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A Note from AndreaThe Expressive SelfMy husband Roger and I have been discussing the act of creation a lot lately. No, we are not thinking of having children! A bit late in the game, and I’m not even sure the hardware would cooperate. Actually, Roger is a painter and I am a writer. It’s ironic and sometimes distressing to realize that we use our “gifts” mostly in service to the work we choose to do for others; Roger through graphic design and me through writing marketing materials and coaching. We express our true ourselves to a degree, but the work is produced for others. It is not the same experience as creating a work of art—whether it be it be a painting, a sculpture, a book, or a souffle—purely to please oneself. We are grateful for our opportunities and variety of work, but we have challenged ourselves anew to make the act of pure creation a greater priority in our lives. In that spirit, this issue is about art and its composition.
Teleconferences, Workshops, and ProgramsBored or Burned Out? What to Do Now Before You Blow It Big Time!If you’re wondering “Is this all there is?” or how you ended up flapping around in the middle of somebody else’s crazy life, take a deep breath and focus before your frustration or apathy lands you in hot water. If you don’t have a clear idea of what is important to you, you run the risk of damaging your relationships, your career, and your self-esteem. Join me for this one-hour teleseminar on Friday, July 20 at 4 pm EST.
Event: Bored or Burned Out?
To attend this teleseminar via the web only (or to type questions to me during the call), visit this link You may also visit this link after the event to hear a recording of the call. Andrea’s BookshelfComposing A Life by Mary Catherine Bateson
When I read “Composing a Life The book compares the lives of Bateson—the daughter of anthropologists Margaret Mead and George Bateson—and four of her female friends, all accomplished professional women. These women may have had some advantages not available to everyone, but it doesn’t diminish the enjoyment of learning about their multiple roles and varied life experiences and recognizing opportunities in one’s own life. FeatureWhat Have You Created in Your Life Today?
I believe it is in our power to fill each day with creative expression. I don’t mean that it’s necessary to physically “make” something, a tangible object to look at and say “I did that.” It’s possible, but I’m actually challenging you to live all of your life creatively, looking for opportunities to infuse your tasks, chores, and free time with imagination and enthusiasm. Commit to BeginA good place to start living creatively is to ask “How could I make my life more enjoyable?” You don’t always have to put fun at the end of the day or the project. Is there a way to infuse your day with better activities? Would it be more productive to do things in a different order? Would the very act of “mixing it up” contribute to new insights and perspective? Decide that whatever is left of today will be more creative. Express yourself. Take a few minutes from your work to write in your journal or draft a haiku poem that reflects something that happened earlier today. Sing along with the radio, or turn it off and make up your own song as you drive home from work. Arrange some freshly cut flowers or add a new spice as you prepare dinner. Trusting Imagination & IntuitionLife can be messy, complicated, and disappointing. And sometimes we have no control over what happens. But your instincts and your gut can guide you to the better choices, to more satisfaction, to greater success. Too often we shut down the very clues that we receive naturally, because we don’t trust our innate sources of imagination or deep knowledge of what would improve our lives from moment to moment. We make things so much more difficult than they need to be. Your already know what to do. When new ideas or images flash in your mind or you have an inkling about how to do something, trust those messages. To fully revel in what we imagine and allow ourselves to feel everything, is to live creatively. No Need for ApprovalApproval is subjective and a made up concept, just like rules. Others only have the power we give them to interpret or evaluate what we make, what we say, and what we do. You get to decide if anyone is qualifiedto evaluate your desires, projects, and progress. If you don’t seek approval, you don’t have to concern yourself with letting others down or not meeting their expectations. Taking ChancesLife builds on itself one layer at a time, just like words in a story, paint on a canvas, or experiences shared in a relationship. Standing still and never trying new things is to remain stagnant. And once you stop taking chances, you begin to die a little bit each day. Add orange to the sweater you are knitting. Leave out the meat and add a new vegetable to your favorite casserole recipe. Sign up for a volunteer vacation in South America. Make up a game to occupy the downtime during a traffic jam. You can’t know if something will work out until you try it. Let Go of the OutcomeSeeking perfection causes stress and tension. That isn’t to say that improving a skill or method is unfulfilling or unimportant. However, not everything you do or create has to be top notch. Seeking perfection can get in the way of enjoying an activity. That’s why so may people give up on learning how to play a musical instrument or a foreign language. There is no test when you enjoy learning for its own sake. Doing can be its own reward with the end product, if there is one, wonderful enough. Most everyone deeply appreciates hand-made gifts. Think fresh baked biscuits for strawberry shortcake instead of those squishy sponge patties. I’d take home-baked every time. Your Own PleasureWe have the power to creatively infuse our lives with pleasure at almost every turn. You don’t need money to have rich and interesting friendships. You don’t need special equipment and supplies to make a delicious and even exotic meal for your family. You don’t need permission to wear a colorful scarf to work. Seek out fancy as you move through your life. Enjoy the way things look and taste. Tell people how you feel. Do make things with your hands. Notice how your body feels as you move it different ways. Love that everything is simply a work in progress, that you can change your mind, and that you can make each day more beautiful. © 2007 Andrea R. Williams WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Andrea Williams, personal and small business success coach, is the creator of the Fearless, Fabulous Project, a 12-week, step-by-step discovery and rejuvenation process to help you gain clarity and commitment about what is most important to you. If you're ready to pump your life with more fun & fulfillment, check out Andrea's coaching programs and resources now at www.FearlessFabulousLife.com, and sign up for “Fearless, Fabulous Female,” her free ezine on personal reinvention at midlife. Fearless Recommendation
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” about 15 years ago, I was in the midst of some massive life changes. I was taken with Bateson’s idea that life, like art, is improvisational.
Each of us determines the quality of each day of our lives. We get up and to a large degree choose how we will spend our time. Most of us must work, but we generally have choices about the kind of work. Many of us have family obligations, but we can decide how to fulfill them. We all have an amount of empty time each day, but how we fill it varies tremendously.
