I have recently learned that one of my colleagues at work has cancer. As usual, a card is circulated and people are kindly asked to contribute a few coins for a gift. As colleagues however, we don't know a person well enough to choose an appropriate gift.
So I figured we should do something a little more creative and create a gift from scratch. I gathered a few willing but doubting colleagues around a table and we painted a few small canvasses that are to be joined into a bigger picture. Not great art, but a personal way to wish this colleague all the best and show that we are really thinking of him - enough to free up some time and be creative.
Many of these colleagues were willing because I am just good at convincing :-) or because they felt they kind of had to... Some of them were moaning 'Oh but I am not creative at all'. And I found it difficult to open their eyes and tell them that everyone is because creativity really is no big deal.
The following day,
Christine Kane's email pops into my mailbox which explains just that. So I shared it with my colleagues and want to share it with you as well. So enjoy reading and be creative!
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Creativity isn't a big deal.
It's like our breath. It's just a part of who we are.
Everyone knows this truth, but most people pretend that Creativity (with a capital C) is something special.
People who say, "Oh, I'm not Creative," or "I don't have a Creative bone in my body," sound like they're trying to convince themselves of something, rather than telling themselves the truth.
They make Creativity a BIG DEAL because, by doing so, they keep it safely out of reach. It then requires nothing of them, except to occasionally utter the phrase, "Oh, I'm not Creative!"
These people are often a little disappointed when I teach them what they pretend they don't already know:
· Creativity isn't a big deal.
· Creativity is not an event.
· Creativity doesn't so much happen, as it is allowed.
This is boring. It's unimpressive. And it's also why so few people Live Creative. It requires presence and practice and allowing. And really, these aren't very exciting things. (Unless you've experienced them! Then you know they are!)
Canine Creativity Class
When I found my dog, she'd been badly abused. I was walking on a gravel road, and she was watching me from a mound of dirt in an old churchyard where she'd been dumped.
She started to follow me.
Each time I turned around, she'd stop dead in her tracks.
When I tried to walk towards her, she'd tuck her tail under her butt and slink away from me.
But when I just continued along my way, she followed me. She eventually got closer and closer. Ultimately she followed me home.
This is how I experience Creativity.
If I try to turn around and catch it, it turns away. Living Creative is not about willing it or grabbing it. In fact, Creativity rarely takes to announcements like, "Today I'm gonna be Creative! I'm gonna write a novel!"
It's a process. It's a way of being. And though it can't be forced, it can be cultivated and allowed.It thrives when you're already open, and your mind is receptive and quiet. There's almost a joyful laziness to it.
So, in the spirit of making Creativity a No-Big-Deal part of our lives, here is my #1 favorite no-big-deal Creativity Tip...
Christine's Favorite Creativity Tip: Carry a Tiny Spiral Notebook
Get some tiny spiral notebooks.
Carry one in your car. Carry one in your purse. Bring one along in your back pocket. Keep one next to your bed.
Songwriters call them Hook Books. It's a place to write down lyric ideas, especially the "hooky" song titles.
But you don't have to be a songwriter - or even a writer - to use this tool. Here's why:
We all have great ideas. We all hear funny comments worth remembering. We all notice breath-taking moments.
When we actually take the time to jot them down in our tiny notebooks, then we're honoring these ideas and these moments. We are essentially telling our subconscious mind that our creativity matters enough to take action on it. And we're letting it know that it's no big deal. Our subconscious mind gets the message, and begins its work of noticing new things and generating new ideas.
When we keep a tiny notebook, we are training our minds to Attract Ideas. Each time we put an idea or a moment on paper, it's like shouting "Yes!" to our Creativity.
It doesn't matter if we DO anything with the note or the hook or the idea. It's easy for your logical brain to step in and say "Yea but will it pay the bills? Will it lead to a novel?" (In other words, will it be a BIG DEAL?)
Maybe.
But there are some definite things that this practice will do:
· It will teach you how to be an "Idea Magnet."
· It will show you that there are many solutions inside of you.
· It will train you to recognize what delights you and brings you deep joy.
· It will build your relationship to your Creative Self.
Don't be fooled by the simplicity of this tip. Over time, you'll begin to feel the profound effects it has on your life.
Performer, songwriter, and creativity consultant Christine Kane publishes her 'LiveCreative' weekly ezine with more than 4,000 subscribers. If you want to be the artist of your life and create authentic and lasting success, you can sign up for a FRE*E subscription to LiveCreative at www.christinekane.com.
Last week was the grand opening of the Atlantis, The Palm Hotel in Dubai. The resort, built by gaming and resort magnate Sol Kerzner, cost 1.5 billion to build. The opening was an exclusive party for 2000 guests from all over the world and catered spectacular fireworks and a private concert by Kylie Minogue (and many other superlatives). Apparently Kerzner's core value number one is "Blow away your customer". Well I guess he literally did that by blowing away 20 million $.
l Policy Act is a safeguard that forces agencies to look before they leap, considering the environmental implications of federal projects. It guarantees that relevant information will be made available to the public that may play a role in both the decision-making process and the implementation of decisions. But the Bush administration, trying to hastily shove the regulation changes to the Endangered Species Act through before it leaves office, is disregarding the safeguards put in place -- its new Environmental Assessment completely ignores the impact of climate change and pretends there are no alternatives to changing the Endangered Species Act. Additionally, the administration is giving the public only until this Thursday -- November 6th -- to comment. Don't let the Bush administration ignore the impacts of its decisions just because it's in its final days.
