Creative Pathfinder – Learnings Through Week 4
I read an article by Mark McGuinness in last month’s the 99 percent newsletter. It was a call to embrace your (noble) ambitions.I enjoyed it, visited Mark’s site, learned about his Creative Pathfinder online course, and signed on right away. How could I not? For one thing, the subject is one of my three central passions (along with holistic health and happiness): creativity. Plus the syllabus was overflowing with topics that examine creativity from every angle and as it relates to all major areas of life. And the majority of those areas are not being covered by any of my other channels of personal study . And they are all very important, to my development and success as a creator, and an entrepreneur. And, Mark is generously offering the course for free. I blocked off a two hour time slot for it each week. It was an easy decision and, four weeks in, I can say with conviction that it was a very smart decision.
One thing I was quickly reminded of is how much more beneficial ideas and guidance are when we try them out for ourselves (instead of just absorbing/consuming them.) Through the worksheets that accompany each lesson I am really digging in, deeply contemplating, and analyzing my life. That then leads beyond the page – putting ideas into action.
Each week I take away fresh and helpful insights and assign myself action items to further the growth. Here is a review of what I’ve learned, and what I am working on, through week 4. (This a six month course and I plan to do a monthly review.)
Lesson 1
Topic = Life/Career Goals and Dreams
Insights
- Contemplating our goals and dreams is so important. Without that awareness of what we care most deeply about, life can start to feel meaningless. I do a thorough life review at the end of each year but this made me realize the value of checking in more regularly – it strengthens the vision.
- Looking back on the work I have done so far in life is something I had not done before. I gave quite a bit of time to this and found it quite powerful to see patterns of what makes me happy and unhappy in a role/work environment.
- Acknowledging that Big Dreams bring up fear, and that it is normal, made me feel less alone in that. Thinking through the worst-case-scenario made it clear that there is nothing to be scared of. There are always new options. And when we succeed? So worth the effort!
Actions
- Continue being mindful of which actions/projects/roles make me feel good and which do not.
Lesson 2
Topic = Using, and Expanding, Your Gifts
Insights
- What are my signature talents? My natural gifts? I know this, and do think about it periodically. Now I see that keeping that awareness central keeps me confident and focused on finding ways to apply those talents/gifts.
- Keep learning! This is a no-brainer as far as I’m concerned, and Mark had some good suggestions for expanding our knowledge, beyond just reading books. This is something we should build into our schedule and it should take us outside of our comfort zones and attractions.
- I particularly liked the work around understanding who our tribes are and hadn’t explored this before.
- Make sure you know the motivations for what you do, especially when things get tough. Great idea to check in on that every day – it helps us stay focused and committed.
Actions
- Continue to develop my tribes: people/groups doing similar work, with similar interests, and with similar passions. And give thought to the ways I can share and contribute.
Lesson 3
Topic = Your Creative Potential and Process
Insights
- I realized that I didn’t have a clear understanding of my natural daily rhythms. When am I most productive and at what? When is my energy highest and lowest? When do I lose focus and need a break? I spent several days observing myself at work and this was probably the most useful exercise so far. I now have a daily schedule that works in harmony with those natural rhythms and it is making me happier and more productive! Seemingly simple thing (that most of us don’t take the time to look at) – Big Payoff.
Actions
- Continue thinking about ways to collaborate and get feedback. Who/where are the people and what is the benefit for them?
Lesson 4
Topic = Being Inspired, Being Challenged, and Practicing
Insights
- Yes – I need to get OUT more and experience what others are creating. I always get inspired at museums, galleries, performances, talks/readings and that inspiration is (necessary) food for our creative fire.
- Here we give more thought to the daily schedule and being more specific. I am now aware of my distractions and call myself out on them. Then I, gently but firmly, steer myself back on course/schedule (just like I’m learning to do in meditation practice!)
- And more emphasis on the importance of feedback.
Actions
- Schedule time for reading/commenting on blogs/sites related to my areas of work/interest/passion.
- Schedule regular cultural outings.
- Get my work Out There – share it and welcome/utilize feedback.
My favorite takeaway so far, and something I wrote out and refer to regularly now:
What can you do to make the biggest difference – and reap the greatest rewards?
1. It’s something only you can do – solving an unusual problem, or doing it in an unusual style, or both.
2. Because it’s so distinctive you can charge more than the next guy for it.
3. If you do it – and sell it – well enough, you don’t necessarily need to be ‘busy’ all day every day.
4. It’s in ‘the zone’ where you find your greatest fulfilment.
5. It’s a challenge that will fascinate you for the rest of your days.
Thank-you, Mark, for so generously sharing this great course!
Related Posts
Mindfulness and Lovingkindness
I volunteered for a daylong at Spirit Rock this past weekend. It was my first time volunteering there, first daylong, first time doing walking meditation, and first time practicing lovingkindness. A lot of firsts in one day! I am so grateful for Spirit Rock and the opportunity to assist in exchange for participating in classes/events.
The day was led by Donald Rothberg and our morning session focused on mindfulness. There was some instruction on the basics of getting comfortable in your posture, tuning in to your breathing, and bringing your awareness back to the present, which is where mindfulness occurs. And in the second half of the day we learned about the practice of lovingkindness, phrases to personalize and silently repeat, and the different groups to direct this positivity towards. Both sessions alternated between sitting and walking meditations, and questions and guidance.
Mindfulness is not a new concept to me, in fact, cultivating it every day, every moment is my goal. I have been aware of the power of being present for quite a few years and that awareness is evolving into more and more of an active practice versus just a passive realization. In other words, I read ‘Be Here Now’ by Ram Das, and many other books of spirituality, eastern philosophy, etc, which taught mindfulness, back in my twenties, but continued to be somewhere besides here and now almost every moment. Really just within the past three to four years have these teachings started to dawn on me in a new, deeper way. I am gradually putting all of this wisdom (thousands of years worth) into practice. And that is the key to so much in life – doing the work, the practice.
I enjoyed Donald’s patient and lighthearted approach and the affirmative effect of all these people coming together to learn about slowing down, tuning in, and being present. It was nice to be a part of that and to have the time and space to dedicate to it.
Walking meditation is interesting. It’s a nice chance to stretch your legs and get outside. It requires concentration in different ways. I found, as did others in the class, that balance was trickier the more I slowed down. The positive effect was that being challenged to find balance brought my thinking and feeling back to now. And as is often the case with physical, tangible lessons, it made a lasting impression:
You need to be present in order to be balanced.
The afternoon was harder for me. I’ve found through observing my natural daily rhythms and patterns (and thank-you to Mark McGuinness’s Creative Pathfinder course for the prompting), that as the afternoon progresses, my concentration diminishes. And lovingkindess requires another level of concentration beyond mindfulness (which we still need to be practicing.) It was well worth the effort and very rewarding, though. Again, to give myself permission to sit quietly and cultivate positive, loving, patient, and kind feelings towards myself and towards the people, and creatures, of my world – if we all did this on a regular basis the world would be a nicer place. So much negativity could be dissipated by taking the time slow down and be kind and loving.
Donald provided some suggested phrases and this is how I personalized them:
May I/he/she/they be safe, secure, and comfortable.
May I/he/she/they be happy, healthy, strong, and vibrant.
May I/he/she/they live with ease and grace.
And May positive energy flow to and from me/him/her/them.
Thank-you, Donald, for your generous teachings.
What I find most interesting is that the following day was a hard one and three days later I am just starting to feel lightness and awareness return. I didn’t recognize what was happening on Sunday, just that my energy (physical/mental/emotional) was quite low. It was hot and Saturday had been a long day (and also hot) – that’s what I attributed it to. But on Monday I began to examine my thoughts and feelings and recognize that they were primarily self judgement, insecurity, doubt, and worry and in the past or future. At some point it hit me that I was being challenged in the very areas we had practiced on Saturday: being present (not caught up in analyzing the past or worrying about/imagining the future) and being loving and kind, starting with ones self. Hmmm…
The only way to really learn is by Doing and the most powerful learning, and growth, comes through the biggest challenges. So, little by little, moment by moment, I have been able to see the opportunity in this challenge of focus. And there is a gift there, too: I have the choice of what to focus my attention (thoughts/feelings/energy) on at each moment. Starting with mindfulness, the more I am fully present, in the here and now, the more I can recognize and release negative thoughts/feelings/energy and cultivate positive and productive thoughts/feelings/energy, including lovingkindness towards myself and the world around me.
I spent some time with ‘Be Here Now’ last night and like this description of mindfulness meditation:
The southern Buddhists (Theravadin) practice a form of meditation called Satipatthana Vipassana (Application of Mindfulness). It starts with the simple exercise of Bare Attention. All that you do is register thoughts, states, etc. in the present. This process slows down the transition from the receptive to the active phase of the cognitive process. You don’t think about your thoughts. You merely note them. This produces “peaceful penetration.” You transcend conceptual thought.
So I will start there (for a week is Ram Dass’s recommendation) and once I’ve gotten good at Bare Attention, I will move on to the next level of the practice.
Related Posts
- Learning to Meditate
- Falling Down, Waking Up
- The Workspace I/We Have Been Wanting
- Something Like a Bird, Within Her Sang
A Place to Land
When Jeph and I decided we wanted to return to the Bay Area, again, and chose Marin County instead of SF or the East Bay, it was both exciting (because we love the area and it’s familiar to us) and intimidating (because we didn’t know Marin well at all.) Fortunately, my friend, Nicole, moved up to Fairfax a couple of years ago so we had one person to talk about it with.
Nicole and I met when we were both catering in San Francisco. Out of the group of regulars she was the one I really liked and clicked with. Probably her arty nature (she’s a painter – a really good one), and she’s also a Taurus – earthy and grounded, and a solid friend. She took a job teaching art to grade schoolers in Fairfax, fell in love with the community, and moved her family there.
So I asked Nicole for some insight into the area and she gave it a big thumbs up – mountains, ocean, cute little towns, plenty to do, abundant nature, friendly/unique people, good weather, and still close to SF. That was pretty much everything on our “ideal home base” list. We really have such a list and that’s really what it’s called, and we generated it through a lot of soul searching, vision questing, journeying, exploring, experimenting, learning, growing, and brainstorming (thanks to my dear friend, Karin, for helping us with that last part, which really brought it all into focus.)
Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.
-Andre’ Gide
I asked Nicole if we could possibly stay with her and her son for a few days when we arrived (being optimistic about how long it would take to find a place to rent) and she said “of course.” So we arrived on a Saturday night a couple of weeks later, in a big moving truck, with Sid and Bazel, our road warrior feline buds, in the front with us, and the colorful visions of a cross country trip fresh in our mind. We drove through San Rafael (where we ended up making our home) and it was the annual street painting festival. Tons of people were out in the streets, there was music, and I could tell that most of the shops and restaurants were independent, not chains, which always makes me happy. I punched Jeph in the arm and asked why he never told me how cute it was up there when we lived in SF! We passed through San Anselmo, stopping at the grocery store for chardonnay and goat cheese (both made in the neighboring county of Sonoma – hooray for CA and locally produced foods!), and entered Fairfax at dusk. As we drove down the tiny side streets lined with big redwoods, the crickets were beginning to chirp and I noticed that each house was unique and many had gardens, some with chickens and roosters! I think I was in love with Marin already.
The Universe smiled on us and gave us a parking spot, big enough for a 26’ truck, plus car trailer, right around the corner from Nicole. It was so peaceful and quiet there, we knew the boys would be safe and comfortable in the truck, and, after 5 days and more than 2000 miles, we were ready for some wine, cheese and crackers, and visiting with an old friend.
Nicole made us feel very comfortable and her place was perfect for us to do our apartment searching from. I had a huge list of places for us to see, scattered among about 7 different towns. There are so many little towns in this area – we had no idea where to look. Nicole gave us some good perspective on the qualities of each. We saw two Sunday and three Monday and the fourth one was The One. We signed the lease and moved in the next day. That’s definitely a record for us!
It’s been three months and I am SO happy to report that we love our home, neighborhood, town, and the surrounding towns and counties. And Jeph and I both feel that being so warmly welcomed by Nicole really had a lot to do with everything positive that has followed.
Thank-you Nicole. I am grateful for your friendship.
Related Posts
Learning to Meditate
I made my first visit to Spirit Rock last month with the intention of getting a feel for the place and community and seeking guidance on my spiritual path. Jack Kornfield spoke for a few moments and then everyone settled into their seats and began to, collectively, Let Go.
There was not a lot of instruction, just enough to help us connect with the breath, recognize our wandering minds, and return, again and again, to the Present. As I sat there, breathing steadily, tuning in to my body and energy, and consciously letting go of any tension I was holding, I realized what a gift it is to simply Be, to allow ourselves the time and space to slow down, breathe, and release.
There is so much wisdom and power and love and potential in each one of us, and the way to connect with it and work with it, for the good of all, is through this stillness, this letting go, this emptiness.
I’ve read a lot about these concepts/approaches over the years; this was my first time sitting in meditation with some guidance, and surrounded by others doing the same. It was nice to have that gentle support, and to feel a connection to the community around me, while also allowing myself to be fully me.
I returned tonight and think I am hooked! And that’s such a good thing, for that guidance and sense of community on the spiritual journey is something I have desired for a long time. I have been keeping myself open to it, but not actively seeking it, because my instinct was that the place and time were not yet right.
Appropriately, Jack Kornfield spoke of the teachings of impermanence and redemption,
“No matter what, it’s never too late to start again.”
Now that we have finally found a home base that feels right, the place and time have arrived! And how interesting that Spirit Rock is in our back yard.
