Blog - Melissa Dinwiddie | Create the Impossible™ | Innovation Keynote Speaker & Consultant

August 10, 2011

How to Live Your Dream Life Right Now (Part 1)

Can you really live your dream life right now?

I submit that you can.

That, in fact, quite possibly you already are, in ways you may not be giving yourself credit for.

Watch the video and let me know what you think.

And here are some questions to get you going:

1) What would you be in your dream life? Example: I’d be a professional dancer.

2) What most appeals to you about that? Why would you love that? Example: I love performing, and moving to music.

3) How are you already incorporating (or how could you incorporate) the part you would love about your dream life into your life right now? Example: I take classes at a dance school where we have a yearly recital, so I get to dance twice a week, and I get to experience performing.

It’s true your Right Now Life may not be as big or glamorous or impressive as your Dream Life (though I’ll also point out that it doesn’t carry the pains and challenges, either!), but it’s a good exercise to stop and take stock of where you already have what you’re seeking.

I may not be a world-famous, Grammy-winning jazz singer, but I perform locally for appreciative fans. Over the years, I’ve gone from wishing I could sing jazz and dreaming about being a performing singer, to performing at cafes, restaurants and private parties. (For pay, even!)

In other words, in a small way (which has gotten increasingly larger over the years), I’m living that dream life already.

Now post in the comments: How are you already living your dream life? Inquiring minds want to know!
xo, Melissa <3

August 7, 2011

My Secret to Managing Overwhelm & Getting Creating

I realized a long time ago that the constant feeling of having way too much to do and not enough time to do it is probably never going to go away.

I’ve always felt behind (well, except maybe when I was little kid), and it’s highly likely that I always will feel behind.

But when I look at the reality of my life, there’s been a lot of feelings of urgency, of running up the down escalator. And yet I’ve always managed to get the important stuff done.

In other words, when I stop to look from a place of rationality, the reality is that my feeling of having so much to do and so little time is just that: a feeling.

If I can accept this as benign reality, then every time I have that “Oh-My-God-I-Have-Way-Too-Much-To-Do-And-Not-Enough-Time-To-Do-It!” feeling, I can have a conversation with myself that goes something like this:

Panicky Self: Oh my god, I have way too much to do and not enough time to do it! Ack!

Outside-the-Distress Self: Hmm… I see you’re feeling a bit stressed.

Panicky Self: Um, DUH! Did you not hear that I have way too much to do and not enough time to do it?!

Outside-the-Distress Self: I heard that you are feeling overwhelmed and overstressed.

Panicky Self: Yes! I am!

Outside-the-Distress Self: Well, I certainly understand the feeling. However, I just want to point out that you have had this feeling many, many times before, isn’t that right?

Panicky Self: Yes! All the time! It’s imminent disaster!

Outside-the-Distress Self: Well, let me ask you this. Has the disaster ever actually happened?

Panicky Self: Err.. Um… Well, no.

Outside-the-Distress Self: Exactly. Which leads me to believe that it’s highly unlikely it will happen this time either. N’est-ce pa?

[Author’s Note: the Outside-the-Distress Self seems to have a command of French that I do not. Amazing how that is.]

Panicky Self: Well…

Outside-the-Distress Self: I understand that you feel extremely overwhelmed, overworked and overstressed. I understand that it feels like imminent disaster. But it seems that you pretty much always feel this way – am I right?

Panicky Self: I… Err… YES!

Outside-the-Distress Self: So if you always feel this way, but the “imminent disaster” never actually happens, I wonder if you might be able to entertain the notion that the feeling is just a feeling.

Panicky Self: Just a feeling..?

Outside-the-Distress Self: Yes – so far it hasn’t been attached to any kind of benign reality, right?

Panicky Self: Well, yeah. This is true…

Outside-the-Distress Self: And yet I know the stressed-out, overworked and overwhelmed feeling keeps coming back. I suspect that feeling of imminent disaster will probably always be there, but if you know that it’s just a feeling, maybe you can have a more peaceful coexistence with it. What do you think?

Panicky Self: [Sits down, noticeably more relaxed.] Aaaahhhhh. I feel sooooo much better. Thank you!

In actual fact, my conversation doesn’t last nearly that long. I just remind my Panicky Self that this is just a feeling, that I always have 10 (or 20) things on my “I really want to get this stuff done today” list, when it’s only humanly possible to get 3 done in a day.

And yet, despite being perpetually “behind,” I always manage to get everything done by whatever deadline really counts.

I’ve learned (and am continuing to learn) that an unpleasant feeling is a) not necessarily reality, and b) something I can just notice, and allow to be there while I go on with my life.

The lovely bonus to this is that the more I notice the feeling and allow it to be – without trying to fix it or squash it or change it – the less of a hold it has over me. The more free I feel from it!

The upshot (here’s the rub) is that the more I’m able to be at peace with my feelings of overwhelm, the more space I’m able to create in my life to follow my creative Blisses. Not to mention spend time with the people I love, and take care of my own self-care.

This one little trick allows me to live a much more relaxed existence. And somehow I still manage to get everything done.

I’m curious – does this resonate with you at all? What kind of change would having a conversation like this with your Panicky Self allow in your life? Post your thoughts in the comments below.

xo, Melissa <3

August 3, 2011

The Secret to Creative Success (or How Your Creative Life Is Like My Backyard)

Let’s just say that my backyard is not as well-tended as it could be. But if I decided to get all Sunset and Gardener’s World, it could totally rock.

All it would take is commitment.

But the real key is ongoing commitment, right? A one-time garden clean-up would be great for a short time, but it would leave me with a weedy, overgrown garden again in just a few weeks or months. A really awesome garden requires, err, regular gardening.

That’s how your creative life is like my backyard.

It might be weedy and neglected, or it might be flourishing and thriving. It all depends on how consistently you commit (and re-commit) to tending it.

There’s no magic formula (even if it looks from the outside like other people have one). It’s simply a matter of just committing and re-committing. Over. And. Over. Again.

Watch the video for the 3D version.

(And tell me, am I the only one who didn’t quite get this concept for way too long?)

The challenge, of course, is that life seems to conspire to dissipate our commitments.

Unless you’re superhuman, you need tools and support to keep bringing your focus back to what’s important. To keep you following your Bliss(es).

People who get you and support you.
Books, music, blogs, magazines that inspire you.
Tried and true techniques to get you creating.
Places to go for cheering-on and encouragement.

It helps beyond measure just to have loving attention from other people who believe in you. Who can listen, offer feedback, help you suss out for yourself what is going to be best for you.

It also helps beyond measure to have someone else holding you accountable for your commitments to yourself.

Which is exactly why I’m starting up (drumroll, please)…

The Very First Ever Creative Ignition Circle!

It’s finally here! A private group coaching mastermind facilitated by yours truly. (Can you tell I’m excited?)

Creative Ignition Circles are limited to 4 people only. (At the time of this writing, I’ve got just one space left in the evening group, fyi.) If you’re at all intrigued, click here for the full scoop. The first private phone meeting is August 17.

A Secret Facebook Group has already been created just for Circle members, and I’m getting practically giggly thinking about the goodies I have in store for them. (Shhh!) Members are emailing to let me know that joining the Circle has already created a shift. Laureen wrote:

I joined up, and all of a sudden I feel new energy and like there are new futures waiting.

Yep, that’s what happens when you take your creative self seriously.

Imagine, two months of focused attention to help charge your creative engines and keep you re-committing and moving forward.

What could you accomplish? How might something like this affect the garden that is your creative life?

xo, Melissa <3

PS – If you’d like more info on the upcoming Circles, click here. If you’d like to get on the advance notice list to get first dibs on the next Creative Ignition Circle, click here.

July 30, 2011

Saturday Showcase: Six Inspiring Subscribers

Curious Sheep © Chris Morrison — Curious Sheep, ©Chris Morrison

Every day, emails land in my box announcing the new subscribers to Living A Creative Life. Whenever I have time, if a new subscriber has an email address that looks like it’s attached to an actual website (as opposed to gmail.com or yahoo.com or sbcglobal.net or whatever), I like to click through to their site to see what they’re about.*

This little exercise has shown that my subscribers are amazingly creative and talented people, doing really cool stuff. It occurred to me the other day that all of these creatives should know about each other!

So, to that end, I’m starting a new feature:

Inspiring Subscriber Showcase

As I collect cool and interesting links from new subscribers (or loyal subscribers who’ve been around for awhile, too – hint, hint), I’ll post them here. Not necessarily every week, but when I have a good handful of cool links to share, I’ll put them up.

So, without further ado, let me introduce you (in no particular order) to today’s fabulous finds!

Cecilia Power – Macrame Art Extraordinaire

Think you know macrame? That hippy, trippy hanging plant-holder craft from the 70s? I thought so too, until I saw Cecilia Power’s amazing work over at cilipower.wordpress.com. Cecilia turns knots into modern works of art.

The piece at the left is just one example – click the link above to see more.

Cecilia also writes lovely emails (did I mention I love getting email from subscribers?)

I just wanted you to know I have been reading everything you have been throwing my way… I have been checking out quite a few artists and it has been an inspiring endeavor. All in all between you and them, I’m all afire, (chuckle) and feeling hopeful.

THAT is exactly what I like to hear!

Chris Morrison – Fine Art Landscape Photography

Chris Morrison’s site, www.chrismorrison.com.au, showcases his stunning photography, including award-winning photos and a line of wide-format landscapes (like Vintgar Gorge above) that will take your breath away.

Ruth Churchman – Creating Ruth and the Felty Folk

I met Ruth when she joined my Thriving Artists Project last December. Since then, she’s created a delightful new blog, creatingruth.wordpress.com, in which she shares her beautiful crafts, and documents what goes on with the Felty Folk who live near her in Scotland and have all kinds of adventures. (That’s Dod and Neeva in the pic above, with a mushroom for dinner, and a beech nut for beech nut spread.)

Ruth does a great job of documenting projects she’s worked on, and I must confess a gigantic crush on all of the Felty Folk she’s introduced me to on her blog.

Anita Davies – Decorative Art & Jewelry

Brand new on my subscriber list this week is the talented Anita Davies, who showcases her exquisite artworks made from handmade polymer clay tiles over at raw-elements.co.uk.

Nicole Crist – Moving Life Blog

Another Thriving Artists Project member (or TAPer, as we call ourselves on the site), is the amazing Nicole Crist. Now, if you’ve read much on this blog, you know I’m a self-confessed multi-passionate. What you may not know, though, is that I once spent a year studying aerial arts at a circus school.

Alas, my time as an aerialist was short, but Nicole is the real thing – a professional “aerialista”! You can see her high-flying moves over at www.AltitudeAerials.com.

Nicole’s also a very inspiring writer, focusing on living fit, confident and creative. I highly recommend her newsletter, Moving LiveZine. Find her writing, and subscribe to her newsletter, at Moving Life Blog.

Sally Penley – Calligraphy Whiz

I Am Whole... by Sally Penley

As a letter-lover and calligrapher/calligraphy teacher, I naturally have a soft spot in my heart for fellow calligraphers. Especially when they’re as friendly and talented as Sally Penley!

Sally’s work is top notch and varied, but with a distinct style all her own. Browse (and buy!) over at sallypenley.com. She recently emailed me pics of a glorious little alphabet book she’d created (see below), and offered to send me a list of alphabetized words to scavenge for my not-quite-daily ArtSparks. Love it!

Are my subscribers the best, or what?

That wraps up today’s dispatch. Enjoy, have a great weekend, and go get creating!

xo, Melissa <3

PS – Want to be included here in a future subscriber showcase? All subscribers are welcome to apply. If you’re not already a subscriber, you can sign up using the form at the upper right, then send me a link to your cool, creative stuff.

*Tip: If you’re interested in being taken seriously for your creative thing, an email address with your own domain can really help your image. Plus it makes it easier for folks like me to actually find you (and link to you) online! Just sayin’…

July 27, 2011

Priorities, Choices & the Importance of Imbalance

I’m freshly back from an amazing week at music camp, which feels a lot like being freshly back from a trip to Europe.

In other words, seriously jet-lagged.

Except that there were no jets involved. So perhaps, music-camp-lagged?

Whatever. You may sense a rather low-energy, slur-speeched vibe in the video. Take no notice. That’s just normal post-camp lag. I’ll be back to normal sometime next week.

And despite the sleepy, low-energy vibe, the message is what counts. All about priorities, choices, and how living a life of overall balance sometimes requires periods of extreme imbalance.

Hopefully it will all make more sense when you watch the video.

Or maybe not. Let me know either way.

(Only 355 more days til I get to go back to CCMC. Sigh.)

xo, Melissa <3

The Very First Ever Creative Ignition Circle!

Inspiring Subscriber Showcase

Cecilia Power – Macrame Art Extraordinaire

Chris Morrison – Fine Art Landscape Photography

Ruth Churchman – Creating Ruth and the Felty Folk

Anita Davies – Decorative Art & Jewelry

Nicole Crist – Moving Life Blog

Sally Penley – Calligraphy Whiz

Would You Like Some Cookies?