CREATIVE SUCCESS NEWSLETTER - VOLUME # 6 OCTOBER 31, 2000

Halloween is a perfect day to be writing about Creative Success Secret #6,
which is Conquering Saboteurs, as October is the month of goblins. What
internal and external demons have been haunting you this month? Are they
gremlins from the past or current ones that you originated? Unconscious
or unmanaged saboteurs can undermine or destroy your chances for creative
expression.

For me, I have been on a whirlwind this month of presentations in New
York, Maine, and Boston as well as writing magazine articles and working
with the copywriter on final edits for The Power of Positive Choices,
which will be released in May. There was also a family health crisis and
challenging personal decisions to process as well. While I knew October
would be busy, there were numerous unexpected demands, which necessitated
a review of what I could and couldn't do. So my worst internal Saboteur
who says, "I can do it all" had to be reckoned with once again. I
followed my own advice, set boundaries, and leveraged the principle I
coined called "the power of subtraction". I postponed everything I
possibly could until November or later, including the expansion of my web
store. I let go all of the non-essentials, like weeding the garden at the
cape house. I delegated a professional organization's meeting planning to
my wonderful virtual assistant Liz Murphy, which was expensive but
critical.

I find order very soothing so I did what I could to stay organized and
relied on internal peace to help me to cope with the rest. My challenge
was to find peace in the midst of the storm. While I wasn't peaceful 100%
of the time, I knew that I was doing the very best I could. I couldn't do
it all and I didn't even try. My Saboteur of unrealistic expectations has
truly lost its power over me-the haunting is done. I continue to
diligently set boundaries. I have cleared space on my calendar in November
and December for self-indulgences, re-organization, and new creativity.
Your body, mind, and spirit are precious commodities, so try the exercise
below to get yourself "un-spooked!"

EXERCISE #6

What internal or external saboteurs are interfering with your creative
expression? What voices or tasks or "shoulds" or perfectionistic
standards are compromising your creative project? Write down your top 3
spooks and study them. Are they ghosts from your past? If they are old
admonitions from parents, teachers, etc., write them out on individual
pieces of paper and burn them, saying the phrase: "I subtract your power
from my life as your message no longer serves me". If your spook is your
own inner voice, try to dialogue with it and find out if its message has
merit. If not, ask your spook to leave you alone for the month of
November and use "thought-stopping" (which means ignore them and move
forward) if they appear from time to time. Fears so often camouflage
brilliance-let your creative persona shine through for the next 30 days.
If your spook's message has some merit, like "you don't know how to write
a symphony or run a retail business", then follow a learning trail and
build your skills. Find yourself a compassionate partner or start a 12
Secrets of Highly Creative Women support group for 12 weeks and watch
those saboteur goblins vanish from your life! You can also join us in
Needham, MA at the Boston Learning Society for my November 16th creativity
workshop at 7 PM. Call 781-453-9800 to register.

CREATING COMMUNITY

TELECLASSES: Creative Project Coaching Groups

I have received so many calls and emails from women (and men) all over the
country requesting creative success workshops. Beginning in December, I
will be offering 6 week Creative Project Coaching Groups via telephone
using a bridge line. If you are ready to commit to a creative project or
a path of inspiration, this 6 week class will help you to fine-tune your
vision, develop, and execute an action plan to meet your goals. The class
will run for an hour and a half and be limited to 10 people at a price of
$300.00. If you are interested, please email me at
gail@creativesuccess.com for an application and dates.

RESOURCE
A lovely woman, Margot Cheel of Cohasset, MA, attended one of my book
signings this summer. Margot has produced a series of Memory Books, which
can serve as wonderful idea books as they combine journaling with
photographs. As Margot says, "These books easily encourage people of all
ages to be creative with a practical and treasured result." You can order
a Memory Book for $15.00 plus shipping from Margot by emailing her at
Mcheel@Mediaone.net. She also has a photography show called "Perspectives
From Above-Aerial Photography of Boston's South Shore" at the South Shore
Nature Center in Norwell, MA from December 6, 2000-January 6, 2001 where
these books will be for sale.

REMINDER
Stumped for holiday gifts? We have autographed copies of The 12 Secrets
of Highly Creative Women: A Portable Mentor and we also have the final 200
copies of my highly acclaimed 90-minute workshop audiocassette titled
Positive Choices: From Stress to Serenity. Both of these items are
available on my secure website www.creativesuccess.com. Who in your life
doesn't need a creative jump-start or effective strategies for managing
the stress in their lives?

By the way, back issues of this newsletter can be found in our archives
under "Articles" on my website. November is the month of gratitude-count
your blessings!

Creatively yours,
Gail McMeekin