When you listen, what resources do you call on most -- your ears, mind, heart, intuition, or senses? Creative listening takes all of these tools and one invaluable motivator to tie it all together, a willingness to hear under the surface. The true value in any exchange, whether it takes place within yourself or with a partner or friend, is how you listen to what’s really being said. It’s the glue that acts as a bridge between the meaning, emotional connection and the truth for … [Read more...]
The Inner Mirror and Expanding Creative Freedom
October 10, 2013 By 1 Comment
Everyone has an inner mirror. It’s a tool that reflects back to you a collection of thoughts, ideas, emotions and experiences that shape how you see yourself. Often your inner mirror is a bit dirty, carrying residue from what you consider failures, heartbreaks, mistakes or disappointments. Yet, this mucky buildup is really just the opportunity to see what needs to shift, so you can to break free from self-judgement and expand into creative freedom. A common unconscious reaction is to try and … [Read more...]
Perfectionism and the Creative Brick Wall
September 26, 2013 By 2 Comments
Perfectionism is a slippery little bugger on the windshield of life. It glides in and out of minds and hearts with ease, single-handedly grabbing ideas and almost-finished projects and smashing them against a creative brick wall. While our inner TSA agent slowly inspects every nook and cranny of our creative seeds under the guise of self-preservation, it also keeps us from putting something out into the world that isn’t “fully-baked”. So whether or not you currently identify yourself as a … [Read more...]
Why it’s Important to Connect the Dots of Passion Along the Creative Path
September 19, 2013 By Leave a Comment
When you throw together all of your life experiences, relationships and passing interests that led to nothing but detours, you are just scraping the surface of what shapes your creative path. Is this mind blowing? Not really, but it's pretty amazing if you think about how each of aspect has looped towards, away from and over each other to bring you to the present moment. So, having gotten this far on your winding creative path, can you take the viewpoint of a hawk, high on … [Read more...]
Dancing with the Creative Shadow of Possibility
August 22, 2013 By 3 Comments
Dancing with the creative shadow is mysterious and alluring, like dabbling in magic without knowing the backstage insider tricks. Yet, it’s really just another aspect of you offering the ultimate invitation -- to dive in and enjoy the ride of creative self-discovery. The question is, are you curious enough (or frustrated enough) to jump in and see what the shadow has to offer? The creative shadow is the inner evolution of how you connect to your full authentic self, both the light and dark. … [Read more...]
Connecting all of your Creative Selves Deepens Perspective Ten-Fold
August 15, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Connecting all your creative selves sounds like a fancy art film title, right? Abstract and intriguing. Bold and courageous. Unpredictable and gorgeous. Kind of like you. Except most people don’t even think they’re creative at all, let alone have various creative aspects within themselves to play with at any given time. In fact, it’s these diverse aspects that help make up the “creative you”, allowing you to experience life as something more than one-dimensional. The question is, are you ready … [Read more...]
Is there a Creative Success Formula?
August 8, 2013 By 2 Comments
Is there a creative success formula? A series of steps that when done, to the letter, will create abundance, acknowledgement and happiness? It’s a big question with a simple answer -- yes and no. The bigger question is what is creative success to you, and what are you willing to do, or not do, to move towards it? The Fantasy of “Making It” Let’s get real; we each have our own fantasy of what “making it” looks and feels like if money were no object. This type of prompt helps you break free from … [Read more...]
How Personal Values Can Block Creativity
August 1, 2013 By 2 Comments
Ever take a moment to think about your personal values? Where they came from and how they influence you? How your unique guidance system came into being and if it’s really serving you? Despite knowing what your values feel like to you, it can be extremely eye-opening to clearly define them and discover how they can sometimes quietly block your creativity under the radar. By definition, personal values are the core beliefs, concepts and philosophies you hold about life, its purpose and your … [Read more...]
Is a Hidden Desire to Conform Keeping your Creative Fire Small?
June 13, 2013 By Leave a Comment
As much as we want to stand out and be seen as individuals, we also desire to stand together as part of a community; feeling welcomed, supported and accepted (in some shape or form). This sentiment is by no means earth shattering, but here’s the tricky part; sometimes our hidden desire to connect with others really is silently guiding us to conform, keeping our creative fire small. This may lead us to make choices to fit in or try to make future decisions based on what we feel will be accepted … [Read more...]
The Direction of Your Life is Never Direct
April 18, 2013 By Leave a Comment
One of the most important things I’ve learned in my life so far is that no matter what I think is the most “direct” way to experience or learn something, life has entirely different plans. But beyond this sentiment sounding like fodder for boring bumper stickers and endless motivational posters, there is a much bigger, often overlooked truth nestled in here. The direction of your life is never a direct, straight line so why do you expect it to be? You often don’t realize the limitations you … [Read more...]