Forming a Habit

Forming a Habit

Habits dictate our experiences in life and can embody our identity

Habits can be helpful or unhelpful.  How do we develop the ones that bring us closer towards our highest and most authentic self?    

I was recently inspired by James Clear, author of Atomic Habits and interview on the Rich Roll podcast, take a listen for the full details and inspiration

As humans we experience problems big and small, and when we do, we look for solutions to those issues.  These solutions can become behaviours; which when repeated enough times can become a habit; sometimes these habits might work for a while and sometimes they do not work over the long haul.  By the time we realize a habit is no longer serving us it might be hard to break and develop new ones to replace it; but it is not impossible.  The fantastic thing about our human brain is that we can change the way it fires and wires.    Creating and establishing new habits are the foundation for self-mastery, and can dictate new life experiences. 

Developing new habits and keeping them small and manageable helps with their success.  Additionally, treating ourselves, and our attempts to develop new habits with gentleness and non-judgment is key when we slip up; as we will slip up from time to time. James Clear shares his 4-laws for habit and behavioural change in his book and on this podcast, they include: 

1.    Making the new habit obvious  (the cue)

2.    Making the new habit attractive(the craving)

3.    Making the new habit easy (the response)

4.    Making the new habit satisfying (the reward)

Like wise breaking unhelpful habits and behaviours, the opposite factors apply:

1.    Make it invisible (the cue)

2.    Make it unattractive (the craving)

3.    Make it difficult (the response)

4.    Make it unsatisfying (the reward)

For example if you have a desire to drink more water in a day or week; to make it obvious could mean to have several bottles of water (the cue)available everywhere you spend time, a bottle in the car, office, home, by your desk and/or couch etc. Making it attractive (the craving) might be having it in bottles you feel good to drink from, i.e.: glass bottles.  Making it easy is similar to the first point making it readily available (the response) vs. having the other more unhealthy options such as juice or pop invisible. Finally making it satisfying could mean having the water tasty, infused with fresh fruit or vegetables such as cucumbers etc.  Satisfying also means being aware of the rewards, such as feeling more satiated, being more hydrated, having more energy, experiencing less achy joints, noticing better skin complexion and the flushing out of toxins from our bodies, and better stress management overall.  Enjoy setting a new habit today, focus on the starting line vs. the finishing line, and keep an eye on the path vs. the mountain peak.  Enjoying the vistas along the way. 

Benefits of Laughter

Recently I decided I would take on some brave things in my life, face the places and aspects that make me uncomfortable. One of those things was to join an 8-week improv class at The Making Box, (https://www.themakingbox.ca) here in Guelph, we are 4-weeks in and I am both loving it and acutely aware of the angst I feel whenever I have to do something spontaneous, living from my heart vs. being in my head with a group of 15 other people.

   I have noticed that I tend to live in my head, it is my fall back; so I have begun to stretch those improv muscles, diving in and embracing going with the flow. What I have loved about this experience so far, is witnessing and experiencing the generosity of the group. A kindness towards each other is exchanged in all of our discomfort and the ability to laugh at our own quirkiness. Most of all I have loved laughing a lot.

   This got me thinking and noticing the benefits of laughing and crying, and generally the whole spectrum of human emotions we can experience.

   Emotions do not lie, and there is great value in paying attention to them. Too often we can fall into old limiting habits that we either learned growing up from our families, friends and from society overall. Such judgments as, “she is too emotional”, “you are too sensitive” or “boys don’t cry”; all of these sentiments seem illogical. Being emotional, or sensitive and/or to cry, no matter your gender, is to feel alive and something to celebrate. I believe it is the thoughts associated with these emotions that keep us stuck. Or the behaviours, the way in which we treat ourselves for having these emotions, the self-critical voice, which can rear its ugliness and keep us down and stuck.

   So the practice of loving kindness, both in tone and the actual words we choose to use, towards others and ourselves is so important to pay attention to.

   Try laughter as a remedy. You might find it helpful too. Here are some other links you might find beneficial in exploring how laughter can be thy medicine:

1. https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/articles/200504/laughter-the-best-medicine
2. https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/the-athletes-way/201609/how-self-initiated-laughter-can-make-you-feel-better

4-In Response a short film by Sandy McLennan

I have had the most fun with this current exhibit at the Elora Centre for the Arts (ECFTA), called Response (and Responding) a collaborative art exhibit with Beverley Hawksley, Carmen Hickson, Tanya Zaryski and myself, Supria Karmakar.

Our process started in November/December of 2016 when Shelley Carter, a board member of the Elora Centre for the Arts suggested my name to the curatorial team as a possible artist to show in the gallery.  I knew that I wanted to show with others - doing things as a group and in community is so much more meaningful.  Beverley Hawksley was suggested as a possible creative partner, whose work I had become very familiar with and loved deeply; and I have also always admired Carmen Hickson and Tanya Zaryski's work, and so we were formed.  I was delighted they said 'YES' to working together.

From there unfolded a series of emails and a few meetings, to discuss a possible theme for our collaborative.  While discussing our process and the meaning of our works, it became very apparent that there was a common theme and thread in the way we each worked.  We found that each one of us responds to our creative energies from within, and that this is a deep and sacred relationship with our creative muse; one in which we give ourselves over in complete trust and allowance. So that the works can be birthed organically and authentically in commune with our creative muse.    We decided that our exhibit was going to be about RESPONDING, to our calling to create, both to produce individual works but we also knew we wanted to create work with each other, to have the opportunity to respond to each other's work by working together.

So in October 2017 we all got together at the beautiful home and studio of Beverley Hawksley and Sandy McLennan in Huntsville, Ontario.  I remember the drive clearly, the beautiful fall colours were inspiring and I was filled with anticipation knowing we were going to work together in a creative unfolding for our group exhibit.  Each one of us brought a piece of art work from either its rawest form or in the beginning stages to share with one another, with our creative muses.  We did not know how the day was going to unfold.   That was the first step in trusting the calling of our creative muse.  It was a meeting of our creative muses as much as it was a day for us to work together.  We spent the day over food and connection discussing our works, ideas, what we were being called to create and discovered a beautiful unfolding.  Sandy McLennan took 4 hours + footage of our day together and created a beautiful short documentary called "4 in Response".  The short film is a wonderful piece of work and captures the magic of our process.  Thank you Sandy.  The art works are still being exhibited at the Elora Centre for the Arts until March 8th, 75 Melville St. Elora.    Very worth a drive to Elora for a visit.

Love to hear your comments and thoughts on this film and our process.  Thanks to everyone that came out the night of the showing.  For those that couldn't make it here is another opportunity to see the film:  https://vimeo.com/251804502

Response (and Responding) - A 4 Woman Art Exhibit

Response (and Responding)
A 4-person exhibition of exploratory work by Beverley Hawksley, Carmen Hickson, Supria Karmakar, and Tanya Zaryski  

Sunday January 14th – Sunday March 4th, 2018
Minarovich Gallery at ECFTA - 75 Melville St, Elora, ON N0B 1S0
Opening Reception
Sunday January 14th, 1 – 4PM

Response (and Responding) features the work of Beverley Hawksley, Carmen Hickson, Supria Karmakar, and Tanya Zaryski. Exploring the theme of art as embodiment of mindfulness, these four artists working in a variety of mediums, challenge themselves to engage more deeply with their individual and collective creative process. Response (and Responding) addresses the space between action and reaction; the quiet reverberations moving from the creative source to the maker and from the maker to the viewer. Opens Sunday January 14th and runs through March 4th in the Minarovich Gallery at the Elora Centre for the Arts.

In conjunction with the exhibition, “4 IN RESPONSE” (2017), a short film by Sandy McLennan exploring the collaborative art making process of Beverley Hawksley, Carmen Hickson, Supria Karmakar and Tanya Zaryski will be shown as part of the Elora Women’s Film Society Event on February 15th. Following the screening there will be a Q & A with the artists. Event begins at 6:30PM in the Harris Exchange at the ECFTA.