In Your Success Zone Blog

Thank You!

The Wise tell us that GRATITUDE is the emotion that most opens us up to our best self and to connection with all of Life. 

This is the season we give thanks for the bounty we enjoy. 

In the face of financial turmoil and political transition, I take a moment to thank you for who you are, what you are doing, and who you are becoming. 

May your holiday be happy, safe, and filled with thanksgiving for the blessings you enjoy!

Can Social Media Enhance Your Creativity?

You have no doubt heard by now about Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter - three of the most popular Social Media platforms. You may be wondering what all the fuss is about and why you would want to add one more thing to your daily TO DO list. Wouldn't it be a distraction?

Here are three reasons to get involved with Social Media:

1. It's fun, and fun enhances creativity.  
2. It reduces the isolation of working alone and puts you in touch with people from all over the world with all sorts of interests, giving you more fodder for your creative process.
3. You can "check your pulse" about what you are doing, giving yourself the self-reflection of journaling but in jiffy. 

I have an account at all three Social Media platforms mentioned above, but must admit to being hooked on Twitter at this point. I've been a member there for four days, have 23 followers (friends) and am following 36 people (I read what they are up to). I love it because 

• It's quick (140 characters only) to answer the question, "What are you doing?", 
• I'm connected with people in my area (like a friend who no longer answers email but responds to Twitter "tweets") and around the world (Phillipines, China, and England), and
• I'm "listening in" on conversations from people in totally different professions from mine as well as meeting folks with similar interests.

Social Media is about authenticity, connecting, and building relationships. It provides the "watercooler conversations" that many of us Creative Entrepreneurs no longer enjoy since we often work alone. 

Before you dismiss Social Media, give it a try. Here's how:

To get going on Twitter (lots going on - quickly)

1. Go here. 
2. Create your free account. 
3. Connect with me on Twitter here.
4. Click the "Follow" button under my picture. I'll get a notice and will start following you too. That way we can interact online.
5. Start "tweeting" by answering the question "What are you doing?" and clicking the UPDATE button.
6. Go here to search for people you know or interests you would like to "follow" (like beading, painting, graphic design, etc.)
7. Check in as you like.

To start using Facebook (more social):

1. Go here. 
2. Open your free account.
3. Put my name (Adele Michal) in the search box on the upper right.  
4. Click "View Profile" when my listing comes up. 
5. Choose "Add as a Friend" on the right. 
6. I'll get the message and connect with you as your friend. 
7. Check in and post to find out what folks are doing and to connect. 

To use LinkedIn (more professional):

1. Go here.
2. Start your free account and log in. 
3. Put my name (Adele Michal) in the search box on the upper right.
4. Click on "Add to my network".  
5. I'll get a notice and will connect with you. 
6. Fill in your profile. 
7. Search for other friends, colleagues, and interest areas.

You may find that the stimulation of a different window on the world enhances your creativity. And you might get hooked too!

Habits that Promote Creativity: Fun Exercise

Every Saturday afternoon about 20 women and men hop in the pool at the UNC Wellness Center to get bossed around for an hour by the diminutive Noriko Brantley in her weekly Advanced Aqua Aerobics Class. We are devoted fans of her rigorous exhortations to "Do More" and "Go Faster".

Noriko's class is a habit that promotes my creativity. It gives me a chance to get "out of my head" and off my rear and move! Today I found myself easily sorting out some ideas about my business while doing kicks in the water. I left the class happily energized.

In addition to having fun in the water and gaining more business clarity, I am inspired by Noriko. Today is her 52nd birthday, and she looks fabulous. She was a body builder and now is a personal trainer and health and fitness educator. Since she was 40, her birthday wish is to look and feel better every year. She says that for the past 5 years, she's in the best shape ever. 

Noriko is my personal Dara Torres and a weekly inspiration. Happy Birthday, Noriko!

Do You Have to Be in Crisis to Be Creative and Productive?

I spoke recently with a client who says she does her best work in a crisis. And she's generated some in her life:

• a major illness (from which she has recovered :),
• an office she reports is so full of books and papers that it distracts her from her work, and 
• avoidance of some business activities that would bring her more income and give her a greater sense of security.

She is not alone in responding mightily to crisis. For myself and many Creative Entrepreneurs I talk with, I find that the drama of crisis can be a great motivator when dreams and aspirations alone cannot. I operated this way for many years, so much so that I often felt I was "running on empty" energetically and emotionally. I'm sure I wasn't always doing my best work.

As I have begun to dismantle FEAR as a primary driver of my actions, I find that certain habits helpful in enhancing my feeling of calm and encouraging my creativity:

• I schedule Laundry Day, Grocery Day, and Exercise Days throughout my week so that my health is taken care of, and I have the strength and stamina to work.I have begun to think of these activities as part of my work instead of distractions I can put off. If I don't feel good, I don't work well. 
• I schedule a time to talk to my Virtual Assistant & Technology Savant weekly so that I keep going on my work on projects and don't let them languish. 
• I schedule in some fun and inspiration every week. Again, I see this as part of my work to manage my energy so I can do and give my best.
• I play with "Time Zones" during my day so that I write, work with clients, respond to email, and attend to business when my energy is most appropriate for each of these tasks. 
• I have said "no" to some activities that I enjoy but have were distracting me from more important things. I know that I can add them back in when my priorities shift.
• I try to do something on my projects, even if it is a small action, every day. This keeps me moving and sometimes helps me get started when the "mountain" of a project seems to big to begin climbing. I am amazed how an action a day adds up!

I admit that managing time and energy as a Creative is a work in progress. I'm often distracted by the next "shiny object" as I love learning and exploring. I do respond to crisis. I let FEAR drive me.

But I'm learning that habits, structured time, and calm can be wonderful foundations for productive creativity. 

How about you? How are you managing your time and energy to serve your creativity?

Puppies Promote Website

The New York Times reports that a litter of six Shibu Ina puppies is bringing unprecedented attention to UStream.com, a website for free live video streaming on the Internet. 

More than 6 million viewers have watched the puppies on UStream since their owners began their live webcast on October 8th. The popularity of this video stream has surprised the co-founders of UStream and delighted viewers around the world.

I love this story and find watching the puppies so soothing. I just love their little bellies. Plus I don't have to feed or clean them up! 

Wonder what cute and cuddly something I can find to promote my website!?!

My Creative Dentist

I don't usually think of creativity when I go to the dentist. My dentist, Dr. Scott Donner in Durham, NC, has taught me otherwise. 

Dr. Donner is very good with teeth, employs wonderful hygienists, and has the latest and greatest dental gadgets. 

What is really arresting is how HAPPY his office is: great music playing on the sound system; whimsical flowers, butterflies, and paintings everywhere; and pictures of hundreds of happy patients hanging on the wall. 

Dr. Donner has created this happy space himself. He is highly creative and has expressed his sense of fun by painting and decorating his office. He has run out of flat surfaces (yes, the ceilings are decorated) so he has turned his creative zeal to renovating a loft in downtown Durham. He was recently featured on the front page of the local newspaper for his loft renovation work. 

I am inspired by Dr. Donner and his sense of play. He certainly makes going to the dentist a happier occasion!

PS It turns out Dr. Donner's wife, Jennifer, is a Creative Entrepreneur as well. She owns a funky vintage shop called Dolly's in Brightleaf Square in Durham. Where will the fun end?!?

On the Ride

In the summer of 2007 I cruised in Atlantic Canada with my family. We were docked in Halifax, Nova Scotia when the remnants of a tropical storm came blowing in. We left Halifax in the late afternoon and sailed into high seas and strong winds. 

It was "Lobster Night" on board the ship. Unfortunately many passengers and staff headed for their cabins to ride out the storm instead making it to the dining room. My family clung on to hand rails to take our table several stories above the rocking sea. 

At first I was frightened as the ship dipped and rose with the ocean. The ups and downs got worse as we left the protection of barrier islands and made our way into open sea.

As my fear mounted, I realized what a ridiculous situation we were in. We were having an elegant dinner on a beautiful, multimillion dollar ship. If the captain thought we were going to capsize, he would have kept the ship in port. Obviously his navigation devices and experience on the sea told him it was safe to proceed.

And really, it was the best thrill ride I could have had without getting on a roller coaster. Plus it was Lobster Night! 

So I decided to put my fear on pause and enjoy this surreal experience with my family. We ate dinner, I enjoyed my new-found perspective, and we had a pleasant evening on board ship.

The seas calmed, and we awoke the next morning at Bar Harbor, Maine to the most beautiful day there in months. 

I tell you this story, dear Creative Entrepreneur, because I sense that we are on a ship in a tropical storm right now. In America we will soon learn who will serve as our next President; the economy is beginning to stabilize, but still looking shaky with warnings ahead; and uncertainty rides high.

I invite you to consider this turbulent time a thrill ride. The ups and downs are extreme, but there just  may be an Intelligence in the background making sure that we all get to the next port in good shape. That's the story I'm telling myself so that I enjoy the ride, too!