CREATIVE SUCCESS NEWSLETTER

Success Strategies for creative souls series

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Welcome Subscribers
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This free newsletter goes to subscribers only and is sent out the middle of
each month. If you have missed any issues, you can have them sent to you by
following the instructions at my website
http://www.creativesuccess.com/info/news.html. at the bottom of the page. We
just discovered that several Spam filters are blocking the word "success" so
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Please forward this newsletter in its entirety to other like-minded friends
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IN-PERSON WORKSHOPS WITH GAIL
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April 2, 2004
Keynote Speaker on "Recreate Your Life with Positive Choices" Workshop–New
England Reiki Conference and Expo, Holiday Inn, Boxborough, MA at 7 PM
Special program with fellow Red Wheel/Weiser author Christopher Penczak
CEU's available
http://www.commongroundcenter.com

June 2, 2004
Speaker for Women's Success Network, Saphire Manor and Inn, Sharon, MA at 6 PM
Contact Christine Asmus at mailto:c.asmus@att.net to register

July 3-9, 2004
Rancho La Puerta, Mexico with Alice March
Details to follow

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Strategy for Creative Souls #17:
Knowing How to Change Your Worklife
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In our February Survey, many of you wrote in to say that the calculated risk
you would most like to take in your life is to "quit my crummy/dysfunctional
job". We've all been there–felt stuck in a job, a career, or a business that
doesn't suit us. As a career consultant for over two decades, I have heard
many a tale of horrific worklives. Yet, we always have a choice. You just
have to believe that you do and act accordingly. To help you to identify
exactly how you may be stuck, take my Work Transition Stress Test:

Rate each of the 10 items below according to how often if activates negative
stress for you:

1. Never
2. Seldom
3. Sometimes
4. Often
5. Always

_____1. I feel uncertain about how to conduct a successful job search, write a
new business plan,or redesign my current job.

_____2. The fear of failure is constantly on my mind.

_____3. I feel angry and embarrassed about being in transition.

_____4. I have difficulty calling people I don't know for job/career/business
information.

_____5. I can't find any jobs/businesses that interest me.

_____6. I procrastinate a lot.

_____7. I don't have ongoing support from family, friends, other work
transitioners, or a professional association.

_____8. I don't know what to do first.

_____9. I don't have time to focus on my transition.

_____10. I don't have a clear sense of my skills, interests, and the
marketplace.

If you selected a 4 or a 5 for any of these items, it is time to start
problem-solving. Awareness of what is blocking your objectives is the key to
developing an action plan and creating your success.

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Special Opportunity
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If you can admit that you are feeling lost or trapped in your work after
taking this quiz, sign up for Gail's Teleclass:

"You Deserve to Have Fulfilling Work" on Tuesdays, March 30 and April 13th at
8-9 PM EST. You will learn to:

* Design a Career Transition Time-line
* Select a Vision that Reflects Your Personal Truth
* Stifle Your Saboteurs, Inner and Outer
* Market Yourself
* Commit to the Time/Action Steps to Make Your Vision Happen
* Leverage Your Unique Creative Ideas in the Marketplace

These two classes will be filled with written and group exercises and lots of
practical specific action steps and resources. You will also have an
opportunity to work with an email/phone buddy to increase accountability and
results. Join us for this career catalyst program. To reserve
one of the 50 spaces in this class, please email Liz at
mailto:Liz@CreativeSuccess.com. The cost of this class is $50.00.

A recent participant wrote: "Gail, you got me totally out of denial and into
action. I love my action plan and the ongoing support systems we set up, and I
am making progress every week. Bless you!"
---Bonnie S., transitioning from VP of Marketing to Art Therapy

*Survey Winner*

Our free Goal Achievement CD will go to Yvette for her answer to our Beeliner
Survey** in February. Our February question was: "If you had the right support
systems in your life, what calculated risks would you take now to transform
your life?" We wish Yvette luck furthering her aspirations. Yvette, please
contact Gail at mailto:Gail@CreativeSuccess.com with your mailing address so
we can send you your free CD!

To participate in our March Survey, the winner of which will also receive our
free Goal Achievement CD (a one hour teleclass to help you
to vision and achieve your goals), click on:
https://www.sftoolbox.com/beeliner/participant/surveyform.html?SurveyID=135484

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Limited Edition:
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We are getting ready to create a new Positive Choices Package product. In the
meantime, this is your last chance to purchase the Limited Edition of my
acclaimed 90-minute personal workshop on audio including a mini-workbook and
three musical guided visualizations: Positive Choices: From Stress to Serenity
which has been featured in The Improper Bostonian, Human Resources Executive,
and sold nation-wide at training conferences. There are only 100 tapes left
being sold at this special price of $14.95 for the next 60 days.

Need to review your life goals? Feeling stressed and burned out? This tape
will help you change your life in the privacy of your own home and then you
can re-experience the workshop whenever you need a tune-up. As Mary S. of Los
Angeles told me, "This workshop is incredible and keeps me on track. I now
know what I want and you have given me a model that will get me there, quickly
and step-by-step. Thank you. This tape should cost 10 times as much as it
does–it has that much value. I'm so grateful. I'm ordering 15 more for my
employees and my friends." For more information, Blog, and to order
your Limited Edition before we run out, click on:
http://www.creativesuccess.com/store/store.html.

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Creative Acts and Resources
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I am delighted to announce the release of the beautifully designed and
illustrated CD called "Ways of Wisdom for Women: A Collection of Advice from
Visionary Women" by Liane Sebastian. I am honored to be among the 18
contributors and in the company of fascinating women, such as Alexandra
Stoddard, one of my favorite authors. This CD is a visual garden which will
help you to avoid the most common mistakes and pitfalls of being a business
women today. Liane is also writing a book which will profile 35 women in
total. To get your copy of this brand new CD and view a sample chapter of the
book, go to http://www.wofw.com/fw.html.

Lisa Hammond, who is the founder of Femail Creations, a fun and inspirational
catalog and website shopping place for women, just released her new book with
Conari Press, called "Dream Big". I was asked to endorse this important book
and here's what I wrote: "Lisa Hammond tells the truth about the challenges of
being a female CEO with integrity and heart in this conversational and
enticing book. Her candor and authenticity are compelling. I stayed up all
night to finish this story of Lisa' adventures, relentless courage, and
passion for inspiring and nurturing her customers! This book is a winner." You
can order the book at:
http://www.femailcreations.com/shopping/index.html.

Mary Lou Andre, a nationally recognized wardrobe consultant and owner of
Organization by Design in Needham, Massachusetts, has written a practical and
engaging book called "Ready to Wear: An Expert's Guide to Choosing and Using
Your Wardrobe" (Perigee, 2004). Mary Lou dresses several of my colleagues and
is known for her no-nonsense approach. Her book has a great chapter called
"Shopping in Your Own Closet" and is filled with great tips to help you find
your personal style and get yourself together. Thanks to Mary Lou, I now have
a larger hairbrush and a special pouch with my lipstick and Lactaid in my
pocketbook, so I can pull them out in a flash, instead of digging around
forever . For more information about Mary Lou's book and her newsletter, click
on http://www.dressingwell.com/.

Carol Pentleton of Rhode Island has created a wonderful art marketing e-book:
"The Best of the Digital Artist" which covers a variety of topics including
the creation of art marketing materials, portfolio preparation, exhibiting
online, and pricing, etc. She is offering this book to my subscribers free of
charge to download at her site: http://www.thedigitalartist.com . It is packed
with valuable information for today's artist, as is her website.

**To get your own free trial of Spinfish Web's online Beeliner survey software
and consider using it in your business, click on:
http://www.beelinersurveys.com

Creatively yours,
Gail McMeekin