Full of ideas, but not sure where to start? Thinking of your next project, but haven’t finished the last one? Know what your dream creative life looks like, but not sure how to get there?

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

Creative Entrepreneur Coach Victoria Dzenis helps creative professionals stay connected to their spontaneity while taking deliberate action on their dreams. Together we’ll uncover what works for you: tools, skills and concrete steps that will get you out of your head and put your feet on the path to Success & Serenity.

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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?

That’s OK though. I can always plant in a container. In fact, I plan to put some tomato plants in a container here in the next couple of weeks. See, that’s one of the things I love about gardening: plants will grow pretty much regardless of what you do or don’t do. Once the soil is prepared and the seedlings planted, there isn’t a lot more for me to do.

Keep an eye on them to make sure they aren’t being “pestered” by bugs. Water (when there isn’t enough rain!) Pull a few weeds here and there so they don’t get crowded out. And then, harvest. Lovely little baby lettuce leaves, arugula and those tomatoes will make a nice salad.

Couldn’t my life be this way? Like a garden? No garden responds well to “over-doing”. If I water more than is necessary, the plants could drown. If I constantly handled the plants to make sure they were OK, the leaves would get bruised and the fruit could fall off prematurely. But I find myself “over-doing” my life sometimes.

Over-analyzing. Worrying too much. Building up big expectations, only to be disappointed at the outcome and myself. Living in the dreamworld of “what if’s” rather than with my feet solidly planted in the soil of the here and now.

My garden has incredible resiliency. And it doesn’t take a whole heck of a lot of worry or coddling or fear-driven thinking to grow. In fact, pretty much none. I noticed that one of my baby lettuces had been uprooted the other day. I paused for a moment thinking, “should I just toss it? It probably won’t survive.” But, I took the risk of putting it back into the ground. The next day, it looked as though it had never been uprooted: perky green leaves greeted me when I checked.

How many times have I given up on something – or on myself—when all I really needed was to get grounded again, to trust that my roots will nourish me? The garden takes very little worry – what it does require is trust. Trust in the power of Nature.

I make this commitment to myself: I trust that what I need will be there for me; that, like my garden, I can stay rooted in my sense of self and know that nourishment is available if I seek it. I trust that I will continue to grow.

Could your life be like a garden?

But the very idea of trusting the process is rooted in the notion that we are not stagnant. We are not stuck in the past, doomed to continue making the same mistakes or decisions that do not serve us. The first step to trusting the process is remembering that LIFE is a process. The second step? That, as living beings, WE are a process.

I’m sitting in my backyard as I write this and the process Nature goes through — renewing herself yet again at this time of year– strikes me. The process of pushing buds out into flowers, followed by leaves; the process of insects emerging from their hidey-holes into the light of day; the process of birds returning North to fill our skies with song.

Nature trusts her process.

What would it be like for you if you trusted that you could make choices that were different, were right for you? How different could life be if you allowed mistakes as a part of the process, pausing to admire the learning along the way?

The flower blossoms don’t stay on the cherry trees forever (much as I wish they would). In Nature’s process they are joined by leaves and eventually become fruit. What fruits will you harvest when you trust your process and let go of the wilted flowers of your past?

What becomes possible for you?

I had to let go of a project this week. That sounds easier than it was. It took some time for me to reach the conclusion that it simply wasn’t going to work out the way I’d planned it. For some of us, letting go is viewed as a last resort – we cling to the outcome or goal we seek at all costs, until the outcome feels all-important. Letting go of that desired outcome or goal feels like “giving up” or worse yet, “abject failure”!

I’m coming to learn, however, that letting go can actually reconnect us to the very results we so dearly wished for when we were clinging so hard. This project, for example. I put a lot of stake in it succeeding. I had the expectation that it would make money – not only for me, but for the person I partnered with. I had the expectation that it would bring me more clients and increase my reputation. I had expectations of it being wildly successful.

That’s a lot of expectations. Looking at it now, I envision those expectations as if they were “sticky grenades” (to borrow an expression). I stuck them on this project and they were just about ready to explode in my face! All of those expectations caused me to feel pressured, panicked and anxious. And those feelings were creeping up on me little by little as the deadline approached…I almost didn’t notice them until it was too late.

I had to face the facts: I had given up on myself in the process of attaching to these expectations and outcomes. I confronted my feelings and realized I had disconnected from the initial idea – what I loved about it. So, I decided to let it go. The whole thing.

And once I did, I felt lighter, clearer.

Suddenly, there was possibility again. In my feeling of lightness, I could clearly envision my next steps:

I set an intention to stay mindful of the process and the love of what I’m choosing rather than attaching to specific outcomes. I let go of any particular expectations. I stay curious, stay open and let what happens, happen.

I’ll let you know how it goes.

At the time, I thought there was something wrong with me, because I didn’t know how to love myself. I figured I was doomed to a life without love, since I couldn’t say that I loved myself.

I can now say that I love myself.

What changed? First I had to come to truly KNOW my Self – with all of her faults and beauty. Only then could I embrace her and tell her “I love you.” It’s been a long journey with many twists and turns, but I can now honestly say I love myself.

I often hear clients who are struggling with how much to charge for their services or artwork, and I am reminded of what my mother used to say. How can we expect others to value what we have to offer if we do not value ourselves?

We’re taught that putting ourselves first is “selfish”. But how can we truly be of service to others if we do not care for ourselves? It’s that old airplane adage: “Put your oxygen mask on FIRST before you help someone else with theirs.” Only by caring for, loving and VALUING ourselves can we truly show up in the world in an authentic and meaningful way.

So, the next time you’re struggling with how much to charge for your work, go ahead and figure out your hourly rate and the cost of your materials, but remember to do so with YOU at the center, as the most valuable asset you have to offer your clients, customers and the world. There’s only one YOU. You’re the only one who can do what YOU do!

How do you value yourself? Where does it show up for you?  Here are some ideas:

• Take time to do what you love to do. (Even “doing nothing” is OK!) This is a way of loving yourself.
• Go for a walk. Take a nice hot bath. Take yourself out to lunch or a movie.
• Create a space for YOU in your home. It could be a shelf where you put your favorite pictures and knickknacks. It could be a whole room devoted to YOU and what you love.
• Collect thank-you notes and compliments. Put them in a scrapbook and look it over when you’re feeling down (or up for that matter!) Celebrate your successes. Remembering that others value you can help you when you’re struggling to value yourself.

When you value yourself, you (and your work) will be valued tenfold!

Inspired by a fellow coach’s practice of creating Vision Boards each year, I created my own Vision Board for 2009. (If you don’t know, a Vision Board is a homemade collage on poster-board with words and images that are inspiring to you and your vision for yourself.) My theme for 2009 has been “Being in Flow”. It hangs on the wall to the left of my desk, and each time I look at it, I am reminded to “cherish the moment”, “ creative a life you love”, “follow your path” and “choose a positive thought”. The images I chose reflect water in a variety of locales, such as a waterfall in a garden, the ocean, water flowing around rocks, a bridge over water, etc. Throughout the year, I’ve found myself glancing at these images and remembering to be in flow with myself and what life presents.

A Vision Board is an excellent way to stay inspired throughout the year. Of course, you can make a Vision Board for any occasion – mainly it’s a visual cue or reminder of your goals and dreams for yourself – how you envision your life. Whether you make one to help you envision a new home, a new (or improved) romantic relationship or a new job, a Vision Board is a fun, creative and meaningful picture of where you want to be.

So, what will your Vision Board look like for 2010? Grab a bunch of old catalogs, magazines, greeting cards, etc. and go to work collecting those words and images that inspire you. You don’t have to know ahead of time what your theme is. Sometimes the theme becomes apparent as you find yourself drawn to certain images.

My theme for my Vision Board this year is “Receive & Allow”. Like many of you I can find myself giving – till it hurts. I want to consciously practice receiving – with grace and gratitude. Also, I want to “allow” – to let things happen as they may, rather than constantly struggling to “make” things go the way I want. While I am a firm believer in taking action to achieve your goals and aspirations, I know I can fall prey to the desire to grip my goals by the throat in a vain attempt to control the outcome. Which, then, leads me to feel let down when things don’t go the way I want. Which, subsequently leads to me beating myself up for not “doing it right” – whatever that’s supposed to be.

So, in 2010, I consciously Receive & Allow. My Vision Board will be a supportive reminder to me, helping me to not only remember what my theme is, but to feel inspired to return to the theme when I get off track.

Have fun creating your Vision Board for 2010 and I wish you a very Happy, Healthy and Creative New Year!