Kristal Norton

In Dreams Awake

Kristal — Mon, 14 May 2012 20:12:06 +0000

I hope all of you mamas out there had a wonderful Mother’s Day weekend! Even though our weekend was a little busy, we snuck in a few quiet moments at the beach just to relax. It was so beautiful out, we just had to!

It’s so amazing to be living close enough to the ocean to just “pop by” for a visit. Hubby and I are truly living one of our dreams.

Sometimes I sit back and wonder why it takes so long to get to points like this, when you are finally living one of your dreams. Because most times, its just yourself that is holding you back from living your true life. Why do we do this to ourselves?

We could have written a book of reasons why we shouldn’t make such a big change and move so far away from our home town. But the reality was, there was nothing stopping us. I’m glad we were able to realize that and move past our fears to make the move. We’ve been living a dream of beauty, peace, and inspiration; living closer to nature and meeting new people with values more in tune to our own… and it all outweighs by a ton any negative thoughts or fears we had for moving.

Sometimes you just need to push past your fears and go for your dream. Because when paralyzed by fear, its hard to imagine the positive outcomes or possibilities that are awaiting you.

“Our truest life is when we are in dreams awake.” ~Henry David Thoreau

Have you ever went for a dream and truly lived it?

Jump In! The Water’s Warm

Kristal — Wed, 09 May 2012 12:36:07 +0000

If you’re looking for a more fulfilling, creative life… there’s nothing standing in your way. All of the tips, articles, tutorials, and information you’ve been drowning yourself in is not going to hand over the life you’ve been longing for on a silver platter. You need to pick up that paintbrush (or pencil, or pen, or fabric, or glue, or whatever your heart desires) and just create. Create NOW. Create DAILY.

It may seem a bit scary, it may even seem downright impossible, to go from not creating at all to creating every day. But we’re not talking about creating a masterpiece everyday here. You can spend as little as five minutes doodling on a napkin, writing in your journal, or snapping a few photos of things you discover on a walk. Any small creative activity, done daily, can create a world of possibility. All you need to do is make the commitment to yourself and do it.

It only takes 30 days to create a new habit. But those first 30 days can be tough. There’s no need to beat yourself up if you miss a day. Just remind yourself you’re doing this for YOU, and you want to create. Then try again today.

“You can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water.” ~Rabindranath Tagore

Jump in, the water’s warm. Nothing is stopping you.

What will you create today?

Trick Your Fear Away

Kristal — Mon, 07 May 2012 14:07:03 +0000

Left Hand Drawing

Sometimes the fear of failure, or fear of creating something less than perfect holds us back from creating anything at all. That’s why I find it super important to just let loose every once in a while (or better yet, daily). Having an art journal is one great way to remind yourself to just let loose and play, since its a book only for you. But even still, sometimes that little monster in you starts to wish your pages looked a little more professional or “show worthy”, which puts you right back into that fear mode again.

One of my favorite exercises to beat this fear and let loose again is to do a few drawings with my wrong hand (in my case, my left). You know for a fact that its not going to be perfect. Your mind uses that as an excuse, and so its able to set free the worry of perfectionism so that you can focus on the fun you’re having just creating!

Give it a try today (or right now!), even if you’re just doodling on a napkin or scrap piece of paper. Anything to get your mind and hand moving, creating, + feeling free again.

Are Your Priorities Hurting Your Family?

Kristal — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:50:51 +0000

Are your priorities hurting your family? You might be thinking, “I always put my family first, so of course not.” But that’s where you’d be wrong.

When my first daughter was young, we decided to take a trip to Disney land. I remember listening to the instructions they gave on the airplane as we prepared to take flight, feeling very surprised and angry. They instructed in the case of an emergency, I should put my oxygen mask on first, then worry about my child. “How dare they!?” I thought, as a new mom. My daughter is my love, my life, I would do anything for her. I would most definitely put her mask on first, making sure she was okay before worrying about myself.

But as the years passed, I began to see how thinking this way was beginning to take its toll on me. Always putting my children first was leaving me tired, depleted, feeling light like a ghost, not whole anymore. I started to lose a sense of who I truly was. I wasn’t happily playing with my children like I used to. I felt too tired at the end of the day to enjoy our bed time rituals. Life was starting to feel like an endless blur of routines and I was just trying to get through the “daily grind”. At this point, not only was I hurting myself, but I was hurting my family.

As women and mothers, our instincts are to care for everyone else’s needs. But when life gets busy (as it often is), we start to put our own needs on the back burner. Suddenly, having “me” time seems a little selfish. But if you don’t put your oxygen mask on first, how can you possibly help your child when you are gasping for air? You need to take care of yourself first so you can better care for your family and loved ones.

Taking care of yourself isn’t just about eating well, and getting enough sleep and exercise. Its about nourishing your mind and soul too. If you don’t follow your heart and pursue your passions, you lose a sense of who you are and you give in to the daily grind. Plus, if you continually ignore your passion, what does that say to your children? You’re displaying that creativity is not important. When in fact, its the right-brainers who are taking over this world.

Pursuing your passions shouldn’t be put off until your kids are grown, or until you retire; and it most definitely shouldn’t invoke the feeling of guilt. Helping yourself feel fulfilled and happy is the best thing you can do to ensure a happy, loving atmosphere in your home. As the saying goes, “When mama’s happy, everyone’s happy.”

You’ve heard all this before, right? So why all the guilt? Why are you ignoring your heart? Why are you still ignoring your passions? Why not do what you love to do – today.

Put yourself at the top of your priority list.

The World is Ready for You

Kristal — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 11:35:04 +0000

Did you ever as a kid wish that you were from another time period? I know I did. Ah the Renaissance period where art was considered more than just a craft. But these days, I’m realizing that right here and now is the absolute best time in history to be a creative soul, and I’m lucky to be living in it.

Do you realize what is happening? We’ve been coming into a new age. An age that is ideal for us creative types, and its oh so exciting!

“The last few decades have belonged to a certain kind of person with a certain kind of mind – computer programmers who could crank code, lawyers who could craft contracts, MBAs who could crunch numbers. But the keys to the kingdom are changing hands. The future belongs to a very different kind of person with a very different kind of mind – creators and empathizers, pattern recognizers, and meaning makers.” ~Daniel H. Pink

The above quote is from a book called “A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future”, which Pink wrote in 2005. He saw it coming long before any of us did.

The world has evolved from the Agricultural Age, to the Industrial Age, to the Information Age, and now (finally!) to the Conceptual Age. We can thank the internet, and all of the other technologies that have connected us all for this wondeful new creativity age. Because with these new technologies, we have the opportunity to share with the world our creative side. And because with it, there’s nothing special and exciting about manipulating information anymore. Bye bye Information Age. Hello New World!

Many individuals and big business are ripping their hair out over this big change though. People are losing their jobs, businesses are going bankrupt. Its a scary time. Everything we ever knew about business and marketing is getting thrown out the window. One by one the internet is destroying old industries. It began with the music industry, then continued on to the movie industry. And now, publishers have a reason to be really scared. The rules that these business were built on, don’t apply anymore; so they’re getting out-dated and in turn new, more innovative industries are moving in.

But for some of us, this new conceptual age is starting to excite us and light up our lives. Its a chance to tear up that rule book and find new ways of creating and doing business. The ability to be a creative thinker is becoming your biggest asset.

So what does this mean for us creative women? It means that THIS is the best time in all of history to stand up, declare your passions, and make a living from it! Its time for you to stop making those excuses and get your art into the world.

The world is ready and waiting for you. Are you ready?

Hooray!

Kristal — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 12:21:27 +0000

Announcing the winners of my one-on-one sessions giveaway….

Congratulations to Deborah, Susan, Sheila, Shari, and Kim!!

I’ll be contacting you amazing ladies soon to set up our session to help you get past whatever is stopping you from living the creative, fulfilling life you’ve been dreaming of. I can’t wait to chat with you!

Perfectionism is Killing Your Creativity

Kristal — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 12:25:00 +0000

Last week I asked you what struggles you were facing to follow your muse, and I loved reading all of the responses! Susan had mentioned perfectionism, and it got me thinking. Perfectionism is really starting to become a big problem in many people’s lives, not only killing creativity, but its also becoming a big contributor to depression. When really, there is no such thing as perfection. And on top of that, creativity is not about quality, its about quantity. Watch today’s video to learn more.

Click here to view the embedded video.

You Are Your Worst Critic

Kristal — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 22:45:15 +0000

If you’ve been following me since the beginning, you may have noticed quite a number of design changes to the site. The biggest reason? Because I designed it (and re-designed it) myself… and I am my worst critic. As we all are.

Looking at other people’s art, its easy to quickly see past the imperfections and fall in love with it, especially if it touches our soul. But when it comes to our own work, those imperfections stick out like a sore thumb. Your inner critic kicks in, and tells you its not nearly as good as your idol’s work. “It can be so much better.” or “No one will like that!”

This never ending inner critic is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing in a way so that we can always continue to grow and better ourselves and our work. It helps us strive to get to the next level. But also a curse in a way that we will never feel satisfied with what we have made and never truly be happy with our work; even if it has been received well by others already.

I came across an amazing photo on Pinterest the other day of an art journal page. I visited her website and instantly fell in love with her work. I admired her… and yet after reading through some of her blog posts, I felt saddened, because she apparently has no idea how talented she is, referring to her work as amateurish. It just goes to show, it doesn’t matter how impressive your art is, your critic will always be there pointing out the worst of it.

Your inner critic will analyze and critique your work more harshly than anyone else ever would. But in reality, most people will never even notice those mistakes that you are fretting over. So next time you are creating something, remember that what you hear from yourself is most likely the worst of what you would hear. Use it to better yourself, but not to predict what others will think.

Do you find that you are harsh on critiquing yourself?

My Personal Muse

Kristal — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 11:38:14 +0000

I know as a creative soul, you have many obstacles to face, and sometimes its hard to follow your muse. So today, I offer a peek inside my personal muse and my struggle to listen to it. You are not alone in your struggles to create; whether its time, fear, guilt, or simply lack of focus. So lets swap stories. Watch today’s video to hear my story, then please comment below to share yours.

Click here to view the embedded video.

BONUS! I’m offering five totally free, one-on-one one hour sessions with me to help you break down those obstacles so you can get back to doing what you love, or simply do it better. For your chance to win, share with me (either by email or commenting below) what your muse is calling you to do, and what inner struggles you are facing to follow it. Be sure to let me know in your post that you want to be entered in this special giveaway (you can simply write “please enter me”). The five lucky winners will be chosen at random next Tuesday (April 17, 2012). Good luck!

One Vital Secret Successful Creative People Know

Kristal — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 11:30:48 +0000

Click here to view the embedded video.

I’m so excited to share with you my first video for Monday’s Muse! Today I’m revealing one simple vital tip that successful creative geniuses know and live by that you should be aware of, in order to create success in your own creative adventures. I hope this helps you get one step closer to your dreams! Be sure to let me know what you think by leaving a comment below.