Accidental Creative

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Noise

We made the *mistake* of visiting the local mall yesterday afternoon.

It was an assault on my senses, but not a good one.

I also had the opportunity to watch the DVD of the Cirque show La Nouba, which I’ve seen live in Orlando, but never studied in detail.

Cirque is an assault on your senses, but in a very paced, thorough and clever way. Never evocative for the sake of it. It is manipulative to your advantage.

The mall is an assault on your senses for no other reason than to evoke a response - to get you to crave something. It is manipulative to your detriment.

In art we have a powerful sway over our audience. We can evoke and manipulate in subtle and even subconscious ways because, again, the artist sees “Reality behind reality.” We reveal patterns. We must always avoid going for the jugular unless it’s required. It’s too easy to evoke, and it doesn’t last.

I would much rather be left with the lasting memories of a subtly transforming experience.

MIA

Yes…I’ve been MIA for the past week.

No new posts? For a reason.

We’ve been busily readying the new eCoaching site. More details later. But soon. Very.

The eCoaching site will be temporarily offline on Sunday, Dec 17th as we update the site. If you have any questions, please e-mail us or call at (+1)877.795.9377.

Snow Is A Stealthy Assassin

We had our first snow of the season this morning. Snow is a stealthy assassin.

On my way to work, I noticed that there was a lack of traction and that I was slipping a bit on the road. To avoid a backup, I took a right instead of a left and went a different way - a way that involves a downhill turn. Unfortunately, I came upon this downhill turn as a semi truck and a pickup truck were also approaching the intersection from opposite directions. I pumped my brakes - like a good midwesterner does - and felt a moment of panic when my car slowed only slightly. Instinctually, I turned into the intersection, hit the accelerator, and barely slipped into the flow of traffic unscathed.

There was apparently a layer of thick ice under the snow. I didn’t see it, and didn’t feel its presence until I came to the intersection. By that time, it was pure instinct and experience that saved my rear.

The assumptions in our lives are slippery surfaces. They lie beneath the veneer of every situation and threaten to slip us up if we’re not aware of them. When we find ourselves having a difficult time gaining traction, it could be because these assumptions are preventing us from feeling the real terrain. They are invisible to the eye, but dangerous to the touch.

Identify the assumptions in your life. Eliminate them as best you can before you encounter a situation that requires you to operate on instinct and experience. Keep the terrain free and clear of these stealthy assassins.

Snow Is A Stealthy Assassin

We had our first snow of the season this morning. Snow is a stealthy assassin.

On my way to work, I noticed that there was a lack of traction and that I was slipping a bit on the road. To avoid a backup, I took a right instead of a left and went a different way - a way that involves a downhill turn. Unfortunately, I came upon this downhill turn as a semi truck and a pickup truck were also approaching the intersection from opposite directions. I pumped my brakes - like a good midwesterner does - and felt a moment of panic when my car slowed only slightly. Instinctually, I turned into the intersection, hit the accelerator, and barely slipped into the flow of traffic unscathed.

There was apparently a layer of thick ice under the snow. I didn’t see it, and didn’t feel its presence until I came to the intersection. By that time, it was pure instinct and experience that saved my rear.

The assumptions in our lives are slippery surfaces. They lie beneath the veneer of every situation and threaten to slip us up if we’re not aware of them. When we find ourselves having a difficult time gaining traction, it could be because these assumptions are preventing us from feeling the real terrain. They are invisible to the eye, but dangerous to the touch.

Identify the assumptions in your life. Eliminate them as best you can before you encounter a situation that requires you to operate on instinct and experience. Keep the terrain free and clear of these stealthy assassins.

When You Can’t Take On Work

One of the biggest difficulties for freelance creatives is managing project load. Because of the “hot or cold” nature of freelancing, it can be tempting to take on more than you’re capable of doing simply out of fear that the work is going to dry up if you don’t. The problem with this approach is that it diminishes the quality of all of your work and, long-term, it will negatively impact your reputation.

Here’s a solution:
Sell yourself based upon value, not time. Tell the potential client that you’d LOVE to take on the project - it sounds very interesting - but you are simply swamped right now and you want to fully devote yourself the the portfolio of projects currently on your plate. HOWEVER, if the potential client is willing to wait a few weeks, you can promise them the same level of attention and intentionality that you’re giving to current projects and promise that they will be priority #1.

This re-inforces that (1) you’re really great and in demand and (2) they will feel like the only game in town when it’s their turn to get your best effort.

You might lose a little business in the short-run, but in the long-run you will have your pick of clients and projects and will be able to command intense loyalty from them.

5 Ways To Immediately FEEL More Organized

OK…sometimes you don’t have the time or energy to do a full sweep of your stuff. Here are 5 ways you can immediately FEEL more organized until you have time for the real deal:

1. Organize your computer desktop. Put all of your stray files and folders into a folder called “Desktop”. It’s all still there, but it’s hidden.
2. List out your 3 top priorities for the day. Acknowledge the obvious.
3. Spend 5 minutes listing your outstanding commitments. Get them out of your head and on paper.
4. Spend 20 minutes in silence. No distractions, no noise, no tech stuff. Breathe deeply. Then re-engage.
5. Spend 5 minutes listing stuff you’re worried about or afraid of. Writing them out can release hidden anxiety you have about what’s “out there.”

5 Ways To Immediately FEEL More Organized

OK…sometimes you don’t have the time or energy to do a full sweep of your stuff. Here are 5 ways you can immediately FEEL more organized until you have time for the real deal:

1. Organize your computer desktop. Put all of your stray files and folders into a folder called “Desktop”. It’s all still there, but it’s hidden.
2. List out your 3 top priorities for the day. Acknowledge the obvious.
3. Spend 5 minutes listing your outstanding commitments. Get them out of your head and on paper.
4. Spend 20 minutes in silence. No distractions, no noise, no tech stuff. Breathe deeply. Then re-engage.
5. Spend 5 minutes listing stuff you’re worried about or afraid of. Writing them out can release hidden anxiety you have about what’s “out there.”

When You Can’t Take On Work

One of the biggest difficulties for freelance creatives is managing project load. Because of the “hot or cold” nature of freelancing, it can be tempting to take on more than you’re capable of doing simply out of fear that the work is going to dry up if you don’t. The problem with this approach is that it diminishes the quality of all of your work and, long-term, it will negatively impact your reputation.

Here’s a solution:
Sell yourself based upon value, not time. Tell the potential client that you’d LOVE to take on the project - it sounds very interesting - but you are simply swamped right now and you want to fully devote yourself the the portfolio of projects currently on your plate. HOWEVER, if the potential client is willing to wait a few weeks, you can promise them the same level of attention and intentionality that you’re giving to current projects and promise that they will be priority #1.

This re-inforces that (1) you’re really great and in demand and (2) they will feel like the only game in town when it’s their turn to get your best effort.

You might lose a little business in the short-run, but in the long-run you will have your pick of clients and projects and will be able to command intense loyalty from them.

Concrete vs. Conceptual

Feeling a bit frustrated right now with your boss/client? Feeling de-valued?

It may be because of the concrete/conceptual principle.

Artists spent a lot of time in conceptual world, which is great and what makes us valuable as artists. This also means that we value process as well as product.

Many people, including a lot of managers and clients, spend a significant amount of time in concrete world. This is the world of the finished product and its practical application.

As an artist, it’s important that we learn to straddle both worlds. However, when we are presenting a project, it’s easy for us to hear concrete criticism as criticism of the process. In reality, most managers or clients don’t value process at all - they simply want to know about the product and what it will do for them.

Don’t allow this to affect your creative energy. The art you make is more than the product - it’s also the process. You can value that even if no one else sees it.