December 2003 Contents


I. Feature Article: Those Tyrannical Visions of Sugarplums
II. Friends in Print: When you feel like reading
III. Energy Management: Translations from the Psych Research Lab, the Board Room, and the Shrink’s Couch
IV. Creative Links: Sites for visual artists
V. Newsletter and Info: Sharing this newsletter, subscribing, and unsubscribing
 
I. Feature Article: Those Tyrannical Visions of Sugarplums
How can visions be tyrannical? This is relevant for kids of all ages who are kept awake by images of sugarplums or art pieces that wants to be made. By visions, I mean those big charge images or conceptions that draw one irresistibly. The heightened energy they come with is almost impersonal; in C. G. Jung’s terms they are archetypal, the calling cards of gods, goddesses, and muses.

We might be able to resist their lure if they did not come full-blown, a complex, clear whole with all the details. For Christmas, it’s often “that Christmas feeling”, all tied up with very specific cookies, carols, and traditions. The who, what, when, and where are all there at once. With an art piece, the color density and textural details may seem quite specific and magical.

All that energy provides the “why” for working so hard to create either a family holiday or a muse-inspired artwork; we are trying to live up to the initial vision and get anxious and frustrated if we sense our efforts falling short of the vision. That’s when visions become tyrannical.

You can divert the energy of the vision away from anxiety and frustration by using it to fuel your goals. Goals, as I use the term in my coaching, may be initially unclear in their details and in the paths to achieve them. They may lose energy quickly deflating to a list of steps empty of any creative juice. For example, a goal would be a list of gifts to check off; a vision would be imagining Aunt Nellie react to your gift with a look of delight.

If you use the deep energy of visions to support specific goals it provides an antidote to their tyranny. Try the following:
1) Use the vision as the starting point, not the endpoint. It gets you off to a strong start.
2) Return to the vision when you’re halfway toward your goals but your energy and motivation is flagging. If, in the middle of shopping for presents, you ask yourself “Why am I doing this?”, that’s the time to remember your vision.
3) Share your vision with others. This is certainly a good idea for family holidays which are by nature a collaborative work of art, but it also may be useful in art-making to share the vision with a supportive person.

So here’s to special December times for all! I must admit I have had not one vision of sugarplums. If any of you know what they look like, please let me know. Click here to share info on Sugarplums using the Comments Box.
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II. Friends in Print: When you feel like reading

Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly. Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention. 1996. An overview of creativity based on in-depth interviews with 91 exceptional people in science and the arts. There are few examples from the visual arts, but the generalizations work for us all. The author (pronounced chick-sent-me-high-ee) takes a special look at creativity in different life stages.

Robinson, Jo & Staeheli, Jean Coppock. Unplug the Christmas Machine. 1991. A concise guide to clean up your thinking about what you, your family, and friends want for a satisfying holiday time. Not just for women (“the magicians”) but also for men (“the stagehands”) and for any family gathering that you have high hopes for. They help you use your often unattainable “visions” to get to do-able goals.
(If you’re interested in group coaching for the New Year, go to www.dianereardon.com and click on GROUPS for three different telephone coaching series. A new group is beginning January 2004: Clear the Decks: Making Time for Making Art.)
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III. Energy Management: Translations from the Psych Research Lab, the Board Room and the Shrink’s Couch
Flow – Getting in the Zone
Csikszentmihalyi’s pivotal concept is flow, a sense of being in the zone or acting for the action itself rather than for some later result. His overall theories are a good foundation for understanding, and hopefully increasing, the times your work is going swimmingly. For example, one of his research studies with art students showed that originality of work is related to clarity of vision, with less clarity resulting in more originality. “The (more) original artists must discover as they go along what it is that they will do, using feedback from the developing work to suggest new approaches. The less original artists end up painting the picture in their heads, which has no chance to grow and develop. These (more original) art students were judged significantly more successful 18 years later by their art communities than those who worked out the finished product in their minds beforehand.” (see Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. 1990.) 
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IV. Creative Links. www.touchdrawing.com A site to introduce you to a way of drawing where you can’t actually tell how close the work is to your “vision” until the end. It is a kind of “blind” drawing with your fingers and is demonstrated on the website as useful for both self-expression and healing.
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V. Newsletter Info  
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 ©, 25 November 2003, 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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