General Creativity – Molly Ovenden Creativity

Travel Journal Tips

Travel Journal Tips: So you’re planning a cool trip–or, even a work trip. What if you kept a record of your time “on the road”? For many of us, we have good intentions to document, but either we forget without a plan or, we are overzealous and overwhelmed by how and how often to do so.

By the end of this quick piece, you will have several unique opportunities to try travel journaling for your next trip, along with inspiration from trips of my own.

There are many different ways to keep a travel journal. If you’re like me, you start off excited on Day 1 with a written journal entry written at midnight detailing every place you went, person you saw, food you ate, fun fact you learned.

By Day 3, you’ve written how tired you are and manage a couple of scrawled lines about something uninteresting and Days 4-6 you forgot you were keeping a travel journal for your special, long-awaited trip.

…And, by Day 12, you’ve been home, unpacked, and forgot you even were on a trip because you need another vacation. If you’d like to keep a travel journal that’s not so complicated, read on.

Here are a few ideas to simplify a travel journal so its fun and manageable. Be intentional about a theme for your journal. This means you will have pre-decided which details to include because they are the most important to you.
1. Collect images and thoughts around a certain theme in your notes app.
2. When you think of someone while you’re traveling, send them a postcard or photo with a text.
3. Do a daily post on social media with minimal captions.
4. Try a weekly reflection (instead of daily) and highlight memories from the week.
5. Record cultural “oops” moments that made the travel memorable.

1. I love to collect photos and thoughts about certain themes, like: circles, coffee, architectural features, the color blue, food, etc.
I love wandering old cities and looking down and up to notice what’s different from usual. Journaling about these differences simply to create captions is really easy. Paying attention to graffiti art and vandalism can spark curiosity and help you see a normal street from a unique perspective–like how spray paint works on a brick building versus the smooth curves of a Royal Mail Post Box.

2. If you Think: “Oh, I wish so-and-so was here!” write them a note or take a photo for them.
I love circles and collect photos of circles on streets, architecture, art, and design. But, it’s especially fun to receive text messages and post cards from my friends while they are away traveling–that have circles they found that made them think of me. Travel journaling is about capturing the moment of being away. Often we keep journaling to ourselves, but it can be enriching when we share it with others. This can be part of building flourishing relationships.

3. Do a daily “post on social” with minimal caption words.
This can literally be the highlight reel of your common themes that you’re focusing on. Maybe you watch the sunrise every day from the different places you’re staying. This along with a few notes of your favorite meal or coffee you enjoyed could be a fun way to share, but also to journal in a way that is sustainable.

4. Writing a weekly reflection journal entry could help you remember the important moments.
Maybe jotting down mileage walked and temperature highs and lows could help jog your memory as to how you spent the week. But you could also use reflection questions like:

-I most loved (LOCATION) because of its (BLANK).
-I enjoyed (BLANK), but I’d like to come back so I can (BLANK).
-I wish I had (BLANK).
-I remember when (PERSON) did (BLANK).
-I hope in 10 years, I remember (BLANK).

A helpful way to inform this type of reflection when travelling to a new place is to find a walking tour. This photo below is of me posing with a walking tour guide in London, in January 2023–we are in a spot where the Beatles famously posed for the photo the guide is holding. Walking tour have built in highlights for discovery and reflection.

5. Record cultural “oops!” moments.
Particularly when you are abroad in a foreign culture, but sometimes it can happen regionally, you will likely make a cultural mistake. For me, that happened when I first moved to England, thinking that fruit salad was a main course addition to a meal.

I thought this because for 25 years of my life, my mom had brought and served fruit salad during the main course. Well, I learned that in England, fruit salad is for dessert (I mean, pudding!) and isn’t meant to even be on the table during the main meal.

Another cultural “oops!” I encountered was also in England, involving crossing the street. At busy intersections there are pedestrian areas with big signs painted on the floor, often with arrows, “LOOK RIGHT” so that people familiar with road systems that are based on left-hand drive cars (like America), will know to look the opposite way before crossing the street. I’ve stepped out into the lane of oncoming traffic many times in my travels to the UK–especially when I was just visiting.

Some prompts for journaling cultural moments:
-I thought it was normal to have (BLANK – type of food), but it turns out it’s (BLANK) instead.
-I thought someone said, “(BLANK),” but they really said/meant “(BLANK).”
-I had an odd interaction with someone in the (LOCATION) today when (BLANK) happened.

Whenever I travel, I love to keep records of the vehicles and types of transportation I use. Whether I’m running and I photograph and jot a note of where I ran and what it felt like, or I’m flying over an ocean and record snippets of overheard conversation, all of these pieces can be great for travel journaling.

Other Ideas:
-Record bird sounds and names–you could use an app like Merlin.

-Use a sketch book to record architecture, landscapes, people, or patterns.

-Capture all the flowers or trees and add a couple of facts about the flora.

-Write a summary of how you moved around the places you visited–perhaps, include a map. Or, if you run, you could record notes in a running app like Strava.

-If you attend a concert, show, art exhibit, history museum, play, keep the ticket stub or program in a scrapbook and write a few words or phrases to help you remember.

I hope you feel inspired to keep a travel journal–some sort of record of where you’ve been and what you’ve experienced, so that you can truly remember your time. It’s important to rest, and if you’re like me, it’s so easy to rush through all the beauty and peace in order to chase “it all.” But, so often this ends in exhaustion and wishing you’d never gone away in the first place.

And, if you’re able to share your traveling with someone you love, maybe you can (like my best friend and I do) take photos of each other taking photos of things. That’s a really fun way to record our travels.

Have fun and happy travel journaling!

Tips To Consider When Choosing a Piece of Artwork

“Tips To Consider When Choosing a Piece of Artwork
(for Your Home or Office).”

It’s super gross outside–dirty and grey in the days between Winter and Spring. The trees are still bare, and there’s no fresh snow. No flowers have bloomed. No street sweeper has cleared the detritus from the Winter Melt. It’s all monotone and blah.

If you’re like me, you’re longing for color. That’s a huge reason I’m an artist. I bring Beauty and Joy into the world through my colorful, abstract original paintings. When we perceive beauty in the stained-glass-wings of a butterfly, in a loved one’s smile, in the curve of an old cedar tree, we feel Hope. And that’s what we need more of in this world–especially in the grey days after Winter.

Choosing a piece of art can be an overwhelming task for some and a challenge to articulate what you actually are looking for to bring into your home or office. And, so much of art is an intangible aesthetic of subjective Beauty.

Among many considerations to make, I want to share a few tips to help you choose artwork for your space. It’s helpful to consider whether you want an original or a print. Knowing what size of artwork you’d like and what size of space you have to fill is important, too.

Considering the other items in your room is valuable to know how to coordinate a new piece might be necessary. Emotions play a role, too, and knowing how you want to feel when you experience the art can be considered.

Because art can be such a personal experience, for some, knowing the artist is significant. And, for some collectors, the title of the artwork is important to be able to curate the story a room tells.

Once considering these questions, you’re likely to have a clearer idea of what artwork to choose for your home or office.

1. Do you want an original piece of artwork or a print? Do you want to commission a piece from a local artist?

When you choose an original piece of art, it can feel special to know that you are the only one in the world in all history and future who will have this exact piece in your home while you’re alive. The prestige, honor, and privilege of getting to commission a painting from an artist can feel valuable, too–not only are you the only one with a piece of art like this one, it was made especially for you. And, that’s super cool.

Price can be a consideration of this, too. Original art can have a large price tag–as it should. Artists are skilled and talented at their work and need to be compensated as such. Because of this, and your available budget, you may choose to start by owning a print from an artist whose work you love, and then, save up to commission a piece later on.

2. What size of space do you have to fill?

The size of space you have to display art is necessary to consider. I once painted something that I thought was big enough for a wall in an event venue, but the room dwarfed my painting. When I was in my studio, however, this painting was massive and filled my entire wall.

Taking literal measurements with a tape measure–and writing them down–to have available when considering becoming a collector is important. Are you looking to fill one wall with a statement piece? Or, maybe you want to have a pop of color and story on multiple walls. Hanging a painting above your fireplace will work differently from hanging a piece on a nursery wall or in a hallway.

Considering the space your new piece of artwork will live in is helpful information to share with the Artist when you commission a piece, too.)

3. What other items do you have in mind that might coordinate with the new piece of art?

Interior designers know that each item in a room needs to function on its own, as well as in the presence of all of the other pieces. There’s a certain flow that encourages a feeling or experience in a space.

Introducing new artwork to a space will likely change the dynamic and flow of that room–this may be why you are considering choosing artwork in the first place.

Details like wall color and texture, whether or not you have bookshelves and what you put on them can have a significant impact on what type of art would be the most appealing in the room. Items like floral arrangements, framed photographs, other pieces of art, decorative vases or figurines can live on display alongside artwork, but may need rearranging.

The style and size of furniture, the pattern, color, and texture of cushions can affect how art works in a space, too. Even seasonal and holiday decorations or cultural decor can play a part in choosing what artwork you’d like to collect and feature on your wall.

4. How do you want to feel when you look at the piece?

Experiencing artwork is subjective and it’s important to know what you want to create your space to feel like. You may love a piece of art in an artist’s studio or on the walls of a gallery, but that’s a different type of space where it’s displayed. In your calm sitting room, what was bold and busy enough to stand out on a wall in a gallery may be too energetic in a space you want to feel restful.

One of my favorite memories of meeting a collector of my paintings is meeting a woman in England who said she’d spent the last three years searching for a painting that could live on the hallway wall outside of her bedroom, so that she could wake up, see the Art, and feel happy to start her day. She held my painting, beaming with relief and joy that she’d finally found a solution to suit the Beauty she longed to experience daily.

Perhaps you want art to have a calming effect. Maybe you also want to feel happy first thing in the morning. Or, you might want to feel energized. The subject matter could be important, too, and how you feel inspired by nature could help you choose a piece of art that helps you feel like you’re by the lake or hiking in the woods–even when you’re snuggled up on the sofa, reading.

Other factors to consider:

5. For some, knowing who the artist is, and how you feel seeing their art and them plays an important role. You may choose artwork simply because it’s a memorable experience from having interacted with the artist. Sometimes the painting that hangs on the wall is a reminder of a place you loved being or the human who created it who made you smile, feel seen, or listened to, comforted in some way.

6. The titles of a piece can be important to you, too. For me, as a writer, I always intentionally title my paintings to tell the story that I see in the painting as a starting point. Knowing what story you want to tell in your home or office, or to remind yourself of, could be intriguing as you select artwork you love.

7. Do you want art from me, Molly Ovenden?

An ongoing project I’m perpetually excited about:

I write pieces of poetry or short prose or fiction to pair with my paintings which share the same title. When I name my paintings, I call them what I see. Sometimes they are simply like, “May” here and other times they are more complicated and involved like, “Late Night June–Almost Seeing the Moon Between These Trees” here. I love bringing the viewer into the world of color and beauty I create in my paintings. So, I choose to write the poetry and stories behind the paint.

Once you’ve considered these questions, you’ll have a good foundation to approach a gallery or local artist to make an informed decision about becoming a collector and owning art you love and that you are proud to display on your walls.

To see the artwork I have available, visit my gallery shop online here. And to follow along with the creativity joy in my studio and behind my typewriter–you can be the first to know when new paintings become available by signing up here.

Thank you so much for reading this article and for following along my creative journey. I’m so glad you’re here!

3 Methods of Journaling Practice to Improve Your Daily Life

Journaling as a daily practice may sound too intense or too time consuming for your own life–that’s okay! You can still benefit from little bits of journaling throughout the day with a one-line reflection or every few days. You can even try seasonally or at crucial and transitional times of life.

Sometimes we feel stuck in life’s circumstances, but we don’t know why. Other times, life is simply overwhelming with endless distractions and endless opportunities, resulting in decision-fatigue. Still other various points in life offer us the opportunity to let go of a certain heaviness or give us a leg up to heal and grow in our own lives. Journaling regularly can improve the quality of your life, your mental health, and help you to make a positive impact on the world as you become who you’re made to be.

Disclaimer: I am not a mental health professional. This article and tips within it are meant to encourage you along the way, but are not a substitute for professional help. If you are struggling with your mental health, please reach out to your general practitioner, therapist, counselor, or spiritual director for the professional attention you need.

I am a typewriter poet, writer, coach, speaker, and visual artist. I know about being in the trenches of creativity and being paralyzed by views of current circumstances (and dreading the days because life isn’t what you’d hoped it would be). I also know about wanting to improve and taking the initiative to move forward and make positive changes, but feeling at a loss for how to prioritize.

In this article I want to offer three simple methods for you to use as a journaling practice to improve your daily life.

This is an original acrylic painting I painted because of how much I enjoy engaged with the seasons, and I especially love autumn. Find out more about my art here.

1. Use your 5 senses: Stay present.
If your mind is full of future worries, anxiety, uncertainty, it can be challenging to stay in present reality. If your soul is heavy from past hurts, shame, or failure, making any change to improve your conditions can be challenging, or even impossible. These non-present states of being can be a strain on your mental health and prevent you from moving forward and slow you down from becoming who you’re truly made to be.

When we engage our five senses, we lovingly force ourselves to pay attention to here and now. It can be emotionally and spiritually grounding to acknowledge what is real and accurate as we experience life in present time: no slower or faster than here and now.

Try this:
Using one line per sense, write a brief present account of your experience right here and right now. This doesn’t need to take any longer than five minutes and can be quicker than that.

Example:
I can hear the morning rush hour traffic heading to work.
I can feel the chilly air on my fingers.
I can smell my hot cup of coffee after it’s brewed.
I can taste my mint toothpaste.
I can see the messy desk in front of me.

Whatever you notice in your five senses is information. There’s no need to make meaning over what you notice, but simply notice and take notes. This is journaling that you can do at any point during the day and with any frequency that you fancy. Becoming present in this sensory manner alleviates past and future anxieties by being focused on here and now. This offers clarity for emotions and for decision making.

Photo Credit:
Used with permission from Pexels || Karolina Grabowska

2. Engage with poetry: Express emotions safely.
If your mind is full and processing at race pace, it may feel like there’s no time to pause for emotions. Emotions at any heightened state (whether it’s elation or devastation) can feel scary, overwhelming, or too much.

When I was a kid, I learned that in order to stay safe and not bring any pain to others, that I should keep my emotions as even as possible. If I was too excited and celebrating, someone who was not celebrating the same achievement my feel disappointed or like I was arrogant celebrating “in their face.” If I was too sad or angry, someone else might become sadder or more angry than they wanted to be, so I should regulate my expression of emotions to not have a negative impact on anyone.

Having grown and healed a lot, having worked with professionals who have helped me identity, experience, and express emotions, and then, express them healthily, I’ve learned that the feelings we have can often be indicators of what our emotions are in our real circumstances. Our emotions can trigger various thoughts and then, prompt certain actions, as a result.

As I’ve grown as a writer, I’ve noticed how poetry is a fantastic and effective container for and carrier of emotion. Lots of poetry is a manageable length, meaning that you can take a moment to read a poem and be curious to notice how you feel, what emotions surface, and how you want to respond as a result of interacting with the poem.

Try this:
Read one of the following poems and journal for a few lines, answering a selection of these questions:
a) “What memories were stirred as I read this poem?”
b) “What fears or shame came up?”
c) “What do I love/hate about interacting with this poem?”
d) “What would I add to/change in this poem to personalize it for myself?”
e) “If I were to complete the phrase, ‘I feel…’ after reading this poem, what would I say?”

Simply allow yourself curiosity in this space with poetry. When we notice what comes up, it’s like taking a deep breath or having a sigh of relief. Sometimes we don’t know that we’re hanging onto something, but poetry can help to loose the grip and unlock insight.

Example Poem 1:

“I Feel Happy”
By Molly Ovenden

I love to run in yellow-flowered fields
When leaves of tall trees
Tickle blue skies.

I love to smile at yellow petals
When the outdoor ceiling shines
Brilliant blue between branches.

I love to imagine a day when
My yellow flower friends
Go on walks
And tell jokes
And giggle with joy.

I love to imagine a day when
My arms stretch as high as
The trees to feel the fluff of
Clouds between my fingers.

I love these happy days when
My heart wraps around
The blue sky full of trees and
The yellow flowers full of sunshine

Because…

I want to hug them!

Example Poem 2:

“When the Ice…”
By: Molly Ovenden

Ice cracks a gunshot echoing
Shattered silence speaks
The roaring waters beneath
Shards of ice float piled high
Pushed relentless by the Lake
Obscuring the view until
Waves dance, swaying to melt
To music of ice chimes
Waters ebb and flow along the shore
Keeping time to the rhythm of spring
Such beauty once dappled in winter freeze
Of Lake glass
With winter tears to grieve its death
Say farewell with April’s breath
Whose soul, watered to explode
With greens and purples and
All colors bright,
Shares light of suns rising
Mornings earlier, perhaps its farewell
To the long winter’s night
All the rage of the inland sea
All the rage of all that sinks so deep
All the rage of what’s withheld
Crashes free, drawn from leagues beyond
The ice breaks, the dawn awakes
The ground quakes with a surge of new life

Poems For My People: Community, Volume 1 is a collection of poetry I wrote that captures a broad spectrum of human emotion, featuring 100 poems written for 100 individuals–mostly spontaneous and in live settings with my typewriter. Find out more here.

3. Morning Pages: Daily Reflection and Brain Dump
The concept of “Morning Pages,” or three handwritten pages of stream-of-consiousness writing, done first thing in the morning was popularized by Julia Cameron, particularly in her book, The Artist’s Way and elaborated on with more detailed descriptions in her newer book, The Listening Path.

Morning pages are everything and they are nothing at all. They are everything that you can possibly think of in the morning when you’ve just woken up and they aren’t necessarily about anything in particular.

Example:
I’m annoyed that my back hurts because my mattress and I wish I wasn’t allergic to dogs and we have to take the laundry out of the dryer before our landlords need to use the laundry room and I can’t remember what else I need to do before my trip next week and my muscles on my rib keep twitching and it’s weird and what does weird mean? And I wish I had straightforward answers to…etc.

Morning pages can clear the cobwebs of your waking up mind and offer permission for the day and clarity for prioritization. But, they also can be a map for the direction to go with a project or where to unearth a solution.

Morning pages can often demonstrate what you care about deeply. When we journal first thing in the morning (or even, last thing at night), we are tired enough to not edit or censor ourselves from otherwise telling the truth of what we think and feel. We can dump out all of the stuff of life that feels bigger when we leave it to constantly remind us that it’s there. When we put our thoughts or worries on the page, they are allowed to be the size that they really are.

Morning pages allow small things to stop being obnoxious in our brains, bouncing around for attention. And this tired form of journaling gives voice to the big things that our conscious mind tells to be quiet and shuts down when it’s awake and trying to keep us safe.

It may feel intimidating to start journaling Morning pages, but you can always use a variety of prompts, like questions to answer or to finish a sentence.

Try one of these prompts:
Today, I feel…
I wish I knew what to do about…
What would happen if I finally said yes to my dreams?
It’s really scary that…
What if good things happened instead?
If I’m honest with myself, the thing I’ve been avoiding is…
I remember…
My favorite…
I love…
The worst/best thing I remember happening to me…

Reading your journals as another practice can be beneficial to notice patterns, to express gratitude, to celebrate progress and overcoming. When we slow down long enough to pay attention and notice, our mental health and our growth overall in daily life improves.

Why? We’re no longer stuck in our heads catastrophising or being lonely and unrealistic. Putting words and thoughts and emotions on the page help us to identify what actions we might take toward health and growth–that, without writing it down, we might not have noticed.

May you be inspired today in your journaling practice whether you’re starting for the first time, trying again, or a seasoned journaler. Happy discoveries and happy healthy growth to you on the page!

…

Would you like a few prompts to get you started in your journaling practice? Sign up here for creative journaling prompts to nudge you toward growth and health in your everyday creative life.

3 Reasons a Campfire Keeps a Child’s Learning Fresh

There’s something mesmerizing about a campfire. You can stare at the flames for hours as they move over the logs, crackling, and preparing themselves for the best space for roasting marshmallows. When it’s safe to have a campfire this summer, it can be a memorable time with family, friends, and children over the summer. Campfires and nature inspire curiosity and connection, both of which are gifts for our own lifelong learning and for any students or children in our lives, too. There are many reasons why campfires contribute toward fresh and continual learning. Three of those of are: one, campfires allow us to get outside with a purpose; two, campfires are great places for culinary experimentation, and three, campfires inspire storytelling and sharing.

Get outside (with a purpose)

Sometimes we tell children simply to go outside and expect them to explore or not get into any trouble, but if they’re used to being inside all the rest of the year, it can be overwhelming. Interacting with nature can be a naturally freeing activity. Having a bonfire together with friends or family provides a bridge between being active and having a purpose.

A) While you are outside, you can practice identifying trees based on the type of wood or bark (or by the leaves of nearby trees) you’ll use to build the fire.

B) Keeping curiosity alive through tree identification can also happen by collecting textures of trees or leaves, or by following inspiration in the area around where the campfire later will be burning. You can simply use a crayon and cheap copier paper to capture wax relief textures. The paper can later be used as a fire starter or saved for inspiration.

C) Developing a healthy respect of fire, learning about the environment and the impact fire has on the earth is an opportunity for learning, too, this summer. Researching news stories or scientific research at the library or online can engage lifelong learning this summer, all inspired simply by a campfire. You can even learn how to build the most efficient fire.

2. Culinary experimentation (s’mores and more!)

A) It can be fun to go shopping for bonfire snacks. Maybe a child picks out a new snack or treat that they are unfamiliar with (and adults can do this, too!). Researching how to prepare the snack or its cultural origins can be educational and entertaining. Who knows? Maybe wasabi peas will become a firm favorite among family and friends, but only while you’re sitting around the fire.

B) S’mores are delicious! Gooey marshmallow, chocolate, and graham cracker. Why mess with a good thing? Because it can be really fun to experiment with different flavor combinations! Maybe you try a chocolate candy bar that has caramel or nuts in it and melt that with your marshmallow. Perhaps your favorite cookie would be a winning combination to replace the graham crackers. It could be a fun tradition of curiosity pairing flavors around the campfire.

3. Storytelling (and sharing)

A) As an author an avid reader, I’m always going to recommend getting to the library and being amongst books. What if you start a tradition among family and friends to read poetry or a book of myths, fables, legends? Being in the library among real, physical books, whether they are graphic novels, chapter books, memoirs, or audio books…these stories real and imagined provoke curiosity. So, spend time in the library and check out books that intrigue you. When someone is interested, they’re more likely to learn and stay curious in life. And then read a story aloud to each other.

B) Tell stories, too! There is a magical truth-telling quality to time reclining near the fire. The warmth, the flickering, can open up a desire for relational connection. Developing a family culture in which you ask questions about life and experiences and childhood memories is a powerful platform upon which to build healthy family memories together.

C) And when someone asks you questions, allowing yourself to be honest about what’s important to you can be a gift to your loved ones resting by the fire with you. Discussing meaningful topics in a safe space invites lifelong learning when curiosity is rewarded with openness.

There are so many more ways that a campfire can promote lifelong learning with a child or student and their family. Fires in a safe enclosed environment paired with some type of learning or relational engagement help keep the summers interesting. When adults make this creative pursuit a habit, it’s easy to have a natural curiosity rub off onto a child or student in their midst.

5 Actions That Help My Body Write

Writing is a purely intellectual pursuit. I strongly disagree with this statement. Of course a lot of writing requires thought processes, but I’ve found that there are a lot of physical processes that for me to find success during writing sessions. Longevity of my author career is really important to me so that I can reinforce who I believe I am made to be: someone who creates for a living…primarily through words.

Because I’ve realized that I want to have a creative career, I need both my mental and my emotional health in tip top shape. When I don’t sleep well and rely on coffee to fuel me or when I don’t leave the house (where I work in my in-home studio and writing space), my mental and emotional health suffer. Being physically active is hugely beneficial to my own writing life.

As a result, I regularly do things that impact my body in a positive way so I can write and bring entertaining, joy and hope-filled, educational words to readers around the world.

Here are five physical activities I regularly take part in to help my body write:

1. Run
I am a marathon runner. I began my running life in elementary school against my will having to suffer the mile run in gym class on rainy days and do laps in the sweaty gymnasium. When I reached my mid-twenties I began running to travel more quickly (my feet were my transportation and I was bored of walking). After a short while, I actually fell in love with running (I also used to think people who “love running” were lying to me).

When I run, I restore the connection between my mind and body. When I write or sit at my computer all day and “forget” or otherwise neglect to run, my mind has a tendency to run on its own in an unhealthy way. Running bring head, heart, body all together. Running is also a social time for me when I see people in my running group. I also find my awareness to my five senses is heightened. More awareness of my senses makes for better writing.

Since I am a distance runner, I find that there are so many parallels between the perseverance to physically run my 5k, 10k, half marathon, marathon race, and respective training and the writing life–especially the book writing, publishing, marketing aspects. It’s all a long-game view and running provides a lot of writing material.

2. Yoga
Similar to running, yoga brings a reconnection to my mind, body, heart. When I am in the writing space, I can be far away from wherever “here” is when I write. But yoga requires me to focus my mind on what my body is doing, so my mind does a helpful reset. For me, yoga is also like running in that they are both spiritual practices.

Faith is really important to me and when I spend time running, stretching after running, or strengthening my core with yoga, I’m also connecting to God. I’m inviting the Holy Spirit into my day and moments of practice in the quiet and I’m asking my friend Jesus to run with me or to help my mind be at peace.

While yoga is meditative and a tool to help me let go in prayer and give God any anxious thoughts in exchange for His peaceful thoughts, there is also a pure physical process to yoga that really helps my body to write, too. Yoga strengthens and grows lean muscles and my core, too which is important for running efficiently (which helps my writing life), but also to sit properly at my desk, to sleep well for my mind to be clear, and to make space for creative thoughts.

3. Physical therapy

Physical therapy is something I began out of necessity because I had some balance issues we thought were my equilibrium, but ended up being a strain on my neck and shoulders. Yes, yoga is a pure physical improvement to my body. Sitting at a computer or bending my head over to write in a notebook can bring physical strains.

However, there are some exercises I turn to in the realm of yoga or pilates that were given to me by my physical therapist, massage therapist, and chiropractor. When I take time to stretch my wrists and hands, my forearms are healthier. When I take time to stretch my hips, my lower back is looser. When I take time to stretch my chest and shoulders, my neck is less strained.

When I don’t take time to stretch or do my physical therapy exercises because I feel too busy, I actually slow myself down and prevent myself from making the progress in my writing life that I want to make because it can become too painful, and actually physically stuck that it’s difficult to write.

4. Breathing

There are many physical benefits of breathing. We know this because it’s an involuntary action for most: breathing literally keeps us alive. There are other benefits, too. Deep and slow breathing increases lung capacity for oxygen which means blood cells have more oxygen to function and this increases the strength of our immune system.

Not only the immune system is improved, but also our muscles can be more relaxed with deep breathing. Sleep improves with intentional breathing practices because the involuntary breathing becomes more efficient. I’ve found that taking rhythmically slow, deep breaths, when I breathe out slowly I can reduce stress.

Intentional breathing also helps me to focus. Being distracted when I write means less productivity and less articulated in my writing. Breath work allows me to focus on my breath and also helps me reinforce the habit of focusing on whatever task is on hand. The practice of focusing on the sound of my inhales and exhales and how each movement of breath impacts my body increases my awareness to details. Noticing details allows writing with specificity, which results in writing more authentically.

5. Drinking water

Our bodies are made up of water, so if we don’t replenish what we use, things get sluggish and sticky. I know when I don’t drink enough water I get distracted by dry and chapped lips and I can get stomach aches and head aches from not being hydrated. This distraction prevents efficient writing.

Because dehydration is known for causing dizziness, fatigue, and memory loss (among other things), being sufficiently hydrated means creativity will improve. I know first hand how trying to force myself to be creative and productive tends to backfire when I don’t give myself the fuel needed.

My brain feels like it’s trudging sluggishly and no sparkles of creativity come out. And I think the biggest one that I notice when I am drinking sufficient quantities of water is that my memory improves and I don’t waste time trying to force myself to remember what’s going on.

In conclusion…

There are so many routines we can put in plan to ensure creativity and writing are completed in the most delightfully efficient manner. For me running, yoga, physical therapy, breathing, and drinking water are necessary basic needs I miss when I don’t make them each a priority.

Another way I choose to support my creativity is by being part of communities of people who are working toward a similar goal and lifestyle as I am. It’s immensely helpful to have a common goal and common understanding. In large part this comes from the support from not only my writing groups, but also my coaches and mentors.

Everyone benefits from working with a coach. That’s why I have coaches in various areas of my life and that’s why I am a coach. If you would like more information about what it’s like to work with me as your creative writing coach, get started today with a strategy call.

You may find you’re ready to write in community and have support in a group setting with other writers like you wanting to make significant progress, join the BECOME the Writer paid membership is great fun.

Happy writing!

7 Ways Gratitude Helps Us to Focus

Gratitude keeps us grounded, focused on the present. Being content is being thankful for what we already have. Thanksgiving allows a time of reflection on what’s happened, where we’ve grown, what’s surprised us, we count our life blessings and then we can look ahead with a hopeful attitude.

I can lose perspective when I’m not present here and now. I’m either daydreaming or looking ahead only we leaves me feeling stuck today. Holding past, present, and future up to God means they can all work together and not exist in unhelpful isolation.

Living in the Past
We all can learn from Napoleon Dynamite’s Uncle Rico that living in the past isn’t the best way to live. Being in the past alone can leave us feeling regret and hopeless because of what we didn’t do or something we wish we hadn’t done. Looking back constantly can also be full of fear of what’s coming from our past to bite us or rear-end us like in a car crash.

Living in the Future
But, living in the future isn’t ideal either. When we only look ahead, we’re always not yet there. We haven’t achieved that goal yet. We haven’t become that writer yet. Our goal posts keep moving as we make progress. When we focus on the future, we only see that we’ve not reached the finish line yet.

Living in the Present
Gratitude offers a different perspective. Gratitude allows us to be here today while keeping the tension in check. We can be thankful while holding onto the known of the past and holding onto unknown of the future. Gratitude gives us the opportunity to be a supportive observer of progress and supported holder of hope.

There are undoubtedly countless ways to grow in gratitude. Here are several reflections which I’ve found helpful to I engage regularly to live with gratitude:

For the morning:
1. Today I am grateful for…
I look back at what’s happened recently and I take time to look around me. In the physical, I often notice the good about my home, my job, my family, my health and body. In the emotional, mental, and spiritual I often notice something that feels happy or something I’ve accomplished or how I’m experiencing my relationship with God.

I list 3-5 items or phrases that express what I’m thankful for in the morning.

2. What would make today great?
I consider what I hope to accomplish in the day and imagine what it’d be like if I could show up how I want to. Often my list of “great” comes what I want to accomplish and in some ways it can become a to do list. Other times it includes thoughts about being present or a mindset. We want every day to be great, right? So, I always intend to keep this reflection for items which I have control over.

I list 3-5 to do’s or to be’s in the morning as I look ahead to the day.

3. I’m thankful for these people:
I usually consider this in the morning and lift up 3-5 people that I feel particular gratitude for. Most days it’s my husband in one of the slots and usually it’s my coach, pastor, spiritual director, or friend who has helped me through something or stuck with me in something or for whom I simply feel full of love and gratitude.

Sometimes I spend a moment in the evening to thank God for the conversations that happened throughout the day with certain people. Whether morning or evening or throughout the day, noticing the people in my life in the here and now helps me. Acknowledging them points me toward progress made that they’ve helped me though and points me toward hopeful future with them in my community.

You might even consider writing one of these people a note or postcard to send in the mail. Or, perhaps a text or phone call would be better. Sometimes taking a moment to make a personal connection helps us experience more ingrained gratitude and passes on a feeling of thanksgiving to those whom we’re thankful for.

4. Awesome things that happened today…
Usually I’ll reflect on this in the evening, but sometimes I’ll start in the morning to reflect on the previous day. I list 3-5 things that happened in the day that were a surprise, a relief, a moment of joy, an accomplishment, a gift.

Sometimes it’s amazing or awesome or really cool because it was a hard thing I was trying to achieve (like drinking more water than coffee or having a hard conversation with someone that resulted in a better situation) and it’s sometime awesome because I got to be with a person or was surprised by noticing God in a situation even when I wasn’t intentionally reflecting, but being present in the here and now.

5. How could I have made today better?
I usually list 2 things each night that I could have done better. It’s amusing how over time I can see the consistent struggle to run more frequently, do more yoga, eat healthier, go to bed earlier.

Like #2 with what we can do to make today great, this one is also a focus on things that are within the realm of our control where we’d like to improve. Noticing the regularities allow us time

Photo by **Arina Krasnikova** from **Pexels**

6. What did I learn today?
Looking at what I’ve learned allows me to realize that yes, indeed, I have made progress. My own tendency is to look so far ahead in the dreamland of “Wouldn’t it be cool if?!” if I’m not taking intentional action and noticing what progress I make.

A head in the clouds in fun for a time, but it’s not a healthy place for me to live as it’s a seed for despair when I only consider the lack of what hasn’t happened yet, since I dream of that which isn’t reality.

As a lifelong learner, I also want lifelong learning for others, so at the end of the day, I hope you’ll reflect. Whether it is “I learned that something is wrong with the toilet” or “I learned that I need to learn x” or “I learned how to plot my novel” each of these measure progress and paint a picture of transformation.

7. Where have I experienced God today?
This allows me to pause and spend time breathing, praying, asking God to reveal Himself to me. Even if this is a mere moment, I think spending a moment is better than never. I do this throughout the day and have had seasons of setting an alarm or calendar notification every couple hours to help me re-focus.

Some people would describe this as a time of contemplative prayer or an examen to reflect on consolations (all of the good, life-giving, invigorating things) and desolations (all of the bad, life-draining, wearing-out things).

If faith is important to you, I’d encourage you to do this each evening before bed and ask God to show you where He was at work over the last 24 hours. Even if faith isn’t important to you, I’d encourage you to consider where you noticed anything spiritual happening. Who knows what may come to mind?

How would you feel if you decided that TODAY is the day to become the writer you’ve always dreamed of being? Grateful?

Book a call with me to see if 1-on-1 time with a creative writing coach is your next right step.

Just Chattin’ with Keith Tyler Hopkins, Author of Red Betty and the Murder Farm

Watch Keith Tyler Hopkins be interviewed by Molly Ovenden.

Visit Keith Tyler Hopkins and buy his books and films! http://hexagonmotionpictures.weebly.c… Red Betty and the Murder Farm is available for purchase (as are The Horror Anthology Handbook and films by Hexagon Motion Pictures).

In this video, Keith shares his writing process and the creation of Red Betty and the Murder Farm as well as tips and advice for writers who long to get their words out there, particularly through the use of grants and funding applications. Join Keith in a clever world of horror on the Murder Farm with Red Betty where Keith combines his love of comic books and paranormal and horror storylines.

Finish
Keith says that as an independent author, one of the biggest challenges can be the lack of external deadlines. Knowing when a story is complete is difficult, but Keith shares that when “it’s good enough, move on.” He says that if he were to keep writing and keep working on it, nobody would ever get to experience his stories. Instead of chasing perfection, he’s learned to work on it until it feels “close enough” at which point he knows he can be proud of it and release it into the world…and then start work on the next project!

Focus
Focus within a story is important. Having one character arc, especially in a shorter story like a novella, brings clarity to the story and doesn’t make things overly complicated for the reader to follow. While Keith wrote several characters into Red Betty and the Murder Farm, he wrote them in such a way that they each contribute to Betty’s character arc storyline.

Keith says that as writers we should start the story as late as possible. This allows the audience to be part of the action immediately. By, “sneaking those little bits” of the world’s history into the story, he says, the characters and details are allowed to build the story, instead of giving too many unimportant details that don’t move the story along. This also helps to focus the story along.

Funding
Each of Keith’s film and book projects have been funded by grants. He’s a big advocate for writers seeing themselves as artists who are eligible to apply for funding. Each state in the USA has a state and regional arts commission. For those in the Northland area in Minnesota, this is the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council and the Minnesota State Arts Board.

Grants (as well as international writers associations or competitions and contests) provided front-end funding for the starting and completion of creative work. Having an external deadline from a grant provides additional motivation for completing your project, while providing often much needed financial backing to ease the creation process.

If you’re not sure how you might want to use a grant, check out the application calls to start. They make it clear what types of projects they will be awarding funding to.

Final Words on Publishing…
Keith says that publishing has never been more accessible and easy to do these days, particularly with self-publishing platforms though large companies like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo. Because of this, he believes the biggest barrier now is simply in writing a story.

Keith says, “You’re only limited by your imagination and your drive to do it.”

Molly Ovenden is a creative writing coach, professional writer, teacher, and visual artist. Visit https://mollyovenden.com/ where creativity is a habit to find out more.

Are you a published author who would like to be interviewed by Molly Ovenden? Complete the following form in order to be considered: https://forms.gle/KoVhsm9piRvJbQbLA Are you a writer who feels stuck in their writing process or who would like help to make creative writing a habit in their lives?

Book a Discovery Call with Molly Ovenden as your creative writing coach to determine whether hiring her would be your next right step to take in your writing life. Book your Discovery Call here: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/609aec…

How Your Senses Can Unlock Creativity

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Using our five senses is often something that we can take for granted. It isn’t until we have to go without one of them that we notice how crucial they actually are to us. Maybe you’ve had a sinus infection that caused you to lose your sense of smell or your burned your tongue so you couldn’t taste anything. Perhaps you had surgery that required the doctors to numb part of your body–or, you sat in a funny position that meant you lost feeling in your foot. Have you ever had water stay in your ear after swimming so your hearing became distorted? Or, maybe you or someone close to you has limited vision, is legally blind or color blind. When we lose a sense, the rest of our senses become heightened to compensate for the loss.

When we notice that our lives are stuck or un-inspired or we feel bored, engaging with our senses, like, actually noticing them by doing things to be present in ourselves in the present moment, we can often unlock creativity.

Smell: Our sense of smell can trigger memories. While we take time to inhale a pleasing aroma or foul odor, something is activated in our brains which make a connection to something that happened and often where it happened. Being present to “stop and smell the roses” can actually increase your overall awareness as well as connect your mind and body to the here and now. You have the opportunity for gratitude (if it is a pleasant smell) or the opportunity to decide whether your thoughts will be positive or negative (if the smell is rotten). This could mean you fill your life with fragrances that prompt your imagination so you think of certain people or places.

2. Taste: Did your grandmother make you special cookies for your birthday? Did you have a favorite meal from growing up? Similar to the sense of smell, taste can draw up feelings of nostalgia. Maybe you have travelled to a country or culture that is different from your own and you discovered a combination of flavors that inspired you. Maybe you need to go on a culinary adventure to change up your eating experience. When we become aware of what we are eating, noticing the sweet, salty, umami, bitter, spicy or sour sensations on our tongue and how the different tastes interact in the food we eat, something creative can unlock in us. You might begin to notice new flavor combinations which you hadn’t before. This could mean you try new recipes and begin a journey of exploration in the kitchen.

3. Touch: Often our sense of touch can be a passive one that tends to alert us to danger. When something is too hot, we know from experience to stay away. When something is too cold, we might get goosebumps. If something is too rough or sharp, we might be alerted to take caution, too, because it might cut our skin. I would like to have the sense of touch be more interesting than cautionary and preventative only. Plush blankets can feel cozy in the winter or cold glassware on a hot summer day can be refreshing. Feeling the contrasting textures that surround us might actually alert our senses simply to be aware of our surroundings instead of being passive until danger is at foot.

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4. Sound: Close your eyes and listen to what is happening all around you. Listening, actually hearing and taking in the frequency of vibrations can be powerful. Some music performed in an opera with a full orchestra can move its audience of listeners to tears because of the power of the sense of hearing. Being quiet, still, in silence, can sometimes be disconcerting. Many of us in this modern era can jam our sense of sound because we are afraid to let our minds wander or come aware around us. But, when we really listen, we can hear the hum of a kitchen appliance, the chirp of a distant bird, our own breathing. “If a tree falls in the forest, but nobody is there to hear it, does it make a sound?” I think it does! Hearing is taking in the frequency of sound waves while listening in engaging our minds with what we hear and stay in the present. This means we can actually notice things that intrigue us that we might have missed in the past.

5. See: The human eye can perceive the color green with the most varieties in shade. This is why military developers of technology made night vision in green. Sight is a sense that nearly everyone engages with and perhaps, takes for granted most days. The sense of sight allows us to notice beauty in color, shape, form, line, texture, value and space: these are the seven elements of art and design. Our eyes also allow us to perceive the time of day based on daylight, finding a way to walk or drive, notice minute facial expressions on the people around us. So much of the sense of sight is for the “doing business” of mundane life to keep us safe, yet I wonder what might happen if we let go of getting things done and instead really looked closely at what is in front of us. We might grow to appreciate subtle details of beauty with our eyes that we have missed in the past.

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How do you enjoy using all of your senses? Leave me a comment.

How Affirmations Can Inspire Your Creativity

My Story.

“It’s not your turn.”

In kindergarten, it was free choice time–we could choose to do anything we wanted, so I went over to the easel and made one big vertical blue streak. Then, my teacher came over with another child, who had an apron on, and told me that it wasn’t my turn to paint. That I hadn’t asked permission to paint, but this other child had asked permission. I was confused–it was free choice time and we could choose to do anything we wanted to do, but…somehow I chose wrong? The teacher ripped my page, with its one blue streak, off the easel and set it on the floor by the window. I had to find something else to do.

For so many years, part of me has remained this five year old who was told that I’d made the wrong choice when I chose to paint. I have had to learn to rewrite this memory so it has less of a negative impact as it likes to play on repeat and persuade me to give in to fear.

It is always my turn to paint.

Application for Us

Once I found out that I had been subconsciously holding onto this lie that it wasn’t my turn and that I had chosen wrongly, I was able to make a change. I had no idea why I was resistant to spending time making art or why it felt like forbidden fruit to be created in secret when I had the opportunity to rebel. Now that I know, I can remind and affirm myself that:

1. It is always my turn to paint.
2. When I paint, I’ve made a great decision.
3. It is a good use of my time to paint.
4. My art is worthy of hanging on walls to be appreciated.
5. I am a grown up and I have given myself indefinite permission to paint.

By working with affirmations, I am able to grow and be more creative.

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I often find it helpful to journal in writing questions and answers as a way to process what I’m thinking or feeling about a situation. Especially, when it’s something like this, from my forgotten past. If writing seems like it’d be helpful for you, I want to invite you to take time over the next week or so to reflect on these questions and how you might answer them.

When is a time that you felt like you were doing the wrong thing (when morals were actually not in question)? What was the situation? How old were you? Who was with you?
What meaning did you assign to that experience? What have you told yourself since then?
Ask God what might have been the result of feeling like you were wrong? What have you been prevented from doing?
Imagine the best version of yourself: How would you love to spend your days? What type of person would you love to be?
What might life look like if you started to give yourself permission for these things?
Who might you be able to talk to about taking these new steps?
What is the negative belief, meaning, lie that you’ve been telling yourself? How could you change it around to be a positive affirmation?

What have you learned from working with affirmations?

What questions do you have around this process of turning a negative thought into a positive one?

Leave a comment below.

How to Make Freewriting Work for You

What is freewriting? Freewriting is a tool that writers often use to kickstart creative thought. It’s like doing leg swings or dynamic stretching warmups before heading out on a long run. It’s like practicing tongue twisters before a big speech or theatre performance.

Freewriting is just that: free and writing. It is all about conquering the fears of the blank page by simply getting words, whether they are weak or powerful, down on the page. Sometimes we can feel stuck in our creativity, like we’re in a slimy mud pit, void of creativity. Often we can worry that we do not have anything valuable to say, so we wait until we feel like what we have to say is “good enough.” Sadly, this leaves so many profound and thoughtful ideas left unwritten, unshared, uninspired.

Photo by **Tirachard Kumtanom** from **Pexels**

When you feel blocked as a writer, or even on any project whether you’re a civil engineer building bridges, or a great neighbour building relational bridges, the act of writing one word after the next to get something out can release the floodgates and at the very least, bring inspiration when you have words out that you have something to work with.

What are you listening to? This is a question that goes beyond the surface. Many of us have negative voices from our past that told us we couldn’t do this or we’d never accomplish that, or this creative endeavour is a waste of time because you can’t make that much money doing it. Or, maybe you listen to your own limiting beliefs and tell yourself a story that’s just as unhelpful.

When we write, there can be a fight that we wrestle through each time, or we can simply get something out. We can acknowledge our Inner Critic or Inner Editor who says it’s not perfect yet and let it know you hear it and acknowledge that its ideas are valid. But, right now is time for first thoughts and fresh, crazy ideas to come out to play from your five-year-old self and that, in a little while, after the playing, then the Critic and Editor can come and hone and craft the playful words into something polished.

So, open up a new word document or grab a pen and notebook, set the timer for ten minutes and simply write. Keep your pen flowing, your keyboard clicking and let whatever words present themselves come out as rubbish or bizarre as they might be. Know that you can trust your instinct with words to play for ten minutes, knowing that afterward, your editor can edit.

Happy Writing!

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What are your most common barriers when it comes to sitting down to write?

Leave me a comment. 🙂