creativeflowwithjo

What is creativity? What erroneous ideas about creativity does our society promote? Why don’t we get taught how to generate creative ideas? And where does creativity come from? In this video I'll bust some myths about the topic of creativity and share what I believe is the truth about creativity and about our human nature. I’ll define some terms that I’ll be using in future videos as we dig deeper into the topics of accessing inspiration and quickly getting into your creative flow. ---------------------------- 00:00 What creativity is and isn't 01:00 The spark of life 03:22 The muse 03:40 The source of creative inspiration 05:09 The role of intuition 06:44 Creativity terminology 07:17 Future video content ---------------------------- More About Creativity by Jo Verdis: onearthiamsafe.com Music Used in This Video: Creativity Jam / Jo Verdis Odd Whirlwind / Roof / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com Yinon Muallem / Balkanic / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com Daniel Fridell / Oceanic / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com Daniel Fridell / Taking My Time / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com Dew of Light / Bay Criminal / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com August Wilhelmsson / Serene Story 2 / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com

Oftentimes, people who feel creatively blocked have actually put blocks in between themselves and their creativity. Sometimes we do that as a natural response to an event when that very personal, special, vulnerable part of ourselves got injured. When we struggle to get unblocked, it may be that we need to heal the injury first, so we can feel safe removing those blocks. This video answers questions about healing injuries to our creativity, including: How can your creativity get injured? Is healing your creativity worth it? How can you begin to heal your creativity? I'll briefly share a bit about my own experiences of creativity-related trauma and recovery, and explain how healing my creativity radically transformed my life and health. I offer you new perspectives, free resources, and inspiration to help you care for this treasure you possess — your creative spirit. ---------------------------- 00:00 Intro 00:51 How can your creativity get injured? 03:45 Is YOUR creativity injured? 04:58 Is healing your creativity worth it? 09:33 How can you begin to heal your creativity? 13:39 Where to learn more ---------------------------- More About Creativity and Healing by Jo Verdis: onearthiamsafe.com Music Used in This Video: Rikard From / Busted by the Blues / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com Rikard From / Scratching My Head / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com Sergei Prokofiev / Montagues and Capulets from Romeo and Juliet / performed by Jo Verdis Alberto Ginastera / Danza de la moza donosa from Dan’s Argentinas / performed by Jo Verdis Daniel Cede / Imminent Storm / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com J.F. Gloss / Teach Me the Dance / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com Johan Glossier / Desert after Storm / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com The New Fools / Bring the Funk Back / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com Autohacker / Yellow Leaf / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com Raccy / Getting Me Higher / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com Howard Harper-Barnes / The Light From Within / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com

Here’s a powerful hack that enables you to get all the health benefits of meditation without any of the struggle of boredom, restlessness, and mental chatter that often discourages people from continuing with a meditation practice. It’s not cheating; it’s a legitimate application of mindfulness, which is a well-researched meditation style that has helped countless people significantly reduce the symptoms of anxiety, depression, PTSD, racing thoughts, and more. Even severe mental health problems can be greatly eased through mindfulness. I should know—mine were! In this video, I'll explain what mindfulness is and how to practice it, then I’ll suggest my favorite way to do so. I’ll also give you a big list with a wide range of creative activities to spark your thinking about what kinds of ways you might enjoy applying this hack in your own life. The benefits of this meditation practice go two ways: In addition to creativity being a useful tool in the service of mindfulness and mental health, good mental health and the practice of mindfulness are both a huge asset in the service of creative work. My creativity was hampered for many years by anxiety, fear, trauma, self-judgment, and self-doubt. Applying mindfulness to my creative activity was essential. It allowed me to overcome those issues so that I could express myself freely and enjoy my creativity again. This is easily one of top three most healing, helpful, and rewarding self-care practices I've ever tried. I hope you'll give yourself the gift of this transformative experience. ---------------------------- 00:00 Intro 00:58 Why we need to talk about mindfulness 02:08 How to practice mindfulness 03:33 The Way More Fun Hack 04:16 Lots of ideas 06:22 How The Way More Fun Hack levels up your life 07:38 How NOT to practice The Way More Fun Hack 08:31 Easy steps to set up for success ---------------------------- More About Creativity and Healing by Jo Verdis: onearthiamsafe.com Music Used in This Video: Jo Verdis / an original piano improvisation Gustaavv / Boardwalk / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com PØW / Joker / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com Smartface / Basement Jazz / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com Ludvig Moulin / Seven Suspicious Signs / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com Will Harrison / Where’s My Fix / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com Joel Rampage / Selfie Mode / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com Victor Lundberg / Unbounded Horizons / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com

This relaxing, slow-paced video is designed not only to teach you the three most helpful mindfulness meditations I’ve learned over the course of 20 years’ work on my mental health, but also to help you feel calm while you learn them. Take a nice, deep breath, slow down for a few minutes, and enjoy some soothing rain sounds and imagery while you learn these simple but powerful techniques. All emotions are temporary. They will eventually pass. Mindfulness can help you get to the other side of them more quickly. If you don't feel good today, know that feeling better is just around the corner. You can learn to feel good at any moment, by changing the focus of your awareness at will. Mindfulness trains us to do exactly that. The mindfulness practices I share in this video are drawn from Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), an extremely effective form of psychotherapy created by psychologist and author Marsha Linehan. DBT teaches concrete skills that can be applied for immediate relief with struggles in areas like distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and interpersonal skills. Mindfulness is a central skill in DBT. Practicing mindfulness trained me to control the focus of my awareness, so I'm now able to control my emotional states. I learned these mindfulness meditations from a phenomenal therapist in Santa Barbara, Neil Friedman. I’m forever grateful to Neil for teaching me these skills and patiently reinforcing the learning until I could manage life’s stressors and triggers more easily. I’m a changed person because of it. If you find yourself struggling with difficult emotions or challenges in life, I hope you'll try out these mindfulness practices over several weeks, to see if they help you get some relief, comfort, and peace. ---------------------------- 00:00 What mindfulness teaches us and how it helps 01:30 Observe and Describe 03:12 Focus on Physical Space 05:27 Four Square Breathing 07:05 Review + my wish for you ---------------------------- More about mental health and creativity by Jo Verdis: onearthiamsafe.com Music Used in This Video: Jo Verdis / Tender Movements in Space II Jo Verdis / a piano improvisation