Original Impulse HomepageOriginal Impulse

Cynthia Morris

by 4 Comments

Fight Overwhelm with a Mind Map of Your Month

If you’re like me and practically every creative person I know, you’ve got more going on than you can reasonably handle. Yet we seem to be missing the message – adding more and more to do doesn’t always  feel great. Overwhelm is a real stressor and can degrade the quality of our days.

I try all kinds of things to be sane with my work expectations, and I always return to a simple, quick and easy method to cope with – and fend off – overwhelm. When I share this with my students and clients, it’s a huge relief to them. Finally, a way to begin organizing and prioritizing creative projects.

Our problem is we love many things. At once. All the time. But then we’re running around feeling stressed and not enjoying any one project because we’re devoted to so many of them.

A stern taskmaster would tell you to focus, to choose only one at a time. But I know you and I know me and we can’t do just one thing.

Here’s what I do to have a grip on the projects I take on and how to stop myself from taking on way too much.

I call it Mind Mapping Your Plate.

Here’s how to mind map your month

Before the beginning of the month, take one sheet of paper or a page in your notebook. NOT a big one – just a regular size piece of paper.

Put the month in the middle and make radial bubbles or boxes for EACH MAJOR PROJECT or AREA OF YOUR LIFE.

On the map, put items you are focused on this month. The things that are your priority this month. You can develop out the map with smaller pieces of each project. For the sake of illustrating it for you here, I just added the main projects.

It’s a lot on my plate in June, isn’t it? Notice the box at the bottom: Does not include. I don’t include the things I do on an ongoing basis. I probably should, because then I would have a more accurate picture of ALL the things I am spending my time on. But I use this to manage projects, not my entire schedule.

Additional notes

Notice how travel is a project. Each trip is its own project with planning, taking and returning from. That’s a lot of energy.

Note the # of work days in the middle heart. This doesn’t include travel days and Saturdays and Sundays. Only 13 days in the office! Whoa! That seriously makes me think about how to focus my time and energy on those days.

Since I published this, I have added more things. There’s the copy writing for a client. There’s the interview request. There will always be more things to do. I know it’s difficult to leave space for these things, but I try.

You can also map out writing projects with this method.

See additional notes at the bottom of the mind map.

Have you tried this method for organizing yourself? Do it now! It can take less than 5 minutes. Let us know how it goes.

by 4 Comments

Building a Living Around Your Creative Soul – Interview on Good Life Project

You never forget where you were when you ‘get the call’.

I was sitting in Black Eye Coffee in Denver, having my afternoon coffee/writing/art making ritual. I like to take myself to cafes even in my city, because it makes me feel like a traveler.

In between sketches, I checked my email. There was a note from Jonathan Fields, my mentor, ally and Good Life Project boss, asking about my upcoming New York trip. Turns out he wanted to invite me to come on his podcast for Good Life Project.

When this kind of opportunity shows up, it’s a full-body experience. The kind that makes you want to jump up and shout and dance and cry and scream. But I’m in a hip, trendy Denver cafe and everyone’s keeping their cool under wraps. So I go into the bathroom and dance and make noises of joy.
I’d dreamed about this, and hoped for it. For me, this is like being asked to be on Oprah. But I would never had thought I was ready to be a guest. I figured that was years away, when I was famous and accomplished. 🙂

I say this because this is one of my favorite podcasts. I listen every week and I can honestly say that my life has been changed from listening to these conversations.
My interview with Jonathan on Good Life Project went live this week, and as of the time of this writing, has been shared over 400 times on Facebook. I’m shocked and thrilled that this interview inspired creative people to feel good about their talents. It’s my work to help creative dynamos to get their work out there in ways that work for them, and if this interview helps, I am delighted.

Lucky for me, that same night I got the call, I was scheduled to have dinner with my artist friend Lisa Call at Root Down. I was bursting with excitement, and the staff noticed. They brought celebratory drinks to us and congratulated me, not even knowing what I was celebrating. This kind of service goes beyond service – it’s the kind of world I want to live in, where even strangers celebrate each other’s wins.

Backstory about the interview day

If you’re like me, you enjoy the story around the story, so read on if you want to hear what it was like for me to do the interview.
I was in New York in March to have fun with friends. I’d added the trip on to a visit to my family in Pennsylvania. On the day of my meeting with Jonathan, I decided to brave the bike rental system. I love biking in cities, but still, New York is kind of intimidating. YIKES!

I am nothing if not daring, so I paid my fee and jumped on a bike. Cycling through the Village was easy and fun and surprisingly mellow. I went straight to an art supply store. (Of course.) Then I biked to the recording studio for the interview.

I was nervous, but because I know Jonathan, it was easier to relax. He’s also a very chill guy so his calm made me calm. Still, by the end of the interview, I had no idea what I had said.

I thanked Jonathan and the recording guy and left the building. I was halfway down the block, floating on a cloud, before I realized where I was. This was a street lined with flower vendors. Flowers, one of my favorite things, lining the streets. I took it as a sign of love and beauty and gratitude and floated to the subway, where I promptly got lost.

It was truly a golden day. I went off to a museum to treat myself to more art and beauty.

Big thanks to Jonathan for the fun interview, big thanks to everyone who listened, and even bigger bow of gratitude for everyone who shared.

by 2 Comments

31 Benefits of Free-Writing

Perhaps you want to write. Your writing burns deep inside you. You know deep in your bones that you have something to say. Perhaps it’s a book that will help get your message out. Maybe your own personal story is burning a hole in your heart, just waiting to be told.

You may not even know what you want to write – you just feel…that…writing…urge.

But you ignore it. You do everything else first: From the big things: taking care of the kids and managing the daily operations of your business. To the small things: making sure your inbox is at zero or scrolling through Facebook.

I get it. We have all been guilty of postponing that thing that matters deeply to us. The small but persistent knowing that we have something to say is easy to drown out with the real and false demands on our time.

Sitting down to focus and get our writing out seems so big and daunting. We think we need a whole day to just get something out. Worse, we are afraid that when we do sit down, we won’t have any idea where to start or what to say. And what if something awful comes out?

I totally get all of these feelings. I have them myself and I see my clients and students process the same stuff. Luckily, I have a simple, fun and effective solution.

Since 2007, I’ve been leading a simple but powerful online class  now called The Devoted Writer. For a month at a time, we all write for at least 15 minutes a day. It is awe-inspiring to watch all kinds of transformation unfold. I’m always blown away by how much can change from such a simple practice.

There are so many things that this writing method can do for any kind of writing – fiction, blogs, books, personal reflections. It’s like the Swiss Army knife of creative practices.

What’s even better, the benefits extend WAY beyond the page. It’s truly mind-blowing and heart-opening.I’ve been paying attention to the life-changing things writers in this class experience.

Here’s what writers reported consistent free-writing did for them.

Make a star next to the things you would like to experience now.
With consistent free-writing, we:
1. Release fear of what others think.
2. Easily find 15 minutes for writing every day.
3. Get out of our own way.
4. Make real progress on writing we can publish.
5. Finally have a reliable way to access and tell our truth.
6. Access inspiration, anytime, anywhere.
7. Develop and enjoy a consistent writing routine.
8. Appreciate that the time we spend on our writing as a gift we give to ourselves again and again.
9. Discover more about ourselves.
10. Release emotions that are holding us back.
11. Connect with a supportive writing tribe, finally.
12. Glean useful insights about our writing process.
13. Untangle sticky life issues.
14. Come back to our truth.
15. Recognize and claim our authentic voice
16. Play with new genres and styles.
17. Clear away the internal clutter preventing us from our good work.
18. Gain confidence.
19. Understand what’s truly important.
20. Make amends with the past.
21. Recognize new possibilities.
22. Eliminate distractions.
23. Build our butt-in-chair muscle.
24. Enjoy a daily no-calorie treat.
25. Become more courageous with our writing.
26. Extend that courage to the rest of life.
27. Learn how to show up even when it’s difficult.
28. Discover that we can create even when life gets busy.
29. Become more present to the simple wonders of the moment.
30. Finally befriend the inner critic so he no longer stifles our creativity.
31. Drop all expectations and just show up for our words.

Wow. I didn’t have to invent any of these gifts. These are all things that writers in my online writing class experience every single time. How many of these did you choose for yourself?

I want every single person who wants to write to have access to their creative powers like this.

Get my free guide on how to use prompts to write whatever you want here. 

 

by Leave a Comment

Interview with Cory Huff: How to Express and Enjoy Many Interests

I’ve been honored to be a guest on several cool podcasts in recent months, and I plan to share them with you here on the Original Impulse salon.
My pal and creative collaborator Cory Huff invited me to his Creative Insurgents video podcast last fall. We’d met up in Paris for pizza and he asked me to be a guest for him. This is one of my favorite interviews because Cory, founder of The Abundant Artist, was able to see how all of my diverse interests and talents combine in a cool way. I love that!
Don’t mind how scary we look in the screenshot here; we’re both really warm and lovely.

Show notes from Cory:
:47 – Cory introduces Cynthia Morris, artist, writer, writing coach, and fabulous dancer (you’re too kind, Cory!)
1:20 – Cynthia shows off her art journals a little bit and shows how she got started with them. She also mentions some resources from Frederick Frank, including Zen Seeing, Zen Drawing and Art As A Way.
5:20 – how visual thinkers can quickly capture ideas and thoughts in a visual format instead of journaling or note taking
11:00 – Cynthia and Cory discuss the fact that even artists who are very experienced feel insecure or are unaware of how good they are at their art. Cynthia talks about putting your head down and building up chops.
15:00 – Cynthia shares her tips on how to finish a book or other long-term projects. She emphasizes the importance of understanding that big projects really take something from you, and you have to strategize on how to deal with that beforehand.
20:00 – Cory & Cynthia both talk about dealing with self-doubt and how to face that kind of fear
21:00 – Cynthia talks about how her dancing videos help her filter out people who are not a good fit for working with her
25:00 – Cynthia talks about what it means to live a creative life on your own terms
Enjoy! I’d love to know if this interview sparked any new ideas or practices for you. Please tell us in a comment below. And maybe dance a little!

by 3 Comments

Flaky or genius? Thriving as a multi-talented creative

A quiet place to get clear, get focused and make our mark. Ahhhh.....
A quiet place to get clear, get focused and make our mark. Ahhhh…..

You want to write. You also draw. Perhaps you were once identified as a painter but now you are compelled to make clay mugs and bowls.
Flaky? Or simply like most artists, drawn to lots of different things and experiences? This is the very nature of being creative – curious, open to new things, adept at many different skills and media.
The notion that we have to drill down and focus on just one thing can feel like death to a creative person. Yet if we flit from thing to thing, we can risk not finding satisfaction in any one thing.
How to solve this multi-faceted problem of abundance? I have a few thoughts on this, and I hope they are helpful for you.

Connect to your original impulse

First, you have to know very deeply, truly and clearly what creating is about for you. Maybe it’s just for fun and expression. Maybe it’s just for your own creative jollies. Perhaps you want to build a business around your art-making.
Whatever your reason, don’t skip this vital step of connecting to your own original impulse. Knowing your motivation will make everything – including taking advice from others – a lot easier.

Finish things

Finisher or dabbler? Depending on your intention for creating, you will know whether finishing things is important to you or not. For me, it’s very important. I am compelled to finish all kinds of things:

  • my newsletters
  • blog posts
  • books and e-books
  • class curricula
  • art projects
  • and more.

If I don’t finish these things, my work isn’t as effective as it needs to be. I also don’t derive the immense satisfaction that awaits us at the finish line.
You may not be making things for money, and that is okay. But I bet you have an inner critic who loves to say “See?! You can’t finish anything!”
That really stinks. It degrades the quality of your creative joy and it’s not okay. That’s the demon twin to the inner critic who tells you that YOU WILL DIE if you finish things and put them out into the world, because your art won’t be perfect and then you will be under attack.
Trust me. You won’t die from imperfection. I don’t, and everything I put into the world is perfectly imperfect. I see the flaws in all of my art, writing and work. And I have come to accept it. Don’t get me wrong, I still have high standards. I still work my tush off to make things of quality. And I also have learned that if I don’t put them out there in their wabi-sabi adorableness, I’ll never make anything.
But I digress. You get to decide whether you want to finish things and how that will happen.
This is an important piece because we can easily flit from one art form to the next when the project gets tough. We abandon things when we don’t see easy solutions. That’s fine, but don’t rob yourself of developing your creative power by staying with things to the finish line.

One major project at a time

I help my clients to the finish line by guiding them to focus on one major project at a time. A book, a body of work, a business idea they are developing. They can enjoy other art forms on the side, but they have a primary focus on one thing.
This helps us feel sane, focused and accomplished when we complete the project. it also teaches us our own process, start to finish. When we know our completing style, we can replicate it again and again to finish all kinds of things.
There are many ways to juggle multiple talents, but that’s enough for now. To sum up:

  • Know your motivation or original impulse.
  • Clarify whether completing things is important to you and why.
  • Focus on one major project at a time, with room to play with other things as a joy practice.

What helps you manage multiple mediums so you can feel like a creative genius? Drop a comment below and let us know.

by 2 Comments

Creative Monday Accountability

Hello creative friends and happy Monday!
I hope your weekend replenished and refreshed you for the week ahead. I love the fresh start Monday gives us.
And it’s time for a little creative accountability, if you want it. First, let’s check in on last week. How did it go? Did committing to one thing here help you do that thing?
It helped me a LOT. I had committed to making and posting one video. When Thursday, my appointed video day, rolled around, I did not want to do it. I had a lot of meetings that day and if I hadn’t publicly said I would make a video, I would have bailed on the commitment. But I can’t hold your tootsies to the fire and not do the same for myself!
So I got my pretty dress on and made sure my curls weren’t TOTALLY wacky and set up the video system. And I made a video. And then another, and another and before an hour had passed, I had clocked 6 videos. Yes, SIX!
This is what happens when we set a low bar. We usually are able to over-deliver and then we feel great. I felt completely powerful and successful and proud of having done all that.
I posted the video and encouraged a lot of people to be more creative. I’ve got a few bits and bobs to add to the other videos and then I can schedule them for upcoming weeks. This method of batching my tasks really works for me, helping me play in many different media so I can do a lot of different things.
My commitment this week: prepare the two presentations I am giving on creativity in Fort Collins and in Costa Rica. I know those will happen because I am being paid to show up and teach, so it’s a little bit of cheating on my part to not add another thing to do.
But I also know that adding more for the sake of it isn’t my priority this week. So I am content with that. And excited to speak about this thing that is my life’s work: how to be more creatively successful and satisfied.
How about you? What worked for you last week and what will you do this week? 

by 8 Comments

100 Day Project: I accept the challenge

I’m excited to embark on the 100 Day Project hosted by Elle Luna and featured on The Great Discontent. Check out the video to find out what I’m going to make for 100 days!

Are you doing the 100 Day Project? Let us know in the comments below. And if you’re not doing it, dream a little. What would you do for 100 days if you were going to do something wacky like this?

by 15 Comments

Creative Accountability Monday

Happy Monday, Creative Dynamos!
Let’s start the week off right, shall we? With a bit of support for our creative challenges, because we’re in this together!
5Share in a comment below ONE thing you will do this week in your creative realm. Something that you need a nudge for. Something a bit daunting.
Whether you’re a photographer, painter, sculptor, writer…any kind of artist. I’ll help hold you accountable this week to doing something you really want to do.
For my part, I am committed to return to making regular videos. I want to do this, yet it keeps getting pushed to the back burner. I commit to making and posting a video by this Friday. There. I said it, publicly. GULP!
What one thing will you do? And when you do it, will you return here to add another comment and perhaps a link? 

by Leave a Comment

A colorful new writing ally

Writual Blessings Cynthia Morris illustration affirmations writers
I’ve got something exciting to share with you, but first, I’ll tell the story.
As a writer’s coach, I’m always looking for ways to make writing easier. When we get into the ‘zone’, writing can feel magical. We finally lose our critical self-consciousness. We slip away from time. Our words guide us to new territory, and we welcome the surprises and the wisdom our pens offer up. We discover our wisdom and our voice. We discover Writual.

How we access Writual

Since 1994, I’ve been leading writing workshops that teach writers how to cultivate this magical space, where writer’s block is a distant memory. Where the inner critic is outside shoveling snow. I call this space Writual.
Writual is accessed through the intentional surrender we can find with the free-writing method. Our pens or fingers on the keyboard provide access to our authenticity. Writual cuts through the noise to get to the heart of our truth.
Practicing Writual feels very different from the writing sessions that come from disciplining or hounding ourselves to write from guilt. When you have adopted your Writual practice, you’re much less likely to avoid your writing.
In my Free-Write Fling class, students find their groove using the free-writing method and my Writual Blessings. The transformations they experience are profound: more confidence, more joy and more sense of their authenticity.

Writual Blessings are your powerful writing ally

Writual [rich-oo-uh l] The sacred act of writing with intention and surrender. Origin: writing + ritual = Writual
Blessing [bles-ing] praise, devotion, especially grace before a meal
Writual Blessings help us enter this sacred writing zone. When writers use them as a prompt, they tap their own deep well of wisdom. It’s been great to see how Writual Blessings have served as my allies in helping writers find joy and confidence.
Writual Blessings serve as permission slips to the coveted space of writing freedom. It’s amazing how much the Flingers love them and how much they’ve made a difference in their writing. They have found focus and solace from the Writual Blessings.
Writual Blessings Cynthia Morris illustration affirmations writersWritual Blessings Cynthia Morris illustration affirmations writersWritual Blessings Cynthia Morris affirmations illustration writers
I want more people to enjoy the pleasure that these affirmations bring. So from the hundreds of Blessings I’ve written, I made a deck of Writual Blessings cards. I chose 36 of my favorites. I hand-lettered them and added watercolor illustrations. I made a deck of portable cards for writers who would love to have support to access their authentic expression.
There are lots of ways to use these cards, including:

  • writing prompt
  • visual reminder of your intention
  • permission slip from your writing coach
  • page marker for your journal or favorite book
  • and more….

I’ve ordered a limited number of these unique writers’ card decks for sale. If this kind of colorful encouragement is something you could use for your writing, you’ll want to order your deck now.
To make it easier for you, I’m paying for shipping through March 31st. Get your deck here and let your writing become joyful and easier.
Get your deck here, and if you’ve got writing buddies, pick up a couple of decks for them. You’ll love the bulk discount I am offering. Remember, shipping is on me through March 31st.

by Leave a Comment

Book Review: Danny Gregory’s Art Before Breakfast

I got Art Before Breakfast from my art pal and Sketchbook Skool co-founder Danny Gregory. Like his other books, this one charmed me right away. I couldn’t read much before I had to put it down and sketch.

I find it’s even more important to just draw for fun and play in my sketchbook. Since I got this book, I’ve filled many new pages with drawings and doodles. Thank you Danny!

by 12 Comments

Bookish Gluttony and Enabling Libraries

When I was a girl, my mom would drop me off at the library and head out on other errands. I’d scamper inside and immediately become absorbed in all the possibilities. Which books would I take home this week?

Thirty minutes later, I’d meet my mom at the car with a giant stack. On the way home, I’d feel rich and full and eager all at the same time.

Is there anything better than being an imaginative child and having free rein in a library, with your own card and everything?

Yes. Being an adult in a library with free rein to check out any books, movies and magazines you desire.
Here’s the truth: I am a wanton library user. Oh, library, how you’ve enabled my bookish gluttony. [Read more…] about Bookish Gluttony and Enabling Libraries

by 2 Comments

Monday Writing Accountability: What's on Your Writing Agenda This Week?

Monday! Fresh start to a new week. (Rubbing hands together in glee but also, well, it’s cold here in Colorado.)
Tell me, what will you write this week? Perhaps it’s a blog post or an essay. Or maybe that proposal or…the text for your new web site.
Choose the ONE thing that is a bit of a challenge for you. Yes, the thing you are avoiding. Tell us in a comment below what your writing focus for the week will be.
If you like weekly accountability but know that daily support is really what you need, keep reading. I’m offering insanely affordable daily support for writers in February.
[Read more…] about Monday Writing Accountability: What's on Your Writing Agenda This Week?