Sharon Barnes, Author at Therapist for Sensitive and Gifted

Mistakes – Antidote to Perfectionism

Mistakes: Antidote to Perfectionism, As Revealed by One Day’s Contemplative Handwork™ CASIGYs™, AKA Creative, Acutely Aware, Super-Sensitive, Intense, and/or Gifted You-s are known (among other things) for their vulnerability to perfectionism. We can have pretty (OK, very) high standards for ourselves, and sometimes for others, too. Those high standards can easily slide into personal expectations of doing everything perfectly. This can translate into expectations of BEING PERFECT.Confession time: One day not long ago as I

Sharon Barnes October 5, 2018

Nine Lessons I Learned on Road to First Grade

Inspiration for Parents and Teachers of Creative, Sensitive or Gifted Children: Here are Nine Life Lessons I Learned On the Road to First Grade: My little quilt, finished except for the label, was a burgundy, mauve and ivory ‘watercolor’ heart-shaped wall hanging. It had taken me many moons to make it, and I was tempted to skip the label. Painters sign their work on the front; quilt artists make a label for the back. But I

Sharon Barnes August 24, 2018

Love’s Labor; my SoulShirt™ Process and Surprise Effects – Part 3 of 3

My inner dialogue with my SoulShirt™ continues. This is the conclusion of my current blog series on Creative and Contemplative Handwork™ – making things with our hands that represent and facilitate our inner process. We pick up the thread from last week’s post with my inner dialogue: “Ripping stitches out and starting over will take too much time. I don’t have that much time. I had planned to be far ahead of this by now. I hate

Sharon Barnes August 10, 2018

Creative Guidance from a SoulShirt™ Adventure, Part 2 of 3

Continuing my story when my SoulShirt™ spoke to me, not literally, but by listening with my Inner Ear─ We’ve all had creative moments; some have even felt divinely led by an inner voice. How do you practice connecting with your heart and soul? Or are you searching for a way to feel the aliveness and results from trusting your inner voice? My Heart told me that it felt warmed and nurtured by my wearing something

Sharon Barnes August 3, 2018

A SoulShirt = Wearing Your Soul On Your Sleeve – Part 1 of 3

Are You Facing Tough Problems in Your Life? Ones that leave you feeling stumped? Take heart! Making your very own SoulShirt could change all of that. Would you like to Experience a fun and funky way to strengthen your inner psychological core so you can face your biggest challenges with confidence and poise while simultaneously expanding your creativity? Maintain a grounded, yet hopeful connection to your dreams and goals- so you can reach

Sharon Barnes July 27, 2018

My Recent Adventure: Making a Soul-Shirt from a Cast-off Jacket

For eons, people have marked significant life passages, prepared for goal achievement, invited desired changes to show up in their lives through making things which represented the intangible, hidden, archetypal aspects of the coming event. We still do. We celebrate graduations, weddings, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, even birthdays and other events. Often this includes special clothes to wear as part of the specialness of the celebration. In ancient times, not-so-wonderful changes such as deaths and

Sharon Barnes July 9, 2018

How to Ride Out Life’s Tough Times: Hang Loose in the Washing Machine!

Adversity is something everyone faces at some time in their life. Adversity often has a greater impact on CASIGYs™ (Creative, Acutely Aware, Super-Sensitive, Intense and/or Gifted You-s) than it does on neurotypical people. So, for the CASIGYs™ in your life, here’s How to Ride Out Life’s Tough Times: Hang Loose in the Washing Machine! Several years ago, I was helping one of my counseling clients learn how to cope with overwhelming emotions connected to the adversity he

Sharon Barnes June 27, 2018

Being an Empath – When you Feel Emotions That are not Your Own

Ten year old Aiden (not his real name) dissolves in a puddle of tears. Once he has calmed down and can actually talk about it, you discover that he has no idea why he feels sad. No, he is not hurt physically. No, no one said or did anything that hurt his feelings. No, he is not afraid or scared about anything. You -and he- remain puzzled. As a parent, what do you do? And

Sharon Barnes June 21, 2018

CASIGY Father’s Day Reflections

Father’s Day has always been a complicated day for me. I shared in a recent post how Mother’s Day was not my favorite holiday. But Father’s Day has been complex and difficult in different ways. A daughter’s relationship with her father can also be difficult. Our relationship with our parents changes through the years, and it changes again when they die. How is this different for CASIGYs™ (Creative, Acutely Aware, Super-Sensitive, Intense, and/or Gifted You-s)? Why,

Sharon Barnes June 15, 2018

My Scrap Angel: Life Lessons Learned While Quilting

Have you ever started a creative project that went so badly you trashed it? I have–more times than I’d like to admit. I had heard that mistakes can be our finest learning experiences, but I’d not relished that idea until I reclaimed one of my discarded pieces, and unexpectedly discovered how to reclaim my life, too. An hourglass quilt block I had made from scraps contained too many mistakes to use, so I pitched it.

Sharon Barnes May 30, 2018

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