The 'Well done me' exercise
I created this exercise because we can have a tendency to be a bit hard on ourselves. You may be full of good intentions, but some of them may have dropped by the wayside, or we might have already encountered some obstacles on the path to our dreams. At this stage, we might feel a bit like 'what's the point?' or begin to question whether we are even on the right path in the first place. It occurred to me that most of us are so busy focussing on the future and what we want to achieve, that we rarely take the time to look at where we were a year ago and how we have moved on from that place. It is like reflecting on a journey, looking at all the wonderful things we have collected on the way. We need to make space to recognise how far we have come and how well we have done and congratulate ourselves for our efforts.
Similarly, along the way we might have let go of some things; maybe an unhelpful habit or two, a limiting belief or destructive thought pattern. Possibly even a friendship or relationship if it wasn't working out. Or you had a massive decluttering session. It is possible to feel like, because we have let these things go, that there is a negative element to the process and we mustn't think about it too much. Actually, releasing things can be just as challenging as recognising our achievements and successes. I think it is important to celebrate both.
When I did this exercise myself, I was amazed at how my perspective altered and how much I had actually achieved in the last twelve months as well as noticing the things I have left behind because they were no longer helpful to me. I congratulated myself, felt so much better and was then compelled to share it!
That is really the essence of Mindful Creativity: Taking the time to nurture your spirit with simple painting and drawing with a question or theme in your mind. The effect on your perspective is incredible and can be truly life changing. It certainly has been for me. I hope it is for you too.
To complete this exercise you will need the following:
Just over five minutes of your time and your full attention to listen to the visualisation/meditation.
A printer to download and print your worksheet - or you can choose to draw your own, the process will be the same.
Paint or pens, pastels or crayons, something with which to colour your worksheet.
Notepaper or your journal if you want to record any insights or revelations that come up for you.
About an hour of your time and the space to paint and colour while considering your journey.
An open mind.
What to do:
1. Listen to the short visualisation below, you can download it if you wish.
Next, select your vessel:
Choose from Aeroplane, Boat or Unicorn (click the word to open). Or draw your own, making sure you have space for your achievements and what you've let go.
Download and print your worksheet (hand drawn by me).
Colour it using your preferred method of paint, pastels, pens or whatever you wish to use. Fill in the spaces for what you have collected and what your have released. Smile.
You can make notes if you want to. See how your perspective has changed. Do you feel more positive about where you are on your path? Are you closer to your dreams than you realised?
Put your finished worksheet somewhere you will see it to remind you how well you are doing and how far you have come.
Finally, give yourself a treat. You deserve it. Well done.
If you enjoyed this exercise why not join the Attentive Art Group on Facebook? I'd love to know how you got on with the meditation and the worksheets.
Thank you for taking the time to nurture yourself with Attentive Art. Creativity is amazing! X