THE WHEEL OF CREATIVITY®

Today I’m on a plane again back to the UK. This time my husband is at my side, which is always a pleasure that I do not fail to appreciate. Soon we’ll be crossing this bridge back to the island we call home in England.

It’s been a super busy two weeks in France, as I continue the big push to launching my book in November. Juggling a never-ending workload with a rare opportunity to spend time with my husband in a beautiful place has been a big challenge. And I’m sure I’m not alone in juggling the demands of professional life and the nourishment of heart and home.

Efficient or Effective?

This month’s topic in my Creative Adventure Journal is effectiveness, which is a very different animal than efficiency. Efficiency is the product of the industrial age: more, better, bigger, faster. It has strong merit in a manufacturing, production-oriented environment and tools for getting things done. But, unless we humans are striving to become machines, it is not the best model for daily life.

Effectiveness is the reward of personal vision, balanced priorities, self-discipline and conscious choice. When I work with people using the Wheel of Creativity, it is their effectiveness that motivates me most. It is seeing them make the link between what they long for and how they spend their time. And it’s hearing them delight in the results they achieve with a small tweak here and there.

A Bridge To There

How do we get from here to there? Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

• What hurts you about your life today? What’s not working?
• What do you want more than anything? What do you long for?
• How can you make sure you have a little bit of that in each day?
• What small tweak would make you more effective in your life?

Maintaining balance between the pleasures and pressures of life is a challenge for us all. Living the creative life does not require that you give up your day job. It requires that you loosen your grip and allow life to flow again. The move from efficiency to effectiveness is a modern-day meditation. The result is a quantum leap in the quality of your life.

Now, for me it’s back to my book!

“What book?” you ask! To get the latest scoop on the when, where, what and how of The Wheel of Creativity: Taking Your Place in the Adventure of Life, sign up for my monthly Creative Adventure Journal in the bottom box over there to the right. And watch for the Pre-Pub Insiders’ Circle… coming soon!

In the meantime, live CREATIVE!

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Q: I’m so busy attending to all the important things in my life that I end up being stressed out with the people I love. Can the Wheel of Creativity help me manage the conflicting priorities of a very busy life?

A: This is a question I think we can all relate to. I know I can! No matter how important the things in our life are, they are not as important as the people. But it’s up to each of us to create the containers for our time that nourish and fulfill us.

The Tyranny of the Urgent

One of life’s greatest challenges is to manage the feeling of urgency that comes up in response to our circumstances and the passage of time. It’s so difficult to step back and detach from that urgency, but stepping back is how you return to your own center. And that is where all your answers lie. At your center you are deeply connected with your own Source, the free flowing creative energy of life.

From Spin to Stillness

The Wheel of Creativity distinguishes between Form and Essence: the finite forms of life on the perimeter of the Wheel and the eternal essence of life at the center. It is incredibly easy to get so wrapped up in what’s going on out there that you completely forget that you are at the center of it all, resting in Source.

When you become too attached to the circumstances on the outside of the Wheel you get caught in the centrifugal force. But no matter what you are juggling today, no matter how many priorities you need to balance, the unchanging, silent stillness is instantly available at the center of the Wheel with a simple shift in focus.

Daily Centering with Meditation

One of the most effective ways I have found to return to that center is meditation. Meditation does not have to be complicated, lengthy, or even hard. It simply means detaching from every thing and returning to the essence of life, always there within you. Whether you are sitting, walking, swimming, working or eating, you can use that experience to return to your center.

I have so much faith in the truth of this principle that I have created a simple guided meditation to share with you. It is absolutely free. Return to your center, find your timeless essence, and reconnect with your Source wherever you are at any time of day. Click here to download. If you’ve already downloaded it, remember to use it when you’re feeling scattered. Everything you need to manage on the perimeter of your life flows more easily from the center.

Has meditation worked for you? Share your story!

And live CREATIVE!

P.S. Got questions? Post them on the Wheel of Creativity Facebook page, and I’ll answer one here every Friday.

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Dear Katherine,

We are sometimes faced with historic and apocalyptic events (fire, flood, tsunami, earthquakes, etc.) produced by Mother Nature, which could devastate sentimental values, financial security, the well being of our families and at the worst, our very survival. While this kind of devastation may not be threatening us at any one time, what would we do if it did? Such events may make us question our spiritual strength, and the values we hold close to our hearts. The intellectual mind might say, “Sell your land or opportunity, give up your family heritage, get out now, it’s too risky to hold steady.” Or, the spiritual mind might say, “Trust… trust in spirit and no matter the outcome all will be well.” How does humanity reconcile this inner conflict in a way to bring peace and rest to the spirit and mind?

(Kathy W., Boulder, Colorado)

Dear Kathy,

Humanity – like all human institutions, families, societies, and countries, etc. – is made up of individuals. For you, having just lived through historic wildfires in Colorado, I can imagine this question is deeply personal. It is also universal, as any of us could have our lives and households threatened as you recently have. Thank you for inviting us to join you in the exploration.

“That which does not kill you makes you stronger.” (Nietzsche)

We are the lucky ones, for whom these experiences – brushes with death or the threat of serious loss – are rare events. This is, I am increasingly aware, a luxury many in the world do not have. For all of us, these events offer the opportunity to rediscover and commit to what we value most.

Whether or not we are undergoing personally what you describe as apocalyptic events, I think most would agree that life today is becoming increasingly intense. Not all times in life allow for rest; some require intense, prolonged effort. Though we might not choose the difficult path, this effort makes us stronger.

“Trust in Allah, but tie up your camel.” (Middle Eastern saying)

For me, being human is being a bridge between heaven and earth. We each make our unique contribution to Life’s evolution by making our values manifest in the physical world. We hold both points of view – the eternal and the finite – within us. A sense of conflict is natural.

As I write this, I am in Dubai. I see the diversity of cultures, religions, value systems. It is not always comfortable, but both mind and spirit must have their share. Each aspect of our humanity needs care, attention and nourishment. Our work is to find our integrity, to re-integrate ourselves through our choices.

In my experience, the solution you seek is not a short-term one. If the muscles of peace and rest are not developed along the way, they will not be there for us when we need them. This is the discipline of the creative process, as represented in Station 11 (Pruning) of the Wheel of Creativity. Coping with tough times is made easier or harder by what we do day in and day out.

“We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” (Pierre Teilhard de Chardin)

The Wheel of Creativity describes the human experience as fourfold:  mental, spiritual, physical and emotional. The energy we embody in the world flows differently through our bodies, minds, spirits and hearts. Inner conflicts emerge when we are unaware of or uncommitted to the things we hold most dear, when mind, heart, body and spirit are out of sync. Catastrophic experiences assist us in awakening by revealing to us what we hold most dear, and what we are willing to lose.

In order to reconcile these conflicts, I propose developing two daily habits of self-care, within and without.

1. Feed yourself. Feed and strengthen all aspects of your humanity daily:  your body, your mind, your spirit and your heart. Any neglected area puts you out of balance and makes you vulnerable to overreactions when times get tough.
2. Nurture your connections. Whether it is religion, family, creativity or volunteerism, identify what gives meaning and purpose to your life. Nurture your connections in the good times, and your way will be clearer through difficult times.

Intensity in any form calls us to define ourselves and to sink our roots more deeply into that which grounds us. It is our way of life, practiced on a daily basis, that gives us peace, no matter what kind of circumstances Life brings. Whatever the choices that confront us, all options have consequences; neither is right or wrong. In the end, whether we stay and fight or let go and surrender, Life (in the eternal sense) goes on. And we go on with it.

Live CREATIVE,

Katherine

P.S. Post your questions on the Wheel of Creativity Facebook page, and I’ll answer one here every Friday.

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“If you don’t design your life, someone else will design it for you.” (Nigel Marsh)

What ever gave us the idea we could delegate this to anyone else? No company, no government, no spouse, no circumstance is responsible for the fact that I don’t (or do) have the life I want. In this 10-minute video of his May 2010 TED talk in Sydney, Nigel Marsh describes his way home to the center of his life.

Nigel Marsh at TED Sydney

Nigel Marsh is one, like me, who had to leave the grid for a while to discover that there is a different way to live. This begins the cycle of the creative process.

Surf’s up! Enjoy the ride!

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Ian and I have been back in the UK for two weeks now, after a two-week holiday abroad. Week one was Sri Lanka, the 25,000 square-mile “Venerable Island” south of India in the Indian Ocean. Sri Lanka touched us both deeply. Its people touch me still.

This morning I am thinking of our driver Kamal. Ian and I have heard from him a handful of times since we parted ways in Wadduwa on September 19^th. His heartfelt communiqués disturb me as, now that I’m back, I strive to make a home for his beautiful world in my Western mind and heart.

J. Kamal is a 40-something Sinhalese father who got us there and kept us safe on life-threatening roads to some of Sri Lanka’s most sacred and historic sites. He is one of 20 million native Sri Lankans (Sinhalese and Tamil predominantly) struggling to build better lives after 25 years of devastation from a deadly civil war that ended last year.

Kamal and Victor, our elder gentleman guide, touched our hearts more than most, and we touched theirs. They invited Ian and me into the heart of Sri Lanka by opening their hearts to us. Our contact with them gave us our most precious souvenirs, deeper and more memorable than all the remarkable things we saw. In our final moments together, with their broken English and my few words of Sinhalese, with eyes and tears and gestures, we expressed the deep connection that had surprised us all. Why we had connected, I cannot say; but it was no accident, of that I am sure.

On our plane ride from Sri Lanka to our next stop, a timid young Tamil man sat down beside us. He held his bag on his lap, not knowing to store it in the overhead bin. I am sure it was his first flight. We showed him what to do and spoke with him in basic English, learning that he was on his way to London to get his MBA.

Like many others we met, he is leaving home to earn what he can in the larger world, to make a better life for himself and his family. According to the World Bank (2009), the gross national income in Sri Lanka is just over $1,990 per person – per year, that is. And so, Sinhalese and Tamil alike, they leave for years at a time, for jobs, for education, for opportunity.

In Kamal’s last email, he said he would like to come see us if he could. Our instant reaction, much as I hate to admit it, was fear. Our cultural differences glared at us. What fit so well in Sri Lanka would certainly fit differently here. What could we do for him? What would he expect of us? In the usual Western way, I feared for our security. In the Sri Lankan way, I feared to keep my heart that open. I hope to see him again next year.

The thread that ties me to Kamal, Victor, the young student, and others I will never forget, is certainly not cultural, as culturally we could not be farther apart. So what is it?

At the surface, I am moved by the earnest, eager and fragile spirit of a people trying to climb out of national and personal devastation. They sparkle. The most beautiful shimmer of childlike vision gilds their deeply inlaid strength of spirit, both nurtured through having nothing (material, that is). I have never witnessed this before.

At a deeper level, I am moved by the precariousness of living in the modern world, which we all share. The young student has no idea what he will find in London. The distance from his island’s tea plantations to the heart of the world’s most cosmopolitan city is unfathomable. What will his MBA actually cost him? What must he lose of himself to become what he dreams to be? It is a question he does not know to ask, a question he cannot afford to ask.

Perhaps what ties me is a deep desire to help, to encourage and support. Even as I write, I know the danger of infecting this unspoiled culture with the incurable American zeal in my bloodline. Some of what the people of Sri Lanka need now must come from outside, but some of it never can. And I pray that, in their efforts to secure progress for themselves and their country, and our efforts to help them, they do not lose what makes them great.

What I covet for the people of Sri Lanka, as they do what they must in the larger world, is what I covet for us all. It is the depth of self-awareness to move ahead through life without losing ourselves. Progress without personal impoverishment.

What will my “progress” cost me? How do we move ahead in our lives, move ahead as different but connected societies, without losing that which is our most important unique contribution? How do we support each other without compromising the diversity that makes us strong? These are questions we cannot afford not to ask, for this is how species reach extinction. And we must each answer for ourselves.

How do you answer? If you are reading this (which clearly you are), I invite you to give five minutes to this question for yourself, and write a comment. My heart is open and waiting to hear.

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One of the things I have loved about living in Europe is that I have discovered an experience of the world from the neck down. When I lived full-time in the US, I spent most of my time in my head, thinking about life instead of living. When I arrived in the South of France, the colors, the sun, the architecture, the natural environment, the food all colluded to awaken my senses, and I found a new way to experience my world directly, through my body rather than just my mind. Now, I move frequently between France, the US and the UK; and I am discovering myself through their different effects on me.

This week I am in England, the land of perpetual rain, cricket, the country inn and the local pub. In the UK, my body craves comfort, seeking shelter from the cold and wet. I notice that I eat and drink more in England; the cold, damp British climate seems to make my body crave more.

The shelter of the British pub is comforting on a cold, wet August evening. The friendly ambiance, filling brew, and hot heavy fare is the stuff that comfort is made of here. Maybe that’s why the British pub is the heart and soul of the social life of England.

According to The Guardian DataBlog, the British Beer and Pub Association counts some 52,000 pubs in the UK today. It is a tradition deeply rooted in the moist, rich soil of British life. Sidewalks are abuzz on Friday nights with people walking to and from their local pub, and it is not uncommon to stop there every night.

If the UK’s heartbeat is the pulling of pints, today that heartbeat is slowing. According to the BBPA, some 9,000 British pubs have closed their doors in the past 10 years, twice the number as the previous 10 years. I hate to see the British pub in decline, but the numbers make me question what we’re all doing there.

I am a cheap date, I am told, because I do not hold my liquor very well. While others might drink five or six pints in a night, a glass or two of wine is usually my limit. Still, two glasses of wine have an effect on me. In addition to the quantity it adds to my daily intake of calories, I notice that too much alcohol dulls my senses. I feel less. I feel less well, I feel less myself, and I just feel less.

Last night I conducted a little experiment. Yesterday had been a tough day; I did not feel well in my skin, as I like to describe it. The world, even in moments of bright sunshine, felt dull. I could not seem to get going. I could not see or feel the everyday miracles in my world. So, last night I drank a half a glass of wine with dinner instead of two.

This morning, I stepped out of bed into my usual routine: yoga, meditation, journaling and morning tea. As I took each step in my morning ritual, I began to notice that I feel different. I feel my connection with the world, and ideas are flowing through me again. So, this morning, I am thinking about drinking less.

For me, the senses are my direct link to my experience of the world. They are beautiful, wondrous, miraculous pathways to the life force that flows through us all. The mind, through the thoughts it produces about life, puts us at least one step out of the flow of life itself. But our senses can put us right back into the bright, colorful, glorious Now. Why would I want to dull them?

England always impresses me with its warm welcome, its gentle smile, its courteous reply. The more time I spend here, the more I appreciate its people. Whenever I’m in England, I look forward to the warm blessings of English life I experience in the pub. But today I will do my best to enjoy its comforts mindfully, respecting the senses I have awakened in France and the mind I have developed in the US.

Just for today, whatever your rituals for living – yoga, walking, meditation, cooking, even enjoying a glass of wine – practice them mindfully. Allow them to awaken your sensual connection with Life. Feel the pleasure of Life flowing through you. There’s nothing like it in the world!

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11:30 AM
It is very windy here today. Big gusts of wind come blowing through the flat unannounced and depart again as quickly. I like to keep my doors open whenever I can, blocked with various heavy objects, from cans of chick peas to fuchsia-colored dumbbells. But this morning, that was not enough.

I was away from my desk after two hours nonstop of staring and typing.  So much to do these days: Finishing the book proposal. Writing the first Wheel of Creativity QuickStart. Testing it. Setting up my first event tour. Getting this blog launched (argh!). Finally, by 10:00 I was so hungry I had a headache.

So, there I was at the stove cooking my delicious eggs and broccoli, when the big blustery blast of wind came through. I could hear it coming, but it always happens too fast to act. I went first to lower the parasol, which has a tendency to fly away under these conditions. By the time I got that down, the kitchen door had evaded its guard and slammed shut. At the same instant, I heard a crash in my office I’ve not heard before. I glanced around quickly, but my eggs were calling (and burning).

So I returned to the stove, served up my eggs and ate them at the sunny (parasol-free) table on the balcony. I ate a bit too fast, remembering halfway through to thank the food for sharing its life force with me. Enjoying the vivid blue of the sea in the distance. A moment of bliss.
Breakfast over, dishes washed, I returned to my desk. The first thing I saw was a smattering of business cards on the floor beneath the piano. The next thing I saw was a picture on the floor against the wall with its back to me.

As soon as I picked it up, I laughed.  “be happy”, it says. Years ago, I found this cartoon by Monica Sheehan in the back of RealSimple magazine. I loved it so much that I pulled it out and framed it. Simple:  12 delightful reminders in words and pictures, such as “Love your work.” And “Stay inspired.”

For days now, I’ve been asking to be restored to balance. Today, the wind came calling to answer my prayer. Off now to the store for a new piece of glass.

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