Floorboards

What is that quote about "the longest journey begins with a single step"? This is particularly meaningful in my musings today about my work as a creativity coach and the challenges artists face in their work. Oftentimes the hardest step is either the first one out of bed onto the floorboards or else it is taking the steps necessary to go from point A (where the artist is now) to point B (the artists workspace - studio - desk - piano - kitchen table - a workshop - whatever).

There's no avoiding make the journey from A to B if we intend to be active, producing artists.

If you get stuck moving from A to B and you can see that this continues to diminish the quality of your creative work, your self esteem as well as your productivity then it is your job as a professional to target this behavior for serious but compassionate remedial work. It will be worth your time and effort to do as a gift for yourself and for your creative work.

Moving from A to B is fertile ground because it's the physical, emotional and spiritual move into your creative space, but unless we actually arrive at B ready to do our creative work, then we may find we're unable to move towards the next sacred creative place where our work requires us to go. Give yourself the gift of enlightenment about the journey from A to B. My post Recommended Reading List #1 provides resources that if applied with love, determination and regular practice will lift from your creative shoulders the weight of being barred from arriving at your creative work-space and the work itself. I hope you'll find something helpful in this suggested reading. There are good creativity coaching who can help, too, if you're interested in other tools for creative development.

Happy journeys from A to B and beyond!

Limited edition prints

There's always more waiting to happen in our creative lives. If we listen to our hearts and follow that voice, our creative movement will be meaningful and important to us. A source of joy in my creative life is the announcement of a new Limited Edition print of the painting, Honoring the Horse Nation. The drum represents a drum group who are singing an honoring song for the Horse Nation and the white horse represents all horses. The drum beat is the heart beat of Mother Earth. This archival quality reproduction is the same size as the original watercolor painting. For more information click my Home Page link on the main page of this blog.


Create!

Nurturing dreams

Yesterday (Saturday, August 19, 2006) I had the great privilege of attending the graduation ceremony for my husband, Richard Watson, who had completed school to become a licensed massage therapist and therapeutic bodyworker. The group of adults in the graduation ceremony had all recently completed their programs and are now officially joining the ranks of professional massage therapists and bodyworkers. We heard stories from some graduating students and from teachers and faculty. I was very moved and inspired by their intent to serve others, to help people heal themselves, and provide compassion and guidance to others on that journey. Some of these graduating students had experienced a good deal of hardship and performed amazing feats of self-discipline to achieve this dream of graduating from their bodywork program. Many of them cared for their families, communities and others while continuing with school. Some of them had to overcome their own negative self-talk, as well as allaying the doubts and fears of other people. But they made it through. They held fast to their dream and they kept moving forward, one class at a time. What a wonderful reminder of the many such kind and good people amongst us.

As an artist and creativity coach for other artists, I've learned this negative self-talk habit is a common trait amongst artists - as well as in the larger community. Not to say that other people don't experience this habit but, research and anecdotal experiences indicate it's especially common in artists and actively creative people. Many of my artist colleagues and friends express a real need for reminders of the grace and kindness in the world because they consciously give attention to areas that are difficult or challenging to think about, as they determine where the inspiration for their next work should be.

Well, yesterday's graduation ceremony was one of those times when, unbidden, an unexpected depth of grace and beauty slipped into my life and I was fully awake to the beauty of it. Thank you to my husband, Richard, and all those graduates for that. What a gift!

Nurture your dreams!