Creative people, people in the arts, and people who live a passion-driven life of making meaning can all benefit from the following guidelines to living as enumerated by Eric Maisel in his self-improvement creativity manual, Coaching the Artist Within.
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Know your game – your creative field, how it works, what is expected, and how to maneuver in it
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Learn from experience; study/practice/train so you are sufficiently skilled and knowledgeable
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Psyche yourself up, stay motivated, stoke your passion
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Get on your own side, be your own best supporter
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Keep dreaming yet stay real, balance the two
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Be strategic so you are pro-active in coping with the inevitable ups and downs
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Plan and follow through on those plans, monitor your creative journey
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Be compassionate but honest with yourself so you know when you need a hug, and when to give yourself a swift kick in the pants
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Take responsibility for your creativity because nobody else can do that for you
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Honor the process, honor your goals, consciously balance the two
In sum, always be ready, willing and able to address the meaning issues that arise so you can maintain, and if necessary, restore a sense of meaning and passion to your creative life.
What would you add to this list to make it personal for yourself?
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