Creativity Calling
The Newsletter of the Creativity Coaching Association


Dear Friends,

Welcome to the July issue of Creativity Calling! In this month's issue our creativity coaches explore ways to shape the summer months and beyond, inviting us to focus on how our choices define who we are creatively, now and in the future.

And, speaking of the future, are you making plans to attend the Creativity Coaching Association's inaugural creativity conference October 4-5? People travel from all over the world each year to see the gorgeous fall foliage of the Northeastern U.S. However, in addition to scenic Lake George, conference participants will be surrounding themselves with creative people who are actively achieving creative success. It's a dynamite combination. Lake George is the perfect location to step more fully into one's creative potential!

The CCA creativity coaches who contributed to this month's newsletter (Melissa, Dave, Barb, Lynn and myself) will all be there. Come and join us! But please, do not delay in registering, as seating is limited. For conference details:www.creativityconference2008.com


As always, don't hesitate to contact us if you have special topics you would like to see addressed in future newsletters. We love your feedback!

Enjoy,
Bev


Beverly Down, President & CEO, Creativity Coaching Association

Creative Freedom Goes Back to the Future

by Melissa Rosati

If your July 4th festivities were like mine, you indulged in one too many hot dogs, burgers, and slices of sweet cherry pie. In my case, after the last of the fireworks, I was in bed with a full stomach and unable to fall asleep. Channel surfing usually works within minutes. Friday night was different. I happened upon Rod Serling's Twilight Zone and realized an important lesson about the creative freedom we enjoy as artists.

In this episode, the year was 1848. A young Cliff Robertson was moving his family by wagon train from Ohio to California, the land of optimism and opportunity. Hot, tired, and with a sick child, the family was lost in the desert. Cliff pulls the wagon to a stop and decides to walk to the hilltop for a better view of where they are going. Standing on top of the hill, he's looking at the world of 1961 and modern marvels too incredible to comprehend. To save his family, Cliff must go down the hill in search of water and remedy.

In 2008, I understand how Cliff Robertson felt. We're perched at the top of the hill and living in the creative wild west: teenagers make and distribute "mash-ups" based on the artistic works of others; self publisher is now becoming the largest segment of publishers in the United States; and, corporations foster content development through mass collaboration, which sometimes rewards the original creators and sometimes not.

We all know that the Internet is the most disruptive technology since the Gutenberg printing press. A disruptive technology is one that changes the economic, political, and social fabric of communities worldwide. Creative freedom is the journey we take to view the unfamiliar from the hilltop. Let's walk courageously down the hill into 2048 without a preconceived attachment as to how our creative works serve humanity. It is the land of optimism and opportunity.

Here are three ways to shape your creative future.

1. Cultivate your computer literacy skills.
2. Network not only for clients but for projects where you can participate as a collaborator.
3. Know what you don't know and seek out the expertise you need to move your career forward.

~ Melissa A. Rosati, CPCC, is a graduate of the Coaches Training Institute and accredited with the International Coach Federation. She coaches writers and artists. www.melissascoachingstudio.com

This Summer, Create for your Own Sake
by Dave Storer

Summer is a good time to focus on creating for your own sake—school is out, vacations are kicking in—try letting go for awhile of all the "shoulds" in your creating.

The best reason to create (that's available to all of us) is that it's a lot of darn fun; the process itself is very rewarding. So first of all this summer, just enjoy the process.

Take a day, or an afternoon, or an hour—or a week or a month—and just do the creating you love without any other goal but the enjoyment of it. If part of you feels guilty, remember that there are few things you can do that are better for you and also few things that are more rejuvenating, few things that make you a happier person, nicer to be around, and more effective in your job and your relationships.

You may want to take a step beyond the above and start exploring the individual reasons that drive you to create.

I've recently realized that, for myself, it's incredibly important to be heard and understood. I'm sure most creators feel this to some degree, but for me it's deeply and importantly true—a very powerful driving force.

Knowing this has motivated me to do something I've wanted to do for a long time—start a group of writers who read their fiction in public. Just thinking about it excites me and I have a clear sense of how rewarding it will be for me.

Take a moment and ask yourself this: What are the forces driving you to create?

Hold this question lightly in your mind as you go about your day and see what answers come to you. Think about this before, during and after a creative session. When the answers become clear, think of specific things you can do to honor and satisfy your own individual drives to create.

Here's a simple but profound truth: The better you understand your own individual needs as a creator, the easier it will be for you to fulfill them.

~ As a creativity coach, Dave Storer focuses on helping writers and other creators establish effective and satisfying creative practices. Check his site, www.thecreativitycatalyst.com. Don't forget the "the"!

Let the Elements of Summer Stir Your Muse

by Barbara Millman Cole

In the rays of the sun,
In the dappling shade,
It is easy to become hypnotized,
By the sensuality of summer
But, if you breathe deeply its fragrant scents,
Draw energy from its warm breezes,
You will be pleasantly awakened
By the stirring of your muse

Embrace the elements of summer and entice your muse.

Filtered light, soft sounds and warm breezes flow into our presence as summer settles into our hemisphere. We creative types are drawn to the outdoors, mesmerized by intoxicating smells, breezes and shades of the season. Our bodies slow to summer's sultry rhythm. Basking in the rays of the sun, cooling in the dappling shade of swaying trees, it is easy to become hypnotized by the sensuality of summer. Our work—yes, work—sits on the desk, lingers on the breakfast table, drapes across the lawn chair, lounges in the dance studio, waiting. Summer pulls us, with each relaxing breath of its passing breezes, away from our work.

How do we achieve balance in this scintillating environment?

Why not capture these senses and bend them to our wills? Why can we not partake in the leisure summer offers and accomplish our ends all at once? Rather than be distracted by desires to enjoy the weather, we can be inspired by the creative muse of summer senses. By observing and consciously experiencing our environs; breathing in the fragrances of blossoms, feeling the subtle shifting in the air as it blows across meadows, forests or seas, and noting the changes in lighting as the sun traverses over us, we can fuel our creative spirits, whether we be writers, painters or movement artists.

Awaken your muse. Stir it from its lazy, summer slumber by engaging in the beauty and energy of the season. Embrace the sensual elements of summer and your creativity will flow.

~ Barbara Millman Cole is an award winning writer of Short Literary Fiction and Writing Coach. She is currently working toward her Creativity Coaching Certificate. She can be reached at bmillmancole@sbcglobal.net. ©2008 All rights reserved.

New CCA Creativity Coaching Classes Beginning in September 2008!

"We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time" --T.S.Eliot

If you've been thinking about becoming a creativity coach, or adding creativity coaching to your existing life coaching, consulting, or therapy practice, we invite you to explore CCA's Certification Program. Our program includes a variety of basic and advanced coaching courses that can be done online or through telecourses in a reasonable period of time. The knowledge and skills you will develop in this program will serve your own work and open up opportunities for you to professionally coach others.

For details, please visit our Certification Program web page for a full explanation of the courses offered and requirements.

Congratulations to Lynn Wyvill, CCA's Newest Certified Coach!

Are You Creative?
by Lynn Wyvill

"Oh, I'm not a creative person at all." This is typically the reaction I get when I tell people I'm a creativity coach. For many people, being creative means being an artist (painter, sculptor, filmmaker, dancer, writer, etc.) The traditional arts are one way to express our creativity, but there are so many other ways, too. To me, a creative person is a parent who can whip up a meal with odds and ends that are in the pantry and freezer. Anyone who has ever started a business from scratch—developing a business plan, designing marketing materials, developing products and services—is creative. People who are reinventing their lives in retirement by deciding what will occupy their time and make life meaningful for them are creative people.

So how do you begin to change your image of yourself to that of a creative person? The first step is to broaden your definition of creativity. The dictionary defines creativity as bringing something into being. It can be painting or book, but it can also be a business project, a speech, a redecorated room, a garden, anything new. The next step is to make a list of times when you were creative such as solving a problem, finding a new way to do something at work or in your personal life, designing a home improvement project, etc. If you initially come up with nothing, keep trying and ask a friend to help. The next step may feel a little strange, but stand at the mirror and say convincingly "I AM creative". Repeat these steps frequently.

Why is this so important? Each one of us has untapped creative potential. Exploring that potential can make life more interesting, productive, exciting and fulfilling. Asking "why not" and "what if" will open up new opportunities to express yourself in ways you may not have imagined before. Just think what you could do if you said "Oh, yes, I am a creative person" and lived like you believe it. ~ Lynn Wyvill is a certified creativity coach who specializes in helping professionals apply their creativity to business projects. She is a writer and speaker who applied her creativity to opening a business presentation coaching business over 10 years ago.

~ Lynn Wyvill is a certified creativity coach who specializes in helping professionals apply their creativity to business projects. She is a writer and speaker who applied her creativity to opening a business presentation coaching business over 10 years ago. You can contact Lynn at lynn@grantstreetcom.com. You can see Lynn's coach profile at http://www.creativitycoachingassociation.com/findcoach/index.php


Tap into Our Database of Creativity Coaches

Twenty years from now you will be more dissapointed by the things you didn't do than the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. " --Mark Twain

Are you:

• just starting out in exploring your creative desires?
• a working artist who is stuck on a creative project?
• looking for something new to juice up your creative work?
• going into midlife and feeling that now is finally the time to do the art you always wanted to do?
• already a known artist but interested in taking your success to the next level?

For any of these situations, why not hire a creativity coach? Check out our database of over 50 coaches who are ready to work with you and propel you forward. CCA-member coaches specialize in nearly 100 different specialties.

Special Book Offer

If you have not yet purchased your own copy of Inspiring Creativity, why not take advantage of this special offer today? An anthology of 22 powerful essays by professional creativity coaches, the book will get your creative juices flowing and make you feel more confident, excited, and ready to tackle your creative work.

Special Offer: $12.75 + $4.00 Shipping = $16.75 (Note: This offer is good only for copies to be mailed within the United States. It does not apply to copies to be mailed to Canada or overseas. If you live outside the United States, please email rickbenzel@msn.com to find out how much your postage costs will be.)

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Hope You Enjoyed Our Newsletter!

This is the end of the July 2008 issue. Send us an email and let us know your thoughts and suggestions.

Note: If you are a life coach, executive coach, literary agent, therapist or any other profession involved with creative people, and you are interested in joining the Creativity Coaching Association, please drop me a note at join@creativitycoachingassociation.com for information.