6-09 Creativity Coaching Newsletter





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breakTHROUGHArts
 a free newsletter for visual artists

Thanks to all who have passed breakTHROUGHArts on to other artists! To share this newsletter with friends who want more creativity in their lives, use your e-mail Forward button. To subscribe or schedule your complimentary coaching hour click: connect@dianereardon.com.

June 2009 Contents
I. The Gift of Leaves
 II. Energy Management: Translations from the Psych Research Lab, the Board Room, and the Shrink’s Couch
III. Friends in Print and Online
IV. Newsletter and Info: Share this newsletter, subscribe, or unsubscribe

I. The Gift of Leaves
Some springs are more welcome than others*. I’m sure the drop in the economy added to the chill of winter’s temperatures and our late spring in the Northwest made the wait seem extra long. Now, watching the bloomings all around, I’m reminded of one of the extra gifts of being an artist.  

On Memorial Day we went to Seattle’s free four-day Folklife Festival, which we’d been to many times over the years. It’s always in the same place, with stages mostly outdoors and I know I’ve sat on those lawns, under those trees, and by those bushes for many, many hours. I hadn’t been, though, during the last 4 or 5 years while focusing my eyes and hands on artwork. So I looked forward to grabbing my backpack, hat, water, sunscreen and hearing some new music in an old familiar setting.

I swear they upped the vitality of the grounds. The rhododendrons were perhaps more fully in bloom because of our early Memorial Day. They alone were bodacious. Seasonal shifts couldn’t account for the fresh look of the trees. The artfully pruned trees, at least 40 years old, each looked newly sculpted to my eyes. The freshness of the leaves in their chromashow of green was eye-popping. The varied textures of small bushes had me to stopping frequently to bend and look closer, not so great an idea when the crowds thickened and I was holding up the flow of strollers and dogs.

“Eyes that look to solve a problem rarely see what will free the heart.” Anon.

It’s a gift to have new eyes. And whether mine are from looking at the art I’m making, a shift in the seasons, or, like many others, watching creatures eat the food we’re trying to grow in our yard . . . whichever it is, like all gifts, this one deserves a heartfelt note of thanks.
 *Apologies to all. My only reason for being late with this newsletter issue is spring fever.
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II. Energy Management: Translations from the Psych Research Lab, the Board Room and the Shrink’s Couch
 Weiner, Eric. The Geography of Bliss. 2008.
Here’s an addition to the growing pile of ‘happiness’ books from the field of positive psychology. Entertainingly written and especially of interest to travelers, Weiner presents his take on how the national character of various peoples affects what brings them bliss. Although he slides toward some facile stereotyping (for the Swiss, “happiness is boredom”), he comes up with some gems of observation as well.

“One result of this freewheeling attitude is that Icelandic artists produce a lot of crap. They’re the first to admit it. But crap plays an important role in the art world. In fact, it plays exactly the same role as it does in the farming world. It’s fertilizer. The crap allows the good stuff to grow. You can’t have one without the other.” P. 163

It is in Iceland that he connects happiness to creativity. Partly because of its tiny size, people create openly, with new ideas being shared rapidly, resulting in a kind of competition that lubricates creativity rather than souring it with the acid of envy. That Iceland “produces more artists and writers per capita than any other (nation),” seems to lead to competition where artists spur each other on.

He recognizes another magic element of their world: embracing failure. He describes a culture where so many folks are creating in so many daily situations, that failure is expected a good deal of the time. It is accepted as part of the process as long as one works from creative intentions.

This way of looking at competition and failure provides a good inoculation against any artist’s perfectionism, whether they live in Iceland or not.
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III. Friends in Print and Online
www.ted.com
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html
Go browsing on the TED website if you need reassurance that humans are continuing to create a whole host of ideas worth sharing. Gilbert is the author of Eat, Pray, Love, a most delightfully written book of her travels. Here is a full-length video of her talk on creativity, where she highlights “Showing up” as a key element. When you want a treat, check in and hear her inspirational words.

IV. E-mail changes. In the past, you provided your e-mail address to receive this newsletter; to change your e-mail address, subscribe, or unsubscribe please e-mail connect@dianereardon.com.  If you use a spam filter, please add this e-mail address to your list of approved senders. This material is included on the breakTHROUGH Creativity Coaching (website www.dianereardon.com) All material is copyrighted ©, 30 June 2009, Diane Reardon. All Rights reserved. Visit the website for back issues and details on scheduling a complimentary one-hour coaching session.
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