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10 Ways To Boost Your Creativity (By Julie Plenty)

Creativity is your birthright – but can often be hidden in the everyday. To facilitate your personal development and self growth, here are some creativity tips you can use to resurrect, refresh and enhance your creative faculties.

1. Look after yourself.

Sleep well/Eat well/meditate/do what you enjoy and do it more often (if it is life enhancing!). Creativity is reduced when your senses are dulled.

2. Do something different.

We do so much on auto - the route we take to work, newspaper we read, TV programmes we routinely watch. Vary one element of your regular routine for a while. If feasible, take a different route to work, read a different newspaper (especially one you would never read!).

3. Be curious about your world around you.

It always amazes me when people don't see what's around them. See the area you live/work in as a tourist would. How would you explore it if you were a tourist?

4. Read a book on something you previously had no interest in.

...and see if you can create interest whilst reading it. It is my belief that no topic is boring or uninteresting if it is enthusiastically and creatively presented. You know what you like - or you like what you know?

5. Do something childlike once in a while.

...and you don't have to have the children there as an 'excuse' to do it. Sit and play on swings/draw/paint 'silly' pictures - have fun. Children are incredibly creative and as adults we could learn a lot about how they view the world.

6. Create/prepare quiet time for yourself every day.

Not to do anything (unless it relaxes you), but just to clear and refresh your mind. We are human beings, not doings. There are times when our crowded schedule and minds don't allow space and time for the creative to be welcomed in. Einstein liked to go sailing in the afternoons after working in the morning. Okay, most of us don't have this opportunity, but you get the point.

7. Ask 'what if' questions.

Just for fun and see where the answers take you. What if that building could talk, what would it say, what stories would it tell?

8. We often make assumptions.

...about the people we work with (especially if we don't like them!) Try treating someone you don't particularly like at work as if you liked them (yeah I know...) What would you say, how would you act towards them?

9. Write and storyboard your life.

...as if it were a script you had to sell to a film company.

10. Talk to people you routinely ignore or dismiss.

Imagine their lives from their point of view, they often have viewpoints which you may never have considered before and ... carry a small notebook with you to jot down new ideas / sensations / feelings as they come to mind.

Do one, some or all of these and you’ll soon notice a rise in your creativity, personal development and self growth.

About The Author

Julie Plenty is a Personal and Business Coach, who helps writers, artists and photographers prosper in their business by helping them build a strong personal foundation, because they ARE their business. For more self growth and personal development articles, and to sign up for her Life Design newsletter, visit: http://www.self-help-personal-development.com.

My Work Is My Play - The Journey From Survival to Creativity (By Talia Shafir)

“For the love a’ creation!”, my father was fond of expounding, when “Pete” and “God” had run their course. It was years later until I realized that sentence actually held meaning for me – other than an expression of exasperation. It is, most literally, the love of my life.

For a remote viewer, creation is both the destination and the journey. It has a very real context, namely, the matrix. It is the void, the confluence of all things singularly rolled into one while simultaneously separated into individual parts made unique by a nuance of frequency. It is that vast and limitless outer expanse only reached by turning inward.

In my years of remote viewing, I’ve been on many journeys. The real goal of this process is to engage the consciousness of the matrix. In the advanced stages, the targets reflect this whether they be of a terrestrial or off-planet nature. There is no other way for me to describe my experience except to say that it is a direct interaction with the creative source and a distinct confirmation that we are part and parcel of this force.

As an embodied soul, I am both the creation, bound to a contract of safety and survival, and the creator, inextricably dedicated to risk and innovation. One way of describing survival is to say that it is the eternal quest for the mediator, the recognized other, regulator of our early bio-neurological processes. It is the search for the “savior”, the one who can assure us that no harm will ever befall us as long as we remain faithful to the other’s perceptions of the world.

Creation, on the other hand, is the direct experience beyond time and space. Creation is the personal responsibility of the individual to the collective and has no intermediary. Creation assumes survival.

A Biological Imperative

Survival is our biological imperative. No argument there. However, how we define survival for ourselves and others around us is a component of health and well-being of global proportions. We can, for example, be persuaded to go to war when we’re convinced that our survival is threatened. However, resistance not only arises from an immediate life and death scenario but also out of a question of quality of life. Enter creativity. In the final analysis, we are not content to simply “survive”.

Creativity then becomes the resourced state that sustains life. It is, in fact, an inseparable part of survival. The optimal word here is “resourced”. Our greatest resource is our consciousness. Obviously, the more parts (i.e. pieces of consciousness) of ourselves we can convince to stay present in the moment, the more resourced we are and the more creative we can be.
So what tethers us to the path of expectation? How do we mistake opportunities for opportunists, gifts for burdens, or vice versa? This is our survival mechanism in action; this is also our survival mechanism run amuck.

Past Tense or Present and Tense?

Does the past exist? My answer would be yes, it exists in the present. I have frequently had the experience of remote viewing events, places and life forms in the past. I absolutely know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it is possible to focus on the signal line of such a target and experience that “past moment” in its sensory entirety. As a remote viewer, I am also trained not to take the experience back “home” with me. Consciousness helps me do that.

However, when an unconscious part of me is connected to the signal line of a past event, I don’t have the benefit of that conscious resource. It’s as if that particular part has no idea that a trained remote viewer also shares the same physical container. In that case, whenever some present sensory input amplifies the signal line (to which I’m already unconsciously attached), I experience that event all over again. And the experience registers in my body through the nervous system while my brain draws the same fearful, hopeless or delusional conclusion it’s always drawn, based on the limited resources available to that unconscious part of me.

Of course, I’m just using my remote viewer part to make the point. The same thing happens when consciousness is brought to that current event by any other method of integrated awareness, as long as it includes the body. The body really needs to know it survived. Otherwise, it becomes impossible to return to calm and safety, the portal to creativity.

Survival In the Workplace

One place to easily view this in action is in the workplace. When we’re growing up, choosing a career sounds like an exciting premise. We don’t take into consideration that the unspoken part of our job description will be to fulfill someone else’s expectations. The workplace, by its very nature, is an arena of external focus. That makes it a fertile field for the triggering of unconscious past wounds. We can use the experience to heal and grow (creativity) or we can use it to reaffirm our attachment to a certain level of survival.

What often occurs is that we measure success or failure by the amount of money earned, possessions garnered, and lifestyle achieved. When we speak of someone as “successful”, we usually mean “wealthy. Somehow, this has come to mean that only the “successful”, the “creative”, have earned the right to play.

In this pass/fail world, survival can become a hook synonymous with drudgery, boredom and bitterness. Notice how “successful” people are often touted for their creativity. Ironically, you have to be really creative to survive. It’s just that when the majority of your focus/energy is on a picture of survival alone, you don’t always acknowledge the creative part of the endeavor. Unfortunately, that brand of creativity rarely gets translated into the quantum-leap realm of “success”. We tend to stop at survival instead of peeking around the corner or taking those few extra steps toward a new picture. I must say that one of the major things remote viewing teaches you to do is not to stop at the first picture you think you see. Once again, it’s integrated, perceptual training that makes the difference.

Work and Play Go Hand in Hand

When exactly did ‘work’ and ‘play’ become the Cain and Abel of sound economic theory? In many cultures they used to go together. In some, they still do.

How ironic is it that the biggest innovation in the world of corporate training today involves improv theater techniques and game design technology? No doubt about it…play is a primal imperative. Look around in nature. Play sets the stage for life.

Stress management in the workplace is really about people learning to work and play together for the creative good. Team building skills are all about that very concept. When the company prospers, then everyone benefits. All work and no play makes Jack… a survivor in my book and that’s really only half the story. Life needs creativity to thrive and the creative process needs acknowledged space to happen.

I once attended a week-long meeting of advanced remote viewers from all over the world. Approximately twenty-two nations were represented in a group of about 75 people. We came from all walks of life from teachers and ministers to doctors and lawyers. For three days we struggled to agree upon a list of prime imperatives for human survival. The question was “What drives the human race?”

Some were easy, like ‘love’ and ‘fear’. Others did not flow so glibly off the tongue, like ‘greed’ and ‘competition’. I was a member of a contingent who tried in vain to introduce the word ‘play’ into the mix. In the end, ‘play’ was nixed from the top ten because it was not deemed a powerful enough imperative. What amused me the most was that the group could not sit there for a whole day deliberating on this list without someone starting to play. People either began to joke about other people’s words or just act out and laugh. Some of the group began to devise their own game for picking words. But ‘play’, as visible a driving force as it was, never made the cut.

How does our quest for survival sometimes end up being the death of us? It’s when our biological history keeps insisting that we’re fighting for our life when, in reality, the actual threat in linear time has passed. Our brains have a habit of holding onto strategies that have proved themselves stalwart weapons in the moment only to turn into shackles impeding the march of progress the next day. Humans do it; corporations do it; nations do it.

Taking the Leap

How do we make the move from survival to creativity? Well, first we have to recognize that we’re stuck on survival level. That’s usually the hardest. That’s when we want to look around for someone or something to blame – past or present Many of us are reluctant to move off the “…but you were supposed to take care of me” piece of the healing process. Becoming aware of the fact that “where you are” is more likely “where you’ve been” is an essential first step to witnessing objective truth in the moment.

Remote Viewing calls these scenarios analytical overlays or AOL’s. It’s easier to understand the concept of what needs to be done than it is to actually train your brain not to close off the creative process of inquiry. That’s what we do when we insist on naming or labeling something or someone too quickly. I’ve found that Remote Viewing actually trains your informational processing system to behave differently. We really don’t realize how quickly that conscious part of us wants to draw conclusions. Not every embedded strategy is bad, of course. It’s the ones that don’t work any more but keep on going like the Energizer Bunny of survival mechanisms that we want to address and resource.

On a recent remote viewing journey, I was taken into a part of the matrix that is an energy stream. I saw myself lying there on the mat. The object was to surrender to the energy and have the experience. I suddenly realized that the creative force wanted to “play”. I “returned” with a feeling that creation demands a rebate. The message seemed painfully obvious and terribly simple but it was the experience of it, the embodiment of it that drove the point home: It’s not enough to be someone’s creation. At some point, you have to realize that you’re alive – you’ve made it – and you must give back in order for that creative source to survive. Making a conscious decision to move your perspective from survival to creativity is a spiritual experience that grounds your creative power in the three dimensional world.

Talia Shafir, MA, C.C. Ht. is a regression therapist and co-founder of the Center for Integrated Therapy in Sebastopol. She divides her time among a practice on both coasts which specializes in trauma and long term PTSD, teaching Remote Viewing throughout the country and running a corporate training consultancy using Improv and a variety of experiential techniques called Bizprov International.

For information about Remote Viewing lectures and trainings or therapy inquiries, call 707 829-7904 or visit the web at http://www.soulview.com

For Bizprov International inquiries: 707 829-3757 or Gobizprov@aol.com.

Codifying Creativity (By Kal Bishop)

Can we codify creativity? Within these few words are a number of principles that must be identified and resolved before we can really answer the question.

The first question is, what is creativity? What are we trying to codify?

One useful definition of creativity is that it is problem identification and idea generation. Another is the production of a number of diverse and novel ideas. Yet another is the engagement in a number of diverse and novel behaviours.

The second question is, can we measure creativity?

This is necessary, as any codifying must result in measurable change. From the above, we can see that creativity can be measured on a number of levels such as: a) we can measure the number of ideas produced and their diversity and novelty, b) the frequency of idea production over periods, c) the frequency of divergent and novel behaviours engaged in over periods or d) we can ask people to rate themselves as being creative before and after training.

The third question is, what do we mean by codify?

It means to code or organise into a systematic process. From the above, it becomes clear that codifying creativity is possible if we produce systematic processes that produce measurable change in the ways mentioned above.

Now onto the real question then. Can we codify creativity?

Well, yes. If we just set out a number of processes that produce measurable improvement in the ways described above.

What processes?

There are an infinite number and each produces it’s own set of results. By combining, mixing and rearranging, different results occur.

Simple psychological games, such as role-play, can be used. In the Journal of Psychology, businessmen were asked to rate themselves on creativity and they ranked themselves very low. Then, after asking them to pretend they were happy-go-lucky hippies, they re-rated themselves much higher.

Lateral thinking techniques can be used, where the point is to generate ideas without purpose, for the sake of generating ideas, follow seemingly nonsensical pathways and so forth. This simply maximises the quality and quantity of the idea pool.

Linking techniques can be used. Where everyday, novel and diverse objects are used to create connections with the endeavour.

What I have just done is codify creativity. Ask any group to come up with ideas related to a particular problem and they will produce a set quantity. Use the above three (each contains an infinite number of possibilities) and the group will produce more creative output.

Using and extrapolating the above principles (and using more precise techniques), I can, for example, codify processes and structures that make it possible to complete a screenplay very quickly.

The above is an incredibly general example, but you get the idea. And this small case begins to demonstrate how creativity can be made measurable, useable and tangible.

This topic is covered in depth in the MBA dissertation on Managing Creativity & Innovation, which can be purchased (along with a Creativity and Innovation DIY Audit, Good Idea Generator Software and Power Point Presentation) from http://www.managing-creativity.com. You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

Kal Bishop, MBA

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You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author's name and site URL are retained.

Kal Bishop MBA is a management consultant based in London, UK. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached on http://www.managing-creativity.com

Should You Quit Your Job for Your Dream? (By Suzanne Falter-Barns)

The next time you’re moodily sitting in your office, wishing you were living your dream instead, answer the following questions… or answer them now! They’ll give you a sense of whether or not now’s the time to make the break.

  1. My job is making me crazy; so crazy I’d do anything to quit.
    1. Highly agree
    2. Mildly agree
    3. Don’t really agree
    4. Strongly disagree
  2. If I left my job for my dream, I’m not sure what I’d do first, or even how I’d begin it.
    1. Highly agree
    2. Mildly agree
    3. Don’t really agree
    4. Strongly disagree
  3. My boss runs my life … or ruins it. I feel completely misunderstood and trapped by this job. I don’t even know if I could quit – how would I survive? Who would even hire me?
    1. Highly agree
    2. Mildly agree
    3. Don’t really agree
    4. Strongly disagree
  4. I hate this job but I really need the money. I don’t see any other viable alternative.
    1. Highly agree
    2. Mildly agree
    3. Don’t really agree
    4. Strongly disagree
  5. If I stay at my work just a little longer, I stand a good chance of getting a promotion and a raise. Then I could find my way clear to saving a little money for my dream.
    1. Highly agree
    2. Mildly agree
    3. Don’t really agree
    4. Strongly disagree

    5. Yeah, I could quit my job for my dream, but I could run off to Tahiti, too. That’s way too much risk for my taste.

    1. Highly agree
    2. Mildly agree
    3. Don’t really agree
    4. Strongly disagree
  6. My spouse/partner is okay with the thought of me quitting my job for my dream. We’ve talked it through and he/she sees it as the next thing I need to do.
    1. Highly agree
    2. Mildly agree
    3. Don’t really agree
    4. Strongly disagree
  7. My spouse/partner fully understands what life will be like when I make the leap to begin my dream. He/she will be there for me, emotionally and even financially if necessary.
    1. Highly agree
    2. Mildly agree
    3. Don’t really agree
    4. Strongly disagree
  8. I have a business plan for my dream all organized and ready to go. I’ve even scoped out sources for capital, and necessary space and materials to get to work.
    1. Highly agree
    2. Mildly agree
    3. Don’t really agree
    4. Strongly disagree
  9. I have a savings account for my dream with enough to get started, plus an emergency savings account worth 6 months of my general living expenses. I’ve also scoped out alternatives to my current health care and insurance.
    1. Highly agree
    2. Mildly agree
    3. Don’t really agree
    4. Strongly disagree

    10. I’ve been developing a systematic plan for leaving my job for a while now… I feel I’m almost ready to go.

    1. Highly agree
    2. Mildly agree
    3. Don’t really agree
    4. Strongly disagree

    11. I have an adequate support system in place to really help me move ahead with my dream. It includes good friends and advisors, adequate child or elder care, a supportive spouse, and even a coach or mentor.

    1. Highly agree
    2. Mildly agree
    3. Don’t really agree
    4. Strongly disagree

If you answered mostly a) and b) to questions 1-4, you’re stuck. Your job has forced you to forget about essential pieces of yourself – it’s time to get some career coaching now.

If you answered mostly a) and b) to questions 5 & 6, you’re a borderline case. You haven’t yet decided whether your dream is all that important to the quality of your life. Just an experiment, you might want to sit with a blank piece of paper and really brainstorm what it would be like to live your dream.

If you answered mostly a) and b) to questions 7-11… what are you waiting for? You’ve got a plan, you’ve set up the necessary support and you’re good to go; you should be able to weather the inevitable ups and downs. Be sure to allow your company enough notice to make the transition smoothly, so you can leave with glowing reviews. Congratulations!

Copyright 2004 Suzanne Falter-Barns

About The Author

Suzanne Falter-Barns is an expert on creativity, and the author of two best sellers on creativity. Her website, howmuchjoy.com, and her ezine, The Joy Letter, have been featured in SELF, Fitness, i-village, cybergrrl, and on msn.com among others. To learn more about finding the time, money and energy to live your dream, check out our free ezine, The Joy Letter, at http://www.howmuchjoy.com/joyletter.html

Creativity Myths (By Kal Bishop)

Sustained myths about Creativity and Innovation lead to confusion, bad practice and bad decision making. Some of them include:

1. Creativity requires Creative Types

While some theorists assert that there are creativity traits such as tolerance for ambiguity and intolerance to conformity, these assertions are countered by the fact that traits are hard to identify and are not stable nor transferable across situations. Further, motivation is a critical factor. Additionally, creativity is a cognitive process and thus measurements like “she looks creative” are poor benchmarks. All the research shows that everyone can produce novel, useful, varied, diverse ideas and looking for certain types to come up with them reduces total valuable output.

2. Money is the best Motivator

Material reward is a synergistic extrinsic motivator. That means that it is a factor that enhances intrinsic motivation but may not in itself cause maximum creative effort and output – there are at least six other motivators that are as valuable. Additionally, the exact level of material reward very positively correlates to that received by peer groups.

3. Time Pressure drives Creativity

Yes and no. There are at least three conflicting forces:

a) Time pressure increases creative output. By forcing idea production, setting goals and incremental deadlines, a greater number of ideas are produced than if a “do your best” approach is taken. This action benefits from the positives of prolific production and other processes.

b) Time pressure may be a non-synergistic extrinsic motivator. It reduces the level of engagement in the endeavour and inhibits intrinsic motivation.

c) Short-term time pressure does not allow the mind to engage in the endeavour at various cognitive levels. It does not allow rich ideas to formulate through the process of incubation.

4. Competition outperforms Collaboration

Competition causes many people to shut down and introduces many negatives such as core and peripheral groups, politicking and restriction of information. Collaboration, on the other hand, allows the intellectual cross pollination that is the raw material for good idea generation.

5. Creativity and Innovation can be used interchangeably

The terms Creativity and Innovation are often used interchangeably but they are, in fact, separate and distinct. Creation can be described as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation is idea selection, development and commercialisation. The distinctions alone lead to numerous conclusions. Among them is the fact that:

a) Creativity and Innovation leaders require at least six different competencies (including one holistic) to even begin Managing Creativity and Innovation (actually, many more are needed).

b) Both Creativity and Innovation require different structures, processes and skill sets.

c) Workshop facilitators should split sessions into distinct parts and formulate frameworks and processes to maximise output at each level.

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These and other topics are covered in depth in the MBA dissertation on Managing Creativity & Innovation, which can be purchased at http://www.managing-creativity.com

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You are free to reproduce this article as long as the author's name, web address and link to MBA dissertation is retained.

Kal Bishop MBA
Kal is a management consultant based in London, UK. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller.

Magic In Your Spice Rack (By Samantha Stevens)

Variety is the spice of life, but spices, historically are the stuff of magic! A spell, after all is really just a recipe and traditionally many of them involve plant life or herbs. Magic doesn't have to be complicated to work. In fact the simplest spells sometimes work best of all, because they most resemble an innocent wish and the doer is not attached to the outcome. Check out the magickal uses of some of these very common spices, which are found in almost everybody's spice rack or kitchen cupboard at home.

CINNAMON: Cinnamon is practically one of the most useful spices in practical magic and is used for purification, blessings, prosperity, protection and improved communication. Sprinkling a little cinnamon on your toast or your cafe latte in the morning may help to improve business. To protect yourself from gossip or the envy of others, place a tiny dot of cinnamon on your breast bone in the morning while dressing. Sprinkling a little cinnamon under the phone, may help you get that difficult person to call you back. Sucking on a cinnamon flavored candy before you need to make a presentation or a speech, can help you be more eloquent (as the spice is ruled by Mercury.) The next time you wash the floor, add a dash of cinnamon to the pail to increase business.

GINGER: Ginger is used to speed things up. Next time you do your floor, add a little ginger and cinnamon to the water in the pail to make your own "Fast Luck in a Hurry" floor-wash. A little sprinkled under the phone may cause that important call to come faster, but don't use too much ... it can also cause a heated exchange or an argument. A mixture of ginger, cinnamon, crushed dried rose petals and coffee, placed under your mattress is said to spice up your sex life.

SALT: Salt has been used for ages to purify spaces and prevent negative energies from entering your home. If you feel like you are under attack, try sprinkling a little in all four corners of the house for protection. Taking a bath in salt is said to purify the aura.

BASIL: Said to be ruled by Mars, Basil is said to have a protective and cleansing influence. If you have had contact with someone who you dislike and whose negative energy seems to be hanging around, a bit of basil, steeped in warm water and drunk like a tea or mixed with tobacco and burned on the tip of cigarette is said to drive the obnoxious influence away. Basil sprinkled near the front door is said to bring you money.

BAY LEAF: Aside from seasoning stew, the Bay leaf can also be used for granting wishes. Write your wish on a piece of paper and then fold it into thirds, after placing three bay leaves inside. Fold the paper again into thirds. Once the wish is granted, the paper and bay leaves should be burned as a thank you. Bathing in bay leaves (add nine of them) is said to bring you fame and glory.

MARJORAM: Marjoram can be used to clear negative thought forms from your home. Sprinkle it on the floor and let it sit awhile (like astral baking soda) to absorb the bad energy and then with a broom sweep the negative vibes out the front door.

MINT: If you need to sparkle in a crowd, charm, woo or sell something, trying nibbling on a little mint or drinking mint tea before you do your presentation. However, if that is too archaic for you, sucking on a spearmint-flavored Tic Tac will do the trick as well.

PARSLEY: Need some cold hard cash? Make a tea out of dried parsley by boiling a teaspoon of the dried herb and adding it to a cup of boiled water. Either add it to your bath or put it in an atomizer. The idea is to sprinkle or spray the parsley water in a clockwise direction in your house to raise your money drawing vibration.

ROSEMARY: Rosemary is a protective herb and the whole needles can be sprinkled around the perimeter of a house for protection. If you like antiques, but are worried about the vibe of the previous owner of what you bought, a wash made of one teaspoon of the dried herb to one cup of boiling water can be used to purify the object from the energies of its past owners.

SAGE: Sage is an herb of wisdom. A tea made from a teaspoon of sage and a cup of boiling water can be added to the bath-tub or sprinkled throughout the house to help destroy illusions and raise mental clarity. You can also buy it commercially, in tea bags, and drink it to help improve your memory while studying for tests.

Samantha Steven's articles have been published in many high-standing newspapers and she has published several books. If you wish to buy Samantha's books about metaphysics click herehttp://www.insomniacpress.com/author.php?id=110You can meet Samantha Stevens at http://www.psychicrealm.com where she works as a professional psychic. You can also read more of her articles at http://www.newagenotebook.com

Creative Thinking versus Critical Thinking (By Kal Bishop)

The process of creative thinking is often, mistakenly, intertwined with critical thinking. There is a tendency to write and edit simultaneously, couple hypothesis generation and evaluation, combine problem identification with solution.

To increase effectiveness, one should first apply creative thought, which is meant to be daring, uninhibited, free-spirited, imaginative, unpredictable, and revolutionary. The trick is to ignore content and maximise the size and richness of the idea pool.

Second, critical thinking is exercised to achieve applied creativity. This is reductive, logical, focused, conservative, practical and feasible. During this stage, the idea pool is reduced to achievable, appropriate ideas.

Now onto the Idea Pool itself:

Maximising the size and richness of the idea pool is a conscious process that has a lot in common with a) lateral thinking and b) the elicitation of tacit knowledge. It is the pre-critical thinking phase and some elements include:

a) Coming up with ideas for the sake of generating ideas.

b) Using a variety of stimuli and frameworks to open up as many pathways as possible.

c) Not having a conscious direction.

d) Not stopping when a goal seems fulfilled.

e) Consciously stimulating change in direction.

In short, the key principle is to produce first and scrutinize second – writing and rewriting are two separate processes. This applies across the board, from business problem solving to arts such as screenwriting. The more people try to understand meaning, the less they produce.

Kal Bishop, MBA,
http://www.managing-creativity.com

Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK and founder of http://www.managing-creativity.com. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led improv workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. Kal regularly conducts workshops and presentations in London and can be reached via kalB@managing-creativity.com.

How To Let The Subconscious Mind Do The Creative Work (By Fernando Soave)

From time immemorial mankind has wished for an Aladin’s lamp,
which would make wisheds come true.

The closest thing to this magic lamp is the subconscious mind.
The “genii” of the subconsious mind
will work for you if you follow a certain process.

How can we trap the subconscious mind
into a great deal of our creative work for us.

Here are eight tested ways.

1. Give yourself a motive.

The subconscious mind works at its creative best
when you have a purpose.

2. Make a date with your subconscious mind.

Prod it with definite orders as to what you want,
but don’t tell it what methods to use.

Let it use its own methods.

Example : “Genii, at 2 p.m. tomorrow,
I want you to tell me just how I am going to sell 3000 crates
of oranges to hard boiled Mr. Mack.”
It will help the genii if you have obligingly
collected on cards all the pertinent information about Mr. Mack likes,
dislikes and hobbies.
This will make it easier for the genii to figure out the best approach.

3. Always keep a pad and pencil at your bedside.

You never can tell when the subconscious mind
will suddenly come up with an idea.
When it does, write it down.
Always carry a small notebook or pad with you.

4. Write every idea down.

When you first get an idea,
don’t try to figure out whether it’s good or bad.
Write it down.
“The faintest ink is better then the best memory.”
This is particularly true of creative ideas.

5. Don’t be critical of your ideas too soon.

You have a problem that can’t be solved by cold logic.
It needs the spark of imagination.
But the moment your subconscious mind tries to throw out a spark,
your conscious mind says :
“That idea is a lemon. It will never work.”

In the early stages of the creative game,
the conscious mind must be told to shut up.
Nothing will cause the genii to scamper away
so much as being told by the conscious mind
that their ideas are worthless.

6. When stymied, stop for a while.

Of course, most creative problems can’t be solved overnight.
After you had a creative session with yourself,
it’s usually best to stop trying to think up any more ideas.
This stage is called the incubation.

7. Keep yourself motivated.

Whenever you have temporarily abandoned
seeking an answer to a problem,
the uncounscious mind should have its orders :
“This is important to me.
Don’t give up the ship.
Keep on working on this idea while I sleep and rest.”

8. When the heat of creation is gone

put your work aside for later evaluation.

Just as a period of conscious thinking and gathering facts
usually precedes a creative idea,
so a period of conscious thinking should eventually follow it.
This is the period of evaluation.

Creativeness is wonderfull.
But it is only half the battle.
The other half is evaluating your idea
or hearing another’s opinion of it.

Sometimes an honest opinion may spark a new idea.

Fernando Soave
CEO CUTTING EDGE MLM
http://www.cuttingedgemlm.tk
Free Cutting Edge MLM Newsletter.
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Fernando Soave © 2003

Fernando Soave is the author of "Cutting Edge MLM News." He has been in marketing for 20 years and is helping individuals succeed online. Visit his site to find out how you can get free reports.http://www.cuttingedgemlm.tk or Subscribe to the Free Cutting Edge MLM Newsletterand receive your +$585 MLM Value Pack.mailto:mnet@followup101.com?subject=SUBSCRIBE

7 Things Sapping Your Creativity Right Now (By Linda Dessau)

This was a very easy article to write. I was late in getting started this month, and as my publication deadline got closer and I could no longer wait until I “felt” like writing an article, I was forced to sit down and do it. In doing it, I thought about the last month (when I meant to be getting started on this as well as other creative projects), and I identified seven things that have gotten in the way of my creativity. Maybe you’ll see yourself in some of these.

1. Not getting enough sleep – I noticed this one the most when I DID finally get a good, long sleep (the night before writing this, actually). All of a sudden my muse was speaking to me again (see below for more on that), the day looked positive and full of promise and I was open to the ideas that are always flowing around me. And I just plain felt good! Sleep is something I write and speak a lot about, and it’s still a practice I need to consciously keep up so I don’t slip back into bad habits.

2. Trying to do it alone – Bouncing ideas off someone else is invaluable to me. When I stop before I start (see below), and I don’t consult or collaborate with others, I miss out on the collective voices that are available to me. Just hearing my own telling of an idea – reading it aloud or describing it – can be enough. Any feedback or new ideas is a bonus. If the idea is really fresh and precious, I may ask the listener not to give feedback, and let them know I just need a sounding board at this point.

3. Stopping before I start – Not carrying out my creative projects because of self-doubt, real or imagined obstacles, perfectionism or generalized fear. When it came to writing today’s article, I had to “Just Start”.

4. Poverty mentality –It’s very constricting to be worried about money all the time. I’m doing a lot of reading and learning about this topic right now – I’m sure I’ll be able to share more in future issues.

5. A cluttered work/living space – It’s been over two years since I finished my first major de-cluttering and it’s time for another one! Exciting! While my living space has stayed tidy, some clutter (things I don’t need, use or love) has crept back in and is starting to gnaw at me.

6. Disconnection from my inner wisdom – When I’m rested and feeling well, I can much more easily tap into the ideas that are flowing around me. Whether it’s being open to something useful in an article I’m reading, or just listening for the solution of that problem I’ve been struggling with for a few days (and really, it just “came to me”), the answers are there.

7. Disconnection from my body – If I’d been paying closer attention to my body’s needs, I think I would have arranged sooner for some nights of extra sleep. I need to listen to the messages my body is sending me – do I feel nourished by the food I’m eating (or am I getting hungry too often), am I hydrated (or do I feel thirsty or light-headed, or is my skin extra-dry)? Am I showing physical signs of stress – muscle tightness, shallow breathing or headaches? My body will reward me if I listen to it, use common sense and give it what it wants.

If you saw yourself in some of these examples, take heart. Awareness is the most important step for change to take place. To look in more detail at your self-care habits, take the free quiz on the “Resources” page of my website.

(c) Copyright 2005, Genuine Coaching Services.

Linda Dessau, the Self-Care Coach, helps artists enhance their creativity by addressing their unique self-care issues. If you want to read more about what might be getting in the way of your creativity, sign-up for the Roadblocks to Creativity e-course – it's free! And it includes a subscription to Everyday Artist, Linda's monthly email newsletter. Grab it now by visiting http://www.genuinecoaching.com

"Attraction": What We Attract With Our Creative Choices (By Linda Dessau)

I used to be a jazz singer. Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, they were wonderful and I strived to sing like they did. But no one impressed me as much as Billie Holiday. The tragedy and the talent meshed together into a musical offering unlike any I'd heard. I was inexplicably drawn to the drama and the heartache.

Louise Montello points out, in her book, Essential Musical Intelligence, that I was drawn to those songs for a reason. They corresponded with how I was feeling about myself and my life, and the real or imagined conflicts or unresolved issues that were going on for me.

Later, I found myself still listening to music that was at a different 'frequency' than me, simply out of habit. I either didn't notice that all the songs I was choosing were focused on 'negative' topics or content I didn't agree with anymore, or sometimes I was drawn to the music or musicality of the performers. Or it was simply habit.

There was sometimes a 'coolness' factor - maybe the performer emulated a quality I wanted to possess. Maybe it was their version of success I was after.

A common concept in the personal growth field is that whatever we put our attention on, we unconsciously manifest into our lives. This is the purpose behind the gratitude list - taking time each day to focus on what we're grateful for. It helps to balance out the time that most of us spend lamenting what we DON'T have.

Last night I saw the new movie, 'What the Bleep do We Know?'. My mind is still reeling from all of the scientific evidence that supports the notion that the possibilities, for all of us, are infinite - AND definitely within our control if we choose to think a certain way.

One of the most fascinating and concrete examples came from a Japanese researcher who documented how water crystals changed depending on which thoughts were directed towards them. For more information about the movie, see http://www.whatthebleep.com.

This is not to say that we shouldn't ever sing sad songs, that we should only paint with pink and yellow, or that we should use our computer to filter out negative words in our writing. It's not to say that we should in ANY way censor our authentic expression.

My point here, as it with many of the topics I speak about, is that we should consciously choose and be aware of what we're expressing. AND, as an experiment, we can choose to try and manifest what we want by describing THAT in our art, instead of focusing on expressing our feelings about what we don't.

Today I experiment with choosing songs, both to listen to and to sing, which evoke images of things I want to create in my life, or things I'm grateful for.

I have a very special collection of songs that I listen to every morning. Every song in there is very deliberate. Some of the songs remind me to be grateful, some songs remind me to celebrate and all of the songs connect me in some way to my spirituality.

(c) Copyright 2005, Genuine Coaching Services.

Linda Dessau, the Self-Care Coach, helps artists enhance their creativity by addressing their unique self-care issues. To receive her free monthly newsletter, “Everyday Artist”, subscribe at http://www.genuinecoaching.com/artist-newsletter.html

Fear & Creativity (By Linda Dessau)

My fears are most powerful when they’re simmering just under the surface of my awareness. I’m resistant to a new idea, I’m defensive about holding on to my old ways, I feel excited and panicked at the same time – these are sure-fire signs that there’s some fear under there.

Shining a spotlight on my fear has been the best (and only) way to get to the other side of it.

"Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love" - Ranier Maria Rilke

My fear is there for a good reason – to protect me. If I can have compassion for my fear, and understand what it’s looking for, I’ll be more ready to let it go.

I’ve been thinking about how fear and creativity often go hand in hand. As creative artists, what is our fear looking for? What does it think it’s protecting us from? In exploring these questions I decided to brush up on Abraham Maslow’s “Hierarchy of Needs”.

Abraham Maslow suggested that all human beings have the same basic needs, and that we spend our lives striving to meet them. His famous hierarchy of needs explains that at the basest level we need protection from the elements, food, water and other physiological needs.

Then, we need to feel safety and security within our family, our home and in our place in the world around us. We need to feel that we fit in and understand where we fit in and how everything works.

Next, we need to feel love and belonging - that we're accepted and appreciated.

We need to feel competent and masterful and that we're being recognized for our talents.

Finally, when all of those needs are met, we strive for the "top" level, "Self-Actualization" - to really live up to our highest potential, to feel a oneness with God, the universe and all of our fellow travelers on this Earth.

For some of us, long after the needs HAVE been met, we still fear losing them and having to meet them all over again.

Maybe that’s why creating our art can evoke so much fear. Creativity is a direct form of self-actualization. When you’re feeling fear about putting your creative ideas into motion, which of Maslow’s needs are you concerned about meeting or losing?

* If I commit fully to my art then I won’t be able to support myself financially – I could lose everything and be penniless and homeless

* If I put my creations out into the world, people may not like them – that means they won’t like me, they may laugh at me, I won’t fit in

* If no one likes my work, I won’t fit in. No one loves, understands or knows me. I’m not fulfilling a need in the world – no one needs me. I’m not serving a purpose.

* If I try to create, I could make a mistake. I’ll feel stupid and no one will like me.

To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong.
- Joseph Chilton Pearce

* If I go another year without trying to get my creative projects off the ground, I may never break free of my limitations, and I may live the rest of my life with unrealized potential. I may die with my creativity still inside of me.

Even the fear of death is nothing compared to the fear of not having lived authentically and fully.
- Frances Moore Lappe

Have I missed any? Probably. Of course each of us have our own unique fears – and these are more universal ones that relate to Maslow's hierarchy of needs and to our creative hopes and dreams.

A well-known acronym for fear is:
FEAR = False evidence appearing real

In other words, even though what we're fearful of seems very real to us, it's usually something we've made up in our heads, as opposed to something we're facing in physical form. Studies on the stress hormone cortisol show that our bodies react to our thoughts regardless of what is actually in front of us. Our fears feel VERY real. And……they’re not.

SARK, author of Make Your Creative Dreams Real suggests you to try this acronym on instead:

Fill yourself up creatively – Julia Cameron advocates something similar with her “Artists’s Date” assignment in The Artist’s Way. What sparks your creativity? A long drive in the country? Making a vegetable soup? Meditation? Prayer?

Explore what stops you – looking at your own unique methods of self-sabotage is a cornerstone of the Everyday Self-Care Workbook (http://www.genuinecoaching.com/esc-workbook.html), and of my upcoming book just for creative artists.

Accelerate movement – Do something, anything, to combat the inertia of staying still. SARK advocates “micro movements” that take anywhere from 5 seconds to 5 minutes to complete. Those micro movements are the building blocks for our creative dreams and most importantly, get us moving!!

Repeat – luckily for us, this process continues as long as we’re up for it!

Courage is fear that has said its prayers.
- Dorothy Bernard

(c) Copyright 2005, Genuine Coaching Services.

Linda Dessau, the Self-Care Coach, helps artists enhance their creativity by addressing their unique self-care issues. To receive her free monthly newsletter, “Everyday Artist”, subscribe at http://www.genuinecoaching.com/artist-newsletter.html

Self-Care for Creative Artists: 10 Reasons To Care About It (By Linda Dessau)

1. To be more comfortable in performance situations – performance anxiety usually stems from a variety of causes – physical, mental and emotional. Maintaining your overall health and wellness, including keeping your stress at a manageable level, managing your negative thinking tendencies and getting the emotional support you need, will diffuse some of this anxiety before you hit the stage.

2. To connect more and isolate less – other creative artists can provide you with inspiration, understanding and support. Looking at your social and communication habits can help you to deepen these relationships and allow them to enrich your life.

3. To have enough energy for everything you want to do - healthy habits will give you a fresh spark of energy and a clear mind.

4. To relax – relaxing, letting go and gaining some perspective on the creative process can help you to ease into it, and to let what's meant to be expressed come out naturally.

5. To use your physical environment to make you more creative – paying more attention to your physical surroundings and how they affect your creativity and well-being can have infinite rewards, once you take the steps to create your ideal environment.

6. To find time for what's important – learning how to say "no" to things that are draining your time and energy, in order to say "yes" to yourself and your art.

7. To deepen your creative experience - self-awareness and personal growth will add depth to your creative expression.

8. To stop sabotaging your own efforts – more awareness into the choices you're making will help to shine a light on your hidden and destructive self-sabotage patterns.

9. To take the power away from your inner critic – learning to recognize, hear and then dismiss the voice of the inner critic will increase your confidence and give you back a sense of empowerment.

10. To have easier access to your muse – whether it's speaking to you as your own higher self, a higher power greater than yourself, or through someone else's music, art or words, it's sometimes necessary to "set the stage" for these important conversations. Why make your muse compete with your inner critic, your busy schedule, your late-night adventures or the many other users of your time and energy?

(c) Copyright 2005, Genuine Coaching Services.

Linda Dessau, the Self-Care Coach, helps artists enhance their creativity by addressing their unique self-care issues. To receive her free monthly newsletter, “Everyday Artist”, subscribe at http://www.genuinecoaching.com/artist-newsletter.html

Think & Grow Rich (By Leslie Fieger)

All wealth is a product of mind. Some economists will try to convince you that wealth comes from productivity. Many people believe that wealth is a matter of ownership or the accumulation of possessions. They are blind to the truth. They see only effects, not causes.

It is ideas that produce wealth. The process of creating anything, including wealth, begins with the idealization, the conceptualization, the visualization. Everything that follows is simply the implementation of the original thought. Everyone has the capacity to think and to choose what and how to think. Therefore, everyone can be wealthy.

The great thing is that ideas are free. You don't have to exchange or pay anything to have an idea. The problem most people have is that they don't have any original ideas. Of course, it is possible to refine someone else's idea or to find a better way to implement someone else's idea and thereby create wealth. That is actually what most people do. But why not just come up with your own concept. After all, ideas are free. Yours for the asking. No cost.

Hold onto that thought. Something you can produce with no visible effort, something you can have an endless supply of, something that you can have for free, can make you wealthy. Just one simple idea.

Hey, why don't we create an online flea market?

Zap. eBay. A multi-billion dollar company.

Hey, why don't we create a 24-hour international TV news channel?

Zap. CNN.

Hey, why don't we create a better delivery system than the post office?

Zap. FedEx.

Hey, why don't we create a personal computer?

Zap. Apple Computer.

The experts at IBM laughed at the two Steves. "Who would want a computer in their home? You guys are nuts." Now IBM's business relies on the sale of PCs. And the world is a different place. What would your life be like without a personal computer?

His college professor gave Fred Smith a 'C' on his paper proposing the need for a guaranteed overnight delivery service. Now even the post office copies Fred's FedEx concept. Fred is wealthy. The prof is still not. Not wealthy and not thinking correctly. Thinks A ideas are C value.

Ted Turner knew nothing about TV. His business was outdoor advertising. Billboards. Now, the major TV networks copy little old upstart TBS. And now it is CNN/Time Warner/AOL.

Ideas. How great they are compared to tangible things. Here's why. If I have clay pots and you have apple pies, I can trade you a clay pot for an apple pie, but then I'd have one less clay pot and you'd have one less apple pie. But if I have an idea and you have an idea, I can trade you my idea for your idea and now we both have two ideas. Not only that, two ideas often act synergistically to make a third idea and maybe even a fourth or a fifth idea as well.

Tangible things do not grow when exchanged. They merely change hands. Ideas change the world. Tangible things do not create wealth. They are the effects of wealth creation. Ideas are the cause of wealth creation. Had any good or original ideas recently? You are equally as capable of having them as any one else. Ok, maybe you don't know how to think original thoughts. Improved upon anybody else's ideas lately? At least you can do that. No? The find a good idea and implement it. Copy. Mimic. Do the same thing.

Michael Dell did not invent the personal computer. DHL is merely copying FedEx. The boys at Google did not invent Internet search engines. They just built a better one. It was someone else's original idea.

I did not invent eBooks. Online marketing was not my original idea. I took my ideas, added the ideas of others and presto, a wealth creation business.

Yes, you can think and grow rich. I know. I have the proof. That's what I do. So can you. Go ahead; I dare you. Think. Idealize. Imagine. What if...

Why don't we create a...

© Leslie Fieger. All rights reserved worldwide.

Leslie is the author of The DELFIN Knowledge System Trilogy: The Initiation, The Journey and The Quest plus many more success publications. He also the co-author of The End of the World with Hugh Jeffries and Alexandra's DragonFire with his daughter Ashley. Subscribe to his free and ad-free eZine at http://www.ProsperityParadigm.com or http://www.LeslieFieger.com.

Reprinting and republishing of this article is granted only with the above credit included. Permission to reprint or republish does not waive any copyright.

Creating and Living Your Ideal Legacy (By Steve Brunkhorst)

A legacy is more than a gift that lives on after you. Certainly, a legacy is a contribution to humanity. A legacy provides value to future generations. However, if you are creating your ideal legacy, it will also make your heart bubble with passion and excitement today!

Louisa Alcott wrote:


"When Emerson's library was burning at Concord, I went to him as he stood with the firelight on his strong, sweet face, and endeavored to express my sympathy for the loss of his most valued possessions, but he answered cheerily, 'Never mind, Louisa, see what a beautiful blaze they make! We will enjoy that now.' The lesson was one never forgotten and in the varied lessons that have come to me I have learned to look for something beautiful and bright."

Emerson left future generations with a philosophy of creativity, spiritual development, and individualism. He saw value and quality in each moment of life. His writings continue to share the message that people have the mental and spiritual capacities to achieve their dreams. He lived a philosophy that continues to benefit humanity.

The building blocks of your legacy are the ideas and philosophies that you live and value. Your contributions will provide something beautiful and bright to cherish during this lifetime. They will increase your sense of aliveness and fill you with the energy of a unique purpose for which you were born. They make up the quality of your life now.

How can you begin creating and living your ideal legacy today?

1. Decide What You Value the Most

Write down all the things that you value, and select at least five core values: those things that provide the foundation for your actions, beliefs, and philosophies. Examples of values are love, health, spirituality, family, career, adventure, peace, and community.

2. Draw a Time Line of Your Life

Draw a long line and mark it by years and months beginning with your birthday. Extend it for decades after your life will have ended. Include all the things you have done and things you want to do. Include the benefits future generations will experience from your contributions. Show how your life's work will actually continue after you. Your timeline is a very eye opening exercise. Spend adequate time with it and fill in as many details as possible. Then return from time to time to update your timeline and add extra details.

3. Write a Purpose Statement

Notice the themes running through your timeline. They can help to reveal your purpose if you are not already aware of it. A purpose statement is a simple, private statement that guides your daily actions. For example, you might write, "I help others to live happy and healthy lives" or "I create art that brings spiritual awareness." Do not confuse a purpose statement with a mission statement, which is a more specific way you might fulfill your purpose.

4. Focus on Today

Your timeline presented a large picture. What is your focus just for today? Spend sufficient time focusing on your current steps as well as on the future. How are your actions in each moment supporting your values and contributing to your purpose? If you are on purpose, you will feel authentically happy and fulfilled.

5. Move Forward with Gratitude

Live your ideal legacy by taking positive steps each day toward your vision for a better world. Savor the small treasures in your relationships with people. Live with gratitude for each contribution you have received and created. Give thanks even for the setbacks that ultimately reveal clearer paths forward.

Evangelist, Billy Graham said, "The legacy we leave is not just in our possessions, but in the quality of our lives." What legacy does the quality of your life reveal today? Envision your ideal legacy. See your role in creating a richer humanity. The legacy you share and live today can create a better world for future generations.

© Copyright by Steve Brunkhorst. Steve is a professional life success coach, motivational author, and the editor of Achieve! 60-Second Nuggets of Inspiration, a popular mini-zine bringing great stories, motivational nuggets, and inspiring thoughts to help you achieve more in your career and personal life. Get the next issue by visiting http://www.AchieveEzine.com

Sleep and Creativity (By Linda Dessau)

In my life, sleep is the number one way that I can either enhance my self-care and nourish myself or defeat my self-care and deplete my energy, peace of mind & productivity all in one shot.

When I’m rested I’m more resilient to stress. My body is more flexible and willing to work, my head is more clear and focused, I feel happier and more at peace and I’m nicer to myself AND to everyone else.

When I’m overtired, on the other hand – my body and my emotions feel more brittle. Unexpected turns can send me into a hurricane of a tizzy, my mind is foggy and I’m much less likely to be kind to you OR me.

I know this. I’ve known this for some time now. So, you’d think I consistently get enough sleep to make sure that first scenario happens all the time, right? After all, I AM the “Self-Care Coach”, my self-care must be perfect, right?

Well…….not so much.

As well as writing about sleep, I must mention another self-care concept here – in order to explain why I’m a bit bleary-eyed today. The concept is SELF-SABOTAGE.

The dictionary definition of sabotage is "an act or process tending to hamper or hurt" or "deliberate subversion". Why on earth would we sabotage ourselves? That's a complicated answer. And a simple one. We choose to.

Sometimes it's so frightening to imagine changing, growing or making conscious choices that we deliberately hamper our own efforts. We make choices every minute of every day. Our life is up to us. These are intimidating thoughts. And doing things the way we've always done them feels safe and comforting.

I know I’ll feel so much better if I get a good night’s sleep. And sometimes, for whatever reasons, I don’t choose to “feel good”.

And when self-love and common sense win out and I AM able to do what I need to do in order to get a good night’s sleep, I am rewarded.

Aside from benefits I’ve already mentioned, a good night’s sleep can also have specific rewards for us creatively. A few months ago I came across an article titled “Does a good sleep make you smarter?” (www.msnbc.com, in the “Health” section). The article described a research project going on at the University of Luebeck in Germany, which has determined that a good sleep not only makes us smarter and better at problem-solving, but more creative as well!

The article points out that “history is dotted with incidents where artists and scientists have awakened to make their most notable contributions after long periods of frustration.”

In other words, when we’re struggling with a problem in the hours before sleep, our brains actually keep working on the problem while we’re sleeping, and the answer might just “pop out” in the morning!

So, the longer and more restful sleep that we have, the more time there is for our “sleeping brain” to work on the problem that our “awake brain” has been struggling with.

This relates to the common spiritual practice of praying, before bed, for the solution to a problem, or to the self-help practice of writing a question on a piece of paper and slipping that under your pillow before bed.

So what stops you from getting a good night’s sleep? How do you sabotage your efforts? Over-work? Television? Internet surfing or gaming? Food, drink or other substances that make it difficult to sleep? Irregular sleep habits?

Here are the five things that work best for ME for getting a good night’s sleep.

1. Turning off the computer and television one hour before I’d like to be asleep. This gives me time to wind down, quiet my thoughts and prepare myself for sleep.

2. Getting out of bed early on the weekends. This means I don’t stay up too late or sleep in too long on the weekends. I try and keep my bedtime and wake-up times within about an hour of what I do during the week. Otherwise I spend half the week getting re-adjusted and life’s too short!!

3. Giving up caffeine. Even before I gave it up completely, I really had to limit my caffeine and “just say no” anytime after about 5:00 p.m. or else the caffeine affected my sleep that night.

4. Breathing techniques and other relaxation exercises. Just a few minutes of deep breathing can calm me and send me right off to sleep.

The simplest tips are to focus on breathing from the belly (diaphragmatic breathing) and to focus on long exhalations (exhalation is associated with the parasympathetic nervous system, responsible for relaxation).

5. Setting the scene with music. I use music both as I’m winding down and getting ready for bed, and as I’m going to sleep. I’ve experimented to find the music that best does the job for me; this is obviously a very individual choice.

I recommend either instrumental music or vocal music that is either without words or sung in a language you don’t understand (so you’re not mentally caught up in the words as you’re trying to fall asleep). Wind instruments (I like the shakuhachi flute) are nice since the natural breaths and pauses that the musician takes can mirror your own deep, slow breathing.

Have you ever woken up in the morning (or in the middle of the night!) with the solution to a problem, a new idea for a song, or another creative spark? That sounds like the work of a good night’s sleep!

This article was originally published on the Muses Muse Songwriter’s Resource website (January 2005) http://www.musesmuse.com.

(c) Copyright 2005, Genuine Coaching Services.

Linda Dessau, the Self-Care Coach, helps artists enhance their creativity by addressing their unique self-care issues. To receive her free monthly newsletter, “Everyday Artist”, subscribe at http://www.genuinecoaching.com/artist-newsletter.html

Creative Dreams - What Winter Driving Taught Me (By Linda Dessau)

We had a winter storm the other day here in Toronto. And as I was driving, I started thinking about what my winter driving had in common with my creative dreams. Here’s what I came up with.

1. Being grateful to be in my car, pointed in the right direction and moving (however slowly). Some days I don’t accomplish as much work towards my creative dream as I set out to. Other days it seems like I’m moving backwards.

And I know that as I:

~ Get in the car (show up every day),

~ Point it in the right direction (have positive intentions and goals that I’ve expressed, written down and shared with someone), and

~ Keep moving (spending time on my creative dream every day, even just five minutes),

I’m doing the right things to protect my creative dreams and keep them alive.

2. There will always be someone in front of me and there will always be someone behind me, and where I am is just perfect.

When I come upon a person who is living out a version of my creative dream, only they seem to be farther along with it than I am, I need to let go of any feelings of jealousy, fear or discouragement that may come up.

I need to learn from them, admire them, connect with them and offer them my support. And I can do the same for the person who’s just starting out and for whom my almost two and a half years in business seems like a lifetime.

I need to accept that my fate is already happening, and it’s happening at the perfect speed, even if I don’t always see it at the moment.

3. If I try to do more than one thing at a time I risk derailing myself – and my very survival. A winter storm day is not the time to open a water bottle, make a phone call or jot down my grocery list while I’m driving.

I have many creative dreams and many things I want to accomplish everyday, every week and throughout my life. I can do them all. And I can only do one at a time. Spreading myself thin makes it harder to be effective and I risk giving up on one of my projects.

One worry is that I’ll “lose something” – completely forget about a project or my excitement for it. I have to keep faith that the really special projects won’t be forgotten.

And that if something is jumping in front of me and distracting me from the task at hand, maybe the truly exciting thing about it is that it’s taking me away from the “drudgery” of completing what’s in front of me. I need to complete what’s in front of me.

4. I have to keep my reservoir full. By practicing healthy self-care habits every day, my reservoir of energy (adequate nutrition and enough sleep, rest and activity) will get topped up.

It’s when my reservoir is full that I’ll be the most creative and the most open to my muse and to spiritual guidance.

And as I use it I need to constantly replace it.

Because any change we make needs to be reinforced with our actions every day. And every morning is a brand new start and the beginning of a whole day’s worth of choices to make.

5. God’s in charge (and I’m not). I can make all the plans in the world, and, as we all were reminded on December 26, 2004, plans (and lives) can be washed away in an instant.

So while I set positive intentions, create goals and practice positive visioning of what the future holds, I also aim to be open and accepting to whatever God’s plan is for me and for my creative dreams.

Prayer, meditation, talking things over with someone I trust, all of these help me to separate *my* plans from what God seems to be telling me.

And last Wednesday God planted the seeds for this article by providing a winter storm, extra time in the car, a good dose of inspiration from my muse, and the willingness to listen to it.

(c) Copyright 2005, Genuine Coaching Services.

Linda Dessau, the Self-Care Coach, helps artists enhance their creativity by addressing their unique self-care issues. To receive her free monthly newsletter, “Everyday Artist”, subscribe at http://www.genuinecoaching.com/artist-newsletter.html

Breathing Out Stage Fright (By Linda Dessau)

You're stepping onto the stage, amidst opening night flurry and last minute stage directions. In the audience are the director you'd like to work with, the reviewer everyone listens to, and your first acting coach. The blood pumps in your ears, your heart is racing, and your throat is so dry you can't possibly speak your lines. Every muscle is tense and you want to run.

It's called the "fight or flight" response. It's also called stage fright. Stage fright comes in many different forms. For some, it's a nervous energy that disappears as soon as they begin performing, or a familiar sensation that's always under the surface but feels manageable most of the time. For others, it's so debilitating that they can't get through an audition to even be part of a performance.

Stage fright has huge repercussions to the health and well-being of the performer.

Dr. Louise Montello of Musicians Wellness, Inc. has worked with injured, blocked and anxious performers for many years, and has developed a rich set of tools that we can use in moments of stress and anxiety.

One of her most powerful techniques, from the Yoga tradition, is breath. Breath is a key link between the mind and the body. Our body's autonomic nervous system is made up of the parasympathetic nervous system (related to relaxation, creativity and awareness) and the sympathetic nervous system (related to analytical thinking and action). When we're in "fight or flight" mode, our sympathetic nervous systems are in charge, and our bodies, minds and emotions are locked into battle with an imaginary enemy (while our creative expression gets caught in the crossfire).

Deep breathing and the specific techniques that will be described in this article can reawaken your parasympathetic nervous system.

Note: In yogic breathing exercises, it's important to always breathe in and out through the nose.

1. Diaphragmatic breathing ("belly breathing")

Why? It allows you to move more air into your body and also to send more stale air out on the exhalation.

How? Practice this type of breathing while holding your hands on your belly, to feel it expand as you inhale, and contract as you exhale. Your back and sides should expand and contract as well. Watch a baby sleeping to get a really good demonstration of belly breathing.

2. Even breathing

Why? Will smooth out your breathing and help you to feel grounded.

How? Breathe in and out for the same number of counts.

3. Two-to-one breathing

Why? Since exhalation is associated with the parasympathetic nervous system (related to relaxation, creativity and awareness), long exhalations also help to induce relaxation. This exercise is helpful in times of great stress (i.e. auditions).

How? Breathe in for a certain number of counts, and then breathe out for twice as many counts (count evenly in your own time), pushing the breath out from the belly.

4. Alternate nostril breathing

Why? By alternately breathing through our right nostril (connected to our sympathetic nervous system) and our left nostril (connected to our parasympathetic nervous system), we can balance our entire autonomic nervous system.

How? To prepare for this exercise, clear your nostrils by breathing in and out quickly several times in a row (another technique called "cleansing breath"). Now, fold the index finger and middle finger of the right hand into the palm, and use the thumb to close your right nostril and your ring finger to close your left nostril.

Begin by inhaling through both nostrils. Then breathe out through one nostril, while blocking the other, and then switch and breathe in through the other nostril.

After three complete breaths, exhale without switching sides, and do three more breaths. This means you're now inhaling on the opposite side that you started from.

Now rest and breathe deeply and evenly through both nostrils for a few minutes. Then repeat that cycle two more times (with a rest in between), so you've done three cycles in total.

You'll be amazed at the difference these simple breathing exercises can make, with a few short minutes of practice every day. Then, at times of stress, you'll have a valuable tool to support your performance, and all your creative dreams.

© Copyright 2005, Linda Dessau. All rights reserved.

Linda Dessau, the Self-Care Coach, helps artists enhance their creativity by addressing their unique self-care issues. Visit http://www.preparingforperformance.com for more help with performance anxiety.

The Elements of Creativity: Attributes Listing Method (By Alvin Chan)

Attribute listing is one of the best ways to generate ideas, whereby there any many parts to the problem/ challenge faced. If you are asked to generate ideas or solutions to a complex challenge, the first thing you can do is to list all the attributes of your problem.

These may include:

  • Physical
  • Mental
  • Emotional
  • Social
  • and more (depending on the complexity of the challenge)

By doing so, you can then concentrate on each attribute at a time. This will no doubt give you more peace of mind (and pulling of your hairs) when generating your ideas.

The attribute listing technique is often used in a Research & Development (R&D) department of many companies, especially those who are constantly producing innovative products to have an advantage over their competitors.

Let’s go through this worked example to give you a better understanding of how attributes listing can be of help to you.

For example, if your challenge is to design a new ladies’ handbag, you could list the attributes as: the physical aspects which include- shape, length, colour, materials used and on the emotional aspects-the stress some women faced of misplacing their handbags. You might choose to first tackle the emotional stress of losing one’s handbag by creating a new small gadget to be placed within the handbag to sound the owner that she is moving too far away (maybe one or two metre away) from her ‘treasure chest’. After that, you could work on the other attributes, one by one, be it the shape or materials used for the handbag.

Putting Your Elements to Work:

Try to generate oodles of ideas using attributes listing with these sets of challenges:

1. Design a new toy for children under 6 years old to teach them simple arithmetic. Safety is an important attribute.

2. Create a campaign to encourage people to stop smoking. (Think through the attributes: Physical, Mental, Emotional and Social)

3. Set up an effective marketing plan (there are many parts to a good marketing plan: the 4 P’s – Product, Price, Place and Promotion) for your new products.

Have Fun!

About The Author

Dr. Alvin Chan is a Senior Research Consultant at First Quatermain Centre of Collaborative Innovation (http://www.firstquatermain.com).

Please contact heartware2002@yahoo.com as a courtesy when reprinting the article online and/or offline.

bizguru88@hotmail.com

The Art of Keeping a Journal (By Janice Hoffmann)

Journal keeping is basically without rules. It is an uncensored invitation to cut & paste, sketch & chart, and to visualize and unravel every great and small thought. At its most basic it is a decision that your life has value.

Just listing your experiences and endeavors can reveal incredible things and encourage you to work for the nearly impossible, the rigorous, and the unseen. Recently, during a course on INQUIRY, I was asked to make a list of one hundred things I didn't know. Here a simple list became a prospect for the unknown and an introduction to something new. As Henry Miller states, "Writing, like life itself, is a voyage of discovery."

I have also discovered that journal keeping is a great way to zero in. For instance, if you were preparing to run a marathon and wanted to improve your performance as a runner. You might put together a journal with notes that included:

· Diet & nutrition

· Speed & strength

· Warm up & cool down

· Visualization & meditation

· Cross training

· Profiles of great athletes

· And perhaps a section reserved for ideas and challenges yet to come.

It has been noted that elite athletes keep meticulous journals on their training and competition, not only to advance and validate their hard work and progress, but to mentally prepare them for athletic mastery.

Journals are great for tracking and brainstorming projects or developing a theme such as business creativity or spiritual practice. It can be used as a restorative retreat or a creative landscape, a playground of sorts for your professional goals or a keepsake for travel, weddings and birthdays.

·Try personalizing your own journal by creating an arrangement that is both practical and natural.

·Ask questions and dialogue with the world.

·Use it with regularity and see if this kindles some sort of journey.

Above all enjoy the adventure! WRITE UPSIDE DOWN, USE DIFFERENT COLORS OF PENS, collect conversations, favorite song lyrics & meaningful quotes --or start on the last page and see where it takes you!

The basic nutrition for a journal differs. Yet the more you nourish it, the more confident and the more willing your imagination & intelligence will be.

Janice Hoffmann is CEO and Founder of Success Is Sweetest http://www.successissweetest.com -A NewYork City based Career and lifestyle Coaching boutique.

Top Ten Brainstorming Techniques for Business Success (By Bea Fields)

We experience creativity every time a fresh idea pops into our minds. We recognize creative imagination in everything from a pastel painting to a business plan. By trying these ten tips, you will discover some amazing creative abilities that may surprise you.

1. Substitute someone else's perspective for yours. How would a teacher, lawyer, actor, artist, explorer, journalist, psychologist, engineer, homemaker, child, or accountant approach your idea or subject? Don't know? Ask them!

2. Look at your idea through the eyes of a critic. For each idea, make a list of all criticisms that may arise. Try to develop as many solutions as possible for overcoming obstacles or repairing weaknesses in your idea.

3. Connect your idea to other worlds or fields. Look at the worlds of Politics, Art, Science & Medicine, Hollywood, The Ice Age, Astronomy, Astrology, Ballet, Animation, The Army, Asia, Teaching, Music, Europe, and the like. Can you make an analogy, and what ideas can you draw upon from these fields and worlds?

4. Magnify your idea. What can you do to enlarge, expedite, extend, strengthen, exaggerate, dramatize, or improve your idea?

5. Simplify your idea. Can you condense, trim down, compact, minimize, or narrow your idea?

6. Change your idea. Modify the name, color, sound, shape, form, function, smell, taste, and properties of your idea.

7. Make your idea meet the needs and wants of the masses. Does your idea meet the basic needs and wants of more comfort, money, food, shelter, time, space, convenience, attractiveness, health, and beauty? If not, alter your idea to meet one if not all of these needs and wants.

8. Add more value. What will add more value? Add extra features, durability, safety, thickness, accuracy, guarantees, uses, and freebies.

9. Examine what others have done. Emulate professionals and experts who have had great success with a similar idea or product. Are you facing a problem that has already been solved? Use the past as a tool for experimentation and learning.

10. Flip a coin. When you cannot make a decision, flip a coin. Once the coin falls, use your intuition and gut to make a decision. If you feel comfortable with the result, go with it. If you feel uncomfortable with the coin toss, make the opposite decision.

About The Author

Bea Fields, Southern Pines, NC, USA; bea@fivestarleader.com

http://www.fivestarleader.com

Bea Fields is an Executive Coach and a Certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach. She is also a Consultant, Trainer, Public Speaker and author of the Five Star Leader e-course. Her area of expertise is that of Leadership Development and Marketing for Executives, Managers, Small Business Owners, and Political Leaders.

How You Can Improve Your Creativity - What You Need to Know (By Royane Real)

Would you like to enhance your creativity? Do you think that increased creativity is something that would improve your life?

Before you answer yes or no to that question, take some time to explore what the word “creativity” means to you.

If you think that creativity is something that you only need if you’re an artist, while you happen to be a middle-manager in a corporation, you may decide that increased creativity is not really important to you. But creativity is actually something far broader than artistic expression, and it’s required in many areas of life.

Your idea of a creative person might be someone who lives in a loft, painting gigantic canvases all day long. Or perhaps a writer at her computer, working on a long novel. Or a musician, actor, or singer performing on stage to an audience. All these people are expressing themselves artistically, and they can all rightly be said to be creative people, even if no one else enjoys their art.

But what about an entrepreneur who has an idea for a new product, who forms a new company to produce and distribute it, eventually employing hundreds of people? Doesn’t this also require creativity?

What about a research scientist toiling in a lab, developing new compounds in an effort to cure disease? Isn’t this creative? What about a single mother who manages to come up with healthy delicious meals on a tiny budget? Isn’t that creativity?

To one person, creativity can mean gluing seashells to a picture frame. To another, creativity might mean solving a grand unified theory in physics. And to another person, being creative might mean coming up with an ingenious new way to speed up a factory assembly line.

When we define creativity only in terms of artistic expression, we miss a lot of other potential applications for creative thinking and problem solving.

An artist painting a picture, or a writer working on a novel, both have something in common with the researcher in the lab, and the entrepreneur, and the person gluing seashells to picture frames.

They are all working on problems and devising solutions that didn’t exist before. These people are using their minds to imagine fresh ways of doing something, putting together existing forms and ideas in new ways.

They may be creating a new idea, a new look, a new product, or new technique. Sometimes the ability to be more creative can lead to personal fame and fortune; sometimes it just provides a deep sense of personal satisfaction.

Can we improve our ability to be creative? Yes, in fact, learning to be more creative can be quite enjoyable and easy to do. Most of us were very creative as children, before we learned the official rules about how things are supposed to be. We can resurrect our ability to be more creative by exploring some of the many techniques that have been developed to improve creative and artistic ability, as well as to improve creative problem solving.

Some of the techniques that are used to improve creativity include brainstorming, mind-mapping, various forms of hypnosis and meditation, and guided imagery.

The techniques that have been developed to try enhance creativity all have one thing in common. They are all trying to bypass the inner “judge” or “critic” we have in our minds.

Most of us have an inner voice that is running a constant commentary on everything we think and do. We might barely notice this inner voice much of the time, yet it has a great impact on what we can accomplish in our life.

In many of us this inner voice is usually very negative. No matter what we want think about, or want to do, this inner voice is running like a tape in the background of our minds, criticizing our ideas, our performance, and our ability to be successful.

When we come up with a new idea, our inner voice may be saying, “This idea is stupid.” Or it might tell us, “I should never be mediocre or average, I must be brilliant and perfect all the time. All my ideas should be totally brilliant and innovative. If my ideas aren’t perfect right from the start, I am a failure and it’s better not to even try”.

Our negative inner critic does not always appear as a voice. Sometimes we see visual images of ourselves failing. Or we may have physical sensations of fear and embarrassment that stop us from pursuing new ideas or new actions.

Your inner critic isn’t being evil when it criticizes you, or when it tells you your ideas are not very good. Your critic is actually trying to protect you from being ashamed or embarrassed by the potentially negative comments and reactions of other people to your ideas.

Our inner critic is trying to make us perfect and safe, but it can have an unforeseen damaging effect.

If our inner judgmental dialogue is mostly negative, our creative abilities will suffer.

Instead of helping us to come up with better ideas, this endless barrage of negative inner commentary will hurt our ability to come up with new ideas.

You can’t be creative, and be critical at the same time. These two processes require different ways of thinking. The critical, judgmental, analytical function of the brain is not the part that knows how to generate creative ideas.

Even the types of brainwaves that you generate when you are being rational and analytical are quite different than the brainwaves that go with maximum creativity.

When it’s time for you to be creative, you have to send your “inner critic” out for a walk.

This article is taken from the new book by Royane Real titled "How to Be Smarter - Use Your Brain to Learn Faster, Remember Better, and Be More Creative" Check it out at http://www.royanereal.com

Shyness - Another View (By Maurice Turmel)

We are all born shy, aren't we? When we see little children clinging to their parents, hiding behind Mom or Dad, we are reminded about the shyness of first coming into this World. As this early stage of our life we are not ready to be seen just yet. We want to hide until it feels safe to come out and be visible.

Becoming visible is what Life is all about. Revealing ourselves, showing ourselves and expressing our "inner self" are about becoming visible and declaring ourselves "Ready" to meet the World. Much of the World certainly seems to like the shy person. People want that person to reveal themselves, to display their talents and capabilities. The World can be generous that way. It would seem that "repression" is an aberration to that so-called "Worldy Manner" where we usually invite others to share themselves with us.

This is a good thing, I believe, where we encourage each other to come out and display our wealth of creativity. As a species we are all enriched by these contributions from our shy members. It's like we know at some level that we will benefit from their displays. And perhaps they will teach us something about
ourselves, since all of us have some inherent shyness built in.

Here's an interesting fact about shy people, those that still display shyness as adults - they are Creative. Very creative, as a matter of fact. The more shy a person is, the more creative they tend to be. A lot of actors and performers are shy people. Why? Because they are creative. So why do shy, creative people
show themselves? Because the joy of giving, of displaying their special abilities far exceeds the limited payoff of staying hidden and allegedly safe. It's a contradiction of course, but it is true nevertheless. Most shy people (not all) are
creative, and most creative people would rather give of their talents than hold back.

Are you shy? Are you creative? Then perhaps you are ready to give of yourself too! Wouldn't that be worth pursuing? If you see yourself as a "Shy" person then here's what you can do. You can hold yourself up to the light of day and declare "I am ready to meet the world." And the world will respond. "Welcome" it will say. "Yes indeed, we need you. Please show us your stuff."

And all the shy people of the World will step forward and give of themselves unanimously. Wouldn't that be a big surprise? To see all of us out there, dancing a jig, showing off our stuff, our talents and abilities.

Yes, we can do it, we who are shy. We can show our stuff to the World. Time to come out from behind Mom's skirts, and take a peek around the corner. The World is waiting for you to "Strut Your Stuff." Don't be shy now!

Maurice Turmel PHD is a Spiritual & Personal Growth Author and Songwriter. He was a practicing therapist for nearly 25 years. His blogs feature a collection of articles, reflections and stories as teaching tools. He is the author of the "The Voice," a Spiritual Sci-Fi novel which is available at Amazon.com. His music is listed at http://www.cdbaby.com/turmel4

Maurice is the host of the very popular Internet Radio Show "Rock My Soul Radio" which airs Thursday evenings at 9PM Pacific on http://www.bbsradio.com station 1. Join him for news, commentary, interviews and meditations all designed to Help You Connect with Your Source! Archived shows are free to listen to at the radio show website.

Improve Your Bottom Line, Ken's Idea Saved over $100,000 (By Chuck Yorke)

Engaged employees can show us the way to continuously improve. Customers want our products and services to be better, delivered faster, and produced less expensively. This means that everything we do needs to be improved. All employees can be thinking about how to reduce costs, looking at safety issues, reducing wastes, and improving the environment, while at the same time developing skills to identify, articulate and communicate those kinds of things.

The Gallup Organization has studied thousands of companies and surveyed millions of employees. Their research has shown that very few employees are engaged and that a relatively small increase in the amount of engaged workers can reap great benefits for a company.

At the lowest level, engaged employees help a company stay in business and at a higher level employees start thinking about how they can improve themselves. They can take some ownership over their job; and also over their own development. It starts people thinking in new and different ways about the things they do.

In the book, “First, Break All the Rules” by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman from Gallup, it is noted that the manager, not anything or anyone else, was most critical in building a strong workforce. A lot of companies struggle with leadership skills, communications interaction, and improving management skills. We are now undergoing a paradigm shift as many organizations are beginning to realize that management’s job is to support the people doing the work as opposed to dictating how to do the work.

Engaging employees in improving their work creates new levels of communication and gives the ownership of improvements to the worker. We now recognize that “you know your job better then management does because you are the one that does it every day.” Since people are the expert in their work, who better to come up with ideas to improve it then them. We all want, need and deserve respect.

Claudia designed a fixture to hold bubble wrap she used for packaging. It made her job easier. Ken saw the fixture; thought paper would work just as well and asked his customers. The switch to paper saved Ken’s employer about $100,000 a year and a lot of storage space. Engaged people see the fruits of their labor as their ideas are implemented. They now receive positive feedback for a “job well done.”

Any process, any product, any service can be made better in some way, somehow. One plant manager said, “It used to be that my problem solvers were solely the management team, but now my problem solvers are everybody in the building.” How can you beat that?

Copyright © 2005 Chuck Yorke - All Rights Reserved

Chuck Yorke is an organizational development and performance improvement specialist, trainer, consultant and speaker. He is co-author of "All You Gotta Do Is Ask," a book which explains how to promote large numbers of ideas from employees. Chuck may be reached at ChuckYorke@yahoo.com

The Creativity Creed (By Catherine Franz)

I believe that creativity is a natural order of life itself
and it provides my life with the purest of energies.

I believe there is an underlying creative force infusing
throughout my life.

I believe that when I open my creativity, I am opening the
Creator’s creativity.

I believe creativity is part of my destiny and just as
important as all living things.

I believe creativity is my Creator’s gift to me. Using my
creativity is my gift back to him.

I believe expectation of a fulfilling life attracts with
powerful changes when I allow creativity to flow through my
beingness.

I believe it is safe for me to discover my own creativity
even if it sets new paths not yet discovered.

I believe as I move more towards my creative self, I move
towards my own divinity.

I believe I am worth the time it takes to create whatever it
is I am to create.

I believe I have the right to have all the creativity I
deserve.

I believe that when I allow my creativity to flow throughout
my life, I tap into the source of all that there is and all
that ever was.

I believe that the time I spend creating is as precious as
anything else in life.

I believe that as creativity gives to me, so does she
deserve from me all my faith mindfulness and commitment.

I believe in my creative self.

I believe in me.

(c) Copyright, Catherine Franz. All rights reserved.

Catherine Franz is a writer and author of over 1800 publishedarticles and several books on various business subjects. http://www.abundancecenter.com