Three Heads Ups and Some Comic (Musical) Relief
First Heads Up: More Reasons to Do Your Art
If you’ve followed me for any time at all, hopefully you’ve already been armed with a whole trunk full of reasons for why getting to your creative thing is essential, not self-indulgent or frivolous.
If you want more reasons, though, [Read more…]
5 Words & a Huge Misconception You Need to Know About the Creative Process
Here’s one from the archives, which felt ripe for a revisit. Originally published on January 3, 2013, the principles here are timeless. Enjoy! -xoMelissa
Ah, 1994. That was the summer I “tried to be a writer.”
I was newly married, with lots of time on my hands, having recently acquired a “useless” academic masters degree, only to decide that the dream of going on for a PhD had lost its luster.
With my planned-out career path in a shambles, I felt utterly adrift. “What do I do now?” I wondered.
Writing seemed an obvious answer.
After all, I’d been writing my whole life — what else did one do as a Liberal Arts major in college and grad school but write? Why not turn it into a career?
Strangely, though, when I actually needed it, my gift for assembling words together seemed to have left me. [Read more…]
Collaboration, Losing the Last Five Pounds, and the Everyone-Else-Is-Better-Than-You Gremlin (with some Argentine tango thrown in for good measure)
Are you a soloist, or a collaborator?
I used to think of myself primarily as the former. After all, I spend most of my working hours alone, usually either writing, immersed in email, creating ketubah proofs, or tackling some technical task on the computer.
I’ve been a solopreneur since 1996, and a former boyfriend once told me “You could never work with other people. You’re too much of a control freak.”
Hmmm… Was he right, I wondered?
Except for the precious, rare occasions when I’m at at a workshop or retreat, I make my artwork all alone, too — just me and my pens, paper, paint, and ink.
Music is one area that I’ve tended to work more with others — as a jazz singer, singing a capella is fine once in awhile, but I really need instrumentalists to do what I do.
Even in my music life, though, I’ve made a concerted effort to be able to fly solo. After all, it’s easier to get gigs when you don’t always have to find other people to play with (and pay!) The ability to back myself on my ukulele and perform solo has made me a lot more flexible, not to mention more confident.
(See me below, confidently pumping my uke against the Robot of Mediocrity at the World Domination Summit on July 5.)
So yeah, I think I identify more as a soloist than a collaborator.
But I’ve always wanted to be a collaborator.
I liked the idea of collaborating with others, even if I feared that maybe that ex-boyfriend was right…
And at the World Domination Summit, while watching the premiere public screening of Indie Kindred, a new film by writer/filmmaker, Jen Lee, I yearned and longed and oh-so-badly wanted to be a collaborator, instead of a soloist….
The talented artists and inspiring collaborations portrayed in the film triggered my usual “4-on-the-Enneagram” sense of envy:
“You should have cool collaborators like those women!” said my Everyone Else Is Better Than You gremlin.
“You never collaborate,” it went on, followed (not surprisingly) by, “Everyone else is better than you are…”
But rather than take that gremlin’s words at face value, I put into practice some of the gremlin-whispering tricks I taught just the other week in Module 2 of Your Big, Bold, Creative Life Academy, in a session I call Gremlin Training Lab.
Arguing with gremlins doesn’t work, you see, but getting curious with them often does.
“Wait a minute,” I said to that gremlin. “Yes, the women in the film have some awesome and amazing collaborations. But is it really true that I never collaborate? Hmmm… In fact, when I think about it, I’ve had some pretty awesome and amazing collaborations myself.”
So I started to list some of them:
- Playing Around Istanbul — the week-long creativity workshop/creative immersion adventure vacation I co-taught last October with my partner Poobah of Play, Kelly Hevel.
- ArtEmpowers.Me — the online course and community to help artists learn to bust the starving artists mindset, co-created with my partner, Cory Huff.
- My first CD, Online Dating Blues, the song arrangements on which were a true collaboration between me and my amazingly talented band members (I can’t remember who came up with which ideas).
- Ahem – Argentine Tango, anyone?!! (And salsa, and ballroom, and… And yes, that’s me in the photo, taken by Rosaura Sandoval at Jazz Camp West.)
And, of course…
- Every single time I play with a band
Which made me think about my recent open mic performance at Jazz Camp West the last week of June, where I performed a true collaboration of my original song, The Last Five Pounds.
Interestingly, just two nights before that open mic performance, the very night before driving into the redwoods to get to camp, I had the opportunity to perform my song on local television, solo.
And since there was no audience (except for three cameramen, the director, the producer, my boyfriend, and a few other performers waiting to go in front of the camera themselves, it was even more solo than usual.
Check it out:
The next morning MB helped me load up the car for camp, and into the redwoods I drove. And less than eight hours later I was deep in collaborative flow, while waiting in line to audition for the vocal intensive.
With about 80-100 singers in attendance, most of whom do choose to audition, that’s a lot of singers to go through, and it takes hours. Even with each of us only singing sixteen bars.
(But it’s worth the wait, and the nerves.
Why?
Because the vocal intensive is an opportunity to study in a small group with a special guest instructor for three and a half hours every day. This year, the vocal intensive instructor was Patti Cathcart, of the guitar/voice duo, Tuck and Patti.
That was an opportunity I didn’t want to pass up.
The auditions are always nerve-wracking, and with only ten spots in the vocal intensive, and at least three times that many really good singers in camp, it’s always a crap shoot whether you get in or not. I haven’t always bothered to audition, either — sometimes there are other classes during those three morning periods that I don’t want to miss (and let me tell you, that makes the first day at camp a lot less stressful!)
But this year, despite some pretty fantastic-sounding offerings in those morning sessions, the chance to study with Patti for a week sounded beyond fantastic, so I decided to throw my hat in the ring.)
I was just about the last person in the audition line, and in for a long wait when I finally staked my place. But hey, we’re all at Jazz Camp! Everyone is happy to be there, despite our audition nerves, and we’re feeling chatty. Soon I was deep in conversation with a woman named Cynthia.
We talked about our mutual love of harmonizing, one thing led to another, and pretty soon I was playing her The Last Five Pounds on my trusty ukulele, and she was oohing and aahing in harmony.
*Click!*
That was it. I’d debated about whether to put a band together for my performance, but finding rehearsal time at camp is a lot like finding a needle in a haystack, and going solo meant a lot less stress.
Now, though, it was clear that my song just had to be done with background vocals!
And Cynthia and I decided together that two backup singers would work so much better than just one. So I asked my friend Angie Doctor (of The Bobs), a pro if ever I knew one, if she’d like to join us. She jumped in without hesitation.
The two of them worked out all their harmonies together, a trio of mouth-trumpet solos happened by accident — and stuck — and small details (like the hands in prayer during the out-of-time section) emerged organically as we played and rehearsed.
Twenty-four hours later, with maybe a half hour of total rehearsal time with all three of us in attendance, we stepped on stage. The video below is the result (gratitude to Andy Mogg, the camp videographer!):
Of course videos never fully communicate the experience of being there live, but I’m curious which of the two videos above you find more compelling.
I know which experience was richer for me (take a guess), but then again, having an enthusiastic audience colors everything.
I’ve also learned that what I feel onstage doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with the audience’s experience. (This is a good thing for any performer to know — just because you think you sucked doesn’t mean anyone else did. Of course, just because you think you hit it out of the park doesn’t mean anyone else did, either… ;))
Epilogue:
Am I giving up solo work? Hell no. But I am embracing and reveling in the collaborations so far in my life, excited about the ones brewing behind the scenes, and looking forward to seeking out more collaborative opportunities.
And if I inspire you to do the same, so much the better.
PS – Pssst! Know someone who might benefit from seeing this today? Pass it on!
News from the Creative Cave!
Well, hello there (she says, blinking at the bright sunlight).
You’ll have to forgive the blinking and squinting — I’ve been deep in the creative cave for the past couple of weeks.
I love when this happens — I never feel so alive as when I’m in Manic-Obsessive-Create-Mode!
I also a little bit hate when this happens — I never feel so wrung out as when I’ve been in Manic-Obsessive-Create-Mode for awhile…
This is where it’s especially important to pace oneself, get adequate exercise, get outdoors, allow one’s sweetie and friends to pull one away from the computer (hell, conscript one’s sweetie and friends to pull one away from the computer!)
Most of the time I coach and counsel people how to get creating. Sometimes I have to coach and counsel people (read: myself) how to stop creating, and allow time for rest!
This is one of those times…
So what have I been up to?
First, I’ve been getting Creative Sandbox 101 relaunched and out into the world (yay!).
If you’ve ever designed a course, you know it’s a lot of work. And if you’ve ever built a virtual classroom on a website, with membership site software and autoresponders and such, you know that’s a lot of work.
There are a lot of moving parts to these things!
So yay and hallelujah for completion! (And if you haven’t signed up yet, click here — it’s free!)
Second, I’ve been working on my new signature program for women, Your Big, Bold, Creative Life Academy.
This program is basically the live version of my book, Your Big, Bold, Creative Life: A User’s Manual, and it has even more moving parts than Creative Sandbox 101 (not surprising, since Creative Sandbox 101 is a 7-day e-course, and YBBCL Academy is a 6-month live program!)
And I have a big announcement: the Your Big, Bold, Creative Life website is up!
Check it out here.
I’m especially delighted with the video I made, which you can see at the top of the page. It was great fun to make (including the jingle at the end!), and it’s a living example of imperfectionism at its best.
MB pointed out that the white font is hard to read on the light colored background, which I knew already, but you know what? It was DONE. I was done. It’s a 2 1/2 minute video, and it was time to say “ship” and turn my focus to something else.
So I did.
Here’s the video in all its imperfect glory — enjoy!
And if you want to read more about the Academy program, and/or sign up to get my Book Reports in your inbox, just click.
Meanwhile, remember what I always say, “The most important practice is the practice of getting back on the wagon”? It’s time for me to get back on the daily exercise wagon, so I’m letting MB pull me away from the computer and so we can go on a much-needed walk.
Yay for sweeties who can be conscripted to help drag you out of the creative cave when necessary!
Happy Easter!
PS — Pssst! Know someone who might benefit from seeing this today? Pass it on!
A Peek Inside My Kimono: Announcing the Book Report!
So I’m writing a book. It’s called Your Big, Bold, Creative Life: A User’s Manual, I’m 23,784 words into the rough draft (over a third done!) and if you want, I’ll share the entire process with you.
Yep, I’ll give you an insider’s view into everything: writing, publishing, and promoting.
I’ll share everything I learn about building a sustainable writing practice (writing a book takes endurance, baby!). I’ll reveal the contents of my private journal as I brainstorm not just the book itself, but also how to publish, how to crowdfund the editing and production, and how to promote. I’ll show you the steps I go through in the design process for the cover and interior of the book (including finding and hiring a designer, deciding whether to do any design myself, etc.).
I’ll share a little bit here on the blog periodically, but it feels pretty intimate to share all this stuff with The Public…
So I’ve created a special newsletter, the Book Report, just for my peeps who are really interested in this stuff, and who want first dibs on the book when it’s done (including exclusive pre-sale bonuses!)
If you want the full reveal, including a chance to get a free review copy of the manuscript, click here to subscribe to the Book Report, and I’ll send you my latest video diaries all about the book.
The first Book Report video is above — check it out! (At 10 minutes it’s a bit on the long side; I know we’re all busy, so I’ll aim to make future video diaries under 5 minutes.)
Wheeee! This is kinda scary, but also really fun! Here we go!
PS – I talk in the video above about how bringing my computer to bed made me a zillion times more productive, but Laura pointed out in the comments to my last post that bringing your computer to bed is frowned upon in some circles, and for good reason. If I were to somehow bring my iMac (ie, my Work Computer) into my bedroom, it would be a disaster. I’d have no separation between work and my Creative Cocoon, and would probably leap right down the internet and email rathole. The only reason bringing my computer to bed works for me is that in my head, this particular computer is not My Computer, it’s simply a tool that allows me to write more efficiently. So take care if you try this technique yourself!
PPS — Pssst! Know someone who might benefit from seeing this today? Pass it on!
The Start of a Creative Sandbox Movement? (Plus Video!)
On Tuesday after Thanksgiving, the doors opened to Creative Sandbox 101, the five-day mini-course I designed based on my Rules for the Creative Sandbox.
Over the course of the next several days, I watched as hundreds of people registered for the course, and lives began to change.
Seriously, the comments people have left inside the Creative Sandbox 101 “classroom” have not just floored me, they’ve brought tears to my eyes!
Here’s what Erin wrote after completing all five days:
I honestly didn’t know what to expect when I signed up for Melissa’s Kick-Start course but the idea of a “Creative Sandbox” just grabbed me. From the first day I just started having a ton of fun and immediately realized that I had a lovely playful self inside of me that I really only engage when I’m “doing something” in which being playful “makes sense” as part of another goal.
The BIGGEST surprise, though, was how this process helped me reconnect with Playful Erin. I cried on the last day when I realized how long I have kept her stuffed away. The joyful part is that I’m now letting her out and I am NOT going to shove her back in the box ever again.
Thank you Melissa!
~Erin Callaway
And this is from Mercedes:
Everybody has the wounded child living within them, this class helps to heal those wounds and coax that child to come out and play: playing by creating is good for the soul.
~Mercedes
Kate Wolfe-Jenson wrote:
I read Melissa’s 10 Rules on her blog and heard about them in an interview. I thought they were great ideas and even shared the links with friends, but this course invited me to EXPERIENCE them. I have a new excitement about and commitment to my creative life. Thanks, Melissa!
And Laurie Richardson said this:
Creative Sandbox 101 really opened me up to realizing that creativity is NOT about being perfect or even the end result-it is about the BEING and DOING of expression, playfulness, fun and experimentation!
Another participant, who’s taken other Kickstart Your Change courses, called Creative Sandbox 101 “the most rewarding by a long shot!”
The comments inside the classroom have been amazing. Here are just a few more:
“I didn’t want this to end!”
“You helped me get going and I’m not going to stop!”
“I really believed that I belonged and that I could allow myself to enjoy creating.”
“Really awesome, Melissa!”
“I feel like I’ve made it over a hurdle that seemed impossible before.”
“I got lost in the fun of it.”
“I’m just blown away by what happened in that short time.”
They go on. And on.
This. THIS. This is exactly what I was hoping for. This is exactly in alignment with my mission to empower people to go after their creative callings.
Even when they don’t think they can.
Even when they don’t think they’re good enough (read: “I’m not creative; I’m not talented.”)
Even when they think it’s frivolous and stupid.
Even when they are convinced they don’t have time.
Even when gremlin voices in their head come up with seven thousand and one other reasons why they shouldn’t or can’t or don’t deserve to.
Big change often comes about tiny baby steps at a time.
If even one person got benefit from Creative Sandbox 101, that would have been worth it to me.
But it has been more than one. It’s been enough to qualify as a small movement. Tiny, but hopefully growing.
Not everyone who went through Creative Sandbox 101 will keep up with their daily creating. Many I’ll probably never hear from again.
But some will carry forth the insights they’ve gleaned, and the world will change. Their individual lives will change in small or large ways, and that change will ripple out to affect everyone they come in contact with.
This is how movements start.
Like any other important thing, a movement doesn’t happen overnight. It grows little by little, baby step by baby step.
A gift
If you missed registering for Creative Sandbox 101, I may bring a revised version of it out again down the road — click here to get on the waiting list.
In the meantime, I thought I’d share a small piece of the course here. This is a video I made very spontaneously on the third day after Creative Sandbox 101 opened for registration. I noticed a lot of very nasty Comparison Trap gremlins floating about, and wanted to deal with them right quick.
I wasn’t actually intending to post this outside of the course — I was sticky with sweat, my hair was dirty, and this video was really off-the-cuff. It felt kinda vulnerable to post it inside the “classroom,” and even more so outside of it, where anyone might see it.
But I got a lot of positive response to this video. It made a difference for a number of people, and keeping it locked up just because I felt a little vulnerable just seemed silly, if it might make a difference for someone else.
So here it is. No polish, no editing, just my best thinking on the spur of the moment. (And of course, keep in mind that it is explicitly aimed at those inside Creative Sandbox 101, so there are references that may not make sense to you.)
Enjoy. And then go get creating!
PS — Here’s the Martha Graham quote I referenced in the video (emphases mine):
There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open. … No artist is pleased. [There is] no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others.
~ Martha Graham
PPS — Pssst! Know someone who might benefit from seeing this today? Pass it on!
Hey!
Whether or not you got a chance to check out Creative Sandbox 101, you might want to check out my Creative Ignition Kit, a 30-day course to build the consistent, sustainable creative practice you long for. Read all about it here.
Happy My Birthday to You!
Hey! It’s my birthday!
To celebrate completing 46 turns around the sun — and the fact that I recently finished a new song I’ve been working on — I made a little video for you with my ukulele.
Happy My Birthday!
The story behind the song: I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how much energy in my life has been thrown down the tubes, totally wasted on obsessing over my appearance. I was engaged in a vicious war with my body for way too long, and I often wonder what I might have accomplished if I had instead channeled that energy into creative production.
Sigh… All that time and energy lost…
Ah, well. Correct forward, as they say! And use humor as a tool to hopefully help other women to get off the obsession treadmill and correct forward as well.
If this song speaks to you, please forward it to a friend and/or share on social media. I have a vision of all women turning our energies away from warring with our bodies and towards creating something of value. Truly, we’d be unstoppable.
Meanwhile… more birthday news…
In my last insiders newsletter (not a subscriber? sign up using the form at the upper right), I mentioned that I was feeling kinda bummed out that I have not come close to reaching my 46×46 birthday campaign goal, to raise $2,116 for charity: water.
I’d already lowered my goal from $10,000 when I realized that there was no way I could keep my commitment to end my workaholism if I tried to run a $10,000 fundraising campaign on top of all the other Very Big Projects I had on my plate.
I thought I could hit $2,116, but apparently I needed a lesson from the poet William Stafford, who, when asked how he managed to be so prolific, writing a poem every single day, is reported to have said:
Every day I get up and look out the window, and something occurs to me, something always occurs to me. And if it doesn’t, I just lower my standards.
Apparently I needed to lower my own standards even more. Thanks and a big, warm shout-out to Laureen for reminding me that I could do this again, right now, lowering my standards for my charity: water birthday campaign “to something where you can say immediately, ‘Done it!'”
“Any money you’ve raised,” she reminded me, “is more than having done nothing.”
Indeed!
So here we go, then: Done it!
(Though please don’t let that stop you from contributing! There are a few more hours left before my campaign shuts down, and everyone who donates $5 or more gets a gift coupon worth $20 to use in my store anytime over the coming year. Plus there are a lot of other awesome premiums, too.)
Lowering standards while still pursuing excellence…
I don’t know about you, but I grew up always trying to be The Best. Always trying to be perfect. Now I’m proud to call myself an Imperfectionist (also known as a recovering perfectionist!)
It’s quite an interesting contradiction: I’m still continually pursuing excellence, but at the same time, I’m learning to lower my standards and allow myself to be imperfect, so that I can put myself out there, try things, make mistakes, learn, improve, and put more of my imperfect self out there again.
I’m also discovering that the more I reveal my imperfection rather than shamefully hiding it, the easier it becomes to share whatever I have to offer. (Watch past the credits on the video above for some silly examples of that…)
And, as you may have gathered from the ironic message of my song above, I’m learning to accept and truly love my body in all its glorious, aging imperfection as well.
I wish the same for you.
Happy My Birthday!
What might change in your life if you could stop obsessing and truly accept yourself the way you are?
PS – I’ve got a guest post over at Puttytribe today! The Stovetop Model of Life Design for Multipotentialites. I think you might dig it. Click here to check it out.
PPS – Pssst! Know someone who might benefit from seeing this today? Pass it on!
Are Your Ready to Play Big? An Interview with Tara Mohr
Note: Scroll down to read about how you can get a 4-pack of one-on-one coachsulting with me for FREE!
As I wrote in my last post, one of my most impactful experiences this year was Tara Mohr’s Playing Big program (aff*). I had the opportunity to interview Tara recently — click on the video above to be a fly on the wall in our recent conversation. Some highlights include:
- What led Tara to create the Playing Big program (hint: you might recognize yourself here)
- My three biggest takeaways from Playing Big and Tara’s thoughts on each (hint: Inner Critic (Gremlin); praise as poison; the importance of sharing our stories)
- How Tara is playing big in her own life these days (hint: part of it involves my very first creative passion!)
I absolutely loved Playing Big, highly recommend it for any woman who wants to play bigger in her life (read my review of the program here) and am delighted to have the opportunity as an alum to participate again this session! Perhaps I’ll see you there.
* BONUS! I’m proud to be an affiliate for Playing Big, and all the links on my site are affiliate links. This means if you click through and buy, I’ll earn a commission.
Because I want to see you get the most out of Playing Big, if you do decide to take the program, and you purchase your spot through my affiliate link, I’ll give you a package of 4 one-hour coachsulting sessions, to work with me one-on-one (normally $580). We can schedule our sessions together in any way that works for you during the 6 months of Playing Big (my schedule permitting too, of course! ;)).
If you’re interested in the course and don’t want to send a commission my way, just don’t use one of my links. I’ll never know the difference. 😉
PS — Pssst! Know someone who might benefit from seeing this today? Pass it on!
The Power of the Pause (Plus Ukulele!)
Pause. Rest. Sabbatical. Vacation.
Although our gogogo runrunrun produceproduceproduce society seems to think otherwise, the pause is critical to our well-being, our productivity, our happiness.
The writers of the Hebrew scriptures envisioned their God taking a break on the seventh day, after a huge creative push. Regardless of your opinion of that vision of Creation and Creator, you’ve got to admit the notion is a wise one.
We all need rest time.
Our bodies are wired to use more or less one third of our time on the planet engaged in rest and recharge (ie, sleep). Many of us resist this, and try to get away with less, but it rarely leads to greater health and happiness in the long run.
Music is a combination of notes and rest — it’s the spaces between the notes that give it shape, just as much as the notes themselves.
Calligraphers, typographers, graphic designers all understand the importance of white space to a pleasing design. Even the eye needs a chance to rest.
My ex-boyfriend used to quote an author (whose name escapes me) who referred to having “wide margins to his day.” That thought always sounds so lovely to me, who is usually runningrunningrunning, doingdoingdoing.
Launching my online course, Time to Glow, into the world involved even more nonstop doing than usual (building a membership site [read: technological gremlins galore], writing emails, writing blog posts, writing sales pages, creating course outlines, creating graphics, creating the curriculum).
No wonder I’ve needed a break!
Instead of my usual catch-up weekend (in which I attempt to catch up on all the work I didn’t get done during the week), I actually took time totally away from work! Not the entire weekend — I was back on my computer on Sunday — but Saturday I spent several hours in the City, with a friend, at a dinner gathering. And Sunday evening MB treated us to a hot tub, massages and dinner.
Oh, so appreciated, and oh, so needed.
In fact, my need for a sabbath has still not been adequately filled. I’m rolling back into my regular work pattern slowly and reluctantly.
Big projects (like product launches; or producing a concert, art show or CD; or writing a book; or building a website) take a lot out of a girl (or boy)!
Wise farmers let a field lie fallow every few years (seven, is it?) Human beings need time to charge up our metaphorical batteries, too.
Our world has sped up since our ancestors shared the planet with those early writers of scripture, but our bodies and spirits haven’t changed all that much.
When is the last time you gave yourself the gift of a pause?
PS — Pssst! Know someone who might benefit from seeing this today? Pass it on!
The #1 Thing That Gets In Your Way
The above video says pretty much the same thing as the post below, but with talking. (6 minutes)
What’s the #1 thing that gets in your way?
It keeps you from living the fully creative life of your dreams.
It gets between you and the happiness you desire, between you and joy, between you and contentment.
It stops you from doing what you love.
It keeps you stuck, convinces you you’re not good enough, prevents you from dreaming big, setting big goals and going after them — holds you back from playing big in your life and in the world.
It’s not time. Or money. Or your job. Or your boss. Or your family and friends (or enemies for that matter).
The #1 thing that gets in your way is something you actually have control over (though it often feels like you don’t).
Have you guessed it? [Read more…]
Tara Gentile: Visionary, World-Changer, Creative Business Maven
Hooboy, what a fun treat I have for you today! I scored an interview with creative business maven, Tara Gentile.
Tara is a leader in creating what she calls “the You Economy,” redefining commerce as the creation and distribution of meaning, relationship and experience.
How’s that for awesome?
I highly recommend Tara’s ebook, The Art of Earning, which deals very elegantly with so many issues that we creatives (and others) struggle with when it comes to money and our relationship with it. I dare you to read it without being somehow transformed. (And with a “$25 or what you can afford” price tag, you really have no excuse not to.)
As a participant in another Tara’s online course — Tara Mohr’s outstanding Playing Big journey — I’m hyper-aware of other women out there playing big, and Tara Gentile rocks this out. Not so long ago she was earning $28K/year working 50-60 hours/week at Borders Books. Now she’s a role model for any creative who wants to do well for her(or him)self.
Tara is a model of doing well by doing good, a visionary who helps other visionaries and creatives bring our gifts to the world (and get paid well for it).
Now Tara’s turned The Art of Earning into a live event, taking place next Thursday, February 23. Twenty lucky participants get to join her in Philadelphia, but guess what, the rest of us can participate too (and clothing’s optional for us!)
Wazzat?
Yep, smartypants Tara has created a virtual ticket for The Art of Earning Live. I’m one of Tara’s affiliate partners, which snagged me a ticket, and I’m pretty excited. Check it out, and if it speaks to you, maybe I’ll see you there. (NOTE: All of the above links are affiliate links, and if you click through and buy, I’ll earn a commission — 20% on the live event and 50% on the ebook, in case you’re wondering).
Regardless ow whether you come to The Art of Earning Live or not, watch the video (which is, of course, totally free). We talk about some pretty juicy stuff at the intersection of art, creativity, making a difference, and MONEY. It might just get you thinking.
Then tell me, what is the biggest money mindset issue that’s holding you back?
PS — Pssst! Know someone who might benefit from seeing this today? Pass it on!