CREATIVE SUCCESS NEWSLETTER - NUMBER NINE - JANUARY 31, 2001

Hope your creativity is thriving in 2001! I'm putting the finishing
touches on my new book, The Power of Positive Choices, which will be out
in June. Other great news is that there are 12-week groups forming all
over the country using The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women book as the
workbook. If you are running one of these groups, let me know as I am
keeping a resource list. It's wonderful to hear about these creativity
pods spurring people to express themselves and innovate projects whether
it's a sculpture, a business, or an advocacy program. It's a writer's
greatest dream to have his/her work inspire others to action-so I'm
thrilled!

SECRET #9 TRANSCENDING REJECTIONS AND ROADBLOCKS

Lots of my clients and friends are complaining about the winter doldrums
and feeling stuck or frustrated in their creative endeavors. I, too, am
grappling with the title and focus for my next book after I discovered
someone else already used my original title idea. This roadblock has
sparked a new intent for the book so I actually love this adventure with
it.

But whenever we tackle a new challenge or invent something brand new, we
will get rejected and/or hit obstacles along the way. Successful creative
people learn how to master these challenges and move through the blockades
to the other side. Successful creative people don't give up-they reroute.
My purpose is to inspire you NOT to quit but to persevere with the
uncertainty and keep moving through it.

Those of you, who have read The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women,
already have a wealth of strategies and role models to help you charge
ahead in spite of rejections and roadblocks in your path. But this month,
to inspire you further, I interviewed 3 more creative souls and asked them
to share with you their advice for how to deal with rejection and
roadblocks.

GILLIAN DRAKE

As many of you know, Cape Cod is my beloved second home. Gillian, who is
a multi-talented creative bundle of energy, has created an outstanding
women's magazine titled Cape Women. In between profiles of dynamic and
creative women, the articles are inspiring and informative. Gratefully,
there are no inane articles about weight loss, multiple orgasms, or
anorexic models anywhere in sight. Gillian is committed to doing the
magazine her own way by having the readers' interests be the priority, not
the advertising dollars. I'm delighted that writer Deborah Carr just
profiled me in the last issue and I so appreciate their tremendous support
of 12 Secrets.

I caught up with Gillian in the midst of taxes and accounting and we
lamented about how this time of year is in itself a roadblock, as we have
to quantify the previous year, which steals time away from our new
projects. Gillian echoes the wish of many creative people who long for
even bigger blocks of time to work on creative projects they love, in the
midst of dogs to walk, housework, or other priorities. Gillian advises
pioneers to know yourself, capitalize on your best skills, and honor your
personal rhythms. "Don't panic," she says, "and retain a strong faith in
your creative process." Also, to ease the trauma of rejection, Gillian
suggests that you do the tasks that are a stretch for you (like selling to
your most important client) on days when you are feeling good about
yourself-days when you feel like you can take on the whole world.

To subscribe to Cape Women magazine, contact Gillian at Cape Women, P.O.
Box 720, North Eastham, MA 02651.

DEBORAH KNOX

Deborah is a Career and Life Work Planning consultant in Newton, MA and
the co-author of a wonderful book called LifeWorkTransitions.com: Putting
Your Spirit Online. Deborah, and her book partner, Sandy Butzel, created
a comprehensive website www.lifeworktransitions.com which is an
invaluable resource for career transition and professional growth. I send
all of my clients there first. Deborah also teaches a process called
"Finding Your True North" which keeps you centered and aware of your own
personal criteria for success.

Deborah has this advice about dealing with roadblocks: "When we hit
roadblocks in our careers or creative projects, we often are not aware
that we've actually been spinning our wheels for quite some time. I've
learned that when I set aside time for the following two activities, I
will find clues about what's missing and thus get back on track.

Activity #1 Exploration: Get as clear as possible on the current reality
of the project including its strengths, weaknesses, and inherent challenges

Activity #2 Introspection: Reflect on the physical, emotional, and
spiritual dimensions which will help you stay centered, emotionally clear,
and on purpose with this project
Then leverage your new insights and awareness so you can move forward with
renewed creativity and confidence." Try it! Deborah can be reached at
dlkcoach@aol.com.

JENNIFER LOUDEN

Jennifer is a prolific author whose most recent book is The Comfort
Queen's Guide to Life: Create All that You Need With Just What You've Got.
She also has a website www.comfortqueen.com complete with stimulating
content and an array of wonderful creative products. Jennifer says that
it is really important to notice what you say to yourself when you get
rejected that may magnify or distort the hurt. She says to be aware of
your patterns of making rejection worse than it is by catastrophizing.
Secondly, she advises you to immediately take some kind of positive action
instead of succumbing to negative habits like overeating. For example, if
someone rejects something Jennifer writes, she immediately sends it out
again. If she can't fix something, like redo a speech she already gave
that she was disappointed in, then she vows to take care of herself in the
kindest way she possibly can.

Ultimately Jennifer says that you need to be honest with yourself. She
once got a bad review in People magazine and had to deal with it alone on
a plane without support. Once she had some time with it, she made peace
with the fact that part of the review was accurate and part of it was just
plain false. It also helped her to acknowledge what kind of writer she
was and truly wanted to be. Jennifer cautions that you don't have to
learn the lesson right in the moment, give yourself some space and comfort
first, and then sort it out.

Jennifer is writing a new book called The Mood Changer and is looking for
stories that show a mood shift or tell practical ways to create a mood
shift. Write to her at http://www.comfortqueen.com/moodchanger.html if
you have a story to share about how you manage your moods. We all look
forward to reading that one!

So if you are rejected or get blocked, rest assured, it happens to all of
us. If you are determined and ask for support, you will triumph and get to
the other side.

EXERCISE #9 PRACTICE RESILIENCE

Imagine confronting a rejection or a roadblock. Make a list of all of the
resources that can help you to survive the sting of it so you can untangle
it later. What personal strengths can you count on? Who can you call to
help you talk through the pain of it? What other crises have you overcome
and how is this one similar? What other resources-support groups, a
coach, a book, etc.-- do you need to put into place before you take some
creative risks? Be prepared so you can handle the stress of it. Resolve
not to become one of those creative people who go into hiding after one
rejection or stumbling block. The world needs your creative inspirations!

UPCOMING EVENTS

February 4, 2001
12 Secrets Reading at the National Writer's Union Book Party from 2-5 PM
The Bunting Institute
34 Concord Ave.
Cambridge, MA

March 22, 2001
Barnes and Nobles Books in Braintree, MA
12 Secrets workshop at 7 PM.

April 17
Boston Learning Society
Needham, MA
12 Secrets workshop at 7 PM.
Call 781-453-9800 to register

Resolve to break out of those winter doldrums and try something new to
jumpstart your creative energy! Adventures are wonderful stimulants so
initiate a few!

Creatively yours,
Gail McMeekin

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

We also welcome your comments, which can be sent to
gail@creativesuccess.com.