CREATIVE SUCCESS NEWSLETTER-VOLUME FOUR-AUGUST 2000

GREAT NEWS!

My wonderful publisher Conari Press is going to be publishing my totally
rewritten book The Power of Positive Choices next March. I have been madly editing and reconfiguring the past few weeks to incorporate many of my newideas and insights over the past few years. Look for it in your favorite bookstore and on the web in the spring. To get a jump start on your holiday or gift shopping, order a free copy of Conari's beautiful new book catalog by going to http://www.conari.com. Their collection of books are unique, exquisitely designed, and in line with their mission to publish
"books that make a difference". Enjoy!

CREATIVE SECRET #4: SURRENDERING TO CREATIVE CYCLES

Last month we talked about making colorful cards of your most Compelling
creative fascinations. Did you have fun with those ideas? Or have you
moved on from them or combined a few? How is your creative energy flowing at summer's end? Are you in *action* mode or *rest* mode? Your creativity cycles through circles of birth, decay, death, and rebirth. It has seasons just like the trees.

Sometimes a creative block is simply a signal that it's time to rest and
see what inspirations find you! You do need to sort out that it truly is
time to rest, not an excuse to procrastinate. In one of my recent
workshops, a very creative woman interested in crafts commented that she was watching television at night instead of beading. She wanted to be beading but felt afraid that her results would not be "good enough". How can we get better at a craft if we don't practice it? I always ask people to consider what time of day their creative energy is most available. For many people, doing creative work at the end of a long day is unrealistic. But fear is often more of a creativity killer than fatigue.

Take advantage of the back to school energy and tune into where you are in your creative cycle. Pick one of your Most Compelling cards on which you
have written the creative project you are most drawn to. Are you ready to
begin? If so, begin and then write out a plan of action steps to keep you
on the path. If you're not ready to begin, then what's in the way? Are you
still in completion mode from your last project? Are you unclear about
your commitment or direction? Are you ambivalent about the idea? Do you
need more information or excitement to get you motivated? Pick one action step to help you to untangle your confusion and complete it by month's end. Or you are needing a time out to just languish in the fall energy and wait for your next creative burst of energy? That's perfectly fine as long as it's not a cop out. Vacations, rest time, meditation, journaling, etc. are all a key part of the creative process of birth and then re-birth. Ever notice how when you're truly ready to do something, it happens easily? And if you're not ready, the experience can be arduous and frustrating? Leverage your cycles and appreciate the down times as well as the fertile spurts!

EXERCISE#4

In addition to the suggestions above, think about a time in your life when you were most creative. What fueled your flow? What kept you passionate
and productive? When and how did you work? Where did you work? Make a list of all of the elements, psychological and environmental, that facilitated your creativity. Resolve to bring all of these positive elements together again for your next creative endeavor. Knowing and honoring your own creative style gives you an advantage in achieving the level of creative output that you desire. Email us with your successes!

CREATING COMMUNITY

I will be conducting a free teleclass on creativity with Jennifer Louden,
author of The Comfort Queen's Guide to Life on Thursday September 7th at 9 PM EST. To join us, call the bridge line 702-821-1425. Jennifer is a
dynamic creative soul herself!

September 15-- Barnes and Nobles in Hyannis, MA Book signing and workshop
at 7 PM

October 19-- Borders in Portland, Maine at 7:30 PM Book signing and
workshop at 7:30 PM

October 15-- Big Apple Writing Workshop Panelist, International Women's
Writing Guild, NYC Call 212-737-7539 or email iwwg@iwwg.com.

October 26-- Boston Zip Code Party for International Women's Writing Guild members at 7 PM at Waltham Library in Waltham, MA. Contact Liz Murphy at virtualservices@earthlink.net to register.

November 16-- Creativity workshop at Boston Learning Society in Needham,MA at 7 PM Call 781-453-9800.

WEBSITE
Stay tuned to our website at http://www.creativesuccess.com for new
products, new articles, and more profiles of creative folks this fall!

Relish the last two weeks of summer!

All my best,

Gail McMeekin

Feel free to forward this 12 Secrets of Creative Success Announcement onto your friends and associates. Please keep the whole message intact.