Let me take you on a journey of self-discovery. Together, we’ll explore ways to foster a mindset that embraces creativity for life.
Think of me as your personal trainer for getting your creative mojo back on track.
Alrighty then, as any personal trainer worth their fashionable hoodie will tell you, motivation comes from action. Tiny steps will get you big results. And the more fun, the better.
Pro Tip 2:
Something is better than nothing.
This is the second post in a 6-part series, and today we’re moving on to practical ways to fuel your motivation.
And so, our subject is about the power of play and practice. I’ll share why living large is really about thinking TINY - all through the lens of creativity.
I’m pulling ideas from my Freehand Mandala Play Time workshop’s workbook. You can find out more about my workshop at this link:
• CLICK HERE to explore Free Hand Mandala Play Time (https://twinkiwinki.com/products/freehand-mandala-play-time-online-workshop)
In my creativity workshops, I love combining playful art-making with powerful mindset ideas. And here’s the thing: I want to give everyone permission to play in the easiest possible way.
Because your creativity matters.
• One insightful moment of creative play can dissolve years of resistance, giving you newfound energy
• The fun you have with your creative side spills over into all parts of your life
• Igniting your creative spark gives you fresh eyes to try new things and make meaningful changes
Are ya ready?
Part 1. A word about practice.
Let’s begin with habits. Go to any bookstore and you’ll find shelves and shelves of self-help books about creating new habits. But here’s something that often gets overlooked:
Whatever you think, say, and do on a day-to-day basis, intentional or not, is practice.
And so, whatever you practice the most, you become.
Like this:
• If you practice feeling grateful, you attract more to feel grateful for.
• If you practice complaining, you attract more things to complain about.
• If you practice being kind, you attract more kindness.
• If you practice being suspicious, you attract more things to fear.
Neuroscience explains this through neuroplasticity. In a nutshell, our brains are plastic. As in, they’re wonderfully bendy. They can grow new cells and form new connections. Repeated behaviors, thoughts, and emotions strengthen these neural pathways.
The beauty is that your brain can change throughout your life. But to create sustained change, your brain needs consistent practice.
In other words, whatever you practice long enough will change your brain. It doesn’t matter one iota if what you’re practicing is unintentional on your part. As far as your brain is concerned, practice is practice.
The person that is YOU is nothing more than a collection of habits.
Part 2. A word about play.
The essence of play is the experience of engagement and the satisfaction it brings. In other words, when it comes to play, it’s not about what you do, but how what you do makes you feel.
When you play, you tap into natural motivation. You know, that inspired, flowing energy that makes time disappear. The more you play and try things, the more progress you make. And seeing your own progress is what fuels your motivation.
The more fun you have doing an activity, the more consistent you’ll be.
Yet in all our efforts to improve our lives, play often gets pushed to the bottom of the list. And this brings me to productivity.
Here’s the truth: Play isn’t a luxury; it’s an energy source.
When you step away to play, your mind wanders freely and makes unexpected connections. That’s when you find solutions to problems you may have been stuck on.
Play helps you:
• Avoid burnout and frustration
• Decrease stress
• Recharge your energy
• Expand your mind
• Add variety to your life
• Spread joy
• Spark your creativity
And the cherry on top? The more you tap into play, the easier it becomes to stay consistent and keep moving forward.
Part 3. Why is living large actually about thinking tiny?
Now that we’ve talked about how play fuels creativity, let’s look at how to make it sustainable.
If you’re anything like me, you set big goals for yourself every year. I mean, who doesn’t wanna live large by aspiring to great things?
But the secret to living large isn’t pushing yourself harder. Nope, it’s not about hustle, hustle, hustle.
Let me explain with a goal that tons of people have every year. Let’s say you wanna be more disciplined, focused, and consistent with your creative practice — especially with so little time in your day. (Please note, what I’m talking about here could just as easily apply to your exercise practice if creativity isn’t your thing.)
The key isn’t to hustle harder. It’s to unlock energy, motivation, and momentum through small, doable moments of creative play.
Why? Because most of your resistance lives at the beginning of a task.
Getting started is the key. In other words, you don’t wait to begin until you feel motivated because it doesn’t work in that order.
Once you start, your momentum does the rest.
So your strategy is to break down every step of every goal into TINY tasks. Make them so tiny that you can finish in 10-15 minutes.
Motivation doesn't happen before you take action; it kicks in AFTER you start.
Like this:
• When you shrink the task, you lower your resistance to start.
• Once you jump in and start, you create momentum.
• When you see yourself making progress, you fuel your motivation.
And here’s another reason to think TINY: you need breaks to be productive.
If you work without breaks for long stretches, your output declines. This means you need more time to finish tasks. Eeeek.
It’s not about the number of hours you work. It’s about the amount of energy you can bring to your work. If you’ve got more energy, you’ve got more gas in your tank. Your breaks are the equivalent of mental reset buttons.
The more breaks you take, the more time you have.
Conclusion: Play is the way.
Funny enough, living large is really about thinking TINY.
Break your goals into small steps. Take playful breaks. Keep your tasks tiny enough to finish in 10–15 minutes.
Each tiny action builds consistency. And once you begin, everything shifts. Because play isn’t a luxury. Play is the way forward to the life you want.
Try this:
Ready to spark your creative momentum? So what’s one tiny play break you can take today?
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
• Doodle for five minutes while your coffee brews
• Dance to your favorite song between tasks
• Snap a photo of something that makes you smile
• Change your perspective - look out a different window, take a different route, or sit somewhere new
Remember, tiny play breaks are refueling stops for your imagination. So notice how even the smallest break can spark inspiration and momentum in unexpected ways.
Because every great creative life is built on small, playful moments.
Inside my online creativity courses, you can turn creative play into a daily practice that sparks momentum and joy. CLICK HERE to explore Free Hand Mandala Play Time: A Guided Mini Workshop For Getting Aligned And Living Large (https://twinkiwinki.com/products/freehand-mandala-play-time-online-workshop)
More for you:
If you’re feeling inspired, I’ve got a video where you can color along as I chat about these ideas. I even created a PDF with 8 coloring pages you can download and print for this purpose!
Alex Mitchell Creativity For Life VIDEO: Why Is Living Large Actually About Thinking Tiny?
CLICK HERE to check out my video: https://youtu.be/0IGG4rBrva4
Download the Twinki-Winki Coloring Pages
CLICK HERE for the PDF: https://twinkiwinki.com/blogs/twinki-winki-headquarters/give-yourself-a-creativity-reset-6-ways-coloring-mandalas-helps-you-get-your-sparkle-back