Mindfulness Mode

Cynthia Hauk loves sharing simple Mindfulness and Art activities to help busy people de-stress and increase self-compassion. Life can be stressful, and sometimes finding time for self-care can feel like a challenge. Her signature 5-minute mindful art activities can be done by anyone to help shift their mindset in minutes. Cynthia also trains Creatives, Art and Yoga Teachers, and Expressive Art Therapists on how to teach mindful art workshops online in her internationally accredited teacher training. You can find free resources on her YouTube Channel and website at mindfulcreativemuse.com.

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Contact Info

• Website: www.mindfulcreativemuse.com
• Book: Mindful Art Workbook (coming soon)

Most Influential Person

• Christina – Advisor/Mentor

Effect on Emotions

• Mindfulness and mindful art, just because I combined them so commonly, have been hugely supportive for me through my own emotional journey. When I was a teenager, I started actually doing oil painting with Bob Ross at home. I think he's a master, mindful art teacher, one of the first that I remember when I would paint these happy trees and play with my own creative world on the painting and noticing things, that I would feel so much calmer, and relaxed, and was able to work through a lot of anxiety that I had at the time.
• In my late 20s, I had a cancer diagnosis. And I went through surgery and radiation. And at that time, I really discovered a practice of combining mindfulness with collage and writing and a lot of self-reflection. And that was so huge for me to be able to sit with the emotions and the grief that I had at the time around all of that and to be able to offer such care and compassion to myself.
• I think mindfulness, through the collage practice that I was using, was just so so huge and such a gift that I could give myself. So there are so many examples, which is why I love this work. But absolutely, it's helped me emotionally tune in and notice what's happening with my emotions and not have as much judgment, and have more compassion. Because of that, then I'm able to feel more relaxed and less anxious or stressed.

Thoughts on Breathing

• I think the breath is an interesting thing to track and notice how it shifts and changes all the time, and can be amazing feedback for us.

Suggested Resources

• Book: Waking the Tiger: Heiltrauma By Peter Levine
• App: Insight Timer

Bullying Story

• I was bullied when I was much younger, I had extra weight on me as a kiddo. When I was in elementary school, I would get teased and bullied a lot for my extra weight. For those that were bullying me, I can definitely see that having mindfulness introduced for adults or children when there is bullying could offer a place of awareness of just noticing for them what is happening and awareness of these narratives and tapes that we have, and that there are all these different narratives, and to not have as much judgment around that.
• I think probably the biggest part that comes to mind for me is this resiliency with our nervous system, by having mindfulness and by having that nonjudgment, that perhaps even as a child, I could notice sensations and where I'm feeling anxiety in my body or noticing that I'm holding my breath and have ways that I can take care of myself at that moment and also connect with those who would be supportive for me.

Related Episodes

• Creativity Equals Productivity; Joe Sanok
• Creativity Is Essential to Brambleberry CEO, Anne-Marie Faiola

• Creativity To Heal And Empower; Morgan Beard

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