September 2009 Contents
I. In Such a State
II. Energy Management: Translations from the Psych Research Lab, the Board Room, and the Shrink’s Couch
III. Friends in Print: When you feel like reading, listening, or surfing the web
IV. Newsletter and Info: Share this newsletter, subscribe, or unsubscribe

I.  In Such a State
”In the heart of the artist is a studio.”  Alex Grey*

Or a kitchen table. Or a corner of your bedroom. Wherever you go to meet your creative energy. I’ve been noticing these days, how entering my creative work space, in itself, puts me in a different state. I’m not talking about the usual ups and downs of how the work is going, but that simply getting there hits a reset switch to a different part of my life. (The fact that I climb a flight of stairs to get there adds a reminder with its built-in rise in heartrate.)

I think it helps this sense of separateness that I do my e-mail and marketing in a separate office area so there’s only a bit of blowback from the real world into the studio. This usually happens when it’s time to apply the label to a piece; sometimes it feels like I’m a mother putting name tags in kids’ clothes to send them off to camp.

The degree of separateness of my studio from the rest of my life works for me these days. Well, mostly. Sometimes I need to go back and forth to use a copier, handle unexpected visitors, or, since I ignored friends’ good advice, make trips to a less than handy bathroom. Then I’m not always so fond of the stairs. As I learn more about digital input to art, I may need to add an internet and printer connection, but for now my studio is at the heart of my art. How is yours doing?
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II. Energy Management: Translations from the Psych Research Lab, the Board Room and the Shrink’s Couch
Frederickson, Barbara L. Positivity. 2009.
As the field of positive psychology expands, more tools become available to serve creative folk. Frederickson, among her many other contributions, has developed a way for you take your “positivity” temperature on a daily basis.

Based on research of positive emotions, she presents a ‘broaden and build’ theory. Simply being in a positive frame of mind momentarily changes the chemicals in your brain leading to a wide angle view of the world. Her classic example is how, in the state of being in love, we are open to the world, see more connections, and are ready to hug everyone from the loved one to the lamp post.

So why would artists care about another installment of evidence for the power of positive vs. negative emotions? We can care exactly because of that increased power to open up to the world, see more, and have more original ideas. Frederickson calls this the “broaden” effect of positivity, broadening our perception, thinking, and sense of time, rather than closing them down to a tight, defensive hyper-vigilance.

The second part of her theory rests on the evidence that being in a positive state leads to building new stuff. Using mathematical analysis, she and her colleagues have repeatedly established that a ratio of three positives to one negative (3:1) is a tipping point that sets off a cascade where optimism, resilience, and energy for building new stuff feed on each other.

Sad to say, the first time I took my positivity temperature my score was a very lackluster 1.61 (remember 3 is the magic number to go for). I thought I was in a fine mood. In fact, I’d been particularly grateful in that 24-hour period for the sun shining on some of my doings. In the light of Frederickson’s data, I’m just hitching along at a normal okay level and missing the fuller waves of positivity at 3 to 1 and above. Now it’s up to me to track my state (www.positivityratio.com) and carry out some of her techniques for lowering my negatives and upping the positives. I’m hoping to hone a package of skills that fits for me, one that will set off a positive cascade, especially as I begin sessions in my studio.
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III. Friends in the Media: When you feel like reading, listening, or surfing the web
Grey, Alex. The Mission of Art. 1998.  
Alex Grey is the artist whose paintings usually include the human form and their underlying anatomy (see www.alexgrey.com for many examples). Although this is one his older books, I’m recommending it as one of his most inspirational and clearly written. His ideas about spiritual matters are central to his work, but you don’t have to agree with his beliefs to benefit from the power of this extended essay. His thoughts raise good questions about artists’ intentions for their work and how they’d like to have it impact the world.
*quote above from page 18.

Ian, Janis. Society’s Child. 2009.   
Here’s inspirational reading about a different medium, that of music. This singer/songwriter from the ‘60’s has now written her story in a voice as clear and honest as her vocals. Along with the saga of the music industry’s many upheavals, she describes the personal turning points of her creative life. Her ability to challenge herself to new levels of improving her craft and to write songs that are truths rather than hits reminds us all of art’s basic values. It was a pleasure to revisit her music on her website with its free downloads (www.janisian.com) and at YouTube’s wide variety of performances from the different eras of her long career.
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IV. E-mail changes. 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 ©, 31August2009, 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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