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Creativity

The Stumbling Block Called “Decision” 

September 14, 2017 By Cara Lumen

path with boulders 2

The next steps were easy, but each one called for a decision to be made.  I realized that it was the need to make more choices that was holding back my progress.

I was putting a book up on iBooks.  They wanted key words.  A decision.  They wanted a sample chapter.  A decision.  They wanted…you get the picture.  The steps were easy but each one needed a decision on my part.

I looked around to see where else in my life decision-making was slowing me down – or stopping me altogether.

Choose one important thing and do it

My life changed when I read a suggestion that we simply pick one important thing to accomplish each day and do it.  What a difference that made! One thing.  One important thing.  Just one.

So if I choose to get the book cover in iBooks Author as my one important thing that meant I could look at an instruction video, again, and make my decision.  Then I could read the section on uploading in iProducer.  And make uploading the book the most important thing I did the next day.  Each day moves me further along.  And each day I have only one important thing to accomplish.

I can do that.  And so can you!

Group the type of tasks

It helps to group types of tasks together. I record four videos at a time because the light is set up, my hair is combed, etc.

I write posts every day, but once a month I go through them and pull out the ones that seem to have value.  Then I work on them every other day for at least three days, so I can return to them with a beginner’s mind.  Then I run them through www.grammarly.com and send them to my editor.  When they come back I spend a focused period of time choosing photos for all of them and bingo – I have a month’s worth of posts ready.

All because I batched my actions.

Clear space to do the work

If we’re going to focus on one thing, we have to make a decision on what we’ll momentarily put aside in order to make that happen.

If my one important thing to do this week is to edit a batch of posts, then I probably won’t record my vLog.

If my weekly newsletter is due each Sunday, I have to work on it several times during the week.  I find myself inspired to write pieces of it, but on Thursday I set aside time to edit and polish it and send it to be proofed.

Keep your schedule and your choices flexible and simply go with the flow of what’s needed next.

Keep your choices simple

I was stressing out over the number of places I could/should publish my e-books.  Since that technical action is not my favorite thing to do, it was even more dreaded.

Then a friend said, “Where do you buy your books?” And I said, “Amazon.”  She said, “Just do that.”

Life certainly got easier just by simplifying my choices.

Wrap your head around it

That’s an odd phrase – “wrap your head around it.”  There are four distinct steps to that: study, explore, reflect, choose.

Study. Study the situation to get the widest possible view.

Explore. Go a little way down the paths that call most to you and see what possibilities/potential they hold.

Reflect. Go within and listen to your intuition, your inner voice, your feelings, your knowingness.

Choose. Pick one step, one project and begin.  You can always stop. You can always expand.  Just make a choice and begin.

Exploration and expanding choice

The more you go exploring, the broader your choices become.

When I made my first book covers, it was based on what I knew how to do at the time. But I kept experimenting and exploring different programs and allowing what I learned to become absorbed.

And I got better.

And better.

The more you learn, the broader your choices become.

Use visioning to explore

If I were faced with a decision that required me to place myself in a new position – or not – I’d use my imagination to explore my options.  I’d examine my emotions and feeling and state of happiness in the new opportunity compared with my present circumstances, and let those feeling guide my choices.

For instance, as I study shamanism I’ve become clear that I do not want to develop a big practice for individual clients.  But I do want to help change the world. I’ve found a form of shamanistic participation that fits my intentions and my circumstances.  Now I get to explore exactly how I’m going to live that and share that. I simply let it unfold.

Sometimes one choice is as good as another

It doesn’t really matter what form my shamanic practice takes as long as I continue to explore and expand my own understanding and find expressive ways to share what I learn with the world.

Another example is that it doesn’t matter if I stir fry my vegetables or steam them.  As long as I make the healthy choice of eating vegetables.

Some decisions are important.  Others not so much.

Tomorrow is good too

If something blocks our way, move it aside for the moment. For instance, I was editing a batch of posts. I make my selections from all I’ve written lately, put them in one document and start working.

I came to one that needed a lot of work.  I moved it to the bottom of the document I’m working in because I’ll feel better moving through the posts that are coming together well.  I can put the decision of what to do about that post that needs work until all the rest are ready.  I can make it the first thing I do tomorrow.  It’ll be one decision and I’ll feel good about what I’ve already accomplished – the posts that are ready to go for proofing.

Allow yourself flexibility in your schedule and your choices in order to do your best work.

Make one decision at a time

Make a choice and go exploring. If that choice doesn’t feel right, go back to base camp and begin again in a different direction.  If, on the other hand, you come to an enticing side trip, feel free to take that too.

Life is a wonderful adventure full both of choices and of surprises.  Enjoy the journey.

To Sing a Deeper Song Consider. 

The Unfolding Vision Board  

Did You Over–plant?

The Power of Persistence 

Are You Adapting Fast Enough to Change? 

Magic is Simply  a Change in Consciousness

Filed Under: Alligned Choices, Self Awareness, Unfolding Tagged With: choice, Creativity, goal setting, self-awareness

The Responsibility of an Artist

September 15, 2016 By Cara Lumen

woman drawing painting

Jennifer Lopez said the difference between a singer and an artist is that as an artist it’s her responsibility to share her lessons and experiences through her art.

Are you a singer or an artist?

For a long time in my career, I taught to others what I myself had been taught. Even the how-to books I wrote were my interpretation of what I had learned. And because those were mostly systems, there wasn’t much room for creativity – other than in the way I organized and presented them.

Yes, there was a certain amount of art in all that – the art of writing, the art of teaching. But it wasn’t until the personal process that led to the founding of the Deeper Song Community that I felt like I was being original. After all, who can describe how to sing a deeper song? You only know it if you do it.

How much of yourself do you share?

In my case, I probably share too much. But I’m on a quest to deepen my own spirituality and it’s an exciting one. So I share that. I’m also moving through the aging process and as I fight off the average idea of that, I share how I’m progressing. The phrase “translator of life experiences” has appeared in my consciousness.

Build a bridge

Taylor Swift shares a great deal of her personal journey. It’s passionate, and people resonate with her process. She sings about a circumstance and how she moved through it, sharing both the problem and the lesson. It touches hearts and offers lessons and insights.

We have to build that bridge. When we share our insights with others, we have to make the emotional connection to what we faced so that others can identify and connect with it also.

I heard Jennifer Lopez’s words on a very short interview moment on TV and they resonated deeply with me. I jotted down the words, raced to my computer, and here I am – talking about how we can make certain we share of ourselves in a manner that others can hear.

Steps to take

For me, the steps are first that a core idea shows up that calls to me. It can come from a line in a novel, a statement on TV, a webinar, even something I wrote myself. The connection is strong and the aspects I want to explore come on its heels. Then I write to figure out why I like it and how I might apply it in my life. Often it’s an answer I’ve been looking for as my life unfolds.

Write what you need to write but make certain you include a real-life reference that allows people to feel an emotional connection with the situation or problem that you address.

How much is too much?

I don’t have an answer to that. I’m writing so much content that comes from my natural curiosity that I’m slightly overwhelmed, as may be the people who read what I write.

I explore and share my observations on a variety of platforms. My exploration usually begins with a post. More frequently, however, an idea calls to be explored and I go straight to podcast outline mode where I can explore it and tell more stories about the solutions I find.

Share from your heart

When you share from your heart, you’ll touch the hearts of others. Allow your enthusiasm, your discoveries, your concerns to be a part of what you share with others.

The artist’s responsibility is to share their own understanding of life. Be an artist in everything you do.

To Sing a Deeper Song consider:
Share From Your Soul
Stoking the Fire Within
What if You Broke the Mold?
The Length of Your Reach
The Many Faces of Your Calling
40 – Who Do yo Want to Serve?
32 – How to See Your Work As Art

Filed Under: Inspiration, Self Awareness, Spiritual Expansion Tagged With: Creativity, self-awareness, Spiritual Expansion

Build on the Distance You Have Come

June 27, 2016 By Cara Lumen

distance-6

The way you process is to build on the distance you have come. You have skills you have developed, talents you have expanded upon, experience that included success and failure. All of that is the foundation upon which you stand. It is what you build on.

You passion is clear

It’s much easer to identify your passion after you’ve lived a few years. You keep seeking out the same type of experience, the same opportunities. That makes the next part of your journey easy to map out.

Your talents are evident

Sometimes we forget our natural talents. When I started doing videos I loved doing them. Then I remembers I have two degrees in theater. Duh. No wonder I was having a good time. Look back over your life for the talents you developed at an earlier stage and bring them into now.

Your skills have been honed

I know things I didn’t know a few years ago. I do things better this week than I did last week. The more you use your skills, the more choices you have when it comes to a new project – or a new path.

You are wise from experience

Been there, done that. What a time saver that is. And it also keeps us from making the same mistake again. (Hopefully) Let experience guide you but don’t let it keep you stuck. Stay open for change. Embrace change. Take that experience and go exploring.

You know your heart

In retrospect I can look back and see several things I have brought forward steadily in my life. That is my heart. One is writing and the other is an interest in my own spiritual exploration. Now those are coming together for this part of my journey.

Use your past to build your future

Stand firmly in your experience, look deeply into the wisdom of your heart, and build on the distance you have come. Reject what didn’t work. Expand on what did. You have the wisdom now to make choices that are aligned with your passion, your calling, your skills and your talents – all of which have grown richer with age. That’s how you build on the distance you have come.

To Sing a Deeper Song consider:
The Power of Your Personal Path
Can You Control Your Own Destiny?
The Power of Exploring the Unknown
The Power of the Label You Choose
The Art of Mastery
32 – How to See Your Work As Art
35—How to Hold the Space for Change

Filed Under: Positive Change, Self Awareness, Self Mastery Tagged With: Creativity, entrepreneur, positve change, self-awareness

Is Loneliness a Natural Part of Creativity?

April 21, 2013 By Cara Lumen

Lady Gaga said her life was lonely. Danielle Steel said she started writing because she was lonely. And Dana Deaney said she never married or had children because she felt she could not do that and ply her craft. I wondered if loneliness is a natural part of creativity.

Are creatives different?

If you are passionate about an idea you are focused on being it and doing it and sharing it to the exclusion of a lot of other things.  For instance, my choices, my interests and the way I spend my time are all influenced by my massive need to learn and teach. It takes the form of writing and coaching. If you are heavily in touch with your creative side for most of your life you may have felt that you are noticeably different or outside the main stream. And the truth is, if you are going to respond to your creativity and inner passion you have to spend time alone. You have to listen to your inner wisdom and you have to be true to yourself. As you stand firm in your individuality some people will be drawn to you and others will not. There is definitely alone-ness in following the beat of your own drummer.

What happens when you answer the creative muse?

When the idea for this article hit me I was watching The View where all three guests indicated there was loneliness in their lives. Danielle Steel writes all the time and has four or five books going at once. She has been married five times, has raised nine children and has still managed to write nearly 120 books. Lady Gaga writes her own music and designs her incredibly imaginative costumes and sets and of course performs on tour and records.  There is no question that creativity requires devotion and commitment.

I definitely identified with their loneliness so I leaped over to my computer to see what I could discover about the relationship between creativity and loneliness. And that very drop-everything-and-go-write choice is a perfect example of answering the muse to the exclusion of all else. I was excited about the idea, I needed to explore and see what I could discover about the topic of loneliness and I needed to write it right now. So I did. I am sometimes even pulled out of my daily meditation by a thought that calls me to action right that minute. I have been casually reading articles that posed a question I wanted to answer for myself and immediately began to explore it by writing down my thoughts and responses. When the urge to create comes upon you nothing else matters. You answer the muse.

Creatives keep open to inspiration

As a creative you are open to new ideas. You are not looking for anything in particular you are just tuning into that powerful internal response that says “I need to explore that idea.” When I read I write down phrases that inspire me. Sometimes an idea presents itself that one of my coaching clients can use so I sit down and develop it in a form to share with them. Today when a bird was having breakfast at the bird feeder outside my window I wondered about how its day was going and how could I write a bird story as a teaching example.  Or how could I look at the freedom of a bird’s life and apply that to my own? Creatives see opportunities everywhere, all the time.

You gotta love the excitement of your thought process

Creative people are passionate. They love to explore and examine and contemplate. And they have a very strong desire to share what they know and learn with others. My highest moments are when I’m creating a new teaching product, writing down something I know that I want to share with others. That discovery process, those decisions I must make, the results I know I can accomplish and the product I uncover are a natural high that I cherish. In fact, as I’ve watched my mind work to uncover a new idea and turn it into a valuable information product I’ve created my own content development system around the process that I can teach others. Our minds are amazing and using it to discover, uncover and create is totally satisfying.

And then there is the great joy of creating something from nothing!

I took a painting class. It had been a long time since I’d tried to paint and I was never very good at it but I craved creativity. The class began with a blank canvas and when I finished there was a pastoral scene that had not existed before! Not a great one, but from nothing had come something. It was totally satisfying. My mind, my imagination had visualized a scene and turned it into a tangible picture that allowed me to share my vision. That’s what creativity is all about – pulling your ideas from within and putting them in a form to share with others.

Rejoice in the amazing things you learn

If you want to learn more about something write about it. Whether it is an article like this that explores an idea that interests me or the contemplation of a new personal development course I have yet to create, the mere holding of an idea in my consciousness brings answers and resources from every corner. If you want to learn – teach.

You must bring your ideas to others

If you are inspired by something, if you are passionate about a topic, if you have ideas on how to help others get excited too, then you need to bring your ideas to those people. Whether you write or teach or make a video or give a talk, as a creative you need to share your ideas and thoughts.

And you do not have to be alone in your creativity. The internet is the great connector. I can find like-minded people all over the world. I can read what they say or connect with them in person. I can talk to people in England and Egypt and Australia and it makes the world seem smaller and friendlier. I can share my ideas to a much larger audience and have a greater chance of connecting with people who share my interests. The world is our creative connection. But first you have to put your ideas out there so others can find you.

Are we lonely?

We are alone that’s for certain. We are alone when we write our article. We are alone when we plan our telecourse. We are alone when we create time to go within and listen. We constantly make choices that honor and nourish our creativity. I’d much rather spend the morning exploring a new idea than visiting with a neighbor. I’d much rather read something that inspires me and makes me want to go teach that idea to others than work at something confining and repeatable. I cannot be in groups where the conversations are stories of the past. I want to talk about what you are thinking and doing right now to make your world interesting and vital and meaningful. Not everyone can do that. So yes, by the very nature of my creativity I choose to be alone – alone with my thoughts, my ideas and my self-expression. As far as I’m concerned that is simply hanging out with an interesting me. I’m not lonely but I am often alone. Are you lonely in your creativity?

Filed Under: Self Awareness, Self Mastery Tagged With: choice, Creativity, self-awareness

Creative Freedom vs. Sticking with the Plan

May 6, 2012 By Cara Lumen

Have-a-planDoes having a plan squelch your creativity?  On one hand, I love to submerge myself in the creative muse.  On the other hand, if I don’t have a plan I’ll end up taking an entirely different journey than the one I intended. Having a well thought out targeted result in mind before you start writing will help achieve the results you want even as you allow your creative muse free rein.

A plan sets boundaries

When I create a new information product, I write the landing page first . That helps me make major decisions about the scope of the project and the results I want to achieve.  It gives me an opportunity to decide who I am writing to, what they need and want to know and what results I want to achieve with this product.

A plan eliminates idea clutter

When I make the defining choice of writing an ebook on creating an opt in offer   that choice immediately focuses the project.  It eliminates a big portion of the idea clutter that was present when I began the project. It tells me I’m not going to write about the mini-ecourse in that book. I’ll save that for another book. I’m not going to make a telecourse or a video from this idea, I’m going to write one book on a specific topic for a specific audience.  Any idea that is not going in that direction is set aside for another project.

 A plan identifies the most important points

An outline is vital.  When you start to craft your information product put yourself in the Beginner’s Mind.  What do they need to know first, then second?  What do you want your readers to understand by the end of this project?  How do you help them achieve the promised results? What topic needs a fuller explanation, what do they already know?  Keep your ideas in outline form as long as possible so you can recognize the organic flow of the content and make certain it takes your reader on the journey you want them to experience.

A plan helps you get measurable results

When you help people get measurable results they begin to understand that you know what you are talking about and that you can help them.  In every project, you need to take your participant through a series of steps that lead to a measurable end result.  You need to point out the results they have gotten so they recognize their progress. What measurable results do you want from this project?

A plan can expand your own understanding

A plan helps you capture and organize your ideas.  It helps you clarify what you think and what you want to teach.  As you explore what you want to offer your community you may see the need for a series that takes them step-by-step through a process. As you create your plan you will see how some ideas can become ebooks or a videos or telecourses.  You may explore your core concepts by writing great Cornerstone Content. A plan offers you a place to store ideas that don’t fit into this project while allowing you to keep them safely in mind for the next project.  A plan is about making choices and choices clarify your intention and focus the result.

A plan keeps you from feeling overwhelmed

Once you have a plan you can work on it in segments – one chapter at a time, one article at a time, one teleclass at a time.  Working in smaller chunks keeps you from feeling overwhelmed.  Your plan will keep you on target.

A plan helps you stay creatively focused

As you create your interactive elements, as you add stories to your content, as you come up with more ideas, your plan will help you made relevant choices. A plan makes you look at the end results you plan to create and choose or discard each idea based on its value to that ultimate goal.

A plan can simplify

When you make an outline, it’s easy to see whether you have too much information for the format you have chosen.  A plan allows you to break an idea up into a series, or make a beginning and intermediate level of a teleclass series, or write a series of ebooks.

Your product promise

For every project, write a product promise.  What you do want to deliver to the consumer of this product?  Your product promise guides your plan, it focuses you outline and colors the content. The product promise for this article is “At the end of this article you will understand that creating a solid plan does not take away from your creative freedom, it allow you to communicate in a meaningful manner that will change lives.”
Start with your product promise and design a great plan.

© 2012 Cara Lumen

Filed Under: Positive Change Tagged With: content development, Creativity, Product Development

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