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Building a Living Around Your Creative Soul – Interview on Good Life Project

You never forget where you were when you ‘get the call’.

I was sitting in Black Eye Coffee in Denver, having my afternoon coffee/writing/art making ritual. I like to take myself to cafes even in my city, because it makes me feel like a traveler.

In between sketches, I checked my email. There was a note from Jonathan Fields, my mentor, ally and Good Life Project boss, asking about my upcoming New York trip. Turns out he wanted to invite me to come on his podcast for Good Life Project.

When this kind of opportunity shows up, it’s a full-body experience. The kind that makes you want to jump up and shout and dance and cry and scream. But I’m in a hip, trendy Denver cafe and everyone’s keeping their cool under wraps. So I go into the bathroom and dance and make noises of joy.
I’d dreamed about this, and hoped for it. For me, this is like being asked to be on Oprah. But I would never had thought I was ready to be a guest. I figured that was years away, when I was famous and accomplished. 🙂

I say this because this is one of my favorite podcasts. I listen every week and I can honestly say that my life has been changed from listening to these conversations.
My interview with Jonathan on Good Life Project went live this week, and as of the time of this writing, has been shared over 400 times on Facebook. I’m shocked and thrilled that this interview inspired creative people to feel good about their talents. It’s my work to help creative dynamos to get their work out there in ways that work for them, and if this interview helps, I am delighted.

Lucky for me, that same night I got the call, I was scheduled to have dinner with my artist friend Lisa Call at Root Down. I was bursting with excitement, and the staff noticed. They brought celebratory drinks to us and congratulated me, not even knowing what I was celebrating. This kind of service goes beyond service – it’s the kind of world I want to live in, where even strangers celebrate each other’s wins.

Backstory about the interview day

If you’re like me, you enjoy the story around the story, so read on if you want to hear what it was like for me to do the interview.
I was in New York in March to have fun with friends. I’d added the trip on to a visit to my family in Pennsylvania. On the day of my meeting with Jonathan, I decided to brave the bike rental system. I love biking in cities, but still, New York is kind of intimidating. YIKES!

I am nothing if not daring, so I paid my fee and jumped on a bike. Cycling through the Village was easy and fun and surprisingly mellow. I went straight to an art supply store. (Of course.) Then I biked to the recording studio for the interview.

I was nervous, but because I know Jonathan, it was easier to relax. He’s also a very chill guy so his calm made me calm. Still, by the end of the interview, I had no idea what I had said.

I thanked Jonathan and the recording guy and left the building. I was halfway down the block, floating on a cloud, before I realized where I was. This was a street lined with flower vendors. Flowers, one of my favorite things, lining the streets. I took it as a sign of love and beauty and gratitude and floated to the subway, where I promptly got lost.

It was truly a golden day. I went off to a museum to treat myself to more art and beauty.

Big thanks to Jonathan for the fun interview, big thanks to everyone who listened, and even bigger bow of gratitude for everyone who shared.

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31 Benefits of Free-Writing

Perhaps you want to write. Your writing burns deep inside you. You know deep in your bones that you have something to say. Perhaps it’s a book that will help get your message out. Maybe your own personal story is burning a hole in your heart, just waiting to be told.

You may not even know what you want to write – you just feel…that…writing…urge.

But you ignore it. You do everything else first: From the big things: taking care of the kids and managing the daily operations of your business. To the small things: making sure your inbox is at zero or scrolling through Facebook.

I get it. We have all been guilty of postponing that thing that matters deeply to us. The small but persistent knowing that we have something to say is easy to drown out with the real and false demands on our time.

Sitting down to focus and get our writing out seems so big and daunting. We think we need a whole day to just get something out. Worse, we are afraid that when we do sit down, we won’t have any idea where to start or what to say. And what if something awful comes out?

I totally get all of these feelings. I have them myself and I see my clients and students process the same stuff. Luckily, I have a simple, fun and effective solution.

Since 2007, I’ve been leading a simple but powerful online class  now called The Devoted Writer. For a month at a time, we all write for at least 15 minutes a day. It is awe-inspiring to watch all kinds of transformation unfold. I’m always blown away by how much can change from such a simple practice.

There are so many things that this writing method can do for any kind of writing – fiction, blogs, books, personal reflections. It’s like the Swiss Army knife of creative practices.

What’s even better, the benefits extend WAY beyond the page. It’s truly mind-blowing and heart-opening.I’ve been paying attention to the life-changing things writers in this class experience.

Here’s what writers reported consistent free-writing did for them.

Make a star next to the things you would like to experience now.
With consistent free-writing, we:
1. Release fear of what others think.
2. Easily find 15 minutes for writing every day.
3. Get out of our own way.
4. Make real progress on writing we can publish.
5. Finally have a reliable way to access and tell our truth.
6. Access inspiration, anytime, anywhere.
7. Develop and enjoy a consistent writing routine.
8. Appreciate that the time we spend on our writing as a gift we give to ourselves again and again.
9. Discover more about ourselves.
10. Release emotions that are holding us back.
11. Connect with a supportive writing tribe, finally.
12. Glean useful insights about our writing process.
13. Untangle sticky life issues.
14. Come back to our truth.
15. Recognize and claim our authentic voice
16. Play with new genres and styles.
17. Clear away the internal clutter preventing us from our good work.
18. Gain confidence.
19. Understand what’s truly important.
20. Make amends with the past.
21. Recognize new possibilities.
22. Eliminate distractions.
23. Build our butt-in-chair muscle.
24. Enjoy a daily no-calorie treat.
25. Become more courageous with our writing.
26. Extend that courage to the rest of life.
27. Learn how to show up even when it’s difficult.
28. Discover that we can create even when life gets busy.
29. Become more present to the simple wonders of the moment.
30. Finally befriend the inner critic so he no longer stifles our creativity.
31. Drop all expectations and just show up for our words.

Wow. I didn’t have to invent any of these gifts. These are all things that writers in my online writing class experience every single time. How many of these did you choose for yourself?

I want every single person who wants to write to have access to their creative powers like this.

Get my free guide on how to use prompts to write whatever you want here. 

 

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Interview with Cory Huff: How to Express and Enjoy Many Interests

I’ve been honored to be a guest on several cool podcasts in recent months, and I plan to share them with you here on the Original Impulse salon.
My pal and creative collaborator Cory Huff invited me to his Creative Insurgents video podcast last fall. We’d met up in Paris for pizza and he asked me to be a guest for him. This is one of my favorite interviews because Cory, founder of The Abundant Artist, was able to see how all of my diverse interests and talents combine in a cool way. I love that!
Don’t mind how scary we look in the screenshot here; we’re both really warm and lovely.

Show notes from Cory:
:47 – Cory introduces Cynthia Morris, artist, writer, writing coach, and fabulous dancer (you’re too kind, Cory!)
1:20 – Cynthia shows off her art journals a little bit and shows how she got started with them. She also mentions some resources from Frederick Frank, including Zen Seeing, Zen Drawing and Art As A Way.
5:20 – how visual thinkers can quickly capture ideas and thoughts in a visual format instead of journaling or note taking
11:00 – Cynthia and Cory discuss the fact that even artists who are very experienced feel insecure or are unaware of how good they are at their art. Cynthia talks about putting your head down and building up chops.
15:00 – Cynthia shares her tips on how to finish a book or other long-term projects. She emphasizes the importance of understanding that big projects really take something from you, and you have to strategize on how to deal with that beforehand.
20:00 – Cory & Cynthia both talk about dealing with self-doubt and how to face that kind of fear
21:00 – Cynthia talks about how her dancing videos help her filter out people who are not a good fit for working with her
25:00 – Cynthia talks about what it means to live a creative life on your own terms
Enjoy! I’d love to know if this interview sparked any new ideas or practices for you. Please tell us in a comment below. And maybe dance a little!

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Flaky or genius? Thriving as a multi-talented creative

A quiet place to get clear, get focused and make our mark. Ahhhh.....
A quiet place to get clear, get focused and make our mark. Ahhhh…..

You want to write. You also draw. Perhaps you were once identified as a painter but now you are compelled to make clay mugs and bowls.
Flaky? Or simply like most artists, drawn to lots of different things and experiences? This is the very nature of being creative – curious, open to new things, adept at many different skills and media.
The notion that we have to drill down and focus on just one thing can feel like death to a creative person. Yet if we flit from thing to thing, we can risk not finding satisfaction in any one thing.
How to solve this multi-faceted problem of abundance? I have a few thoughts on this, and I hope they are helpful for you.

Connect to your original impulse

First, you have to know very deeply, truly and clearly what creating is about for you. Maybe it’s just for fun and expression. Maybe it’s just for your own creative jollies. Perhaps you want to build a business around your art-making.
Whatever your reason, don’t skip this vital step of connecting to your own original impulse. Knowing your motivation will make everything – including taking advice from others – a lot easier.

Finish things

Finisher or dabbler? Depending on your intention for creating, you will know whether finishing things is important to you or not. For me, it’s very important. I am compelled to finish all kinds of things:

  • my newsletters
  • blog posts
  • books and e-books
  • class curricula
  • art projects
  • and more.

If I don’t finish these things, my work isn’t as effective as it needs to be. I also don’t derive the immense satisfaction that awaits us at the finish line.
You may not be making things for money, and that is okay. But I bet you have an inner critic who loves to say “See?! You can’t finish anything!”
That really stinks. It degrades the quality of your creative joy and it’s not okay. That’s the demon twin to the inner critic who tells you that YOU WILL DIE if you finish things and put them out into the world, because your art won’t be perfect and then you will be under attack.
Trust me. You won’t die from imperfection. I don’t, and everything I put into the world is perfectly imperfect. I see the flaws in all of my art, writing and work. And I have come to accept it. Don’t get me wrong, I still have high standards. I still work my tush off to make things of quality. And I also have learned that if I don’t put them out there in their wabi-sabi adorableness, I’ll never make anything.
But I digress. You get to decide whether you want to finish things and how that will happen.
This is an important piece because we can easily flit from one art form to the next when the project gets tough. We abandon things when we don’t see easy solutions. That’s fine, but don’t rob yourself of developing your creative power by staying with things to the finish line.

One major project at a time

I help my clients to the finish line by guiding them to focus on one major project at a time. A book, a body of work, a business idea they are developing. They can enjoy other art forms on the side, but they have a primary focus on one thing.
This helps us feel sane, focused and accomplished when we complete the project. it also teaches us our own process, start to finish. When we know our completing style, we can replicate it again and again to finish all kinds of things.
There are many ways to juggle multiple talents, but that’s enough for now. To sum up:

  • Know your motivation or original impulse.
  • Clarify whether completing things is important to you and why.
  • Focus on one major project at a time, with room to play with other things as a joy practice.

What helps you manage multiple mediums so you can feel like a creative genius? Drop a comment below and let us know.

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Creative Monday Accountability

Hello creative friends and happy Monday!
I hope your weekend replenished and refreshed you for the week ahead. I love the fresh start Monday gives us.
And it’s time for a little creative accountability, if you want it. First, let’s check in on last week. How did it go? Did committing to one thing here help you do that thing?
It helped me a LOT. I had committed to making and posting one video. When Thursday, my appointed video day, rolled around, I did not want to do it. I had a lot of meetings that day and if I hadn’t publicly said I would make a video, I would have bailed on the commitment. But I can’t hold your tootsies to the fire and not do the same for myself!
So I got my pretty dress on and made sure my curls weren’t TOTALLY wacky and set up the video system. And I made a video. And then another, and another and before an hour had passed, I had clocked 6 videos. Yes, SIX!
This is what happens when we set a low bar. We usually are able to over-deliver and then we feel great. I felt completely powerful and successful and proud of having done all that.
I posted the video and encouraged a lot of people to be more creative. I’ve got a few bits and bobs to add to the other videos and then I can schedule them for upcoming weeks. This method of batching my tasks really works for me, helping me play in many different media so I can do a lot of different things.
My commitment this week: prepare the two presentations I am giving on creativity in Fort Collins and in Costa Rica. I know those will happen because I am being paid to show up and teach, so it’s a little bit of cheating on my part to not add another thing to do.
But I also know that adding more for the sake of it isn’t my priority this week. So I am content with that. And excited to speak about this thing that is my life’s work: how to be more creatively successful and satisfied.
How about you? What worked for you last week and what will you do this week? 

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100 Day Project: I accept the challenge

I’m excited to embark on the 100 Day Project hosted by Elle Luna and featured on The Great Discontent. Check out the video to find out what I’m going to make for 100 days!

Are you doing the 100 Day Project? Let us know in the comments below. And if you’re not doing it, dream a little. What would you do for 100 days if you were going to do something wacky like this?

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Creative Accountability Monday

Happy Monday, Creative Dynamos!
Let’s start the week off right, shall we? With a bit of support for our creative challenges, because we’re in this together!
5Share in a comment below ONE thing you will do this week in your creative realm. Something that you need a nudge for. Something a bit daunting.
Whether you’re a photographer, painter, sculptor, writer…any kind of artist. I’ll help hold you accountable this week to doing something you really want to do.
For my part, I am committed to return to making regular videos. I want to do this, yet it keeps getting pushed to the back burner. I commit to making and posting a video by this Friday. There. I said it, publicly. GULP!
What one thing will you do? And when you do it, will you return here to add another comment and perhaps a link? 

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A colorful new writing ally

Writual Blessings Cynthia Morris illustration affirmations writers
I’ve got something exciting to share with you, but first, I’ll tell the story.
As a writer’s coach, I’m always looking for ways to make writing easier. When we get into the ‘zone’, writing can feel magical. We finally lose our critical self-consciousness. We slip away from time. Our words guide us to new territory, and we welcome the surprises and the wisdom our pens offer up. We discover our wisdom and our voice. We discover Writual.

How we access Writual

Since 1994, I’ve been leading writing workshops that teach writers how to cultivate this magical space, where writer’s block is a distant memory. Where the inner critic is outside shoveling snow. I call this space Writual.
Writual is accessed through the intentional surrender we can find with the free-writing method. Our pens or fingers on the keyboard provide access to our authenticity. Writual cuts through the noise to get to the heart of our truth.
Practicing Writual feels very different from the writing sessions that come from disciplining or hounding ourselves to write from guilt. When you have adopted your Writual practice, you’re much less likely to avoid your writing.
In my Free-Write Fling class, students find their groove using the free-writing method and my Writual Blessings. The transformations they experience are profound: more confidence, more joy and more sense of their authenticity.

Writual Blessings are your powerful writing ally

Writual [rich-oo-uh l] The sacred act of writing with intention and surrender. Origin: writing + ritual = Writual
Blessing [bles-ing] praise, devotion, especially grace before a meal
Writual Blessings help us enter this sacred writing zone. When writers use them as a prompt, they tap their own deep well of wisdom. It’s been great to see how Writual Blessings have served as my allies in helping writers find joy and confidence.
Writual Blessings serve as permission slips to the coveted space of writing freedom. It’s amazing how much the Flingers love them and how much they’ve made a difference in their writing. They have found focus and solace from the Writual Blessings.
Writual Blessings Cynthia Morris illustration affirmations writersWritual Blessings Cynthia Morris illustration affirmations writersWritual Blessings Cynthia Morris affirmations illustration writers
I want more people to enjoy the pleasure that these affirmations bring. So from the hundreds of Blessings I’ve written, I made a deck of Writual Blessings cards. I chose 36 of my favorites. I hand-lettered them and added watercolor illustrations. I made a deck of portable cards for writers who would love to have support to access their authentic expression.
There are lots of ways to use these cards, including:

  • writing prompt
  • visual reminder of your intention
  • permission slip from your writing coach
  • page marker for your journal or favorite book
  • and more….

I’ve ordered a limited number of these unique writers’ card decks for sale. If this kind of colorful encouragement is something you could use for your writing, you’ll want to order your deck now.
To make it easier for you, I’m paying for shipping through March 31st. Get your deck here and let your writing become joyful and easier.
Get your deck here, and if you’ve got writing buddies, pick up a couple of decks for them. You’ll love the bulk discount I am offering. Remember, shipping is on me through March 31st.

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Forget goals; invest in practices for creative satisfaction

How do you get everything done? Writing, art making, coaching, teaching – just a few of the roles I juggle. I’m sure you’ve got as many or more roles you play. We’re all trying to squeeze more into every day. How do I get things done?
It’s a constant adjustment process of my work flow. In fact, it’s the problem we seek to solve at Original Impulse: how do we get our best creative work done despite everything that conspires against us?
I’m always looking for the right combination to fend off distraction, OPA and decision swirl. I want to focus on things that matter to me, that challenge me, and that serve to inspire others’ creative dynamism.
So, rather than set big goals for 2015, I’m trying a new schedule. My hope is that new structure makes it easier to do what I love. Here’s what I’m experimenting with: [Read more…] about Forget goals; invest in practices for creative satisfaction

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Writing accountability: What is your creative edge for 2015?

I’m sure you’ve got your word of the year. Goody. It’s nice to have a guiding principle.

Now, what are you going to make happen in 2015? 

I’ve seen that we glean the most satisfaction and actualization when we specify a creative edge for the year. When we dedicate ourselves to a very specific phase of the creative process and dig down deep.

Look at the following four creative edges in the writing process below. If you were to focus on one, which would give you the most satisfaction this year?  [Read more…] about Writing accountability: What is your creative edge for 2015?

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My wish for your 2015

Don’t Go Big!
Don’t Be Bold!
Don’t Dream!
Instead, this year, try this:
Love yourself more than
you ever knew possible.
Love yourself daily,
fiercely, as if you’re
the best damn thing
that ever showed up
in your life.
Let this love glow and grow
from the inside out
until you almost can’t stand the joy
then love yourself up
some more.
Let this love infuse everything you make
with the unmistakable pulse
of your singular Soul.
Let your brilliance emerge fully
from this love of your life,
of your talents,
of your self.
Watch with giddy joy
as this love-doused work
meets the needs and desires
of those who have been waiting
to know it’s safe
to love this much.
Greet them as they gather close
to say YES! to your gifts
YES! to your loving self
YES! to the unmistakable joy of
you being you
you being brilliant
you being love.

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Let us shine in an undeniable constellation of creative joy

Years ago, in a session with my first coach, we were envisioning my version of success. This included working with great clients, teaching, speaking and being known for my own writing.
I relished the idea of these surface wins, and as a good coach does, she asked me to drill down to a deeper motivation about why I want to help people. I thought about it. I saw me shining brightly and having a great time. But my vision wasn’t just me sparkling high in the sky far away from others.
My version of a happy life includes my success and the success of others. If I were the only one having a good time, that wouldn’t be much of a party, would it? It became clear to me why I invest my time and energy in those around me – I want us all to shine in an undeniable constellation of creative joy.
My mission at Original Impulse is to help creative people get out of their own way so they can do their work and enjoy their talents.
[Read more…] about Let us shine in an undeniable constellation of creative joy

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Make Your Creative Time More Effective

You’re in the middle of writing the most fabulous paragraph when the phone rings. It’s your child’s school and you’ve forgotten to pick her up.
You leap up, caroming from blissful creative mode to full-on panic mode. You rush out the door, the cursor on your screen blinking, your creative bliss lost.
Sound familiar? This wrenching transition style happens all too often. We lose track of time and pay the cost. We become grumpy, resentful and our desire to write dissipates. It’s one of the main reasons we fear entering the creative zone. We’re afraid we won’t be able to make a graceful return to the ordinary world where our real-world obligations await us.
It doesn’t have to be wrenching. Transitions between life and writing can be easy. But it requires some effort and some training on our part to make transitioning between our roles work for us.
How can writers and artists make the transition smooth and easy? I suggest ritualized acts help to honor the creative time. Below are ten transition methods that my clients have used successfully. Experiment to see which rituals work for you. [Read more…] about Make Your Creative Time More Effective

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Get your writing moving, no matter what

People often ask me what they can use free-writing for. In  my experience, it’s great for every kind of personal or professional writing imaginable – for the first draft at least.
This week, I brainstormed 20 ways you can use free-writing now, even if you don’t consider yourself a writer. Best of all, free-writing is a great way to just. get. started.
Check all the ways you see free-writing as useful for you now. This will help you to identify how you can use writing now to enjoy your life and creativity more.
[Read more…] about Get your writing moving, no matter what