reeks of moral licensing, but also introduces another critical flaw into the mix. The assumption that we will somehow make a different decision in the future, then we do today. (ie: today I will skip my workout, but tomorrow I will double up or today I will binge my favourite TV shows, but then I wont watch anymore for the rest of the week.)

We simply give our future selves too much credit. Counting on them to do whatever we can’t bring ourselves to do right now. We are too quick to assume we’ll be more enthusiastic, energetic, willful, diligent, motivated, brave, morally strong in a couple of days, weeks or months.

Such optimism could be okay, if we knew we could actually follow through on it all. And we both know thats now how it goes. When the future finally arrives, the nobel idealized version of ourselves – is nowhere to be found. And the demands we face aren’t nearly as easily as we told our selves they would be. What to do then? Put it all off again of course, hoping that our saviour will rescue us next time.

This type of thinking simply burdens our future self with impossible load of tasks and responsibilities.