Create for Your Life Now

Purpose- Why Write? Why Create?

Please note: for the exercise with today’s lesson, you will need a separate paper and pencil or pen. For this exercise, I prefer you write by hand rather than use the keyboard.

 

Create for Your Life Now - Inspiration - Contemplation - Artistic Action

 

PRINCIPLES:  Devotion Passion Courage Purpose Conscious Action

 

PRINCIPLE #4 – PURPOSE

 

It is an important question to ask and  continue asking as you are writing – be it working on a specific project or just writing for. .. a reason beyond your  knowing.

 

Today, we will write from among the most basic prompts:

 

I write because:

 

With Free Flow writing, the words come off the edge of the pencil and all writing rules evaporate. You simply let the pencil move.

 

No thinking.

 

No judgment.

 

No correcting as you go. Chances are, your writing has something to tell you that you don’t know yet.

 

As author  Kit Reed wrote,  “Beginning to write, you discover what you have to write about.”

 

I write because:

 

You might think, “I don’t have time or space to write” and I ask you to remember Harriet Beecher Stowe, 19^th Century writer of the classic work, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” She wrote this masterpiece at the age of39 – during this time in history, many women didn’t make it to age 39. She had eight children and a household to manage without  the convenience of today.

She wrote in chunks and fits and starts,  writing, as she says, guided by the hand of “Another” – she didn’t guide the writing, she let the writing guide her.

 

I write because:

 

 

There is a sacredness of the pencil coming
together with the page, the moment your history
becomes inscribed in one-ness with the page.

It is like the organ pipes, glistening and sweaty.
The pipes are sweaty when I personify them,
anyway. The holy leaders wrap the room with
incense and the thickness of their voices
while chanting.

My pen leaves its mark on the page, the gentle
tracings of its kiss.

 

I write because:

The marks are soft, like traces of perfume or
the hanging scent of cookies baked earlier in
the day. No scars or soreness is left behind,
the shadows are as light as butterfly wings and
at the same time have as much energy to
whip up a typhoon. Or two. Or three.

It is no small business, this sacred procession,
this holy parade, this walking meditation of
letters, words, sounds, emotions, echoes
reaching from my heart to yours and then
connecting more deeply with yours and
then out into your echo and the next until
all the world can see the organ pipes sweating
and feel the vibration of a deeply passionate
chord woven between all who can hear.

It is because they finally, absolutely, truly
and heartfully hear.

 

I write because:

There is a sacredness of the pencil
coming together with the page.

 

It is your turn:

 

I write because:

 

I write because:

 

I write because:

 

 

 

Courage - Being Willing to Create... Badly....

The complete notes are not available yet,
but the audio is up and ready now - please
listen and follow along....

Julia Cameron wrote:

"In order to write at all, especially when
pinched by a creative drought, we must
be willing to write badly."

In today's audio, listen to me telling  stories
about performing - (rehearsing) badly...

Randy Pausch reminded me:

"Brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not
there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to show how
badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there
to stop the people who don’t want something badly enough. They
are there to keep out the other people."

Crack Open Inspiration - Use Metaphor and Conscious Action

Create for Your Life Now - Inspiration - Contemplation - Artistic Action

PRINCIPLES:  Devotion Passion Courage Purpose Conscious Action

 

I have a story for you, today, about inspiration – and how to tap into inspiration anytime using any creative medium or method.

The illustration uses  photography and writing. These experiences can be translated into any form of creativity, even if that creativity is related to building your business or strengthening a relationship or writing a poem or sculpting a new form.

Take what I offer and let the words help to crack inspiration open in you in a profound, new way.

I know you are ready – and willing – and have intense desire and focus.

Step into it, now – with me.

My friend, Victor, and I were in the midst of a conversation about motivation and inspiration yesterday. We were talking about feeling it and not feeling it and what our responses were, either way.

I told him about my recent journey from

Bakersfield

to Corona del Mar and back again in one day for my Uncle’s funeral. It felt different, that day, because I didn’t feel compelled at all to pull my notebook from my backpack and catalog my experience with words. “It was strange,” I noted without further reflection or judgment.

I added, almost absently, “I did take a lot of photos, though.”

I took a quiet breath. “It was something, taking photos.”  My words sounded almost like an apology.

I turned the conversational attention to my friend.

“What about you?” I asked. “What have you photographed lately?”

“Not a thing,” he answered. “Nothing has interested me.”

I coughed, gagged and sputtered. I heard some version of a vocalized “What?!” burst from deep in my lungs.

He asked me a question, “What am I going to photograph here in

Podunk

,

USA

?”

I was speechless, absolutely speechless. Victor has taught me so much about making forward progress no matter where I am, my dear friend saying there is nothing to photograph in his version of

Podunk

,

USA

which is very similar to my version of

Podunk

,

USA

. Victor’s lack of inspiration right where he was, Podunk or not, shocked me right into wordlessness.

I decided to take a slightly different angle to our conversation.

“Remember how you have complimented me for having a great eye in my photos?” I asked him.

He nodded yes. I asked another question.

“How do you suppose I developed what you describe as ‘a great eye’?” There was a pause.

“You take a lot of pictures.” Victor responded.

“Yes, I take a lot of pictures. Every day I take pictures. Here, in

Bakersfield

, in MY Podunk,

USA

.” I paused again. “Every day.”

Every day I take photos of aspects of life I find interesting because I choose to find the images right in front of me interesting.

I choose to be interested in objects which may not be notable to anyone else but me. I want to be fully engaged so I engage with what is in front of me. It is so simple.

That’s what living a creative lifestyle is about, it is about an invitation to become more fully engaged in your life.

What will you choose to be interested in today?

I choose to be interested in the metaphors during my journey of the past several days. Of architectural elements, of cornices, archways, doorways, the tiles in benches and walls. I choose to be interested in changing perspectives, in looking from the undersides, in noticing how the changing light changes how I see and experience things.  I choose to get right up against things, to let me lense get microscopically close to a subject.

I choose to engage wonder about the bark on the palm tree in my front yard and then turn to engage in the wonder of the bark on the palm in my backyard, which is different than the bark on the front palm. I choose to engage wonder with the spider web, the leaves on the mulberry tree, the window sill the spider web is woven upon, the movement of the sun throughout the day and throughout the seasons.

It is in these moments when I notice the beauty around me coupled with the conscious action of taking photos of “uninteresting things” in my version of

Podunk

,

USA

, that magic happens.

This is when inspiration cracks open inside of me. I allow myself to be devoted to seeing in a new way without being attached to “being inspired” – believing I need inspiration in order to crack open creativity and instead, allow inspiration to be cracked open through the devoted actions I take.

My devoted, conscious action invited inspiration to crack open within me.

I invited inspiration to come in and as always, inspiration didn’t fail me.

This is significant. Remember this message: I didn’t wait for inspiration to be there. Instead, I invited it to join me and consciously acted in a space and attitude of wonder, of gratitude, of engagement.

You don’t have to wait for inspiration, either. You can choose to crack it open inside of you by engaging with life right in front of you, right there, right now.

Inspiration is right there, exactly where you are, exactly as you are in an infinite number of forms and images.

Look around your space right now, with a renewed sense of wonder.

What do you see? Smell? Feel? Hope? Wish?

Take what you see, smell, feel, hope, wish and wrap it up in a creative adventure with words or photos or song or prayer or sketch.

Crack yourself open to the inspiration all around you right now.

If you would like to be a part of the complete program for Create for Your Life which begins THIS MONDAY - please click the link right here for details.

Conscious Action #1

Create for Your Life Now - Inspiration - Contemplation - Artistic Action

PRINCIPLES:  Devotion Passion Courage Purpose Conscious Action

 

Today – Conscious Action

 

Nearly a year ago I wrote these words:

 

I pray to write.

 

I haven’t written much lately and as I sit, today, I mostly pray to write something worthy of being read, later.

 

Something worth following somehow, something connecting, not just ink sacrificed for insignificance.

 

A question begs to be asked: is ink, written, ever insignificant?

 

Given my limitations (granted, perceived) of writing amidst Summer schedules I have taken to writing haiku in my head if not on paper at least once a day. 

 

It happens like this: I start to feel non-writing nerves tap dancing on my shoulders and I let the familiar form of five-seven-five float into my mind’s ear. Whispers in counted syllables, my haiku friends’ feet tread lightly compared to nerves rat-a-tat-tat.

 

A moment, an inhale, and exhale, held.

 

I write:

 

Predawn moves him

Tail straight against kitchen floor

Watching Hank’s breath speak

 

Haiku, for me, is a form of prayer. It soothes me in these dark hours of early morning when sleep escapes me.

 

I am reminded of a sanctuary before the church service begins, breath moves through me, a sole-soul moment of worship before the group experience takes its place.

 

A flood of word-memories gracefully flow into my consciousness.

 

Holy limestone squares

Silent tiffany glass art

Pipes ever singing

 

Pine trees congregate

Crisp air fills white wood space

Nature’s sentience

 

 

Sensory banquet

Can life get more beautiful?

Don’t compare with me

 

Blank pages await

Pencil moves in bold grey strokes

Heart song’s homecoming

 

Cinnamon kisses

Christmas snakes into July

Via coffee cups

 

This place, the page, white

Space where God always comes near

Leaves sacred traces

 

Annie Dillard wrote:

 

"When you write, you lay out a line of words. The line of words is a miner's pick, a woodcarver's gouge, a surgeon's probe. You wield it and it digs a path for you to follow. Soon you find yourself deep in new territory. Is it a dead end, or have you located the real subject? You will know tomorrow, or this time next year."

 

The question asked amongst the words written last year:

 

A question begs to be asked: is ink, written, ever insignificant?

 

What the audio doesn't say is:

 

Yesterday, we spoke of rocks (from DH Lawrence). Wild rocks, lava flowing, molten rocks. Today, in searching for examples of the miner’s pick in past writing – listen  to this poem from a year ago. Hear the syncronicity – and allow that past moment to reach back into this present moment:

 

Egg-Shell-Opening"

His phone call
Broke open the
Egg-shell-covering

Of the time with
Katherine and Samuel
Hunting for Hearts

Among the river rocks
Along the still lagoon
Of "Our" Grove

(The Grove we share
With Meth-heads and
Joggers and the occasional
Law enforcement patrol)

Its been thirteen hours
Since Katherine and I
Kicked the stones to find

This exact stone
Once and now
Blackened flow

Made solid
Into metaphoric
Representational
Not literal
And we know it
Intimately, this one

The heart
The lava-flow
Movement filled
Solid rock
Heart

The one that rests
And waits to be
Discovered here

Among the river rocks
Along the still lagoon
Of "Our" Grove
Before
His phone call
Broke open the
Egg-shell-covering

© 2008
Julie Jordan Scott

 

We each and all have “egg shell openings” which the act of creativity opens.

 

Allow yourself to engage with this concept within you: the part of you which may feel fragile  yet  is simultaneously protective.

 

Create for Your Life, Now.

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Devotion: Create for Your Life Monday #1

Create for Your Life Now - Inspiration - Contemplation - Artistic Action

If you would like to be a part of the complete program, scroll down -

 

 

PRINCIPLES:  Devotion Passion Courage Purpose Conscious Action

 

PRINCIPLE #1 - DEVOTION

 

“All that is necessary to break the spell of inertia and frustration is to - act as if it were impossible to fail.”
Dorothea Brande

 

What would I be willing to do if it were impossible to fail?

 

Devotion – Say it with me “DEVOTION”

 

Listen, and then repeat:

 

“I am devoted to my creativity.”

 

Listen, now, to a creativity expert and heroine for us all, Martha Graham:

 

“There is a vitality, a life-force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and be lost.”

 

Are you devoted to bringing your unique creative expression to the world?

 

The question I am about to ask may strike you as odd.

 

Please accept that fact - and prepare to listen fully. Listen alongside me, heart-to-heart, mind-to-mind, soul-to-soul.

 

Are you waiting for permission to start living the creative life you have always desired, deep within your being?

 

Are you holding back because you are expecting your boss, your partner, your parent or some Divine force to wave the Green Flag and pull the trigger on the starter pistol?

 

Listen now for your gut response. Have you been waiting?

 

Be quiet and listen to your inner callings today, for they will be responding throughout the day and in the days to come.

 

Listen for what they will tell you.

 

Are you ready to receive permission to begin?

 

It was almost ten years ago that I sent myself to a therapist because one of my severely mentally ill clients threatened to kill me. This was somewhat of a "straw that broke the camel's back" experience at the time.

 

I was working tirelessly to provide service and advocate for the most severely mentally ill population in our county - I loved working with this population - but working in such a highly structured bureaucracy is so far out o f alignment with my personality that it had begun to become more painful than I could bear.

 

My therapist asked me to make a list of the things that scared me the most. One of the items on my list read: "I am afraid to lose my job."

 

Let's fast forward three months into the future from there.

 

Yet another client threatened my life - this one an especially frightening, vivid threat. I worked for two more weeks before waving the white flag and asking for a leave of absence. It was during that leave of absence that I got strong enough to realize that the object of my fear - leaving my job - was actually something I wanted permission to do.

 

My heart was asking for permission to quit my job.

 

And that is exactly what I did - I gave myself permission to do that which initially scared the daylights out of me.

 

On the day I made that decision I stood overlooking the Pacific Ocean on the bluffs in

Santa Monica

. I felt completely alive as the setting sun reflected golden rays against the ocean.  The birds song were sweeter than I had ever heard before.

 

I sat on a park bench with a copy of Gregg Levoy's "Callings: Finding and Following an Authentic Life" sitting beside me and this poem flowed from my pencil:

 

Now Begin

Take away the degrees, titles, accomplishments –

What is discovered at your core?

What is it that unique, special spark?

Buried deep, neglected, chosen to ignore

Seeking to please whomever

Drowning out pure longings of your heart

Struggling, freezing, suffocating

Until finally, you choose to start

Whispers from the spirit

Soul's songs from deep within

After dancing, stranger among strangers,

Claim it! Your life! Now begin!

 

Devotion – Say it with me “DEVOTION”

 

When I lived out those moments overlooking the

Pacific Ocean

, completely ready and devoted to whatever was  next – because at the time a carefully crafted plan was among the furthest things from my mind.

 

One thing I knew was – I was standing at a cross roads.

 

It felt monumental at the time. The choice I made was and continues to be monumental. This exact moment, here, with you – is an outgrowth of that choice in that moment.

 

I didn’t know then that it was only one of what now feels like an infinite number of crossroads, each one surprising in its own way – each one calling me    to be all of me, just like this moment is now calling you.

 

Devotion – Say it with me “DEVOTION”

 

Have you been you waiting for permission to start a new business, launch a new marketing campaign, invite someone to lunch, write a poem, send an email - whatever comes up from your heart - so that you can start living your most creative life?

Beloved one, you have permission now to begin.

All you have to do is receive this permission and honor that permission by adding intention and devotion to your creativity and the creative projects waiting to be borne through you.

Receive it now.

All you have to do is honor this permission with your intention and commitment.

Honor it now.

My friend, Henry David Thoreau, said "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined."

If you don’t respond, if you don’t say yes – remember… and know you risk:

 

“You are unique, and if that is not fulfilled, then something has been lost.”

 

“Whispers from the spirit

Soul's songs from deep within

After dancing, stranger among strangers,

Claim it! Your life! Now begin!”

 

We will conclude with a statement of devotion.

 

Use a clean sheet of paper and write briefly of your devotion to creativity – to writing.

 

I am now devoted to….(and at the end of each phrase or sentence, please add….) and I give myself permission…..

 

© 2009 Julie Jordan Scott