Last week, I wrote about conquering the bugs of distraction. But here’s one of the wondrous paradoxes and mysteries of the creative mind: The creative mind flourishes with focus, and it flourishes with wandering. I’ve been tracking and testing out…
I recently posed the question, “What makes for a great facilitator?” I offered my reflection on 3 qualities of great teachers, namely versatility, confidence, and authenticity – and especially a “no guru” status. And then you sent me yours. Here’s a…
When you invest your heart and ingenuity into developing your brand – even if you come into developing your brand sort of through the creative back door as I have – you feel you have a lot at stake when you hire someone or train someone to carry out that brand. How do you let that brand grow with a little love, trust, and wonder instead of so much fear?
There’s a huge difference between the teacher who offers easy answers and the teacher who equips you to handle your own path with a little more ease.
Most creative success comes from something kind of un-sexy and quiet –relevant rhythms. Rhythms of creative action.
When challenged, the Dexterous Creative knows when and how to use both (or all six!) hands and the best tool at her disposal. When blocked, the Dexterous Creative is adept at finagling a way under, around, or between a rock and a hard place. And she also knows when to step back and let the challenge resolve itself or the block to remove itself. This writing prompt actually works to help you achieve your creative goals this year.
Today’s prompt revolves around Symphonic Activity. Symphonic Activity is an activity that brings together your mind, body, and aspirations like players in a symphony. The activity might challenge your wits in an optimal way, but all facets of your self move harmoniously. Examples include conducting your daily business and enterprise with elegance, giving a dynamic talk, orchestrating a party or social gathering, facilitating an event, writing a book or story, designing a project.
You can craft vision boards, find a year-long intention word or three words or phrase, perform a New Year’s Eve I Ching reading (that would be my wife and me), plan and plan and plan, and tell yourself 108 times each morning for a month that you’re a good person who deserves a fulfilling life.
And still, 12 months later, little beneficial change happens. Little gratification ensues. In fact, some of the above might be counter-productive.
So, what gives?
Is there a science or an art to manifesting our dreams and goal completion?
The economy’s in flux. Lightning-speed changes in technology dizzy you. And yet your mind teems with ideas. And yet you want, want, want to sustain your creative productivity. But you and I know the problems.
You lose your focus.
Your time slips away.
Your vision fades into a packed scheduler. Your confidence dissolves into a pool of “I’m a fraud and a fool!”-ness.
How can you keep up with let alone innovate in your field?
Imagine your creative momentum like an arrow. What keeps it suspended in air and on-target? What makes the shooting and executing feel effortless?
Hard-pressed to find that special book for the well-rounded creative, that brilliant wonder tracker? 2011 produced several options for bookish gift ideas. From Patti Smith to social media, from gryphons to visual communicado, my Tracking Wonder Book List really does…
Discover the inspiration behind Tracking Wonder. When life (literally) goes up in flames, learn to use the transformative power of wonder to find hope and even thrive in challenging times.
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