Brain-clear

Once upon a time – in June – I felt listless. Emotionally, I was listless. The same could be said for my life. As a lifelong list maker, my compass and anchor were missing.
My challenge wasn’t that I didn’t have projects to attend to, it was (is) learning how to have success in this post brain surgery body. The tension of balancing a healthy load and overwhelming myself seems to be the tipping point I am straddling, and inaction and un-listing are keeping me “safe”. 

They also nurture a shadow of fear. That shadow – keeps us from knowing each other and ourselves and he will do almost anything to keep us from shining brightly. 

It was (is) time to tackle this head on. 

I had originally thought I would write about brainstorming. In my curiosity, I found lots of great resources with The Brainstorming Rules. I am aware brainstorming guidelines. But as I read them, the fun of idea generation began to feel VERY serious. 

My pivot then turned to Brain Dumping. Not able to leave google alone, I discovered there are no good synonyms for BrainDumping –  Downloading, Idea Log, Stream of Consciousness, Creative Space. Utterly unsatisfactory for what I wanted to say and how I wanted to play.

Another turn in the dance (or is it a maze)  –  Picturing the drawer in my kitchen or the closet under the stairs – you know the ones – where all the ‘where should I puts?” live.
 
The four ingredients that are needed for this process – time, patience, a water bottle, and a playlist. In my case, I will add in paper and markers (all the colors). Other times I might use an app on my phone or computer. 

The challenge isn’t emptying my brain (drawer or closet), but in fighting the temptation to sort and make sense of things while emptying. Just empty. Just get it all out onto whatever medium you have chosen – with no judgement or order.  

Your brain is never going to be truly and fully emptied. In fact, if you have a luxury of time, or want to begin a habit of clearing on a regular basis, you will be surprised at how is tucked away in all the corners. 

Now that you’ve cleared the clutter, enjoy the space. Seriously. Take a deep breath and walk away from it. 

I’ll write next week about some of the ways that I organize and purge ideas. 

Tomorrow, I will be attending to my own BrainClearing. If you drive by you will likely hear 1980’s coming through the windows. 

I invite you to pick a few hours this weekend, and jam and clear along. 

And remember to have fun – enjoy your outrageous and wonderful self. 
Be well, friends         ~ Emily ~