Authenticity Invites Creativity, Joy, and Like-Minded Patrons

The Ease of Authenticity

Signs and symptoms of authenticity:

• You attract the right projects and ideas because your authenticity makes you a worthy steward or vessel for them.
• Your need for self-expression is satisfied because you're creating what you love, not just what a fickle market supposedly wants.
• You're using less energy and causing less stress for yourself because you are going with the flow of the Law of Attraction (see http://www.thesecret.tv/).
• You attract the patrons who are aligned with the "real you."
• You definitely enjoy your work and even your marketing and networking more!

...But It Takes Practice

I'm a big fan of the intuitive Belleruth Naparstek (http://www.healthjourneys.com/) About ten years ago, I attended one of her workshops. She had lots of great stories, including this one about authenticity.

Belleruth said that she was at a conference listening to an inspiring speaker encouraging the group to be more authentic by aligning everything they think, feel, say, and do. Belleruth thought this was a great idea and adopted it on the spot. Or so she thought.

The next speaker at the conference did not appeal to her at all, and she was planning her escape when the person next to her said, "Isn't she wonderful?!" Belleruth whispered back, "Yes!"

As she was relating the story to us, she said, "I lasted three minutes!" So don't beat yourself up if your efforts to become more authentic take some time.

Our Many Masks

How do we get off track so easily, as Belleruth did above? Why is it so hard to just be ourselves?

I believe our cultural programing and coping mechanisms have a lot to do with it. Here are some of the masks we commonly see:

• The People-Pleaser
• The Intimidator
• The "Nothing Bothers Me" Mask
• The Brick Wall
• The Tough Guy or Gal
• The Perfectionist

Do whatever you need to do to get rid of these masks. As a coach I may be able to help you drop the ones you have. Email me at scleaver@dejazzd.com to try out an introductory session with my compliments by phone.

If the problem is deeply entrenched and/or was brought on by a trauma, you may need to find a good therapist to help.

Sweat Happens

There are lots of so-called "resources" out there that tell you exactly how to "get ahead" by being inauthentic. "Never let 'em see you sweat!" they say. Well, I have sweated buckets, and if someone else can learn from my mistakes, I would rather share them than hide them!

I saw an article the other day about the so-called "correct posturing" when decorating your office. They suggested putting books on the shelf that will give the impression that you are studying your way to the top. And heaven forbid (heavy sarcasm is mine), don't let it show that you're a well-rounded human being by having too many family photos around! I think these folks need to join...

Chameleons Anonymous

Authentic work is not one-size-fits-all. You risk turning (even ticking) some people off, but it's a risk you must take. (It's not easy for a recovering people-pleaser like me!) But how can anyone resonate with the "real you" they never see it? There will always be those who don't "get" your work. Let it be OK.

People can sense insincerity and insecurity (from working too hard to hide your "true colors") a mile away. Chameleons are cool-looking creatures, but it doesn't serve us to act like them in our creative work, networking, or marketing!

Recommended Sites for Authentic Marketing

• http://www.authenticpromotion.com/
• http://www.joyfulmarketing.com/
• http://www.marketingontheplayground.com/

Here's hoping you'll see the "real you" in all your work!

All my best,

Susan

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!