Archive for October, 2009
I’m a little bit on fire – creatively wise, right now. I’ve just come up with two new book ideas and am very, very excited about it all. I blame Julia Cameron. The Artist’s Way is one of my top five life changing books and for the last couple of weeks, I’ve been dipping in and out again – rampantly writing my morning pages and taking myself off for my artist’s dates (I love Brighton Pier – this week I found myself going on the ghost train twice. Brilliantly scary.)
I read The Artist’s Way about 5 years ago and it changed my life on many levels – it allowed me to believe in the dream of being creative, of being able to write and go on a creative journey that has exploded the life I used to live – sometimes in not very comfortable ways. But Cameron encourages us to be brave. So I have leapt and leapt again in the last few years and every time the net has appeared. Cameron calls it a course in creative recovery but I believe the book can be used for life recovery.
I really love her work and I must admit to being slightly nervous about meeting her in person. For Julia Cameron is coming to London to give two workshops next weekend. I’ve managed to book on to the Sunday workshop and am currently trying to get an interview with her one to one – which I share with you all, of course.
We’ve done many different things together on this blog but when I put a call out in February to do the Artist’s Way, 250 of you signed up in 24 hours to take that journey together.
So do come to the workshop if you’re around. I suspect it will be another life changing weekend.
http://www.alternatives.org.uk/Site/EventDescription.aspx?EventID=706
I’m a big fan of Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love but I’m even more of a fan now. Just been watching her talk on creativity on http://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html
If you’re a creative and aspire to stay sane, watch this brilliant talk. (Best bit – ‘excuse me, can’t you see I’m driving’)
Suzyx
I’m a bit tired today but I’ve only got myself to blame. I’ve been out partying! I’ve been at the book launch of my fellow Hay House author and all round good man John Parkin. His new book (written with his beautiful wife Gaia) The Way of Fuck It: The Modern Way to Transform Your Life is as laugh out funny as it is profound.
F**k It? You may ask? What the F**k is that? I’ll let John explain:”F*** it” is the perfect Western expression of the Eastern spiritual philosophy of letting go, giving up and finding real freedom by realising that things don’t matter so much (if at all),’ says John.
John said F*** it to his life and job in 2004, leaving London with his wife and one-year-old twins in a camper van to set up the holistic centre The Hill That Breathes in Italy. He’s developed a philosophy that’s about getting what you really want by rejecting what you ‘should’ do and doing what you want to. I love his work and his attitude and when he came to speak at our Big Life Event back in April, I had a major shift in thinking. As a people pleasing perfectionist, John’s philosophy is like the doorway into a beautiful new world of letting go a bit (in fact a lot) and stepping in the flow. His new book is a perfect Christmas gift but ‘the f**k it philosophy is also a great gift to yourself. “Saying F**K it and giving up on things that are you causing you pain; saying F**k it and following your dreams, no matter what other people think: this is the Way of F**k It,” says John
Just back from Greece. Skryos is indeed a magical island. I had the privilege of working intensively for a week, teaching The Big Peace to a group of brave and inspiring people.
I learnt a lot. I don’t usually work so intensively with one group over a short period of time. One thing that became very clear to me was how when we disconnect from what I call the inner coach (others call it intuition/gut instinct/higher self/wisest self), then we’re completely screwed.
When we disconnect from our true inner wisdom and listen to the inner pessimist instead (our inner control freak who says ‘should’/'must’ a lot) – we lose our direction, our love of life and we’re found pacing like a caged tiger with a dead-eyed stare, unable to live life, to run, to leap. We’re separated from life by a wall of glass. Skyros was about shattering that glass and I saw the participants – laughing, dancing (drinking!) and gobbling up life again.
In Skyros, we worked a lot on how to recognise the ‘voice’ of your inner coach. Your inner pessimist speaks in your head, motivated by fear – a rattling, obsessive drone that takes you round and round in circles going nowhere. Your Inner coach speaks through your body, not through your thoughts. It talks to you through your gut instinct, your feelings, your intuition.
The problem I find is that often I will ignore those feelings because logically I can’t quite quite put my finger on the reason why I feel like that. But the inner coach doesn’t work with reason and neat lists of the pros and cons and woe betide if I don’t listen to her (my inner coach is innately female)! I would save so much time if I just worked from my gut instinct.
I’ve been working in the last week on really tuning in to the signals from my inner coach. And these are 10 ways I know my inner coach is talking to me:
- My decision ‘feels’ right.
- I ‘just know’ that this is the right path.
- I am very clear about what it is I want.
- I feel relaxed and happy about your decision.
- I feel like you’re in ‘the flow’. Coincidences start happening. ‘You’ll never believe it …’ is my favourite phrase.
- I feel a flicker of excitement in my stomach.
- I trust my inklings and intuition even though you have no evidence to back them up.
- Even though life doesn’t look like it’s going in the right direction, I know it is.
- I find yourself inspired with ideas more often than before.
- I trust my decisions.
All very different if you listen to my Inner Pessimist – here’s the top ten of what he’s most likely to say:
- You’re not good enough. I’d shelve this idea if I were you.
- You’re a loser. Good try, but it’s best to quit while you’re ahead.
- You’re really stupid! Whatever you do, don’t open your mouth.
- Really they all despise you and laugh at you behind your back. I’d stay in if I were you.
- You’re old, and funny looking. They would never fancy you in a month of Sundays, so don’t make a fool of yourself.
- You’re talentless. Don’t show anyone your work or you’ll just humiliate yourself.
- They’re rich and posh and you’re common and poor. Never the twain shall meet.
- You might have hit a lucky streak but it will all go wrong soon. I wouldn’t celebrate if I were you.
- You’re poor, you’re stupid and you’re ugly – and you’re thinking about doing what?! Oh, don’t make me laugh …
- You are not doing this right. She’s thinner, brainer and a better mother and she knows how to do life. You don’t.
I know who I’d rather listen to.
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