Svaha: the time between seeing lightning and hearing the thunder
I will be eternally grateful for your great gift of taking in to the fullest extent what it is that I have to offer, living it, and then reflecting it back in terms of the potential experience of others. You have given words to a process that defies words. And you’re constantly in a position to help me continue to hone that, deeper and deeper and more and more resonantly, who I am and what I offer, which is truly invaluable. — Jon Hansen, The Remembering Room, Richmond, Illinois
What you’ve sent me is so darn perfect it hurts! It’s a sheer pleasure to work with someone who writes as beautifully as you do — and in “my” voice. — Ariane Goodwin, Ed.D, smARTist® Telesummit, Millers Falls, Massachusetts
You have a real gift for words. You’re really, really good at it. — Sherry Essig, Priority Ventures Group, Raleigh, North Carolina
You’ve built such integrity of message in your company. I know that’s because it springs forth intrinsically, but you stay so focused at your core! I can’t think of a better way to phrase that laser-beam focus you have. It’s funny, because in someone else, laser-beam focus would be intense, but somehow you manage to make it much more kind and easy. — Jessica Albon, Thrive Your Tribe, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
I’ve never worked with anybody in the way that I’ve worked with you in terms of trusting in your abilities to the level that I have. — Catherine Hajnal PhD, Eight Branches Consulting, Vancouver, Canada ... facilitating and nurturing joyful living
You have an uncanny ability to see through what is being said and surface all the “unsaid” issues. Then you quickly give candid feedback and have a tremendous toolbox to help me move forward through your expert guidance of the right tool.
I have worked with many facilitators/coaches/counselors relating to work and personal situations. Your skills are exemplary and moved me faster than I ever expected. — Jennifer Baker, Fishers, Indiana
You bring both a spiritual perspective and some real-world hard-headedness. — Janet Bailey, Mindful Time Management, San Francisco, California
Brava! I wish I could draw a picture of me — you’d see me in a deep bow to you!
I read your newsletter as soon as it hits my in-box and you’re always right on with your advice. I had to let you know that this issue is particularly brilliant.
I will definitely keep this info — and your contact info — in a secure place.
Thanks so much for sharing your insight and wisdom. — Debbie Rodgers, CGA
February 16 2010
Whether or not you consider yourself a creative person, your life includes many types of creative expression.
Setting out ideas and intentions for your business, discovering solutions for problems, crafting proposals and product ideas, writing articles or marketing copy, helping your kids with their school projects, planning your garden, selecting what to wear in the morning — it’s all creativity.
Yet as the poets have lamented, the creative muse can be fickle. And when you’re in business for yourself, the weight of all that creative responsibility feels like it’s squarely on your shoulders.
So when you’re facing a deadline or just trying to get stuff done, the idea of “managing your creativity” sounds like a dream come true.
But is it possible?
Have you ever tried to make creativity happen with the force of your will and determination?
If so, you’ve probably noticed it doesn’t work very well.
And that act of willpower is what most people think of when they think of “managing” something. Dictionary.com’s top five definitions include phrases like “to bring about ... sometimes despite difficulty; to take charge of; to dominate or influence; to handle, direct, govern, or control in action or use; to wield.”
What if managing your creativity was a gentler, more spacious experience?
Real management, whether of your creativity or anything else (people, money, time...) takes flexibility and understanding, not the brute force of willpower, to get the best results.
Here are just a few suggestions to help allow your creativity to flourish.
The most effective way to inspire creativity is to stop.
Deep down, everyone knows this, yet it’s so easy to overlook, avoid, or just plain ignore.
Stop trying to be creative.
You can sit and force yourself to keep working for hours, struggling to find the answer, solve the problem, have the idea, write the perfect paragraph.
Or you can stop, take a break, walk away and let your mind rest — and your subconscious take over.
Your work ethic will have a panic attack. Your sense of responsibility will whimper and point to the looming deadline.
Try it anyway. Give yourself a day — a full 24 hours — away from what you’re working on. And see what happens.
The most amazing floods of creativity arise after a real break.
Sometimes all it takes is getting up from your desk and taking a walk (a run, a bicycle ride, a session at the gym, a yoga class — whatever “physical movement” means to you).
The simple act of moving stirs up the blood, re-oxygenates your brain, and bounces new connections and ideas into your creative process.
The typical work week squashes your creativity into a box.
Creativity is flexible. It flows and experiments and explores. Routine schedules confine it — and creativity confined tends to be creativity sulking in the corner.
Observe your creativity and discover when it’s most engaged and active — and then take advantage of that understanding as you plan your day.
Even when applied to the most serious of problems, creativity is naturally playful.
Allow a sense of curiosity and exploration.
Be completely clueless about what the “right” answer is — whether it’s an article topic, the perfect marketing email, or the exact web-page description of your new service offering.
For those of us who depend on our creativity to fuel our businesses, its here-today, gone-tomorrow tendencies can be a constant frustration — or a joyful reminder to relax and let go of trying to figure everything out and retain control at all costs.
So while you can’t “manage” creativity in the traditional sense of “management,” you can remind yourself to stop, move, observe, play, and most of all, relax.
Creativity is a natural expression of life. Relax and allow it to flow!
“Creativity comes from trust. Trust your instincts.” Rita Mae Brown, 1944-, American novelist, mystery writer, and screenwriter.
“Curiosity is the key to creativity.“ Akio Morita, 1921-1999, Japanese businessman and co-founder of the Sony Corporation. From Made In Japan, 1986
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