Original Impulse Blog

12 notebooks of 2009: I thank you

To the dozen notebooks that held my hopes, dreams, stories, sketches, travelogues, color, and life in 2009, I thank you.

Have you thanked your notebooks of the year?

Blog Update & What's Where

My 2008 Design File

I’ve enjoyed plenty of travel this year (two five-week trips in Europe, phew!). I’m happy to store my suitcase and buckle down on my winter projects. I have a backlog (would that be a back-blog?) of posts about my recent trip that I’ll be posting soon.

Stay tuned to the Journey Juju blog for reports on shopping in Europe, the variety of European markets, best places to eat in Venice and the best overall food award…it’s probably not what you think!

And watch for news of my 2010 European creativity excursions. I'm developing the curriculum now!

My posts about how to make writing and creating easier are on the Original Impulse blog. Travel-related posts will be on the Journey Juju blog.

Be sure to subscribe to both blogs for tips and inspiration on how to be most creative at work, home, in the studio and on the road.

Let Your Muse Lead the Holidays

At this time of year, my Muse begins to get a little squirrely. The holidays loom, a season laden with expectations and traditions that I don’t necessarily want to participate in. With tradition and obligation on the horizon, my Muse often wants to rebel and go her own way. If your creative self feels restricted by holiday expectations, try something different this year. Let your Muse lead the way in your holiday decisions.

When considering your plans for the holidays, be creative. Here are ten ways to be proactive this season, so you and your creativity can thrive even at holiday time.

1. Big picture Start by considering what kind of holidays you want this year. Think of an adjective to describe how you want to feel. Peaceful? Grateful? Connected? Make some notes about your intention. From that intention you can look at the following ways to enjoy your holidays with your Muse leading the way.

2. Food Don’t go like a zombie toward foods you don’t really want just because they’re ‘holiday treats’. If you don’t really like the cranberry sauce or the sugar cookies, choose what you do like. Take traditional foods and tweak them to make them more healthful or reflective of your tastes and/or local produce. Set an intention for how you want to eat (mindfully, with gusto, only foods you really want…)

3. Friends How do you want to connect with your friends? I most enjoy the holiday season for the time I spend with friends reflecting on how we’ve enriched each other over the year. My friends are one of my biggest gifts and when we get together during the holidays, I make sure to acknowledge the impact they’ve had on me and thank them. Jot down the names of friends you really want to connect with and make plans that are meaningful to both of you.

4. Family Holiday family gatherings can bring a sense of obligation and even dread. Try looking to the characteristics you get from your family that you are proud of and that serve you in your life and creativity. Make a list and then thank your family members for giving you these gifts. Focus on what you love, not how your dad drives you crazy with his TV watching.

5. Gift giving While I love giving gifts, I hate the obligation to give that accompanies the holidays. I prefer my gift giving to be more spontaneous and based on finding the perfect gift and matching it with the giver. What’s true for you and gift giving? Take time to consider what you really want to give. It may not be the old standbys!

6. Assess the year The end of the year provides a natural marker for reflecting on your year. Spend some time considering your wins, your disappointments, your insights. I’ll post a worksheet on the blog later this month to help you assess your year so next year can be even better.

7. Money Get real with your finances. How much do you want to spend? Many people get in financial trouble because they spend from their heart and not their bank account. Take a look at how much money do you have to spend on gifts and holiday hoo-haw and then determine where you’ll allocate your funds.

8. Creative time Time seems more crunched than ever during the holidays, but that doesn’t mean you have to let your Muse languish. Try to maintain even the thinnest thread of connection to your projects. Time spent with your Muse will provide fuel for your other activities.

9. Treats The holidays provide a great time to indulge. Rather than mindlessly taking in anything that appears as a treat, consider what’s truly a treat for you. What’s a treat you can give yourself? A piece of pie with extra whipped cream? A visit to the massage therapist or local museum? I treat myself with time in the bookstore or in my favorite shop, Two Hands Paperie in Boulder. I don’t necessarily spend money, but I gain inspiration from the beautiful books and paper products.

10. Celebrate The holidays are meant to be a time to celebrate but that intention can get lost in the rampant commercialism and sense of obligation that looms. What’s one thing you want to celebrate this year?

How are you expressing your creativity this holiday season? Drop a comment below to share your Muse’s inspiration.

This article is part of my year-long series of top ten lists to celebrate ten years in business at Original Impulse. Stay tuned until the end of the year when I bring all the articles together in one place for your creative enhancement.Subscribe to Impulses for free.

Where It's At

If you're wondering where I'm posting these days, it's over at the Journey Juju blog. My summer project is a restructuring of my web site and blogs, so watch for the new, the exciting, the vibrant.

My upcoming blog subjects include:

• The Graceful Return: Coming Home and Harvesting Your Creative Inspiration
• 29 Gleanings from My Leap (continued from January 09)
• Travel
• Art
• Practice
• Denver Sketch Crawls News

Read more at Journey Juju.

FAQ: How to Stay Focused?

Question:

I don't seem to have a great attention span - I don't get lost in my work. Is that because I'm not confident in it, or not passionate about it, or just ADD? I would love some advice on how I might coax myself to be more prolific.

My Answer:

Who knows if you have ADD, but I know that we are living in very distractable times. I get distracted all the time. I bounce from one thing to the next. Like improv. I am currently working on an illustrated book that allows me to use collage, drawing, painting, calligraphy, writing…so I can play with many media.

Perhaps Nothing Is Wrong with You

I say quit thinking something is wrong with you. This is why I hate the idea that there is one way to create, and if you’re not doing it that way, or experiencing what others do, you’re wrong. That kind of thinking is gremlin fodder.

This is why I am so committed to helping creative people find, acknowledge and embrace their own process. What works for them. Shedding expectations and doubts. Playing in the creative zone freely.

Live Wrong-Free for a Week

Do what works for you. Give yourself a week to live in the land of ‘nothing wrong with me or what I’m doing.’ I can say this because I know you are unlikely to kill or steal or hurt anyone and say, ‘Cynthia said I could do no wrong!’.

Try it. Try a wrong-free week.

Find Your Creative Edge

Another thought. I still am not saying you have to be completely engrossed in your work for it to be legitimate. But if you are bored, that’s another thing. It could be that you need to challenge yourself more. Find your creative edge.

Look at one technical element to your work where you could buff up your skill level. For instance, I love doing calligraphy and I am CRAP at spacing. So I’ve been practicing spacing, playing with different ways to make sure the letters are evenly distributed on the page. No glaring white margin at the end.

This is a way to take a weakness and use it to be more fully engaged in my work.

So look to your own art. What’s an edge for you? What’s the next element of your work to be developed. Focus on that and see how engaged you become.

What do you think, reader? Does one have to be engrossed, in the flow, to experience satisfaction and progress? Or can we operate differently?

Where are you stuck creatively? Send me an email with your question, with Creativity FAQ in the subject line, and I'll post my answer on the blog.

FAQ: How to Set Aside Judgment so I Can Create

Question:

I judge myself before I start, so I often don't get very far. How do I get over this?

My Answer:

Here are three quick and easy ways to circumvent fear during the creative process.

Return to Love

This is absolutely common. It’s the self-preservation mechanism, trying to save us from making complete creative idiots of ourselves. I have it, too, but then I busy myself with my materials, which I love so much. So that's one way, to engage yourself with what you love about your work. Like life, we get further when we focus on love instead of fear.

Air the Fear

You can also clear the judgment by giving it space. Hear the voice, hear what it is saying, and even speak it aloud. Speak the fear and worry aloud. Then say, “That’s okay, I’m going to paint anyway. Just to see.”

Once you get in to the art, that voice will get bored and go away.

Control Your Mind

This may seem simplistic, but I believe that we need above all to be able to control our thoughts, or at least not have our thoughts control us. If you’re having thoughts that stop you from creating, go back to your original impulse. Ask yourself what’s important about creating? What’s your motivation? Connect with that, then let the voice of judgment step aside.

Try one or two or all three and let me know how it works. What helps you, reader, to wrangle the critic to the ground?

Where are you stuck creatively? Send me an email with your question, with Creativity FAQ in the subject line, and I'll post my answer on the blog.

Design Your Creative Life Conference in London

I'm gearing up for London in March. Swedish writing coach Ann Ljungberg has organized a Design Your Creative Life, a conference for creatives. There are two parts to the conference: the weekend workshops - March 7th and 8th, followed the next week by a five day workshop - March 9th - 13th.

Over the weekend I'll be speaking about two topics very near and dear to the creative's heart: how to finish projects and how to receive feedback gracefully.

Also speaking at the conference is Eric Maisel, author of many books on creativity such as Fearless Creating and The Writer's Paris.

Jacqui Lofthouse, novelist and London writing coach, will be speaking, as well as Fay Weldon.

I'll be leading a Sketch Crawl through London Monday - Friday from 9:00 - 1:00. I know, you're probably thinking, crawling London in March? But I've planned some excursions inside as well, such as the Tate Modern and a ride in the London Eye.

When I did the Sketch Crawl in Lisbon, the participants loved the opportunity to slow down and see the familiar with fresh eyes. Using word or drawing sketches is a great way to refresh the creative well.

Find out more and register for the conference. I can't wait to create and learn in London with you!

Original Impulse Ten-Year Anniversary Sale!

I'm so excited to be celebrating ten years in business this year! To launch the new year, I'm hosting a sale on all of my e-products. Twenty percent off of every e-product in the Original Impulse online store!

In the last decade, I’ve learned a lot about what works to help get over the common obstacles to creating. In ten years of working with writers, artists, business people, coaches and entrepreneurs, I’ve gleaned valuable tools and tips to make the creative process easier. I’ve matched this wisdom with my coaching skills to help you start and finish your creative projects.

This isn’t common wisdom like:
• Write every day
• Set goals and work toward them
• Just do it

No. I respect you as a unique creative adventurer. You need help that speaks to your needs. In my e-books and programs, I give you tools to help unearth the processes and systems and insights that will allow you to customize an approach that works for you and your goals.

The sale goes from January 5th – 14th. My products are already affordable, so there's no excuse to not make your creative dreams a priority this year, with the help of my tools.

You Gotta Check This Out: TED

I think I heard about TED conference a few years ago from Copyblogger. Exclusive, invitation only, expensive. Of course I wanted to go.

So when I was watching Garr Reynolds of Presentation Zen give a presentation to the people at Google on how to give presentations, and he mentioned TED videocasts as a great resource, I rushed over to check it out.

Inspiring, informative, thought-provoking, these videos are a great way to stimulate your creative thinking. They also stimulate your social consciousness, causing you to think about what you’re doing to make a difference.

The TED tag line is Ideas Worth Spreading, so I’m spreading theirs. Some of my favorite podcasts so far:

Isabel Allende gives a taste of what it was like to walk in the Olympic ceremony in Turin with Sophia Loren (and much, much more)

Dave Eggers (my hero) shares the story of how he and a group of writers, editors and teachers are helping kids one-one in a wacky, creative and effective way.

Ursus Wehrli Tidies Up Art – Just watch this if you are in the need of a really good laugh.

Jill Bolte Taylor had a major life shift and lived to tell about it. Completely inspiring and moving.

Ken Robinson on why schools kill creativity. Funny and inspiring.

There are tons more, but I’ll let you discover them for yourself. You can find all of these and more at Ted.com. Check it out. Subscribe. Listen, watch and enjoy!

I'd Rather Be in the Studio! Book Sale

Artists (and friends of artists): Start the New Year right with a commitment to promoting your art better than ever--and snag 13 gifts for yourself!

Order a copy of Alyson Stanfield's book I'd Rather Be in the Studio! The Artist's No-Excuse Guide to Self-Promotion, by December 21 and you'll get 13 bonus e-books, special reports, and audio programs. All for the price of a single book. If you're one of the lucky ones that has had the book on your shelf for awhile now, buy a copy for a friend and keep the bonuses for yourself!

 But you have to order from ArtBizCoach.com by midnight ET, December 21. Just go to the Big Book Sale.

I've contributed a bonus to Alyson's great sale, and the other bonuses will make you want to order right away! Check it out.