by PT-clc | Dec 3, 2019 | Becoming an Author, Creativity, Memoir Writing
I am opening up space once again to create. This time it is
to write my memoir. In order to set up an enabling environment for creativity
to flow, I made a decision to finish my radio show on Bold Brave Media on
November 20th at the end of my six-month contract. The 24
shows are archived at: http://boldbravemedia.com/shows/the-art-of-change/.
They are also available on https://www.spreaker.com/show/3561427
and iTunes. Feel free to listen, comment and share on the various platforms.
I really enjoyed researching, preparing for and interviewing the inspiring women leaders and changemakers who were my guests on ”The Art of Change”. It definitely has been a labor of love. I would like to thank all the listeners who loyally tuned in to the show regularly or from time to time. I hope you found the shows of interest, were inspired and learned something from them. Perhaps in the future I may create a podcast. I would appreciate you letting me know if that would be of interest.
Why do I feel the need
to open up space to create?
Creativity is associated with the right side of our brain; whereas
organizing and planning are associated with our left-brain. Planning a weekly
radio show is largely left-brain. I find if I have to constantly be planning
and organizing 6 weeks or so out on a show or a project, then it is more
challenging to be creative.
How am I “priming the
pump” to create? I’m continuing to meditate daily before getting out of bed
in the morning. I’ve found plugging in to Deepak and Oprah’s 21-day meditation
experiences helpful to do that. I spend regular time in nature walking, hiking,
cycling … . I practice yoga three times a week and have a regular morning stretching
practice.
I’ve found that my most creative time is in the morning so after meditating, coffee and stretching, that is when I write my blogs … . I haven’t yet set a time to begin writing my memoir; that said I have various stories and ideas percolating in my head. I feel like this experience will be a bit of a life review; an opportunity to reflect and write down stories that may not be included in the book. The process will enable me to let go of and clear some old stories and beliefs that are no longer serving me. I have read a number of memoirs, am about to begin reading several books on writing a memoir, and attended an inspiring 2.5 day workshop on the “Spiritual Art of Memoir” facilitated by Joan Boryshenko in July.
Stay tuned and thank you for your ongoing interest and support.
I’d love to hear how
you “prime the pump” to create. What
strategies have you found helpful to get those creative juices flowing?
by pam | Sep 1, 2015 | Becoming an Author, Conscious Living, High Achieving Women
When I set out to write my first book “Learning to Dance with Life: A Guide for High Achieving Women” that launched on Amazon last week, I had no idea the emotional roller coaster I would ride in the weeks leading up to “going public” with the book.
About a month before launch day, I started to feel incredible tension and anxiety in my body. For a number of years adrenalin had been a foreign substance in my body, but in the weeks leading up to the launch, adrenalin and the other stress hormones returned with a vengeance. Not only did I feel underlying anxiety (which is not normal for me), I was having trouble going to sleep and waking up early. I started to have misgivings about certain personal stories I had included in the book. Should I remove them? Should I tone them down? What would people think? I was baring my soul to the world and felt extremely vulnerable.
The next wave was a mixture of excitement and fear. I kept saying to myself “ride the wave”, “let this move through you”, “you are safe.” Reflecting on this, I think I was likely experiencing a number of fears and insecurities from the past that were still in my body and presented themselves with such questions as “What will people think … Will they connect with the book? Will my message reach them?” The old inner critic was running wild!
Then a week to 10 days before the launch, I felt overwhelmed by the number of things yet to be done – finish and proof the companion workbook, craft emails and posts, ask for support from friends and colleagues to share the book launch information through social media and/or emails to their contacts. It felt like there were not enough hours in the day. Then it was down to prioritizing and focusing on what was most important.
A big challenge that came up was reaching out for support to so many people to ask them to get the word out. That really stretched my comfort zone being a high achieving woman who is challenged to reach out for support, and is often the one giving to and supporting others.
Writing my book was the easy bit. It flowed out of me. The emotional roller coaster of pre-launch was the most challenging, yet it was growth-producing and taught me a lot. The most amazing part of the launch was the incredible high I felt when I saw that my book had reached #1 in the rankings in 2 categories on Amazon. I did a happy dance, was “pumped” for my launch party and basked in the amazing energy for a few days. I imagine it is similar to the exhilaration a surfer experiences when they ride a huge wave successfully to shore.
Have you experienced something similar? Do you relate? I welcome your thoughts and comments below. Feel free to share the post with others.
