I recently brought home an Apple Pencil after discovering its capabilities with the iPad Pro. I had been watching YouTube videos of what you can accomplish with it, and was sold in about 30 seconds. I’m excited to be able to create graphics for the blog and my ecommerce shops with this handy (literally!) device. I’ve proceeded to text drawings to almost everyone I know because, WHY IS ANYMORE USING A NORMAL PEN OR PENCIL ANYMORE?
No joke, Apple nailed it (again) with the Pencil. Go! Get you one.
Everyday for the past few weeks I’ve made time to sit and draw/color/paint/sketch. And something amazing has happened.
I’ve felt noticeably energized, balanced, even. I’ve felt more grounded when confronting difficult moments, almost like my sense of humor is behind the wheel, not my stress. I’ve felt more clarity and focus in areas of my work that are less creative. I’ve felt more rested. The only thing that’s changed is this daily habit of completely “zoning out” with my Apple Pencil for about an hour or two before bed.
Some call it entering “the flow state”, I have always referred to it as “the zone”. It’s when whatever you’re doing you lose track of time, the chatter in your mind halts, and you become completely one with the activity. It might be frosting cupcakes for you, or playing music for someone else. Whatever it is, I’m here to remind you that consistently entering your zone is very important.
Here are some reasons why I want you to tap into your CZ (creative zone) regularly:
It’s a form of meditation.
By now, we all have read the fabulous effects meditation has on our health. The lists are endless with how it helps prevent heart disease, mental illness, lowers stress and anxiety, not to mention improves happiness, longevity, brain function and so much more. Similar to meditation, entering your CZ allows you to clear purchase viagra singapore your head and let your mind rest. By doing so, our brain signals to secrete endorphins that help improve mood and lower anxiety and stress levels.
YES, PLEASE.
Relaxation is just as important as sleep.
We need down-time (outside of sleeping) to allow our bodies to recover from our hectic schedules, to process emotions, and to reflect on experiences. I think of it as allowing my nervous system to take a break. Blocking off time for your CZ (even if it’s just 10 minutes a day) gives the mind time to wander, relax and sort through the congestion and chaos of everyday.
Self-care is so hot right now.
By making your CZ a consistent priority, you’re putting your needs ahead of everything else. This will only help you do more self-caring in other ways (exercise, sleep, diet, relationships, etc). The people who share (or brag?) that they need a bottle of wine at the end of everyday to cope, or they only get 5 hours of sleep routinely are probably not making routine self-care a priority. It might be hard to know how to begin if you’ve never been a self-carer. Finding your CZ is a the perfect place to start.
Grow your creative confidence.
Practice makes perfect. The more you enter your CZ, the better you’ll become at the activity. You will in turn become a more creative person overall. And creativity is applicable in so many aspects of life–not just drawing on an iPad. Most importantly, creativity helps solve problems–big and small.
Entering your CZ is a really healthy form of consistent self-expression. For me, expression is of course about sharing my work with others, but in a much bigger way, it’s also about learning who I am deep down.
Plus, who knows? You might find your CZ makes you really happy, and you could end up creating something you really love that gives you passion and purpose.
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