Authentically Joycelynn

Living My Best Authentic Life

Creativity

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Art for Creativity and Healing

Creativity & Healing

A blog I’ve written on for years has a category called Creativity, or Art for Creativity and Healing as I like to refer to it. I began that wellness blog as a way to write my own nursing burn out story and I shared the things contained in my own healing toolbox, or healing basket. I don’t consider myself artfully talented but I love anything I make with my hands. There is something about creating that releases stress in my life. My mother and grandmother, and all the women in my family ancestry could sew and quilt. Sewing and quilting are creative art forms.

The first dress I made was out of feed sack fabric. I was 8 years old. My grandmothers taught me to knit and crochet around that age too. If you have never heard of feed sack fabric, it was very colorful cotton cloth that grain came in when I was a child.  I tried to find pictures and could not, but I found a page on Etsy where someone has vintage feed sack fabric if you want to see what that looks like.

Paper Crafting

The particular art for creativity and healing I want to focus on today is paper crafting and creating memory books. A month after Brandon died, I organized a scrap booking gathering at the Wellness Center where I was partial owner. Looking back, I was grasping at straws to keep my mind from going crazy. Grasping to DO because I was fearful just to BE.  Do you ever find yourself keeping busy just to keep from losing your mind over something?

After that first gathering, I didn’t do it again… I just continued to wander in a fog for quite a while after this. At work, it was easy to concentrate and maneuver through the day. At home I did color in coloring books for adults. Year two I began to branch out and I wanted more from my life. I joined a program to be a facilitator for Red Thread Circles and this included intuitive intentional creative art. A few months later, I found Cosmic Smashbooking. This is an intentional creativity program combining smash booking, art, a bit of journaling, and visionary work.

Now that I’ve made it through the two year mark, and I’m working with a Life Coach to get myself back into a better place, the arts are really calling my name. I’m honestly not an artist. However, I love to create. I’m working on being less critical of myself, so I now have an easel and canvas and have a desire to work on that… In the meantime:

Scrapbooking & More Paper Crafting

It seems I’m back to square one in regard to papercrafting. I’m ready to begin creating memory books again. I will start with Brandon. He has two children and I desire to preserve his memory and share with them what he was like growing up. They don’t know anything about him when he was younger. So I joined a company to get coordinated items and be able to start creating scrapbooks/memory books again. I really got into this particular creativity project about 20 years ago, but got away from it.

A few Saturdays ago I went to  a stamping group and totally loved it. I’m not sure if it was the interaction and group community I experienced, or the actual card making (I think maybe a combination of both), but I really enjoyed this so much. It has energized me to work on those books about Brandon and do some other creative things as well.

Art for Creativity and Healing

As I mentioned the stamping group I went to a few weeks ago, I want to point out that art for creativity and healing is a real way to help with stress, grief, pain, and burnout.  As I researched for this article, I found a few nice articles on art for creativity and healing. One is from US News, called the Power Of Creative Arts in Health and Healing.  I found another great article on Creative Wellness.  In this article the author shares how creativity promotes wellness. I was so interested in her article, I’ve just ordered her book, Craft to Heal, (found on Amazon).

What do you like to do as your art for creativity and healing? I have friends who quilt, friends who sew, friends who paint, friends who scrapbook and stamp… what is your favorite way to create?

Why I Write

As I write more in Authentically Joycelynn, it’s not my goal to talk people into doing what I do, or to show what I am doing is the “way to heal”. I’m sharing the best I can that I’m at a point in my life where I want to just be me. I see so many women hiding in a shell of who they want to be, but are afraid to BE who they are. Maybe you are concerned with what others think of you. Maybe you are afraid people won’t like who you really are inside. I’m here to share that it’s OK to be who you are. It’s OK to follow the dreams you have inside. It’s OK that everyone doesn’t agree with your choices.

I’d LOVE to hear from you. What is it you want to do with your life and you are afraid no one will understand? What is stopping you from letting go of self judgement and doubts? Email me anytime!

Be Well, Be Authentic. Be You

Joycelynn

 

 

 

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Where Do I Find Grief Coloring Books?

Grief Coloring Books

 

The worst nightmare of my life happened last week and I started looking for grief coloring books. Our 36 year old son suffered with PTSD from his time in Iraq.  He was sent back to the United States on his second tour due to the PTSD. Several men from his unit he was Sergeant of, died after my son had been sent home with PTSD,  due to a bomb. He NEVER got over that. He felt like he should have died with his men, or he could have somehow saved them. My son took his own life on January 17, 2017.

I’ve come to learn alot about honor and the Band of Brothers during all this tragedy. I’ve been coloring for a while, and a few days after we lost him, I started looking online for grief coloring books. I knew I’d find a few. I found three that looked interesting. One came in the mail yesterday. I’ve picked a page and started coloring.

Here’s what I’ve started so far:coloring books for healing

 

This book was very interesting as I read the introduction by the producer of the book, Deborah S. Derman, Phd. She explains what let her to create such a book. She has experienced loss in ways that impacted her greatly. Through her loss, she became a grief counselor. She goes on to explain how to use the book and why it’s therapeutic to us coloring after a loss.

Her book is called Colors of Loss and Healing. I’ve discovered you can just pick any page in her book and start coloring. She has a word on each page which is the theme of the page. On the opposite side of the coloring page, she has an area to journal your thoughts.  I started with One Day At A Time. That’s where I am right now. I’m taking One Day at a Time.

Here’s her book. I found it on Amazon. I use Amazon for many of my purchases. I don’t like crowds, and I don’t like going into stores and having to search and search for what I’m looking for only to find the store doesn’t have what I want.

Colors of Loss and HealingColors of Loss and Healing

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I also purchased two other grief coloring books. They should arrive today. What happens as I’ve explained in another coloring post here, is when you color, you are activating a part of your brain that allows you to experience a more calming meditative time. One thing I’ve noticed these past few days is my mind is all jumbled up, and my thoughts are racing. The mind chatter has been horrible. This has helped me calm my mind a little.

Coloring Books For Healing

As I searched for grief coloring books, I also found coloring books for healing. As I mentioned, I have two more grief loss books coming today and I look forward to experiencing those.  They both seem to be a place to color and journal. I’ve been very open on Facebook about my loss. It’s been healing to write. I’ve not written to see the responses. I’ve just been raw and transparent in my journey. Writing is very therapeutic.

Bereavement and GriefBereavement and GriefShading The Colors of Grief and HealingShading The Colors of Grief and Healing

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I really understand that grief coloring books and coloring books for healing are not going to cure you or take away the pain. It’s given me a time of respite in my mind. We are all walking this journey in our own way. Time will never take away the love I have for my son. I realize this is something I will never get over. I also know times of pain will ebb and flow. I’m grateful for the grace God’s given me to be able to experience numbness and the times I’ve been able to laugh and enjoy his memory.

If you need to see a counselor, see a counselor. Take medication your doctor prescribes if you need to for a while. I’ve been diffusing essential oils too. I use essential oils as well as part of my healing journey. That’s another story though. I was blessed to go to Europe this summer and get a certification in Integrative and Aromatic Palliative care. So much time was spent on the grief process of the caregiver and those left behind. So, I’m gathering all the resources I have to be part of my healing journey.

Be blessed

Authentically Joycelynn

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Coca Cola Decades Tradition 2000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle

 Coca Cola Decades Tradition 2000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle

Coca Cola Decades Tradition 2000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle

I’ve been sharing my love for simple things we can do as an adult to relief stress, and putting together puzzles is one of those things. Coca Cola Decades Tradition 2000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle is a fun vintage puzzle. I personally haven’t had this one, but there is only 1 left at the time of this writing on Amazon.  I’ve had the joy of putting together the Coke Adds Life to Everything Nice vintage puzzle.. (although it wasn’t vintage when I put it together). There are about 4 of those puzzles available right now. Amazon has a really nice selection of puzzles for adults to put together.

coke adds life to everything nice

The Coca Cola Decades Tradition 2000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle is going to be a fun challenge. I’ve had many Springbok puzzles, and here are some unique features:

  • Within each Springbok puzzle no two pieces are alike making each Springbok puzzle a unique challenge
  • Springbok puzzle pieces are 18% thicker than the industry average
  • Springbok – 48 years of quality and innovative puzzle designs founded and manufactured in the United States
  • Springbok puzzles are made from 100% recycled materials using soy-based inks

Product Description

Coca Cola is sold here!  This picture of icy cold Coke bottles, Coke logos and Coke advertisments celebrates a beverage with a sweet history.  © Jim Harrison, The Coca-Cola Company, Coca-Cola, Coke and the Contour Bottle Design, the Dynamic Ribbon device, the Red Disk Icon and the Coca-Cola Santa are trademarks of The Coca-Cola Company and in Canada, Coca-Cola, Ltd.  All rights reserved.  Allied Products Corporation is an official licensee of The Coca-Cola Company. 2000 Pieces! Finished size 34″ X 42.5″.

A puzzle like this is too large to put on a regular size card table, as most of those are 34 inches by 34 inches. So, you will need to make sure your table is larger than 34 by 42.5 inches.

Jigsaw Puzzle Benefits

What are jigsaw puzzle benefits for adults? Honestly, we as adults get our work/play areas of our life SO out of balance. We need to play too! Honestly! I’ts taken me YEARS to figure this out. So, I’ve decided there are several benefits of working on jigsaw puzzles as an adult.

  1. Stress relief (my number one driver for putting together puzzles)
  2. Improves alertness and concentration
  3. Some studies suggest doing puzzles (and crossword puzzles), helps with alertness and exercises the brain to the point that it helps prevent memory loss and dementia.
  4. Dopamine is released. This is a chemical made by our bodies that helps with memory and learning.
  5. It’s a GREAT social activity. Keeping a puzzle up will draw interest of the family and friends who drop by.
  6. Helps inprove your problem solving ability.
  7. It’s great to put a puzzle glue over top, and then frame. They make great conversation pieces.

As a cancer center manager of a few different centers in my career, we always had a puzzle up in the waiting room for patients and caregivers to work on. It’s truly relaxing and calming.

I’m going to share a few links to this particular puzzle on Amazon. If you don’t like this one, look up other Coca Cola Puzzles. Springbok has several available.  One of these puzzles is the same puzzle but with 1000 pieces.

Coca-Cola Decades of Tradition 2000 Piece Jigsaw PuzzleSpringbok Coca-Cola Decades of Tradition Jigsaw Puzzle (1000-Piece)

I hope you enjoy! I’d love to know if you are working on a puzzle, or what puzzle you decide to get! There are also nice Christmas Puzzles available right now!

Be Well,
Joyce

 

 

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Christmas Puzzles for Adults

 Christmas Puzzles for Adults

Christmas Puzzles for Adults

 

I love to put together puzzles & Christmas, so this post is all about Christmas Puzzless for Adults. This website is all about reducing stress, improving happiness, and learning to tap into that playful inner child. I write alot about ways to reduce stress and creating a work/play balance. Often we find ourselves so busy we are missing time with family and friends. Activities like adult coloring and putting puzzles together with each other serve two purposes. One purpose is the obvious…activities that promote stress reduction. The second purpose is to find activities you can do together with your spouse, partner, kids, grandkids, and/or friends. I’m going to talk about putting puzzles together in this article.

Several years ago I was addicted to putting together puzzles. Not just ANY puzzle, but I loved the 2000 piece puzzles.  This puzzle was exactly what I had several years ago. It’s a 2000 piece Springbok puzzle, that is really rare to find these days.

cocacola puzzle

I’m pretty excited about now. There is another puzzle I had several years ago, (actually about 27 years ago), and I just found it! It’s a 2000 piece puzzle with victorian dolls at a tea party. I found a vintage puzzle, and it’s unopened and I just bought it! Fun!!!

doll puzzle

What I want you to begin to think about is how you can find an area to work on your puzzles this winter. Get a card table, or find a table large enough to put your puzzle on so you can leave it up until it’s finished. Imaging yourself putting this together with your spouse, with other family members or when friends come to visit. Imagine sharing hot mugs of cocoa, listening to music in the background, diffusing a nice holiday essential oil mix of cinnamon, clove and orange. Imagine how much fun it is to relax with friends, enjoy smalltalk or sharing memories, and look for the right puzzle pieces!

Now that I’ve found that vintage puzzle, I’m super excited! I’m also looking at a few Christmas Puzzles. I’ll share some nice puzzles, and start with the 500 piece sets. I prefer at least 1000 pieces, but if you’ve never put a complicated puzzle together before, you may want to start with 500 pieces.  Here are a few examples of 500 piece Christmas puzzles.

 

500 Piece Christmas Puzzles

Special DeliveryFrosty’s Toy BoxCookies & ChristmasChristmas Cottage

Here are some 1000 piece Christmas puzzles. The more pieces the puzzle has, of course, the more complicated it is to put together. I find though, with 1000 pieces or more, the pictures are so beautiful.

1000 Piece Christmas Puzzles

Woodland SkatersNYC ChristmasSanta’s ExpressHoliday Village Square

Now we are getting ready to get into the FUN stuff!!! 2000 piece Christmas puzzles.

2000 Piece Christmas Puzzles

Springbok Cookie CutoutsSpringbokThomas Kinkade Painter of Light 2000 Piece Puzzle – A Holiday GatheringThomas Kinkade Deer Creek Cottage

Think of the possibilities this season. Have a girlfriends night out at your house with snacks, cocoa, music, fun, and everyone work on the puzzle. Or couples night out! Have a couple over to your house, and work on the puzzle as you enjoy refreshments and nice conversation. OR… have the grandkids over for a nice night of putting up your tree, decorating a gingerbread house, sipping on cocoa, and working on your puzzle. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination!

And this season…take time for YOU. Take time to PLAY!

Be Well!
Joyce