CREATIVE SUCCESS NEWSLETTER - VOLUME FIVE-SEPTEMBER 2000

My new book The Power of Positive Choices is done and will be released by
Conari Press in May 2001. It is the perfect book to help you to make
Positive Life Choices a cornerstone of your creative life. We will be
adding creativity products to the site in the next few weeks, so look for
some exciting holiday gifts in our next newsletter! Just a reminder that
this site is secure, so you can shop with ease and comfort.

CREATIVE SECRET #5: COMMITTING TO SELF-FOCUS

get lost on the bottom of their To Do list. I challenge you for the next
3 months--12 weeks--to put the action steps for your creative project at
the top of your To Do list, not the bottom. Pick your favorite color–mine
is always purple–and buy a groovy pen in that color, and write all of your
creative goals in that color in your date book. When you evaluate your
goals for the month, check out those color-coded creativity longings. By
focusing on YOU as a creative being with creative aspirations and putting
that atop your list every day, you will change your life.

Now, a note of reason. If you are the mother of a two year old who might
eat a can of Comet while you are writing a poem or the caretaker of a
person with Alzheimer’s disease who might burn the house down while you
converse with a gallery about showing your work, you need to delegate that
responsibility to someone else during your creative time. I was just
interviewed by a wonderful magazine called Cape Woman and the question
that arose was, “Does creativity give you an excuse to be irresponsible?”
In my opinion, we all need to be responsible to and for the people we have
chosen to care for. Yet, we are also free to renegotiate the old
“everyone for everyone else first” model that the patriarchy prescribes.
If you value your creative gifts, you need to advocate for your creative
time. You need to insist/negotiate with your loved ones for your creative
space. Self care and the time and energy to fly with your creative ideas
is your right as a human being. Kindly advocate for yourself this next 3
months and complete the creative project you have craved the time for.
You and only you can make sure that it manifests. Change your focus to
your creative energy and watch the universe support you in astounding ways!

EXERCISE #5

In addition to putting your creative goals FIRST for the next 3 months,
identify one other woman or man to mentor in the art of “self focus”. You
know the old saying “We teach what we need to learn”. Find another
creative soul and help him/her to set boundaries on the minutia in their
lives and put their creativity in high gear.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Congratulations to June Levinson for her upcoming ceramics exhibit called
"Vessels and Sculptural Forms" at the Hilles Library at Harvard University
in Cambridge, MA for the month of October. Call the Hilles Library for
hours.

June’s artist Statement:

“Clay's initial existence mud challenges me with its transformative
possibilities stimulating my fingers, heart and mind. I handbuild each
piece, often beginning with a pinch pot, adding coils, extruded components
and surface textures to create a tactile result. I'm moved by nature-by
its energy and stillness forcing constant juxtapositions. As for the
glazes..in the bowls I favor a rough, monochromatic exterior contrasted
with a more intense interior..much like a geode. The sculptural teapots
are generally one color or subtle shifts of hue to emphasize form. Color,
sheen and value are challenges altered by the kiln's fire, its gift, as
well as my decisions. I'm constantly learning through the adventures of
experimentation. Like nature, my potter's mind never achieves a permanent
state of being.”

CREATING COMMUNITY

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 and guests 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.

COMING IN NOVEMBER– Creative Circle Teleclasses to help you commit to and
complete your creative project!

Make the year 2000 a pivotal year in your creative success! You still
have time!

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.