Contemplative Handwork Archives - 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. When I am doing new things in life, moving out

Sharon Barnes October 5, 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

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 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

Sensitive Gifted New Years Tools

Is Facing the New Year as a Creative, Sensitive or Gifted Person Daunting? Here’s Inspiration and some Creative, Sensitive Gifted New Years Tools – As one year ends, and a new one begins, we tend to ponder our lives. We ask, “Is my life where I want it to be? Are my relationships the way I want them to be? My finances? My spiritual/soul life? My work? My health?” Just in case they’re not, and you,

Sharon Barnes January 4, 2018

How to Face Bad Dreams – for Highly Sensitive or Gifted Children & Adults

Not long ago, two sensitive, gifted children came in on the same day telling me some recent bad dreams. These were intense sessions. It was hard for them to tell their bad/scary dreams. Their moms were also worried about what these dreams might reveal – about their child’s psyches, about their parenting, about what the dreams might mean. Bad, scary dreams are hard for anyone to deal with, especially children. And when you add sensitivity

Sharon Barnes August 3, 2017

Happy CASIGY™ Mother’s Day

Happy CASIGY™ Mother’s Day! Balancing CASIGY™ Mom’s Own Needs With Your Family’s Needs Today is Mother’s Day in the United States, Australia and many other countries. It’s a day of great joy and also pain for many. If you’re having a tough time with Mothers Day, you may appreciate this post from my archives: ‘I Hate Mother’s Day!’ When I had young children, my fantasy of the perfect Mother’s Day was for my husband to take

Sharon Barnes May 10, 2015