Don’t Be Jelly: Be Inspiration Jam!
Welcome
What brings you here today? What inspires you to show up? Take a minute
with the question. No answers are needed; the question is enough.
I hope you had a relaxing and enjoyable weekend. Friday, we had dinner with friends. The woman had asked us to meet and vet her fiancé. Thom
and I both know what it’s like to still be looking for love in your mid-thirties,
so…. They were adorable together, and we were honored that she asked
us to double-check him to make sure she wasn’t missing something.
Really! After one dinner, it looked like a good match, and we felt inspired by their new love. Disclaimer: We take no responsibility for the success or failure of anyone’s relationship. LOL!
What Inspires You?
Do you remember when you were inspired to do something that was life-changing? Do you remember that feeling when you were
moved to create something and that feeling gave you chills? Is there a person in your life that inspires you by their actions or teachings?
People’s lives inspire me. I get motivation from their accomplishments, talent, and determination. They help keep me open to my own growth and change. Are these the kinds of things that inspire you?
When I read the book Becoming, by Michelle Obama, I was inspired by her
tenacity, vulnerability, motivation, grace, and positivity. When I hear her
speak sometimes, I am awed.
Rosa Parks’ life inspired me when I learned of her bravery. I sometimes sit in amazement at how she was able to defy authority in 1955 by refusing to give a white person her seat on the local transit bus in Montgomery, Alabama. It not only changed the lives of the African American community in Montgomery, but Her chutzpah helped ignite the Civil Rights Movement.
It also sparked changes in the social structure of blacks and whites living together in the South.
My father, Angelo Tompros, inspired me when I heard him play his saxophone at
the Kennedy Center’s tribute to Boyd Raeburn and the Big Bands in the 1980s. My dad was so passionate about his music that when he wasn’t working, he practiced 14 hours a day. I remember a couple of other times listening to him practice, and I would see tears come down his cheeks. His music helped to heal his soul and still inspires me today as I look for ways to express my own passions.
I’m also inspired by research and especially the outcomes. Brene Brown inspires me with her decades-long research studies on shame. Her research and interviews illuminated that shame was one of the “most primitive and universal of human emotions.” In 2017, after doing this research, she wrote a book, I thought it was just me (But it Isn’t): Making the Journey from “What Will People Think?” to “I am Enough.” Brene’s findings have had a huge impact on my mindset and belief that I am enough. She also has some very inspiring quotes that fill me up when I take the time to nurture myself and read them. Here are a few:
“Let go of who you think you’re supposed to be; embrace who you
are.”
“Want to be happy? Stop trying to be perfect.”
“When we are willing to risk venturing into the wilderness, and even becoming our own wilderness, we feel the deepest connection to our true self and to what matters most.”
“What we know matters, but who we are matters more.”
“Grace means that all of your mistakes now serve a purpose insteadof serving shame.”
Mental Health & Creativity
Creativity can be very inspiring. In fact, it can increase positive emotions as it improves depressive symptoms and anxiety. I have seen this in action.
About 5 years ago, I was teaching Mindfulness Painting classes at the
Embry Rucker Shelter in Reston. I developed a two-part survey asking
each participant to report on their primary mood, pre-class, and post-class.
85% of the participants reported that their mood improved. I was so
inspired to hear that. If I could help just one person improve their mood on any given day, it was a good day for me.
Inspiration is the light that can make even the dimmest bulb shine at its full
brightness. It is the mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual stimulation
that instigates a person to move in their own unique way. Creativity and inspiration go together.
However, you don’t have to be inspired to create. Creativity is all about the production, the routine, the job, or the overt act of making something out of nothing. Creating can be hard work and without inspiration, many creators give up. We all can get stuck in a creative block.
It takes determination to continue the journey of digging for gems. Julia Cameron in her book, The Artist’s Way has some wonderful ideas for igniting your creative source. If you need some inspiration, she’s one of the masters.
Remember this: you can create and not be inspired, but sometimes when you create, inspiration happens! Just do it!
Reminder
Just a reminder to take advantage of the Free Art Guide gift. Go to the link https://mindfulnesspainting.com/free-art-guide/ below to receive your gift. You can explore it just for play or you can delve into your deepest creative source. This gift is just for you but you can always invite your families and friends to sign up to receive this Art Guide and paint with you.
Thank you for showing up today to read the Mindfulness Painting Newsletter. Remember: Be compassionate. Be empathic. Be kind. Be creative. Be curious! Be brave. Be fearless.
If you know of someone else who might enjoy this Newsletter, please forward it to those friends, family, and colleagues.
Creatively yours,
Jody
Jody Tompros, CEO, Intuitive Artist & LCSW
Mindfulness Painting Experience: Creating Art from the Soul
Reston, VA
Preventing compassion fatigue and burnout for Creatives, Therapists, Coaches, Yogis, Spiritual Seekers, & Educators by weaving creativity and mental health as a means to bring connection and joy back into your life.
