Love List: Gratitude Journaling

Since I mentioned how much I love Bridget Morris’ journals in my last love list, I thought I’d put them to use this week with a little gratitude is the attitude doodling. As I’ve said before, the best way to tackle glass-half-empty thinking is to remind yourself of the things that are working in your life and to take stock of the beauty and special people/experiences that charge you up. Now, I know it’s tough to be grateful when you’re going through a difficult time. But honestly, that’s when you gotta suck it up and turn the energy around. It’s so much easier to put walls up and hunker down in your “woe is me, life sucks” bunker. Sound familiar?

Here’s a little something you may not know about me. I have never participated in a “why me?” pity party when it comes to canser but I have when it comes to vertigo. I get vertigo once every few years, and when it hits me, it hits hard. My “problem” pisses me off. It makes me shut down and get really frustrated. Do you know what I mean? Do you have a problem like that? Something that sucks your energy dry leaving no desire for green juice, yoga, walks, dates or spiritual medicine. It’s so easy to resist being grateful when you’re bound by the perception that life just isn’t going your way. Boo hoo, sniff sniff. Not today my friend. Burn off the haze and get busy counting your crazy sexy blessings! Remember, health isn’t just about what you eat, it’s also about dealing with what’s eating you. Joy has a tangible, physiological effect on the body. You can literally alter your body’s chemistry in a positive way by turning the stress down and the happiness up. Will you join me by commenting on one thing (or more) that you’re grateful for today?

I’ll go first…

1. I’m grateful for my pain-in-the-ass (and other expletives) vertigo. It teaches me to slow down, get focused and find balance.

2. I’m grateful for my favorite yoga DVDs that I can do in the comfort of my own home (“Transform Yourself with Jivamukti Yoga” and “Tias Little’s Freeing the Bird of Prana“)

3. I’m grateful for long drives, motorcycle rides and the brilliant colors of the changing fall leaves.

4. I’m grateful for my favorite hike up Overlook Mountain. It’s hard. It makes my butt throb and my thighs burn. Then voilà! The view at the top literally takes my breath away (and sometimes makes me want to puke because I’m scared of heights!).

5. I’m grateful for our decision to cancel our cable service. Too much noise.

6. I’m grateful for my new friend Sean Stephenson. His story is amazing. He is a sage and a funky prophet. Read his book, “Get Off Your ‘But’,” my friends. I devoured it in one day. His words are soul jumper cables. Check him out here, you’ll be learning a lot more about my friend Sean very soon as I am crazy sexy in love with him.

7. I am so grateful for almond butter in my smoothies! I usually use avocado, but recently I have fallen mad for the nut butter. Kale, cuke, almond butter, almond milk, stevia, pinch of cacao, banana, cinnamon, ice… OMG!

8. I am grateful for friends who honor my boundaries and give me space to grow and heal and love and fall and disappoint and love and be. Folks who demand too much of my energy get phased out. I send them love but don’t return the emails.

9. I am grateful for 8 hours of sleep. I never ever compromise on that and my bedroom supports my desire for yummy deep rejuvenation time.

10. I am so grateful to finally understand the following statement: “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.”

Any thoughts?

Peace and gratitude,
Kris

Photo Credit: Thank You, Spinning Top, Broken TV, Almonds, Fence, Owl Nightlight,

The Link between Creativity and Depression

“Remember sadness is always temporary. This, too, shall pass.” -Chuck T. Falcon

It has been said that creative persons, such as authors, artists, actors, musicians, performers and poets are more often plagued with the demon of depression than the general population. One of the possible explanations for this is that creative types tend to feel powerful emotions which aid their creative endeavors. In other words, some experts believe that being sensitive to one’s surroundings, including sounds, colors and people’s emotions, has been associated with both creativity and depression. Such hypersensitivity can lead people to worry about things with which other people aren’t typically as concerned, thereby increasing the potential for depression.

If we examine the lives of accomplished artists, we will observe that many battled depression at some point in their lives. A few prominent examples are Vincent Van Gogh, Charles Darwin, Virginia Woolf, William Styron, Anne Sexton, Emily Dickinson and Sylvia Plath. If you’ve ever been depressed, you probably understand the sense of helplessness and numbness which accompanies this illness. Sometimes this sense of helplessness drives creative individuals to the drawing or writing pad, but other times, it can be immobilizing.

The life of writer David Foster Wallace offers a more recent example, as he committed suicide secondary to depression. Experts have identified certain characteristics in his writing—such as hypersensitivity, constant rumination, and persistent contemplation—which researchers say can connect creativity with mental illness, especially bipolar disorder and depression. In this case, mental illness does not necessarily cause creativity, but a certain ruminating personality type may contribute to both mental health issues and artistic ability.

Some Theories Linking Depression and Creativity

First, some artists and writers admit to engaging in their craft as a kind of self-therapy for depression. In this way, their efforts to avoid depression may provide an incentive for their creative work that wards off melancholy.
Second, the experience of depression provides subject matter for artistic creations: Edvard Munch’s famous painting “The Scream” and Emily Dickinson’s poem “There’s a Certain Slant of Light” are two examples.

Third, some believe that one cannot truly comprehend or convey the human condition unless one has experienced the highest emotional highs and the lowest lows. Thus, depression provides the existential angst from which great art arises.

Approximately seven percent of the general population is affected by depression or bipolar disorder, and studies have shown that this number tends to be higher among creative types. Bipolar disorder is characterized by episodes of mania and major depression. Typically, someone who is manic depressive tends to swing from excessive highs (mania) to profound hopelessness (depression). In between these episodes, they experience feelings of normalcy. Some people can also have mixed symptoms of both mania and depression simultaneously, while others may have manic symptoms that are more moderate.

In his book “Van Gogh Blues,” Eric Maisel proclaims that virtually one hundred percent of creative people suffer from episodes of depression. He supports this claim by asserting that every creative person came out of the womb ready to interrogate life and determine for herself what life would mean, could mean, and should mean. He believes that depression in creative individuals is thought of as a crisis caused by chronic, persistent uneasiness, irritation, anger, and sadness about the facts of existence and life’s apparent lack of meaning. In fact, those who try to understand the reason for their own existence will most likely be more prone to depression.

Kay Redfield Jamison, a foremost expert on bipolar disorder who has also suffered from the disease since childhood, believes that most artistic geniuses are manic depressive. Jamison is the author of “Touched with Fire” and a professor of psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Her book makes a powerful link between depression and creativity.

When a writer is depressed, he or she may turn to their craft to ease the pain. The writing process can help the creative person make sense of their lives and  validate what they are feeling. Writing brings us face-to-face with reality. The act of moving the pen across the page or the fingers on the keyboard can be meditative and calming.  Expressing feelings helps to give meaning to life, which is helpful for us all!

Personally, I have found writing to be very therapeutic during tumultuous periods in my life. Writing my own recent memoir/self-help book, “Healing with Words: A Writer’s Cancer Journey,” proved to me that in times of depression, it is very helpful to try to be creative. Pick up a notebook and just start writing!

If you haven’t tried this before, here are ten things to keep in mind:

1. Find a quiet, uninterrupted time and place to write.

2. Choose an inspiring notebook and pen.

3. Create a centering ritual (light a candle, meditate, play music, stretch).

4. Breathe deeply.

5. Put aside your inner critic.

6. Date your entry.

7. Begin by writing your feelings and sensations.

8. Write nonstop for 15-20 minutes.

9. Save what you have written.

10. Write regularly.

Diana Raab is a author of eight books and teaches in the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program and in various conferences around the country. She frequently writes and speaks about journaling and her most recent memoir is Healing With Words: A Writer’s Breast Cancer Journey (June 2010).

Photo Credit: Derek Gavey

Fast Fixes for Writer’s Block

I recently updated my status on Facebook with a question about conquering writer’s block, and I was excited to see so many interesting and encouraging responses. Dare I say I was suffering from writer’s block at the time and was looking for help for myself and for all of my fellow writers.

I have struggled with identifying what activities are great for breaking the block and what is just another form of procrastination. Sure, my desk does need cleaning and my inbox clearing, but right now? At this moment? Am I just putting it off? Will that activity do well to clear my head as I clear off the clutter? Yes, this works, but it certainly is not my first choice over, shall I admit, swinging on a trapeze, having sex or doing something that scares the $%@! out of me.

So what were offered up as fun, fast and somewhat fierce solutions? Take a look:

Endorphins Abound: Go for a walk, hike, swim, dance around the room. (Clothing optional, at least for the dancing!)

Hey Honey!: Sex, booty calls, sassy texting and phone calls are highly rated creativity boosters, unless they tend to induce sleep for some of you.

Going backward to move forward: Write longhand if you usually work on the computer, create a drawing of the scene (stick figures accepted), or write with your less dominant hand.

Alter ego: Write something sassy and outrageous, something you wouldn’t dare publish. Or treat your block as another identity and talk to it and through it.

Relocate: Plan to write outdoors, in a plane, on the couch or in bed, (be careful of this one—sit upright). Use a digital recorder to capture ideas while walking or driving.

Piecemeal it: Do another piece of the project. If you know you will need screen shots or images off the Internet, collect them first for inspiration.

Write junk: Write anything, as if from a different persona. If you write nonfiction, write a quick love scene or funny story recounting a conversation with your friends.

Stimulate the senses: Play music, burn incense, light candles, have some good herb. (I’m referring to a nice cup of tea.)

Four-legged fans: Pet the cat, walk the dog, groom the horse or clean out the horse stall. (Talk about working through the crap!)

Why not?: Pluck eyebrows, shave legs, do nails, (equal opportunity suggestion, not limited by gender), do laundry or the dishes, or have a tantrum (far away from the dishes).

Word association: Start listing words that go with your topic, including keywords or random words. Look them up on the Internet or thesaurus to branch out from the original idea. Open a bunch of fortune cookies. Read a chapter in someone else’s book.

Slow Down: Meditate, do yoga, take a bath, or tend to the garden.

Absence makes the mind grow stronger: Turn off the TV, radio, email notification, close other programs and volume on the computer.

Social escape: Go on social media sites and see what topics are hot, current and engaging others, or look through magazines (home decorating, trashy gossip, etc.).

Cheers to having fun during your next writer’s block! I have a feeling I will be referring to this list many times.

Writing As a Spiritual Practice

Win a copy of Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg’s book, The Sky Begins At Your Feet, by being the tenth person to tweet a link to this blog @CrazySexyLife.

From the time I began writing like a maniac at age 14, writing has been my most constant spiritual companion, my way of praying for some clarity during the thickest tangles, and my source for finding answers, or at least, getting a better view of the questions. From the time I began writing, smack in the middle of my parents’ divorce, writing gave me a place to touch down on something more sacred — the act of creating — while being surrounded by court battles and fights over porcelain trinkets. In my memoir, The Sky Begins At Your Feet, during and after my long day’s journey into and through cancer, it was the act of writing that helped me as much as any deep-tissue massage, spinach casserole, or oncologist’s consoling words. Throughout all the challenges of my life — having children, losing a parent, finding new vocations and losing old ones, being too busy and feeling too empty, or simply having a decision to make more complex than what to eat for lunch — writing’s been my touchstone.

As someone raised Jewish — a religion that deeply values questioning everything, even to the point of wanting to pull your hair out over heated discussions about every nuance of the Torah — I’ve come to learn how a spiritual practice can be not so much a way of knowing, but as a way to dwell in not knowing, a place where the ground tends to give out. When I write, I find new ways to know, or to name what I always knew without having the words for it before, or to strip away coats of knowing that no longer fit.

Writing through loss especially — the loss of thinking I was immortal (or at least, not so mortal); the loss of various body parts; the loss of health, at least for a while; the deaths of my father, step-father and father-in-law — showed me how much spirit surrounded me in all directions. Writing at such moments, when the yearning for clarity and comfort outstrip all else, gives me back my life, and in this example, from The Sky Begins At Your Feet, writing helps me find new ways to love a changing and aging body and to reconnect with the vibrancy of the earth:

So I am trying to love my body for what it is right now. Let the love I feel for it – the tenderness for my moving fingers on the keyboard, the appreciation for the strength of my legs to carry me for miles on an early spring day, the wonder at the softness of my skin, the shapes I leave in the blankets. Let this love be enough. Let this love show me the way to sing the body electric, to write the body erotic. Let me learn this way of loving what’s imperfect from the land and sky around me, the best mirror to show us that what we do to our environment, we also do to ourselves. As well, the earth where I live is the best teacher when it comes to persevering through the seasons with the kind of grace that celebrates life, however it comes – in the icy wind mid-winter that makes the windows tremble, the explosion of lilac one particularly slow spring, the reddening grasses late fall, the black sheen of the crow mid-day when he shoots across the sky to examine the latest addition to our compost pile. Life just wants to live, so the old saying goes, and this desire makes for tremendous innovation…

So I open the door to the back deck, and stand outside in the middle of the night, watching the clouds travel past the waning moon, collapsed on one side because of the sun’s particular slant of light at this moment. I step outside again in the morning, the overgrown grass of early spring pouring over itself around the tilted cottonwood tree. The hills and wind around this home carrying their own losses and scars, and yet lit with a green both pale and fierce, quiet and shining, fully here at this moment and on the verge of changing completely. I return to earth and sky, continually coming home.

Writing is also a practice of returning to the body, to the earth, to the blank page of my life, and from this act of creating something of words, continually coming home. In that spirit, I offer readers this writing exercise to try on your own — just for your own eyes, and only if wish, to share with others too.

-Write a list of all you love in your life, feeling free to land on the small loves (chocolate pudding in my case) or big loves (spouses, children, best friends, land, memory, etc.). Keep adding to this list over time.

-Then take any item on the list that grabs your attention at the moment, and write the story how you came to love it/him/her/them. This list is also a great ongoing source of writing prompts; whenever you have a free 10-15 minutes, you can pluck something off the list, and write its story.

-When you feel ready or need to create your own form of prayer, begin with the phrase, “Let this love…” and fill in the words that come. When you run out of words, write down “Let this love…” again, and keep going. Let the rhythm of the writing, and of repeating this phrase, speak to and from your heart of what you need most at this moment.

Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg is the Poet Laureate of Kansas and the author of ten books, including her recent memoir, The Sky Begins At Your Feet, and a new collection of poetry, Landed. Founder of Transformative Language Arts at Goddard College (www.Goddard.edu), where she teaches, she also leads writing workshops widely, and with singer Kelley Hunt, leads writing and singing retreats, co-writes songs, and performs collaboratively. Her website is www.CarynMirriamGoldberg.com.

Interview with Alicia Silverstone, author of The Kind Diet

When you hear the name Alicia Silverstone what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Perhaps a “Clueless” blond-headed teen sardonically spouting “as if” and “whatever?” Or maybe it’s a costume-clad superhero saving Gotham City from deadly villains. Well next month you’ll discover yet another side of the well-known actress as she adds a new credit to her jam-packed resume: that of an author.

Silverstone’s first book “The Kind Diet” will be released on October 12th and is already garnering hefty helpings of enthusiastic praise. In the book, Alicia shares the insights that encouraged her to swear off meat and dairy forever, and outlines the spectacular benefits of adopting a plant-based diet — one she has been committed to for 11 years.

In my first post for Crazy Sexy Life, I shared that it was Alicia’s speech at Farm Sanctuary’s 2006 Gala that helped push my passion to the next level and really inspired me to get involved in a more dynamic way.

A few years later, I find myself wading knee-deep in delicious activism and friendly with the person who, without knowing it, made me reexamine the whole picture. It’s my honor and pleasure to introduce Crazy Sexy Life readers to actress, activist and now author, Alicia Silverstone.

Michael Parrish DuDell: You’ve been vegan for so many years, what finally inspired you to write a book about this lifestyle?

Alicia Silverstone: I’ve been thinking about writing this book for 8 years. I kept a big file where I would put all the information I gathered (recipes, tips, etc) and it just kept growing. Over the years, I’ve been able to help friends deal with everything from ovarian cysts, to digestive & stomach issues, to irregular periods. I would send them all a packet of info and they would say to me, “This is a book!” But it wasn’t until a friend gave me the solid nudge I needed that I actually took steps toward getting it published. I finally carved out space in my life to devote to this project and I am so glad I did. I’m really looking forward to being able to share all the knowledge and tools I’ve accumulated over the years — simple and delicious ideas that will allow people to look and feel their best!

MPD: What have you found to be the most challenging part of writing a book?

AS: The hardest part has been coordinating and devoting time to doing press. The second hardest part would be the intensity of the deadlines and the “letting-go.” I care so much about what I am doing and want every single thing to be perfect, and that takes time. Plus, there is always more work to be done, more information to add — so it’s hard to finally say, “OK, I’m done!” I could have worked on this book forever!

MPD: What sort of reactions have you received from those who’ve read early editions?

AS: The reactions have been amazing. I’ve already spoken with a number of people who’ve made drastic changes to their diet. One woman had dangerously high cholesterol levels that, after following tips from “The Kind Diet,” became normal. One man lost 15 to 20 pounds and feels amazing — says he never wants to go back to the way he was before. And others are just enjoying feeling happier and healthier.

MPD: If you have to pick your favorite chapter which one would it be and why?

AS: Well, my favorite isn’t really a chapter, it’s a section called “The Journey Starts Here.” It explains why I am so inspired and passionate about this subject and it begins to lay out the many wonderful benefits of this lifestyle. My second favorite is the chapter on “Nasty Foods,” which really breaks down the medical and scientific info in a way that is fun and easy to read.

MPD: Have you found being so outspoken about veganism a challenge in Hollywood?

AS: Yes, it is sometimes challenging, but then, so are a lot of things.

MD: Who in the vegetarian community are you most inspired by?

AS: I would say I’m most inspired by anyone on the front lines — particularly those who are investigating and uncovering the truths about the state of our food systems today. But mostly I’m inspired by every person who chooses to go down this path in their own way — even if it’s through actions as seemingly simple as turning the water off in the bathroom when they wash their hands, or using canvas bags, or giving vegetarianism/veganism a try.

MD: What would you say is your one big hope for this book?

AS: My big hope for this book is to have as many human beings on the planet read it as possible, because the information contained within its pages is powerful and life-changing! I especially want people who think they could never be vegan/vegetarian to read this and realize that they needn’t make huge changes. I just want them to take in the information and realize what is possible — including improved health, a renewed sense of happiness, and a contribution toward improving the health of our planet.

And there you have it – kind words from a “Kind” author! A big thanks to Alicia Silverstone for taking time out of her busy schedule to sit down for a chat. Make sure you pick up a copy of “The Kind Diet” on October 12th.