Archive for Inspiration
Sarah Kay–Joyful Creativity
Posted by: | CommentsLast weekend one of my sisters showed me this video of the Performance Poet Sarah Kay‘s Ted Talk.
I wanted you to see it because she’s so joyful and so committed to her art form and her process, that it’s very inspiring.
Click on the video below to watch–or, if you don’t see anything, click here to see it on YouTube–it’s worth it. Enjoy!
When You Want What You Want
But Can’t Have It
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Typically, I don’t start writing my blog posts or newsletters until I’ve got a clear idea of what I want to say. I ruminate for a few days before I write, and then, when I finally hit on my “hook,” I get started–and not before then.
Perhaps that sounds simple or obvious, but it’s the way I write my newsletters–therefore, it’s my newsletter writing process.
I’ve only started to notice my newsletter writing process because lately, I haven’t been able to use it, and that’s made it challenging for me to write anything at all.
In fact, in the last month or so, I’ve actually missed a week or two, which is highly unusual for me. (Okay, I was sick too, but still.)
And because I can’t change the nature of my schedule (at least for now), I’d like to find a way to adapt my writing process to my situation.
And this got me thinking about you.
If you’re trying to make room for your creative dreams and are having a hard time of it, maybe it’s because it doesn’t feel like you can “do your thing” the way you normally do it, or the way you used to do it, or the way you’d prefer doing it.
Maybe you like to work undisturbed for hours, but you can’t carve out a big block of time in your current busy schedule. And if you can’t do it that way, you think, “Why even start?”
Or maybe you feel like you need lots of privacy to create, but your home and your family aren’t designed that way and you feel too exposed to dig in.
This is challenging. And the funny thing is, this kind of block/thought can live underneath your own radar–it can be holding you back without your consciously realizing it.
Which can make it hard to fix.
However, once you are aware of it, then things can shift.
(Less Than) Ideal Conditions
The thing is, it’s a two step process:
- you have to realize what you’re thinking/believing AND
- you have to be willing to let it go.
This second part can be hard. Because maybe you’re pissed about not being able to follow your natural process. You WANT 4 or 5 hours in one solid block dammit.
Or you WANT to be able to work on something for longer than 5 minutes without 10 people hunting you down because they’re hungry or because they can’t find something they need right this second as they look down at your work and carelessly say, “What’s that?”
You want that. Is that so wrong?
No, it’s not.
And yet, it’s also getting in the way because the stars are not aligning to make your that happen.
So if this is you–if you realize that you aren’t creating because conditions are not ideal, then you’re probably going to have to let that attachment go in order to start creating. To be the artist you are.
Sigh.
But you can take your time about it. Feel free to be huffy, grumpy and out of sorts for a while.
And while you’re huffy, just consider letting it go. And when the huff dies down a little, maybe express it in words–privately in your diary, or out loud over coffee with your best friend, or to the guilty parties directly–”can you guys PLEASE give me some time to myself?”
And as you let yourself both be upset and consider the possibility of other options, your resistance will start to shift. A solution may pop up out of nowhere–maybe it suddenly feels okay to ask your loving family not to look at what you’re working on because it makes you self-conscious, or you feel more willing to try using the 20 Minute Technique and set yourself a lower bar for what you might accomplish in one sitting.
Now that I’ve figured out what’s impeding my writing, I’m asking myself, “How can I adapt so I can get back on track?”
What other way can I write my newsletters when I seem to have no space in my brain for another new thought?
How can I transition between disparate tasks in ways that work for me?
Or could I adapt in another way, and change my writing schedule instead?
What do I want for myself and how can I make it happen?
And so I ask you too:
What do you want for yourself and how can you make that happen?
Big Hugs! -Sarah
When Your Work Doesn’t Match Your Vision
Posted by: | CommentsI love the radio show “This American Life” and its host Ira Glass. (If you don’t listen to that show, you’re really missing out.)
So when I found out that Ira Glass has made 4 videos on the creative process, I had to watch them.
(Well, ostensibly, he’s talking about story-telling and the art of making stories for the radio because that’s what he does, but really, he’s talking about the creative process. So if you don’t make stories, every time he says the word “stories” just replace it with the word “visual art” in your mind and it all still works.)
I loved all four, but I’m thinking that you probably won’t watch all four. But you should watch at least one.
So I’ve picked #3 and I’m sticking it here because he talks about something that no one really mentions when they discuss the creative process–what to do when what you make doesn’t measure up to your own taste level–what you personally consider really good.
He talks about why that’s completely normal, and the simple thing you must do to get beyond it. I love that he’s done this.
(And I’m not going to tell you what that simple thing is, because I want you to watch it.
)
So even though he’s talking about stories and story-telling, it’s relevant for ALL creators of anything.
Here it is, I hope you watch it:
Your thoughts?
If you liked that post, then try these...
Truth & Beauty
Posted by: | CommentsMaking it Real
Happy New Year!
Last week, I talked about choosing a theme for your creativity in 2011 and I LOVED-LOVED-LOVED all the theme ideas that everyone shared in the comments. So smart, thoughtful, and inspiring.
If you haven’t seen them and are still looking for the perfect theme for yourself, I invite you to please take a look. You might find the perfect idea from someone else’s comment.
My theme for this year is Persistence and I think my tagline is going to be Collaborate (I’m still “honing”).
Now I want to help make it real by creating a vision board or a mind map based on my theme. Will you join me?
This can involve cutting out lots of different images from magazines that relate to your theme, but if that feels too complicated or you can’t find the right images, feel free to just get yourself lots of magic markers and let yourself doodle your way to a fun and inspiring vision board.

Here’s a mind-mapp-y visiony thing I made last year when I my theme was Break Through and my tagline was Have Faith.
I used a giant piece of paper and it took up a huge chunk of wall which I totally recommend if you have the space because it really helps make your theme a priority in your life.
The process of creating a visual expression of your theme helps you develop your ideas about what it means for you and transforms an abstraction into something more concrete. Simple imagery and symbols are a POWERFUL way to help your subconscious really internalize your theme’s message.
For instance, persistence could be expressed by an image of a river.
If I use that as my hook, I could keep exploring that angle by using blue and green markers to doodle up some rushing water swirls and shapes while also expanding on the river idea with more water images that feel persistent–maybe a gorgeous and powerful waterfall, or a picture of a mossy rock softened by a slow imperceptible drip. My tagline, Collaborate, could be expressed by images of symbiotic relationships in nature or even straightforward photos of hands or people working together.
I know all this might sound corny, but it works because our brains respond strongly to symbolism–and the more personal, the better. Remember, it doesn’t have to make sense to anyone except you!
Another Cool Way to Start Your Year Right
The lovely and smart Jennifer Hofmann from Inspired Home Office, (a very cool organizing business for us right-brain-y types) has a super cool program for starting your January off in a very supportive, un-January type way, and I wanted to tell you all about it because I’m thrilled to be involved.
She’s created a month long series of classes and programs called “A Call to Nourish“. And as part of that awesome call for sanity and self-care, I’ll be teaching a Creative Breakthroughs Collage Tele-class, and I’m so excited.
It’s truly an inspiring month of great programs run by very cool roster of powerful and creative women.
This program also includes the chance to participate in 4 of Jennifer’s Office Spa Days which are a fantastic way to get your studio or craft room organized in a sustainable fashion that makes sense to you…I’m planning on attending at least one myself–and as I look around at the chaos I call my studio, maybe make that two…
She’s offering it all at an insanely good price, so please check it out here, and if it feels right, sign yourself up for some sanity and self-care.
Your Turn
How’s your new year starting off?
Do you think you might create a vision board using your theme as your guide? Are you still trying to catch your breath from the holidays? Are you ready to organize your studio or make a date with your creativity by taking a Creative Breakthroughs Collage Class?
Please leave a comment, I’d love to hear from you!
Is Inspiration Like a Butterfly?
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I was at a networking event chatting with someone who studied creativity–the academic, scientificky stuff, the parts of the brain, the naming of the parts.
Does your Creative Breakthroughs Collage tele-class use the “blah blah blah” thing with the brain?
No idea.
But he also didn’t make things. And then when I said to him, “you know, you don’t need to be inspired to be creative,” he looked so disappointed.
I said, “I’ve made things for a living on a deadline for a long time which means that I had to regularly create things whether I was inspired or not. The difference between my inspired work and my un-inspired work is pretty much nil.”
Since this is a favorite topic of mine, (poor guy!) I continued:
“But that’s not a bad thing, it’s a great thing” I said, “because I know my creative abilities are available to me all the time.”
He still looked a little disappointed.
Ah, Romance
Our romantic ideas about inspiration are powerful and sexy and well, romantic.
We love inspiration because it feels good–it feels real and special and different from everyday life, and we ALL love that.
But inspiration is also like a butterfly or a hummingbird–who knows when she’s going visit, let alone land long enough to get a good look at her and breathe in her delicate beauty.
So if you wait to be inspired before you start creating, well, you could wait a long time.
But in the same way a gardener can plant a a butterfly bush to draw butterflies into her world, you can plant the seeds that will invite inspiration into your life more regularly.
Well really, it’s just one seed.
And that seed is? Yep, you guessed it.
Create.
Don’t wait to be inspired to create. Start creating and you’ll get inspired.
That’s how it works. I promise this is true.
It doesn’t matter how simple you keep it. 20 Minutes here, 20 Minutes there is fantastic.
Go be by yourself, or sit in front of the TV with the whole fam, it really doesn’t matter.
Oh, and another helpful thing! Either
- do something really important to you
- or try something where you feel less emotionally invested in the outcome
Just do whichever one lets you feel safe enough or motivated enough to get started–it’s usually one or the other.
Be Kind
It does help if you can be gentle and generous with yourself and your creative attempts because everyone, everyone, everyone makes bad stuff sometimes.
Which also means it’s okay to make bad stuff because everyone does it and, THEREFORE, it’s not damning evidence proving that you suck.
And you know, the mean voices keep inspiration away, not the other way around.
Inspiration can’t get rid of the mean voices.
In fact, when you start pulling the mean-voice-weeds out of your creative garden, inspiration will actually start to flutter in more often because it’s safe and you’ve been tending things and making a welcoming atmosphere.
Doesn’t that sound nice?
Now I also know the mean voices can be hard to get rid of, so next week I’ll talk about a meditation or two you might do to make room for other more positive voices.
In the meantime, remember–don’t wait to get inspired to create. Start creating and you’ll feel inspired.
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What do you think? Have you been waiting to be inspired or do you already create regularly and find what I’m saying here to be true yourself? Wherever you are in the creative process, please share your thoughts, I’d love to hear from you!
