by Charlene Teglia | Aug 7, 2010 | Uncategorized
I used to be very goal-oriented. Very. I even wrote a business plan for my writing (and achieved everything on it, and then some) and I used to do annual and semi-annual goal setting and readjusting. And then I had a sort of epiphany.
I wasn’t sure goals were the point anymore. Or if any goal-setting approach could be flexible enough to accommodate the rapid changes happening in publishing. The last plan I stuck with, I might have been better off ditching a couple of months after I made it instead of investing 9 months of effort in something that would take that long to see results, before I’d even know if it was the right approach.
So now I’m taking a more flexible approach. I’m no longer sure I should plan on anything beyond “write book, sell book”. Life changes too fast and it’s very easy for a plan to become a set of blinders instead of a path. And maybe goals should be left to soccer games.
I’m not the only one thinking this way. Check out Zen Habits for a very insightful piece on the shift away from goals.
by Charlene Teglia | Aug 6, 2010 | Uncategorized
A few examples of how to make a safe space for creativity: maybe for a while you don’t show anybody the thing you’re working on and give it space to grow before seeking outside input. This can be especially helpful if you’re trying something new.
Or if you belong to a writing group, ask yourself how supportive it is. Is it the place where you can share great news and be cheered or bad news and get sympathy and a ‘next time you’ll knock ’em dead’ response? Or do you find yourself withholding good news so you won’t hurt somebody’s feelings? Do you get helpful feedback from the group when you ask for it, or just criticism? Helpful feedback is invaluable. Criticism can be creatively crippling.
Are your friends and family supportive, or is it better for you to be quiet about your creative plans and goals? It’s sometimes better to just say “Sorry, I’m busy Saturday afternoon,” instead of “I’m going to be working on my novel then” and opening the door to the kind of backlash that could render your valued time-slot useless if you let it.
Creativity thrives with support, but if you haven’t got support, you can give it to yourself by just keeping your creative efforts quiet for a little while and protecting the work from outside influences. And eventually you will find support, because I really believe creative action draws it.
by Charlene Teglia | Aug 5, 2010 | Uncategorized
There’s a black stray cat that lives around here. It’s far too wild to come near us, but it likes to hang out in our yard. I used to see it just hiding in the hostas. Then after one storm I saw it come out from under our deck, where it had taken shelter. Another time it took shelter from a thunderstorm in the gazebo under the table.
It drinks out of the birdbath, which I didn’t realize until my husband saw it go to get a drink, find it empty, and slink off. (Yes, I immediately went out and refilled it. As much as it’s rained lately, it’s still so hot that the water evaporates quickly.)
From hiding in the hostas and under the deck, Basement Cat has graduated to laying on the deck when we’re inside, and last night when I locked up for the night, I saw the now-familiar black cat curled up on the front porch.
I don’t know where the cat came from, how long it’s been wild, but it seems to feel like it has a safe place to rest around our house.
Creative people and cats have a lot in common. We all need a place to take shelter and a safe place to rest. A safe space is essential, even Basement Cat knows. It’s not possible to keep creating without support. Do you have a trusted safe place for your creativity? If not, find one! It might be right in your neighborhood.
by Charlene Teglia | Aug 2, 2010 | Uncategorized
It was a busy weekend. There was the usual mundane stuff like yard care, laundry, grocery shopping. There was the realization that kids have grown and shoes have not since the beginning of summer. So we took them to The Big City to get their feets measured, and lo, it was time for the next size up. They now have bigger shoes and no pinchy toes. We have to watch that like a hawk because they never volunteer the “shoes getting tight” information.
The husband and I also needed shoes; mine filled with dirt from the open holes in the sides on my last trip into the garden, which is when I realized that it was perhaps time to stop putting off that “someday I need to replace these” thought. If you’ve ever shopped for clothes or shoes for yourself with kids in tow, you understand why I put these things off, but with kids bribed to cooperate we both managed to get everybody happily shod. I’d link to my new shoes but they seem to be the color combination Fila is embarrassed to admit to. I love them for their eye-blinding cheer. And the shoelaces glow in the dark, so I will always be able to find them.
And then we went to fill in other wardrobe gaps for fall, seeking long sleeved tees and sweaters and jeans for small people that had intact knees, and we discovered the wonders of Gymboree. This store is my new favorite for kids’ clothes. The styles and quality are wonderful and the sale prices are amazing. Even at full price, not too bad. If you’re trying to shop for little girls and asking “where are the nice clothes, the ones that don’t make my five year old look like Hannah Montana”, I highly recommend Gymboree. I wanted to buy the place out. I know I will be hitting their website when I need to fill future wardrobe gaps.
And then on the way home, on the very busy highway that runs from Chicago to Detroit, the car in front of the car in front of us blew out a tire, spun, and came to a stop facing the oncoming traffic in our lane. It was an absolute miracle of Everybody Reacting Correctly at the same time, as every single car avoided the inevitable collision that never came. Nobody hit the blowout car or the cars surrounding it that had to stop to avoid an accident. The people in the car got out and pushed it off to the side quickly, traffic moved over to the next lane and we all continued on our way. Alive. With our faith in our fellow driving man at a new height. It was miraculous. I want to burst into a rendition of Amazing Grace just thinking about it.
How was your weekend?
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