Hurry Up and Slow Down…
How rushing to do too much lengthens your progress.
Kick start Thursdays
For the next ten days, ponder.
Yes, that’s right.
Just ponder.
You could meditate. You could talk with friends. But you should journal.
I know what you’re saying… “I don’t like to journal. It’s not for me. I hate to get all naval gazing.”
I totally hear you.
I don’t like it either.
But here’s the thing. If you want something, you need to put your focus on it. And one of the best ways to do that is to write about it.
I remember reading a quote that said something like, “It’s just a dream until you write it down. Then it becomes a plan.”
For the next ten days, write about your own creativity. Take ten minutes. Reflect on your interests. Here are some prompts to get you started.
Day 1: My biggest goal
Day 2: My biggest fear
Day 3: My biggest ally
Day 4: What is blocking me?
Day 5: What’s one thing that I can do to move forward?
Day 6: What would success look like for me?
Day 7: What makes me happy?
Day 8:What are five things I can do TODAY to move toward my goal?
Day 9:What one thing seems impossible? How could I tackle that one thing and put it behind me?
Day 10: How does success feel? Embrace it. Fully. And wholly.
My day one —
My biggest goal is to inspire others to do their art.
Okay, I’ve written it down. And it really makes me wonder — is that really my one goal? Yes. The answer is YES.
Why?
When I think about that one goal, that’s the thing that makes me feel all squishy inside. It makes my heart race. It makes my fingers want to wave high in the air. Power Pose to the EN-th degree. Victory is mine.
Over twenty years ago, I was out for a daily mind-clearing, get the blood flowing, walk around my yard. It was something that I did almost every day and I had worn quite a path around the perimeter of your yard. I even added some loops and turns around a few small pine and hemlock trees in order to make the journey a bit longer. I often made eight or ten laps. I often listened to various self-help cassettes that I had ordered from Nightingale-Conant. (Funny, but I’ve recently gone back to listening to those recordings that are now available for free on YouTube. A favorite is Wayne Dyer, whom I’ve always loved, and I listen to him while boxing. Weird, but it works for me. What works for you?)
I remember one day being frustrated by my own creativity.
(Wait, what?)
Let me explain.
At the time, I had my own business. My husband and I owned and operated a workroom that served the interior design trade. I made draperies, valances, pillows, etc., and my husband installed these in home throughout New England.
It was creative. Very creative.
I didn’t have any patterns. I had to figure everything out myself. From how to make federal valances, to swags and jabots, to cushions for boats and bedding for king sized mattresses.
I often worked on fabrics that cost $50, $100, even $200 a yard! A bolt of fabric could be worth $5,000. And it was up to me to transform a designer’s sketch into a functional and aesthetically beautiful work of art… all out of linen, pima cotton, and silk.
But I always dreamed of doing something else. Being a writer. Telling stories. Entertaining a reader with my characters, my plots, my settings. Connecting with thousands, millions, of fans with MY words.
My husband and I had two kids and the business was our only source of income. If we didn’t work, we didn’t eat. It’s a hard merry-go-round to jump off of. Especially when you have a crew of a dozen workers also depending on you for their livelihood.
But here I am- thirty years later living that dream.
And you can, too.
Start by writing it down.
Ten topics for reflection.
Write about:
1. Your ideal day
2. Your dream house
3. The best hour
4. The best minute
5. Your favorite scent
6. Your favorite sound
7. Your favorite color
8. What brings you peace
9. Your desert island book
10. What was your favorite toy as a child
11. Describe your favorite meal
What is your art?
Who do you create for?
Why do you create?
Who do you idolize?
Who is your ideal customer?
Who taught you first?
Who taught you most recently?
Describe your ideal teacher.
Tell yourself the best story.
Draw the best scene.
Draw a floor plan for your ideal creative space.
Draw a treasure map.
Describe your leading man. Draw them. What is their theme? What is their favorite scent?
Describe your leading woman.
Describe your antagonist’s good side.
Who will attend your ideal dinner party?
What is the nicest thing that anyone has ever said to you about your art?
If you are what you think about all day long, what are you?
What does your flower garden look like?
What is your ideal vehicle? Where will you drive first? Who will you visit?
Dream.
Let yourself dream.
