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Take Restraints Off for Flow

For Flow Release Your Restraints

Take it off for flow.
Want an instant passport to flow? Get rid of the things that restrain your creativity, such as ties, bras, and shoes

How can creatives enter flow when they feel restraints on their physical being? This question bears merit for a few reasons. First, flow comes more naturally when we are comfortable. Next, anything that digs into the skin also irritates creativity. Finally, writers and artists – and anyone actually – enter flow much more freely when they do not feel crammed or pinched. So let’s look at quick ways to relax right away.

Toss the Cravat

Depending upon the uniform or formality of a day job, both men and women wear ties at times. The sooner you loosen up the tie, the more relaxed your neck and shoulder muscles will feel. Akin to rolling up sleeves as the day wears on, this one can be done in public or as soon as you walk in the door at home.

No Bassiere, Dear

Mel Ryane, author of  Teaching Will: What Shakespeare and 10 Kids Gave Me That Hollywood Couldn’t, gives great advice during her Page to Podium workshops: To get into writing, get rid of the bra. Of course, you need to keep it on in the office – unless you have a home office and are not meeting clients that day. Ridding yourself of bras that poke, squeeze, or prod and replacing them with ones without underwire is another idea. Have you ever tried a Coobie Seamless Bra? This choice gives you comfort and coverage that can be worn to work. Look here: https://www.herroom.com/coobie.shtml

Kick Off Your Shoes

Whether they are pointed-toe flat, kitten heels, or stilettos, kicking off uncomfortable shoes is a great way to enter flow. Sure, this might not be an option if there is a formal wardrobe office policy in your workplace. But, there may be some wiggle room, if high heels can be worn in the door and round-toed slip-ons can be worn at the desk.

Your Turn

Open your journal and list all the articles of clothing and accessories that cause restraint to your creativity. Go from the top of your head to the tip of your toes. Then, decide whether to sell, give away, throw out, and/or replace the articles. Do a few at a time. Start with those mentioned above and go from there. Soon you will be relaxed each time you sit to create by being in flow.

Here’s to growing your flow,

Marisa

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Yarn a Tale to Grow Flow

Have a Ball with Yarn as Prompt

Yarn is a good prompt for writing.
Squeeze a ball of yarn. It’s soft and fluffy to the touch. What metaphors or images arise from the sight or touch of the yarn?

Have yarn, will create! Using this spun thread to create connections is nothing new. The word itself has a secondary meaning, which is to spin a tall-tale, fable, or myth. There are some good reasons for this connection. First, yarns squeeze metaphors to create literary impact. Second, creatives can literally juggle  balls of yarn to consider how a plot can be twisted and turned to add drama. Finally, finger-crocheting can help knit together a dialogue or setting. Let’s look at yarn’s versatility as a writer’s tool below.

Squeeze Out Metaphor

Rubber stress balls work to help anxiety-filled writers and artists, but those made from yarn are better. Soft, fluffy, and light, they help us to squeeze metaphors while literally clamping down on them. Think about it. Maybe the logger who created the Paul Bunyan folklore had access to yarn balls while spinning tales of Paul and his blue ox named, Babe? Not familiar with the American tale? The city of Bemoiji, Minnesota’s website has detailed storylines for Paul and Babe’s travels. See more here: https://wewriteitright.com/sow-flow-visit-antique-shop/

Juggle ideas around while rotating these light-as-air balls to loosen up a plot.

Juggle Ideas Around with Yarn Balls

Perhaps juggling can loosen up a stuck plot. Without too much scientific thinking here, simply juggle three balls of yarn. Stand or sit. It doesn’t make a difference. Focus on the act of juggling the balls for five to 10 minutes, then write a journal entry about the current piece. See what types of connections altered or sprung up from the simple act of juggling. Need a refresher on how to juggle? Look here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNigMfLNhpg

Finger Crochet to Knit a Tale

Want to bring a scene or a dialogue alive? Try finger crocheting some yarn at the desk. This works better seated than standing. Again, do not think too much about the creative piece. Think summer camp or study hall in middle school. Simply focus energy on doing the loops in finger crocheting for about 10 minutes. The process is what matters here, so don’t sweat the way the long link looks. Then, again, write a journal entry to note any new sensory images to add to a scene or dialogue.

Finger crochet for dialogue or scene development.

Your Turn

Creating space to allow images to pop up is important for writers and artists to yarn their tales. Frist, try to squeeze metaphors to enhance the story. Next, mix things up in a plot after juggling. Finally, use finger crocheting to knit together a scene or a dialogue. Choose any of these or all three to keep your story skills fluid.

Here’s to growing your flow,

Marisa

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Day After Twelfth Night Stirs Flow

Flow Arrives the Morning After Twelfth Night

Red wreath brings glee.
A red berry wreath remind bears glad tidings beyond Twelfth Night.

Entering into life beyond The Twelfth Day of Christmas challenges even the most cheerful among us.  People don’t get too excited about the thirteenth day of Christmas now, do they? Yet flow arrives on the heels of such a day. Honestly, it is important to know where to look. My family packed up Christmas after attending an Epiphany service. And, I’m not going to lie, it felt a little sad. Then, I realized what was needed to keep the spirit of the holidays going into at least next month. What was it? A simple red berry wreath.

Flow Found in Red Berry

A wreath is a traditional sign to welcome those entering a home. This red berry wreath is hung on a pantry door in my kitchen for a few reasons. First, it recalls winter’s joyful landscapes. Where I live it is in the 70s during the day and down in the 40s at night.  So, the symbolism of a white door behind the red berries reminds me of the Snow Belt where I grew up. Next, it winds around on itself as a sign of infinity. Glad tidings, I am reminded, are reason for an additional smile. And, another. Finally, stir those images around to find a satisfying sense of flow to extend the joy of Twelfth Night into today –  and beyond.

Other Places to Find Flow Beyond Twelfth Night

Easily find flow and where it grows through the five senses. First, get out a journal. Next, walk around the office or house and jot down anything that smells, sounds, tastes, feels, or looks like an extension of the holiday. For example, note that the red earthen wear bowl can hold fruit such as apples on the counter. Perhaps a dash a cinnamon in coffee or on cocoa brings a jolt of joy. Finally, take this listing of sense-related phrases and quickly write a reflection on Christmas joys. No need to share it – unless that, too, brings joy.

Here’s to growing your flow,

Marisa

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Incautious Daily Word Crimps Flow

 

Get work done more quickly wihen you have a plan.
Having a plan to use an outline, template, or other tool to organize thoughts prevents incautious work.

Bypass Incautious Work with Plan

Today’s word-of-the-day selection is incautious: (adjective) – not cautious; careless; reckless. As a writer who has been an educator, I have seen my fair share of incautious work from students. Deadline procrastination is often the culprit. First, passive voice is favored to increase word count, especially on the 500-word essays. Next, misspellings get overlooked by spellcheck apps that scan by word and not sentence. Think they’re, their, or there.  Finally, abbreviations are often added to copy that belong in text messages such as IDK (I don’t know) or IMHO (in my humble opinion).  All of these errors – and more – can be handled with a plan. Orderly writing helps curb procrastination, which yields the mistakes mentioned above by anyone pressed for time.

Set the tone for anything from a blog post to an essay with an outline. Anchor the beginning, middle, and end of the piece with headers. Expand the outline to a template to use repeatedly, especially for reports, blogs, or journal entries. For example, my morning journal is anchored with my daily intention. Next, I write the three things that I want to accomplish that day. Finally, I free-write for three pages by asking myself questions like: What do I need to know? Who do I need to ask? Where can I find that resource? These prompts help me to get the work completed in a timely fashion.

 The Message the Word Incautious Sends

The message from this term reminded me of grade-school fire prevention talks: If you are rushed and begin to unravel, then stop, drop, and roll. Stop flying by the seat of your pants and get a plan. Drop into the template form or create an outline. Roll with the plan and get the work done. The message made complete sense to me. Stop and reset the process instead of embarking on a crash course to failure.

Your Turn

What projects are you working on between now and the end of the year? Take some time to prioritize the work. Set a plan. Pick out or create a template. Then, apply your analysis to let flow help to get that work completed.

Here’s to growing your flow,

Marisa

 

 

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Receptive Nature of Flow

Find Flow By Being Receptive to Intuition

Learning receptive writing practices can naturally lead to flow. Experimenting with a form of lectio divina, or divine reading, can help build an appreciation for the weight and power of words. The ancient art form is gleaned from holy scriptures or writings by saints. Let’s take that practice for the month of November, and give it a modern twist. All words are sacred utterances. The use of common words as transmitters of inspiration is a way to play along with divinely lead inspiration.

Where to Begin

Two days before I began this take on the Grow Your Flow blog, I took the practice for a test drive. I used my mother-in-law’s Random House  Dictionary of American Language and opened it randomly with eyes closed. I placed my fingertip on one of the pages. It landed on the word, supple. The idea of being pliant and yielding appealed to me. Don’t break or snap. Remain supple. That was the message that came to me as I wrote in my journal. Also, supple has the prefix sup- in it that sounded like street talk from my former high school students: Sup, Ms. M.? The prefix reminded me of other words that begin with those letters like support, suppose, and supersede.

Then, yesterday, I tried the practice again. Opened the book with eyes closed, and placed my finger on – nothing. As I opened my eyes I saw an empty half-page of the words beginning with E. I chuckled to myself. It was Halloween and that word and its spiritual denotations and connotations needed no embellishment. It stood solidly all on it’s own. It shimmers on its own, seemed to be the message.

Fast-forward to this morning in the pre-dawn hours when I again went to the dictionary for guidance. Receptivity was were my finger landed. The message seemed very clear to me: Are you ready to follow? Yes, I am willing to quickly receive knowledge and ideas. I am willing to have a receptive mind.

What to Observe Along the Way

November is associated with gratitude and the holiday of Thanksgiving. It has been overshadowed by the commercial overthrow of the Christmas season, but still exists on the fourth Thursday each year. I am receptive to being grateful for this new practice. I am curious to find out what messages will come up with each word every day. I will be sharing the word and its message with you in the Grow Your Flow blog.

Your Turn

Might you want to try you hand – yes, the pun is intended – at this practice? Give it a go and let me know how it works for you. The gratitude that exudes from this practice is palpable. Words carry weight and power. Seek to find the words you need to guide your creativity to the next level.

Here’s to growing your flow,

Marisa