Archive for the ‘serene’ Category

This past weekend, I helped a friend rearrange some furniture in her house so that she could have a more “Zen” environment to inspire her and keep her in relationship with her creativity. I have a space like that in my house: a place I call my ‘sanctuary’ that is open enough and free of clutter enough that I’m not distracted while I express myself creatively. I use that room for everything from meditation and yoga, to dancing, drawing, writing and collage.

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 hired a wonderful Marketing Coach to help me market my coaching practice. Marketing is, of course, the process of building relationships with prospective clients and collaborators. Marketing to your current clients is a way to maintain and strengthen your relationships with them, as well.

So how do we market our Creative businesses in a way that is true to our Creative Selves? My biggest concern for the longest time was that I would be in the position of offering something that didn’t feel like “me”. I’d struggled with a feeling of rebellion against doing what all the business and marketing books/videos/blogs/teleseminars told me to do, just because they “said so.”

I was filled with questions and worry. How do I market my business from my authentic self? How do I stay true to my message that everyone is creative? How do I balance doing it “my way” with doing it “the right way”?

This morning, I remembered Jack Kornfield’s wisdom about the “Four Rules of Relationship” and thought about how it might apply to marketing my Creative Business:

Show Up. To me, this means to show up fully as myself. Don’t hide or diminish what you do in any way. Remember and celebrate all of your accomplishments and how they have positively influenced others. Be willing to be vulnerable. Share who you truly are.

Be Present. This one can be a challenge. Being present, to me, means being focused on what I am doing, what I am saying, how I am being in this moment. Marketing my business from this state of being present allows me to approach tasks from a calm and centered place, rather than a state of worry or anxiety, which is not the best way to attract others!

Speak Your Truth. Here’s where you get to express your true Creative Self. What is your Truth as it relates to your Creative Business? What is the message you wish to express to the world? Is it about beauty? Courage? Passion? Speak it – in your Marketing message, in your newsletter, on your business cards, website, promotional brochures, etc. Your Truth is a reflection of who you are and what you bring to the world.

Let Go Of Outcome. This is by far the toughest part. But it can also be the most rewarding. When we put our message out there to the world, when we share who we truly are, when we are vulnerable, passionate, caring and Creative, we connect and build relationship with the people who need us, our services and works, the most. By letting go, we free ourselves to be ourselves in our business and our lives. When we cling to outcome, worry about what others might think or how we’re going to pay the bills, we limit our capacity to build relationship. When we can let go, we open the door to others and keep it open, inviting them to come again and again, to view our work, to visit our seminars, to read our newsletters and blogs. When they are ready, the will choose us because we have kept that door open long enough and consistently enough for them to know, like and trust us. In this way, the clients and customers we desire the most will also be the ones who desire us and our work the most.

When I choose to market my business with these four basic rules of relationship in mind, my marketing “efforts” become “effortless.” I attract the clients I truly want to work with and who truly want to work with me. Marketing in this way is an opportunity for me to share all of who I am and my Truth with the world. Even for those who do not choose my services, I am providing a message which may inspire them. When I choose to be in this state of non-attachment, I can see that Marketing is truly just about expressing myself, who I am and what I hope to bring to the world, building relationships along the way.

That feels so much better than worrying about “getting it right”!

How will you choose to market your business with Heart?