June — 2009 — Third Thought Third Thought

You Can Have It All

30th of June ~

Recently I was coaching a new manager at a large corporation.  The promotion was a big stretch and she was peddling hard to keep up.  She and her husband were also parenting  two pre-schoolers.  She was alternately overwhelmed and excited.  Toward the end of the session she wistfully added that it had been years since she had picked up her paintbrush.  I understood her nostalgia.  Flash back 15 years and that was me.  I had a full-time job, I was working on my master’s degree and we were adjusting to our newly divorced family.   I careened from one work project to another and one paper to another.  There was barely time to feed my excellent children (they will tell you they fed themselves most of the time).  There was no time for creative expression.

If this sounds familiar I extend the same words of comfort to you as I did to my young coaching client:

You can have it all…..eventually.

My wise friend, Janet, is fond of reassuring me that, “Life is long”.  She doesn’t mean that I can squander my time unconsciously.  She means to reassure me that there will be time for the important things.  And I believe she is right.

Eventually, I did graduate and life settled down and now I have multiple creative pursuits.  That young manager will return to her painting when her job is more familiar, when her children are older.  Or she will find another outlet for her creativity.

I know this because it has been my privilege to find role models who are proofs of the concept.  Diane Lou is one dear friend who is having the unexpected time of her life.  On her blog she writes of her art and delight in learning new things.

So, please stop beating yourself up because you haven’t yet written that novel, started that blog, sewn that purse, finished that woodworking project, picked up your guitar…..

You WILL…or find something even better.

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Ten Commandments for Creating

22nd of June ~

My parents were from the Old Country and devoutly religious.  I was raised as a Roman Catholic and I still take opportunities to walk into a cathedral, listen to organ music and inhale the incense.  Ahhh, I love  the smell of Frankincense on a Feast Day.  If pushed I can probably still recite the Ten Commandments.   They serve as an important and enduring moral compass for a people.

(photo from mylittlepieceofcyberspace)

I like the idea of a set of Principles to guide behavior but I never liked all the ‘Thou SHALT NOTS’.  So here is my own list of  ‘THOU SHALTS” for my creative process.

I. I shall take my creativity seriously enough to fund it with time and money.

II. I shall seek out kindred spirits who can teach and support me.

III. I shall practice ‘respect for the newborn’ and give myself permission to be less than good as I begin a new activity.

IV.  I shall cultivate habits that support my creativity.

V. I shall recognize that creating is not a linear process and appreciate that I may not always be in control.

VI. I shall enjoy myself as often as possible because happiness contributes to my creativity.

VII. I shall recognize that showing up is my work to do (not letting myself off with excuses that aren’t true).

VIII. I shall speak to myself as kindly as I would to a dear friend who is trying something new and unfamiliar.

IX. I shall allow myself to be inspired by other creative people knowing that there is an audience for everyone.

X. I shall stand in awe.  Creativity is everyday.  Creativity is divine.

Now, think about your own values around the Creative Process.  What might be your Ten Commandments for Creating?

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I Don't Wanna, You Can't Make Me

18th of June ~

Dancing was an early love for me.  I studied ballet, then tap and jazz, even baton twirling.  For many years I made my living performing, teaching dance and choreographing.   Then I ‘went corporate’ and mostly stopped dancing.  Happily, in the last few years I have started moving again and especially love NIA classes.   The movement is so free and expansive.

Imagine my disappointment then when I arrived at class this morning and a tiny woman walked in and announced she was our sub and we would not be doing NIA.  Instead she would offer us a kind of ‘ballet barre’.  Yuck.  Ballet is tight, disciplined, serious.  I almost left immediately as did two  other women.  But, dag nabbitt, I needed to work out and I reeeeelly hate the elliptical machine.

Sure enough, we did plies, tendues and other tight, controlled things.  Every few minutes I thought about leaving.  I haven’t done ballet in 20 years and I haven’t missed it.  Hold yourself erect.  Extend your arms.  There is definitely a right way and a wrong way to do ballet.

Still, I stayed with it and my muscle memory responded.  I used to love ballet.  Performing those classic movements was nostalgic.  Persisting with the class reminded me of the value of pushing through to greater skill.  I was also reminded that sometimes we’re served exactly what is needed in the moment.  I’ve been feeling a little untethered and the structure of the ballet steps had a grounding effect.

The discipline and structure is exactly what I need right now.  To read more about the mind-body connection and how to use it for breakthrough performance, read this.

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Stocking the Pond

17th of June ~

I grew up at the foot of the Rocky Mountains and trout fishing was a popular activity (not popular with me, mind you, although I do enjoy eating trout).  There’s nothing yummier than fresh-caught trout fried over an open fire.  Many in my family enjoy fishing and once we made it a part of a family reunion.  My aunt’s ranch, south of Jackson, Wyoming, includes a little pond and stunning views of the Tetons.  The pond didn’t have many fish so my aunt and uncle thoughtfully stocked the pond so that we could all enjoy fresh fried trout for dinner.

This week I was traveling for a little business and a lot of pleasure and it got me thinking about Stocking the Pond.

Deep Reflection

One morning of my trip I sat in the lobby of the Waldorf Astoria hotel and spent two full hours making notes about my business:…ideas…next steps…lots of lists.  The last time I meandered the hallways of my imagination like that was waaaay too long ago.  That deep reflection was quite foreign.  Usually, I’m just reacting.  Sitting there in my comfy chair I was very patient and my Brain responded with some intriguing ideas that I hadn’t reached in my normal routine.

Stimulating the Imagination

The first night in the city I saw a cabaret show at the Algonquin Hotel and the next day I saw Blithe Spirit with Angela Lansbury.  I visited the garment district–including Mood where Project Runway shops (!)–and I bought back issues of graphic design magazines at a shop across from Bryant Park.  A poor understanding of the city’s address system took me the extra-long way to my intended address and I saw neighborhoods I’d never visited before.  Aside from the design magazines none of these had any direct correlation to my work.  Yet my Brain was firing with ideas triggered by the novelty I was encountering.  “Ooh, I haven’t seen that before” said my head as I wakened her from the typical home patterns.

Overfishing Lowers Creativity

In a time of global overfishing I believe that we are also overfishing our own ponds.  When was the last time you gave yourself the gift of empty space?   If it’s been a long time I suggest you make a date with your Brain.  Make it a surprise and don’t tell your Brain what you’ve got planned….otherwise she may try to break the date so that you can do something you should do.   Take yourself someplace new.  I recommend hotel lobbies, neighborhood libraries or, best of all, a coffee shop in another town.  Bring a blank pad of paper and do some Deep Reflection.  Take an hour.  Take two!  Then go for a walk on a street you don’t know.  Notice what you notice.  Notice what your Brain likes.

The next day you may find that dis-engaging from your routine, even for a few hours, has the net effect of greater productivity.

Oh wait.  I think that’s what they used to call a ‘day off’.

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Creativity for Life

17th of June ~

Media Report on Creativity for Life. Practical Advice on the Artist’s Personality and Career from America’s Foremost Creativity Coach, by Eric Maisel, PhD.

Introduction

Maisel, a recognized authority in the field of creativity, is the author of more than twenty creativity books. This book is a holistic look at ‘lifelong creativity’. It is organized in four parts:
I. The Challenges of the Artistic Personality
II. The Challenges of the Work
III. The Challenges of Relationship
IV. Strategies and Tactics

Strengths

Maisel’s definition of creativity is one of the most useful I’ve seen: ‘People are artistically creative when they love what they are doing, know what they are doing, and actively engage in art-making.  The three elements of creativity are thus loving, knowing, and doing; or heart, mind, and hands…’. Part Four is filled with thought-provoking lists for how to commit to your creativity practice. He uses many stories to illustrate his ideas and principles.

What Bugged Me

Mr. Maisel has a PhD but he plays it fast and loose with the research (there is none). Statements like, “But all creative people appear to be on the introverted side and as a rule prefer solitude to social interaction’ are made without any evidence. He goes on to link the introversion with poor social skills and the inability to form community: “we are struck by the fact that each artist will bring to the group his or her inability to relate.’ HUH?! I’m sure these things are true about some artists but Maisel seems to be stuck in the old paradigm of ‘creative people are tortured and weird’ and frequently cites Van Gogh as an example.

Bottom Line

This book is a deep dive on the creative process for artists. The earlier chapters focus on issues of Blockage and Resistance in useful ways. Maisel offers many options for understanding yourself if you feel bogged down in your creative work. The latter chapter on Transitions and Choices provides a thoughtful nine-step process to honor our creative selves and move toward a more creative life. He also includes an Artist’s Ten Commandments which may inspire you to write your set of Commandments.

The fundamental model is so simple and provides a great framework for understanding the nature of creativity. Do you love your creative work? Do you know how to do it? Are you actually creating?

Well, are you?

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