Creativity in Times of Fertile Confusion

Tara Sophia Mohr is one of those people I sense that I could talk with for hours and never grow bored. She’s often described as “the mystic in the Ivy League and the poet in the business school classroom.” A dream lover. An MBA from Stanford. One who chooses her life’s course creatively.

She nurtures people’s personal growth through writing, coaching, and group programs.

A number of her clients seem stuck in the “I-don’t-knows” of their identity and work life. They also struggle with cultivating their own creativity.

So when she asked me if I’d offer a free talk with her tribe, I jumped and knew instantly the topic.

On Wednesday, February 23 at 9 pm EST, we’ll talk about “Creativity in Times of Fertile Confusion.” Join us live or sign up for a free recording of the session.

I befriended confusion years ago. Yes, I thrive on routine and regularity in my schedule and personal life. But when the equivalent of the Greek goddess Eris comes along and tosses an apple of chaos into my orderly life, I try not to panic and jump back to safety.

I try to be more creative than reactive.

Here’s what I wrote Tara about the upcoming talk:

“I work and talk with a lot of creative people – writers, designers, entrepreneurs, people of all backgrounds curious about their life’s next flight pattern. And a lot of them are in what I call ‘fertile confusion.’

They’re confused about their professional and personal identity. Their best self’s calling & potential. Where their creative project is taking them and whether or not they’ll fail. What’s next. Whether to move forward or to wait for the universe to speak.

They either despise uncertainty, love it just a bit too much, or find the optimal relationship with it to flourish.

I want to talk about that latter group. They’re the ones who know that uncertainty can actually help us be more creative.”

Here are some questions we’ll explore:

When you’re confused, how do you keep from running to the easiest option or reverting back to the familiar?

How do you work and play with uncertainty as part of crafting your creative life?

How can you be less reactive and more creative during times of fertile confusion?

You’ll learn:

* How to create Fertile Confusion: how to make uncertainty “fertile.”

* How to shift into The Optimal Mind: how to draw upon optimal emotions as a way to stay open to possibilities and to persevere during difficult times.

* How to mobilize The Body Electric: how to act, even when you don’t know the outcome. How to move the body to move the mind.

* How to use The Pause Button: how to appreciate the space between action. How to be idle and blessed. How to cultivate creative stillness, even if it’s fleeting.

Do I know about creativity and fertile confusion?

12 years ago I resigned from a comfy academic position to pursue something as nebulous as weaving yoga into a creative process. Yoga as Muse Programs & Training was born.

When my first marriage dissolved the year my first big book launched, I redefined my writer’s mentoring business. Center To Page, LLC was born.

A year after I remarried, a Lyme-laden tick bit me and lightning struck my farmhouse and sent a fire through my study that decimated two decades of files, 300 books, and left us out of our home for 15 months – and I confirmed wonder as my ally. A new book and Tracking Wonder Programs & Consulting took root.

You get the picture and likely have your own stories.

As Tara writes, “This conversation will be fruitful for artists and creative types dealing with uncertainty in their work, people who want to recover their creativity, and anyone dealing with confusion about some aspect of their lives – and wanting to learn to use that confusion productively.”

Join us Wednesday, February 23rd, 9-10:15 pm EST. SIGN UP HERE to participate or receive the recording after the call.

And here’s an article “Fertilize Confusion to Thrive During Creative & Life Challenges” that I posted today at Psychology Today.

See you in the woods,
Jeffrey