|
|
| www.1001TopWords.com |
|
|
Creative Drought
For the past several hours, I've struggled with this week's message, the words, "what will I write?" screaming in my ears. I've felt like the princess who promises her first born child to the little man named "Rumplestiltskin" if only he will spin straw into gold. Unfortunately, I'm not a princess and Rumplestiltskin is no where to be found. Finally, it dawned on me that the most helpful thing I might share this week is how vital it is to embrace the empty spaces that crop up in life rather than running from them. Creativity is a process that ebbs and flows. And if my past experience is any indicator, often times a period of stillness or seeming emptiness precedes a period of awesome creativity (I hope!). So if you find yourself in a waiting period, a period of low or no creativity, a period when the ideas aren't coming, the creative juices seem to have dried up, I invite you to join me in celebrating the wait rather than cursing it. Do what you can in the interim, whether that's clean up files, return calls, balance your checkbook, walk the dogs or any of a thousand other necessary daily activities. Don't do them as a way of escaping the creative drought; rather do them mindfully, knowing that dry spells happen and in the meantime, life goes on. It's also a time to ask what part of yourself may have become disconnected in the busyness of your life. Are you neglecting some aspect of your self care? Perhaps you were journaling and have stopped. Maybe you're involved in activities and organizations that no longer reflect your values, or you need to reconnect with friends or renew some spiritual practice. What part of your life have you disowned or misdirected? Take a look to see what you find. I hope these thoughts are helpful to you. Thanks for allowing me to share a part of my creative journey that doesn't often get airtime. And remember these oft-quoted words, "this too shall pass." Until next time, *********************** "It's terribly amusing how many different climates of feeling one can go through in a day." ~~Anne Morrow Lindbergh Betty Mahalik has been coaching small business owners, independent professionals and leaders who want to achieve more but stress less, since 1996. Her background includes several years in the broadcasting and public relations fields prior to starting her own firm in 1987. She is an accomplished public speaker and corporate trainer specializing in communications, goal-setting and leveraging your strengths. Since 2001, she has written a weekly motivational message, free to subscribers, titled Monday Morning Coach. To subscribe or learn more about Betty's coaching and training services, visit http://www.dynamic-coaching.com
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Taking it Step by Step: Combining Intuition, Spiritual Purpose, and Creativity Something I have always found helpful is taking affirmative action where the universe and my path in life are concerned. Many years ago when I first read Louise Hay's You Can Heal Your Life, one thing she said stuck in my mind; always put your order in to the Universe. How do you receive what you want if you never place your order? It's like going to a restaurant. I found this concept very powerful at the time and continue to use it today. One way I do that is by affirming to the Universe that I am taking steps to achieve my goals. I do this through the hands-on creative process of creating stepping stones. Not only have I been making these stones for several years, but I teach this process to others as well. It is a powerful spiritual exercise. How to be More Creative and Enhance Your Creativity efore thinking about how to be more creative, let me begin point out some real barriers that some people seem to have when wanting to enhance creativity, have a think if any of these things are applicable to you and your life; Creativity and Broken Eggs In 1420, the dignitaries of Florence held a competition. Creating Reality ? Discovering the Magician Within We all create our own reality each and every day, whether we are aware of the power that we possess or not. We all have a built-in mechanism that runs twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, three-hundred-sixty-five days a year, non-stop. Think Orange! Creativity and the Sacral Chakra Wouldn't it be wonderful if you could just flick a switch and turn on your creativity? Sadly, at times, tapping into your creativity can feel like trying to squeeze water from a stone. The good news is, there are ways of encouraging creativity and one of these ways is through balancing your sacral chakra. Riches Through Creative Thinking! When solving problems after you have exhausted the normal means of coming up with the solution, think in terms of unorthodox methods. Vary your thinking and try to solve the problems by creating something completely new and irrelevant. Come into the problem through the "back door". Mindfulness and Teaching: Lessons From Dynamic English Back in 1983, I was hired to teach English in rural northern Japan. I had no experience teaching, and didn't speak a work of Japanese. In between Luck & Effort I have one magical thought, lets see it more closely. Just look around & try to find out peoples who are successful, in sense of reality, with no efforts. You will find none. Creativity Management ? Its All About Routine Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation. Problem Solving Techniques For Business And Life Learning a few good problem solving techniques can improve your bottom line and your life. Turning Obstacles Into Blessings "Your capacity to be creatively alive in virtually all life circumstances will depend in large part upon the kind of attitude you choose for yourself." Connect with Your Muse Lately I've been discussing how to thrive as a creative artist by connecting with different things. I thought it might be helpful to begin this article with some distinctions. Self-Care for Creative Artists: 5 Ways to Start Today Self-care is the path to creative expression. By paying closer attention to your self-care, you can have easier access to your creativity, to your muse and to your inner strength and resilience. You'll also have more energy, more tolerance for others and yourself and more confidence in your work. Creativity and Communication Lessons from Crossing the Street Spring is in full bloom, which means it's 'get back in shape time!' For me, that means strapping on the sneakers and going for a run (well, at this stage it's more of a slow loping jog...). Trying to Create From Distorted Perceptions? We've all met people who are "negative" ? negative thinkers who consistently see the glass as half empty. Sharing Our Creative Work with Others In my "Roadblocks to Creativity" e-course, I ask the question: Are You Creative? Have you ever heard the saying, "The harder I work, the luckier I get?" Guess what? That's the way it is with creative inspiration too. Go Ahead and Think Outside the Box! I am trying to create a discipline where I blog daily. This alone requires effort and commitment. But isn't that what our lives ought to be about especially if we are trying to achieve our goals? That's just a teaser. Becoming More Creative -- What We Can Learn From Disney When you think about the legacies Walt Disney left us, do talking mice and a multigizillion dollar company come to mind? Actually, those are only the products of his prodigious and rich creativity - dig deeper and you start to realize one of the most intriguing heritages Disney left was his processes. Connect With Your Creative Dream We get so busy in our day-to-day life, with all the doing and actions and daily chores, that we can quickly lose sight of the BIG PICTURE. What's it all for? What are you working towards?
|
| © Athifea Distribution LLC - 2013 |