That's a question that's almost cliche' these days. Sometimes we think the answer is about what we do - our careers, or how others see us. But really, life purpose is more of an interior thing: we find ourselves, our meaning, the answers to our deepest desires in how we express - not "what" we express. It's a suble difference because, certainly the products of our work are important. It's just that what fills these products has so much more value. If we create a work of art, we, as artists know that it cannot be truly great ( to us ) if that work is not infused with beauty - with love.
So, life purpose, the meaning behind the way we live our lives, depends on what's going on behind and beneath our outward actions. For us to be content, fulfilled, and satisfied with the direction of our journey here, we must know who we are, why we are, what we love, what we value. Then we must integrate these things into what we do. Doing is one thing. Being is quite another. Love is always the simple answer. Ah, but how we commit ourselves to love what we do, that's the zen of it.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Creatives
It is story that we love. We love to tell and to hear. We love to be caught up in the intoxicating spell of a vibrant culture and community - and pretend; we love to pretend. Words become vessels for self and for principle through the weave of our fancy. We love to share the love of our journey, our memories and awakenings. We also love to know what others have done, where they've been, what they felt like in the physical sense - and inside the heart. We enjoy song, color, tastes - drinking sweet ambrosia from a golden cup. There are characters and plots, humor and desire. We want to know. This is why we tell. This is why we listen. This is what we're all about.
Mini Exploration of The Wizard Factor
When I take a breath into myself - a deep, full, belly-inflating, body-infused-with-oxygen-and-energy kind of breath, I make room for the wizard: the image I have of the transformative, powerful, fearless, wise aspect of myself that I really want to incorporate. I inhale my Higher Self into myself and let it take hold of my present belief system. I am That because I believe That to be me. Oh! And another breath, and another, building on the confidence, the upright poise of who I am claiming as my inward/outward icon.
There is magic here. And with it I can summon golden light - swirling spheres of glowing beauty that I hold in my hands and cast towards the hearts of others. But, these are not missiles, not objects of attack. Instead, this symbol is the play of Love, the giving of an impulse of illumination, eye opening recognition, thrill, the blossoming of a creative bloom in its eternal moment of living Spring.
This interior sage, this weaver of brilliant patterns, is an empowering spirit with an attitude of levity and sobriety meshed in perfect balance. I am Gandalf. I am Merlin. I am the Hermit of the Tarot, standing with his lantern on the mountaintop. I find my way by the beacon and show it to others. This is strength and excitement and calm. I am a pillar of fire in the wilderness. Found.
There is magic here. And with it I can summon golden light - swirling spheres of glowing beauty that I hold in my hands and cast towards the hearts of others. But, these are not missiles, not objects of attack. Instead, this symbol is the play of Love, the giving of an impulse of illumination, eye opening recognition, thrill, the blossoming of a creative bloom in its eternal moment of living Spring.
This interior sage, this weaver of brilliant patterns, is an empowering spirit with an attitude of levity and sobriety meshed in perfect balance. I am Gandalf. I am Merlin. I am the Hermit of the Tarot, standing with his lantern on the mountaintop. I find my way by the beacon and show it to others. This is strength and excitement and calm. I am a pillar of fire in the wilderness. Found.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
(From a recent workshop)
TRANSMUTED
In a shaded alcove
stands a crew-cut boy,
gangly-legged and shy,
trembling with emotion -
tear-red puffiness
around each eye,
who looks to me for comfort
as I peer into his dream
through the mirror's glass
and wonder if
this God forsaken night
will ever pass
and why
I find myself attracted
to the lonesome place again,
smothered by the darkness
of an ancient pain.
He seems so frail, so helpless;
as I study him, I know
that childhood wants an ending
and time has come to grow.
So,
I wish a wish for magic,
wish a wish for light
and see the child mature
to a wizard robed in white
who is standing like a statue,
totem staff in hand,
emitting great vibrations
that say: "now, I am a man."
And, shaken to awareness,
sobbing with release,
a change of tidal washing
mixing patterns underneath,
I strain to breathe this freshness,
fill my lungs with joy
to burn with new-found Power
from the Master
in the boy
In a shaded alcove
stands a crew-cut boy,
gangly-legged and shy,
trembling with emotion -
tear-red puffiness
around each eye,
who looks to me for comfort
as I peer into his dream
through the mirror's glass
and wonder if
this God forsaken night
will ever pass
and why
I find myself attracted
to the lonesome place again,
smothered by the darkness
of an ancient pain.
He seems so frail, so helpless;
as I study him, I know
that childhood wants an ending
and time has come to grow.
So,
I wish a wish for magic,
wish a wish for light
and see the child mature
to a wizard robed in white
who is standing like a statue,
totem staff in hand,
emitting great vibrations
that say: "now, I am a man."
And, shaken to awareness,
sobbing with release,
a change of tidal washing
mixing patterns underneath,
I strain to breathe this freshness,
fill my lungs with joy
to burn with new-found Power
from the Master
in the boy
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
The Mirror Makers
Recently I had a conversation with someone who told me how jealous she sometimes gets when reading someone else's work (poetry). I looked at her, felt her spirit, her vitality and creative aura and thought: "wow, it's really true what I've read in books and heard in various teachings - the things that we love, those creative works, or just casual human activities we witness in life, those beautiful moments are beautiful to us because we have a foundation of beauty within ourselves already."
It's funny how we tend to be motivated to always look for that beauty outside ourselves - and to measure our own creative expressions against the accomplishments of others.
You can't recognize something as 'good' or 'valuable' unless goodness and values have something to resonate against. Those impulses need mirrors in which to be seen. This is who we are: we are the mirrors, the source of artistic appreciation. But you can turn that metaphor around as well: Art is also a kind of mirror. We love art because it represents to us the parts of ourselves that we so yearn to validate and experience through our self perception. Great artists, indeed the Masters of any artistic medium, are great because of their skill as mirror makers. They show us reflections of what we feel within...
Human beings really are beautiful creatures - each and every one, unique in our individual, creative ways. It's just that our vision of beauty often gets shrouded under perceptual illusions and interpretations imposed by the pace of our lives and external attitudes of culture. So, art is here to remind us of who we are. Great art can bring us to moments of epiphany. Yet, simple folk art can also carry a fragment of the reflective glass - as can a child's giddy crayon drawing. Beauty truly is in the eye, and in the heart of the beholder. Our place here is not so much to take the position of critic ( or even self critic) as it is to enjoy this world and each other. Yes, some of our work will come out more refined, and thus be more celebrated by the public. But all artistic endeavors are worthy, all have beauty to share. We see ourselves in this art that we make because we are all, without exception, creatures who love to look in the mirror. This though, is not vanity, but is deeper. It is about that age old, very human story: us in Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass.
It's funny how we tend to be motivated to always look for that beauty outside ourselves - and to measure our own creative expressions against the accomplishments of others.
You can't recognize something as 'good' or 'valuable' unless goodness and values have something to resonate against. Those impulses need mirrors in which to be seen. This is who we are: we are the mirrors, the source of artistic appreciation. But you can turn that metaphor around as well: Art is also a kind of mirror. We love art because it represents to us the parts of ourselves that we so yearn to validate and experience through our self perception. Great artists, indeed the Masters of any artistic medium, are great because of their skill as mirror makers. They show us reflections of what we feel within...
Human beings really are beautiful creatures - each and every one, unique in our individual, creative ways. It's just that our vision of beauty often gets shrouded under perceptual illusions and interpretations imposed by the pace of our lives and external attitudes of culture. So, art is here to remind us of who we are. Great art can bring us to moments of epiphany. Yet, simple folk art can also carry a fragment of the reflective glass - as can a child's giddy crayon drawing. Beauty truly is in the eye, and in the heart of the beholder. Our place here is not so much to take the position of critic ( or even self critic) as it is to enjoy this world and each other. Yes, some of our work will come out more refined, and thus be more celebrated by the public. But all artistic endeavors are worthy, all have beauty to share. We see ourselves in this art that we make because we are all, without exception, creatures who love to look in the mirror. This though, is not vanity, but is deeper. It is about that age old, very human story: us in Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Letter To My Guests
Being a creative person in today's fast-paced world can be very challenging - both internally and externally. Inwardly, it can sometimes be frustrating to find just the right way to express things we strongly feel and see. All artists, writers - all people who are creative, share that basic drive, that burning urge to bring something to life that will authentically mirror their highest vision. In the arena of commerce, the challenge can be even more daunting: How do we find ways to market the thing we love to do so that we may share it with a wide audience - and maybe make some money at the same time?
Clearly, as a creative person, you are doing what you do because you love it, because you are someone who sees the world in a very special way, and have a passion to share your wonderful talent with others. But, sometimes creative people feel alone in their journey. Wouldn't it be nice to have someone close at hand to acknowledge and validate who you are and what you're doing? What if there was the possiblility of a relationship that could take you even farther than that, beyond the "feel good moment" when you see your work being appreciated, and into an energized space where you would be able to improve that work and connect even more deeply with the source of your creative inspirations?
As a visual artist and poet, I have struggled with these questions myself. I know the kind of stress that can build up during long periods of creative block; I've also felt the pressures that come when that inner critic told me "you're not good enough, you'll never succeed." All of us wrestle with self doubt and high expectations through the creative process. But, beneath even these troubling feelings, there continues to burn a constant desire to express impulses that are foundational to who we truly are.
For me, one of the great challenges I faced in my artistic journey was finding the right medium for my creative talent. Would it be paint, pen, poetry? After years of pursuing that question, I finally came to realize that the unique medium that called to me most strongly was the energy of the human heart; and, I saw that I could experience that energy best when I became connected with other people. This has led me towards a career working with creative individuals. The art that I engage in now is an art of dialogue. Words have become my brush, my pen, my resonant instrument. I employ a specific form of conversation where I act as moderator in a drama and dance of human development. Through that interaction, the talents of my clients seem to rise to the surface, and they become able to utilize their abilities more fully and to excel in what they do. I inspire, and encourage them. And my personal joy is fulfilled by witnessing the products of their success.
I am a Creative Purpose Coach. I work with creative people - not only to help them find success in their careers, but also to discover things about who they are, why they're here; I help them identify their life purpose, the reason behind the doing.
If you've been feeling a desire to stimulate your own creativity, to integrate it more with your daily life, to increase your professional confidence, or simply improve your skills at marketing yourself, I can offer you tangible, expert help in any of these areas.
The program I offer is based on a process I call Coaching The Inner Light.
For more on this - and to share in my personal, interior journey as a Life Coach,
please, read on.....
COACHING THE LIGHT
When I read the book "Breaking The Rules" by Kurt Wright I was deeply impressed by the concept of "right questions" - how, when asking for information in a certain way, we might stimulate our minds to search with keen focus for particular goals - and, how these kinds of questions could be catalysts for personal enlightenment.
As well as questions, there were also various forms of instructions - or tools offered as methods to develop intuitive thinking. One of these employed the use of daily affirmations - personal statements that could be planted in the subconscious mind to later sprout as feelings of strong intent, attitudes of "want to" which have the power to counteract lifetime habits of pessimistic thought.
I've experimented with a number of affirmations that I hoped would propel me into the kind of thinking that I want to hone in on as a Life Empowerment Coach. For the most part, these have all been very helpful. But I want to tell you about one particular grouping of intentional words I have found that, like those "right questions", have created the perfect "right affirmation" for me.
It addresses all of my desires and goals around being a coach and has even helped me to bring the coaching mindset beyond the "session" moment and into all my daily interactions.
The affirmation is:
I SEARCH FOR THE SPARK OF LIGHT, ACKNOWLEDGE BEAUTY IN EVERYONE.
The imagery and symbol of "light" means a lot to me. I think of light both as the core energy of all existence, and as a state of being - a light heartedness, free from the heavy press of gravity. I search for this in everyone, knowing that each person, whether living in a catabolic or anabolic energy state, has at least a spark of this reality inside them. And, when I find it ( and the search itself has become a sort of "game" for me - an eager play at discovery), I acknowledge it either inwardly to myself, or outwardly by speaking some word(s) of encouragement and recognition to whomever I meet.
Of course, this is the ideal, and I don't always remember to be focused on my intent. But, it is my chosen affirmation, and the working goal that I have adopted for my life. The game continues to unfold, the challenges continue to play upon the screen of my observations - meanings shift and develop.
My hope is that, by using this affirmation as my daily exercise, I will continue to grow in the sense of what I believe a true coach should be - a light giver, light celebrant, light sharer, inspirer of light ways of thinking and feeling: a light magnet.
This blog will be a record of the illuminated path that is revealing itself before me. Focused on the intent that I have just stated, it will appear as poetry, journal, parable and anecdote. I'm offering my story as a form of inspiraton and encouragement for my fellow coaches ( and clients).
Of course, by presenting this, I'm not trying to say that my affirmation is appropriate for anyone other than myself ( though it may be). I just want to share the thoughts it has inspired. I think that all creative, life affirming thought, when shared with others, can help each of us to grow. It helps me to write these things. I hope, in the very least, that some of what you read here, will make you smile. That would make it worth the effort.
This is the introduction. More to follow....
Clearly, as a creative person, you are doing what you do because you love it, because you are someone who sees the world in a very special way, and have a passion to share your wonderful talent with others. But, sometimes creative people feel alone in their journey. Wouldn't it be nice to have someone close at hand to acknowledge and validate who you are and what you're doing? What if there was the possiblility of a relationship that could take you even farther than that, beyond the "feel good moment" when you see your work being appreciated, and into an energized space where you would be able to improve that work and connect even more deeply with the source of your creative inspirations?
As a visual artist and poet, I have struggled with these questions myself. I know the kind of stress that can build up during long periods of creative block; I've also felt the pressures that come when that inner critic told me "you're not good enough, you'll never succeed." All of us wrestle with self doubt and high expectations through the creative process. But, beneath even these troubling feelings, there continues to burn a constant desire to express impulses that are foundational to who we truly are.
For me, one of the great challenges I faced in my artistic journey was finding the right medium for my creative talent. Would it be paint, pen, poetry? After years of pursuing that question, I finally came to realize that the unique medium that called to me most strongly was the energy of the human heart; and, I saw that I could experience that energy best when I became connected with other people. This has led me towards a career working with creative individuals. The art that I engage in now is an art of dialogue. Words have become my brush, my pen, my resonant instrument. I employ a specific form of conversation where I act as moderator in a drama and dance of human development. Through that interaction, the talents of my clients seem to rise to the surface, and they become able to utilize their abilities more fully and to excel in what they do. I inspire, and encourage them. And my personal joy is fulfilled by witnessing the products of their success.
I am a Creative Purpose Coach. I work with creative people - not only to help them find success in their careers, but also to discover things about who they are, why they're here; I help them identify their life purpose, the reason behind the doing.
If you've been feeling a desire to stimulate your own creativity, to integrate it more with your daily life, to increase your professional confidence, or simply improve your skills at marketing yourself, I can offer you tangible, expert help in any of these areas.
The program I offer is based on a process I call Coaching The Inner Light.
For more on this - and to share in my personal, interior journey as a Life Coach,
please, read on.....
COACHING THE LIGHT
When I read the book "Breaking The Rules" by Kurt Wright I was deeply impressed by the concept of "right questions" - how, when asking for information in a certain way, we might stimulate our minds to search with keen focus for particular goals - and, how these kinds of questions could be catalysts for personal enlightenment.
As well as questions, there were also various forms of instructions - or tools offered as methods to develop intuitive thinking. One of these employed the use of daily affirmations - personal statements that could be planted in the subconscious mind to later sprout as feelings of strong intent, attitudes of "want to" which have the power to counteract lifetime habits of pessimistic thought.
I've experimented with a number of affirmations that I hoped would propel me into the kind of thinking that I want to hone in on as a Life Empowerment Coach. For the most part, these have all been very helpful. But I want to tell you about one particular grouping of intentional words I have found that, like those "right questions", have created the perfect "right affirmation" for me.
It addresses all of my desires and goals around being a coach and has even helped me to bring the coaching mindset beyond the "session" moment and into all my daily interactions.
The affirmation is:
I SEARCH FOR THE SPARK OF LIGHT, ACKNOWLEDGE BEAUTY IN EVERYONE.
The imagery and symbol of "light" means a lot to me. I think of light both as the core energy of all existence, and as a state of being - a light heartedness, free from the heavy press of gravity. I search for this in everyone, knowing that each person, whether living in a catabolic or anabolic energy state, has at least a spark of this reality inside them. And, when I find it ( and the search itself has become a sort of "game" for me - an eager play at discovery), I acknowledge it either inwardly to myself, or outwardly by speaking some word(s) of encouragement and recognition to whomever I meet.
Of course, this is the ideal, and I don't always remember to be focused on my intent. But, it is my chosen affirmation, and the working goal that I have adopted for my life. The game continues to unfold, the challenges continue to play upon the screen of my observations - meanings shift and develop.
My hope is that, by using this affirmation as my daily exercise, I will continue to grow in the sense of what I believe a true coach should be - a light giver, light celebrant, light sharer, inspirer of light ways of thinking and feeling: a light magnet.
This blog will be a record of the illuminated path that is revealing itself before me. Focused on the intent that I have just stated, it will appear as poetry, journal, parable and anecdote. I'm offering my story as a form of inspiraton and encouragement for my fellow coaches ( and clients).
Of course, by presenting this, I'm not trying to say that my affirmation is appropriate for anyone other than myself ( though it may be). I just want to share the thoughts it has inspired. I think that all creative, life affirming thought, when shared with others, can help each of us to grow. It helps me to write these things. I hope, in the very least, that some of what you read here, will make you smile. That would make it worth the effort.
This is the introduction. More to follow....
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)