Blurry Visions

This project, making a Vision Board, is a repeat of one I did before, but here is why I'm doing it again:

• I wanted to make a new Vision Board for my own life
• Using it as today's project meant no extra work for me
• It's a great way to kill time at work (for you)
  

So, how do you make a Vision Board? It's kinda just a collage of things you really like. The last time I made one I thought about what I wanted to have in my life and found pictures that represented those things. For this board I just kind of opened up my energy and liquor cabinet and ripped out things that spoke to me (unless that was the Whiskey...?)

I don't think you actually need step-by-step directions for this, so I'm just going to show you what I've got on mine.

• Another picture of a beautiful kitchen. I love to be in the kitchen, so I think that's why I always end up with pictures of gorgeous kitchens on my Vision Boards. Bring 'em on!
• A pic of Pete Seeger looking out into the distance with some inspiring words. About a month ago my mom showed me a Pete Seeger biography on TV, which I blogged about here. I felt a real connection to him and would like to help people like he did. In my case that would mean NOT singing in public, but either way I wanted him on my board.
• A picture of a painting that spoke to me. See how it has reds, oranges, yellows, greens, and blues? I am always drawn to art that has rainbow-esque colors in it, so this made the cut
• Some fern things. I don't know, I was drawn to them.

• "Breathing Space" just seemed to fit.
• More pretty rainbow colors.
• A pic of the woman who is giving the keynote speech at a conference I'm going to later this month.
• A piece of clay sculpture that appealed to me.
• Some redheaded woman who owns a local breakfast place. Don't know if I cut it out because breakfast is my favorite meal or because I want to be friends with her, but there it is.

• Pancakes. Duh.

• "Thank Goodness". This came off an ad for a cereal, but I thought it was nice.
• A key (to my new life! Or something!)
• Some flowers, because if I don't put them up in a picture on the wall I know there won't be any in my house. (Because I have a black thumb.)
• A cheetah. Don't know why.

• A person levitating over a big roll of hay. See, this time I just picked stuff that called to me, without any real rhyme or reason.
• Another redhead! I don't know what's going on, but I think it's time for a dye job.

• Some healthy looking, organized food. Maybe it's time to organize my cupboard? So things don't fall out every time I open them?
• Another key.
• An elephant.
• "Art doesn't have to match the couch." (Mom, don't forget that.)
• Some more colorful, beautiful food.

• Angry, fighting cups. Don't know why, but it seemed like they belonged.

So what the heck is the point of this? Well, if you do it it should kill at minimum one full hour of the work day. But the real reason to do it is to open yourself up to the possibility of allowing new experiences into your life.

If you want your life to change, you have to let the Universe know. You should spend as much time as possible thinking and dreaming about your new life, and this exercise is a great way to get started on that. Once you're done post it up somewhere you'll see it often, like on your boss's forehead. That way you'll keep remembering that you can change your life and have wonderful, beautiful things in it. Like a couple of redheads.

Matches Are For Adults

Hi there. I know, it's been a few days since I've posted an office supply art project, but I've got a good excuse: I had no good ideas. Also I'm lazy.

But I'm back with a good one!

Catastrophic Cup Wars

Step One:

Go to the coffee break/lunch room at your work establishment. Find some cups. Also, some plastic utensils might come in handy.

Step Two:

Get out your writing implement and start making some crazy and feisty faces for your cups.

Step three:

Start acting out a heated argument between the cups. Right here they're fighting about whose turn it is to check their email.

Step four:

Since they knew it was going to get ugly, the cups moved away from the valuable electronic equipment and took it to some other place with a wooden floor. Maybe they're in a barn or honkytonk or something. Oh, and they also have weapons now. If you know me, you'll know I'm a pacifist, but if you try to get in the way of my computer time or cookie jar, I might whip out my tools of destruction. In this case we've got a spoon shovel thing and it turns out Larry, the cup on the left, can breathe fire! That comes in handy!


I can hear my mother's disapproving sigh. Kids: matches are dangerous! And I would never recommend using them if you're an adult and not too bright. Or under the influence. And make sure you have some water, baking powder, a fire extinguisher, and some sexy shirtless firefighter within grabbing distance in case the match catches something on fire. The firefighter comes in handy even if you're not playing with matches. But I digress.


Step five:

Declare a winner!

My tip for living your life the best way possible for today is:

Go read my other blog! I only had enough good advice for one day, and it's over here!

Post It Note Mother

Today's project is pretty self explanatory:

Don't forget Sunday is Mother's Day!! It's Friday, the last day in the work week, so this is your last chance to come up with something for her that's free - you can make her a card using stuff out of the supply closet!

And today's tip of the day is make the most of your weekend and focus on the things you love in your life. Focusing on the good stuff will bring more of it into your universe - worrying about the "bad" stuff will only bring more of that in.

Have a great weekend!

Purdyness

Today's project will not involve Post-its! Yay!

In fact, I got my inspiration for this office supply art when I was taking my morning walk. Behold the greatness of

Pens of Pretty

Step one:

Get some pens and pencils


Boring, right?

Step two:

Get you some purdy stuff from outside:

Yes, this project involves walking out of the office to a place where nature lives. If this is not possible, other alternatives include stealing flowers out of the arrangement on the reception desk in the foyer, making leaves out of toilet paper, or just using something readily found around the office, light doughnuts.

Step three:

Lay your object down next to your writing implement:

Step four:

Find some sort of fastening device, like packing tape from the mail room or, in my case, electrical tape from the junk drawer. (side note: I just typed "hunk drawer". If you have one of those at your office, please let me know so I can come visit.) Use the tape or whatever to attached the nature to the writing device.

Step five:

Put newly decorated implement in your kick ass pencil holder to admire.

Step six:

Repeat with your other items.

Step seven:

Use implements, noting how practical they are for office use.

Step eight:

Admire the beauty!


And my tip of the day is simply to get out and enjoy your life. Go outside during your workday. Take a walk. Notice how beautiful the world is. If you live in a city, buy yourself a bouquet of flowers. If you don't like flowers, buy yourself a ham sandwich. Do something today that reminds you how wonderful life is.

Office Supply Art Project of the Day:

FLIP YOU!

Step one:

Get some Post-It Notes, since I'm incapable of coming up with a project that does not involve them. (In my defense, I work at home now and my supplies are limited. If you work at an office you probably have a big old closet full of wonderful things. If so, please send me some!)

Flip the pad over, you're going to use the backside of the notes in this case, so you can still use the front side for important work stuff. Like making grocery lists.



Step two:

We're going to make a flip book. Remember those? You draw a bunch of scenes on pieces of paper and then flip through them, so it looks like the scene is moving? Okay, so draw some scene. I've got a car driving on Mars or something.

Step three:

Keep changing the scene a teeny bit and keep the action going...


Until something exciting happens, like a crash into a random brick wall!

Here is a very sexy video written, directed, and produced by me of my flip book in action. Caution: This may knock your socks right off.

Wasn't that amazing? Hey, it killed some time, didn't it? If you've got something better, by all means send it to me at jentrinque@gmail.com.

Perhaps right now you're entertaining some story about how you can't make a flip book because you're not talented enough. It's convenient that you say that, because it brings me beautifully into my next topic. Thanks.

Today's live your life the way you want to tip:

Kick Your Crappy Beliefs to the Curb!

This morning I was coaching an amazing woman...what? Yes, I actually do occasionally do something besides make office supply art and take fuzzy photos of it. In fact, I like coaching and helping others even more than I like making office supply art, but it's fun, too.

Anyways, back to my point. This amazing woman really has quite a bit going for her: her own business, happy marriage, daughter, is publishing a book with a small local publisher, and something most people would be really envious of: her hubby is making enough money that he says she can leave her business and just focus on writing if she'd like, she can take a break from worrying about money.

Awesome, right? Not so much. She immediately goes into a horrible panicked state that if she's not being productive, as in making money, she's not a good person. False Belief Alert!

It was after learning this I took her through The Work, as originated by the amazing Byron Katie. (And I get to see her live this summer!)

First I asked my client if it was true that if she wasn't productive she wasn't a good person. She said yes.

Next I asked her if she could think of any situation, involving her or another person, where the person was not productive, but still a good person. She named herself in one example, citing a time when she supported a good friend spiritually while she went through a bad divorce. She also named her daughter, who doesn't have to do a damn thing to be a good person, and also her mother. They aren't being productive, but they're lovable and good anyways!

Third I asked her how she felt when she held that story in her head, that she had to be productive to be a good person. She felt pretty crappy, let me tell you.

Lastly I asked her how it would feel to never, ever believe that story again. She felt so free and alive! And let me tell you, when you feel free and alive, that's the truth of your life coming through.

The last step in this process is to look for a turnaround. In this case the most obvious turnaround is, "I do not have to be productive to be a good person." I asked her to give some examples of when she was still a good person but not being productive, and she easily answered that just spending time with her daughter on the couch felt very worthwhile and she felt like a good person, despite the fact she wasn't bringing home the bacon at that exact moment.

If you have a belief that is causing you sadness, stress, or anxiety, it's false. If you don't believe me, call me so I can coach you! If you do believe me, and want to try this out, ask yourself these four questions and do the turn around at the end.

1. Is it true?
2. Can you absolutely know with complete certainty that it's true in all situations?
3. How do you feel when you think and believe that thought?
4. How do you feel when you can't believe that thought?

Then, turn the statement around to its opposite and think of at least three examples proving your new belief right.

Feel better? Make a flip book and look at your false beliefs. It will kill time at your lame job and make you feel warm and fuzzy.

Shoes and Oboes

Happy, Happy Monday. Wha'd you do this weekend? Mud wrestling? Karaoke-ing? Entomology classes? Excellent. I spent the weekend thinking long and hard about what today's office supply art project should be. This is what I came up with;

Spicy Shoes

Below is the actual shoe I used to wear to work. Ugh.

So, I'm guessing you might not be crazy about the shoes you're forced to wear day in and day out, either, so why not make 'em more "you"?

Also, you should really let your cat help you, if you happen to bring him or her to the workplace:


Okay, so back to the decorating:

Step one:

I hit the old standby, paperclips, to start decorating my shoes. And of course, cat hair. Must not leave the girls out...

Step two:

Cut up a Post-It Note as though it were high quality suede, and cut tassels out of it.

Step three:

Put it all together and what do you have? Some kick ass shoes.

Can you see that I actually have rings on my ankle from the elastic in the socks I was wearing? That's HOT!

Step four:

See how it works with your wardrobe:

I personally think these pajama bottoms go with everything, so I'm just lucky I guess.

I may have spent all weekend contemplating the art project part of this post, but I'm going to be pulling the "live the life that you want to" tip out of my...shoe.

You're Going to Die. Now What? Or Maybe You're Really Rich.

This is yet another way to get you on track to narrowing down what is really important to you in your life. Time to get out the pen and paper.

First, imagine you've just been diagnosed with some horrible disease and only have one year to live. In that year your body and mind will feel good, you can do whatever you like, and you also have the means to make any dreams come true. What are the top ten things you'd do in your last year of life?

Example:

1. Bull riding
2. Travel to Wisconsin
3. Knit
4. Eat excessive amounts of cheese
5. Spend time with my poker buddies
6. Finally with the annual hot dog eating contest
7. Go camping
8. Quit my job
9. Take up painting with my feet
10. Learn to play the oboe.

Next, I want you to visualize yourself winning the lottery, so much darn money you'll never have to work again, if you didn't feel like it. What are the top ten things you'll spend your time doing now?

Example:
1. Knit
2. Quit my job
3. Spend time with my kids
4. Learn to play the oboe
5. Hike the Appalachian Trail
6. Buy new sheets
7. Get a car with airbags and power steering (really on my list!)
8. Get my eyebrows waxed
9. Buy my friends a yacht
10. Finally taste a beer besides Budweiser

Now, look at your two lists and see which items appear on both. In the examples above, knitting, quitting the job, and learning the oboe appear on both. Hmmm, so if you didn't have much time left OR if you had lots of money you'd do those activities. Are you already doing them? Why not? Aren't you getting sick of your excuses? Pick an activity from your list and start doing it today!

Hangin' with Oprah

You know what the most exhausting part of this blog is? Trying to think of catchy titles for the art projects. Therefore, today's project will be named whatever comes to my mind, I am not willing to spend a long time thinking about it.

Funky Folder Fashion

Yup, that's what I came up with. Let's see if it's accurate.

This was my idea: you've got to deal with all kind of folders and filing systems at work, and all your work papers are in these boring Manila-type folders:

But I thought it would be fun to make a collage on one, so when you have to go to that folder full of boring work, it would be a little pick-me-up.

Step one:

Locate a magazine (preferably the kind that does not arrive in a plain paper wrapping; you never know who will see your folder.)


Step two:

Starting cutting stuff out that appeals to you (doesn't Oprah appeal to you, too?):

Step three:

Find enough stuff to cover at least one side of the folder and paste it on and decorate:


I picked Oprah because I wanted to get a pep talk from her each and every time I looked at this folder:

She's telling me she loves my blog, wants me to come on her show, and wants me to move in her with her. Oh, Oprah, only if you want me to move into the Maui house. I have no interest in moving to Chicago, but thanks for the offer!

This is obviously, right? It's chocolate. It makes me feel better. It's been scientifically proven.

The reason I put this chick on my folder is to remind me how thankful that my job doesn't involve anything that requires me to be fully clothed yet covered in water. Come to think of it, my job doesn't require me to be fully clothed, period.

This project ties in nicely with my tip of the day, which is:

Remind Yourself How Awesome You Are!

This is not to say you should be come a self-obsessed, narcissistic person with no regard for anyone else. My suggestion is only that you remind yourself of your accomplishments and enjoy the glow you get from all that positive thinking.

What if you can't think of anything to be positive about, you ask? You hate your job and your family? Okay, well, did you manage to make it through the entire day without running over any innocent furry woodland creatures? Have you been nice to your neighbor or a complete stranger any time recently? I want you to make a list of at least ten things that you are proud of yourself for, and to keep it up for the next week. Make a new list every day with new things you've accomplished, and by the end of the week you'll have 70 things to look back on!

Hey, maybe if you're lucky Oprah will ask you to move in with her, too.