Since creativity is not easy to measure, you can’t consistently quantify your daily creative effort beyond the simple question: Did I show up today? Showing up means arriving at the studio or desk or workspace ready and willing to do the work as required. Some days, what is required may be the joyful task of […]

Many creative people apparently believe or subscribe to the idea that “inspiration” must strike so that we can be creative, regardless of how motivated we may feel about our creative work.  Do you believe it? More important:  How have you tested your belief? What conditions make that spark of “inspiration” more likely to happen? Is inspiration the same as flow? […]

Responding to Criticism

by Barbara Martin

in How to Tips

Seth Godin says snark = quick ‘n dirty and fun ‘n easy while earnest = less shiny, long term better. He’s probably right, he’s a plenty smart guy. What can we learn, if anything, from either or both kinds of criticism? Sometimes there’s a kernel of truth in the snark, or a hit you over […]

If you have ever said I’m “too old” to chase my dream or too this or too that … I have two words for you: Susan Boyle. We have all kinds of rational and irrational reasons to justify why we can’t create today or this week or whatever. But sometimes, even though all that may […]

According to Julia Cameron, many creative people spend years mislabeling themselves. When we do not create the way we think we should, we label ourselves lazy when in fact we are blocked by fear. The way past fear, asserts Cameron, is through love for your inner artist. Your inner artist is like a child in […]

Too Old to Create

by Barbara Martin

in Creativity, How to Tips

In Chapter 8 of The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron labels the belief “I’m too old to create” excuse a “Great Block Lie” and considers it on a par with that other old saw, “I don’t have money for it.” Using the “too old” excuse is so convenient. And the longer you wait to begin, the […]

In good times as well as in bad, our beliefs about money can restrain our creativity. Do you, like many creative types, feel it is inevitable to be struggling and broke because we want to be an artist, actor, writer, musician, fill in the blank instead of working at a “real” job? Do you think […]

UMAMI sensation

by Barbara Martin

in Creative Juice

What do green tea, parmesan cheese, tuna, and sweet potatoes have in common? It’s news to me, but apparently they share umami. That’s UMAMI, the “other” taste besides the supposed four primary tastes of sweet, salty, bitter, and sour. Um okayyy. You too can learn more information than you ever wanted to know about umami. […]

After my earlier post on toxic friendships feeding into self doubt among creative types, I promised to explore Julia Cameron’s so-called Crazymakers. These are the people she identifies, in her creativity book entitled The Artist’s Way, as: “those personalities that create storm centers. They are often charismatic, frequently charming, highly inventive, and powerfully persuasive. And […]

In her tremendously supportive book, The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron explores many issues of importance to blocked creatives. One of the first is dealing with negative stereotypes about creative people. Negative Stereotypes of Creative People Now whether you are aware of this or not, you have probably internalized some negative beliefs about artists, musicians, writers, […]