There's nothing like framing a finished piece of artwork. And there's nothing like reframing beliefs that can keep our creativity — and stomach — tied up in knots.

Reframing is all about turning things upside down and backwards. It's the power of positive thinking in a decidedly creative way.

For instance, as spring burst forth earlier this year, I posted, "Overwhelm is just upside down abundance." That insight inspired me to see my feelings of overwhelm as a sign that I really needed a day off. So I sat back, relaxed and watched the world go by, instead of embracing my busy bee nature and working myself into overwhelm overdrive.

So how can we turn our (never enough time for art) frustrations into artful inspiration?

---

Creativity Coaching Prompt:

Try this: make a list of three things that are great about being a Part Time Artist with a Full Time Life.

1. _________________________


2. _________________________


3. _________________________

---

For instance: one of the things I appreciated most when I had a full time freelance job for six years in the same place, was knowing what to expect each day. Oh, sure there were plenty of surprises, but there are always surprises. (Read Later. What does procrastination tell us about ourselves? by James Surowiecki in the New Yorker.)

But, during one particularly slow period I was able to write and edit small bits of my book, >Magic Medicine. Just a paragraph a day moved things forward bit by bit. I saw a recent post about writing a book one tweet at a time on Twitter! Now that's a small step!

During other slow at work times, I have participated in gallery exhibitions, achieved my 1st and 2nd degree black belts, gotten my Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coaching™ certification and other accomplishments that deeply nourished my creative soul.

A question we can hold in our hearts is: How can I use my Full Time life to create, hold and even expand the space for my art, my creativity, my passion?

Are there evening workshops you can take at local art centers when work isn't extremely busy? Is there a time of year you can take a weekend retreat? Or even a week long workshop in a place you've always wanted to go? If traveling is an issue, is there an online opportunity that calls out to you?

How can we give ourselves permission to treat ourselves to these delights? By reframing our beliefs of what a Full Time Life keeps us from doing, we begin to open up spaces for the opportunities a Full Time Life presents.

They may be very tiny spaces at first. Mere moments, even. But with each glimmer of possibility, creativity expands. And with each new opportunity, our creative soul soars. 🖌

---

Next: Getting Creative At Work

---

Copyright ©2010 Riva Weinstein. All rights reserved.

---