Creativity

I was watching a beautiful Christmas episode of The West Wing: Season 1 the other day. A charming blonde 3rd grader asks President Bartlett, "What is your favorite part about being president?"

He replies, "I'm doing it right now," and swiftly kisses the top of her head.

What is my favorite part about being a coach?

Easy. Watching people expand, unfold and transform. So in honor of a friend who has taken her next steps as a poet, please enjoy:



You can read more about how much I enjoy her live performances, here.

There's that moment when you first break the peel of an orange and a little explosion of orange oil squirts out and fills the space with that familiar smell. And of course, when you bite into a wonderful orange the flesh is full and juicy.

What's juicy in your life right now? How can you get some more of that? How can you really enjoy it when you are there?

-Michael Bungay-Stanier

This morsel of coaching reminds me of a project I recently encountered called H-Factor... Where is Your Heart?. Take a moment to check out this extremely cool short film that brought tears to my eyes. Soak in gratitude for your many blessings.

Much like my earlier post, I want to hear from YOU. Comment here and let me know: what is juicy in your life?

What excites you?

"Out of clutter, find simplicity. From discord, find harmony. In the middle of difficulty, lies opportunity."
- Albert Einstein

In my recent conversation with a highly successful client, I found myself encouraging her to embrace the power of the chaos. Her primary block to enjoying her work was a judgment against her sometimes disorganized work style. She knew she was very capable of being in control and highly focused, but this chaotic trait that showed up from time to time was worrisome. So we went about exploring how she perceived this aspect of herself, and how that contrasted with the self image she found more acceptable.

It's always interesting how different aspects of the human psyche show up, particularly if there's a chance of integrating them more fully into a dynamic sense of self. Studies on sex and gender issues have revealed that women may have their self-esteem buffered by the many hats we are called upon to wear (employee, friend, mother, wife, etc. and so forth). I like to generalize this finding and consider that the more we experience ourselves as successful and capable in any area of life, the more we will see and actively seek out opportunities to be satisfied with our work. Self judgment is often the main block to a fulfilling experience of producing work in the world.

In this coaching, we reinvented this challenge as an opportunity. The reframing of chaos as a strength presented this delightful lesson:

There is freedom in chaos. There is newness, originality, and creativity available to us when we surrender to our chaotic nature and use it as a tool. The human ability to make associations and connections, the inclination to give our ideas the latency they need, the time to set, brew, simmer and sprout, all of this is a natural gift. There is an important difference between embracing the chaos and letting the chaos run you. When the chaos runs you, you'll know it. It looks like overwhelm, lack of efficiency, or confusion. But when you embrace the chaos and play, dance, flirt with the wild and free nature of the human mind, be prepared for greatness.

"Creativity can solve almost any problem. The creative act, the defeat of habit by originality, overcomes everything." - George Lois

I feel ill equipped to translate into words my recent experience with this art. Suffice it to say these paintings and their artists light my soul on fire.

Now you don't need years of schooling to paint like Pablo Picasso. Check out my first attempt at greatness, titled French.

There's a recent buzz about writing for catharsis, expression, and ultimately healing. In the local writing class Val attends, instructor Deb Norton uses "free writing" as one of her tools. Her students write without editing for a set number of minutes and then read it aloud to get feedback from the class. I'll bet the students are shedding rules and crystallizations left and right. What a great exercise for getting free!

Thanks to David Allen, I came across this article on the value of "expressive writing". Researchers describe the health benefits of writing down significant and upsetting events before bedtime. Not surprisingly, participants in the study got a better night's sleep after the therapeutic act. It's wonderful to hear some scientific support for a practice I already do.

I've known about "free-form writing" for years, but it's only in the last three months that I've made it a steady routine. I have to say up front that it's not always fun for me. Uncomfortable emotions can come up when I'm free-form writing. However, the more I go for it and am willing to let go, the more value I receive. I usually feel a deep peace by the time I'm ready to toss my writing into the fireplace. As I watch the paper transform from crisp white pages to oranges, yellows, blues, and finally soft grey ash, I too am transformed by my willingness to express and move on. I think of the phoenix with a smile.

How to do free-form writing: