Over and over I ask my students to stretch. To take 2 – 10 minutes and create without thinking. Use Chinese ink and a lot of cheap paper, or whatever medium makes you smile. It is good if you feel that you can ruin it so don’t use the handmade paper that you love. Don’t look upon it as something that is going to become an awesome artwork, try to look at it as stretching before and after you run, or practicing scales on your piano. It is an important part of developing. If you can’t think of what to paint, then start drawing straight and curved lines with a brush. I challenge you to put in 10 minutes a couple of times a week, you will see a difference. If you would like to try I would be glad if you shared it back with me, no I would be thrilled. If anyone has time tomorrow morning there is a workshop in composition at Studio Miu. Composition is one of arts 8 foundations. #ArtclassinSingapore #IngelaJohansson #TiptodevelopasanartistStudioMiu #handmadepaper #Creativetip #ArtworkshopinSingapore #AffordableArtFair #artexercise #Artstretching #Art #Asianart #cheappaper #arttip #brush #lines #SwedishArtanddesign

This is a page from the opening of my art journal created on the 20th of March in KL. Experiencing the fact that you can't go outside as you always have been used to. On the other hand, the sky is already starting to become bluer. It is a confusing feeling. There is a feeling of striving, working to understand and come to terms with the new life and restrictions. Naturally a longing for freedom and connection. The next day there is a lot of emerald green, the color of the heart, and yellow the color of joy. Overall it is a longing to nature and freedom. The orange of creativity is in the water, and purple of spirituality in the sail. Going deeper into meditation now when there is more time. It is hard to focus on work. The almost overwhelming anxiety from the first days is decreasing. When I open the windows in the morning the birds are loud, and it reminds me of a rainforest. The city is quiet. I am painting with green tones for life and harmony. I am settling into a new right now. I am settling into myself. This painting reflects the feeling of sadness of everything that is breaking and gratitude for how nature is breathing again. It is also a decision to go deeper into personal transformation for me. Transformation again from a different perspective, the tree is still present. During this time I am still experiencing a lot of pain in my shoulder blades. The painting represents the need to let go of trying to hold on and embrace what is right now. This painting is from the 19th of April. A dress in the color of the heart emerald green and trust within myself. The outside circumstances haven't changed still inside safe and sound. This is a practice that I have been doing for almost 4,5 years now. Each week I learn something new about myself, I see how I am feeling and what I don\t want to see usually comes up in all color. My art meditation works are very personal and it feels like opening up my diary to show them like this, but these are times of transformation. For me meditating, creating and reflecting connects me to a journey of self-discovery. It helps me sort, focus, and dream. It doesn't make reality different, but it has completely changed the way I react to it. It has helped me in so many ways, that is why I decided to post it online and why I have devoted years on developing this process to courses and books. If you would like to learn the process I have put a discount on the course 21 days of art meditation. That is an introduction to this process.

This morning I opened the windows the sky was pink, peach, light blue, and milky yellow. Clouds where almost like veils, light, and see-through. Birds were singing. I am in the middle of the city. I sat with coffee for a long time. Not with a book, my phone, or any other device and not meditating just being. Not trying to make a decision or think about tomorrow. Staying with the birds, the coffee, and the experience. Uninterrupted time. Afterward, I feel that I have more energy again, to take in the news, ideas, or whatever. Like a recharge without thinking about any kind of achievement, or benefit. Experiencing just being and that\s enough. Enough for me to want to do it again tomorrow and for as many days that I am alive. When I go back I paint, with a clean mental palette. That is the alchemy between slowing down and creating for me. All my courses and books in creative meditation and mindfulness are about these moments of recharging your batteries and then create. #just_being #Moment #doing_nothing #breathing #reflecting #slowing_down #bara_vara #slow_time

When I was writing my book Create to Flow, I allowed myself time to research flow and creativity. Each month I read a book to understand more. I am a quick reader, but with these books I underlined and reflected on the parts that I found had keys for wellness and performance. Maybe that sounds to make perfect sense, but I am a creative soul. I like to read something, get inspired and create something from it before breakfast. I used to work with graphics when it was still called advertising and most of the clients wanted brilliant graphics in no time. They liked to call 11.45 to say that they wanted a advertisement before noon. I did it for ten years until I felt that my creativity had been squeezed dry. It certainly wasn't my clients fault, I had started to believe that this was the way it was supposed to be. One of the books in my learning experience was put in my hand by my mentor Marita Lekmo. She had been talking to me about the importance of reflection for over 20 years, and had been to Harvard to study with Tal Ben Shahar. The book was Joy of Leadership, by Tal Ben Shahar and Angus Ridgway. Both authors knows first hand about creating and preforming from stress, and how it diminishes your capability. In this book you learn about the power of recovery, and how you can maximize your impact by working from your strengths. In the book they explain why we want to be in Flow. In flow you FEEL GREAT and you are in your PEEK PERFORMANCE.. Let's allow that to sink in. A friend told me about trying out a karate class. She experienced an hour of total focus where everything felt like it just flowed. After that she was always looking for that feeling. I experience it when I am in the studio one hundred percent and the paint flows. Another friend when she plans a new strategy. Flow is not only about performing or creating the masterpiece it is about performing from a calm state of mind with curiosity and focus. I suppose you can say that it is sustainable creativity with the ability to create masterpieces. I have created a process that I call Creative Meditation, to help you to reach a calm state of mind with curiosity and focus. It involves three tools that have been scientifically proven to be efficient: meditation, creativity and reflection. When you apply them in one process, each one will allow for and open up for the next. Meditation - will calm the mind an open up for curiosity Creativity - will open the door to several possibilities Reflection - a tool to focus to analyse This process will allow you to make decisions that are grounded in your values, feels right and open up for new solutions. Along the way you will learn a lot about yourself. This process is what you learn to practice in the book Create to Flow. You can get the book on my website or on Amazon. I have also outlined an online course that follows the exercises in the book. A new course starts on the 20th of May. It is a tool to set yourself up for FLOW, along the way learn about yourself and reach your creative genius. Voices from students during a research on creative meditation: "I feel safer with myself." "I feel more present" "It allows me to sort out what's important and what's not." Now I would love to hear from you about what book on creativity made an impact on you. Kindly use the hashtag #my_favorite_creative_book If you are in Sweden you can find my mentors learning network on Clarityofmind.se #creativity #flow #self_discovery #create_to_flow

Learn a three step system to help you fall asleep, or sleep without interruption using meditation, creativity and reflection. There are nights when I have fallen asleep in front of the TV, I dragged myself to bed and all of a sudden it is as if my brain is spinning. The same thoughts are on repeat, and in between I am starting to get worried because I know that I have to get up to work the next morning. Other nights you fall asleep, but you wake up between two and four in the morning and it feels impossible to get back to sleep. Instead you feel like you are in a worry overdrive. Without uninterrupted sleep I become like a shadow of myself. If you have ever experienced loosing sleep I am sure that you have also tried a few tools to get back to sleep. Again, every tool works different for everyone. The reason for loosing sleep is naturally also very individual. For some it is something that occurs if we are grieving or going through big change, for others it is a constant battle. I am no sleep expert but I have noticed that many of my students have improved their sleep with creative meditation myself included. Let's look at how it works: Meditation even when we do it for 5 - 10 minutes a day will have a positive impact on our sleep. We worry less and if we can learn to focus on our breath for a couple of minutes, we day by day build resistance to the mind-loop that seems to occur when we put our head on the pillow. Image: I titled this one watching ego playing it was made on the 8th of June 2020. If we wake up during the night and get up and do something creative it can help us to slowly heal what is keeping us awake. Color can also have a calming effect on us. When we close this session with reflection it is like writing a diary and we can write down what has been on our mind, to make it easier to let go of or tackle in the morning. Okay so what do you actually do? I suggest very simple materials. A pen, a notebook and a box of crayons. If you prefer flowing colors have a small set of watercolor. Everything you need should take 2 min to set up. Get your materials ready. (with crayons and a notebook you can stay in bed if you like to) Do a 5 to 10 min guided audio meditation. Draw for 10 min or for as long as you feel like, just scribble and play with color. Reflect for 10 min, write done anything that comes to mind like you would in a diary These drawings or paintings often tell you a story about what is REALLY on your mind. Don't worry about what they look like, but look for how they make you feel. Image: These are scribbles, many of them might not mean a thing to you. Then I notices on the right hand corner that I had a figure flying. I reflect on what this means in my life. When you feel done you can go back to bed. If you are having trouble falling a sleep you can try this before going to sleep. Keep the notebook next to your bed, if you feel the need to add something. It can also help if you do this in the morning or during the day. Because it creates a space to listen inwards to ourselves. We have so many tools and systems to listen to others, but we don't always have a daily moment that is just for us where we listen to ourselves. If you would like to learn step by step you can start an online course today or get the book Create To Flow. I wish you many good nights sleeping. Ingela Ps. When you wake up you can reach for your notebook and write about your dreams, I will write another article on how this can help you in your journey of self-discovery. If you have any other subject that you are curious about when it comes to mindfulness and painting send me an email. ingela@zenart.info #sleep #a_tool_for_better_sleep #fall_asleep_with_meditation #sleep_well #creative_meditation #mindfulness #better_sleep

My book is titled Create to Flow because I believe that having the practice to start your day by setting up the foundations for flow can completely change your productivity while maintaining your health. Flow is about being more efficient than you thought was possible and feeling great while doing it. I used to be a project manager of a large project developing a new pedagogical method for individual learning in a classroom. It was my idea and I was very passionate about it, especially as I started to see that it worked in practice. I had a team of dedicated teachers and students. But for a while, it was all spinning too fast, and I got caught in solving problems and answering questions without taking a breath. I was always present for everyone else, and I started to go home without any energy to pick up my children. When they went to sleep it was time to do my work, the work I never had time for during the day. I started to realize that it would not be sustainable for 3 years. Prior to this, I had done another project and the man that had done the research on this project kept telling me that we can get burned out even by doing things we love. At this time I got lucky that our office ran out of space and I managed to get an office in the building next door, sharing an office with the researcher. He was working every day from eight to five. You could set your watch after when he would take his coffee, or go to lunch. I was mostly in the other building but when I sat down in my new office there was no stress in the room. There was the same amount of work but without stress. Just sitting next to him working made me alter my stress level. In the other building, I had shared with so many wonderful people that were like me running, believing that this was the only and more efficient way. Don't get me wrong you still have to do the same work, but stress does not in any way make us do it faster or better. The only way to work is really doing one thing well and repeat with the next. This was something that took many years to learn for me. I have learned a lot from authors like Robin Sharma, Tal Ben-Shahar, Marita Lekmo, and Steven Kotler about how to get into flow and work from it. Flow doesn't play well with stress, it plays with problem-solving at our optimal time of the day. I believe that we all have one time during 24 hours that our mind is more clear. Robin Sharma teaches that a lot of our success comes from what we do during this time. If we can do our most important tasks at our prime time for 90 minutes we can get a lot done. I set up a system of creative meditation to set up a practice to allow more flow and focus into my days. It is what I do before my prime 90 minutes. It takes me 15 - 30 minutes and it makes me feel great. If you are curious about how you need a pen, a notebook, and a couple of color markers. Put out the material in front of you, sit down with feet on the ground and hands in your lap. You start by focusing on your breath to clear your mind for 5 - 10 minutes. Draw for 5 - 10 minutes. Journal about the experience for 5 - 10 minutes. I do this to check-in with myself, calm my mind to be able to work from the flow, and feel great while doing. it. The book that I have written is all about teaching you this practice. Books to read on flow: The Joy of Leadership, Tal Ben-Shahar, and Angus Ridgway Flow the psychology of optimal experience, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Stealing Fire: How Silicon Valley, the Navy SEALs, and Maverick Scientists Are Revolutionizing the Way We Live and Work, Steven Kotler The leader who had no title, Robin Sharma Create to Flow, a journey in creative self-discovery, Ingela Johansson The first four books are life-changing in knowledge, my book is filled with exercises and you do the work. It is a journey in creative self-discovery, that you can take with color markers and a notebook. In the book, you will also find more tips on flow, like the value of small decisions and a green calendar. #creativity_flow #flow_defined #flow #books_on_flow #definition_of_flow #becoming_more_productive #books_on_creativity_and_flow I could not help adding The Surrender Experiment by Michael. A. Singer is a book about living your whole life inflow. When you look at all the covers it seems to me that blue is the color of flow, for me this would be a representation of water and how you feel sitting by the sea looking at the horizon.

I woke up at 6 am and realized that today's painting workshop on color and landscape would be indoors, so we started off with coffee and discussing what we wanted with the day. We came up with an overall theme: The need to let go of perfection and allow yourself to play with creativity and color. We got some inspiration from a master in landscape and color, David Hockney. The day went by so quickly and each one of us tried something that we had never done before, including me. These are a few things of what we tried: A leftover wallpaper piece works well to paint on or use as a mixing palette. 2. You can sketch with a twig from a chestnut tree. Theresa calls it "literal landscape_painting". I enjoyed how it felt in my hand. 3. When you sketch on time 2 - 4 minutes you sometimes create masterpieces, because you let go of to much detail. 4. Sketching simple with a brush with color can help you see the composition, and try out different solutions for your artwork. 5. David Hockney likes to use bold contour colors on trees, and roads. This was something a few of us tried. 6. We tried starting reworking a painting in several layers. Changing and evolving. 7. We tried adding colors that we normally don't use or love. 8. We allowed ourselves to follow the flow of a wonderful "accident" and turn it into the focal point of our painting. 9. The mindful moment was taking the time to explore an object from nature with our senses. 10. We learned and co-created from discussing and working together. When you have a creative day with a group you get so many new perspectives and insights. You see so many ways to put paint on canvas solutions. It brings laughter and a mindset that a creative task can be solved in thousands of ways. It was like taking a walk-in color, in different landscapes. These days feed creativity and innovation in other areas. Trying out new things makes us less scared as we can feel like beginners and be allowed to play. We need it to find joy in seeing something new, in daring to go out of our comfort zone. When we do this it makes it easier to solve other tasks as well. If creativity and mindfulness inspires you I would also like you to check out the blog of one of the participants in the workshop "Zen and then some" #Creativity #selfcare #colors #landscape #Zenart #workshop #Zenart_kurs

Right now I am literally bathing in the colors of autumn. Colors and nature can have a profound impact on our wellbeing. If you have the chance I would suggest taking a color bath this upcoming weekend. To get the full effect don't put in earphones. Try instead to notice with all your senses. If it is not too cold sit down for a while and just be. We often run so quickly that we tend to forget how much these small things is about wellbeing. If you are in the city head for the parc, and if you can go to the forest. Things to do on the walk: Notice scents. Notice sounds. Notice colors. Discover things you have not seen before. Touch and notice textures. Breath Take your time to stop for magic. Notice the sky. Have some tea or coffee if possible. Just be Take a few minutes to notice and if you want to write about it or make a quick sketch. If you want to learn more about how art, nature, meditation, and reflection can be a great way to feel good try one of our courses or get the book Create to Flow. For me taking a walk in color is an essential part of wellness and it is a space for new energy and ideas. #forest_bathing #mindfulness #zenart #wellness

This year we have all gathered our inspiration and drive despite a number of obstacles in our way. To celebrate this and learn from it, I have collaborated with a number of artists and magnificent speakers to bring you Harvest Moon. My most recent project has allowed me to bring together old friends and new, working on an experience that defines our history and present – Harvest Moon. After a long period of struggle, many of us have had to learn what the farming tradition of working in the light of the harvest moon exemplifies: resilience and hope in times of uncertainty. Through this event, we hope to bring you closer to art, music and dance that celebrate and illustrate both the harvest moon and our human drive. A number of thought-provoking speakers will also discuss their ideas of success, ambition, and creativity. ·Some of the inspiring teams and people you will be hearing form include: The Embassy of Sweden in Singapore, Natalie Turner TED Talks speaker and author of "Yes you can innovate", Daniel Ord specialist in customer service at OmniTouch International, Kjerstin Kleyne Brateen Senior Vice President Deck Machinery at Kongsberg Maritime, Betty Ashman at The Expat Fairs and Winston Liew curator and producer, Susanne Renck Kullgren dance, Lia Olsen Kinell song, Casper Persson song and guitar. I invite you all to have a look at what we’ve created here: And join us on the 24th of April at 5pm SGT/10am BST via the live link at TheExpatFairs.com A warm welcome to join us in the experience.

This week an article in Shanghai Daily with a short video was published by Liu Xiaolin https://www.shine.cn/feature/art-culture/2104157445/ She interviewed me on how art can help us transform, let go and heal. How art can be food for the soul. It also showcases Contrasts and discuss how art can help us, during these times of the pandemic. You can still view the virtual exhibition of Contrasts at my art website . My most recent project has allowed me to bring together old friends and new, working on an experience that defines our history and present – Harvest Moon. After a long period of struggle, many of us have had to learn what the farming tradition of working in the light of the harvest moon exemplifies: resilience and hope in times of uncertainty. Through this event, we hope to bring you closer to art, music and dance that celebrate and illustrate both the harvest moon and our human drive. A number of thought-provoking speakers will also discuss their ideas of success, ambition, and creativity. ·Some of the inspiring teams and people you will be hearing form include: The Embassy of Sweden in Singapore, Natalie Turner, Daniel Ord, and Winston Liew. I invite you all to have a look at what we’ve created here: And join us on the 24th of April at 5pm SGT/10am BST via the live link at TheExpatFairs.com

This week I have been using three ink colors and black ink. I learned this as I started my journey with creative meditation, but lately I have been playing with other materials using collage. Coming back to using a limited palette of three colors felt like coming home. I chose three colors that I hadn't combined before, It felt new and yet I felt at home with limited choices. I started to reflect on if this feeling of how limited choices can apply to other areas of our lives? This was on my mind throughout the weekend. On Sunday afternoon I made a new outline for the courses for one year. I simplified without using my computer. I challenged myself to pick my three best ideas, in each area. After that I felt lighter walking home, I felt as if this was a plan that was actionable. So, just to summarize it comes down to three things in the art as well it is balance between contrast and symmetry. The second is the shift in color and value. The third is about how we won't the eye to move in the artwork. However, the thing is that when we are relaxed and paint we often do this and more without even thinking about it. It is when we can let go of our thinking enough to allow curiosity to take over that we learn and evolve. If I sum up this weeks learnings from creative meditation it would be: 1.Three is a good number to be creative within. 2. Limitation can broaden your curiosity. 3.These principles can apply to more than art. I would love to hear from you if you find that limiting choices and structure can help you become more creative? Have a wonderful week ahead. Ingela

Filmen lanseras idag och rädslan och glädjen stod båda i kö i dagens Kreativa Meditation, Rädslan för att misslyckas, och längtan efter att få ut min produkt. Idag vann längtan över mina orostankar. Kanske kan du känna igen dig? För mig stiger alltid rädslan att misslyckas i proportion till hur fantastiskt det kan bli om jag når fler med den här metoden, och kursen i Kreativ Meditation. Dagens Kreativa Meditation Jag har upplevt att tidigare kursdeltagare har gjort en egen resa med just den här metoden. Från sömn, till att få fokus innan prov, till att börja förstå sig själva, till att hantera orostankar och sina egna mönster, eller att bli mer medveten om sina egna känslor för att bara nämna några saker. Just att vi ger oss själva tid att lyssna inåt, och att vi gör det till en vana gör skillnad i att bli medveten om vart man vill, vad man känner, vad man är bra på och vilka mönster som man vill ha kvar och vilka man vill förändra. Idag blev jag hjälpt av att ta mig tid att göra min kreativa meditation, och att reflektera kring min egen rädsla och min önskan om att våga. I den nya kursen har jag förenklat metoden, och jag hoppas den nya filmen ger en inblick. Kursen i Kreativ Meditation ligger nu öppen, du behöver logga in på sidan för att kunna köpa den. Ps. varje morgon brukar jag dra ett kort från min kortlek och just idag kom Nollpunktskortet upp som just är inspirerad av Theresa som filmat. Hon pratade om att för henne så ryms alla färger i svart. Kortet passade utmärkt med dagens blandade känslor av rädsla och upprymdhet. Morgonens vy. Nedan ser ni processen från idag och vill ni se filmen så har ni en länk här: FILM Blir du nyfiken på att ha en egen kortlek så hittar du den i shopen. Har du upplevt rädslan för att misslyckas och hur har du hanterat den? Skriv gärna en kommentar. #kreativ_meditation #meditation #kreativ_mindfulness #zenart_sweden #card_deck