Today’s Doodlecam was a longer one–35 minutes. And it ended up being mostly about technique.
Usually I default to talking about internal stuff–mindset, spiritual growth, dealing with emotional challenges along the Creative Sandbox Way.

All while doodling, of course. ?

Today, though, I reveled in the fun of playing with Winsor & Newton watercolor markers and waterbrushes. Because DANG, they are FUN!

Wet in wet, glazing, lifting–amazingly, I covered all of them in this tiny little abstract doodle!
It’s the most recent video over on my Facebook page, on 3/28/17–check it out at http://bit.ly/2nxhrLv

Then go get creating! ?

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Monday morning doodle. Pigma Micron, Winsor & Newton watercolor markers (the red), Inktense watercolor pencils (the green). My favorite way to start the day — charging up my prefrontal cortex, restoring energy to my brain, powering up my willpower. ?

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Color! I did a Doodlecam today and played with my Winsor & Newton watercolor markers. Nothing fancy – some spots of color in the open fields inside my knot doodle – but I like the effect.

Mostly what I talked about on today’s Doodlecam, though, wasn’t the technique of what I was doing, but fear.
Overcoming fear (which, if the fear is of the unknown, is mostly a matter of *doing what you fear*… a lot!) Leaning into fear.

And how I was NOT a natural born performer and public speaker! Noooooooooooo!
I’ve gotten comfortable getting up in front of people ONLY any virtue of getting up in front of people. A LOT.

That’s how it works, folks.
Maybe some people are lucky enough to be born fearless, but not me. Not by a long shot.

For most of us, the vast majority of us, we have to learn to dance with that fear. To lean into it.

We have to get comfortable with the itchy-scratchy discomfort of it, and just accept that EVERY SINGLE TIME we do something new, we are going to feel that awful sense of fear, discomfort, even terror. “I can’t do this.” “I’m not good enough.” “I’m not up to the task.” Same old gremlins. Every time. They never go away.
They’re trying to keep you safely inside your comfort zone. But YOUR job is to GROW, to get OUTSIDE your comfort zone.

So when those gremlins tell you THERE BE DRAGONS, DON’T GO THERE, you know that THIS is EXACTLY the direction you NEED to go to grow.
Onward, ho!

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Has it really been SIX DAYS since I’ve posted something new?? Some weeks are like that. When flying across the continent to give a speech for the first time… then flying home to give the same speech to a high school four days later… Not an excuse for avoiding Creative Sandbox time–after all, I’m the one who created the 10 Guideposts, including “Think tiny & daily,” to get people past all the excuses that keep us from doing our creative things!

But here’s the reality: even creativity instigators have weeks where everything implodes and we fall off the wagon.

THIS is why Guidepost #10 is the most important one of all: Treat yourself with compassion.

Remember my Golden Formula:

Self-awareness + self-compassion = the key to everything good!

Because here’s the thing: the problem is NOT falling off the wagon! In the scheme of problems, on a scale of 1-10, with 1 being “not a problem” and 10 being a disaster, falling off the wagon is a ZERO!

The only problem is if you never get back on!

So use that self-awareness to notice how it feels when you fall off track, and how that compares to how it feels when you’re consistent in your practice (no judgment; just notice). Then respond with self-compassion!
You’re human. You get to forgive yourself for being human! Love yourself up, don’t beat yourself up!

Just get right back on that wagon–and make sure the wagon is SHORT (i.e., keep your commitment TINY! No doubling up from yesterday’s missed commitment–that’s beating yourself up.) Simply enjoy being back. You’re good. You’re lovable. You deserve this. ?❤ #creativesandboxway #selfcompassion #imperfectionism #doodle #doodles #doodleart #doodleartist #doodlesofinstagram #originalart #originalartwork #artistsoninstagram #artistsofinstagram #abstractart #pigmamicron