Strategy #7 - Get in Touch with Your Emotions
Flickr image National Media Museum
OMG, I am the most emotional person I know. I cry at a drop of a hat. I cry when I'm sad, happy, angry, and excited. Getting in touch with my emotions, I have no problems with. What I need to work on is understanding why I am having these emotions, what are they connected to and how can I overcome them when they are the most inappropriate.
Emotions are good and we should express them whenever we can, but we also have to understand the why behind them. So when you feel some type of emotions during the day, systematically ask yourself:
- "What, exactly, is the thinking leading to this emotion?" For instance- if you are angry about something- ask yourself, what is the thinking that is making me angry?
- What other ways should I think about this situation? Can I put a humor spin on it, can I just cough it up as just life experience and learn from it?
- If you can, change the direction of the emotion, your emotions will soon shift to match the new thoughts.
Emotional Artists
An extremely emotional artist is not really the most productive and easy person to work with . If you ever get bad reviews on an art show, then suck it up and learn from it. Everyone isn't going to like your work, it 's their lost, not yours. Just leave the crying and emotional threats at the door.
A few of us may even get emotional when we are praised. (This is me.) When someone complements me on my work, I feel this overwhelming emotion come over me. And I know this is because I honestly don't feel like I deserve it, so instead of tearing up, I try to play down the complement, by saying " Oh- it took me no time to make it, or its no big deal."
Because of strategy #7- I am taking the time to observe these emotions and I'm trying use other comments that reflects pride and confidence in my work.
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