Goals and Staying Motivated, Not a Contradiction

It is possible to set goals, work at them, and stay motivated. And even create art in the process.
The maps over at Map Your Progress* are great tools for keeping the finish line in sight.

I learned about them in the summer. I blogged about them here and, yes, I was a little excited over the prospect of creating something pretty while working on my goals. And for good reason. I love having something to show for my effort. I've been using this map for my exercise goals. I knew if I could work out at least five days a week for several months, it could become a habit and I might see some results. This map has sixty swirls, I've colored in one swirl for every workout. In an effort to keep it simple, I decided not to use different colors for different workouts. I wanted the first few months to be about rewarding myself for every effort. So in the mix are short and long cardio workouts, light weight-lifting sessions, as well as 30 minute yoga and 60 minute yoga practices. This print is in a frame without the glass, sits on my nightstand and the markers are nearby. Every day I can see, SEE, the progress. Theoretically if I exercise well enough I will begin to see results reflected in my own body, but (this is no news flash) results from old fashioned exercise (and eating right) are slow to show--so this swirl of color reminds me I'm creating a healthier (and fitter-looking) body. It's helped me visualize some of the less tangible, but no less beneficial, results of exercise--like elevated mood, better sleep, lower blood pressure, better regulated blood sugar, etc.
Another added benefit to the map is that is there as a reminder of all the work I've put in, so on a day when I'm sick or miss the gym, I don't feel like all is lost.

"Small efforts over time can produce significant results." ~D. Durrant

I'm looking forward to trying out the other designs for some of my other goals (like writing a certain sequel to a certain Christmas novel.) I'll let you know how that goes, too!


*I have no connection to Map Your Progress, other than as a satisfied customer. I receive no compensation for this blog post. I love sharing creative things, or things that help creativity, or creative things that help the other areas of life!

Creative Myth Busting 101

Myth n. a widely held but mistaken or false belief

Welcome to the second post in my series Exploring Creativity. (In case you missed the first one, you can read it here.) I'm excited by research that sheds light on what creativity is and isn't, how the process works and how to improve your creative abilities. Before I get to the specific skills that Epstein suggested to boost 'novel behavior', I'm devoting this post to myth-busting. Why? It occurred to me that many of us may not take the time to be creative, or work on creativity-enhancing skills if we are held back by certain myths. Myths can be like powerful illusions, like the sidewalk-chalk art picture above. Doesn't it look like a real puddle?  It's important every now and then to check our beliefs about our creative abilities to make sure we are seeing things as they really are.

“Myths about creativity are deeply entrenched in our culture. Myths have enormous power to shape everyday behavior, often to people's detriment. When people believe the world is flat, for example, they're unlikely to venture out to sea very far and "lands away" remain undiscovered. When it comes to creativity, myths keep most people firmly shore bound”.  Epstein, Capturing Creativity, Psychology Today, July 1994

What "creations" are waiting for you to create them? Are you 'shore bound' thinking that only artists are creative, or you are not a 'right brain thinker' so why try? It's time to replace those myths with the truth about creativity.

Myth # 1- Only Right Brain Thinkers are Creative  
 I was surprised to read what Epstein had to say about right-brain research. It is certainly different from what I've 'heard' and even read in other places. I'm not trying to stir up controversy here, but I think having accurate information about ourselves and our brains helps us to make the best use of them.

"The brain hemisphere distinction is based largely on clinical studies of about 40 "split-brain" patients--people whose brains were severed surgically in order to treat seizures or other neurological problems. The initial studies of such patients, conducted in the 1960s, seemed to show significant functional differences between the left and right cerebral hemispheres. In the 1980s, however, scientists began to reinterpret the data. The problem is split-brain patients all have abnormal brains to begin with."

"As a practical matter, the right-hemisphere myth is nonsense because virtually no one has a split brain. The two halves of our brain are connected by an immense structure called the corpus callosum, and the hemispheres also communicate through the sense organs. Creativity has no precise location in the human brain, and people who promise to reactivate your "neural creativity zones" are just yanking your chain." Epstein, Capturing Creativity, Psychology Today, July 1994

Myth # 2 - Creativity Comes From Creative Types
     This myth is a close cousin to the right-brain/left-brain thinking. The following research is about creativity in the workplace but I think you will notice it has applications to other settings.

"Teresa Amabile . . . heads the Entrepreneurial Management Unit at Harvard Business School and is the only tenured professor at a top B-school to devote her entire research program to the study of creativity. Eight years ago, Amabile took her research to a daring new level. Working with a team of PhDs, graduate students, and managers from various companies, she collected nearly 12,000 daily journal entries from 238 people working on creative projects in seven companies in the consumer products, high-tech, and chemical industries. She didn't tell the study participants that she was focusing on creativity. She simply asked them, in a daily email, about their work and their work environment as they experienced it that day. She then coded the emails for creativity by looking for moments when people struggled with a problem or came up with a new idea."

"When I give talks to managers, I often start by asking, Where in your organization do you most want creativity? Typically, they'll say R&D, marketing, and advertising. When I ask, Where do you not want creativity? someone will inevitably answer, "accounting." That always gets a laugh because of the negative connotations of creative accounting. But there's this common perception among managers that some people are creative, and most aren't. That's just not true. As a leader, you don't want to ghettoize creativity; you want everyone in your organization producing novel and useful ideas, including your financial people. Over the past couple of decades, there have been innovations in financial accounting that are extremely profound and entirely ethical, such as activity-based costing."

"The fact is, almost all of the research in this field shows that anyone with normal intelligence is capable of doing some degree of creative work. Creativity depends on a number of things: experience, including knowledge and technical skills; talent; an ability to think in new ways; and the capacity to push through uncreative dry spells. Intrinsic motivation -- people who are turned on by their work often work creatively -- is especially critical."  The 6 Myths Of Creativity, by Bill Breen, December 1, 2004 (italics added for emphasis)

Myth # 3 - Time Pressure Fuels Creativity
    The research on this myth might be more controversial to writers than any other myth. I can already envision lots of comments from writers pointing out that without a deadline from an editor or critique group they would not get words on the page. I think the important distinction here is that time pressure may fuel productivity but not always creativity.

"In our diary study, people often thought they were most creative when they were working under severe deadline pressure. But the 12,000 aggregate days that we studied showed just the opposite: People were the least creative when they were fighting the clock. In fact, we found a kind of time-pressure hangover -- when people were working under great pressure, their creativity went down not only on that day but the next two days as well. Time pressure stifles creativity because people can't deeply engage with the problem. Creativity requires an incubation period; people need time to soak in a problem and let the ideas bubble up."

". . . it's not so much the deadline that's the problem; it's the distractions that rob people of the time to make that creative breakthrough. People can certainly be creative when they're under the gun, but only when they're able to focus on the work. They must be protected from distractions." The 6 Myths Of Creativity, by Bill Breen, December 1, 2004 (italics added for emphasis)

Myth # 4 - Fear Forces Breakthroughs
Do you have to be the moody, brooding, starving-actor-type person to be creative? The answer is a resounding, NO!

"There's this widespread notion that fear and sadness somehow spur creativity. There's even some psychological literature suggesting that the incidence of depression is higher in creative writers and artists -- the depressed geniuses who are incredibly original in their thinking. But we don't see it in the population that we studied. We coded all 12,000 journal entries for the degree of fear, anxiety, sadness, anger, joy, and love that people were experiencing on a given day. And we found that creativity is positively associated with joy and love and negatively associated with anger, fear, and anxiety. The entries show that people are happiest when they come up with a creative idea, but they're more likely to have a breakthrough if they were happy the day before. There's a kind of virtuous cycle. When people are excited about their work, there's a better chance that they'll make a cognitive association that incubates overnight and shows up as a creative idea the next day. One day's happiness often predicts the next day's creativity." The 6 Myths Of Creativity, by Bill Breen, December 1, 2004 (italics added for emphasis)

There you have it. Exposed myths to free your creative energy and allow you to 'set sail' and explore your creative potential. As always, I love to hear what you think. And I know there are more myths out there that need busting - so comment away!

It's About Time

Well, not really - this post is about Creativity. I've been thinking about it and talking about it and it's about time I sat down and started it. Started what? My series on creativity. I am fascinated by creative people and the creative process. I'm convinced all of us have an inner artist and so many of the myths surrounding creativity -are just that- myths. I came across this article a while ago and loved the research. Here is a little of what Epstein had to say:

The very good news is that, with the right skills, you can boost your own creative output by a factor of 10 or more. Significant creativity is within everyone's reach--no exceptions. What's more, greater creativity breeds greater happiness. The creative process is itself a source of joy for most people. And with new creative powers we're also better able to solve the little problems that beset us daily. 

~"Capturing creativity" By Robert Epstein, published on July 01, 1996

Did you catch that? 'Creativity is within every one's reach - no exceptions' In the words of my four-year-old, that totally rocks! And who couldn't use another source of joy in their life or extra help solving problems? I'm so excited about it that I decided I wanted to do a series. Mark your calendar (I usually post on Tuesdays), become a follower and stop by for upcoming blog posts. I'll be exploring each of the suggestions Epstein has to boost creativity, sharing interviews of some of the really cool, creative people I know. And I might even have a contest before I'm done.

And just for fun - let's get creative. Leave a comment with at least one sentence about the two pictures in this post.

Are You A Morning Person?

Okay, I should rephrase the question.
Are you a Morning Pages person?
If you've read The The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron, then you probably know what I'm talking about. If not, let me explain one of the coolest ways I know to tap into all the awesome creativity slumbering in your brain. The simple description is: write three pages of longhand in the morning. Yes, I write mine soon after I wake up. I know, scary. This is stream-of-conciousness writing. Nothing fancy, unless custom drapery patterns or new ways to fold dinner napkins are running through your mind when you wake up. One of the functions of Morning Pages is brain drain. This point frightened me at first, beacase really, how much of the grey stuff can I afford to lose? What else about the pages? (Yes, I'm now quoting phrases from page 10-11.) The great news is there is no wrong way to do morning pages. See, this is my kind of writing exercise. No wrong way - so freeing. Also another function of the pages. Write whatever comes to your mind. It doesn't have to be pretty or make any sense. Sometimes they will, mostly they won't. The pages are a way to get all the stuff that stands between you and you're creativity - out of the way. Worries, fears, rants, petty stuff, deep questions - get it all out on the page and make room for the patient creative works waiting for your attention. Another benefit? Doing the pages help you get past your Censor. I'm not going into a long explanation of your right brain/left brain here, but if you have ever tried to write anything - then you know what I'm talking about. The little voice in your head that might say, "Are you serious? Calling him Darrin? Where are you - on an episode of Bewitched?" (Yeah - way too much airtime for my censor -sorry!) So the morning pages trains your Creator to take center stage and your Censor to sit down and be quiet. And the obvious benefit of putting your Censor on the bench? Yep - you guessed it - the major block to your writing is out of the way!

This would be the point in my post where I would show you examples of some the free-writes I've done in my morning pages. But I'm not. If my psyche thought there was any chance I was going to put morning pages on display - I'd lose all that creative freeedom. Antoher rule of the pages - don't show them to anyone! It's tempting, especially when you've done it for a while and you want to show someone that you've been writing something. But don't do it. So forgive me, you'll have to create your own example. Go ahead. Give it a try. Stick with it for at least two weeks and I'd love to know if you notice any changes in your writing.

A Funny Thing Happened . . .

. . .on the way home from cake class. I forgot to secure the cake. Maybe it was late, maybe I was in a hurry to get home. Maybe I wasn’t thinking about the large chunk of my life I’d already spent mixing, baking and icing this cake. Could I have forgotten the two plus hours I had just spent learning how to make it look like a bakery shelf showpiece? Evidently yes.

It happened at the first stoplight; I was in the car five minutes or less. I stopped and the cake slid easily off its ridiculously precarious perch, flipped over and landed near my feet. Really, what was I thinking?

I got home, surveyed the damage and consoled myself, “this was a practice cake.” I felt deflated anyway–all that learning & practice --and for what?

The resident teenager arrived on the scene and quickly pointed out my cake didn’t look so good, but followed that keen observation with a worried, “Is it still okay to eat?”
Deflated me, “Of course.”
Hollow-leg teenager, “Now?”
Me, “Oh, why not – just take a picture first.”
Confused teenager laughing, “Are you sure you want to document this?”

Yes. Disfigured as it was, I wanted to remember my cake and the new lesson I was reluctantly learning from it.

I thought of my writing efforts and current work in progress (for the record – I don’t try to compare everything in life to writing, my brain appears to do it for me automatically!) and realized the same kind of thing could happen. I could spend hours, days and okay, years working on a project and it could fall flat on its face. I don’t like to contemplate such anxiety-inducing images, but a funny thing happens when I accept the worst possible outcome. I decide it is worth it – the work, effort and risk –are all worth it. For the process, for what I learn, for what I gain. If I have a finished product that looks like a showpiece, I won’t complain, but I’ll remember it’s the creativity that brings joy.

I’ll also remember –if I ever take a field trip with my manuscript – that little bundle of joy will be securely fastened by a seatbelt!

Birthday for my Blog!

I’ve had this blog idea for almost a year.
What blog idea is that? Umm, starting one. That's it.
I created the blog and titled it long, long ago. I’ve pulled it up, and checked to see if it was still there. I’ve stared at the screen and wondered if some flash of inspiration would hit me. Other times I’ve changed the background and twiddled with the gadgets.
What am I doing? Do I have cold feet? I didn’t have those before I got married, so I would not know what they feel like, but the committment to start this blog has scared me more than trying on any white dress or agreeing to eternity. Really? Maybe I’m blocked? (Artistically speaking –that is.) Maybe. If that’s another word for scared silly, then maybe. For the record, I’ve been writing new poems and entering contests and I should mention (deep breath, holding . . .) I’ve been writing my first novel. (Exhale) Is anyone still reading? So I don’t think I’m completely artistically challenged. But I write posts and do not click that innocent looking ‘publish post’ button. I leave them on my computer, waiting. For what? Until I’m smarter, more organized, or take a refresher course in grammar? That’s not happening any time soon.

One day I thought 'maybe my blog has been gestating.’ I didn’t think I’d write that because, personally, I don’t think gestating is a very pretty word and it makes me think in medical ways. I also didn’t want to introduce the comparison to pregnancy (baby rumors can be started on much less potent words). But it fits. Maybe you know what I’m talking about. Some ideas come and you are acting on them before you know it and other ideas, well, take longer. I’ve heard some people call it ‘simmering on the back burner’. Whatever the name, I’d like to think my blog idea has matured and is ready to be born.

So, in the spirit of the New Year, and thinking of my favorite RBS commercials –you remember “less talk, more action,"

I’m not resolving to start,—I’m starting. This will be the place I blog about my creative ventures (or should that read adventures?) and the inspiring creativity of friends, family and others. And yes, it may include a few posts about writing.

I'd love to hear if you have any projects that are waiting for their birthday!

BTW, most of you know me well enough, but for those who do not, I'm a wordaholic. I can't help myself --I'm addicted to words and their definitions -even the ones I think are creepy sounding!

gestate: 1. to carry offspring in the womb, or develop as offspring in the womb 2. to develop in the mind, or allow an idea or plan to develop in the mind