While I spent the month before in rapture with love, I spent this month – the last of my journey- buried in work. It only seems appropriate that that was the theme of this final month of the Creativity Book.
The first section encourages you to wake up working. With final tests and projects to be completed, it wasn’t a far stretch for me to wake up working. But really, Maisel wants you to go bed thinking of a question surrounding your work and wake up with the answer. I must admit I’ve tried this many times with little or no success so will have to continue working on this…
The next suggestion was to go directly to work. Another, not so difficult task for me. It seemed like that’s all I did for the month was work. Maisel encourages you to go to your work, even if you don’t feel like it. I know for me that there were days that I struggled to get up but knew the work wouldn’t wait. This, and deadlines, kept me going!
By the end of the month, one of my favorite suggestions was to create a plan and/or schedule for your work. This is an area where I need a lot of work. I tend to be good coming up with ideas but fail to deliver on most of them, because I get overwhelmed by the sheer volume of work involved. If I could create and stick to a stricter schedule, I am sure I would end up more successful.
And if I stick to my schedule, there is a helpful list of pick-me-ups that Maisel suggests. Here are a few that I might use:
1. Surrender to the feeling
2. Remember a success
3. Be of service
4. Consciously choose hope
Finally, after an exhilarating year of exploring my inner creative, it is time to create. And as a creator, Maisel explains that you will look at “everything through the lens of creativity.” I think I already do!
Melanie, congrats on working your way through the Creativity Book! I haven’t read that Maisel book, it looks like perhaps I should.
I do understand the challenge of scheduling to carry through with ideas! I heard Michael Chabon say once that ideas are all around us, the key is picking one and running with it, but also not being afraid to put it aside if it isn’t working.
Good luck!
Thx Patrick! I highly recommend this Maisel book as well as Coaching the Artist Within, if you haven’t already read it.
Also, great tip on the ideas. I do seem to have a problem with having too many and not enough hours in the day 😉