Creative Zen Transitions

Subscribe by email:

The new year has me thinking of how much working on our creative
projects is like growing a garden.

A garden isn't a one-shot thing, and neither is a creative project.
In order to harvest, you have to work consistently in the garden,
or on your creative project. Sometimes this is exciting; sometimes
it is incredibly boring. Sometimes the weather changes
unexpectedly. There are seasons conducive to growth, and seasons
when preparation is called for. 

You may work carefully for months,and then things don't turn out as
you expect, for the garden, or a creative project. At that point, a
bit of reevaluation may be helpful, to try and determine how you
can avoid problems in the future; then, it's best to get started
again. If you spend too much time watering, even though water is
vital, you can kill everything off.

You may think you aren't caring for your garden enough, but it
surprises you with a wonderful harvest! 

You may be gardening in lush, fertile soil, and things may grow
easily; you may be trying to garden in rocky, barren soil, and
everything is difficult. Sometimes there are things you can do to
improve where you're working; sometimes you just need to start over
somewhere else. Sometimes you look over at someone else's abundant
garden, frustrated that yours isn't growing like that. You learn to
come to terms with it, see what lessons are available to learn, and
focus on applying those lessons in your garden, and nurturing your
own plants. 

Sometimes beautiful flowers produce ordinary fruit, and the most
delicious fruit comes from rather ordinary looking plants. 
What it all comes down to is that every garden, and every harvest,
is uniquely its own. Just as every creative project is. But learning
to consistently cultivate our garden mindfully, and our creative
projects, is what eventually leads to success, in both endeavors.
Over the next few weeks, we're going to examine various aspects of
cultivating our creative gardens. While you will be prepared to
start your creative garden soon, your actual garden may have to
wait for spring!

~~~~~~~~~

Creativity Spark

For your creative garden, are the seeds in the ground, and you're
watering daily, or are you still mulling around, trying to decide
where things should go?

Remember last week's newsletter, where I assured you that January 1
is not a one-shot new beginning for your creative projects, and
that each new day is a new opportunity to begin again? If you're
feeling a little behind where you wanted to be, I'd encourage you
to remember that there are still plenty of opportunities to create
in front of you ... the whole rest of the year. For this week,
spend some time getting clearer about what project you are most
drawn to. Indecision, or multiple choices, frequently leads to us
not choosing to create. For now, just choose what you are drawn to
create right now. You may change your mind later. Consider this a
test run, something to get started on, something to build creative
routines and habits on.

What kind of creative garden are you wanting to grow this year?

~~~~~~~~~

About Caroline ...
Caroline coaches people who want to incorporate creativity into
their daily lives. By working on our creative projects, we are able
to transform our lives, and bring about a sense of peace and joy.
Creativity is also a wonderful way to navigate life's transitions.
For more information on individual and group coaching programs,
live and virtual retreats, and more resources to help you get going
on your creative projects with comfort and sustainability, please
visit our website at www.creativezentransitions.com

For insights on creativity and life in general, please visit the
blog at http://www.creativezentransitions.typepad.com/

Zenspiration!
Caroline's podcast of creativity meditations will get you in the
right frame of mind to begin creating. They change every week, and
provide focused inspiration related to the current newsletter topic
... usually! Click on the link to listen ...
http://www.audioacrobat.com/play/WgVjlqhs