We all have different styles of thinking and performance. Sometimes we want to act in one style while a situation requires another. How to keep an appropriate mood having another in preset? One of the quick tool to analyze it is the Four Elements Cycle. Water, Fire, Earth and Air represents normal model of project work, also it`s useful to describe personal mind states.
I can`t show my MindMaps for UN and others projects because of security, so I have to illustrate the method of Four Elements by intuitive tools like drawings. Let`s have a glance.
My normal creative style is Fire. Today I have to perform water because projects I carry needs waiting to growth. The picture above represents two different mind states and two phases of project work: Water and Earth. This is my current state because I have to wait for more information and for the best time. I needs to collect all ideas in details, from many different fields and think about the way how to put it together. I must be vigilant for additional information and to check gaps in plans. That work requires much more preparation and time. It is hard becuse I still make no paintings and feel myself drought. But it`s required by the matter of new project work.
To compare Water-Earth state with Fire state just have a glance to my last year drawing.
One year ago it was a Fire time. I worked on Cyberwar, Section I Project which represents social processes and crimes in Internet. I was angry and sad all the time. It was the Fire energy. I was full with information and totally involved. It was feeling like a tornado of information and images cought me and made me whirled.
Even my photos seems un focused as if it moved.
It was the time I did 21 big painting in one month.
How? I saw it simultaneously. It wasn`t one by one, it was 10 then 10 plus, and more and more, all in my head. I made my blog posts about step-by-step process so you can see it here annamain.org/site/C17/
I did yoga accurately in order to controle myself well. And I won. The Section I was completed.
This is the Fire Element. Fire Creative Style.
Although all painting in Cyberwar Section Inow are shadowed because of several reasons, all of it was created just in 5 weeks.
Analyzing the Fire process it needs to mention, Fire state is the visible part of previous Water state.
Now I am on the beginning of new things, even more then in my past, so I need to support Water state and restrict mysrlf from premature actions. I am waiting being busy with all the details.
If you want to act in Fire style but have to wait, of perform in water style, you should take care and keep some balancing training.
For today I utilize my Fire energy in Nordic walking en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordic_walking with additional 3 kilos weights on my ankles. It works for good, although I adjusted for 3 kilo and so need to increase additional weights to 4 kilo minimum.
Also I decided to be back to my satin stitch embroidery practice. It requires very small accurate movements so helps me to control body and mind after Nordic walking.
Satin stitch is a nice activity with beautiful results. It`s very close to pencil drawing and develops persistance, accurancy and attention, because every stitch is different and needs to place it right.
I use lotus flowers and water view stitching over my blouse I painted long ago. The picture itself helps me to meditate and make steps from my Fire feeling good.
So this is the tool to check your life, how it`s going on. The Four Elements is one of the best tool to control project work and own mind state, so you can use it for your purpses with my example.
Now I feel Fire and need to make my Nordic walk before i`ll be back and make new MindMap. Thank you for being with me!
Hope the example will be helpful.