I found a book this week that I inhaled – because the journey it described is the road I want to always be on. Cirque du Soleil —The Spark: Igniting the Creative Fire that Lives Within Us All by Lyn Heward and John Bacon. It’s full of invigorating advice, like “taking risks,” “leaving your comfort zone,” “finding community,” and “learning to trust.” If you notice, these are the same things that I talk about here in my weekly epistles to you.
For me, it brought up images of my two-year intensive acting training at Freehold Theater Lab and Studio in Seattle. The very best of moments came about when I jumped over the edge in any given exploration, fully invested in what I was doing, and quit caring how I appeared. Something would crack open in me – I would lose control, and whatever came spilling out was honest, profound, and moving. It might be as large as discovering a well of rage, or as simple as finding my character’s pet peeve, or a private affection the audience would never know about. It wasn’t always pretty. But it was always, always, real.
These moments were me cracking open. The surprising things inside had no veneer of social acceptability, nothing excusing their glaring reality. But these are the things we so desperately seek as entrepreneurs and as humans: our uniqueness, what sets us apart, what makes us attractive to others. Because it isn’t always our shiny selves that people love. Most of the time it’s the broken parts, the ragged edges. It’s what is deep and honest and true about us that others want to touch.
I want to help you crack open, and to reach the creative jewels that come tumbling out.
When was the last time you created something amazing, honest, and profound? Maybe you’ve got this mastered, and your answer is “today.” But for many of us, we find ourselves pumping out things that have a contrived feel, a “pat” sound. It isn’t what is really in us we are expressing, it’s what we think is supposed to be in us that is coming out.
Cracking open rarely happens at home alone. More like never.
When you come to my 3-day “Creating on Purpose” workshop in July, you’ll get this opportunity, should you choose to go for it. You’ll touch depths of genius and honesty you didn’t know you had. It won’t be just a time to pump out an assignment. It’ll be a chance to discover your brilliance.
Save the dates: July 12-14.
Coach’s Challenge: My challenge this week, is to recognize your veneer – the ways you behave, speak, and create in order to please, to be accepted. This is your life, and living it full out is why you came. The real you is so powerful, so magnetic. But you must let go of the veneer. It’s the raw, uncut, real you that can change the world. Leave me a comment. I dare ya! Just click on the far upper right corner of this newsletter to go to my blog page.
