Intriguing side effects of getting up at o’ dark hundred

December 28, 2011 by 5 Comments

A few weeks ago, I wrote about getting up at 6 a.m. to write. I’ve continued with the experiment and I’ve been enjoying the results very much.

I’ve been surprised to notice a number of interesting side effects:

I feel better rested.

I’ve been going to sleep no later than 10 p.m. if I can possibly help it, and usually more like 9 or 9:30 p.m. I’ve read that you get the most regenerative sleep between the hours of 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., and I’m finding that it is true.

I’m using my time much more wisely.

Something I’ve struggled with over the past year in particular is how I use my time in the evenings.

I was watching shows on streaming video… and then watching just “one more” until the evening was gone and it was far too late. Or obsessively playing iPhone games or looking at things online.

I felt like an out of control addict who was doing unhealthy things in the name of having “alone time.”

Instead, now I reward myself with little nibbles of these formerly addictive devices when I complete a task, and it doesn’t stop me from being efficient and effective. If anything I feel more effective because I’m enjoying these little breaks as true play.

I feel calm.

In part this is due to Just. Doing. The. Writing., but I believe it also has to do with doing it so EARLY.

Getting up at 6 not only demonstrates my commitment to myself and to my writing, but also helps me get it done. Instead of having it hanging over my head for an entire day (“When am I going to fit it in?”), which makes me feel incredibly guilty, I feel at peace when I do it first.

It’s like I’m saying, “I’ve done my hardest work. Now, what else is there?”

I feel happy.

A big part of feeling happy is the result of actively working to fulfill my calling as a writer.

But there’s also a kind of freedom and joy that comes from doing it first that is highly compelling.

Contrary to how it might appear from the outside, writing triggers a huge amount of fear for me, so facing it first (while still half asleep, I might add), creates such a huge sense of relief that happiness seems to rush in and fill the void.

How cool is that?

Your Turn

What does this inspire for you? Let us know on the blog.

 

 Jenna

Coming Attractions

~> Ongoing. My Protection & Grounding Jewelry is on close-out. Only a few items are left. Find them here.

~> January 23rd, 2012. The next session of my Writer’s Circle starts. Sign up here. Get my Free Writing Tips series too, and receive a coupon for a savings on your first 4 week session.

~> February 2, 2012. Start the new year fresh with your life purpose clear in your mind. My next life purpose breakthrough group session in on February 2. Details. Registration deadline: January 5.

 

What I'm Up To

~> Ongoing. Writing in the ProSeries class at ScreenwritingU.

~> Daily and especially Fridays. Sacred writing time. The Do Not Disturb sign is up.

~> Enjoying time off with my family.

Filed Under: Creativity, Writing Tagged With: , , ,

Radically transform your life, a little bit at a time

December 14, 2011 by 4 Comments

Last week I wrote about aligning your day job with your creative destiny and there were a few objections about the practicality of such things in this day and age.

So I want to be clear.

  • I’m not suggesting that you up and quit your current job that doesn’t work for you without having something new lined up.
  • I’m not suggesting that work for peanuts and stress yourself financially in order to pursue your creative work.
  • I’m not suggesting that the only way to have a more aligned day job is to work part time or fewer hours (though that may be part of your solution).

I am suggesting that:

  1. If pursuing your creative destiny is important to you and you believe it is your true source of life satisfaction and ultimate success, you must make it a priority.
  2. In order to make it a priority, you may want to reevaluate the current things you are doing and consider changing them to be better aligned with your creative work.
  3. Many people mistakenly assume there is no other solution to their current circumstances, and/or they are unwilling to challenges the choices in their lives that keep them stuck.
  4. Many people resist making changes because it feels overwhelming.

IF you want to make a change in your current life or job situation, rather than doing it in one fell swoop, I encourage you to tackle it a little bit at a time.

  • Begin thinking of yourself in a new way (e.g “What would it look like to put my writing first?”).
  • Take a look at what’s working and what’s not.
  • Get creative about new ways to approach what’s not working. What could you try that you’ve never tried before? (Getting up early to pursue your art?)
  • Brainstorm what your ideal scenario would look like.
  • Resist deciding there are no alternatives that might work better until you’ve thoroughly explored the options.
  • Open your eyes, heart, and mind to new possibilities and solutions.
  • Take a active role in pursuing those solutions.
  • Start making changes a little bit at a time.
  • If something big falls into place, go for it!

For a long time, I believed that running my busy coaching business meant I couldn’t write. As I wrote last week, I had to shift what I was thinking and believing first, and then shift what I was doing to make a change in my life. And now it’s happening, bit by bit.

The mistake I kept making was not believing it was possible, so I kept waiting for something to happen to make it possible, rather than making it possible myself.

Your Turn

What about you? What’s the first small adjustment you can make to bring your creative work to the forefront of your life? Let us know in the comments.

 Jenna

Coming Attractions

~> Ongoing. My Protection & Grounding Jewelry is on close-out. Only a few items are left. Find them here.

~> December 26th, 2011. The next session of my Writer’s Circle starts — come rain, come shine, come holidays! Sign up here. Get my Free Writing Tips series too, and receive a coupon for a savings on your first 4 week session.

~> February 2, 2012. Start the new year fresh with your life purpose clear in your mind. My next life purpose breakthrough group session in on February 2. Details. Registration deadline: January 5.

 

What I'm Up To

~> Ongoing. Writing in the ProSeries class at ScreenwritingU.

~> Daily and especially Fridays. Sacred writing time. The Do Not Disturb sign is up.

~> Getting ready for some time off with my family over the holidays.

Filed Under: Creativity Tagged With: , , , ,

Align your day job with your creative destiny

December 8, 2011 by 6 Comments

Being trapped between a “day job” and your true creative destiny can be awkward.

It doesn’t have to be.

All too often, having a “day job” or “support job” looks like doing work you don’t enjoy in the name of paying the bills, while you pursue your true creative calling on the side.

In a more optimal scenario it looks like doing work you enjoy, ideally closely akin to your creative work.

For a long time, I’ve wanted to be a “real” writer. You probably know that already. *grin*

And for a while it felt like my coaching business was preventing me from doing that.

What I’ve since learned is that I was the only one stopping myself from pursuing my creative writing, and I had to make a few adjustments to change my relationship with my business to make my writing life a priority.

Inner & Outer Adjustments

Here’s what I mean:

  1. I had to start seeing myself as a writer and believing that my creative destiny and future success lies in that direction.
  2. I had to reorganize the structure of my days and life around my writing.
  3. I had to start thinking of my coaching business as my day job — luckily one that I like very much, and fully intend to keep doing — but one that is not the only center of my universe.
  4. I had redesign my business model to be more in alignment with my writing so it didn’t feel like such a departure from my own creative work (hence my Writer’s Circle and my focus on creativity over sensitivity, though that’s still part of the mix).

Ideal Support Job Alignment Checklist

Some things to take into consideration:

  • Make sure your support job pays well. Support jobs are Good Things, because they give you breathing room, usually financially, so you can pursue your creative destiny free from needing to rely on it to keep a roof over your head. (Not setting it up this way = a recipe for feeling creatively blocked if I ever heard one. I made this mistake when I first started my coaching business.)
  • Make sure your support job leaves enough time and energy that you feel like you have the bandwidth left to pursue your creative work. Support jobs are Good Things only when they work for you, so check to make sure your “day job” is truly supporting your creative work. If it is draining and deadening you, it’s time for a recalibration. Having a good support job that feels good to you can make all the difference in the energy, spirit, and passion you’re able to bring to your creative work.
  • Ideally, make sure your support job is aligned with your creative work. In an ideal world, your support job will match or resonate with your creative work. If it’s not, can you make any adjustments? Your spirit will be so much happier.

Your Turn

What about you? If you have a “day job,” is it working for you? How well is it aligned with your creative destiny? Are you inspired to anything shift about it? Let us know in the comments.

 Jenna

Coming Attractions

~> December 26th, 2011. The next session of my Writer’s Circle starts — come rain, come shine, come holidays! Sign up here. Get my Free Writing Tips series too, and receive a coupon for a savings on your first 4 week session.

~> January 26th, 2012. Start the new year fresh with your life purpose clear in your mind. My next life purpose breakthrough group session in on January 26th, time of day TBA. Details. Registration deadline: December 29th.

 

What I'm Up To

~> Ongoing. Writing in the ProSeries class at ScreenwritingU. Still critiquing (and learning tons!)

~> Daily and especially Fridays. Sacred writing time. The Do Not Disturb sign is up.

Filed Under: Creativity Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Gail McMeekin on Creative Success

December 2, 2011 by 13 Comments

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author Gail McMeekin

This special post is part of a blog book tour series with creativity and success coach Gail McMeekin, author of the best selling book The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women, as well as two new books: The 12 Secrets of  Highly Successful Women and The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women Journal.

Commenters on today’s post will be entered into a random drawing to win one of Gail’s books (2 winners will be selected).

I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Gail professionally over the last 2 years and I’m thrilled to share our interview with you:

 

How would you define true creative success and how can we achieve it?

Creative success is about using our creative fascinations to produce a product or a service that is unique and useful, serves people, and brings us personal satisfaction in the process.

If it is our business, we want our creative work to bring us prosperity as well.

Creative success is also about creating a lifestyle and practices that enhance our creative potential, keep stress at a minimum, and allow for healthy relationships and life balance.

We also need other creative souls in our circle who can stimulate our creative ideas and cheer us on! The secret is to honor our creative gifts and design a lifestyle that supports our intentions, and to let go of inner and outer saboteurs who do not support us.

What would you say to someone wanting to “unleash their creativity” as much as possible?

First, keep an excitement list and explore what fascinates you in depth so that you can get clear on your unique spin on it.

To do this, you must do what I call “The Power of Subtraction” (from my book The Power of Positive Choices) and get rid of all of your “Serenity Stealers‘” people, things, beliefs, etc. that destroy your peace of mind.  Clear your creative channel so that you can use all that newfound energy to invest in your process/project.

As creators, we must filter out everything in our life that drains our creative energy and add in creative catalysts instead.

Then practice my “Focus Model”:

  • F for Fascinations,
  • O is for Originality,
  • C is for Courage,
  • U is for the Ultimate form, and
  • S is for Share.

Creative people need alone time to think and experiment but most of us also need collaboration and support as part of a model that fuels success.

When most people think of being creative they think of making art — are there other ways to be creative? How do you define creativity?

Creativity is not just for artists and writers. Creativity is about making new connections and making or inventing something new.

Remember Thomas Edison and Coco Channel? They were creative in their own industries.

Everyone has the ability to be creative, but we may have forgotten how to leverage it.

When we were all two years old (unless we were being abused or were mentally handicapped), we used our creativity every day in our play. When we scribbled a picture or built a tower of stuffed animals, we didn’t care what other people thought of our productions, we were just expressing ourselves freely. Unfortunately, for many children, that exuberant uninhibited creative bliss gets strangled by criticism and humiliation in school, in families, or at work, and we may shut down.

A lot of us, as adults, have to heal those wounds in order to step into our creative power. I am so fortunate to have been part of George Prince’s Mind Free Program, (he founded Synectics here in Boston and is a poineer in the field) and one of the most important lessons for me was that mistakes are useful and part of the creative process. Talk about getting your mind freed up, and the result was all my books and products!

We are moving into the Conceptual Age, according to Dan Pink, and our skills in design and story-telling, etc are being moved to the forefront, and being used across industries. The boom in entrepreneurs, especially with women, demands that we access our creativity and create new products and services in every field.

Do all creative endeavors require special training or materials?

Most people need special training and materials in their creative work. But there are stories about people who are naturally gifted creatively, like famous singers who never took voice lessons, or Steve Jobs who dropped out of school and went on to invent phenomenal devices that have changed our culture forever. But there were still techniques they had to learn to advance.

In today’s marketplace, we need to develop our creative abilities. As for other skills and materials/equipment, we need to master our “craft” whether it is financial planning, interior design, or fund-raising. With every profession, there is basic knowledge that we need to learn, as well as applying the accompanying technology changes, which are constant.

For example, there are new software programs for screenwriters, and most photographers have abandoned film and are learning digital and video formats. It is essential to keep up with your industry and develop your excellence. As a watercolor painter myself, I had to learn a variety of techniques for managing the flow of water on different types of paper and the necessity to buy only quality paper and paints to get the images that I want.

So, while some folks have natural abilities in a particular genre, it generally needs to be augmented with marketing skills, new technologies, and advanced techniques.

Ideally, we also need a network of people in our field to share information about new trends and challenges so that we are plugged in. What is very exciting is that with the revolution in online learning, we can access great information from all over the world as well as find consultants and people with technical skills to support our creative endeavors.

Is it really possible to be “trained to be more creative?”

Yes. The process of creativity can be learned and applied to any field. It is not just for artists and writers or people in the arts.

We all have the “software” to create — to make new connections between ideas, but many people have forgotten how to use it or they got shamed once or more when expressing themselves and they went numb and into a fear space.

It is interesting that our global competitors like Japan, China, and Europe are actually training children and adults to become more creative and innovative as they understand it is essential for building a strong economy.

But in the US, we are cutting arts programs, student activities like literary magazines and debating clubs, sports, and other activities that challenge students to use both divergent as well as convergent thinking skills. Our creativity scores in grades K-6 are dropping.

As Dan Pink says, we are moving into a conceptual age where our right brain skills such as design and story telling will increase in value and cannot be exported overseas. We need to be offering creativity to children and adults in this country as preparation for the new entrepreneurial marketplace.

What do you recommend when it feels like you are lost in a “creative desert” and looking for clues on where to begin or restart?

Whenever you are feeling parched creatively and starved for ideas, you need to figure out if you just need a rest or if you are truly depleted of inspiration.

Creativity comes in cycles of birth, death, and then rebirth.

When we are in the desert, we may be resting after completing a creative project, which is totally normal. In fact, in the research for all my books, taking a vacation, traveling, or engaging in leisurely activities, can be great catalysts for new ideas. And actually, the word “recreation” can be split up to mean “re-creation” So many times, taking a time out can recharge your creative batteries.

But, sometimes, we may get really lost in the desert and feel discouraged and clueless about what is next. That can be an unnerving and uncomfortable place to be. It usually means that we are in some kind of transition and closing a chapter, so that we can grow in a new direction. These transitions often require patience and persistence and the release of this crazy myth that we have in this culture that we have to have ourselves clear and together all the time.

Change can be a treacherous journey and is rarely a straight line.

Our first step is to turn inward, get quiet, and listen to our creative muse. Some people meditate, some people journal, some try different arts, etc., but you want to surrender to what is calling you. Like starting a fire, you want to get some sparks to ignite and produce some energy. Then you start following the clues and a path will emerge that feels right intuitively which will lead you out of the desert into a creative oasis.

What is the single most important piece of advice you can give to someone struggling with writer’s block or creative block?

First, send your inner critics and gremlins into outer space for now, so that they are silenced.

Then find a conducive place, set a timer for 30 minutes, and begin to paint, write, design or whatever, fearlessly and quickly.

It hardly matters what you do– but you need to shift from inertia to momentum of some kind.

You have to throw dynamite at your resistance and see what you can learn about yourself and what you are trying to create.

If you do this everyday, the block will disintegrate, or you will discover that your passion belongs elsewhere for now.

About Gail

Gail McMeekin is President of Creative Success, LLC which helps creative professionals and entrepreneurs to leverage their best ideas into heartfelt, prosperous businesses and fulfilling lives. She is the author of  best selling book The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women, and has two new books out: The 12 Secrets of  Highly Successful Women and The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women Journal, both of which can be ordered and autographed at on her website at www.creativesuccess.com, where you can also find information about upcoming her events, Creative Success Focus Groups, and VIP Days.

Where to Find Gail’s Books Online

You can find Gail’s books online at Barnes & Noble or at Amazon.com, or you can order autographed copies on Gail’s website here: http://www.creativesuccess.com.

     

Amazon.com

Barnes & Noble

Amazon.com

Barnes & Noble

Amazon.com

Barnes & Noble

 

Win One of Gail’s Books

Two people who comment on today’s post before 5 p.m. Pacific Time on Sunday, December 4th will be randomly selected to win a copy of Gail’s The 12 Secrets of  Highly Successful Women or a set of The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women and The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women Journal. In order to be eligible to win, you must include your email address with your comment and you must comment about what you found most useful and/or insightful from Gail’s answers. Thanks for playing! Winners will be contacted via email and requested to provide a mailing address for shipping your book!

See More of Gail’s Blog Tour

Read the previous post in the blog tour here. And tomorrow’s blog post will be here.

Many thanks to Gail for her generous sharing and inspiring message!

Filed Under: Creativity Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Why I’ve been getting up at 6 a.m. lately

November 30, 2011 by 4 Comments

I’ve been getting up at 6 a.m. lately, for the last two or three weeks, to do something remarkable.

But before you think I’m just an “early bird” let me tell you that up until recently: 1) my ideal sleep scenario involved NO alarm clocks and waking up naturally, usually between 8:30 and 9, and, 2) after a fairly recent and excruciating bout of sleep deprivation à la new baby turned into toddler, …

… if you had had the audacity to suggest that I would get up at 6 a.m. for ANYTHING I would have reacted with revulsion.

So.

That said, here I am, pretty much daily — even on weekends! — getting up at 6 a.m. to WRITE.

And I LOVE it.

Love it!

How insane is that?

The Fear of Writing Has Turned Into a Fear of Not Writing

Today Isabel asked me to think back to what it was like before I was writing regularly, about what that was like. I almost cried. And a wave of fear went through my stomach.

See, the thing is, I’ve crossed a line.

It’s the invisible line between terror in the face of writing and terror at the thought of not writing.

How did that happen?

I mean, of course I know the answer (decision, commitment, regular and consistent action, accountability, passion, etc.) but How. Did. That. Happen?

It’s truly amazing.

Does It Really Matter?

But why, you may be asking, why, Jenna, does it really matter if you get up at 6 a.m. to write? Why not write at 9? Or 3 p.m.?

It does matter. At least to me.

  • It matters because when I start writing before I’ve entirely woken up, my inner critic is a LOT quieter. In fact, I hardly hear from him at all. And that makes my life SO much easier.
  • It matters because when I get up early to do my soul’s true work first, I feel a deep answer to the Powers That Be saying, “Here I am. I am doing my part.”
  • It matters because when I put my Big Dream FIRST in my day, I feel calm for the rest of the day. And that calm is highly addictive.
  • It matters because I’m showing myself, deep down, that I’ve reorganized my life around my passion for writing and I really, really mean it.

I don’t know if I’ll keep doing this — I think I will — but so far, it rocks as successful experiments go. I was inspired to try this by hearing about so many writers that get up so early to write. I figured they must know something I don’t.

Holy smokes, they were right!

Enough About Me

What about you? How are you making your Big Dream a priority in your life? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Warmly,

 Jenna

Join us for the ongoing journey

Join the Writer's CircleThe next session of the Writer’s Circle starts soon. The Circle is a bit like a giant sandbox where you get to experiment with your writing habit, see what works, see what doesn’t, and end your isolation as a writer by writing alongside other writers committed to showing up and doing the work. Find out more and register here: http://JustDoTheWriting.com

 

Filed Under: Creativity, Writing Tagged With: , , ,

Finding The Way Through Perfectionism — A Success Story

November 23, 2011 by 2 Comments

One of “my” writers in the Just Do the Writing Accountability Circle, Molly Yarrington, has taken on a brave and courageous challenge to raise $300 for charity by writing 30 poems in 30 days in the month of November.

Molly is a sensitive soul, a dreamer, a writer, a crew coach, and a poet with a passionate spirit — and like many of us (including me), one with a strong perfectionist streak.

Molly is courageously using this challenge and the support of the Writer’s Circle to push herself to publish a daily poem on her blog to overcome her fears around sharing her work with others and to tame her perfectionism.

“I have been a hermit poet most of my life.”

Molly says, “I have been a hermit poet most of my life, hiding my poems away and only sharing them with a select few best friends. When I took on this challenge, I made a commitment to write and make my writing public, daily.

“All the poems are fresh, ‘first draft‘ format. It is a rare poem I write in one sitting, so this has been a double challenge for me to share not only my poems, but poems I consider to be ‘works in progress.'”

From the inside of the Writer’s Circle (I’m writing this with her permission), I’ve watched Molly persevere through an incredibly busy time in her life to write a poem each and every day, sometimes posting with only minutes to spare, while we cheer her on.

It’s been inspiring to see Molly struggle with the feelings that come up around sharing such raw, deeply personal writing in such a public way, and do it anyway.

You see, when it comes to writing — or creating anything for that matter — we have to be willing to give ourselves permission to do it no matter what, and even to start.

And one of our biggest obstacles to starting is perfectionism, which is really fear in disguise.

Molly says it beautifully:

“Along with, and much more importantly than helping me develop a daily habit of writing, the Writer’s Circle has brought me an awareness of the real issues that have held me back, and believe me, they are NOT lack of time (though I did believe that was the primary issue when I began).

“Through my interaction with this amazing group, I have been able to see that what holds me back is nothing special — I share the same fears and concerns as everyone out there — and somehow, knowing I am not alone in this creative process, makes all the difference.”

The trick is to find ways to bypass that urge to perfect before we create something, and take the risk to get it out there.

Let Molly be your inspiration.

Find Out More About Molly’s Project

Read Molly’s poems here.

If you’d like to, you can support Molly’s pledge for the Family Literacy program of the Center For New Americans here.

Join The Writer’s Circle

If you’d like to have the support to overcome your inner struggles with writing, come join my Just Do The Writing Accountability Circle. The last day to register is TODAY, Wednesday, November 23rd for the session that starts on Monday, November 28th. http://JustDoTheWriting.com

Your Turn

How are you holding back? What are you ready to share? Tell us what you think.

 Jenna

Coming Attractions

~> November 28th. The next session of my Writer’s Circle starts. Sign up here. Get my Free Writing Tips series too, and get a coupon for a savings on your first session.

~> November 29th. It’s my birthday! I’ll be holding a birthday sale for the entire week. Details coming soon.

 


~> Ongoing. Writing for the ProSeries class at ScreenwritingU. Today I worked on eliminating clichés from my script. Super cool.

~> Daily and especially Fridays. Sacred writing time. The Do Not Disturb sign is up. Except this week sacred writing Friday became sacred writing Tuesday because of Thanksgiving. :)

Filed Under: Creative Blocks, Creativity, Writing Tagged With: , , , , , ,

My ego died a little more today

November 17, 2011 by 12 Comments

A while ago I wrote a post about facing the dark creative void, which was received with slightly mixed reviews.

A few people noted (or responded privately) that for them creativity is about light and love and joyful expansion, not darkness, not ever. Many other people connected with what I was talked about.

I certainly can and do connect with the beauty of creativity at the high points along the creative path.

But there are also days when venturing into creativity feels like a terrifying journey through a dark forest laden with the most horrifying monsters I can image.

It’s no wonder why scrubbing the toilet can suddenly seem alarmingly important.

As I’ve been working on my current script I’ve been aware of a background conversation that runs something like this:

  • What if it’s too dark?
  • What if no one likes it and it’s too depressing?
  • What will people think of me as a mother if I write this? (It’s a sci fi story about a mother.)
  • What if they hate it?
  • What if the ending is too bleak and horrible?
  • What if it is too powerful emotionally and people judge me for it?

And today I noticed that all these questions  have to do with my ego.

It’s my ego that cares what other people think.

But my spirit doesn’t.

My spirit says, This is a powerful, painful question you’ve been given to explore and to answer  for this character. So don’t shy away from it, don’t hold back. This is a gift you’ve been given and you are giving, the power to explore this darkness. Don’t be afraid.

My ego died a little more today so that my story might live.

Your Turn

What are you birthing, despite your fears? How can you release what your ego thinks in order to more fully claim your creative visions? Share your thoughts with us in the comments on my blog.

 Jenna

Coming Attractions

~> Wednesday, November 16th at 3 p.m. Pacific Time. My live video Writer’s Chat. Did you miss it? Sign up now and we’ll get you the recording link.

~> November 28th. The next session of my Writer’s Circle starts. Sign up here. Get my Free Writing Tips series too, and get a coupon for a savings on your first session.

~> November 29th. It’s my birthday! I’ll be holding a birthday sale for the entire week. Stay tuned for details. :)

 


~> Saturday morning. The final bits of my Right Brain Business Planning with my buddy Kris Carey. Can’t wait to wrap this up and share with you.

~> Ongoing. Writing for the ProSeries class at ScreenwritingU. The “plotting and outlining” journey continues and it’s amazing!

~> FRIDAYS & now daily too. Sacred writing time. The Do Not Disturb sign is up.

Filed Under: Creativity, Writing Tagged With: , , , ,

How to grow into your dream

November 9, 2011 by 1 Comment

Last week I wrote about the most important work you’ll ever do, which is getting out of your own way so you can make your dream real. Along the way, you’ll also need to grow into and trust your dream.

Growing Into Your Dream

You’ll also need to allow yourself to grow into your dream over time.

Here’s how:

  • Step 1. Get Clear: The first phase of making a dream real is getting clear on what it IS, even if the details are fuzzy. What would be deliciously fun for you? What would you be thrilled beyond reason to do? I want to be a published writer.
  • Step 2. Own It: The second phase is owning it — being clear, inside, about who you are, what you are going to do, and why you are doing it. Still okay if the details are fuzzy. This looks like believing and knowing in your heart you are an artist or healer, even before you are doing it in the world. I am a writer!
  • Step 3. Envision It: Now start to imagine the possibilities for HOW this dream can come into being. What kind of writer (or X) do you want to be? What would you be writing about (or working on)? What would be fun? I want to write a sci-fi script.
  • Step 4. Do It: The fourth phase is where your dream become external — where you start taking action in the outside world, without indulging that part of your brain that wants to give up before you even start because it’s too hard or because you think you have to be perfect before you’ll even attempt it. Remember, this whole idea that we can figure it all out before we start is just a way of playing it safe. I am writing — and people know about it.

Then, it’s time to trust and take action.

Trusting Your Dream

Trusting your dream means being willing to pursue it even when the going gets rough (and even when you aren’t totally sure it’s quite the right dream and maybe your mom was right and you should have just stuck with that graduate school degree after all).

Trusting your dream looks like:

  • Showing up daily and doing the work, bit by bit, come hell or high water.
  • Getting up and writing or painting or working even when you don’t want to or when you’re not in the mood.
  • Believing in the project you picked and seeing it through to the end.
  • When you think what you’ve created is pure crap, you don’t give up, but see it as an opportunity to do better.

Can you allow yourself to grow into your dream and trust it?

Your Turn

I always love hearing from you in the comments on my blog.

 Jenna

 

Coming Attractions

~> November 10th. My next Life Purpose Breakthrough ‘Big Vision’ Group. Sold out. Details about future groups — yes, you might want to get on the waiting list.

~> Wednesday, November 16th at 3 p.m. Pacific Time. Something free, fun, and writerly: A Writer’s Chat. Registration details TBA.

~> November 28th. The next session of my Writer’s Circle starts. Sign up here.

 


~> This weekend. Right Brain Business Planning with my buddy Kris Carey. Last two chapters to go!

~> Ongoing. Writing for the ProSeries class at ScreenwritingU. Now working on “plotting and outlining.”

~> FRIDAYS & now daily too. Sacred writing time. The Do Not Disturb sign is up.

Filed Under: Creativity, Dreamification, Vision Tagged With: , , , ,

The most important work you’ll ever do

November 3, 2011 by 5 Comments

Once you’ve gotten clear on your dream — the Big Thing you Believe Beyond Reason, or what you really, truly, deep down want to do — the most important work you’ll ever do is to get out of your own way so you can make that dream a reality.

Getting out of your own way looks like:

Cleaning up all the ways you stop yourself, all the negative things you tell yourself, all the fears that get in your way, all the stories, all the doubts, all the old creative wounds that hold you back, and doing something about them. This is the place for thorough examination, exploration, discovery, and recovery.

For instance:

  • Pay attention to where you are procrastinating and get to the bottom of it. Sometimes you don’t have enough information, sometimes fear is coming up, sometimes you haven’t hit the right thing yet, sometimes you really need some down time. Figure out what it is and resolve it for yourself so you can Do The Work.
  • Pay attention to the limits you put on your own dream — how are you limiting your own thinking about what is possible? How have you crimped your dream by being reasonable or realistic? (Again, I’m not saying that you don’t have to pay the bills, trust me, I do too, but I still let myself dream about what I really want because I know that’s the only way I’ll ever accomplish it.) This is often a way that we play it safe and hold back from pursuing what we really want.
  • Pay attention to the stories, fears and doubts running through your mind and get help to address them on a deep level so they don’t stop you anymore. This might look like coaching, energy work, therapy, training, talking with a friend, or journaling. The main thing is to look directly in the face of the fears, doubts, stories and old wounds to say, “Really? You sure about that?”

If you want to write, act, sing, paint — whatever your dream is — your most important job is to clear out anything and everything that might stop you from doing it so you can get on with doing the work you were put here to do.

Your Turn

I always love hearing from you in the comments on my blog.

 Jenna

 

Coming Attractions

~> November 10th. My next Life Purpose Breakthrough ‘Big Vision’ Group. Sold out. Details about future groups — yes, you might want to get on the waiting list.

~> November 28th. The next session of my Writer’s Circle starts. Sign up here.

 


~> Next Tuesday. Right Brain Business Planning with my buddy Kris Carey.

~> Ongoing. Writing for the ProSeries class at ScreenwritingU. This class is brilliant! I’m already thrilled with my results and we’ve really just gotten started.

~> FRIDAYS & now daily too. Sacred writing time. The Do Not Disturb sign is up.

Filed Under: Creativity, Dreamification, Quiet Your Inner Critic, Vision Tagged With: , , , , ,

Do You “Believe Beyond Reason?”

October 26, 2011 by 12 Comments

When Joss Whedon’s sci-fi western television series, “Firefly,” was cancelled by the Fox network in 2002, the fans of the show were devastated. But Joss told his actors that he wouldn’t give up and that he would find the show a new home.

Eventually, he found that place with Universal Studios in 2005, where they made a feature length movie called Serenity and resurrected the “Firefly“ story.

Joss says about his movie making, “It’s not to make things people like. It’s never to make things people like. It’s only to make things that they love.”

Refusing to Let It Go

What I love about this story (in addition to loving the show unabashedly), is that Joss was so committed to vision and believed in it so much, that he refused to give up. And his fans and cast did too. Joss says about the experience, “[People] fell in love with it a little bit too much to let it go, too much to lay down arms when the battle looked pretty much lost. In Hollywood, people like that are called ‘unrealistic’ … ‘quixotic’ … ‘obsessive’.”

He seems to be totally okay with that. :)

When he presented the first footage of the movie at San Diego Comic Con, he said to the assembled masses of fans, “This movie should not exist. Failed TV shows don’t get made into major motion pictures unless the creator, the cast, and the fans believe beyond reason.”

Isn’t that the most beautiful turn of phrase?

What Do You Believe Beyond Reason?

What are you so ridiculously over the moon about that it makes you giddy just to think about?

The word passion has become so overused in our culture today, I’m not even sure we know what it means anymore.

To most of us it apparently means something like, “What do you think is a realistic way to make money that you would enjoy doing?”

And while that is a useful question when one is paying one’s bills, it is NOT really the same question as “What are you passionate about?”

Seems to me it’s time to change the question.

Let’s start asking, “What do you BELIEVE BEYOND REASON?”

“What do you believe in so deeply, so permanently, so passionately that you can hardly keep yourself in your skin because you are exploding with joy when you consider it?”

“What brings tears to your eyes when you allow yourself to even just consider the possibility that you might be lucky enough to do it for a single minute of your life?”

Do that. And do it as quick as you can.

Because really, why would we do anything else?

Time’s a wastin.’

Watch Joss’ Introduction Here

Your Turn

I always love hearing from you in the comments on my blog.

 

Jenna

 

Filed Under: Authentic True Work, Creative Visionaries, Creativity, Loving Life, Vision Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
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