Wreck this Journal: Wreckage Week 1

Today is the first day of The Next Chapter: Wreck this Journal, and I already have memories I will treasure!

I decided to dive in with what I find hardest - food and the journal (ick!) Well, I started a bit gently with drink: coffee. I giggled as I stuck my finger in my coffee and flicked my fingers, spraying drops across the page. It was fun and felt totally transgressive.

So, I showed my husband. He looked at me and said, "Jamie, I don't think you're embracing the full spirit of the book. Let's go." And this is what we did next:


I love my husband. He inspired me to play a bigger game!

Creativity is...

I believe creativity...

is life
is the essence of the Universe
is sacred
is everyone's right
is as essential as breathing
is fun
is easy when you feel safe
is joyful and inspiring
is something to be shared
is a valuable way to spend your time
is in everything you do
is a key ingredient in anything
is important to and for me personally
is worth dedicated your life to
is a part of the answer to the world's problems
is a way of expressing yourself
is a way of discovering your self

What is creativity to you?

What I'm working on...

This is what I'm tucked away working on this week.
More information, coming soon!

Creative Stirrings

This post is an excerpt from News from Jamie Ridler Studios. Subscribe by adding your name and email to the form in the upper right-hand of this blog and you'll receive monthly inspiration plus information about my newest offerings. I'd love to stay connected with you.

Creative Stirrings

Though winter still has a firm grip on Toronto, spring’s energy is percolating. Many of you have shared with me that you are ready to make a change in your life or in the world, that you’re longing for more time with your art or with like-minded people, that you want to start creating your life and your work from what’s stirring in your heart.

Yes!

And so how do you make a start, especially when something is new, big and maybe scary too?

1. Say it out loud

Magic happens when you share what you’re dreaming of. Here's a great example from The Bigger Game leadership training I attended last month. The leader expressed her longing for more joy on the subway. It turned out one of the participants owned subway-level video terminals and in less than 3 minutes they were strategizing on how to use that medium to bring smiles to commuters!

2. Be brave.

Stepping into your dreams is courageous. Start flexing your bravery muscles. Take the lead from my dear friend Jessie Marianiello’s Be Brave Project. Inspired by Eleanor Roosevelt’s statement “Do one thing every day that scares you,” Jessie encourages people to spend one month doing just that. Make March your month!

3. Be open.

Whatever you’re creating, whether it’s dinner, a book or a business, remember that it’s a living project. Every step of the way you will receive feedback and information. Keep your eyes and heart open for learning and opportunities that might just make your project even better than you’d imagined.

4. Take Care of You

As you expend your creative energy, remember to take time to refill your well. Go for walks. Drink lots of water. Have a nap. Take in a movie. Develop your own set of restoration techniques and make sure you apply them – liberally.

5. Celebrate Your Progress

Acknowledge yourself for showing up and taking a step. So often discouraged clients come to me and say, “Jamie, I didn’t make any progress this week.” Then as they get into the details, they realize in fact that isn't true! Noticing and celebrating each step along the way keeps our energy up and reminds us what we’re capable of.

What's stirring for you?

Wishcasting Wednesday ~ January 28

What do you wish to create?

Be a maker of magic and a tender of wishes. It’s easy. Answer the wish prompt above on your blog and then add a direct link to your post in the box below. Support wishes by visiting other participants, leaving a comment saying “As (insert name) wishes for her/himself, so I wish for her/him also.” It’s that simple. There is great power in wishing together.

Secret #2: Honouring Your Inspirations Part II

There is a lot of richness to explore in 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women. I've already written a post for secret #2 but when I saw that Leah had shared this particular exercise, I felt motivated to explore it too.

1. When did your creative awakening or reawakening occur? Creativity was always a part of my life but there is one moment I remember electrically. I was about 10 and taking an acting class. We had a movement teacher come in and choreograph a performance with us, chairs and a spotlight. We were to be entirely still and then when the light shone on us, we were to create our own dance with the chair. I will never forget the moment that light shone on me. I felt alive in a way I had never experienced before. That experience not only woke me up as a performer, it had a profound impact on my aesthetic from that day forward.

2. What talents do you have naturally? Performance. Synthesis. Movement. Connection. Intuition. Love.

3. What elements (fire, water, wood, air) draw you toward them? Fire. Earth. (That's not on the list but what the heck)

4. Where and when do you create? Where and when do you wish to create? I create in my home, on my living room floor, at the computer, in my mind, in my studio space. I would like to create in a rehearsal hall, a studio space (white walls, wood floors, big windows, supplies, music, space), on a stage.

5. What activates your creative energy, and what drains it? Engaging in the world activates my creative energy. Judgment, competition, criticism and not enough downtime drain it.

6. Do you use creative rituals? Not for most of the creative work I do right now. Perhaps, making a cup of tea qualifies. If I'm doing something performance related, time to centre is crucial.

7. Does nature influence your creativity? No, other than the fact that the rhythm of nature impacts my inclinations and interests.

8. What has been your greatest creative hurdle so far? Feeling frustrated and intimidated. My experience trying out art classes was brutally painful. But I am thankful to one teacher for the one day she taught shading. Actually received some clues about the technique involved had a profound impact on my abilities and also on my joy.

9. What time of day are you most receptive to inspiration? It doesn't matter the time of day. It matters my energy level.

Mentioning: Vision Board Giveaway

And by the way, I wanted to mention that Kathryn Antyr is hosting a giveaway for the book The Vision Board. You can enter the giveaway here. And as if that wasn't cool enough, inside the book you'll see that my friend, the wonderful Jennifer Lee is showcased for her art visioning. What wonderful connections!

Circe's Circle - starting January 13

A couple of times a year I lead Circe's Circle, a telecircle that helps Creative Bloggers move towards their dreams. Participants bring a creative project they want to breathe life into and with the support of the group and myself, they begin to make it happen. It's truly amazing the magic that stirs when a group of people get together to support each other in making their dreams come true.

With a new group starting in January, I thought I'd share the answers to some of the questions I've received about participating in the group.

Questions about Circe's Circle

Do I have to be in Toronto?

• You can participate from anywhere in the world. Circe's Circle happens on a telephone conference line. We're just a phone call away from one another. (By the way, this is true of personal coaching too, only you call me direct)

Can you really bond with each other over the phone?

• Absolutely. It's amazing the intimacy and sacred space that can be created by connecting with each other at a regular time each week and sharing.
• The group is also limited to 6 participants so that everyone gets a chance to share and there is enough time to get to know one another.

What kinds of creative projects do people bring to Circe's Circle?

• A creative project can be anything that you want to bring to life in this world. Maybe you're ready to start your novel or your business or your first blog. Maybe you want to start painting or a performance piece or home renovations. Maybe you want to commit to a 12-week focus on your creativity or self-care or loving your body or clearing your clutter. There is flexibility around the nature of the project. The key is that it's something you want to move forward on over the 12 weeks of working together.
• If you have a project idea but are not sure if it's appropriate, the answer is yes, it is.
• If you're still not sure, please, email me to discuss the project.

What if I know I want to do something but I don't know what it is?

• "Discover my creative project" can be what you bring to the group. With great questions and lots of encouragement, the weekly sessions can help you find your focus.

What if I change my mind about what I want to accomplish?

• Great! Things became clearer, and that's amazing. At any point in the 12-week process, you can start where you are and move forward.

What can I expect during a call?

• Each week, we will take time to create the space. Everyone will have a chance to share how they're doing, what they've accomplished on their project and what challenges have shown up. There will be time to ask for help, to receive encouragement and suggestions if you want them. You will set yourself tasks for the following week that feel good and that will move you forward.
• Depending on the size of the group, we may spend time each week exploring topics that have come up during the calls. In the past these topics have included such things as confidence, money, and self-care.
• We will also have a private blog to share any thoughts or developments that occur during the week.

It is my joy and honour to lead Circe's Circle. Creative bloggers are such generous, loving, interesting people with big dreams and big hearts. When we come together, there is no end to the magic that we can create. Here's what one participant said about Circe's Circle:

• "I began Circe’s Circle just as I was starting to take the first steps in realizing my dream of becoming a full-time artist. Circe’s Circle has been a tremendous jumpstart in turning my artistic dreams into a reality." Jessie (For Jessie's full comment, click here)

I just know the right group of magical people are going to come together in January and change each other's lives. I look forward to sharing the circle with you.

To sign up or to ask more questions, please don't hesitate to email me or to leave a comment.

For more details, including schedule and rates, please visit my website.

The Next Chapter: 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women

It was such a joy to work through Soul Coaching by Denise Linn with an amazing group of inspiring, beautiful spirits. So much so, in fact, that it inspired me to start another group in January. Starting January 9, I'll be leading a group through The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women. We'll go through one chapter a week, sharing our responses and the journey.

• If you're interested in finding more, simply click here.
• If you know you want to dive right in and join the excitement, email me at jamie (at) openthedoor (dot) ca with your name and the address of the blog on which you'll be posting.

I'm already looking forward to 2009!

Characteristics of Creative People

Recently I was reading an article in Psychology Today by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi about the paradoxical characteristics of creative people. I actually haven't made it past the first one because it set me thinking. Here's the first characteristic:

"This (that creative people have a lot of energy) does not mean that creative people are hyperactive, always "on." In fact, they rest often and sleep a lot. The important thing is that they control their energy; it's not ruled by the calendar, the dock, an external schedule. When necessary, they can focus it like a laser beam; when not, creative types immediately recharge their batteries. They consider the rhythm of activity followed by idleness or reflection very important for the success of their work. This is not a
bio-rhythm inherited with their genes; it was learned by trial and error as a strategy for achieving their goals."

I was so taken aback by the world 'control.' From my personal experience and observations, I would agree that creative people have a lot of energy and that energy intensifies when the creative juices are stirred. The image I have is that we all have a light shining inside ourselves and the more open we are, the brighter that light can shine. When we are engaged in creativity, that light is beaming out of us and into our project.

My sense is that yes, we are able to focus that light, that energy, like a laser beam but that isn't about control, it's about desire. We want to be expressing, exploring, creating and so that focus develops.

What I've seen in the people I work with and in my own life is that the key is actually about riding our energetic waves, learning our own rhythms and working with them. Perhaps what he means is more about being in control of our process rather than our energy. I definitely find I need to be in charge of following my own energy as opposed to being hemmed in by the structure of an 8-4 work day.

What do you think? As a creative person, do you control your energy? How does being in charge of your own schedule impact your creativity?