Creativity 24/7

Greetings!

Creativity has been working 24/7 since long before 24/7 became the popular catch phrase it is today. Come walk with me through a typical "day off" for my fictional friend, Angie, to see what I mean.

Angie rolls over to grab her dream journal from the night table. She smiles at the scribbles on the page, remembering the great plot twist for her novel that came to her at 2:00 am. No time to revel in that now, though, or she will forget the potential title idea that came to her just as she was waking up.

In the shower, she is "showered" with three more title ideas that grew out of the first.

After breakfast, Angie starts sorting laundry, a job she finds boring. As her mind wanders, she thinks of her main character. What chores are the bane of her character's existence? Better yet, what chore is her character absolutely obsessive about? How does that quirk help to move the character development and plot along? Angie laughs as she jots down these bits of comic relief for the book.

After lunch, Angie takes her dog, Rusty, for a walk in the park. It's a beautiful day, and Angie feels a spring in her step. Soon she notices a song running repeatedly through her head to the beat of her own footsteps. One phrase jumps out at her, something about getting a second wind. "Second Wind"! Yes! Another great title idea! She stops to jot it down, and out tumble three ways that the idea could strengthen the book itself, whether she uses it as a title or not.

On the way home, Angie hears a snatch of conversation that sets off some great dialog ideas in her head.

As Angie tosses sticks for Rusty in the yard after dinner, key details for her novel's setting bubble up to the surface of her mind. Tomorrow is going to be a great writing day.

The pieces to our creative puzzles are hidden in plain sight. We just need to be open to seeing them!

To your success,
Susan

P.S. Email me at scleaver@dejazzd.com for a complimentary exploratory coaching tele-session!

Take Your Creative Cues from Nature

Hi All,

Here are some questions to ask yourself about your life and work to see what you can learn from that most prolific artist, Mother Nature!

Go with the Flow
What do you do when you come to an obstacle? Do you flow around it or slam into it? What can you do to become more spontaneous and flexible?

Have the Law of Attraction Working for You
Are you sending out the kind of vibrations that you want to receive back? See www.thesecret.tv.

Apply the Law of Gravity
What is the reference point that you want your work and life to revolve around?

Use the Law of Inertia
What can you do to build momentum for your projects?

Build a Firm Foundation
What is your "root system" comprised of? Is it strong and steady?

Notice Your Rhythms
Do you recognize the seasons and cycles of your life and work? How is your timing? Do you take adequate time to rest?

See the Value of Incremental Change
Are you patient and persistent? Do you have faith in what is yet unseen? Do you see that incremental change creates less risk and less fear (and therefore less resistance)? Do you recognize that course corrections are easier during incremental change?

See, Use, and Manage Resources
Do you allow "gentle breezes" to bring in new ideas and perspectives? What are the equivalents of sunshine and water that your projects need? How do you manage your time, energy, and money? Do you recognize the resources that are right under your nose? Do you have the enthusiasm and belief in yourself that are needed for your projects?

Play
Do you display the unselfconsciousness and playfulness of animals and small children? Do you acknowledge its value?

Create Ecosystems
Do you have balance in your life? Are there interdevelopmental relationships among your body, mind, and spirit? Do you have adequate interdevelopmental relationships with other people? If you need and accountability buddy for mutual support on projects, email me at scleaver@dejazzd.com.

Bloom Where You're Planted
Do you acknowledge and build on your strengths?

Recycle
What ideas, materials, and experiences can you recycle?

Coaching can help in all of these areas! For a complimentary exploratory tele-session, email me at scleaver@dejazzd.com.

To your success,

Susan

Let Your Creative Spirit Shine!

"Did you know that the best part of learning to see the spirit in all things is that it makes your world come alive and makes your heart and imagination kick into full-time creativity?" --Sonia Choquette

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Last weekend I had the privilege of attending one of Sonia Choquette's workshops. Wow! What a powerful woman! Dr. Choquette (www.soniachoquette.com) is a well-known intuitive, teacher, and author.

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Most of us in the audience were balancing notebooks on our laps with pens poised to take notes. But Sonia had a better idea. She asked us to put our notebooks away and give our intellects the day off. This workshop, she said, would be about reconnecting with our spirit! This reminded me of one of my favorite quotes (author unknown): "No matter what our attempts to inform, it is our ability to inspire that will turn the tides." So true!

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Sonia certainly fits the definition of a lightworker, as defined by fellow metaphysician Dr. Doreen Virture (www.angeltherapy.com): "A living human who feels called to help Earth and her inhabitants in a way that uses spiritual energy. For instance, a lightworker might feel called upon to engage in healing, teaching, or artistic work to help make the planet a better place." My guess is that many of you reading this are in that category, too!

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In the workshop, we used laughter, music, singing, dancing, and partner exercises that invited our spirits to shine. It was great fun and very inspiring to me in all areas of my life, and it was a quantum leap for my personal development!

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In my Reiki training, I learned that the earth's energy is shifting, causing discomfort for many of us as we adjust. Not only does reconnecting with our spirit make us more creative, but it also helps us to raise our own vibratory frequency so we can better function on our changing planet. And here's a bonus: Doing this for yourself helps others to do the same!

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If you would like some coaching around this topic, email me at scleaver@dejazzd.com for a complimentary trial coaching tele-session.

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Plato said, "If the head and body are to be well, you must begin by curing the soul." Sonia and many other metaphysicians believe that our physical and emotional illnesses are often (if not always) a result of cutting ourselves off from our spirit, and therefore from our creativity.

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Doreen Virtue intuited the following quote from Diana of Ephesus, a Roman moon goddess: "The moon isn't afraid to shine, nor does it fear attention, ridicule, or rejection. These lower fears sink Earthlings into despair and depression because the soul knows that it's capable of so much more! The soul doesn't like to be harnessed or restrained--oh, no! Unleash yourself completely..." So let you spirit out to play!

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Shine on,

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Susan

Fast-Forward to Motivation, Passion, and Flow

Feeling Stuck? Do you know what the next step is, but you just can't seem to get there from here? We can miss a lot of great opportunities by getting bogged down in what we think "should" come next.

When possible, fast-forward to the part that ignites your passion, then go back and do that other step. You will be amazed at how much easier it will seem, if indeed it needs to be done at all!

When you feel resistance to your work, it's often a sign that you're not going with the flow. Remember Dr. Charles Emerson Winchester III from the TV series, M*A*S*H? His mantra was, "I do one thing, I do it well, and then I move on." That may have worked well for him back in Boston, but in war-torn Korea his rigidity was out of place. Despite the pleading of his co-workers, he simply refused to go with the flow, causing problems for himself and others.

Fast-Forwarding: Why You'll Love It...

Fast-forwarding to another step can help by:

• allowing incubation time for one part of your project while you move ahead to another.
• helping you flow around temporary obstacles such as fear, a creative block, procrastination, or having to wait for another person to respond in some way.
• engaging the Law of Attraction on your behalf. (See http://www.thesecret.tv/.)
• helping you get a fresh perspective on something. This may motivate you and stir the passion you need for the more difficult parts of the project. On the other hand, it may help you see that this is not a project you're passionate about, which will free you up to move on to something that really makes your heart sing.

Take Einstein for Example...

Remember, Einstein intuited the Law of Relativity, and then went back and did the math! We are in good company when we use fast-forwarding!

Suppose you are job-hunting and have been taught that updating your resume is the first step. Sounds easy enough, so why can't you seem to make yourself do it? It's because the passion isn't there. You might try fast-forwarding past that step and do some informal networking instead. If you hear of a job that stirs your passion, you will breeze through that update in no time. Also, you'll have a better idea of what experience will be most relevant to include.

Maybe you need to do some writing that requires an outline, and you've been taught that the outline must come first. But your creativity cowers in the corner at the sight of those Roman numerals! Fast-forward over that step. Write the piece and create your outline from that. It's OK, really!

When coach Winston Connor was a beginning trainee at my alma mater, Coach U, he wanted to get involved in the coaching community as quickly as possible. He ended up starting an alumni group long before he was an alumnus himself. His willingness to reach out without saying, "But first I have to graduate..." paid great dividends for him in this situation and others during his coaching career.

Suppose you want to be a potter. Maybe you're thinking, "But first I have to learn to make my pieces perfectly symmetrical." Maybe not! I attended a craft show where a clever potter was selling very wobbly-looking mugs called "Bad-Day Mugs"!

Maybe you want to write a book, but you hate to do traditional research. You could replace that step with interviews, questionnaires, and/or teaching classes about the subject.

OK, now your book is done, but you're concerned that the information will be outdated by the time it makes it way around the New York publishers' circuit. You could skip that step and self-publish, especially if you have access to your niche market. And you will if you continue to teach the class!

You Get the Idea...

Give fast-forwarding a try the next time you feel stuck, and let us know what happens by stopping by to leave a comment.

Need a lift for your fast-forward leap? Email me at scleaver@dejazzd.com to set up a complimentary trial coaching tele-session.

May the flow be with you,

Susan

Embrace Your Unique Way of Seeing the World

"Rely on yourself,

and be true to who you are.

What's unique about you

is what will take you far."

--from the children's book, Unstoppable Me!, by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, with Kristina Tracy

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I agree. Please stop trying to fit in! We need your unique perspective and thought processes. Yes, even if your perspective has been pathologized as ADD, dyslexia or some other label.

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Our educational system and work culture are designed to fit the majority. Just because these institutions have not fully learned how to bring out our best doesn't mean there's something wrong with us! So if the mainstream "operating system" doesn't help you to be your best, create your own.

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This requires the courage and self-confidence to dance to your own drummer. Divergent perception and thinking styles often show up in the most creative among us. Therefore, we don't want to root them out and eliminate them. Rather, we need to learn to mitigate the downsides and leverage the upsides of these styles.

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This process may sometimes include the help of an M.D., therapist, family member, employer, friend, and/or coach. To set up a free trial coaching tele-session, contact me at scleaver@dejazzd.com.

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Here I'll be specifically discussing the traits associated with high sensitivity and ADD as examples, because they're the ones I've had personal experience with and have studied the most about. For an expert's view, check out the resources I'm including for each.

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High Sensitivity: Brilliance or Burn-Out?

See the work of expert Elaine Aron, author of The Highly Sensitive Person. She explains the trait (which is present in 15 to 20% of humans and animals) and offers great tips for living well with it.

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Fortunately, this trait has not been officially pathologized, although those of us who grew up with it may have been labeled by peers as "worry warts," "scaredy-cats," "namby-pambies," "cream puffs," or "shy loners."

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Highly sensitive people (HSP's) feel things very deeply, take in more details, and tend to be highly intuitive. The upside is that these characteristics put us easily in touch with our creativity.

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To others, however, we look like we are processing more slowly than they are, but actually we are processing more deeply. This also makes us look even more hesitant and easily alarmed than we really are. You might say that non-HSP's are skiing along the surface of the water while HSP's are scuba diving.

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The deep processing of HSP's leaves us vulnerable to sensory overload. It's essential for HSP's to set ample boundaries, to take extremely good care of ourselves, and to speak up for our needs. For me, this includes rarely watching TV or reading newspapers. I have to be careful about the amount of stimulation coming through, or I end up with burn-out.

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ADD It Up: Pathology or Purpose?

For excellent coverage of ADD, see the work of Edward Hallowell, co-author of Driven to Distraction.

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For better or worse, ADD has been officially pathologized, but not all experts agree on this.

Maybe folks with ADD seem to be "all over the place" because that's where the creative ideas are! There's a time and place for linear thinking, but when you're trying to be creative, it's more likely to just get in the way.

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I like to think of the ADD mind as a kaleidoscope, reaching out in all directions to form new patterns. The lateral thinking that comes so easily to those with ADD has been written about extensively by Edward De Bono for anyone to apply. However, I have seen resistance to his methods from highly linear thinkers. This doesn't make him or them wrong; it just points again to the natural differences in thinking and perceptual styles that add to the richness of mankind's accomplishments.

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If you have ADD, take a look at what kinds of structure, support, and accountability work best for you and implement those into your daily life. I find the structure of doing these weekly posts helpful for me. And in preparing the material for the posts, it helps me to use large index cards so that I can freely change the order of my points or add to them.

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It's also helpful to team up with an accountability buddy. This works great for me. If you're interested in mutual support by phone as we each tackle our projects, email me at scleaver@dejazzd.com to set up a time.

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High Sensitivity and ADD: Kissing Cousins?

The more I learn about these two perceptual styles, the more overlap I see. As research continues in these areas, I would not be surprised to hear that they are closely linked.

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In any event, I believe that perceptual styles that deviate from the norm and the extra effort it takes to function in our culture with them result in a lot of "late bloomers." However, those of us who learn to compensate without attempting to conform are richly rewarded!

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Happy blooming,

Susan

How to Fail Successfully

Greetings Intrepid Creators!

Here's my holistic approach to making the most of our failed attempts at just about anything:

Practical Steps to Take
First, think through the risks involved before you embark on the project. What reserves will you need in order to bounce back if things don't work out as you planned? Money, energy, time, self-confidence, flexibility? What is your Plan B?

Also consider your timing...by this I mean your personal timing and rhythms as much as any external timing factors. Is this the best time to start from both of these perspectives?

If indeed you do need to resort to Plan B, don't put it off. Let go of Plan A, and trust that if it is meant to come back, it will, in its own way and time.

In the meantime, apply whatever you learned from the experience to Plan B. It's possible that what you thought was Plan B was the plan after all, so don't be too quick to shrug it off as a mere consolation prize. Make the necessary course adjustments and lead with your heart.

Also, review my post on transitions from April 12. A failed attempt, properly managed, results in a transition, not a dead end.

Reframe the Failed Attempt for Yourself Emotionally
Put your own vision ahead of worrying about what others will think of your tumble. Give yourself permission to fail without labeling yourself a "failure." It's just trial and error on a larger, more frightening scale.

Also, remind yourself what good company you are in! We often hear stories of successful people who built their successes on the foundations of what they learned from their failures. Edison is perhaps the most frequently mentioned because of the many, many ways he discovered for making a light bulb that didn't work.

Transform Your Failed Attempts Into Service for Others
Use the experience you gained from your mistakes to help others find a smoother path. You can do this through writing, teaching, speaking, mentoring, and other ways. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "...to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is the meaning of success."

Coaching can help in all three of these areas. Email me at scleaver@dejazzd.com for a complimentary trial tele-coaching session.

To your success,
Susan

P.S. Last call for Saturday's Dig-In project day via teleconferencing technology, from 8:00am to 10:10am Eastern. To register for this complimentary gathering, email me by noon Eastern this Friday at scleaver@dejazzd.com. Dig-In Days are fun and effective!

Creativity Has Gone Egalitarian!

What a great time in history this is to be a creative soul! Not only have science and spirituality aligned to give us a new look into the creative process, but technology has swung the door wide open for us! We have new choices and opportunities for collaboration, support, publishing methods, and getting our work into the hands of our niche markets!

And even if you choose to take a more traditional route, such as having a book published by major publishing house, you are still in a better position to help promote yourself and your work.

I'll risk dating myself by giving you a look into what publishing, for example, was like 20 years ago in my experience so you can see how far we have come. My disclaimer here is that I self-publish now, and I haven't submitted anything to a major publisher in about 10 years. I have no idea what it's like today in that area. This is just a bit of history through the eyes of a writer who spent way too much time in a soul-deadening game where choice was out of bounds.

Sure, you could self-publish, but back then it was called "vanity publishing," and the resulting books were poo-pooed by reviewers, distributors, and bookstores. So without the access to the marketing avenues we have now through the Internet, many self-published authors ended up with most of the requisite large print runs getting moldy in their garages.

I went the traditional route, marketing to publishers directly. (I was a children's writer, so at that time I didn't need an agent.) I didn't fare any better than my self-publishing counterparts, because instead of spending money on books to decorate my garage, I spent it on going to far-flung conferences to get contacts, critiques, and the ever-elusive, latest "how-to" information.

Today, not only is self-publishing respectable, but you can even arrange for print-on-demand, use the money you save for a down-payment on a new car, and even have room in your garage to park it!

Now I enjoy trying new, creative ways to reach the people who will benefit from my work, and my entrepreneurial spirit is blossoming!

At that time, however, only "amateurs" would dare to:

• be creative in their marketing approach
• put the the title "freelance writer" on their cards or letterheads
• use any type of letterhead that wasn't plain white or cream with black lettering!

It all seems silly to me now, but at the time, I was easily intimidated, and I followed these ridiculous, soul-deadening rules. (As you can guess, I would not be good corporate material!)

But let's get back to today, before this post turns into a full-fledged rant. (I guess that ship has sailed!) Now, not only can we post and market our own art, photographs, writing, etc., on blogs and websites, and on the sites of joint venture partners, but we can get really creative about that marketing. We can teach teleclasses, make podcasts, post videos, and much more.

Coach David Wood at http://www.solutionbox.com made a simple but brilliant video of himself lying in bed (looking kind of rumpled) in order to drive home the value of early-morning writing as he had adapted it from The Artist's Way author, Julia Cameron. The video was very clever, original, and instructive, and he probably spent next to nothing to make it and get it out there!

Just the other day, I watched a great movie called "Little Miss Sunshine." In the supplemental material on the DVD, the directors and the writer commented on how search engines have made it so much easier to do the research needed to create authentic environments for the scenes of a movie. They also discussed their creative processes and challenges during the birth of this movie. If you're at all interested in how movies are born by creative collaboration, I think you will find their commentary as engrossing as I did.

In the meantime, enjoy this wonderful new environment for creativity! Even creativity itself is beginning to get the respect it deserves! As the pace of our world speeds up, only the most creative responses to it are going to be effective. Our time has come! So let's keep pushing the envelope, both in what we create and how we bring it to the world!

Shine on,

Susan

P.S. See last week's post for details about April Dig-In Days, or just email me at scleaver@dejazzd.com. You may also request 5 sample pages from my guided journal, The Whispering Heart, and/or a complimentary trial coaching tele-session. Thanks!