I Want To Create…
I Want To Create...
What would you like to create? A peaceful life, a successful life, a good life, a sculpture, a piece of art, a book? What is it that you would like to create? Whatever you want you can achieve it. All you have to do is follow your natural compass. Remove the rubbish that takes you off course and let the natural you come through. It is not the case of adding new behaviours to create what you want. No. It's a case of moving the obstacles out of the away and let the natural you come through.One of the biggest obstacles of all to being creative in life, to reaching your potential: is conformity.As Shakti Gawain says: 'We will discover the nature of our particular genius when we stop trying to conform to our own or other peoples model'.Just think for a moment. How much do you conform?The world of work wants you to conform more and more. The computerisation of systems has taken away the creativity of individuals and made you conform. Individual creativity of employees has almost disappeared in favour of conformity.The clothes you wear. Isn't there a strong push to get you to be similar if not the same as everyone else.The food you eat. Don't you feel that you are being told what to eat and where you ought to eat it. Which restaurants are fashionable, which food is good for you. What supplements you 'ought' to take.So its not surprising therefore that in our family lives and our lives in general we have become slaves to conformity. The habit and behaviour of conformity, wanting to be the same, is stopping you from touching your creativity.To reach your true potential, to open up your creativity you must start by having:Trust in yourself.Having trust in yourself is about listening to the real you, your feelings, your heart and becoming the person you really are capable of becoming. The you, who has been hidden for years and would really like to show the world how good you are.Now, what are the first thoughts that come into your mind to stop you achieving this aim and objective? Often the first thing that stops you having power over your day to day behaviour is the one who sits on your shoulder or the voice inside your head that constantly nags like a oppressive parent. It's whole aim is to sabotage your efforts. To destroy your self esteem.? you ought to do ??..that will never work? you should do ???what do you think your doing? that will never work Forget it.? how do you think that's going to pay the bills? you must be mad don't you remember what happened last timeRemember there is another voice that you can tune into. A voice that is full of encouragement and hope. Every time you are faced with 'you can't do ..??? reply with Of course I can do this??.I have the skills.The role of the inner voice is no more than getting you to conform to the labels people have put on you. Your job is to reach your potential. Release your creativity. So why listen? Tell yourself and everyone else I can do it?Of course I can??I am following my aim and objective in life. I am like a seed. With a little nurturing and the right environment I can mature into a beautiful flower. I have done it before I can do it again.Just think for a moment:when was the last time you successfully handled difficulties that occurred in your life?when were you thanked and congratulated for doing a good job?what responsibilities do you have in your life that you successfully deal with?what do you like about yourself. What are your qualities?when in your life have you felt loved?Remember conformity stops you from being creative. Stops you from leading your natural life. As you learn to overcome conformity and start to believe in your strengths then you have the first step in living a more creative and fruitful life. A life which is naturally yours.Remember:Instead of where there is a will there is a wont.I now believe where there is a will there is a way.To improve your intuition, initiative and energy levels please go to:
http://www.desktop-meditation.com. It's free.
Think & Grow Rich
Think & Grow Rich
All wealth is a product of mind. Some economists will try to convince you that wealth comes from productivity. Many people believe that wealth is a matter of ownership or the accumulation of possessions. They are blind to the truth. They see only effects, not causes.It is ideas that produce wealth. The process of creating anything, including wealth, begins with the idealization, the conceptualization, the visualization. Everything that follows is simply the implementation of the original thought. Everyone has the capacity to think and to choose what and how to think. Therefore, everyone can be wealthy.The great thing is that ideas are free. You don't have to exchange or pay anything to have an idea. The problem most people have is that they don't have any original ideas. Of course, it is possible to refine someone else's idea or to find a better way to implement someone else's idea and thereby create wealth. That is actually what most people do. But why not just come up with your own concept. After all, ideas are free. Yours for the asking. No cost.Hold onto that thought. Something you can produce with no visible effort, something you can have an endless supply of, something that you can have for free, can make you wealthy. Just one simple idea.Hey, why don't we create an online flea market?Zap. eBay. A multi-billion dollar company.Hey, why don't we create a 24-hour international TV news channel?Zap. CNN.Hey, why don't we create a better delivery system than the post office?Zap. FedEx.Hey, why don't we create a personal computer?Zap. Apple Computer.The experts at IBM laughed at the two Steves. "Who would want a computer in their home? You guys are nuts." Now IBM's business relies on the sale of PCs. And the world is a different place. What would your life be like without a personal computer?His college professor gave Fred Smith a 'C' on his paper proposing the need for a guaranteed overnight delivery service. Now even the post office copies Fred's FedEx concept. Fred is wealthy. The prof is still not. Not wealthy and not thinking correctly. Thinks A ideas are C value.Ted Turner knew nothing about TV. His business was outdoor advertising. Billboards. Now, the major TV networks copy little old upstart TBS. And now it is CNN/Time Warner/AOL.Ideas. How great they are compared to tangible things. Here's why. If I have clay pots and you have apple pies, I can trade you a clay pot for an apple pie, but then I'd have one less clay pot and you'd have one less apple pie. But if I have an idea and you have an idea, I can trade you my idea for your idea and now we both have two ideas. Not only that, two ideas often act synergistically to make a third idea and maybe even a fourth or a fifth idea as well.Tangible things do not grow when exchanged. They merely change hands. Ideas change the world. Tangible things do not create wealth. They are the effects of wealth creation. Ideas are the cause of wealth creation. Had any good or original ideas recently? You are equally as capable of having them as any one else. Ok, maybe you don't know how to think original thoughts. Improved upon anybody else's ideas lately? At least you can do that. No? The find a good idea and implement it. Copy. Mimic. Do the same thing.Michael Dell did not invent the personal computer. DHL is merely copying FedEx. The boys at Google did not invent Internet search engines. They just built a better one. It was someone else's original idea.I did not invent eBooks. Online marketing was not my original idea. I took my ideas, added the ideas of others and presto, a wealth creation business.Yes, you can think and grow rich. I know. I have the proof. That's what I do. So can you. Go ahead; I dare you. Think. Idealize. Imagine. What if...Why don't we create a...
Connect with Your Muse
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.Inner Artist - A Part of OurselvesAs I've discussed before, the Inner Artist is that part of ourselves that has been untouched by our experiences, trials, tribulations or creative roadblocks. It is infinitely creative and joyful in everything that it does.Spirit - All Around Us, All of Us, Every One of UsANY time we connect, we're also connected with Spirit. And I use the word Spirit to also refer to God, the Universe, Higher Power, something that connects us all, no matter how unique we are. While our personal definition of Spirit is unique, when we connect with that Spirit it immediately connects us with something outside of ourselves.Muse - Outside of OurselvesAnd that brings us to today's topic: the Muse, and how to connect with yours.The word muse stems from the 9 muses of Greek mythology, who were responsible for inspiring creative artists and helping them remember their works (since in those days they didn't write them down). The Greek muses were also responsible for protecting history by singing about the great heroes and events of the day.The muse is something that's outside of yourself, which provides inspiration and helps you get your creative work done.I like that definition ? because with that definition I get to be a muse! And I certainly am honored when I get to fulfill that role for my clients.To have a connection with your muse you need to be tuned in to your inner voices. This is because a muse (even in the form of a coach) will not dictate, "Draw it this way", "Use this word", or "Here's the winning chord progression".So, connecting to your muse is really a three-fold process.1. Finding a muse (or muses ? many artists have several sources of inspiration)Your muse is unique to you, and so are the ways you can best tune in to it. You might be able to name your muse(s) immediately, or you might need to explore a bit. You might:
Look through finished (or started) pieces and think back on what sparked them into being. That might be a source you can return to
Ask other artists about their sources of inspiration
Sit in stillness for a few moments and reflect on what is inspiring to you
Experiment with other forms of art, nature walks, meditation, cooking and people who glow
2. Spending time in the presence of that museThis could be a person you can spend time with, a place you can visit or look at photos of, an activity you can do more of or a personal environment you can create in your creative workspace. If your muse is someone you don't know personally, like another artist you admire, this could be spending time in the presence of their work.3. Spending time in creative contemplation and expressionAllow whatever the muse has evoked to be expressed through your creative medium(s). Here's where tuning back in to your inner voice comes in. Whatever you've taken in from your external source of inspiration still needs to be filtered through your unique lens of skills, experiences, opinions, ideas and sensations. Otherwise you'd simply be reproducing exactly what you've seen or heard.PUT IT INTO PLAYIt's time to make another date with your Inner Artist ? only this time you're in search of your muse. Block off some time for simply noticing what inspires you ? if you can't help but rush home and write, draw, build, photograph, compose or otherwise create something, well, call it a happy bonus of this exercise.MUSE MINDING FOR THE BUSY CREATIVE ARTISTWhat if you don't have time to go traipsing all over the city to the spots where you find inspiration? What if your creativity has a deadline? What if you have a busy life that involves other people's schedules?Here are two possible solutions:Make sure that your creative workspace evokes your muse. Find objects, words and/or photos that capture the essence of your muse and place them prominently in your creative workspace. Move them around every month or so, so you don't stop noticing them.Be open to spontaneous sightings. When you're rushing around from place to place, worrying about what you did yesterday or dreading what you need to do tomorrow, there's not much time or space for the muse to get your attention. Experiment with slowing down occasionally and checking in ? my muse has been talking to me a lot in the car (as long as I leave the radio off!), and also really likes to chat with me when I'm in the shower (no kidding ? and I've heard that water evokes inspiration for others ? how about you?).So, what is it about water?Water is fluid, soft, and yielding. But water will wear away rock, which is rigid and cannot yield. As a rule, whatever is fluid, soft, and yielding will overcome whatever is rigid and hard. This is another paradox: what is soft is strong. - Lao-Tzu (600 B.C.)My muse whispers to me through water, if I yield to it and bend my resistance.(c) Copyright 2005, Linda Dessau.Linda Dessau, the Self-Care Coach, helps artists enhance their creativity by addressing their unique self-care issues. Feel like your creativity is blocked? Sign-up for your complimentary copy of the popular e-course, "Roadblocks to Creativity" by visiting http://www.genuinecoaching.com