Monthly Coaching Newsletter

December 2008: Creative Everyday

Monthly Coaching Newsletter

Monday, December 15, 2008

Happy Holidays! Hope this finds you well and enjoying the season.

I hired my first life coach in 2003 looking to be more creative without quitting my day job. (How's that for a New Year's resolution?) I ended up on a six-week sabbatical in Europe, and discovered how I could be creative every day. Thus today's topic.

But first...

**** Special Holiday Offer - $10 Kick Start for 2009 ****
Buy one coaching session for you or a friend. It's the perfect
stocking stuffer to start the year off right! See below for more.

Simple Steps to Get Those Creative Juices Flowing

Remember finger painting as a kid? You probably didn't stop to consider whether your creation was good before showing it off. It was a purely creative endeavor. The feeling we're going for is when you can lose track of time. Lost in the moment and in the experience.

(1) Be Creative, Emphasis on the "Be"

Being creative is a mindset more than an activity. Think of it as "how" you do something rather than "what" you do.

Before picking up a camera or trying my first Martha Stewart recipe, I walked through a farmers market. The colors, the way vendors displayed the produce. I guess you could say that my creative pursuit was buying apples. It felt great.

Creativity can mean doodling while on the phone, dancing (I love an impromptu dance party in my living room), singing in the shower, inventing a new word... you get the picture. Think as formal or silly as you like.

Consider:

• What does creativity mean to you?
• Who are you when you're being creative?
• How can you be creative every day without a major life change?

(2) Art Molds to You, Not the Reverse

I prefer creativity to be easy. I don't cook recipes that require a page of ingredients, and I like digital photography because there are no chemicals or darkrooms involved.

What do you like to do? What are you drawn to that you've never done before?

Keep in mind that you are not trying to fit the mold of an "artist"; the artistic endeavor is fitting to you. Your lifestyle, interests, amount of free time, level of energy.

(3) Track Your Progress

This activity can serve as an antidote if you've ever been disappointed by your lack of creativity or by your lack of time to be creative.

Start with a simple acknowledgment in-the-moment. Make a mental note of what you've done: "It was fun today thinking through ideas for a new short story."

Follow the mental note up with a written one, in a place you commit to jotting these things down. Maybe your desktop calendar so it can be recorded on the actual day, or a page in your favorite journal to give you room to expound.

Be as detailed as you want, and always answer: How was I creative today?

Simple enough and that's the point. Creativity is seeing the world in a unique way. You do that every day already. These steps are about recognizing and enjoying that you do.

Kick Start for 2009 - Special Holiday Offer

You've been good this year. How about a coaching session to begin 2009 right?

After the gluttony of the holidays, many of us think about taking better care of ourselves inside and out. A coach, like a personal trainer, is a great way to get motivated to make the changes you want for yourself. Who doesn't need that?

During this one-time phone session, you'll have the chance to get organized, set resolutions and create a strategy for making them happen. All of this with an expert coach to listen, support and challenge you to go for it.

What: Kick Start for 2009
Who: You, or a friend
Cost: $10 for one 45-minute phone call
When: Schedule your session between now and January 31, 2009
Contact: LaureeO@gmail.com or 212-877-2418
P.S.: There is no obligation to continue coaching - unless you want to!

Quotes of the Day

"The world is but a canvas to the imagination." - Henry David Thoreau

"All children are artists. The problem is how to remain one as an adult." - Pablo Picasso