How To Find Sparkly Linings | Uncustomary Art

Imagine you’re having one of those days where everything is going wrong. Every experience you have or piece of news you get seems bad, how could it get any worse? Days like that make it hard to be optimistic, but those are also the most important times to find the good in life. Looking for the good in a seemingly bad situation is called finding a silver lining, but because I’m pro-magic, self-expression, and general awesomeness, I have coined a term to imply the same thing, just with a little more glitter: “Sparkly Linings”.

Finding a Sparkly Lining is one of the more difficult things to do, and there are tons of ways to go about it. Sparkly Linings are also a huge part of self love! I thought the best way to teach and talk about this topic was through the voices of others! I’ve called upon eight fabulous women to share their thoughts on this. If you like what they have to say, click on through to their blogs for more fun!

How To Find Sparkly Linings

“I love sparkly linings in everyday life. I look for sparkly linings in my daily life by living in the present, surrounding myself with things I love, and doing my best to document the stories of my everyday adventures. Even when I’m feeling down, or stressed out, or just in a weird funk – I can go back and look at my scrapbooks, my art journals, and my creative stories. They remind me of all the amazing moments, all the weird quirky things that make life filled with a little bit more sparkle.

My advice for other people who are looking for the sparkly lining — document the good stuff. When you’re feeling good, when you’re on an adventure, all the things you love about yourself and who you are — document that. By taking the time to document and analyze the stuff we love about our lives, it becomes easier to see the sparkly lining when things don’t look so good. And when you can’t manifest those sparkly linings in your head, you’ll have lots of creative documentation to remind you of just how much sparkle is in your life.

What are the benefits and why is it so important to finding the sparkly linings? We get better at things with practice. Finding the light when it’s dark can be impossible, unless you have lots of practice knowing what the light looks like, and knowing where it likes to hide. By spending our days looking for the sparkly linings — even when life is great, makes it that much easier to find that same sparkle in the dark. By documenting your sparkle, it becomes a physical object that exists outside of you that you can return to over and over again. Document your life and your adventures so that you have an easy way to remind you of the sparkly linings in your life. ” – rukristin: feminist scrapbooker

 

“I look for sparkly linings in life by always trying to see the bright side of things. I often find myself thinking terrible things – or worrying a lot about some things that probably will never happen so I try to smile a lot and find myself thinking of the beauty of everything around me – Surroundings, people, events, etc. I am always challenging bad thoughts/events keeping me from seeing the sparkly linings. Some good things to keep in mind are that whether something terrible is happening or not, it’s a great idea to smile as often as possible. I find that this truly helps. (Your brain will eventually follow suit if you do it enough!) I also find that writing things down (lists or happiness/gratefulness journaling) really helps, too. I think that the benefits of looking for these sparkly linings in my daily life is that when bad things happen, I am able to work through it easier and faster. Plus, it makes the world so much more beautiful than it already is, don’t you think so?!”- Erika Ostroski

 

“For me, looking for sparkly linings means making a conscious decision to always choose joy. As woowoo as it may sound, I believe that our thoughts shape our reality (stay with me here!) and that by doing our very best to seek out the good even in the crappiest of days, we can positively influence most outcomes in our lives. Another way of looking at it is this: by thinking happy thoughts and striving to look at the world with rose-tinted glasses, we create space to allow brilliant opportunities, wonderful people and generally great things to come into our lives; on the other hand, by letting ourselves get overwhelmed by bad vibes from other people or the media, our own gloomy thoughts or just a really terrible day, we tend to get stuck in a negative spiral that allows very little room for positive things to happen. In short: by choosing joy, we make ourselves more receptive to good things; by letting negativity dictate our thoughts and behaviour, we only make ourselves open to more adversity. No bueno!

Of course, if you’re used to a certain outlook, it can be tricky to change. I never said it was easy! However, it’s definitely possible (and totally worth it) and I’m a good case study for this. Choosing joy and striving to have a more positive mindset on the daily was difficult for me at first: in my old company back in Paris, I was surrounded by negativity and when you’re exposed to it so relentlessly, it’s hard not to let it get you down. My colleagues loved nothing more than a good gossip, and if you ever made the mistake of getting them started on the state of their finances or how much they hated their job, that was it – you were stuck in a bitching match of epic proportions, where the name of the game was to prove that your life sucked more than everyone else’s. God forbid you tried to edge in an “Oh, it’s not so bad…” – you’d get eaten RIGHT up.

After a few months in the office, I noticed that I’d morphed into this strange, unrecognisable, negative version of myself. All I ever seemed to do was complain – a far cry from the chirpy, positive chick I used to be at university! When my partner and parents started commenting on it, I knew I had to change. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, though – negativity is insidious and pervasive, and can be hard to get rid of once it has its teeth in you – so I started as small as I possibly could by whipping out a notebook and developing a habit of gratitude. The simple act of listing three things I was grateful for every day made a HUGE difference in my outlook; it forced me to look for the positives in my life, rather than dwelling on all the negatives. After a while, I realised that the things I’d got into the habit of complaining about (because negativity is totally a habit) weren’t that big a deal after all and my life was pretty damn sweet.

So, my advice to anyone wanting to start finding sparkly linings in their lives is this: choose a small, easily actionable habit that will help you developing a positive mindset. Gratitude journals are a good place to start, but inspiring mantras and affirmations are great too, as is simply noticing when you’re having a negative thought, releasing it and replacing it with a positive thought instead. Wearing rose-tinted glasses is ABSOLUTELY the best way to start noticing the sparkly linings in your life. You’ve got this, baby!” – Jessica Says

Looking for the sparkly lining isn’t always easy for me, but it’s something that I’ve learned to incorporate in my daily life. I really think life is about appreciating and noticing the little things. I’m quick to be mad, but when I cool off I realize it wasn’t worst it 9 out of 10 times. When I stop and look at the great things around me, it makes my life much happier. Stop and smell the roses and view life though those rose colored glasses. “- Helene In Between

 

“Whenever I look at my dog “Happy”, he gives me so much hope and happiness. He was a weak and bone skinny stray dog ended up at a high kill shelter. Now he’s so healthy and happy and loves running and always smiling.

We love going for a walk in the beautiful nature by the trees and flowers on the green grass and under the blue sky! My dog and Nature has been giving me so much love and healing for me in my darkest time. Listen to your heart and feel your soul’s true desire and there you will find a sparkly lining! <3

Life is fun to live again! Makes me wanna wake up and do things! And most importantly, I started loving myself again and I’m happy! I hope you find your sparkly lining today and be happy!” – Hazel Lee

 

“By nature, I’m a pretty positive person and I’ve always been drawn to things that sparkle or shine or shimmer. I know loads of people who loathe glitter (comedian Demetri Martin has even called it “the herpes of craft supplies”) but I can’t fathom why someone would not love to be surrounded by – or, even better, covered in! – tiny slivers of whimsy. Things that sparkle – from gel pens to Lisa Frank stickers to hair bows – are often seen as childish and girly, and they may be so; but what about seashells and the stars and a person’s sweaty, glistening body after they’ve put their heart and soul into a marathon? Are those things also girly and childish? Or are they real and intense and completely enchanting in their own ways? You don’t have to dump glitter on your head (although it’s insanely entertaining and I highly recommend it) or take notes with a glitter pen, but perhaps you will find a little more happiness in your world when you embrace the magic of a little sparkle.”- Jaclyn L.

 

“It’s so easy to get lost in the daily hustle and struggles. I often find myself stepping back, breathing, and exploring the abundance that is within my life. I know it sounds so cliche but realizing your blessings is the best way to move forward and get ahead. It’s something that has been proven over and over again. When the times are rough, it’s best to dance, problem solve, and use your lessons to improve. The more you reflect on what you have the more sparkly linings you will receive.” – Sprinkles And Booze

 

“It can be hard to find the sparkly linings in your life when things go awry and you have a bad day or week, but I find the sparkly linings by taking a deep breath. It’s amazing how things can change perspective by simply taking a moment, closing your eyes, and taking a long, deep breath. My advice for finding the sparkly lining (if the deep breath doesn’t work) is to pretend you are your own friend. What would you say to your best friend if he/she was going through what you are? The benefits of finding sparkly linings are that they remind you that there aren’t always bad days and bad moments; things can look bright and happy if you take a moment to find it. “- Sincerely Sara

I have a lot of faith in all these women, and I think it’s really beautiful that they all created recurring themes independent of each other. It seems like documenting your gratitude is something that can help in all aspects of life, especially finding sparkly linings and staying optimistic. If you’re interested in starting your own gratitude journal, you might check out this post.

What do you think? Do you have any advice on finding sparkly linings that you’d like to share? We’d love to hear it! Share in the comments.

(Photo Credit for Jessica Says: Gold And Glitter Photography)

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