Improve-Your-Creativity Resources to Explore

Here are a few improve-your-creativity products that have come across my screen lately. I haven't tried any of them, so can't endorse. If any of you do, please let us all know here. And if you have any such resources that have worked well for you--please don't hold back.

(BTW, that Confidence Club CD that I posted about some months ago is working like gangbusters for me. Now instead of getting up my nerve to broach a difficult subject, I find the conversation is three-quarters over before I'm aware I already launched it. And this is working a lot better than the old hesitant overly-considered approach.)

Anyway, here are the new items:

Unstoppable Creativity, a CD, $8



Creativity Workshops in Crete, Prague, Florence and DublinWorkshops in New York: $750, tuition only.
Workshops in Europe from $1,850 including tuition and housing.

"...Uses Writing, Drawing, Storytelling, and Memoir as tools to explore and develop creativity. The Workshop is designed to help you find new sources of inspiration, break through creative blocks,take pleasure in your imagination, give yourself the permission, time,and encouragement to do creative work, and develop a daily practice to accomplish these goals. ... We teach from the point of view that people are by nature creative and that creativity, like DNA, is different in each individual."



Conquering the fear of writing , a one-day program you can do at home.

Please remember, we'd welcome any news of your results if you try any of these out.



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MadArt

Give yourself a few minutes of what creativity guru Julia Cameron calls an "artist date" and visit MadArt, the wildly imaginative work of Madelyn Smoak.

She makes jewelry that includes seriously whimsical crowns and "art dolls" with names like Queen of the Night Forest and Grand Duchess of the Noxious Weeds. One of her crowns, an homage to fellow artist Louis St. Lewis, drew comments that were themselves pretty interesting; two examples,
"AAAAAAAAAAmMMMMMMMMAAAAAAAAAZZZZ......ING" and "I genuflect, I genuflect!"

Her take on more conventional forms of jewelry is available now at Etsy.



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Rage to Create

"Rollo May, in his landmark study on creativity, The Courage To Create, gave a word to the central driving force of an artist's creativity: rage. Not inquisitiveness; not friendly upbeatness; not sociability; not cooperativeness; not outgoing personality; not charm; not professionalism. Rage. Now, he meant it not so much in a conventional sense, but as a creative fire. There is a direct connection between intense passion and creative brilliance."

from a website on video games and game design. Grassroots Gamemaster





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A Dose of Courage

For my husband's birthday, we went to hear a double-feature concert at Duke of soul and gospel singer Mavis Staples, and The Blind Boys of Alabama, an African-American men's group formed at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind in 1939.

Staples, from a family of musical activists, sang songs from the Civil Rights Movement. This music helped people keep marching. It's a rousing reminder of a long, long struggle.

A suggestion: For artists engaged in a long, long effort to bring work into the world, these songs can re-energize, refresh hopes, and put difficulties into perspective.

Try listening to a cut of Staples' We'll Never Turn Back, produced by guitarist Ry Cooder and featuring backing from the original Freedom Singers and Ladysmith Black Mambazo It certainly refueled my engines.



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Keep Going No Matter What!

Being a person of a certain age--as well as a seeker of stories--I'm an obit junkie.

Recently I read an obit in my local paper that I found particularly inspiring. Marjorie Anne Klenin, a physicist, lived with admirable flair. In addition to her distinguished career in Germany and the U.S., she was an accomplished pianist.

"Her friends considered her a true 'woman of the world.' Her tastes in art music, clothing, and food were always eclectic, unique and impeccable.

"...Her admonition about playing four-hand Schubert: 'Keep going no matter what!' was a lesson she appplied throughout her life.

Marjorie was always eager to make new discoveries and experience new adventures. When asked, 'What vodka is best, Polish or Russian?' she would resolutely answer 'Polish!' and proceed to tell of how she learned this fact while on a ship in the North Atlantic with an all-Polish crew. They sailed in bad weather--and being the only passenger who did not get seasick--she had the opportunity to spend the entire trip sampling vodka with the crew. This is how we choose to remember Marjorie--vibrant, laughing, and embarking on another unexpected new adventure."



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Inspiring Rites

This weekend, a wedding and a funeral at the same time. I went to one and husband Bob went to the other, each of us carrying the good wishes of the other spouse.

The friend who got married is 65. The friend who died was 44.

I took a lesson from this. Two, in fact. One: it's never too late. Two: don't delay.



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Increase Creativity: A List of Ways

Shanna Swendson, author of Enchanted, Inc. (Book one is Hex and the City)offers a fine list of "Creativity Boosters."

She adds the excellent advice to use these techniques only as boosters, not as ways to procrastinate about writing.




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Help with Book Marketing

Book Candy Studios is a new company that's doing beautiful "movie preview" style ad spots for online marketing of books. Fees range from $350 to $1500+. I haven't worked with them, but am very impressed with their sample trailers.

Getting someone else to help with promotion is one way to make easier the process of tooting your own horn.

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Ten-Second Meditative Moment

Here's a cool, calming and confidence-inducing trick. I found it in a book I put on my list of ideas for my husband of what I'd like to get for Christmas: Kundalini Yoga Meditation: Techniques Specific for Psychiatric Disorders, Couples Therapy, and Personal Growth by David S. Shannahoff-Khalsa. This may not seem like a good stocking item, but it has good stuff in it.

This technique is one piece of a long and complicated meditation for dealing with obsessive-compulsive disorder. It's also for use in sticky moments during the day, when one might tend to tense-up. Particularly useful because it doesn't show.

All you do is take a deep breath and hold it for about three seconds, just long enough to think the syllables, vic-to-ry, then let the breath go. I do it two or three times, especially when I catch myself in any nervous habit. This creates a mini-break, slows mounting agitation, and is a nicely affirming message. (Vic-to-ry, BTW, is ideally not victory over other folks involved.)


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Getting Rid of a Phobia

It's not too strong to say that I've had a lifelong phobia about taking care of kids. (see previous two posts)

Well, I think it's busted. And after only two nights with three children, my admirable youngest nephews..

Harley, the oldest at twelve, says that it wasn't baby-sitting anyway, it's pre-teen caregiving.

Even so, the experience involved giving out doses of flu medicine, and being judged competent by five year old Franklin to shampoo his hair.

It went well. I did okay, even though the mother-on-duty at the carpool line at the elementary school found mysterious reasons to laugh at me every day.

Now I'm surprised and relieved and short of sleep. And it's Valentine's Day. An excellent day to leave social phobias behind.



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The Anticipatory Anxiety Was the Hard Part

Bottom line: spending last night with the three young nephews went well. (See previous post for my irrational fears about this.)

All three boys were fun and good company, and the older two told me everything that needed doing. And my husband Bob arrived mid-evening in time to go out chasing Dash, the hound I accidentally let out.

Pizza and American Idol, with our living room reviews of each performance, kept everybody happy.

In fact, with the exception of driving and the security of having an adult around, I think Harley (12) and Tucker (9) could take care of themselves and their five-year-old brother just fine.

I did flub a few things. I thought we could walk out and get in the car and that would take maybe one minute. Wrong. It was more like moving troops and Tucker was worried that I was going to make him late. Also, I left the trash can in reach of the two hounds and they spread garbage all over the breakfast room floor. But nothing serious went wrong.

And so a major barrier crossed--my being responsible, even briefly, for children. Tonight, lasagne, making sure Tucker's school project is done, and perhaps being a little more relaxed.


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Fear of Baby-Sitting

Kids scare me more than almost anything. What's troubling is the idea of being responsible for one or more, the trapped feeling of not being able to look away. This is no doubt a function of my touch of obsessive-compulsive disorder, which focuses on the fear of doing harm.

Tonight and tomorrow night, my husband and I are staying with my younger three nephews, ranging from age 5 to 12. They're lovely boys, every one.

Still... This is my vulnerable area, and I'll be there for at least two hours before Bob arrives. Intellectually I know it'll all be fine.

However, it still feels huge. Risky. Unsettling.

It's clear to me that one thing I need to do is give myself credit for doing it at all. Another is to let this remind me to have sympathy for people whose fears I don't share: of flying or public speaking or traveling alone.

I'll let you know how tonight goes. I expect that once I get there it will be fine.



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Characters Behaving Badly

From Digital Digressions: Debunking Popular Myths about Creativity:

"Creativity...involves making the familiar strange and the strange familiar."

In writing my novels, I seem to specialize in making the strange familiar. I like taking difficult characters, sometimes behaving badly, and making them clear enough that anyone can understand why they act the way they do.

In my writing, I want to make it possible to identify with anyone. Partly because it's a challenge. Partly because I'm curious about why people surprise me the way they do.


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Getting Results

We've talked in some recent posts about having a theme for the year. Here's an example that seems to be working for Kay Summerlin in California:


"My goal this year has been to FOCUS. I have attention deficit and
am easily diverted with my short attention span, so focusing helps me
stay on track. Dave built me a large bulletin board which covers a two
foot wide swath across my study wall, where I can place pictures,
words and notes about my studies. It seems to be working to remind me
of my quest. I have always tried to do too many things at once and
find that my research gets watered down when I don't keep at it."


Keeping one idea in mind, such as focus, or fitness, or productivity, through all the small decisions of a day can mount up to a big difference.





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Check Your V.I.T.A.L.S.

How Do You Do Something That You Don't Want to Do? Check your V.I.T.A.L.S.

V.
Validate-validate your feelings, the "I don't want to...", there is a real reason for how you feel.

I.
Imagine-imagine yourself doing it peacefully and productively.

T.
Take Small Steps-break down the project into bite-size pieces.

A.
Applaud yourself- encourage your efforts, cheerlead, and coach (e.g., enjoy the feeling of making progress on the project.)

L.
Lighten the load- remember what you are getting out of by doing this (e.g., reducing guilt, shame, or anxiety; avoiding the negative consequences....)

S.
Sweeten the pot -add something during or after that you like, reward your efforts (e.g., enjoy the feeling of accomplishment.)



Used with permission of Meggan Moorhead and Triangle Area D.B.T.



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Three Inspiring Opportunities

1. Learn to use self-hypnosis for putting aside fears and enhancing creativity. My psychologist husband Bob Dick is offering a one-day class at our house in rural Chatham County,NC, on February 22.

2. Writing with Horses: Finding Forward Motion in your Writing will be led by novelist/psychotherapist/
horsewoman Billie Hinton on March 1 and 22, also in Chatham County.

3. For those who can't get to North Carolina in the coming weeks (and the rest of us),Coach Laura Neff of Charlotte invites all to take part in a Living Boldly call-in discussion.

I highly recommend all three of these.


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A Message from the Universe

"Let us dare to read, think, speak and write."
John Adams, 1765

This quote was printed on the receipt I got for buying stamps at the Post Office (I still use them.) Most unexpected to find this bit of encouragement in that location.

I have another such object in my office: a wrapper from a Delta Airlines snack. It says in large cobalt blue type: "enjoy!" I keep it tucked into my box of manuscripts to read for clients.

Both items are now part of my rotating collection of found wisdom. For me, running across one of these little reminders can produce a small burst of energy, approximately equivalent to the impact of an M&M. And that's significant.


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Conquering Financial Fears

Artists tend to think a lot about money. Like round the world backpackers--when they cross paths, they don't talk about the culture or the historic sights. They talk about cheap places to stay that have hot water 24 hours a day.

A lot of us get very nervous about the subject of money, insist we're no good at it, etc.

A story on Beliefnet today sets out ten tips for beating the fear of money. It's aimed at the spiritually-minded, but some of the ideas could be useful for anyone. Like "Make Peace With Your Financial Past." That one is very valuable to me: I still beat up on myself for years of undercharging, for various financial errors I've made.

This piece by Susan Corso offers some strategies for replacing the guilt and anxiety, thus making better financial decisions.


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Graceful Self-Promotion

This advice is from, of all places, a year-old Cosmogirl magazine. It's aimed at teenagers: "Here's the trick to talking yourself up without sounding conceited." (I don't think I've heard the word "conceited" since high school.)

But anyone with work to sell needs to know how to self-promote gracefully. Here's one very good tip from the article: "Get psyched." We're advised to think of our most spontaneous friend talking with excitement about what she/he has been up to. "You don't feel like she's bragging because you're having so much fun listening to her, right?"

Basically let your passion for doing the work show, and it doesn't sound like petty personal bragging. Instead, what we're doing is getting other people excited too.


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Marital Argument

Last night, an argument on the home front.... I started it by mentioning something that was going to fester to the point of eruption if I didn't.

Wasn't pleasant, as I expected. But I did it, and am pleased that I did.

We didn't resolve it. We've only resolved one difference in 24 years of marriage and I've forgotten which one that was. Neither one of us is famous for changing our own minds. But each having said our piece, we move on...better for having spoken than not.

I'm fairly new to "mentioning" things immediately. And it's embarrassing that that's true at the age of 59. But better late than never, of course.

So I'm congratulating myself for getting on with it instead of waiting. It would have been a lot easier short-term to hope that the issue went away.

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