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 made meandering quilting stitches on the dark fabric of the face of this small wall quilt in-the-making, the nasty inner voice started up again: …
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 this. Gary will show up again any minute, and I will bite his head off for sure. And if I keep ripping stitches out, the …
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 for the stars while keeping your feet on the ground? Expand your creative problem solving skills so they encompass any difficulty you may …
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. The triangles didn’t have points; I could have done better when I was nine years old. The parallel lines weren’t parallel–they would have made a …
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, too may sometimes wonder if you (or your creative, sensitive, or gifted kids) can actually craft a life you (or they) love to live, here’s …
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 and intensity into the mix, well, strap on your boots, we’re getting serious here! We did unravel these dreams, and their possible meanings. I helped …
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 the kids and do something fun with them and leave me alone in the house for a change. That never happened, and is not ever …