The Evolution of my Creativity journey

 

The full view of my previous profile photo in Twitter. As for the real artwork, I gave it to one of my acquaintances. She is a confident gay so I gave my drawing to her.

Creativity goes hand in hand with art making it an important ingredient of self-expression. It doesn't have boundaries because you are expressing how you feel, how you see things and your authenticity. It doesn't matter if people accept it or not but for some reason it gives birth to other ideas of other matters that people need to give attention to. It can be functional or simply thought provoking to persuade people to call for an action to change.

On my case, my creativity journey started when I was in Nursery school. Although I and the others didn't consider me as a prodigy student in art, I do enjoy the drawings that I made I drew flowers and I imagine that they are talking and doing some interesting stuff, I also drew house, the Sun, people and plants and for me it is an achievement that I made something from myself and show it from my parents and relatives.

Then my creativity starts to get more attention when I was in grade school during that time, I love watching anime shows like Dragon Ball, Voltes V, Candy Candy but my drawings are mostly Sailormoon inspired because Sailormoon by that time is easier to draw. Whenever I draw, I keep on practicing until I got it right and from that imitation, I started to draw my own characters.

As for request since I was in grade school my classmates asked me to draw school assignments and projects since as drawing plants & animals for Science subjects and then history subjects and then their favorite cartoon characters. I never asked them for any payments because for me, art is only considered as a hobby.

Despite of many people who appreciates my art there are still some people whom you cannot please. They seem to find flaws and criticize you of what are you doing in which you find it depressing or upsetting because they don't see your lens of creativity but later on, I realized that people have their own way of seeing things. If they question things, then make a description or explanation about your art. If they appreciate and understand then that is great and be grateful but if not then that's fine, you don't have to force things on them and let them appreciate creativity the way they see it.

I remember one of my senior high school teachers, she asked me a question. "What do I wanted to become in the future?" Since that I love to draw, I simply said to her. I wanted to be an artist and then she responded that being an artist doesn't support your future. In the Philippines and even around the world, people would be supportive to your art if you have an exceptional ability but if not then it pays you only a little to nil.

When my parents recognized my talent, they are supportive and they even enrolled me for an Art summer class however just like any other parents, they look things for the long-term level and practically because at the end for them what matters is having a conventional job in order for me to earn money and survive from day-to-day expenses.

Both of my teacher and my parents, they follow the conventional way of doing things like having a university qualifications, get a stable job and etc but when it comes to the unconventional they feel uncertain and indifferent but here is the thing I realized you may find the stability and the practicality you seek but your life is somewhat dull because there is no sense of fun and creativity with what you are doing as if everything repeats and even when it does in your workplace, it is not the same because that's not the real you and you are simply being pressured to conform with what society tells you.

If you use creativity as a source of income that would depend on appreciation of people towards your work especially if would cater their demands and not how you feel and how do you want to convey. This why some musicians and other artists are getting depressed. True, that they works earn a lot when the public appreciates your work but when you try to be authentic, you show your vulnerability through your work you will be faced with harsh criticisms.

When dealing with criticisms I remind myself of what I learned from my art summer classes that is when there is a mistake, see that as an opportunity to see the different side of it and be creative out of it. In such imperfections, we can see something in beautiful in disguise and with this I came up with my motto, "Art in its imperfections is beautiful." If we look at it in life, we make mistakes and we are imperfect either however through those experiences we see those beauty and it makes our lives more meaningful, and we learn on something.

After my schooling years, I still being creative and making drawings and when I stayed in United Kingdom, I had a chance to work as an Aupair for a British family and from there I teach their children to draw, color and be creative and from that experience I feel the sense of purpose of being creative which is you are not focus on gaining yourself acknowledgement from others but you turn out as a giver of the skill and you are passing the baton to children that you are helping them learn in their formative years and another realisation that I had is being creative through art and by other mediums can be therapeutic not only for yourself but from others. It relieves tension, it helps you regulate your emotions, and it gives more avenues to express yourself that is not destructive, and you are becoming more mindful of what is around you.

Creativity doesn't end in doing drawings or paintings, you can be expressing your creativity through singing, dancing, writing, acting, cooking, learning new skills and even if you are working in a dull environment, add some spice to it to make it more flavourful.

Creativity doesn't confine with age and don't tell yourself that creativity is only for young people and I am too old for it. If there is a will, there is a way for it even those who are disabled they can do beautiful things and even animals like elephant and pig they love making art. Even if you are old, we learn something from everyone, we simply need to be open and receptive and from there creativity flows with no bounds. As much as you leave, explore and cultivate what is available. If you have old passions and hobbies that would help you be creative, still do it anyway.

For my next creativity journey, I am currently enjoying writing and even would try public speaking and continue learning new skills in different Freelancing niches and from there it seems that I do enjoy challenging myself and will continue learning with purpose and have fun with it for the rest of my life. Let's continue to evolve with positivity!

How to be the master of your life

Each year some of us celebrate Chinese New Year and we try to check on our Chinese horoscope to see what kind of future is in store for us however Chinese Horoscopes serves as a guide but in the end, we are still the ones who can control our lives.

 There are some instances that we feel that we are easily swayed by the tides of circumstances that we are in, starting from our family, friends, acquaintances, our community, our government and the society as a whole.

For us to live harmoniously in this world, we have to comply with certain rules and as a saying goes, men are sociable creatures, we also rely on other people to achieve our goals and make us feel belonged and relevant in this world.

There is nothing wrong with this because this is our human nature however doing too much of it would end up of us pleasing people, we spread ourselves too thin and compromising this and that which make us forget who we really are, what is our stand? what are things we value? and people easily stepped on us and disrespected our boundaries and towards the end we feel that we have lost control of our lives because we keep on living with other people's expectations of us than of us of getting what we need and truly want in our lives.

Without the sense of control in our lives, we easily become stressed and anxious of the challenges and obstacles that we encounter especially when we are facing uncertainties in our lives.

Being the master of your life is not all about being arrogant, selfishness, controlling others and disregard people around you but it is all about strengthening yourself awareness, identifying what is essential and take responsibility for the actions that you are making and with these,

Here are the following ways in which we can become our own master of our lives.

Acknowledge that there is God, the Supreme Lord of our lives.

In every intention, motivation, decisions and actions that we make always put God first. There are lots of things that is happening to our lives that is beyond explanation, and we are here in this world because of the presence of the Supreme being. Sometimes, we begin to wonder that despite all the odds why there are people who survive and why miracles happened? and that's because of God's presence and His will. Each and every single day, we have to be grateful that we are alive, we are healthy, we have our loved ones, and we can still do the things that we want.

In Roman Catholic teachings, God is given us the "Free Will" to make choices and identify what is right and wrong. If you truly put God in your life by means of prayers and be of service to others, you will notice that whatever comes to your life God provides you the direction, the clarity and solution to your life to make sound decisions to achieve your goals and lessen the obstacles you are facing. Unlike if you choose the opposite, true that it may quickly remove obstacles, but this is short lived, and you can face consequences because you choose the bad way of doing things and easily get tempted on material things, wealth, fame and power as you stepped the toes of people around you. You also may feel that something is lacking to your life despite of all the things you have in life.

Do you think you are the master of your life in that way? The answer is "NO" because your mind is not at peace. You keep on hiding the truth for the fear that people will see the wrongdoing you make in order to achieve your goal. You are the master of your life when you put God first, you did things in a good way, and you will have a pure peace of mind and true happiness from all of it.

Practice Mindfulness and focus on the present to support our own goals.

We are living in this world bombarded with lots of information through social media, books and other media forms. We think that what is in the trend looks cool on us without even thinking the practicality of it in the long term or is this something that enrich our emotional, spiritual and mental growth.

When we don't follow the trends, we feel that we are being left out and not accepted. These trends also targeted our emotions in a sense that we become impulsive and fail to think logically and practically of what we truly need so this diverts our path towards a goal and for us to gain control of our lives we have to start practicing mindfulness.

Mindfulness is all about being attuned of what is happening around you as you focus on what is essential. You may start by identifying your strengths, weaknesses and limitations, assessing or evaluating the quality of your relationship to yourself and other people and if we that there is an issue or a flaw this where you began to do some measures and action about it and make self-improvements.

Mindfulness also applies on the way we use our time, finances and resources. When you practice budgeting, savings, investments and allocating your time and resources to the right place, it gives you that full control and you are not easily overwhelmed by sudden expenses, get in debt or get in trouble to others. You know to differentiate from needs, wants and how to make priorities. You also choose the right and supportive people to your life. You make use of what is available around you than idealizing too much of what is not.

If we wanted to change our current situation, we have to be at the present because present is something that we can make a plan, make decisions and set a definite action. Our past would either serve as a memory or a lesson for us to learn and this is not something that we dwell on get stuck in for ages. We cannot change the past because it is already happened. As for the future this gives the direction and hope of what we want to become by having strong vision and goals. If we don't set our vision and goals then we don't do something at the present to achieve it and we easily influenced on the things around us and we lose control that we may resort to temporary source of happiness such as Alcoholism, sex and Drug addiction and other vices.

Prayers, Meditation and Self-care can help us recharge our batteries and have the strength to gain control of our lives.

If you practice prayers and meditation, you noticed that it lifts up your worries and burdens. As you pray or meditate, God/the universe led you to the right path that seems may not be relevant to you, but you realize later on that is a blessing in disguise. If you pray but God didn't grant the path that you wanted that means He leads you to something better so don't be afraid to go with the flow.

Having strong conviction and boundaries

Having strong conviction and boundaries makes other people become aware on where we stand and what we are trying to value. People may or may not understand it however despite of the differences, a person who values your boundaries will respect it because they know what is important to you. If people still judge you or mistreated you because you are different then you have to start evaluating that relationship if there is any good for you and learn to let them go and let the right people come to your life.

Self-Compassion and forgiveness can help you move forward and gives you also the control.

When we dwell on our past and always listen to what other people are saying to us we lose our control to be able to think for ourselves and to move forward. We have to be reminded of two things, first we cannot please everyone and second, the past doesn't define our whole being. It can be a part of our lives but it doesn't mean that you can be that person forever because you can change for the better. Other people may be an instrument of change through a genuine help from some of your loved ones or carers and other professionals but in the end, the readiness to change starts from you.

Having self-compassion and forgiveness to yourself makes you grounded and also helps you rise again from your downfall. Self-compassion is acknowledging your flaws but by recognizing your strengths and good qualities and cultivate it. Imagine if you are dwelling too much from the past, would that help you change for better and find a solution? You must learn also on how to forgive yourself and others in order for you to move forward. Remember, we are humans and we must remind ourselves that we sometimes commit mistakes but it doesn't make you a bad person who are not capable of love or a happy life. We are not tolerating wrong behavior but we have to do the right thing for ourselves and for other people who we are involved it.

For final thoughts, we have to accept that there are things that we can control and what we cannot and for us to become the masters of our lives, it depends on how we deal with it and putting God first in our intention, motivation, making solutions, decision and our actions.

Faith is something that is realisation and not something that is forced for us to believe

 

Your faith comes from deep realisation, you feel God's presence in your own way and not being influence by others and you set yourself as an example.

Let me share to you an incident that happened to me one late afternoon. I went to one of the waiting areas in Ayala Exchange to pass time and eat my snack for awhile before I do my online trainings.

While I was doing my thing, I noticed that there is a lady that stares me from afar and then I went back again and do my activities then after a few minutes I noticed that some of her friends arrived and then I went back again and do my thing and then while I was looking at my phone checking emails and stuff, one of them is calling my attention but I quickly gestured her to leave me alone and not bother me. I get annoyed when one of her friends laugh so I went away from that area and throw my snack rubbish at the bin.

It might seem rude that I did not entertain them but what makes me behave that way? To be honest, I have a similar experience before where I was alone either I am doing something important or enjoying my time alone and then there is these group of ladies who will request me to do some bible study. It is not that I disrespect God or other people's faith however as an introvert, boundaries and having quality of time alone are important to me. I am also trying to protect myself from those people whom I don't know well especially on public places wherein they asked for your time and sit beside you and you don't notice that they are doing their modus operandi and stealing something from your belongings. I am only alone and how many are they? If you are going to entertain them, they are going to harass you if they saw, you again on the street thinking that they will easily take advantage of you.

And there is something that I find it odd with them and that is, why do they need to approach people in random just for them to make the other person agreed to have Bible study with them or make this person have a change of heart and join on their religion?

You are simply making people uncomfortable if you are approaching them like that.

There are many ways you can spread the God's word that's using the Internet and you may conduct a gathering for those who are interested to know about your religion or wanted to join. You can do YouTube videos, have a Facebook page, a blog and others. Don't make obliged and pressure them to join prayer or reading bible by random because they have different priorities and ways of how they value their time.

For me, having faith to God is a realisation and not something that you are pressured of and influence by others. If we are being pressured to do a faith that is opposed to us and is something we are not ready about, do you think that leaves a lasting impact? True that it may leave some impact, but it is only short-lived but once it opposes to your own values. It would just backfire and would leave you again in doing old habits. Choosing and practicing our faith is also something that we personally connected with the Supreme Lord, and it gives insight, good thoughts and leads us to the right direction.

We shouldn't focus too much of the fundamental aspect a religion that if you don't go to church you will be damned for life but instead learn what's the bigger picture and that is developing a good relationship with God and spreading the kindness and love towards others. We may be sometimes imperfect in doing this but we have to keep doing good and for those who likes to approach people randomly and spread God's word and focusing what is fundamental about and telling us that your religion or faith is the absolute path to salvation then think again your intention to others. Is this something to bring them guilt, taking advantage of them and their vulnerability or are you really spreading the kindness without expecting for return. For people to change, you don't need to preach but you have to set an example.

What to do if you received unwanted presents especially if the giver is a senior member of the family?

 As we all aware that Christmas is coming and although life has been difficult for us (you know that inflation, that high cost of living, recovering from Pandemic and other struggles that we are having) there would be some of us who will still break the bank and spend items as a gift for us these holiday season.

Gift giving is a long-time holiday tradition, and we do this to show our thoughtfulness to the person who become the part of our existence from family members, friends, colleagues and acquaintances. It is also a wonderful experience for the giver and the one who receives it especially in the olden days where we are doing some good will and showing appreciation to one another but nowadays in this difficult time we had and the rise of minimalism and mindfulness, some people are seem not easy to please because we are now attuned to the practicality and on what really matters than simply following the trend that we end up broke after the holiday season.

This is not a bad thing that people are starting to be mindful and starts to remove the things that they don't need or not is working for them however the issue is when a giver is a traditionalist, and the receiver is practicing minimalism there would be always a clash!

To a giver's perspective, the receiver is ungrateful or unappreciative to the things that they give to them, or the receiver seems to be the Passive aggressive type or the emotionless one however if you listen to the side of the receiver, the issue with the giver is, they insist that they give but doesn't listen to what they truly want or need.

A great example of this is in one of the Minimalist groups that I am in there was this member who posted her frustration that every year, her mum is giving her trinkets, and she doesn't like it because it creates clutter and every gift it seems look similar. On the comment section, there are some who are helpful and offers some suggestions that would work for both mum and daughter but there are others who are nasty such as wait till your mother died and those who are annoyed that there is some guilt trip happening especially when someone made a comment that mum's life is short-lived they seem to think that this reason invalidates that person's frustration and its disrespectful.

What I find off about her post is she aired her concern about her mum online and that attracts some awful comments. Probably she already talked to her mum about it but the mum doesn't listen so she vents things online to gain some suggestions from other members, but this action may look like she is a bad person to some because she seems to be ungrateful of what her mum is giving her.

It would be good that when it comes to these concerns with a family member learn to control your emotions and not post about it online, have a heart to heart and an honest conversation with a family member whom you have issue with. She might have changed the wordings of her post that doesn't look that she is not annoyed with her mum and what she is after is a proper action to deal with this kind of behavior.

A heart to heart and honest conversation is a great way to address something by seeing first where both sides are coming from. Since she wanted to change something from her mum, she can ask the question why giving this to us is valuable to her? Then she might tell her reason and the full story of that. As a deep respect and love for her, she is the one to be open and receptive to listen her and acknowledged that you appreciate her efforts and then tell her your true situation, what has changed and what kind of gifts or help that you wanted to receive from her. We really need to be straightforward, consistent and firm with what we want without hurting someone's feelings or there could be some hurt but through time the person realises its significance to them and someone's lives.

Minimalism is not something about decluttering and removing things and people for the sake of spacious and attractive house, but it is all about being mindful of others as well. You are not building walls and burning bridges, but you are maintaining harmony and meaningful connections. We may have differences on the things we value, priorities, our beliefs and others however we are living in this world that we sometimes rely on others and there are some stages in our lives that we do depend on others for example as an elderly or someone who is disabled or have a chronic health condition and if you are not in good terms with people around you then what would you become? Who will you depend to?

If we already stated our reason to why we don't accept the gifts and our senior relatives still doesn't listen and insist their own way then we should be the one to do the compromising and adjustments because these people are bound to their traditions for so long that they formed sentimental values to it so we simply asked them why does it matter to them for us to come up with a common ground with them and help them see the bigger picture especially with their current financial situation.

There is no point of scolding them or changing the way they behave probably that is their way of showing their affection in their own way and some of them have depression or anxiety or other health conditions or other struggles that we don't know about. Even if they insist on giving, you are still in control and have the decision of you want to do with it. No need to be harsh and we need to widen our understanding.

A true peace of mind is from within yourself that you are contented, be appreciative and grateful with what you have and what others are giving to you. We must also develop a harmonious relationship with everyone respecting each boundaries. Let's celebrate our holidays with lots of love! ✨💕✨

Welcome to My Inner Sparkle blog site

 

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog, my name is ganymede12283. I started writing articles and personal journals on Coinpayu website which contains topics about Cryptocurrencies and anything creative, inspirational, thoughts about Freelancing, Minimalism, Mindfulness and provide insights the daily online and life trends that would help people have an idea and develop better decisions and from this we learn from one another.

Since not everybody has access to Coinpayu or have interest in Cryptocurrencies, my purpose of having blog at Word Press is to share some of the well like post from Coinpayu without any Cryptocurrency topics so for readers to enjoy.