Most people, even non-Manga fans, have heard of Sailor Moon. However, my favorite character in the series is Sailor Mercury. She is someone many shy introverts can relate to. If you have also suffered from shyness, you might see a reflection of your own journey from resisting to embracing shyness in her character. She is a model of self-acceptance. It’s surprising to some that Sailor Mercury, or Amy Anderson as she’s known outside of her sailor persona, ranks among the most popular characters in the Sailor Moon series.
Amy is a shy, introverted girl who would rather be immersed in her books than be part of a large group. Before joining the sailor team, she struggled to make friends. Suffering from shyness is a too common experience for many, and overcoming introversion can be challenging.
But by embracing shyness instead of resisting it, we can overcome a lot of our fear. We welcome self-acceptance instead of judgment. We can also push ourselves to be more out there and try something that we are afraid of.
Finding Inspiration When You Don’t Know What to Draw
Art can be a powerful tool for reducing anxiety, so I try to engage in some form of artistic expression daily, even when unsure of what to create. For example, the painting of Sailor Mercury began as a simple warm-up sketch that I especially liked.
As I continued to develop the drawing into a half-length portrait, the idea of depicting her in a sailor dress emerged. So naturally, searching for images of women in sailor dresses led to many Sailor Moon character photos. While I didn’t give her the typical oversized anime eyes, I did my best to capture the authenticity of her hair and costume.
Embracing Shyness in a World that Celebrates Extroverts
If you look up shyness online, you’ll find many quick tips and tricks for overcoming it. In an extroverted country like America, it’s considered a negative trait to be eliminated. Despite this, I cherish my quiet friends and would much rather spend an evening at home with a book than attend a party. The mere thought of mingling can trigger social anxiety for me.
While I’ve pushed myself to face uncomfortable situations, such as taking a college speech class, auditioning for a play (and unexpectedly landing the lead role!), or requesting to back up the receptionist at my office job, I’ve never entirely overcome my shyness.
However, I’ve surprised many people by appearing confident in social situations. I often experience significant anxiety before attending an event, but once I’m there, I can easily carry on a conversation. One significant distinction stands out when examining the difference between shyness and introversion: fear.
Shy individuals tend to be overly critical of themselves and fear negative judgment from others. This fear can hinder the formation of close friendships and, with constant stress hormones at play, may lead to health problems. As an introvert who has mostly overcome my shyness, I still prefer solitude, the company of my family, or a small group of friends over larger gatherings. The fear that once gripped me has mostly dissipated when interacting with strangers.
Despite this progress, I enjoy quiet moments at home or in nature. I would be miserable if I were forced to constantly engage with strangers, accept speaking engagements, or attend large parties. Overcoming shyness does not necessarily mean becoming an extrovert or completely changing your personality. It simply means shedding fear and becoming more comfortable with who you are.
How Schools Reinforced Our Shyness
If you are or were a shy person, you may remember many incidents in school of being picked on. Shyness and introversion are like a beacon for bullies.
Whether we come across as socially awkward, or just quiet, bullies honed in on our energy, and saw us as an easy target. They knew it was less likely we would fight back. They used our embarrassment of suddenly having attention turned on us to boost their own social status.
Or maybe we got brave and approached someone at a party and were rejected. It’s easier for a non-shy extrovert to blow off a rejection than someone who is shy, especially after we put so much more effort into the encounter.
The non-shy extrovert just moves on to approach someone else, while we shy people look for someplace to sit alone without looking awkward.
5 Steps to Self Acceptance
Embracing shyness means accepting yourself as you are now. We are all our own harshest critics, especially when feeling shy. Recognize that it’s okay to have situational shyness.
Stop defining yourself by your shyness. Many people experience nervousness in certain situations, but not all would describe themselves as shy. With practice, even those who shake while giving a speech can overcome their fear.
Tackle your fears incrementally. List the things that make you nervous. Work on one per week. Start with small talk or compliments, and don’t pressure yourself to have lengthy conversations.
Learn to accept occasional rejection and move on. Occasionally, when you try to start a conversation, you receive unkindness or disinterest. Let it go.
Practice makes perfect. By repeatedly facing your fears, you can overcome them.
When I worked in the corporate office of a manufacture, the office manager decided my department needed to help cover the phone at the front desk on the receptionist’s lunch and breaks.
Everyone hated this idea except me. As I told my manager, “Sitting at the front desk seems the scariest job in the company to me. I want to get over that fear.” After a bit, I got my chance to sit at the front desk. Alisia, our receptionist, trained me on how to answer the phone and stayed around until I was comfortable sitting there. I discovered it was pretty easy. Most of the time, I just had to forward the call or answer simple questions.
None of my co-workers wanted to take their shifts because they all probably secretely feared sitting at the front desk too. So pretty soon, I was covering all their shifts for them. They thought I granted them a great favor when actually I got out of the work piled up in my cubicle. While they entered my invoices for me, I enjoyed a lovely time sitting at the reception desk where the wasn’t much to do, waiting for the phone to ring and sipping my cup of tea. Win-win!
How Embracing Shyness Allows One to Release Fear
Shyness may always play a part in your life. That’s why it is better to embrace rather than resist it. My aunt and mother, both sales professionals, admitted to being shy throughout their lives. Yet, this didn’t prevent my aunt from running a successful dress shop, attending fashion shows, or going on buying trips.
Remind yourself it’s okay to be shy and that you may never completely overcome it. Focus on conquering your fears, not on becoming an extrovert if it’s not in your nature. Embrace your affinity for quiet people, like Sailor Mercury, who are unafraid to speak up when they have something important to share.
If you want to learn more, The Shyness Institute in Berkely California has an excellent reading list with not only books on shyness, but also introversion and self-acceptance..
Is finding time to pursue your extensive list of hobbies difficult? Many of us have an endless to-do list of creative activities. Sometimes, we wish we could press a button, and our work would instantly appear on a digital screen, something like AI-generated art does. However, the benefits of hobbies and continuing to create work that is handmade make blocking out some time for your hobbies each week worthwhile.
Benefits of Pursuing a Hobby: High School’s Vision of a Utopian Future
Even by the end of the 20th century, few of us could imagine the capabilities of computers or their impact on our lives. But way back in the 1930s, it was predicted that shorter workdays and more extended vacations would become the norm due to technology. By the 1970s, that prediction seemed to be coming true. Some school districts took notice and started incorporating hobbies into our education. After all, with all this extra time, people would need engaging hobbies to fill their free time. During my high school years, the administration borrowed an idea from a nearby university. It implemented a month-long break between semesters, aptly named Interim. The program aimed to introduce us to various hobbies and crafts, preparing us for the ample leisure time the future was predicted to offer. I sincerely wish my son’s high school had implemented a similar program. Even though we may not have all that extra time right now, lifelong hobbies can enhance our creativity, reduce stress, foster connections with others, and offer numerous health benefits.
Interim Taught the Benefits of Hobbies
The entire month of January was dedicated to this program, devoid of math and English classes. Our day was divided into two blocks: a three-hour morning block and a two-hour afternoon one. We had the opportunity to choose from a wide range of activities, including pottery, gymnastics, running, basketball, painting, ceramics, crafts, and sewing, to name a few. In one of my favorite craft classes, we made ice cube candles, padded picture frames, and bread dough ornaments. Then, in a ceramics class, I crafted a rather unattractive clay box that occupied a spot on my mom’s dresser for many years, filled with keys to long-forgotten possessions. I even took an entire month off one year, flying to California to visit my aunt and uncle in San Diego. I experienced Disneyland for the first time and rode Space Mountain with my uncle. They also took me to various museums, which my 13-year-old self declared dumb, stupid, and boring. Nonetheless, I maintained a journal of the places I visited. Upon returning to school, I submitted it to the vice principal to receive school credit for my vacation. After all, the future promised ample time for travel, so it was best to start early. My favorite class, however, was led by a teacher from a local modeling and finishing school. She taught us how to walk gracefully and exit a car with elegance. But unfortunately, she also informed my best friend and me that we lacked the height required to become fashion models, shattering our dreams. The highlight of the class was a field trip to a downtown department store, where we enjoyed lunch at The Tea Room on the top floor. Live fashion models paraded past us as we savored our Frango mint milkshakes. It was at that moment I decided that if I couldn’t be a fashion model, I could at least become a designer. And now, I am one – designing outfits for my beloved dolls!
Benefits of Hobbies Outweigh our Lack of Time
Computers have taken over much of the workload as predicted. However, companies have opted to reduce their workforce or expand profits rather than reduce hours while maintaining pay. As a result, the importance of hobbies in reducing stress and boosting creativity has increased.
This dream of vast quantities of free time hasn’t happened yet. For many, work weeks are longer, not shorter, and until the last couple of years, people commuted farther distances. Also, the retirement age is still climbing higher and higher.
However, a utopian dream of an easy life with lots of free time seemed like our possible future back then. After all, we’d grown up watching the Jetsons!
The future is here, and we don’t have the fantastic amount of extra time they promised. Yet. Instead, we have the internet, social media, and cell phones to fill up our small amounts of free time. So if the plan is that we will spend all our extra time in virtual reality games in the future, I’ll pass.
I plan on spending more time with my hobbies and creating things I make myself rather than sitting in front of a computer screen all day wearing a virtual headset. Also, I’d rather work on my sewing, walk in the forest, or work in my garden.
How to Overcome Hobby Overwhelm
Finding time for hobbies has become more challenging than ever. Sometimes we must sacrifice a favorite TV show or weekend plans with friends. In recent years, however, we have spent more time at home, which has been great for introverts but not so much for those who love socializing.
Many of our hobbies and interests center around various activities. For example, doll-related hobbies can range from sewing and knitting to sculpting and even casting your own dolls. In addition, these pastimes help us connect with others who share the same interests through forums.
I remember being excited when I learned you could sculpt and cast dolls!
What is Stopping You From Pursuing a Hobby?
Is it disorganization or needing more time to learn new skills? Perhaps you are struggling to master a new tool or software. For example, did you upgrade to a new machine but still don’t know how to use it? As a result, you can’t try out that cute new pattern you just downloaded. Or are you trying to create digital art but don’t understand the complex program?
I have all of those problems also, and to the nth degree! When you decide to make dolls, you must become a painter, castor, sewer, knitter, wig maker, shoe designer, photographer, and more. And then keep all of those supplies organized. But these are also great hobbies to make a little extra money. To buy more dolls, of course!
Whatever the case, remember that these activities can also be great hobbies to make a little extra money, further emphasizing the benefits of pursuing a hobby.
Finding Time for Hobbies: 5 Tips
Organize your supplies to avoid wasting precious craft time looking for materials. Create a special place for crafts, even if it’s just a room in the basement.
Get your family to pitch in with household chores, saving time in the long run.
Create a schedule that includes time for your hobbies.
Prepare larger meals and freeze or can the leftovers for quick dinners.
Consider telecommuting, which can free up more time for hobbies.
In conclusion, the benefits of hobbies encompass not only stress relief and creativity boosts but also social connections and potential income. As you work to find time for your hobbies and overcome hobby overwhelm, remember the importance of hobbies in reducing stress and leading a more fulfilling life.
I’d love it if you would comment below, share your hobbies and interests, and give any tips on making time for creativity!
Have you wanted to learn to draw more realistically, but something keeps you from practicing regularly? First, ask yourself, “What exactly am I afraid of?” Then, start to think of drawing as a hobby you practice regularly. You may discover that the benefits of learning to draw outweigh the fear holding you back from learning. I like to start all my drawing sessions with some drawing warm-up exercises.
I keep multiple sketchbooks in varying degrees of completion. If I love a drawing, I’ll scan it and transfer it onto heavier paper or use my lightbox to trace it. I recently discovered my local library has a flatbed printer that can hold my watercolor paper!
However, if a drawing doesn’t turn out how I’d hoped, I simply turn the page in my sketchbook and move on. This is because personal sketchbooks take away so much pressure to always create something beautiful. I love figure and character drawing. It’s what I practice most in my sketchbook. If you want to learn more about how to get drawing the human figure, check out The Complete Guide to Face and Figure drawing here.
Making Morning Drawing Warm-Up Exercises the Start to My Day
I’ve started practicing drawing warm-ups while enjoying my morning coffee, and it’s been a game-changer. Here’s why you should adopt this practice too. Have you ever stared at a blank page in your notebook or a new document on your computer, not knowing what to draw? Minutes go by, your coffee disappears, and you’re still stuck.
I’ve been there, too.
But when I began using warm-up worksheets at the start of my sessions, my art improved, and I also discovered so many unexpected benefits of learning to draw. As I work through these exercises, ideas start flooding my mind! That once-intimidating blank sheet of paper doesn’t scare me anymore. To save paper, I often use my Wacom pad or iPad for practicing my Drawing Warm-Up Exercises. You can download a copy for free!
On mornings when I’m not really in the mood to draw, I tell myself, “I’ll just do some warm-ups today.” More often than not, I end up sketching a character or something else, and before I know it, over an hour has flown by.
5 Wonderful Benefits of Learning to Draw
1. Indulge in the soothing and tranquil practice of drawing lets you be present and fully immersed in the experience.
2. Hone your problem-solving abilities and fine-tune your coordination skills through the creative drawing process.
3. Gain realistic drawing proficiency is a foundational skill for various other artistic disciplines, including painting and sculpture.
4. The art of drawing bolsters communication abilities, particularly for figurative artists who dedicate substantial time to observing facial expressions, which provide valuable insight into the emotions of those we engage with.
5. Enhance your memory by stimulating the visual and motor regions of your brain, as corroborated by numerous research studies.
Several studies have shown that our memory improves by integrating the visual and motor parts of the brain. In other words, doodling helps you remember.
If these benefits of learning to draw sound exciting to you, grab a copy of my Drawing Warm-Up Exercises. The worksheets are completely free to download!
Adding Drawing as a Hobby Alleviates Anxiety
Have you ever notice how drawing brings out a lot of self-judgment? As a result, many of us hesitate to sign up for drawing or painting classes because we don’t already know how to draw. This fear is even stronger in in-person classes. There the instructor and fellow students can see and judge our work. Plus, those large sheets of paper they use in classes can be pretty intimidating.
While I sometimes appreciated instructor feedback, I preferred learning at home, where I could take things at my own pace and ask for criticism only when I felt ready.
Finding Peace of Mind Through Drawing
One of the most amazing unexpected benefits of learning to draw for me was the heightened awareness I entered—similar to what I feel when I meditate. When I started practicing daily drawing as a hobby, these extended periods in this peaceful and calm state made me feel calmer and cleared up some persistent health issues.
Instead of producing stress hormones like cortisol, our bodies generate more serotonin and other happiness hormones. I’ve found that meditation and taking short walks when I feel frustrated also help a lot.
The Recipe for Learning to Draw Realistically
Everyone can learn to draw realistically. Learning to draw is no different from learning to solve math problems or learning to cook. Most likely, when we were in the kitchen with our moms or dads, we were allowed to be beginners. They gave us simple instructions, to begin with. Then, when we proved we could do those correctly, they allowed us to try something more challenging.
Sometimes we burned the dish or put in the wrong ingredients. But we knew if we kept practicing, we would soon be preparing more complicated dishes with ease. I remember making baking mistakes like mixing up baking soda and baking powder (multiple times), adding way too much salt, burning many batches of cookies, and even burning my hands (Ouch!). And sometimes, even when I felt I’d done everything right, the dish tasted yucky.
But, most likely, you didn’t give up learning to cook because you knew it was a skill you could master. Drawing is like that. Start with a gesture drawing, make a more complete sketch, add line variation, then shading, and finally, learn to include color by whatever medium you choose to work with.
Drawing as a Hobby Excourages Regular Practice
Drawing well might be partly natural talent. However the most important key to better drawing is regular practice and learning how to transfer what you see in 3 dimensions onto a sheet of paper. Also, it is understanding to ignore our harsh inner critique. That voice tells us our drawings are terrible, and we’ll never be any good. However, once we learn to conquer that critique, drawing becomes such an enjoyable practice, we want to experience it again and again.
If drawing as a hobby sounds good to you, but you’re not sure how to make drawing part of your daily routine, make sure to download my free Drawing Warm-Up Exercises. Then, you’ll never have to start your drawing session staring at a blank sheet of paper again! And best of all, they’re free.
Do you sometimes feel like you don’t know how to speak BJD? After being in the hobby of collecting ball-jointed dolls for a number of years, we forget just how much BJD terminology we use when talking about our dolls. To someone outside the BJD world, or new to collecting, our BJD terminology may cause confusion.
In my post last month, The Dolls of Our Lives, I talked about how I first discovered and fell in love with BJD’s over 10 years ago. Even now, some of the acronyms still confuse me.
If you are new to the hobby, and even if you’re not, below is a guide to get you up to speed and speaking BJD like a native. I defined as many of these terms here as I could think of, and learned some things myself in researching this article.
These are some of the questions or phrases you commonly hear on a BJD forum like Den of Angels: “How’s he strung?” “I love how you did her faceup!”, “Do you want to do a split?”, “Is that a recast?”
Here is My Own Little WIKI of BJD Terminology
Artist cast – A doll sculpted, molded and cast by the artist
Artist doll – Sculpted by an individual artist, not a company. They may be cast by a casting company.
BJD – ball jointed doll
Body blushing – painting done anywhere except the face
Ball jointed – refers to the round joints that give the dolls their mobility
Body Sculpt – if someone asks “What is the body sculpt?” they want to know the name of the company who created the body. You hear this more about hybrid dolls.
Commission –You hire someone to do work on your doll.
Customization – Any modification done to a BJD.
Dollfie – the term the first company to start making dolls called BJD’s, Volks, used for their dolls
Dolpa – Doll Party. Volks originated the term and they hold several Dolpas a year, the largest being in Tokyo.
Faceplate – the front of a BJD head that is removable
Faceup – the painting of the face. Usually either pastels or an airbrush are used, then the face is sealed
Full Set – when a doll company like Volks or Iplehouse sells a doll that comes with faceup, clothing, shoes, wig, and other accessories
Grail doll – a doll that is unattainable or you will probably never own because of cost, availability, or other reason
Headcap – Often the top of the head can be removed. It is either held on with magnets or a hook and elastic
Hybrid – a doll that is made up of parts from multiple companies
Legit – any legitimate doll cast by the company or artist who created it, and with legal rights to it
Limited – There are dolls truly limited in number, but may refer to a doll sold as a full set, but the nude sculpt might be sold again later.
MSC – a spray sealant used on faceup or body blushing to preserve the work. Full name is Mr. Super Clear. It is made in Japan. A popular alternative to MSC is Testers.
Moding – the original sculpt has been changed in some way
Pro-Artist – someone who is against recast (counterfeit) dolls
Recast – a counterfeit copy made without the artists permission
Recast Friendly – someone who may not own recasts themselves, but doesn’t mind if others do
Sculpt – refers to the faceplate – the name of the company, and the doll name
Split – you might want the body of a doll, but not the faceplate, or want only part of an outfit. So you ask is anyone is interested in a split.
Strung – refers to the elastic cording that runs through most dolls. A few are jointed with springs, but they are usually made of porcelain
Sueding – when you put something into the joints to get your doll to pose or hold a pose better. Popular methods of sueding are hot glue or real suede glued into the joint
Wiring – in order to increase pose-ability, a coated wire is placed into the joint. To do this gently pull the joint apart and insert the wire. This often help stop ‘kicking’ that happens in some dolls where the joint springs back. Warning – the wire coating can stain the resin, so to try to use a similar color.
BJD Terminology That Refers to the Size of the Doll
(I have double checked on the Den of Angels forum to make sure my size categories are in agreement with theirs):
Tiny Dolls – 39 cm and smaller. The most common size is around 35 cm
Mature Tiny Dolls – same size as tiny BJD’s, but these are teen or adult sculpts, not child sculpts.
MSD or Mini Dolls , also Mature MSD– 40 cm to 49 cm
SD or Large Dolls are 50 cm and larger. There is now a separate category of even larger dolls 70 cm to 90 cm.
* Note – the terms MSD and SD are originated by Volks. They stand for Mini Super Dolfi, and Super Dolfi. They have made their way into the community though, and you will often hear people referring to a doll in the size range with that term no matter who the creator of the doll is.
Terms You Might See in the Market Place or on eBay
OOAK – usually used for other types of dolls like fashion or Monster High. It means the doll has been modified to be one of a kind
MIB – Mint in box, the doll has been removed from box, but is still in like new condition
NRFB – Never removed from box
WTB – Want to buy
WTS – Want to sell
WTT – Want to trade
I hope this guide to BJD terminology helps those of you who are new to the hobby. Sometimes those of us who have been around longer forget that newer collectors don’t know what we are talking about. Sometimes I don’t know what people are talking about still, and have to look a term up.
If you have any suggestions for any BJD terminology that I’ve forgotten or notice something you think I got totally wrong, post below, and I will try to update my list in a few months.
If you sometimes wake up with a sense of anxiety, you’re not alone, and it’s not ‘all in your head.’ Researchers have discovered our bodies get a head start on the day by releasing cortisol, the so-called ‘stress hormone,’ about 45 minutes before we wake. This peaks in the first hour of our day, setting the stage for a potentially stressful morning. But what if I told you that understanding this biological clock could be the key to transforming your mornings from anxious to amazing?”
Instead of letting this information dampen our spirits, it should serve as a wake-up call. It gave me the incentive to create a routine in my morning that is more beneficial for my day than sitting in bed, browsing social media, and sipping my coffee.
My Journey: From Chaos to Calm
My sleep routine was thrown into chaos during a challenging phase of my life. I was pregnant and working as a store bookkeeper for the local co-op, a job that demanded an early start at 6:00 a.m. The stress was palpable, often leading me to arrive earlier than required.
My main task was to balance all the cash registers each morning and locate any discrepancies before the manager’s arrival – a scenario ripe for anxiety, especially for a new bookkeeper like myself. I quickly discovered that the store’s cashiers often ‘borrowed’ from other registers instead of calling the manager to access the safe, adding to the morning accounting confusion.
After our son was born, we moved out of the city and I became a stay at home mom. You’d think my mornings would have become more peaceful, right? Not exactly. My husband woke up at 4:30 a.m. to catch his train, disrupting our household’s early hours. I faced a choice every morning after he left: try to snatch a few more minutes of sleep or use this quiet, still-dark time for myself.
Embracing the Quiet Hours
Choosing those quiet, early hours for myself became a game changer for me. This was my golden hour for self-care. It started with short meditation sessions, embracing the calm and stillness of the early morning. Then, I’d journal quietly, pouring my thoughts onto paper before the day’s responsibilities, including my son’s needs, took over. The shift in my mood was akin to the difference between being jolted awake by a shrill alarm clock or gently rousing to a favorite tune.
Regular meditation helped me stay composed during typical stressful parenting moments, like handling the bumps and bruises that come with raising an active little boy. This simple routine began my journey towards a more structured and serene morning. It underscored a powerful lesson: even the smallest changes can profoundly impact our day. That’s how I began building a morning routine, and, in addition, it’s those early morning writing sessions that eventually led me to want to write a blog. Now, let’s explore together how you, too, can craft a morning routine to manage anxiety effectively and start your day on a positive note.
Adapting to Life’s Changes: My Routine’s Evolution
Crafting a morning routine that genuinely works for me has been an evolving journey over the years. My initial approach led to an hour brimming with positive activities, leaving me even more stressed. I missed the comfort of my bed and the quiet joy of scrolling through social media.
My morning routine has been streamlined over the years to a concise 20-minute morning ritual, allowing me to savor a cup of jasmine tea and share some quality time with my husband, who now works from home before our day officially begins. This simple shift in my morning habits worked wonders in alleviating my anxiety. It also enhanced my productivity, vitality, relationships, and overall quality of life.
My mornings currently include the following:
A brief meditation session
Journaling three things I’m grateful for
Outlining what I plan to work on to achieve my goals
Taking a short walk to the mailbox with my husband
Weather permitting, of course. If it’s raining, I either grab an umbrella or occasionally replace the walk with reading a few pages of an inspirational book. I keep a list of alternative activities to mix things up when needed.
Crafting a Morning Ritual That Works for You
Creating a morning routine that cultivates inner peace and combats anxiety doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Whether you’re new to the concept of a structured morning or looking to enhance your existing routine, it’s all about starting somewhere and building on it.
Below, you’ll find activities categorized as ‘Beginner’ for those just starting out and ‘More Advanced’ if you are ready to deepen your morning practice. Remember, the key is consistency and finding what resonates with you. Explore these activities and see how they can fit into your life to bring a serene start to your day.
Beginner Morning Routine Activities:
Embrace Mindful Breathing: Start your day with a few minutes of mindful breathing. This simple practice helps center yourself and curb anxiety.
Try Out Mindful Meditation: This is a beginner-friendly approach to meditation. Relax your body and observe your surroundings, focusing on staying present.
Swap Social Media for an Inspirational Book: Begin your day by reading a few pages from an inspiring book instead of scrolling through your phone.
Cultivate a Gratitude Mindset: Reflect on three things you are grateful for each morning.
Conduct a Mindful Technology Check-In: Start your day free from digital stressors by avoiding technology first thing in the morning.
Start Your Day Hydrated: Hydrate your body first thing in the morning. Drinking water kickstarts your metabolism and improves your overall well-being.
More Advanced Morning Routine Activities:
These activities might take a bit of practice to incorporate into your morning, or they might take up more time.
Find Solace in Guided Meditation: Incorporate a meditation practice into your morning. This can range from listening to guided meditations to focusing on calming music.
Make a Walk One of Your Favorite Morning Habits: A morning walk, especially on a sunny day, can be very calming and grounding.
Incorporate Gentle Stretching or Yoga: Begin your day with light stretches or a short yoga routine to benefit your body and mind.
Embrace the Therapeutic Power of Journaling: Spend a few minutes each morning journaling your thoughts, emotions, and concerns. This can be a powerful outlet for anxiety.
Harness the Power of Visualization and Affirmations: Spend time visualizing a state of calmness and affirming positive outcomes for your day. This can help rewire your mind and alleviate anxiety.
Connect with Nature: Take a few minutes to connect with nature, whether stepping outside or observing your surroundings from a window.
Set Clear and Actionable Daily Intentions: Plan your day by setting clear and achievable goals. This helps align your focus and reduces anxiety.
Sample 20-Minute Beginner Morning Routine:
I want to share an example of a sample routine with you. It’s simple, effective, and lays a solid foundation for your day without being overwhelming. As you become comfortable with these practices, you can explore adding more advanced activities or extending your time on each one.
Mindful Breathing (5 minutes): Begin with five minutes of conscious breathing to center yourself and prepare for the day.
Inspirational Reading (5 minutes): Read a few pages of an inspirational book to set a positive tone for your day.
Gratitude Reflection (5 minutes): Spend five minutes reflecting on or writing down three things you are grateful for. This helps shift your focus to positive thoughts.
Hydrate and Reflect (5 minutes): Drink a glass of water and spend the last five minutes in quiet reflection or planning your day.
Conclusion: Building Your Productive Morning Routine for a Calmer Day Ahead
Building a productive morning routine is a journey towards a calmer, more fulfilled day. Start with these simple steps and gradually evolve your routine to fit your needs and lifestyle. The goal is to create a morning that sets you up for a day of peace and productivity.
Regularly doing a few of the suggestions is more effective and beneficial than practicing them all only occasionally. By dedicating time each morning to prioritize your mental health, you take proactive steps toward leading a more balanced, calm, and fulfilling life.
Remember, consistency and self-compassion are vital. Start small and gradually build upon these steps. With patience and commitment, you’ll soon notice positive shifts in your overall well-being. Embrace these morning rituals, make them your own, and experience their transformative power.
Wishing you many peaceful and anxiety-free mornings!
Creativity comes to those who pay attention, I’ve found. If you want more creative ideas, ask for them and act on them. Your mind will start providing you with lots more ideas on how to be more creative. The challenge, then, is finding the free time to act on those ideas.
Many years ago, when I worked in an office, I dreamt of the day I could stay home full-time. Then, I would have sooo much time to do whatever I wanted. For example, finishing all my creative projects.
This September was odd for me because it was the first time in many years we were not hustling around getting ready for school to start. My son finished homeschooling last spring and passed all his GED exams over the summer. He started taking online college-level classes, but he’s grown up now and no longer needs my help.
So where’s all my free time? The house still needs cleaning, the dog needs to be taken outside, and meals need cooking.
If doesn’t matter if we work full, part-time, or not at all, it’s still easy to get to Friday afternoon, then look back on our week and wonder what we’ve accomplished. Or sometimes, we get stuck and can’t figure out what we want to create or how to learn new skills now that we’re not in school anymore.
Whether it is coming up with an idea for a new painting, sculpture, or sewing project, we all need creative ideas.
Even the most creative people sometimes fall into a slump, and we must restart our creative engines. Also, creativity is more than just a skill valuable to artists and writers. Scientists, engineers, and many other fields need creative people to develop new, original ideas.
How to Be More Creative: 7 Ideas to Implement Right Away
1. Read on a wide variety of subjects.
When my local library closed for over a year, I discovered e-books you could check out online, the Project Gutenberg website, as well as Archiev.org. Michael Hart started Project Gutenberg in 1970 to make plain text versions of books available to everyone. It’s a great place to find out of print books to read for free!
2. Take afternoon naps
It worked for Edison, one of America’s most gifted inventors. Before lying down, think about a problem you want to solve or a subject you want to gather ideas about. Then let your subconscious work on it for a bit. Naps can get our creativity flowing.
3. Spend some time browsing other artists’ work
Go to a gallery. I’m lucky to live near a village with several small art galleries, but even an online gallery will work. In addition, I love collecting art books from shows I go to. Then I can flip through them and recall my impressions of paintings I saw at the museum.
4. Start a dream journal
Allow yourself time to daydream. It’s a great way to find new and original ideas. But, unfortunately, daydreaming isn’t valued in our society. Just like gazing out the window is viewed as a waste of our time. Nonetheless, these are great ways to allow our minds to develop original ideas.
5. Take a hike and spend the afternoon outside
Even though it might be cold and rainy, don’t let that stop you from taking long walks. Just bundle up and grab your umbrella. There are so many advantages to spending time outside, but one of the best benefits is it increases your creativity by allowing you to develop new ideas. Ideas generally appear when you are doing something else.
6. Schedule Regular Brainstorming Sessions
Mark it on your calendar, and spend 15 minutes coming up with ideas. Also, you can brainstorm anywhere. Keep a small notepad in your pocket for when ideas pop into your head.
7. Go ahead and start on a project
Don’t worry if you don’t know how it will turn out or all the steps involved. You can always go back and make a plan later.
How I Created a Miniature Version of the Blue Times Dollhouse:
Last Christmas, I received a Cute Bee dollhouse kit. The kit I received was called Blue Times. Cute Bee and a couple of other brands are miniature house kits that you can assemble on your own. Lots of how-to videos can be found on YouTube.
Even though I’d watched a few of these videos, I didn’t realize how tiny the house was. Tiny, as in too small for even my dollhouse-sized dolls. I was a little disappointed but decided to put it together anyway. I’m not as fast a crafter as many of the YouTubers I watch, and midway through, I got the idea to build my own house. From scratch. One that would fit the tiny polymer clay dolls I make.
Constructing a House with Foam board
Since this is just for fun rather than something I plan on selling, I created a duplicate of the Cute Bee Blue Times house. I could have chosen to make this out of thin wood, which I will do with the next one because my 17-pound Ragdoll cat, Oliver, has already claimed the house as his and decided to move in. I don’t know how long my foam board will stand up to him, rubbing his chin on the edge of the window. But foam board is relatively inexpensive.
The house’s base is made out of 3 sheets of foam board. I recreated the triangle wallpaper from the kit in Photoshop, enlarged it, and printed it on a good color printer at the library. The flooring and lower floor walls are from scrapbook paper I found at the craft store.
I used a paper cutter to make really clean cuts and match the pattern. For the windows, I used thin strip wood from the hardware store. Some of these my husband cut with the scroll saw. I cut the rest with a small hand saw. The “glass” is cut from the tops of lettuce containers. Next are the stairs. I’m working on scaling them up now.
Hopefully, I can cut each size as two pieces on the scroll saw.
Plans for the furnishings
I think I’ll make the refrigerator out of either paper clay or polymer clay. The kitchen counter, the table, the chairs, the nightstand, and the desk will be out of thin wood. Hopefully, it won’t take me as long to create the furnishings as it has the house. But I always have too many hobby projects going on at the same time.
My Next House – What I’ve learned and would do differently
First of all, the next house will be out of wood so it will last. However, I’m glad I tried it with foam board first. Foam board is great – if you don’t have a cat who wants to help and then decides to move into your doll house as an afternoon napping spot.
Also, I don’t think I will have a bathroom with see-through walls. That’s somewhat strange. Since my houses are just for photoshoots, I think I’ll leave the bathroom out. I’ll leave that for when my husband and I make the diorama for my BJDs, who I can photograph in the tub.
These tiny dolls have felt bodies, so I couldn’t stick them in the tub for a bubble bath without using fake bubbles. Another thing is I will use heavier plastic for the windows. Such plastic sheets can be purchased at craft stores, hardware stores, or online.
Conclusion:
Engaging in creative hobbies is essential to promote a balanced and healthy lifestyle. These hobbies allow us to take a break from our daily routine, de-stress, and recharge. It is vital to take the time to enjoy activities that we love and find fulfilling. Hobbies like crafting, painting, or building miniatures, such as my recent project, allow us to explore our creative side and exercise our minds in different ways.
Moreover, these hobbies are also a fantastic way to enhance our problem-solving skills, patience, and attention to detail. Incorporating creative hobbies into our weekly routine allows us to take a break and provides numerous benefits for our mental and emotional well-being.
Remember, creativity is not just for artists and writers but for everyone. So there is always time to start exploring your own creativity and see where the journey takes you.
