Category: Creativity
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Today…
Today. What a gift. Tomorrow will soon enough be today, another gift. What adjective describes your today? Joyful? Frenetic? Harried? Celebratory? How many decisions will you make and how will those inform your tomorrow? Today has a lot of work to do. No matter how you spend these 24 hours, it is churning away in…
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Mantras Make Things Happen…
Another ELAN Principle is “Make Things Happen.” ELAN, which stands for Elevating Life Attitudes Now, is a self-improvement curriculum I created and facilitated many years ago, but I still rely on the tenets to work on my own “life in progress.” One of the most effective ways to make things happen is to write a…
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Quote of the Week…
“I merely took the energy it takes to pout and wrote some blues.” Duke Ellington, 1899-1974
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Rhythm…
Rest is needed to rejuvenate and recharge. Still, most days I go full blast until the time for rest cannot be denied. It’s all about the balance between too much go and too little slow. Last week I had a low afternoon. The thought of cross-town, rush-hour traffic was draining. I was tempted to fake…
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Blues…
The Blues can oddly uplift a sad soul. Singing along in a minor key is like a good friend holding your hand during tough times. Sometimes the Blues signify a time of rest. We go, go, go. While in the frenetic fun times we can convince ourselves that things will always be this energetic, positive,…
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Zen Again…
How do you add beauty to your world? A fresh, home-cooked meal, or listening to (even playing) your favorite song? Where have you been surprised by joy? A red geranium in a window box, morning birdsong or a tiny flower sprouting in cracked concrete? Zen is found in quiet moments wrapped in wonder. Turn off…
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Divots…
Divots are holes dug into a perfect green field by an overzealous or misdirected swing. Golfers merely replace the detached lump, stomp it into the earth and call it good. How do we react when we goof up and ruin the perceived perfection of a pristine life? Pristine and perfection are ideals, not to be…
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Pivot 2…
Creatives lay their souls bare when they usher an object of beauty from their private world into a public one. We are called to birth (yes, it is that long and difficult) a one-off thing and then share it with an audience greater than one. Patience is key. Sending our work to flight too soon…
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Music Appreciation…
It is quiet in my office, with only the rustling wind announcing a coming storm. Most writing days are like this, but earlier I had cranked up the volume on a favorite playlist to energize me. Moving to the beat really got me going, until my head was bobbing, even banging. I am so thankful…
Patty Mayeux Blog 