Today is my stop on the blog tour for Jill Badonsky and her amazing new book,
The Muse is In. (I reviewed the book yesterday and
you can read that review here.)
I am excited to have been able to interview Jill and ask her advise to some of my frequent creativity problems.
And, Jill has kindly offered to give away of copy of her fantastic book to one of my readers if this post gets at least 10 comments. So, be sure to leave a comment and include your email address.
Jill, I have to say that I absolutely
LOVE this book. I have both of your other books, and as much as I
enjoyed them, this one really speaks to me. (Literally too, you talk
about being a Creative Adventurer throughout the book. Note the name
of my blog.) I am crazy
excited to have you here today, to be able to share what you do with
my readers.
I’m so honored to be here,
Coreena. I love your blog. Thanks for your kind words and these
thoughtful questions.
For my readers, The Muse Is In is an
owner's manual for your creativity. How great is that? It's a book
that you can keep nearby, flip through, dog ear, and use to get
inspiration or advice about how to take the next step or get over a
block in your creativity. Then there are daily creative prompts to
spark ideas and get the juices flowing.
I want start by asking you about
getting in touch with your inner Creative Adventurer. What advice do
you have for someone who is feeling a bit unsettled, they know that
something is not quite right, that they have something creative
inside them, but they don't even know where to begin?
Many people don’t know where to
start so they don’t start at all and get caught up in the latest
distractions on the internet, TV, or in their busy lives. This is
unfortunate because if we have a creative call, following it can lead
to a more fulfilling life. We become better people when we engage in
creativity. But we have to be vigilant about not letting the world
steal us away.
Here are some ways for people to
explore where to begin:
The important
part of this is asking the question over and over. The subconscious
will work on answers.
Scan a catalog of creative
offerings and make a decision based on what gives you energy
intuitively. Make sure you run in the opposite direction if the
teacher doesn’t resonate with you. Many of teachers have derailed
Creative Adventurers but good classes, workshops, and retreats
provide starting points.
Break any creative endeavor
down so far, it’s hard NOT to begin. Here’s some examples:
Daydream about doing
something creative.
Spend 5 minutes (set a timer)
exploring the internet for something to inspire you to begin. Make
it a game, pretend you’re a detective.
Doodle, paint, write, explore
any creative endeavor with permission to be an awkward beginner
for just 15 minutes.
Go to a creativity workshop.
(I happened to have a retreat in Taos in July – sorry for the
product place:)
What would you say to someone who loves
starting creative projects, but has a hard time finishing or taking
them to the next step, always getting distracted by the "shiny,
new project" on the horizon?
I’d say, you’re not alone. There
are enough unfinished products out there to build a planet (which
would be unfinished).
There are a number of reasons people
don’t finish. Creative processes inherently have difficult phases;
the next step is unclear, something isn’t going as planned, doubts
arise, the inner critic says “What were you thinking?”. It’s
much easier at that point to start a new project.
Some people have inner dynamics that
make finishing things challenging.
And some projects aren’t MEANT to
be finished. Something was learned or experienced and now you can
just let go of it.
To finish a project, often structure
is needed. A creativity coach who understands the non-linear process
of creativity, a class, or even teaming up with others that are
wanting to finish projects and holding the space and time for each
other to do that.
For me, deadlines work, if set by
another person. I have last-minute surges of “completion juju”…
but there’s no last minute if there’s no deadline.
I also dedicate projects in my mind
to others. Saying, “This is for all the people who believe in me”
gives it a purpose higher than myself.
How about when a person really enjoys
doing something creative, they are loving the process, but the result
is less than perfect and they get a lukewarm or negative reception
from family and friends?
If we tie our happiness to the
opinions of others we will always be forever on a roller coaster
especially in the creative process because what appeals to one person
is trash to another person. Undaunted creativity allows us to
practice the spirituality of enjoying the process and being
unattached to the result. What gets a lukewarm response from one
person is life changing to another person. Imagine the liberation of
believing in your own work to the exclusion of what others think.
Many artists and writers live that life listening only to criticism
that makes intuitive sense and persevering through anything else.
It’s vital to the creative person to believe in her work.
We need to learn from children who
proudly present gifts that are raw and beautiful but not perfect.
This takes practice.
Creativity also requires that we are
confident and trusting of the process, let go of what people think,
and use the “So what, I’m going to do it anyway” attitude.
These qualities are not adopted over night, but once practiced
imperfectly over time they fuel us with the courage to throw
ourselves into life’s richest experiences and help us in every area
of our existence.
Do you have any examples or good
stories of having to use your own techniques to do a creative
project, maybe even in writing this book?
This book brought up incredible
resistance, distraction and procrastination in me. It was an ironic
journey of writing about the very blocks I was experiencing – so I
KNOW that the tools work.
My editor completely rejected my
first draft saying it was way too long, esoteric, and flowery. I
found this humorous and made fun of myself on Facebook. To break
through this challenge I had to center my distractible mind on a
sense of dedication to something I love doing, lighten-up about
trying to make it perfect, and MAKE IT FUN and concise.
The Preface is an example of going
from four pages of blathering on and on about who I am, the struggles
I went through, and the value of the creative process to one page
that simply says “I wrote this book because I love the creative
process.” It was so much fun to do that and defy the that
expectations people have for prefaces.
My journey involves defiance,
mischievousness, play, effortless joy, and funny inspiration and
freedom. Once I break through the resistance this world is my joy and
I don’t want to leave it.
I equate making time for the
creative process as making time to love myself. Procrastination is
punishment. I give myself permission to deserve love, and I give that
permission to you and all your readers too.
Thank you for these wonderful
questions, Coreena!
Thank you, Jill. I've really enjoyed having you on my blog and good luck with your book.
Now, remember everyone, please leave a comment and if we get 10, then there will be a random draw for a copy of Jill's new book. Don't forget to include your email address.
