Monday blues? Turn your grumpiness into creative energy

First installment in our new series:

2012: Tú, only better

Monday has rolled around once again and like many, you are wondering where the weekend went, in need of just one more hour of sleep, and a bit moody as you catch up on your emails. You drink your coffee trying to wake up and hope it will improve your mood, but a bad mood isn’t all bad. You can use it to your advantage.

Like an artist who created their masterpiece during a time of dark pain, you too can use your mood to inspire art, music, or other creative endeavor. Gaining insight into your feelings can help you develop the ability to express yourself.

According to Scientific American, you can do the following exercise:

“Get a piece of paper and writing utensil, and sit in a quiet place. Consider your own feelings as if you were an outside observer. Write down at least three sentences describing them. Next, explore and describe your physical sensations. Does any part of your body feel tense or painful? Do you think these sensations are related to your emotions? If so, write down how the two are connected. Now, consider your mental state: Are your feelings making it difficult to concentrate? Also, note whether you are feeling the urge to act—say, to run away or escape, or to lash out at or throw your arms around someone. The idea is to train you to think about and completely describe your feeling state. If you do this once a week, you will gain insight into your feelings, hone your ability to express yourself and develop your emotional intelligence—all traits that will improve your creative work. “

For 6 more ways to improve your creativity, visit www.scientificamerican.com.

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