The Muse is IN Blog

Typos, vermillion, and jazz violin - we are art itself.

1. We ARE Art Itself - If we pay attention

Virginia Woolf said, “… the whole world is a work of art; … we are the words; we are the music; we are the thing itself.”

In the dark hours, I am pretty sure I am a typo.  But when I accept the call of creative passion, I am a bold stroke of vermillion, a renegade hyperbole, or the wild fury of jazz violin. The world is a canvas to explore, a blank page to fill, and an arpeggio of waiting experiences. This moving masterpiece called “life” becomes intoxicating when it’s lived as if it were art.

What I discovered is that if I’m not awake to the inspiration that is present in every corner of my existence, or if I’m not engaged in my creative process the way I want to be, it’s because of what I’m saying to myself.

The mercilessly critical self-conversations we have are responsible for the resistance, procrastination, perfectionism, and feelings of overwhelm that make our creative expression difficult to access.

The only way I will not sentence myself to a life of frustration and regret is to change what I say to myself.  Even if high-pressured self-bullying is resulting in impressive productivity, if the enjoyment of these ventures is dampened by harsh judgment, what’s the point?

The "Muse" in Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coaching refers to a relationship we can have with ourselves if we decide to be artists of being alive. There are nine "muses" or voices of creativity. They aren't there to replace our judgment, they are there to speak louder.

As a celebration of the end of 2016 (for me a year filled with a LOT of typos but equal amounts of VERMILLION), and the beginning of 2017, I'd like to bring you some messages from each of the nine Modern Day Muses (and a Bodyguard).

We will begin with the Muse I called Aha-phrodite, the Muse of Paying Attention and Passion. This muse speaks to you when you awaken to moments of inspiration, filled with the passion to take action.

I'm working with Carol, a woman who is passionate about an idea she's had for over a decade. She hired me to coach her because carrying out the project feels overwhelming. She took the first steps and came up with a name for a website and then went into fear about the enormity of what she needed to do next. She was immobilized. She's not alone. This is a common response to starting something big.

Fear is a normal part of the creative process. Trying to eliminate it just makes us captive to it. Paying attention to fear encourages it but is understandable because we seem to be human and humans get weirded out by fear. Advertising moguls and the news-media depend on it. If we just let it be there and then pay attention to what we love about our idea, the energy of passion will move us along even if fear continues to mumble.

We can become the passion of art, then love rises to the occasion with exhilaration and determination.

Then the "Kaizen" comes in and when we feel resistance, we break the enormity of a project down to steps so small, fear feels like participating is a waste of time. We fool fear. Or we take a break and trust the steps we just took need to percolate. I like to say to fear, "Thank you for sharing, but I'm passionate about this idea so step aside, I have a minuscule step to take." Wearing a cape helps as well.

Here are some things we can say to ourselves from  "Aha-phrodite's" desire for us to pay attention with passion:

• What do I love about what I'm wanting to do?
• What have I already done?
• What do I get to do next?
• What works to get me to show-up?

 “The Sun will rise and set regardless. What we choose to do with the light while it's here is up to us. Journey wisely.” ~Alexandra Elle

Come be the art in Florida or Taos.

 

Virginia Woolf said, “… the whole world is a work of art; … we are the words; we are the music; we are the thing itself.”

In the dark hours, I am pretty sure I am a typo.  But when I accept the call of creative passion, I am a bold stroke of vermillion, a renegade hyperbole, or the wild fury of jazz violin. The world is a canvas to explore, a blank page to fill, and an arpeggio of waiting experiences. This moving masterpiece called “life” becomes intoxicating when it’s lived as if it were art.

What I discovered is that if I’m not awake to the inspiration that is present in every corner of my existence, or if I’m not engaged in my creative process the way I want to be, it’s because of what I’m saying to myself.

The mercilessly critical self-conversations we have are responsible for the resistance, procrastination, perfectionism, and feelings of overwhelm that make our creative expression difficult to access.

The only way I will not sentence myself to a life of frustration and regret is to change what I say to myself.  Even if high-pressured self-bullying is resulting in impressive productivity, if the enjoyment of these ventures is dampened by harsh judgment, what’s the point?

The "Muse" in Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coaching refers to a relationship we can have with ourselves if we decide to be artists of being alive. There are nine "muses" or voices of creativity. They aren't there to replace our judgment, they are there to speak louder.

As a celebration of the end of 2016 (for me a year filled with a LOT of typos but equal amounts of VERMILLION), and the beginning of 2017, I'd like to bring you some messages from each of the nine Modern Day Muses (and a Bodyguard).

We will begin with the Muse I called Aha-phrodite, the Muse of Paying Attention and Passion. This muse speaks to you when you awaken to moments of inspiration, filled with the passion to take action.

I'm working with Carol, a woman who is passionate about an idea she's had for over a decade. She hired me to coach her because carrying out the project feels overwhelming. She took the first steps and came up with a name for a website and then went into fear about the enormity of what she needed to do next. She was immobilized. She's not alone. This is a common response to starting something big.

Fear is a normal part of the creative process. Trying to eliminate it just makes us captive to it. Paying attention to fear encourages it but is understandable because we seem to be human and humans get weirded out by fear. Advertising moguls and the news-media depend on it. If we just let it be there and then pay attention to what we love about our idea, the energy of passion will move us along even if fear continues to mumble.

We can become the passion of art, then love rises to the occasion with exhilaration and determination.

Then the "Kaizen" comes in and when we feel resistance, we break the enormity of a project down to steps so small, fear feels like participating is a waste of time. We fool fear. Or we take a break and trust the steps we just took need to percolate. I like to say to fear, "Thank you for sharing, but I'm passionate about this idea so step aside, I have a minuscule step to take." Wearing a cape helps as well.

Here are some things we can say to ourselves from  "Aha-phrodite's" desire for us to pay attention with passion:

• What do I love about what I'm wanting to do?
• What have I already done?
• What do I get to do next?
• What works to get me to show-up?

 “The Sun will rise and set regardless. What we choose to do with the light while it's here is up to us. Journey wisely.” ~Alexandra Elle

Come be the art in Florida or Taos.

 

The Inner Tyrant

 

Writing  in my journal what the inner tyrant voice slings at me, heightens my awareness of its deviousness and gives me the power to do something other than passively believe it.

What about you? Any of these tyrant-generated statements sound familiar?

• You never finish anything.
• You quit too easily.
• Someone else is doing that idea... better than you.
• What if you're wasting your time and your idea goes nowhere?
• This is too hard, too much, too perpendicular, too ecru. I have no time.
• You have mustard on the corner of your mouth and never-ending clutter on the corner of your existence.

If you hear these or any other messages that don't feel supportive, you're not alone. Tyrannical voices in the creative process are universal - most of us have them, and those who don't have them, really shouldn't have had that lobotomy. It was a cop-out.

The difference between creative people who crumble when these voices spout off and those who succeed despite them, is how they are answered or ignored.

This week practice your best defiant inner-brat and say "SO?"
Or for a more drawn-out version: "So what?"
And for the premium super-deluxe back-talk to the inner tyrant: "So What, I'm going to do it anyway."

Also, "Thanks for sharing but you're standing on my foot, could you back up three miles and take a bus to Get-Outa-Here?" has worked for me on certain Tuesday afternoons.

The strength of your ability to stay on creative course depends on the strength of your reply to your inner critic. You may have to practice. It doesn't have to be perfect.

Take a page in your visual journal, (if you have one), and depict a giant "SO?" in it with all the most powerful creative media and drawing tools that you own (borrow some if necessary) and all the defiance you can muster (which is different from the mustard on the corner of your mouth).

Hold up your journal with the page opened to "SO?" or if you don't visually journal, get a megaphone and hold it up to your mouth and say “SO!” when the inner tyrant tries to run over you. (Mileage may vary).

Decide on and have ready voices that trigger the power you need to STAY with your creative call. Staying with your creative call is part of staying happy, or becoming happy. Don't give up unless your intuition says “I’m done with this, next!” You’ll know when it’s your intuition and not your fear – it’s a gut feeling..

Contrary to some unhappy peoples’ opinions, it is the wise and kind voices that know best and remind us of this divinely installed ability that we ALL have - to be creative.

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