Is this you?

You’re inspired and full of ideas, but have a hard time figuring out where to start. You’re already thinking of your next project, but haven’t finished the last one. You have a Creative Mind, but have always believed that you “can’t make a living” doing what you love to do.

You know there is a Dream Creative Life for you, but you’re not sure how to get there.

Discover how to balance your creative dreams and potential with practical actions that will move you forward towards completed projects, productivity and a joyful, prosperous Creative life.

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Let me clarify that by no means do I believe that all art is pure commodity; rather my argument here is geared toward those who dream of making a living with their art, but are holding themselves back through their limiting beliefs about money, selling, success, business, etc.

I’ve heard friends say, “Well, you know, I’m an artist, so I don’t buy into ‘The System’” or, “I haven’t even thought about how much money I could make with my art” or “Real artists don’t care about money.”

These statements leave me feeling sad and frustrated for all artists. In my pursuit of the Art of Coaching I have had to learn that in order to be perceived as valuable by potential clients, I need to deeply understand my own value. What I offer as a Coach is not so different from what many offer through their creative pursuits: I help people come to understand themselves better through my art; I challenge accepted norms in peoples’ lives and encourage them to open up to a different perspective.

If I believe that my art is somehow “above” monetary value, I only distance myself from the people I want to serve. If I do not come to deeply know the value of what I create then what, exactly, am I offering? And who will buy it? How could I possibly make a living from this mindset?

I posit that this type of thinking can be dangerous: it becomes an excuse for not making art. When we prevent ourselves from earning income with our art by refusing to attach a monetary value to it, the process of making art becomes more and more difficult. We end up not having the money to purchase supplies; we take on jobs working for others, thus limiting our time to make art. It can become a downward spiral where we simply reinforce the Myth – that we can’t make a living doing what we love. We end up not making our art, not contributing to the world in the ways we know we can. We remain frustrated and stuck, dreaming of a life we want, but believing we can never have it.

What would it take for you to value your contributions, skills and genius? What if you chose to put a number on that value so that you could make a living? How would it feel to tackle your relationship with money; empower yourself to learn more about what it takes to make a Creative Business work for you?

Don’t give in to the Myth of the Starving Artist and try to convince yourself that art is “superior” to actually making a living. If you’re not fully living (with all your basic needs met) then what becomes of your art?

I work with artists who choose to value themselves, who value their work and their contributions. I support artists who have a passion to make the world a better place through their art. Those artists who are courageous enough to choose to face their own demons, who learn to love and value themselves, those who step into abundance and birth their gifts into this world which so desperately needs them.

If you are an artist who is ready to prove wrong all the people who’ve said “that’s nice but it’s not a real job”, I want to work with you. I want to coach you to create the life you dream of. You deserve it. All artists deserve to become full on the abundance life has to offer them. All artists deserve to make a living doing what they love, what they do best.

I invite you to choose your reality, not the myth.

What’s worse: that our cultural mythology tells us that if you choose the path of being an artist, you won’t make enough money to live on? Or, that there are artists who actually perpetuate this myth by believing that making money with their art is somehow less noble, less worthy, than starving?

This is the paradox of the myth of the Starving Artist. I don’t know about you, but I’m frankly sick of it. I think it’s high time we busted through.

First, I want to reiterate a message that I am passionate about: Everyone is Creative. While not all Creatives are fine artists, all Artists are Creative. Remembering that we are all Creative, whether we are painters, poets, actors, musicians, teachers, coaches, accountants, engineers, scientists is extremely important to busting the myths which abound regarding Art and Creativity.

When we embrace everyone as Creative, it becomes more difficult to give in to feelings of separation or superiority around our creativity. It’s no longer necessary to believe that we have to hold ourselves to a different, more painful, standard.

Second, I want to address the fact that there are quite a large number of artists of all stripes who are doing their art AND not starving.

Real life example: My friends Chris and Victoria Jordan come to mind. When I met Chris & Victoria, they were both still working full-time jobs in the law industry. Chris was a lawyer and Victoria was a paralegal. Not typically jobs you would consider “creative” or “artistic”. (I imagine that there are some pretty creative lawyers out there, though!)

Shortly after I came to know them, they each quit their legal careers to pursue their creative and artistic passions. Now, this road was not necessarily an easy one and I am sure there were those among their peers who didn’t understand their choices. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were told: “you can’t make a living doing that”.

Less than 10 years after quitting his career as a lawyer, Chris Jordan has come into his own as an internationally renowned, talented and passionate photographer and environmentalist. His wife Victoria is a poet who assists Chris not only by writing poems which compliment his work, but also publishing in her own right. They are not starving. In fact, they are invited to travel all over the world because of their art.

What I have noticed about Chris and Victoria is that they love what they do, are passionate about it, but are practical enough in the application of their creativity to be able to make a living doing it.

Check out Chris Jordan’s work here: http://www.chrisjordan.com/gallery/midway/#CF000313%2018×24

An example of Victoria Sloan-Jordan’s poetry can be found here: http://www.midwayjourney.com/2010/07/16/midway-journey-ii-kaleidoscope-a-poem-by-victoria-sloan-jordan/

What would become possible for your Creative self if you stopped believing that myth of the Starving Artist? Will you finally let yourself pursue your Creative Dream?

Stay tuned for Part 2 of the Myth of the Starving Artist…

So, I thought I would take this opportunity to clarify my meaning when I use the word “creative”. First let me begin with some definitions, courtesy of www.dictionary.com.

Creative

–adjective

1. having the quality or power of creating.

2. resulting from originality of thought, expression, etc.; imaginative.

3. originative; productive.

Notice how there is no mention in this definition of being “artistic” or a “genius”. I think some people have come to believe that creativity is relegated to the purview of the artist or genius, not to regular, everyday people. However, whenever you find yourself imagining what tomorrow might bring or throwing a new spice into your favorite dish, you are being creative. It doesn’t have to be grandiose or monumental. It can be a simple shift in perspective or experience which leads you to try something new.

Now, I also want to take a moment to tease out the meanings of two other words which are often used instead of the word “creative”. These next two words you will likely hear in your corporate office or on TV. But I think these words are being used too often when what is really called for is “creative”.

Inventive

–adjective

1. apt at inventing, devising, or contriving.

2. apt at creating with the imagination.

3. having the function of inventing.

4. pertaining to, involving, or showing invention.

Innovative

— adj

using or showing new methods, ideas, etc

While it could be argued that “inventive” and “creative” are synonymous based on the above definitions, I feel that “innovative” is somewhat different in that it usually pertains to the adoption of some new method or idea, which is sometimes the creation or invention of someone else.

Now that we have our definitions, it is time for “creative” to come out of the shadows. I want to use this beautiful word fearlessly. I encourage you to do the same.

Let us be clear: “creative” does not mean weird, oddball, unreliable, flaky, unstable or uncontrolled. (It doesn’t even mean artistic.) Those words don’t show up in the definition. Creativity is not something to fear or shy away from, especially when it comes from within ourselves. It simply means having the power of creating, having originality of thought. Every person possesses this power, this originality. Yes, even you.

I like to refer to my ideal clients as “Creatives” with a capital “C”. By this, I mean those people who desire to embrace their creativity, to step more fully into it and let it shine in the world. Yes, this, too, could be you. How seriously are you willing to take the power of creating that you possess, your original thoughts? What is it that you wish to create in the world?

Are you ready to be a “Big C” Creative?

What could become possible if we all gave ourselves the gift of creative space? Even if you don’t have an extra room for a sanctuary in your home, where could you set aside even a corner for your creativity? In the last house I lived in, all I had was a special chair beside a bookshelf with some of my favorite & most inspirational books. I read, wrote and drew in that chair. It was not a huge space, but it was intentionally set aside for my creativity.

I often find myself talking with artists who believe that creativity must be hard: hard-fought, hard-won. Painful, torturous. While there are absolutely times in the creative process when we face our inner demons and have to push through blocks, Creativity in and of itself is not hard. It simply requires intention and attention.

When I put that armchair in the corner of the living room and announced to my partner (and my self!) that this was my space for creativity, I set an intention. I staked out a place in my life for my creativity. There sat the chair, waiting for me, inviting me to sit and pick up my journal and write. Even when I wasn’t sitting there, just knowing that I had such a sacred space for creating was invigorating. Having that chair to come home to, to embrace me in my creative process was thrilling.

I began writing more. I started drawing and painting watercolors. I read books I had been meaning to get to for quite a while. I spent less time on the computer. I let the dishes sit in the sink. I put my Creativity first, thereby putting my Self first.

It was a simple gesture, putting that chair in the corner of the living room. It wasn’t hard. And it started me on a path to a life where my Creativity takes center stage, where it is a part of my daily existence. Where it nourishes me and makes my life easier, not harder.

What would happen if you let yourself have the creative space you truly desire? If you already have a space for your creativity, what would make it even better? Do you need to move the table over to the window? Do you want to clear the clutter, or does the clutter support your creativity (it’s OK if it does!)? What about the others you live with? Would it be possible for you to ask them to respect your sacred creative space?

Even a chair, a special bookshelf, a lamp could be enough to inspire your creativity and open up a whole new way of being in the world.

I’ve lived with fear a long time. It’s been such a close companion, for much of my life I didn’t even know it for what it was. I assumed it was normal to worry like crazy, feel anxious and berate oneself for failures. Most of us do it all the time, behaving as if we all should somehow magically be prepared for any possible contingency, every possible outcome. “What an idiot I am! Why didn’t I realize that was going to happen? I should have known! I should have seen the signs!!!”

Lately, I found myself worrying a lot about whether my business will succeed or fail. Am I doing everything I can to promote myself? Am I doing it right? Do I even know what I’m supposed to be doing? What if it doesn’t work? What if I can’t do it???

The questions were swimming around in my head, keeping me up at night and waking me up in a state of panic in the mornings. “I’ll be OK,” I told myself. “I have faith that it will work out; I’m in a learning curve, that’s all.” But no matter how much I tried to hush the panicky voices inside me, they only seemed to hang on tighter and get louder.

I finally sat down to confront them the other night. I wanted to truly understand why, no matter what I said or did, I still felt this anxiety. Finally, it hit me: what my fear needed to hear was confirmation that I have failed. I HAVE FAILED. I’m doing it even now. Oh, my. Wow. I am currently failing. My business success is not happening the way I wanted it to right now.  I’ve FAILED!!!!! Aaaarrrrggghhhhh!!!

And then I started laughing. Because as soon as I admitted to myself that I am failing, I have failed and I no doubt will continue to fail, I FELT BETTER. My anxiety lightened up a little. The problems I’m dealing with didn’t go away, but the panicky questions in my head – the constant stream of “what ifs?” – got quieter.

I’m still giggling a little as I write this. What a relief to remember that it’s OK to fail; in fact we do it all the time. How lovely to revel in failures and the lessons they can teach rather than shy away from them. Now that I’ve admitted to failing, I am open to possibility. Instead of the nagging “What if?” I can hear the exhilarating “What’s next?!”

Try it. Admit to your deepest fear. You can fail. It doesn’t have to be spectacular; it can just be. I wonder what will happen when you do.

Saying that, however, makes me wonder. Why did I ever believe she did not have that right? Did she always have it, and I just didn’t acknowledge it? That part of me has always felt ostracized and therefore, rebellious. But when I self-identify with that “alternative” part and place myself against the mainstream, am I potentially doing myself and my creativity a disservice?

When I call myself “artist” or “creative” am I by default denying the creativity inherent in others who have not yet discovered it for themselves? Who do I exclude in my need to rebel? In my frustration at not feeling “accepted”, who do I repel?

Current brain research seems to be validating the power of the creativity within all of us. What, then, becomes of the rebellious creative within me? Within you?

If we accept as true that we are all capable of creativity in a variety of forms, then perhaps a part of the paradigm shift will come in the form of all people identifying themselves as artists. Because in order to progress to the next stage of human development, we must embrace the Creative in all of us, not just a select few.

How will you choose to recognize and celebrate your own creativity? How will you recognize and celebrate it in others?

Imagine that. Creativity improves the brain.

Take THAT, all you gremlins and old myths that have told us for so long that art is not important or that creativity has no real value.

Take THAT, my high school Algebra teacher who criticized the fact that I was studying poetry, saying “What’s that gonna getcha?” all those years ago.

“A BETTER FUNCTIONING BRAIN!” I can now say!

Recently, I attended a marketing workshop where, for the first time in public, I confessed that it is my BIG DREAM to be a part of the paradigm shift towards valuing creativity in all its forms, towards the belief that YOU can, I can, WE ALL can do what we love in the world, do what we are passionate about, what matters to us AND be valued for it. No more, “you can’t make a living doing that”. No more, “if you’re an artist you’ll have to starve.” No more of that. I reject it.

And, apparently, neuroscience does, too.

Our ancestors knew that art and creativity had value. Why else would they have ensured that future leaders were trained not only in diplomacy, war, science and math but ALSO in dance, art, languages, poetry? They knew: the more creative you are, the better you will function. The better leader you will make.

In this emerging New Economy, in our 21^st Century “Brave New World,” those of us who value the capacity for creativity will lead the way.

What will enable you to step up and take the lead?

It could be you’re grateful for the sunshine. Or the rain. You could be grateful for your friends, your family, your beloved. You could be grateful for your job. You could be grateful that your boss isn’t bugging you with more work, or that you have an upcoming vacation. You could be grateful for your dog or cat. You could be grateful for the roof over your head.

What do we have if we don’t have gratitude? How could we connect with joy, with our drive and motivation, with our souls without it?

Gratitude is up for me today. Don’t even quite know why, except that I have had some experiences and achievements lately that are reminding me to acknowledge my gratitude. I’ve completed my Certified Professional Coach training. I think it didn’t occur to me how BIG this would feel. I’ve spent the better part of the last two years dedicated to this achievement, and now, here it is. So much has happened in my life; so much has changed (mostly for the better!)

I am grateful there was a Coach Training program near me. I am grateful that I had the courage to make the choice to go to this program. I am grateful for my instructors: their kindness, compassion, support and modeling of what masterful coaching is. I am so very grateful to my fellow classmates who have been with me on this extraordinary journey.

I am grateful to be finished with my schoolwork. I am extremely grateful to those clients who have been with me for over a year, who took the risk to begin coaching with me when I was still a “newbie”. I am grateful for my newer clients and for the clients who are on their way. I am grateful for my friends and family members who have supported (and worried for) me through this career change.

I am grateful to be living out loud my dream of being my own boss, doing what I love every day and doing something that matters in the world.

In a way, this blog post is turning into one great big THANK YOU note, but that’s OK.

Gratitude is about acknowledging where you’ve been and where you are now. It gives us permission to see our own accomplishments and who has been there with us all along. Most importantly, gratitude puts us in touch with our JOY. And joy reminds us to be who we truly are in the world, thus inspiring others to do the same.

So, write down 5 more things you’re grateful for. Tonight, before you go to bed, list 5 more. Do this every day and you may start to see something shift in your life – shift inside of you.

What are you grateful for right now?