How do you think about being creative versus the business aspects of a creative career, such as marketing? Do you see them as separate, even mutually exclusive? Do you think of creative expression as something more “spiritual” or “pure” than sales or business? Many creators probably don’t think much about the value of marketing to [...]
A summary of the book: Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us by Seth Godin says: “A tribe is any group of people, large or small, who are connected to one another, a leader, and an idea. For millions of years, humans have been seeking out tribes, be they religious, ethnic, economic, political, or even [...]
Many people face challenges in their lives they not only overcome, but are able to use for enhancing their creative work. Mixed-media and glass artist Ginny Ruffner recovered from a near fatal car accident and a coma for five weeks and was confined to a hospital for five months. A description on her site ginnyruffner.com [...]
By Valerie Young, Ed.D. You started out loving your chosen career – at least in the beginning. But over time, you and your calling, well, you just grew apart. And just like a relationship that’s gone bad, it can be hard to walk away from a career or a small business into which you’ve put [...]
The illusion of productivity “I used to drink several cups of coffee a day, but I kicked the habit a long time ago because I found that caffeine made me too jittery and unfocused.” That is a quote by Steve Pavlina, author of one of the most popular, and financially successful, sites and blogs dedicated [...]
“You wait until the last minute to buy Christmas presents. You put off seeing the dentist, or getting that thing checked out by the doctor, or filing your taxes…. “Perhaps the stakes are higher than choosing to play Angry Birds instead of doing sit-ups. You might have a deadline for a grant proposal, or a [...]
By Marie Forleo Are you one of those people who have a lot of passions and have trouble knowing which one to choose? When you’re multipassionate, it can get hairy fast. For example, when it comes to your website, do you put everything under one umbrella or keep them separate? This, my friend, is a [...]
What if you aren’t getting the acting jobs you want, or the writing assignments, or not enough people buy your paintings? What do you do when your primary creative endeavor does not support you enough emotionally or financially? Psychologist and creativity coach, Eric Maisel, PhD warns that this can have emotional consequences: “We get anxious [...]
Cynthia Morris has been a writing and creativity coach for many years, and knows that most writers and would-be writers “aren’t looking for more platitudes about your creative self. You want to put the words down on paper.” She says on her site Original Impulse: “Others dream of finally putting on paper the story they’ve [...]
Eric Maisel provides helpful ideas about fear vs anxiety over success. He wrote: Hello, everybody: Yesterday I addressed the Tri-Valley branch of the California Writers Club on the subject of “overcoming creative anxiety.” I described 24 sources of anxiety in the lives of creative people and 22 anxiety-management strategies. In the question-and-answer period that followed, [...]
Are you a psychologist, coach, artist, baker, clothing designer or someone with specialized knowledge? You can be even more helpful to a wider group of people as an expert. The photo is psychiatrist and brain imaging specialist Dr. Daniel Amen, who gives PBS presentations such as “Magnificent Mind at Any Age.” Maybe he is your [...]
Internet entrepreneur, coach and speaker Katie Freiling mentions a number of issues that can affect anyone, but may have particular significance for entrepreneurs: • Self-limiting beliefs • Fears and insecurities. She admits, “I know what it’s like to be severely limited by fear.” • Freiling notes when she was in college, she could not commit [...]
“I can be very hard on myself. I convince myself that I’m fooling people. Or, I convince myself that people like the book for the wrong reasons.” Jonathan Safran Foer – about his novel Everything Is Illuminated, which made The New York Times best-seller list. He also commented, “The writing itself is no big deal. [...]
Career change expert Valerie Young notes she put herself through college “the way a lot of young people do, by waitressing” – and the place she worked holds value as a lesson in developing business ventures. She writes: One wild summer my sister Susan and I worked at the then famous Thompson’s Clam Bar in [...]
After he saw his parents go from winning a state lottery to being bankrupt and on the verge of divorce, Dean Whittingham researched what led them from “utter bliss to despair and depression” – and strategies to help other people stay successful. At least part of the answer is in terms of brain function. “How [...]
“Even Mozart’s early abilities were not the product of some innate spiritual gift.” That comment is from a NY Times op-ed by David Brooks, who adds, “His early compositions were nothing special. They were pastiches of other people’s work. “Mozart was a good musician at an early age, but he would not stand out among [...]
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Site author: Douglas Eby, M.A./Psychology, is a writer and researcher on the psychology of creative expression and personal growth, especially for high ability adults. He is publisher of the Talent Development Resources series of sites.
