We are here for you this Friday and we are grateful you are here with us, creatives. As the below study by Harvard Medical School will show, practicing gratitude can have a palpable effect on your quality of life. We are grateful to have insight from artists like author Rupi Kaur and classic comedian, Jim Carrey to help guide our journeys as artists.
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The Effects of Gratitude
Practicing gratitude has been known to increase one’s quality of life. To acknowledge things to be grateful for is to acknowledge positive aspects of life. According to a study conducted by Harvard Medical School, below are some easy methods for introducing gratitude into your daily life:
- Write a thank-you note.
- Thank someone mentally.
- Keep a gratitude journal (We do gift y’all a spiffy journal for Art of Flow).
- Count your blessings.
- Pray. People who are religious can use prayer to cultivate gratitude.
- Meditate.
What we’re grateful for:
In the spirit of gratitude, we want to say thank you to you! We’re grateful you are pursuing your dream of being an artist and contributing your creative energy to the world. We’re grateful you’re reading this blurb right now to further your artistry and hone your craft. We are grateful with the power of the internet we can collect all this inspiration and provide it in one home for you in hopes to aid even just one person on their journey.
If you are keen on trying some of these practices, hit us up on socials and let us know about your experience! You can see how other people fared in the results of the study.
Don’t create something. Just create.
Rupi Kaur rose to prominence at the young age of 21 with her debut collection of poems entitled milk and honey. An immediate sensation, Kaur went from being a university student to an international icon, selling millions of copies and reaching millions of people.
Then she started writing her second book.
Enter Definitions.
Suddenly, there were all these definitions and requirements attached to her work. She was now considered a “successful writer”. She had to meet a deadline. She had to satisfy the requirements of her recently signed book deal. Kaur described this process as “debilitating”.
Definitions are Limitations.
These are some definitions Kaur referred to in writing her second book:
- She felt she had to write a “book.” What makes a piece of writing a book?
- She felt pressure to follow up on the popular milk and honey. Suddenly she was defined as a “professional” or a “best seller.” She saw everything she was writing through that lens.
What turned it around for Kaur was simply writing one page at a time. She did this for no reason other than that she loved it. Not to write a book. Not to satisfy her deal. By focusing on creating, she realized those definitions were all in her head. See how Kaur overcame this process in her interview with CBC.
Top 3 Takeaways From Jim Carrey’s MUM 2014 commencement Speech
Beneath decades of classic comedic roles, Jim Carrey is a fountain of wisdom. That wisdom has carried him to where he is today, and in 2014 he shared some of that wisdom with Maharishi University of Management’s graduating class as their keynote speaker.
Check out three profound quotes he gave during address:
- Fear. “What we really want seems impossibly out of reach and ridiculous to expect so we never dare to ask the universe for it. I’m the proof you can ask the universe for it.”
- Carrey asked the universe to be able to express his wackiness every day. Now he’s universally beloved for that. You can ask the universe for your music to fulfill your dreams, but you have to give the universe your hard work in exchange.
- Meditation. “There’s a huge difference between a dog that’s going to eat you in your mind and a dog that’s going to actually eat you.”
- So many people let the fear of the dog in their minds prevent them from going outside. Meditation can help you see the difference whether it’s a dog, a bear, a shark, or anything else.
- Purpose. “The purpose of my life had always been to free people from concern.”
- Carrey didn’t say his purpose was to be an actor or a comedian. His purpose was to free people from concern. Once he realized his purpose, all he had to do was follow his bliss. Follow yours.
These are just some of our favorite quotes from his address, but there is so much more insight to enjoy. Check out the full speech here.