On a recent trip to NYC, while peering out my hotel window, my heart lept into my throat! I saw this man washing windows with no protective safety gear! I just had to capture that Kodak Moment. I thought, "Is he fearless, confident, or ignorant?"
This sure is a perfect metphor for how we can feel when we face change or start a new venture. And don't we have that same feeling in the back of our mind when we are brand new at something? "Can I be fearless doing this foreign new action? Can I trust it will succeed? Or am I just being ignorant?"
I see that this window washer felt very used to standing out on a ledge. So maybe facing change is just about getting used to doing that uncomfortable or scary thing with lots of practice. I know he is very focused on his task at hand and nothing else. There's a lot to be said for keeping our eyes on the prize no matter what potential dangers lurk below.
Do you think Danny MacAskill intellectualizes reasons for not getting in action about what he loves to do? Does he give up after falling down, feeling pain or having to hammer his bike back into riding shape? He just keeps on going, trying new things....seeing potential in the environment around him. Setbacks are only temporary when you love what you're doing enough to keep going.
I love, in this clip, how people come running after Danny to see if he made it through certain feats. He shows us all to keep on riding it out...no matter what you come up against. This is one video clip I watch over and over on those days I find a million excuses not to work on my dreams. I hope it does the same for you.
Long ago, I was given the gift of a phone appointment with a psychic. During that call she said to me, "Look at the palms of your hands. Are there lots of "x's" in them?" I had never noticed it before, but there are lots of "x's" in my palm. She told me that "x's" in our palms are a sign of creativity and I should honor that gift because creativity is one of the highest powers in the universe.
I believe everyone is creative. Just the way we get out of bed in the morning is our own creative ritual. "X's" in our palms are not a requirement to create. Not every Sneetch has a star on their stomach, but they're still a Sneetch!
The creativity of people, animals or nature (ever see a plant grow around some obstruction?) have always sparked a flame in me to go to my studio and create.
A few years ago, an instructor told our teleclass that animals aren't creative. I was so upset with that judgment! Apparently, this instructor never credited when a cat turns a box or a drawer or some tight space into the perfect place to squeeze itself in like a puzzle piece to take a nap! Animals are creative visionaries too. To me, creativity is observing one thing and giving it a different meaning. It's about shifting how things are perceived or done. It's about choice and going beyond limitation.
Kudos to the designer in this video clip who looked at stoves and found new meaning to the way we could be using them! Imagine not having pots and pans to clean any longer!!!! More time to create!!!!
Is there an item or belief...that if you play around with its meaning...it could change the way you perceive or do things forever?
I thank Goddess for messengers like Sir Ken Robinson! Not just for his message, but also for the way he delivers it, showing that humor is a natural product of the creative perspective.
Like Oprah, I so honor teachers for the mission they have chosen. My parents were both teachers. I feel we're all teachers in our own unique way...whether we're it's intentional or not.
I am posting this lecture because I know I'm not alone in my experience of my grade school training. Here I was, a right-brained, art-blissing, wild-mind, hungry heart...expressing in the way I knew how....only to get report cards that said, "She rarely participates in discussions...she daydreams...I hope she tries harder next quarter." It was so challenging to only have left-brained activities honored while art, creative writing, music and dance were minimalized. Where is the balance in that?
I have many friends who are currently working hard on their intention to bring more holistic awareness into the education system. I'm pleased that Sir Ken Robinson gave voice to what many have been aware of for far too long. Bravo to creatives who stand strong in honoring the importance of expressing their creativity. What would the world be like if creative expression was viewed as the miracle it truly is? What if Danny Lillienfield, our class clown in first grade, wasn't sent to the principle for standing on his chair and singing burp songs in the middle of class?
I've been meaning to post on this blog for quite some time this month, yet I've been soooo busy getting my coaching web site together that many of my sacred rituals have taken a back seat. I have to admit, marketing is not my favorite thing to do. It sometimes can get image-y and sometimes even borders egoic to me. Yet, it is vital to keeping a business in flow. The saving grace to me are people like Seth Godin who see marketing for what it is. He always observes the creative, entertaining side of everything which keeps things fresh.
This clip is keeping me inspired to market as well as hone in on my tribe. I hope it does the same for you.
Having supportive friends is like Heaven on Earth. This dear, supportive friend took
me to this Artomatic Exhibit/Peeps Show in D. C. for inspiration.
When one is committed to making their dreams manifest, one of the most important steps to take is to be true to yourself about who in your life is supporting what you are doing and who is not. There may be people you have in your life who doubt your success in your endeavors or who may even be projecting their own issues on your dream. Perhaps they react to your ideas with cynicism. When you ask about their cynical response, they may respond with "Wow...can't you take a joke? You take things too personally." Accepting responses like this or even allowing unsupportive people onto your path is like watering your freshly seeded garden with poison!
Dream manifestation is a fragile process. Keeping your path clear of people and situations that don't offer 100% support is begging for doubt and sabotage.
This was my lesson for 2009. From my ARTbundance coach training, I learned to pay attention to what my body and feelings were telling me about who and what I was accepting in my environment. And usually when you take such a huge and important step like this, the universe casts its vote, by sending you signs that you made the right choice. I urge you to take inventory on who and what's on your path, check in with your body wisdom, and keep the garden clear of the weeds that are feeding on the precious energy you need to turn your dreams into reality. Find your peeps who keep the journey a pleasant one. And may I take this opportunity to thank my wonderful friends (you know who you are) who have been so supportive on my current journey!
Some further reading on this subject... I highly recommend page 85 of this book (Eliminate Sabotage):
I just adore this commercial! Not only is it funny how the extraordinary can be found in the ordinary, (or the expressive in the everyday) but, to me, it shows that whatever filter we have in our mind is what we observe out in the world. In otherwords, whatever we are looking for in life is what we'll find. (I confess I have looked for expressive faces in everyday settings and items after seeing this commercial...they're not that easy to find. But possible.) If we look for expressive faces in everyday settings in life....we will find them. Perhaps we're in a crappy mood, we may notice only crappy things around us. Is life really that simple that we can choose whatever it is we observe out in the world? I'm struggling so hard not to use the term "law of attraction." How about "intentional observation filtering?"We are bombarded with so many sense-attracting stimuli out there that the mind has to choose which perspective to allow in, while filtering the rest out. That's why I love this commercial. It reminds us how simple it is to find entertainment and humor right under our nose! Comedians and creatives are masters at this! Have you found what you're looking for out there...or does it start inside?
