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smell the roses
“The artist’s longing for awe is an expression of a desire
for the most complete relationship to nature
and Soul that is possible.”
-Shaun McNiff
My first love was gymnastics/dance, then came collage, then poetry, then guitar & songwriting, etc… After these wonderful love affairs I have had with these many art forms, there remain a few that would be able to be categorized as life-long loves. One day while journaling I stumbled upon this process of making these lists and boiling them down to the more essential. I found the framing it showed me quite helpful, so I have developed it into an exercise for you to try. It goes like this:
1. LIST any & all Artistic Forms you have had an affair with in your life. (from brief infatuations to staple marriages) Note- you can do this for all sorts of loves, not just ‘artistic’.
2. Place them in the order they appeared in your life (optional, but interesting to see the chronology)
3. Split your list into 2- the ones that you are still somewhat actively engaged in, and the ones you have pretty much let go of.
4. Notice where you feel peaceful acceptance around the lost art and where you feel sadness or upset. See if you can take small steps to reclaiming any lost loves.
5. Circle the ALL TIME most IMPORTANT to you from the List. (should be less than 3)
6. Write a Love Letter or Vows & Commitments to this 1 (or 2 or 3) Outlet that you Cannot Live without.
Hope you get Insight into what Really Matters to you. Have Fun!
I have a tendency to look for the bright side of apparently bad things. The “economic crisis” is weighing heavy on a lot of us, and much of the news tends to be gloomy bad news. So I want to point out one of the best things that I see resulting from this crisis.
From businesses to family’s, people are taking stock and pulling their energy out of the excessive and extraneous, and, streamlining.
The dictionary definition I liked best for streamlining is: “to alter in order to make more efficient or simple.”
Weather this altering is pointed at our business offerings or our expenditures or our to-do lists, it is good to move towards less clutter and more simplicity. In a culture which seems to almost celebrate excess, we could really use this good excuse to cut away the fat and get down to what is essential.
So in the spirit of this, I offer these INQUIRIES to think about & Act on:
1. What area of your life do you feel most overwhelmed by? List ways (from the small to the drastic) that you could simplify in that area.
2. How many pots are on your front burner? If any of these projects aren’t bringing profit and fulfillment, can you put them on the back burner or take them off the stove?
3. What in your life is weighing you down and would make you slow to respond to changes? Examples of these weights range from outdated mental baggage to a cluttered garage that needs going through, or a living situation that is comfortable but nestles you into a rut. What activity could you undertake that would lift some of that weight off you?
Some Suggested Streamlining Actions:
• Go through your closet and take out everything you don’t love or don’t wear. Give it to charity or organize a fun clothing swap.
• Go through your closets, drawers and garage and repeat the above exercise.
• Go through your email inbox and delete as much of it as you can and file the rest.
• Look over the projects that you started and haven’t completed and see which ones you can complete and which ones you can toss or give away.
• Organize your computer files and clean up your desktop. Get rid of any technology that you aren’t using, and backup your important info on a CD and an external drive.
OVERALL– Look over everything in your life from your belongings to projects to relationships and be willing to release anything that does not bring you money, fulfillment, or joy.
Does any of this sound familiar? You are asked WHAT YOU DO and you have to rattle off a LIST as your answer?
You have SO many Interests and Talents in many arenas and can’t imagine narrowing it to one, but have well intending friends and relatives reminding you that you don’t want to become “a jack of all trades a master of none.”?
I have struggled with my multi-faceted ness for many years. My attempts to focus my energies and professional efforts have resulted in me narrowing down to only 4 jobs in 3 fields. 🙂 Those of us in this situation oscillate between lamenting and celebrating our multi-directionality. Many good things can be said for prioritizing and focusing, but many other good things can be said for diversifying. In fact, in lieu of the unstable job market, I have recently become very happy that I have 4 resumes instead of one. This gives me a flexibility and versatility that those with one resume just don’t have.
Since you are likely tired of the speeches about choosing and mastering one trade,
I will hold up the other side of the argument;
Why it is good to be a Jack of Many Trades:
1.) It is more amusing. The same same day in and day out can get very boring. Having variety of activities is more interesting and engaging, and often more fun.
2.) You are more interesting at a dinner party. You have more to talk about and the more things you do, the more chance there is you will find a point of interest or common ground with many people.
3.) If you lose your job or move to a new place you have more skill sets to offer and can respond to more opportunities in more fields. (plus you would be much more of an asset on a deserted island)
4.) You feel more whole by feeding the different parts of yourself.
5.) You have multiple intelligences. Each trade comes with its own challenges and assets that lead to particular personal development. You work more physical and mental muscles by cultivating multiple skill sets.
I will end this post with A Wish:
May we forget about trying to squeeze our beautifully organic many-branched-tree-of-a-self into a straight line! May we celebrate having diverse interests and skills and balance it with Focus so that we can transcend dabbling and really manifest work that is worthwhile!
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I will be posting Musings, Articles, and Resources on topics such as:
Creativity & The Arts
Conscious & Uplifting Media
PR & Media Relations
Biz & Marketing
Career Coaching & Consulting Tips
Creative Entrepreneurs
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Who is this woman writing this blog?
More about Audette Sophia:
I love to write and create. Among my creations: 2 performance troupes, a dozen extravagant archetypal stilt costumes/characters, an interactive poetry book (called Poetessence), a web company- Catalyst Arts, and now this Blog!
I’m also a certified career coach & pr/marketing/media strategist.
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