alpha brain wave state | Marian Buck Murray

Tap Into Your Creative Flow

May 11, 2020 by Marian Buck-Murray Leave a Comment

If there was ever a time to be creative, it’s now.

And, yet at a time when things feel so uncertain, so fragile, so challenging, and so painful, it might feel hard to do anything at all, let alone something creative.

What’s important to remember, is that no matter what, no matter how scary things feel, creative flow is always here. Always.

It just takes a shift to a more relaxed, creative space within you. Perhaps that doesn’t feel easy right now. In this video I will help you get there more easily with tips, and EFT Tapping.

I originally created this video for my friend Angela Alfieri’s Spring Self-Care Journey. Today, I am happy to share it with you. Enjoy!

Be Well,

Marian

Learn more about my newest services to help strengthen your creative flow:

Creative Block Solution Session

Create and Thrive Program

Tap Into Your Creative Flow

April 17, 2019 by Marian Buck-Murray Leave a Comment

I recently signed up for a collage class at my local adult school. The first thing my teacher told us was to stop thinking, and allow our subconscious minds to take over. I knew right then and there that this was the right class for me.

In essence, it’s exactly what I tell my clients, my students, my husband, and myself, again and again. Drop out of your mind and let your creative flow do the job.

Simple, profound, and sometimes quite difficult.

The mind has a way of convincing us that it knows best. It’s also damn good at reminding us of all the ways in which we’re screwing up. It promises us solutions, if we stay just a little bit longer. And that’s when we get stuck, there in the discomfort of our minds, scouring every nook and cranny in search of the right answers. It’s at that moment that our creative flow comes to a screeching halt.

It is easy to get stuck, and it’s easy to stay stuck. That’s why it’s important to continually tap into, nourish, and encourage your creative flow.

Here are some ways to tap into creative flow:

Free flow writing – Free-flow writing means writing without censoring. Julia Cameron, author of the Artist’s Way, recommends writing 3 handwritten pages, first thing each morning. Another technique is to choose a word prompt, and write whatever comes to the page. Free-flow writing will allow you to come up with ideas you never could have thought up.

Free flow art – Again, like free-flow writing, free-flow art such as sketching, or collage, will help you to tap into your creative flow. Allow your art to come from this deeper place within you. By regularly practicing, you will become more and more familiar with the power of your subconscious creative flow. And, you will come up with creations you never could have planned.

Prepare and Let Go – Of course, sometimes it is best to prepare. For information- or skill-based projects, preparation is key. Once you’ve substantially prepared yourself, though, it’s time to let go and allow your subconscious to guide you. I frequently practice this technique, when I speak publicly, or teach a class. I prepare my talk, and let go. My preparation allows me to speak confidently without notes, my creative flow provides me with on-point spontaneity.

Brainstorming – Good old brainstorming. How often do we allow ourselves to brainstorm. The key to brainstorming is to let go of the censor, and allow anything to come up, no matter how ‘impractical’. It’s these ideas that sometimes hold the magic gems we desire, but can’t ‘figure out’ with our everyday brains.

Walk in New Surroundings — Shake things up. Take a new way to work, explore an unfamiliar part of town, hike a hidden wooded trail, travel to a different locale. Take yourself out of familiar surroundings, and use adventure to revive your creative flow!

Heart Breath—Negative mind chatter is one of the biggest deterrents of creative flow. The Heart Breath is one of the fastest ways to drop out of negative mind, into a deeper, more creative, alpha brainwave state. It’s easy to do, learn more here.

EFT Tapping – EFT Tapping is another powerful technique to help you drop into your creative flow. EFT is one of the most effective techniques for reducing cortisol, which gets triggered when we’re under stress. Reducing cortisol, will help you relax, and drop into a deeper alpha brain state. Contact me to learn more about using EFT Tapping to enrich your creative flow.

Listen to Music Infused with Binaural Beats – This type of music will help your brain shift into a deeper brainwave state. Especially helpful for times when you’re working on creative projects. Insight Timer, my favorite meditation app, has a number of free Binaural Beat meditations. Hemisync and Silencio Music are two other sources I use.

Show Up and Stay a While — Most importantly — show up! Show up to the page, the easel, the screen, the mat, the place where you create. Show up and stay. Stay with your discomfort. Stay with your unknowing. Stay a little longer. And a little longer after that. Show up and trust the creative flow that’s here, right now.

Each one of us is gifted with our own unique, creative flow. Use whatever techniques work best to tap into yours, and let it ROLL!

Happy Creating!

Marian

Spring Jumpstart: How to Navigate Transitions

March 21, 2019 by Marian Buck-Murray Leave a Comment

Spring! Time to spring into action, right? So why do so many people feel so tired? Maybe it’s the loss of sleep due to daylight savings. Maybe it’s Mercury in Retrograde. Maybe it’s the change of seasons. Probably, it’s a mix of all of it.

We bundle ourselves up during winter, cocooning in hibernation. Then comes the loosening of Spring. More sun. Warmer temperatures. More action. All wonderful. Yet, after the stillness of winter, it can feel somewhat disruptive, distracting, discombobulating.

Transitions of any kind can be hard. Transitions mean change. And change can throw us off track, making it harder to spring into action. Grounding and settling your energy is what will give you the power to reboot and reenergize.

Here’s what to do to feel more grounded, so you can give yourself a nice powerful jump-start.

Meditate — Meditation will help bring you back to center. Consistent meditation changes your brain, making it more adaptable to stress. It will help you feel more grounded, less distracted, and more able to navigate transitions. Start with 5-10 minutes at a time. Add mini meditation breaks to your day to help you stay centered throughout. Try Insight Timer for free guided meditations and a meditation timer.

Go to bed early – Good sleep is essential to reset your energy supply. Turn off electronic devices. Let your energy settle. Sleep in a dark room. Make up for lost sleep.

Walk in Nature – Walk on the softening Spring earth. Sense yourself grounding with each step. Breath the air. Smell the air. Notice life emerging. Merge with the energy of Spring. Allow it to reinvigorate you.

EFT Tapping – Tap a few rounds around the points to help yourself clear away distractions and anxiety. EFT Tapping is one of the most effective techniques for lowering cortisol, the major stress hormone. Lowering cortisol will help you feel more relaxed. It will also help you release ‘false’ energy that keeps you wired. For an illustrated diagram of the tapping points, click here.

Get out of Your Beta Brain — Beta brain wave state activity is very busy, and can lead to distraction and worry. Use techniques such as EFT Tapping and the Heart Breath Meditation to drop into a deeper, calmer alpha brain state. It’s from this deeper, calmer place that you can feel inspired to take new action. For videos on how to use EFT Tapping and Heart Breath, click here.

Get Creative – Nourish and awaken your senses. Follow your intuition, and do something that will help you drop into creative, effortless flow. In this space, let go of how things should be, and allow yourself to be reinvigorated by your own creative power.

Nourish Yourself — Springtime is time to detoxify. Detoxify your diet with plenty of water,
leafy greens, colorful veggies, seaweeds, and probiotic foods. A diet rich in plant foods is anti-inflammatory, and helpful for allergies. Herbal teas such as Nettle, Ginger, Rooibos, Peppermint, can also be helpful. By cleaning up your diet, and clearing out the toxins, you will feel energized to move forward.

Happy Spring!

In Gratitude,

Marian

Need some encouragement to help you get going? Contact me.