Wednesday, January 2nd, 2013...9:44 am

New Year’s Resolutions: Warm wishes for my creative friends!

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For a couple of decades now, we’ve written our resolutions in the sand at local beaches during low tide. The premise is simple. As the tide comes in, our resolutions are either carried off to the Universe to become reality, or there’s no sign left of them, relieving us of any guilt or accountability. Either way works for us!

However, this year, before writing my own (actually, these are mine, too), I wrote some for you…

Persistence

My mom called me stubborn when I was a kid. I didn’t know what a necessary quality being stubborn would turn out to be for me. I don’t use that word any more, and neither should you. Our word is persistence, and you’ll need it. So many creative people stop when they hit the wall. When they think they’re not good enough. When they think “I can’t!”  Hitting the wall means you’re close to breaking  through. Stay on course.

 

 

Passion

You need that fire in you. The fire that says YES! That fire that is a hunger, a thirst, a drive so vital it can’t be stopped.

With enough passion, you’ll find inspiration. With enough passion, persistence will be easier. With enough passion, you’ll check off that list of resolutions in no time.

Passion is contagious.

Place yourself in the path of passionate people. Provoke passion in others. Pile on extra helpings of passion. Set your world on fire!

 

Play

Creative work is play. No cutting corners here. Take time to explore, dabble, doodle… Do not limit yourself to what appears to lead more directly to a desired outcome. It’s a trap! When the paint spreads, drips, or runs, see what it wants to become. When an object appears in your writing, don’t question it. You’ll find out what it’s for later.

Stay clear of the shoulds. Stomp your feet and shout, “I am done being a perfectionist!” Make many mistakes! Be intentional about it! And when they show up uninvited, let them have their play time, too. There are no mistakes. Let those gifts give you an edge. Let them set your whole world on its edge!

Play is practice paired with pleasure. Play is process. Play is pure expression. Play!

 

Practice

No, I’m not going to tell you to put in your 10,000 hours. Just keep on playing. Let play be your practice. And view every creative project as practice. If it leaves your hands and finds its own place in the world, let it go. And if it doesn’t, let that go, too.

 

Peace

Wherever you are is where you are and it’s okay. Trust that you’re in the right place. Artists need Peace. We want whatever we want and we want it now. We wonder why we’ve been left behind.  Why our talent and timing have abandoned us. Why no one seems to have recognized our genius or our gems.

Keep your eyes on the prize, but relax. Marvel in the unknowing. Sit still and know what you seek is already on its way. Live as if the peace you need already held you, encircled you and all in your life.

Be peace.

Be, know, and watch it grow.

 

Blessings on your journeys and your creative projects…

Happy 2013! May it be your best year ever!

 

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