So often, we can think of ourselves as meditation flunkies because we haven’t yet figured out how to carve out time for long expanses of stillness in our rich, overflowing lives. There’s so much pressure to have a life of wellness, fitness and self-care that the care itself becomes another stressful addition on our to-do list.

A simple and brief Mindful Pause practice may be a more practical and accessible way to bring moments of stillness, awareness and focus to your day. I hope you’ll try it and if you’re more curious about this practice, check out the following resources:

The Mindful Way Through Depression: Freeing Yourself From Chronic Unhappiness by Mark Williams, PhD, John Teasdale, PhD, Zindel Segal, PhD, and Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD

Taking the Leap: Freeing Ourselves From Old Habits and Fears by Pema Chodron

A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook by Bob Stahl, PhD and Elisha Goldstein, PhD

Guided STOP method

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ofinkandinsight.substack.com

I thought, this week, I’d share a little from the course Discover Insight Writing®. Enjoy a chapter about what happens when we experience a block – which I prefer to call unexpected stillness – or when we trigger powerful emotions in our writing practice.

If you’re interested in taking the course, head to https://ofinkandinsight.com/insight-writing to learn more. The course is free when you subscribe to my monthly museletter.

Questions:

Do you have a tendency to lean IN or AWAY from strong emotions when they occur?

In writing or in any situation, what do you do when you feel stuck or lost?

Please share in the comments. I want to learn more about how you deal with these challenges.

A little photography, a little poetry, a little inspiration to move your pen across the page, your brush over the canvas, a spark for your creative courage.

This is the MUSELETTER you’ll look forward to receiving.

SUBSCRIBE

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ofinkandinsight.substack.com

I thought I’d do a little update about what’s happening (or not) in my creative life, and it includes a terrifying exciting announcement about convening my very first open studio show next Spring.

Find out what that means in terms of investment and preparation…..and expectation-setting.

I’m not sure what I’m getting myself into. So follow along as I try to figure it all out! Give me your best advice in the comments because I will need all the help I can get. xoxo

Mentioned:

Art-a-Whirl - https://nemaa.org/art-a-whirl/

Best Arts Districts - https://www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-arts-district-2022/

I make art to connect with the creative, intuitive energy that often waits long stretches of time while I do all the responsible grownup things. So when the opportunity to play arrives, I tend to let her roam wherever she likes.

My art practice is a genuine ‘freedom practice’ that surfaced in 2020 at a time when I needed it most. I hope it inspires you to create a few messes of your own and discover the healing medicine of intuitive, creative play.

You can see some of my recent artwork on my website at https://ofinkandinsight.com/artwork. But the best view of my ongoing work appears on Instagram at https://instagram.com/ofinkandinsight. I’d love to see you there!

of ink + insight is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ofinkandinsight.substack.com

In this episode, I tell the story of how I got the idea for TellMe Insight Cards™ and how it’s evolved into two volumes of decks - and now a weekly feature here on Substack for the OI+I community.

Find the weekly #tellmetuesday posts at https://ofinkandinsight.substack.com/s/tellme and occasionally here on the podcast too.

Enjoy this week’s card prompt: If I had time…

I give you some of my own writing from this prompt that promises to shine a light on possibilities for spending our time differently. Share your TellMe writing in the comments with us and help fan the flames of our collective writing practice.

You can check out TellMe Insight Cards™ at https://ofinkandinsight.com/tellme.

There are two volumes to choose from, each containing 120 cards. No more wondering what to write about! You can use them as writing prompts, conversation starters or a fun game between friends. They are also unique therapeutic tools for educators, coaches and counselors.

Follow TellMe Insight Cards™ on Instagram at https://instagram.com/tellmeinsightcards.

Let a card lead you into the realest, truest stories you have ever told.

of ink + insight is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ofinkandinsight.substack.com

In Insight Writing® workshops, we sometimes start with a short meditation. We rest our eyes, settle into stillness, focus on breath and visualize openness, kindness and freedom.

This helps us release tension that accompanies anxiety about being a ‘good’ writer or having anything ‘interesting’ to write about.

A short, easy meditation can be a great way to start anything you hold tension about starting - a conversation, a chore, an artwork, even your next meal.

If this feels weird or difficult, just know that it does get much easier every time you practice. It can be challenging to shift gears if most of your day is full of action, stress or tension.

Just remember, you deserve to slow down, relax and make space for mindfulness and creative expression. That may seem indulgent or optional to some. Yet, in reality, science tells us what many of us intuitively know - a creative practice is impressively superb for developing resilience and wellbeing.

Questions:

What do you find typically gets in your way of feeling present and focused?

Do you sometimes feel guilty for taking time for mindful or creative moments?

If yes, who can you rely on to help you feel more permitted to take this time?

Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for listening. While all the content you find here is self-funded and freely available, you can help support me and this podcast by subscribing at the level that feels right for you.

Just one more thing. I want to hear from you. What questions can I answer? What creative challenges can I help you overcome? Is there a guest you’d like me to meet and interview? Leave a comment or email me at [email protected]

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ofinkandinsight.substack.com

This is Of Ink + Insight.

And I’m Cyn, an intuitive creator, mindfulness seeker and expressive arts coach coming to you from ‘the snug’ my tiny studio in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Whether you think of yourself as ‘creative’ or not, my aim is to clear the way for deep self-inquiry, to help quiet the critical voice and offer you the freedom to grow into an intuitive creative practice that truly nourishes you.

I won’t tell you all the ‘right’ ways to write or make your art, but you can always count on me to provide plenty of prompts for experimentation, discovery and sharing.

My own messy writing, contemplative photography and artwork is proof that courage, freedom and beauty can be found in the smallest, most ordinary moments.

Are you ready for more creative freedom? Then, let’s begin!

Thanks for listening. While all the content you find here is self-funded and freely available, you can help support me and this podcast by subscribing at the level that feels right for you.

Just one more thing. I want to hear from you. What questions can I answer? What creative challenges can I help you overcome? Is there a guest you’d like me to meet and interview? Leave a comment or email me at [email protected]

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ofinkandinsight.substack.com

not much to say by Cynthia Berg

7 Minute Anchoring Meditation by Cynthia Berg

7 Minute Anchoring Meditation by Cynthia Berg

It’s September and I have that September feeling – memories of the flutter of returning to school and the dangers of being seen, being myself without all the disguises. Write-along with me using a line from a Cecilia Woloch poem and let’s make this month a time of embracing ALL of our bits – the vices, the worries, the secrets, the pleasures.

:39 The danger of being myself

1:25 Trusting myself

3:06 Taking off disguises

4:00 Write to a Cecilia Woloch poem

5:35 Launching lines + 10-minute write-along

16:15 September assignment + how to share

18:15 End