Hello and a warm
welcome this months new subscribers to Jump!
I’ve finally started out on this idea I’ve been thinking about for about 3 years, on and off. Different ideas I have in mind for one book, that I don’t even know where to start. I’ve come to the conclusion that it may be several different books! However this month, I actually started writing a book, bizarrely, not one of the ones I’ve been thinking about as mentioned, but an entirely different one altogether, that in fact I hadn’t thought about before, if you get my gist!
Funny how all these years I’ve been sitting on these ideas for this one particular book, and doing nothing about it, yet an idea came up to produce something else and I end up starting writing a book (albeit on something else) just like that! So how did I get started? How did I motivate myself? More importantly how can you get started on your idea? Well read on in this month’s feature article to find out!
Until next month,
be loving, be peace, be true, be you,
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Recommendations and offers
The London Design Festival
Get your work exhibited at the London Design Festival…failing that, go along and enjoy and be inspired by the great works of UK’s design creativity, showcasing London’s huge pool of creative talent, with a breadth and depth unparalleled with other international cities – rock on London Design!!
Check it out on http://www.londondesignfestival.com
The Beach at Kew Garden
Go hang out at the beach in Kew gardens – yes you read that right – a beach, part of the Mediterranean Festival held there to get a taste of the climate, flora, cuisine…and the sandy beach!
Check it out http://www.kew.org/medsummer/visit/beach.htm for more info!
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Featured Article
Still stalling in the driving seat of your idea?
Ever get frustrated at yourself for not for not getting started around this idea of yours that you’ve been thinking about for months, even years? Maybe you just can’t find the motivation for it? And you end up feeling restless, irritated, uninspired, frustrated and lack a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment? You may have your key in the ignition, your foot on the pedal, your map to hand but your car without any petrol won't take you anywhere, let alone where you want to go. It needs its juice to get moving, just as you need yours to get your motor running on that idea of yours.
I can tell you there are certainly plenty of times when I feel just that - in the driving seat stalling and going nowhere. An idea of seven stored up either in my head, or if I managed to get them out on paper, in a box file somewhere or a notebook and no further. Sometimes I wonder if it’s lack of self-discipline or is it motivation that stops me getting started. It’s not usually time, though we may say it is, that stops us. We always have time for the other stuff in our lives it’s just a matter of what we choose to allocate this time to.
I’m pretty sure it’s not self-discipline given we have achieved other things through self-discipline. Seems crazy, given that when we really want to start this thing, this idea, this passion, one might think that the desire alone would be enough to get going. So what’s stopping you?
On the other hand, just as when you are have the car full of petrol, just as when you feel full of energy to get up and start, you are able to get up and go, no more stopping and starting at red lights! That energy is motivation. Think about how you feel when you are inspired…your heart flutters, beating faster, your brain starts thinking in different ways, expanding, seeing possibilities, your speech may quicken…you feel excited! Why? Because you are inspired into action. How do you get inspired into action? When you can see ways to get started.
When I work with my clients to get started amongst all the different tools and techniques, this one tool is the one that produces unexpected results and is the most fun – getting creative! Because in getting creative we unlock the doors and get started with these 2 keys - the key of inspiration (like the main door key of your car) and the key of motivation (the key to the back boot - a bit like the kick up the backside we sometimes need to get moving!)
They work together to get you started. So let’s not waste any more time procrastinating, here’s some tips on how you can unlock the floodgates to creativity, and get started on your idea – whether that might be writing a book, organizing a big exhibition event, opening up a new restaurant, travel to Tibet, make a movie, start your own business, paint that canvas, perform that song, learn the saxophone, ride a camel, run the marathon, enter that photography competition, insert your passion here – you get the picture!
Action Tips
To Get Creative In Getting Started
1. Adjusting your seat, positioning your mirrors and buckling up!
When you first get in your car, you need to adjust your seat, position your mirrors and buckle up. As with getting going with your idea, you have to do your preparation and put yourself in the best position to in the driving seat to be able to drive. If the seat is too far away or too high, you'll know it - it feels uncomfortable, you may not be able to reach the pedals or steering wheel. If the mirrors are positioned wrongly, you can't see.
The same goes for your beliefs around your idea, your strong passion and desire for it, and your ability to do it. You have to believe in the idea you’re bringing to life when you’re getting started, it has to be of some value to you, it has to have meaning for you. If it’s not really in your heart, if it doesn’t stir your soul, you’re going to have a hard time convincing your body to get into action about it and get started.
So as in the car, you adjust your mirrors to see better - adjust your beliefs to ones that serve you better to help you make this happen. Drop the self-sabotaging ones - they don't suit your driving style and don't serve you. Do what it takes for you to strengthen your beliefs around your idea – this may be about fighting fear, thinking courageously, talking to others – your friends, like-minded souls who have trodden the same path, mentor, coach who support your thing, your idea, your passion and spur you on with encouragement and who believe in you. Believe it!
2. Ignition and warming up the engine
Next you need to put the key in the ignition to start the car and warm up the engine. This is an important part of the process, without which you will continue to stall! Think about your main objective in doing your idea, the reason why you want to do it. Sometimes we can loose sight of our objectives, and with that our excitement fades into the background, and we reamin where we are - stalled and going nowhere.
On remembering and reconnecting to your objective, use the energy created by focusing your thoughts of excitement on what doing this idea means to you, use the excitement to propel you forward to take a few physical actions to get started. What is it about this idea that excites you? What would you get out of it? How would it change your life, your feelings? What’s the prime objective of your idea?
You may need to really take some time going down the excitement track, in fact get OVER-excited thinking about it so that it gets the adrenalin going, the momentum started, and use that energy of excitement as a starting point to rev up your engine!
3.
Brake!
Sometimes when we stop the everyday run of the mill day to day stuff and take a break (or brake!), we get those flashes of inspiration, out of the blue. For example, whenever I go to a music gig or watch a movie (pretty much any!) I am always inspired with so many thoughts and ideas and my creative juices really start to flow. So when I am feeling blocked I go listen to some music (really listen, get involved, immerse myself) or watch a movie and I figure it’s the relaxation and immersing myself in things I enjoy that somehow triggers the subconscious to open up like a flower in the sunshine!
Find and do what relaxes you, what takes you away mentally and instead of seeking inspiration,take a break and let the ideas come to you. Check out my recommendations section above for relaxation at the beach in Kew Gardens!
4. Join in with the traffic
Surround yourself with like-minded souls, join relevant clubs and communities – be inspired by others who have succeeded in what you want to achieve! This keeps you plugged into this inspiration – if you’re a film buff – go watch movies with other film buffs and generate the excitement by your discussion afterwards, feed that fire of inspiration.
If you’re a writer, go read the authors who inspire you and remind you why you want to write. Use whatever resources you have around you, use the internet, books and search for anything on whatever it is you need to be inspired about, and if there aren’t none – get creative, make some, seek them out, you are not helpless, and you are intelligent enough to spend a few minutes brainstorming – write a list of places, people, things that will inspire you further. Drive down that path along with others, it makes it much more interesting, more fun as you have the support and the sharing with other drivers!
5. Change gear
Stimulate your mind with word and image and get yourself going along more smoothly, easily. Play the word exploration by association game. Get a large piece of paper (A1 size, like the flip chat kind, or a few sheets from your local baker that he wraps the bread in). In the middle, write down in 1 or 2 words the object of your desired motivation (i.e the thing you want to be inspired about). Then let your thoughts free flow out onto the paper by thinking any word that comes up that you think of (no matter how silly) associated with that centre one. This can often trigger other thoughts and ideas. Explore in words and images – check out the thesaurus and dictionary, go to alta-vista online, click on images and search for images of the thing you need inspiration on.
Watch foreign movie, read beautiful books, explore different cultures, foods. Go to a fabric store and check out textures. Museums, galleries, student shows, dance theatres. Listen to music you would not normally listen to. Check out my recommendations section above for inspiration!
The key thing here is to stimulate your mind. Stimuli is vital for creativity, it will help develop your idea as you switch over to the fast lane!
6.
Accelerate and SCAMPER!
This is when you put your foot on the accelerator to really get you and your idea moving and movinmg fast in the direction you want to go. This brainstorming technique called SCAMPER was developed by Bob Eberle, and is useful when you want to explore possibilities around your idea, which is a great way to get started on your idea. It's good for turning a tired idea into something new and different, that gives you the energy and motivation and inspires you to get started.
Write your idea at the top of the page and then SCAMPER. Each letter of SCAMPER represents a word that you can apply to your idea. See how many new possibilities you can come up with by using this method and write them down.
SUBSTITUTE
• What else instead?
• Who else instead?
• Other material?
• Other place?
COMBINE
• How about a blend?
• Combine purposes?
• Combine appeals?
ADAPT
• What else is like this
• What other idea does this suggest?
• What could I copy?
MINIFY/MAGNIFY
• Order, form, shape?
• What to add? More time? Greater frequency? Higher? Longer? Thicker?
PUT TO OTHER USES
• New ways to use as is?
• Other uses I modified?
• Other places to use?
• Other people to reach?
ELIMINATE
• What to subtract? Streamline?
• Make it smaller? Lower? Shorter? Lighter?
• Leave something out? Understate?
REVERSE/REARRANGE
• Other pattern? Layout? Sequence?
• Change pace?
• Swap positive and negative?
• How about opposites? Reverse roles?
• Turn it backward? Turn it upside-down?
If one doesn’t work out, try another, and another, the thing to getting an idea moving into reality is JUST START! Get more creative and consciously engage in new explorations - throw away the map (besides you know that way and it didn't take yiou to the land of rainbows and pots of gold), go off the beaten track, think outside the box.
If we do not explore, we do not get to go anywhere new, and if we do not go anywhere new, we can't be creative. And if we can’t be creative, we feel restless, yet lack motivation and inspiration, and we can’t get started.
What are you waiting for? Until you finish school? Get married? Have kids? Your kids leave? You retire? You die? If you wait long enough you will have only one regret…that you did not start now. What’s the message here to get started? You're in the driving seat so go, engage, explore, enjoy and GET CREATIVE! START NOW - DRIVE!
Oh and one more thing, it's not just about the destination - enjoy the journey - trust me, you'll have the ride of your life ;-)
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Note this quote
“An idea not coupled with action will never get any bigger than the brain cell it occupied.” Arnold Glascow
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Sharing Soul Sentiments
A story to share, the text in bold is my highlight…that made me smile ;-)
A Gospel of Smiles
There once was a monk who travelled from village to village, smiling. His name was Ananda, which translated means "joy" or "bliss". He had no home, no money and no possessions to speak of. He wore a saffron robe, some beads, and a wonderful smile which he gave away to everyone he met. So warm, so loving and so infectious was his smile, everyone would smile in his presence.
One day the monk met a boy, also called Ananda. The boy walked beside the monk along a winding path. He asked the monk, "Are you a holy man?" The monk smiled, "I am as holy as you are". The boy smiled. "Why do you not own anything?" he asked. "My smile is my own," the monk replied. "But what about money, a home, a horse?" asked the boy. "The world cannot give me my smile - my smile is between me and God," said the monk.
The boy and the monk walked along in silence. Eventually the boy asked, "Who are you, monk?" "I am the smile that went around the world," explained the monk, "and my gospel is a gospel of smiles."
"Tell me more of your gospel," said the boy.
"Happiness is heaven. And heaven is in your heart. You are born in heaven and you are born to be happy. Happiness is your gift to the world. When you are happy you glow. You live. You give. You are generous and kind. You find love. You give loving. You are love.
Above all, when you are happy you give all the things that appear to be missing whenever you are distressed," said the Monk.
The Monk went on, "Happiness suits us all. It brings out the best in us. Happiness is creative. You can create a whole new world out of joy. Happiness is attractive. You draw to you wonders of the world when you smile and mean it. Happiness is miraculous. It inspires love. It brings everything it touches to a full bloom."
"Do you always smile?" asked the boy. "Yes, even when I am asleep," laughed the monk. "How do you manage to smile always?" asked the boy. "Smiling is easy because I believe in happiness and I also believe in you," replied the monk. Now the monk and the boy were both smiling. ;-)
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About Sam Leongtave
Sam Leongtave is a Creative Personal Life and Business Coach, as well as a fully qualified experienced Graphic Designer. She coaches freelance creatives, creative professionals and entrepreneurs, and pretty much anyone else who wants to to be empowered to do what they love, follow their passions and live a life that more fully expresses their choices, who they truly are, personally and professionally. She is the author and publisher of Jump!, and founder of Noodlecrayon Coaching™ |
