Creativity Calling
The Newsletter of the Creativity Coaching Association

Dear Friends:

Welcome to the October issue of Creativity Calling!

A huge "Welcome!" is extended to our many new subscribers. We are so glad you are here. My head and heart are still whirling and full of the creative energy gleaned from CCA's first annual Creativity Conference on October 4-5. It was a phenomenal event attended by scores of talented people eager to share with others their ideas and successes. Creative sparks were flying and they landed on everyone in attendance. Emails and letters of gratitude continue to pour in. I encourage you to mark your calendar now for next year's conference and make plans to attend: October 16-18, 2009 in Lake George, New York.

This month our coaches offer suggestions on how to connect with our inner selves, how to stay centered in our creativity during turbulent times, how to step outside of our usual perceptions in order to see our connections with the bigger picture of life, and how to allow these connections to fuel our creative expressions. Excellent reading—enjoy!

As always, if you have comments or suggestions for future newsletter topics, we really do want to hear from you. Keep sending that great feedback!

All the best,
Bev


Beverly Down, President & CEO, Creativity Coaching Association

Creative Works are Paramount in These Difficult Times

by Barbara Millman

Let not the fowl of worry
Make tangled nests in your mind,
Rather, invite the birds of creativity
To weave their intricate twinning
Where you can observe and
Appreciate their craftsmanship;
In the spacious branches
Of your imagination's lush garden,
Where they belong

Creativity is needed to weather these tempests.

We live in a time of climactic change where rare weather patterns whip up hurricanes that blow gale force winds across vast swatches of our land; of terror where fanatic organizations plot our nation's downfall; and of economic crisis where bank foreclosures and national recession capture our attention in the headlines. With all these worries flying about our heads, it is hard to maintain our focus on our creative work, to continue our normal daily routines and to keep our sense of wellbeing.

Being distracted by events of the day is unavoidable. In newspapers, on television, in our communities and in our neighbors' faces we are reminded of the troubles that loom like vultures circling overhead.

Since ignoring these problems is not an option, why not consciously pay close attention and use our experiences to express our thoughts through our writings, our paintings and our presentations? Rather than allow these worries to confine us, let us weave a record of our times into our work. Through creative expression, we can free ourselves of stress and share our ideas with others.

History shows that humanity's bleakest hours have given birth to great masterpieces; such as Tolstoy's War and Peace, Picasso's Guernica, Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, and Lennon's Imagine. Out of revolution came our Constitution and de Tocqueville's Democracy in America. From the Great Depression came Roosevelt's New Deal and Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath. In the tumultuous time of slavery came the Civil Rights Amendment and Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin. Creative works reflect and influence turning points in our cultural and political landscape.

Breathe deeply the winds of change. Open your eyes to the darkening clouds and bear witness—to the world, to the nation, and to the community where you live—to these extraordinary events. Give of your creative spirit, and receive, in return, a calmness and clarity to endure these hardships

Barbara Millman Cole is an award winning writer of Short Literary Fiction, a Writing Coach and a CCA certification candidate. She can be reached at bmillmancole@sbcglobal.net. ©2008 All rights reserved.

Creative Connections
by Brecia Kralovic-Logan

Fall is here and everywhere we look, nature provides us with creative inspiration. As a fiber artist, I am particularly fascinated by the intricate webs that have begun to appear all around my house. Spiders are busy creating amazing networks and connections inspiring me to think about ways that we can approach our creative projects in the same way. What if we tried working out from a center point that would allow us to make connections in all directions? What would that center point be? How do we identify and tap into our creative center?

Michael Gelb, in his book, How to think Like Leonardo da Vinci, devotes a whole chapter to developing the ability to see the interconnectedness around us and how to apply that to our creative work. Gelb shares: "The ability to see relationships and patterns, and make unfamiliar combinations and connections, is the core of creativity."

Try making connections by looking into your Places Of Original Love. Your P.O.O.L.s will help you identify the themes that most truly express your authentic voice and your passion. You can try this exercise to access your P.O.O.L.s for your next project: Without taking a lot of time to think, try completing this sentence: I am absolutely, passionately thrilled when I see, hear, feel, taste, do, or make__________________.

Gelb suggests that reflecting on the Origin of things and all of the elements that are related to its creation, is a good way to practice making connections. Once you have chosen a central theme from your P.O.O.L. you can begin weaving a web of connections that will expand your thinking and lead you to new discoveries. Working from your central theme, draw or write everything that you can think of that relates to your chosen passion. Weave lines on the page to make connections as you go and you'll be happily surprised by the new ideas that you catch in your creative web.

Brecia Kralovic-Logan is a fiber artist and creativity coach in Santa Barbara, CA. She can be reached by email at: breciakl@gmail.com.

Connecting with our Inner Light
When We Feel Stuck in the Dark
by Tina Games-Evans

Like the moon, we all go through phases in our lives. We have ups and downs, we go forward and backward—and sometimes we seem to circle back around. We may hide behind the clouds or peek from beneath the clouds. But in the midst of a creative blackout, when we are open to making a connection with our authentic self, we can get to a point where we're able to beam with full light.

During a new moon phase, the sky is completely black, with the exception of little sparkles of light in the form of stars. It's the point in every month when the moon takes a retreat and begins to grow again, redoubling her light and reflecting new creative energy on all worldly things.

For creative individuals, this phase represents a time for our own retreat and withdrawal from the outside world. During the darkness, it's an opportunity to reflect on who we are—underneath the layers of life. It's a time to turn within and write about our inner thoughts and feelings.

It's a time to ponder where we've been, how we got to where we are now and where to go from here. It's an opportunity to explore new ways of thinking and to prepare for a new path of travel—and marks the ideal time for connecting with our inner selves and our heart's desire.

This is a time where dots start to connect and patterns start to reveal themselves—just as the stars do in the night sky. Everything has a place and everything has a purpose. Now it becomes our job to find our place in the next phase of life's journey.

The energies of the dark moon can feel especially potent. That's because they are. They represent the unknown and can send a magnetic pull to lure our willingness and our desire to find out—"What is it that is waiting for me?"

Grab your journal during the next dark moon phase and ask your authentic self, "Who am I and where do I want to go from here?"

The timing couldn't be more perfect.

© 2008 Tina Games-Evans
Tina Games-Evans is a freelance writer, workshop facilitator and creativity coach for mothers who are dealing with issues related to the loss of personal identity. Her website is www.MoonlightMoms.com.

New CCA Creativity Coaching Classes Begins October 23, 2008

Life is not about finding yourself...
Life is about Creating yourself. " ~ E.W. Wilcox

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.

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.

Read this Book and Get Motivated

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.)

Click here to purchase a copy now.

Hope You Enjoyed Our Newsletter!

This is the end of the October 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.