I am an artist and a motivator. I perform, I write, I speak, I motivate. I motivate myself and I motivate and inspire others. Why? Because firstly I love what I do, and the passion for my art shows and is felt by others. Second, I don't mind how I invigorate my artistry. That is, if I do it for me that's great, but if I do it for others, that's great too. Whether I perform on stage, or speak on panels and conduct workshops inspiring artists to just get out there, or whether I sell my CDs or sell my books, all this energy is good for me. I love it. Besides, I'm an explorer and this is the essence of it all... to be that constant creative adventurer.
How far would you go to change the world?
Who do you work for? Someone else's ambition? Fame? Recognition? Material possessions? God?
Our lives are not meant to be wasted on just maintaining our lives. By that I mean, working hard and spinning your wheels just to maintain the status quo you have built: house (mortgage), cars, social life, 9-5 routine. There is more to our lives!
Aesthetics, beauty, creativity, nature, adventure. Step out of your comfort zone of normalcy and you will find a whole world opens up to you.
Become a great explorer!
Consider that most people live in a world that doesn't include really and truly giving to others, or even themselves. They spend their lives existing on a maintenance level, getting up and going to work, paying the bills, feeding the family, buying possessions that require more hard work to pay the bills, same routines, and often frustrated with their lives. A lot of it has to do with fear. Most of it, however, is based on an unwillingness to change habits and get out of one's comfort zone, which is also part ignorance, part fear related. But if we can be creative,understand and enjoy the beauty of art, and give to our community at large by volunteering or contributing something, then we are already well on our way of being a great explorer.
As soon as you remove the "me me me" out of your every day living, and starting thinking of "we", opportunities open up. More so, being willing to go beyond the call of duty to complete a project, with a pursuit of excellence, coupled with a keen desire to tap into the spiritual part of ourselves, brings forth a renewed sense of self. This calmness is based on a certain 'knowing' that you will embrace about yourself and the world around you. Live life to grow everyday and evolve as a human being, with all facets of your life in full harmony: physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual.
Intention is the most important factor in creating change. Thoughts are powerful. By merely thinking an idea, you have set the seeds for it to come to fruition.
Wayne Dyer, brilliant author who wrote the "Power of Intention", wrote "The use of mental imagery is one of the strongest and most effective strategies for making something happen for you." It is my opinion that if we can appreciate our past creative results, know where we are right now, and set upon new goals based on intention, we can achieve amazing dreams and accomplishments. If we are able to write down in any form (point form, paragraphs, full pages) of what creativity we have achieved in the recent past, what we don't want, and what we do, then we can create tangible goals MENTALLY that provide fuel for our thoughts and intentions to come to life. By visualizing our past, present and future towards the end of the year, it's even better: way better than a new year's resolution which can sound exciting on new year's eve to think about it, but rarely do we actually accomplish it.
How can you remove the maintenance clause of your life and become a great explorer? One way is to answer three important questions to yourself that is about your Intention. I call this exercise the Creative Explorer exercise.
Ask yourself three important questions.
What have I created over the last year?
Write down all the things you did last year. For artists, this can be easy because we can think of all the art, music and artistry we created. I'm a very project oriented person. So I wrote down all the projects I did, creative or not, like producing a CD, touring around the country, speaking in some interesting workshops, painting a picture, writing a new song. I then made it even more impactful and wrote down what I felt were accomplishments for myself (not based on what others thought I should do and what would deem "successful" in their eyes, but rather internal desires that I achieved.) Some of these creative accomplishments included personal growth, relationships, body fitness; and others included finishing an album, getting a certain deal, etc. Spend some time writing what you created. Write whatever you feel. It's private for you to read to yourself. By writing it down you are disciplining yourself to remember certain projects, creativities and accomplishments, that sometimes we forget, or we don't give enough energy to. This is the time to give some energy to your recent past creativities. Write it down, read it, accept it.
What am I over?
The next segment is writing down what experiences, belief systems, circumstances, modes of operandi or behaviors that no longer serve you. Put some energy into this area but don't treat it like a negative task. This is merely an exercise in writing down patterns, people, creativity, anything that you would like to remove from your life, your daily energy. I was pretty generic with my point form list. I included things like "bad relationships that are destructive and zap my energy", and "crappy gigs where the venues don't foster positive energy", and another one was "being lazy". You can write down anything that is pertinent to you. It could be something specific, like a creativity or project, or it could be broad, encompassing feelings, states of being, experiences. Write it down, read it, accept it.
What am I going to create now?
Now with long lists and writings for the first two questions, you are now ready to let them go. Yes that's right, relinquish your past, and your dislikes. Now is the time to establish a new foundation, serve a new purpose for yourself in your creative life. This is where you tap into your higher nature and ultimate destiny. Write down what you want to create this coming year, or in the near future. You don't have to be date specific. This can include creative/artistic projects, relationships, personal goals, professional goals; anything that provides you a positive purpose in your life. Be general, and be specific. Don't hold back. Dream the big dream, and write it all down. In this final part of the Creative Explorer exercise, you are tapping in to your true self, and allowing your subconscious to spring forth pure intention, from vivid dreaming. If writing holds you back, start drawing too. Visualization, as I've mentioned before, is a great way to enable thoughts into actions.
Once you have done this exercise, you can put this away. Let is hibernate and do its work in a little drawer somewhere in your room. At some stage you can pull it out and revisit it. But the writing down part is merely a tool to help your brain focus on who you truly are and who you want to become.
Exploration into the unknown can be a little scary, but it's the only way anything was ever discovered. Leap empty handed into the void.
How exciting!
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