Creativity

You have probably heard me say that consumerism is the weakest form of creativity. Sure, it’s fun and creative to choose art supplies. But the real payoff is in using them. Like many people, I am seeking more simplicity and clarity with ‘stuff’. My friend Courtney Carver’s book Soulful Simplicity has inspired me to shed my extra stuff. That said, some things do make a huge difference in our lives. I am all for having the right tools.
My guess is you worked hard this year, and that you could use a little treat. What if you got or did something that honors the writer you? The artist in you? Maybe one of my favorite things will soon become your favorite, too.
There were a few things I got this year that I really loved and want everyone to know about. Perhaps one of these treats will be the right gift for the writer or artist in you. 
Hahnemühle is one of my favorite notebook and paper companies. I love the high quality and design aesthetics. This German company won my heart. They are an in-kind sponsor of my year-long Atelier program. Atelier members receive one of the Diary Flex notebooks, one of my favorites for easily and elegantly capturing all my ideas. They have a new cappuccino notebook that they sent me along with some coffee and a cool mug. Get your Diary Flex here.
 
Rancho Gordo My friend Gigia told me about this company. I checked them out and thought, oh, they’re a little expensive, I am economizing now. But when I went back to their site, I was lured in by the gift section. I could get myself beans as a gift.
What could be more practical and more luxurious at the same time? I splurged on the 20-bean box ($119 includes shipping). When they arrived, I nearly cried. The abundance! The beauty! The possibilities!
Get yer beans here. 
Scott eVest
Speaking of cozy, I have started wearing a vest around. Now, it’s not your ordinary vest. We call it the Spy Vest. My friend Lisa Sonora was wearing one when we were in Paris together, and of course I wanted one.
This vest has many, many pockets. So many, the vest could replace a carry-on if you’re traveling light. I love the vest, with its many pockets and its hood. I never thought this would be my style. But I am with a Colorado dude through and through and I think the rugged look is starting to rub off on me.
You need one of these vests.  Just think about the supplies you could tuck in here for a sketch crawl.
HaikuBags is another in-kind sponsor. This year they came out with the Trailblazer backpack. I am not much of a backpack person, but I love all of Haiku’s products, so I got one. And, surprise, surprise, it’s as fabulous as all the other Haiku bags I have had.
I call it my Portable Author Office. When I am going to a cafe to write, I easily put everything into the backpack. The weight distribution is great – no back pain! As always Haiku knows me well and has designed a bag with pocket for everything. This was a great surprise – the bag I didn’t know I needed.
Treat yourself to an eco-friendly, gorgeous and functional bag for those artist and writer’s dates. 
Crystal Journey candles Speaking of my dear husband, when Steve came to my first Solstice party three years ago, he brought two gifts: a Crystal Journey candle (Joy) and a bouquet of flowers. This guy had my number right away. Now, we treat ourselves to these gorgeous candles. In the winter, they are in almost every room.
Light up your world with more love and candles. 
BOOKS
I didn’t read as many books as I would have liked this year. I checked a lot of them out of the library, but only a few made it into my brain. I’ve included a range of my favorites from 2018 here.
Your Story Is Your Power by Elle Luna and Susie Herrick  I loved this book so much, I hosted a book group discussion about it. Just go get it. It will inspire you to be more you, more authentic and more creative.
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee Such a good novel. I had the luxury of reading this on vacation, which meant I was immersed in two strange worlds. Pachinko is set in Japan and shows the hard lives of the Korean people who migrated there. Told through the stories of one family, this is an epic and compelling adventure.
Calypso David Sedaris  David Sedaris has long been a writing role model for me. His wit, insight and tenderness for his family compel me to be a better writer. In this book, we get to hear more about his family. A quick and easy read that doesn’t hesitate to pull the reader in deeply.
Green-light Your Book : How Writers Can Succeed in the New Era of Publishing by Brooke Warner If you are considering self-publishing a book, this is a great resource for all the ins and outs of the publishing process.
Favorite Pen
My favorite pen to gift people. If I were giving you a gift, I’d get one of Pilot’s Metropolitan fountain pens. I give everyone this pen, because it’s fancy and fabulous but not too expensive. I’d get you one in turquoise or purple or my favorite, gold. (See my pen at left with my Diary Flex notebook.)
This pen was gifted to me and turned me into a fountain pen lover. I use the refills and changing the Namiki ink is easy peasy.
Maya matches, tiny but mighty. Here’s something odd about me you may not know. I am a match fiend. I love matches and have a collection I bought in a jar at a yard sale. It’s stuffed with Denver restaurant matchbooks from decades past.
When I travel, I like to go to grocery stores and prowl the houseware section. The matches are always interesting, always local and always cheap. They make a great souvenir. I love my matches from Amsterdam and France. My suitcase always has a stash of matches upon return.
Recently, in Cozumel, we went to the local grocery store. It’s always the first thing I do when I go somewhere. I know, it’s weird. Why go on a mundane errand? Didn’t I leave home to get away from those errands? Well, I must procure almond milk for my coffee and while there, might as well get some matches. 
I bought a set of 6 Maya matches. Cerillos in Spanish. On the back of each yellow box is a picture of a Mexican site. These are some of my favorite matches ever. There’s a tab on the box, making it extra easy to open. The matches are tiny, flimsy little things. But they light like magic and are better than some of the sturdier wooden matches. I can’t wait to go back to get more.
What was a favorite treat for your writer or artist? Share the goods in a comment below.
*Some links are affiliate links which lead to potential affiliate income for Original Impulse.

Do you ever do something and then realize, OMG that was not the smartest move I’ve ever made? I recently made a couple of dumb and expensive purchases that I regret.
I bought two planners mostly as research for a potential project. I had filled my tried and true Moleskine so I needed something. I also thought it wouldn’t hurt to explore a new method of planning. But oh, it did hurt.
I got the Full Focus Planner. One book costs over $40 and is for one quarter of the year. It took five minutes to realize that the habit tracker, goal setting, weekend planning and weekly review were not going to be useful for me. I prefer to plan my week once and then just do the freaking tasks. All the time it takes to fill out the planner is time I could spend just doing the work and enjoying my life.
Then! I somehow caught wind of a gorgeous French planner and bought that. I won’t reveal the cost but let’s just say I could have bought a pair of sandals instead.
I blame myself for these shopdoggles. (That’s boondoggle for shopping. Yes, I made that up.) I blame my enthusiasm, my love of productivity and my tendency to want to do what others are doing. Do you suffer from these symptoms of a shopdoggler?
This issue of productivity comes up all the time with my clients. We are all battling for focus and productivity, and sometimes we think it’s the right planner or method that will save us. I think it’s making better choices and doing less that helps us feel more satisfied with our progress.
We have access to others’ opinions more than ever. Taking on things that don’t work for us can be detrimental to our confidence. If you have gone on a shopdoggle or otherwise sidelined your wisdom and self-knowledge, it’s okay. These things can teach us if we let them. Not in a harsh ‘You’ll learn your lesson, Missy!’ But in the ever-growing self-awareness that fuels more of us, more of our creativity and more of our power.
I shunned a system I had developed and that was serving me to thrive in work and life. This is how we defer our power. We shun our original impulse or deep knowing for something new, flashy or trendy. 
I’ve gotten over my tomfoolery. (Writing this helped!) I forgave myself and let go of the sunk costs. Beating myself up, cursing myself and allowing this to linger like a dark cloud isn’t helpful.
Know what works for you to be productive, apply that consistently and jettison anything that doesn’t suit your needs.
Next year is the 20-year anniversary of my coaching business. I am launching a book and have big plans for it. Why would I risk my sanity, my productivity and my focus trying a new planner? I will finish the year with this recent planner, hacking it so it works the way my old method does. But next year I will return to my trusted and effective way of working. Phew!
In case you’re curious about my planning method, read on.
I use a large, hardback Moleskine notebook to run my business. I like this notebook or this notebook. I prefer dotted or grid pages over lined or blank.  The front of the notebook is for my weekly to-dos, with one week per page. I make 9 boxes on a page. Each box holds a different category of tasks. Every week’s workload is different so the categories could be: writing, teaching, clients, admin, travel, etc. At a glance I can see what I need to do for what project or sector of my work life.
The back half of the notebook is where I take meeting notes, make notes about projects and basically dream my work into existence. This system has worked for me for six years. When I need to reference something from the past, within minutes I can find that year’s notebook and access the information.
What helps you honor your original impulse? Share below in a comment.
Applications are rolling in for the Original Impulse Atelier, my year-long program to help you focus, follow through and finish that all-important project of yours. This is a training in how to know, honor and trust your creative process. It’s fun and effective, and we’re enrolling a few focused creatives now. Check it out here.

I’ve heard from some people that for the last year or so, world events have dampened their enthusiasm for their creative work. I get it. It’s easy to get discouraged and to sideline our creative work when we feel angry, fearful and disempowered.
The problem is, we need our power now more than ever. When the world ‘out there’ tries to disempower us, we need to do what we can to claim our power. And, I believe that taking up an art form is one of the best paths to personal empowerment there is. I’ve coached hundreds of women (and men) to find their power through their words and creativity. I have been blown away by the strength we access when we commit to and follow up on our creative dreams.
Showing up for our writing sessions sends a signal to ourselves that we matter. It says that when we commit to our projects, it means something. Most of my work as a coach involves helping women set up their lives so their creative work has the space it deserves. Writing a book may seem in conflict with our other commitments, but we actually gain a lot for our lives.
When we learn how to stake a claim for ourselves in this way, our lives are better. The real, deep work of committing to a creative path has a great side benefit of personal empowerment. Staking a claim for our projects is a power move. In our work together, we discuss:

• setting and keeping boundaries.
• communicating our needs to loved ones and others.
• making choices about how we spend our time.
• releasing beliefs, objects and obligations that no longer serve us.
• learning to prioritize projects, tasks and commitments.

When we consistently show up for our work, we grow. When we empower ourselves through our  creative work, we gain confidence. This confidence extends to other areas of life.
The recent situation with Dr. Christine Blasey Ford can send a signal that women’s words, lives and experiences do not matter. In a recent episode of Hidden Brain, they looked at how in the past, when women have spoken up about harassment, nothing changed and their experiences were disregarded. This prevented others from speaking up. This is called ‘social proof’. Why bother? It wouldn’t make a difference. This has changed with the #metoo movement, but we see with the recent Supreme Court Justice appointment that we still have work to do. But we should not take this as proof that our voices, our stories and our experiences don’t matter.
Some of us are galvanized by world events. One of my clients said that recent events spurred her to stop playing small. This is what I want for us all: that we recognize that we are in charge of our own empowerment. No more waiting for permission. No more waiting until we feel stronger or more confident. We are the gatekeeper to our power, and we have the keys to empower ourselves. The time to act is now.
We may not be able to change policy as we wish. But we can lead the change we seek in our own lives. I believe that when we empower ourselves it has a ripple effect. First we feel it in our intimate relationships. Then our work relationships. And on and on.
Maybe you don’t see your creative work as a personal growth path. There are many ways to empower ourselves and make a daily difference in the world. We are empowered when we:

• help a stranger.
• say no to something that isn’t right for us, even if we worry about how others will respond.
• negotiate for the true value of our work.
• speak up for ourselves and others.
• donate our resources to causes we believe in.
• take an honest look at how our actions play a part in keeping ourselves in a one-down position.

It is time for each and every one of us to claim the power each human has and deserves. Power to be self-determining. Power to express our truth. Power to play a role in a world that treats every person as equal and deserving of dignity.
However you are stepping up to claim your power, know that you, and your empowerment, matter. It does make a difference when you make space for your creative work. It does make a difference when you take a stand for what you know to be right. My hope is that this article has rallied your courage and that you feel your power now and that you feed its growth.
How do you experience your creative practice as a path to empowerment? 

What does it mean to chill? To step out of the fray, the urgent drive of efficiency and doing. To relax, to play, to respond to your own inner rhythms instead of the demands of the world.
Chilling is vital to our creativity. I’ve seen this with myself and my clients. We like getting things done, but without relaxing time, our victories are hollow.

Here are ten ways I see chilling as vital to creativity.
1 Our health drives everything! Nothing is made on an empty tank. Chilling helps us stay healthy.
2 Some of the best art is made from ‘happy accidents’. (Champagne!) When we chill, we open the door for surprises that can inform our art.
3 Space breeds originality. Filling ourselves constantly with others’ work supplants our original impulse.
4 Laughter and joy lighten us up. Returning to play and innocence refreshes our spirit in difficult times.
5 Insights have a landing pad when we’re open and ready. Valuable new perspectives can alight on the open fields of space in our days. Receptivity is vital to our creativity.
6 When we chill, we connect with the world around us. It’s vital for our work to be attuned to our senses.
7 Our imagination is our superpower. Daydreaming, visioning, and imagining only happen when we have space to chill.
8 Chilling feels good and nourishes our nervous systems. We need that in these stressful times.
9 Chilling often connects us with others. We almost always get new insights for our work, or at least a desire to get back to it after being with others.
10 How have you seen chilling as vital to your creative process? Share in a comment below.
Join the Original Impulse Summer Chillenge! It’s free and fun and will exuberate your summer!

Summer is my favorite season. I always want to do and savor so much! Time outside, play time, garden time, swim time…and yet it seems to zoom by so fast.
For years I have hosted various summer games to help us really savor summer. We’ve had the Summer Thrills Scavenger Hunt and the Capture the Summer Wow Scavenger Hunt.
This year, I wanted to host a challenge for you to enjoy summer. But then I thought, oh hell no. The last thing we all need is another CHALLENGE. Right?!
We want to chill! So I have designed the first ever Summer Chillenge. The goal: to help you relax, enjoy and chill a little.

Why does chilling matter? Being able to make space for relaxing, daydreaming, savoring and nourishing our nervous systems is a vital practice for humans and especially for creative types.
Chilling is essential to the creative process.
We get our best ideas when we are walking, exercising, driving, relaxing or in the shower or bath. In short, when we are doing nothing or next to nothing.
This space is essential for us to listen to our own original impulse, to align with our inner compass and to tap into the divine source that feeds us our great ideas. If we are always rushing around doing, doing, doing, our creativity is tepid at best and we feel mostly stress.
Will you join me to chill out a bit more this summer? It’s easy. All you have to do is…chill. Here’s how:
* Know what ‘chill’ means for you. One woman’s chill is another’s hell.
* Share pictures of yourself in chill mode. In the hammock. By the pool or at the beach. Lying under a tree.
* Use the hashtag #Chillenge2018.
* Chill a friend. Tell them about the Chillenge and do chill things together.
For guidance on making it a Chillenge to remember, join the Chill Team. It’s F*R*E*E!
When you sign up, you’ll get your Chillenge Starter Guide. You will receive a weekly Chill Tip from me between June 4th and August 20th with inspiration for chilling.
Join the Chillenge here and watch your summer unfold in joyous and fun ways.

There’s almost nothing more exciting than planning for a trip. It’s fun considering options, researching the location and imagining all adventures I’ll have.
But we often set out on a trip with the wrong focus. We make elaborate plans of what we will see, do and eat. Yet we forget to get clear on what we want from our trips.
This missing piece to travel planning can make the difference between a great trip and one that you’d rather forget. Setting your intention for your trip can change everything.
An intention can help us magnetize the experiences we want to have beyond what we can plan. It can help us stay centered when travel plans shift. Consider these inquiries:

• What kind of experience do you want to have?
• How do you want to feel?
• How do you want to be in the face of it all?
• How do you want to return home?

Some examples of travel intentions include:
In Hawaii, I am present with my husband on our honeymoon. Among all the activities and adventures, I intend to be present with him and with us. I use this time to connect and to solidify our commitment to each other and to our marriage. All the planning and decisions will be made with this in mind – connection, commitment and fun.
In Paris, I feed my curiosity. I discover new things and am open to the unexpected. I feel engaged and active but relaxed. I make time to linger in cafes and parks. I am sure to spend time with friends and make new friends. I am open to visual stimuli that makes its way into my art. I return home refreshed and full of new, creative ideas.

Set your travel intention

What about your upcoming trips? What intention might you set? Try this exercise from my Magic Journey, Magic Journal class to find and set a powerful intention.
Do a free-write about your upcoming trip. Write about everything you want to see, do, eat and experience. Write about what you want to feel. Go wild and make all the wishes you want for your trip.
Set a timer for 10 minutes and start with the prompt my intention for my trip…
Then, read through it and pull it into one or two sentences. Write your intention for your trip in the front of your travel journal. You can use rubber stamps or do your own lettering for your intention. You can also set an intention for your journal.

My own travel intention

I’m headed to Paris soon, where I will spend three weeks on my own.
While there, I will catch up with friends. I’ll absorb patterns for my 100 Day Project and explore new adventures in the city. There’s the Portes Ouvertes Belleville, which is a fantastic artist open studio weekend in Belleville. I might do a Coffee Cupping at Belleville Brulerie (in French!).
My intention is to have new experiences, fill my creative well and come back refreshed and ready for a great summer and work on my book.
Because I have been going to Paris every year since 2000, I often get requests for information about Paris. Last year I wrote an ebook with my approach to Paris that includes my favorites and resources. You can get your copy of Visit Paris Like an Artist here. It’s also a useful creativity guide for anyplace you are traveling. Here’s what a recent buyer said about it:
“I’m loving Visit Paris Like an Artist. It could be applied ANYWHERE one visits. Your book is wonderful reading… thanks.”
Get your copy here!

Years ago, when I first became a coach, I wrote an article called Creativity: Why Bother? It outlined 12 ways creativity impacts our lives, even if you don’t become rich and famous from your creative labors. I loved that article and still do.
But recently I have gone through another real-time experience of why my creative passions matter.

You may know that in addition to being a writer, I am a watercolor artist and illustrator. Aside from a very profitable year with my art, I haven’t made a lot of money from it. My main income comes from Original Impulse, where mostly I help people who want to write.

Late last year, I realized that I had to focus more on work and less on my art. Meaning, I had to release my goals/expectations of making money from my art. While this felt right, it also felt like a loss.

I tried to reassure myself that I was still an artist and would still make art for fun. I love the play and power that comes from seeing something colorful appear on the page in front of me. It’s much different than writing.

But aside from some gift cards, I haven’t been in my art studio much this year. I was busy designing and launching the Original Impulse Atelier and The Devoted Writer. I got busy with coaching clients and other projects. My art studio and sketchbook began to gather dust.

Did ‘busy’ happen to you, too? I have been craving my art time.

What works for me is to get some structure around my art-making. When I heard that The 100 Day Project was coming around, I had to commit. Since April 3rd, I have been making patterns with watercolor and ink.

But before the pattern project started, something happened that reminded me that making my art isn’t optional.
I went to a Dr. Sketchy meet-up. These are gatherings with a live model. For anyone who has studied drawing, sketching from a live (usually nude) model is one of the basics of learning how to draw or paint. Dr. Sketchy claims to be the anti-art school, with models wearing often outrageous costumes. It had always sounded fun, so on Easter evening, I grabbed my sketchbook and headed out.

The model posed in a corset and lots of feathers in 5, 10 and 20 minute poses. It had been awhile since I had sketched, so to start loose I used watercolor instead of a pen. It was fun to make quick, colorful studies. For the ten minute poses I did my usual practice of drawing with a pen and adding watercolor.

After each round, the sketchers were asked to bring their pieces to the front for a friendly competition. The moderator and some art guy were the judges. The other dozen or so people were very talented and had clearly gone to art school, so I didn’t expect to win.

But at the second round, as I watched them assess the art, I saw them pointing at my sketchbook. Could they be choosing mine? The moderator reached down and picked up my sketchbook. She held it up and announced it the winner.

I was shocked. I got a goody bag of Easter candy and pencils. For the rest of the day, I rode a wave of joy and delight.
Now, what was the big deal? The adult in me knows that a competition like this isn’t a big deal. It’s not about winning and it’s certainly not about the candy.

But this little victory struck me very deeply, reaching the part of me that cares passionately about making art, not for money or for accolades, but because it’s just who I am. Making marks and applying color to the page evokes a deep, innate joy. When I make art, I am me. When I explore line and color, everything else disappears and I access a presence and clarity that I rarely get elsewhere. This is why I teach the class Drawing as Meditation.

Back in the day, when I was first showing people my sketchbooks, I was surprised at the response. I am always surprised when people like my art. Not that I think it’s bad; it’s just that when I am making for making sake, others’ opinions don’t really matter.

But when I won the Dr. Sketchy competition, I realized that some part of me had given up on the art. And that winning was a reminder, a validation, of who I am. Sometimes we need an outer nudge. Sometimes an external force can help remind us that even if no one ever approves of our writing or art, it’s worth doing anyway.

This creative impulse is embedded deeply within us, and no matter what we do or think about the results, our original impulse to create is never going to leave us.

I’m having fun honoring my creative impulse with the 100 pattern project. I’ve always been in love with pattern and this is the perfect way to explore it.