| As a writer, do you think of yourself as spontaneous, | | | | made it possible to write with lightness on a heavy |
| tapping into the ever-present flow at a moment's | | | | subject, to have fun doing it and to inject some fun for |
| notice? It's a pretty image, but how often do you find | | | | our readers as they explore and transform their anger. |
| yourself blocked or stuck when you try to create | | | | What qualities would you like to invite into your work? |
| something from nothing? Let me share with you a | | | | Try something new for you-juiciness, serenity, |
| shovel that can dig you out of this hole-the shovel of | | | | sassiness, sexiness-make a list and have fun with it. |
| intention. | | | | Exercise: |
| Writing and working with intention does not have to | | | | Ask yourself these questions: |
| mean knowing exactly what you want. What intention | | | | |
| does require is just one or more of the following: | | | | 1. What would I like my audience to experience as they |
| - knowing how you would like to affect those who | | | | read this piece? For example, perhaps you want |
| come into contact with your art/writing | | | | people to feel empowered so that they are |
| - knowing what effect you'd like your work to have in | | | | emboldened to take action. |
| the world | | | | 2. What effect do I want this project to have on the |
| - knowing what qualities you'd like to work with | | | | community and what qualities might support such |
| In this framework, your goals can be as focused or | | | | results? For example, if you want the work to |
| broad as you like. You can be very explicit (I want to | | | | contribute to a spirit of tolerance in your community, |
| write a description of the view of bay and maple trees | | | | perhaps tolerance and peace are qualities you can |
| from my bedroom window). You can provide a broad | | | | invoke. |
| focus to your goals (I want to create a piece of writing | | | | 3. What qualities would make this project fun to work |
| that conveys my hopefulness that we can reclaim the | | | | on, would enliven it and make it inspiring? In the |
| sanctity of nature and become good stewards of the | | | | example above, perhaps invoking humor would make it |
| environment). Or you can give a very broad brush (I | | | | fun and help you reach your objectives. |
| want to write something that gives people a sense of | | | | Invoke those qualities from your answer to questions |
| joy and playfulness, and that makes them laugh). | | | | two and three. Invite Spirit or your Muse to support you |
| If you're starting a new project and are unsure what | | | | in your intention and clearly state what you would like |
| you want to create, you might just think about the | | | | your project to accomplish. You may want to write an |
| qualities you want to bring into your work. Do you | | | | intention or mission statement for each project you |
| want to be playful? Passionate? Irreverent? Wild? | | | | work on. Read the statement aloud whenever you |
| Provocative? Joyful? Soulful? I encourage my clients | | | | work on it. In this way, you reinforce your mission and |
| and students to invite these qualities (out loud) into their | | | | goals and strengthen your ability to create something |
| creative session. Often as we begin to invite such | | | | of profound effect. |
| qualities they show up in our process, as well as the | | | | Creativity Coach Gregory Huff tells me that he often |
| product. | | | | invites qualities by putting on music to create the mood |
| When I first began collaborating with Peaco Todd on | | | | he wants to be in for the art he is creating. Other |
| the anger book we eventually wrote with Jane | | | | times he relies on the weather to set tone. I |
| Middelton-Moz (Good and Mad: Transform Anger | | | | sometimes draw with pastels and place the drawing |
| Using Mind, Body, Soul and Humor), Peaco and I hit a | | | | above my computer to invoke a quality. Other times, I |
| few bumps in the road. Working on an anger book, | | | | place a rock or object nearby, my rose quartz dolphin |
| perhaps we should not have been surprised when | | | | being an example of both. Perhaps you can think of |
| anger showed up in our collaboration. | | | | other ways to invite your chosen qualities. |
| In the process of improving communication between | | | | When your work is viewed, read or experienced, |
| the two of us and developing a process for working | | | | notice what people say to you about your art or |
| together, we stumbled upon the idea of inviting certain | | | | writing and how it affects them. Does their feedback |
| qualities into the process and the book itself. We | | | | often support the qualities you invoked when creating? |
| invoked qualities of healing, transformation and | | | | Many people have told us that they were surprised to |
| playfulness. Not only did the book take on a playful | | | | have such fun working with Good and Mad. Little did |
| quality, but we found ourselves laughing and having fun | | | | they know the dolphins were at work on that. |
| as we worked. Dolphins showed up in our dreams. I | | | | You may wish to keep notes about how the process |
| bought a rose quartz dolphin to place by my computer. | | | | of intention and inviting specific qualities affects your |
| Peaco gave me a dolphin necklace. | | | | work. And, by all means, drop me a line and let me |
| Because of the intentional way we worked, our | | | | know how it works for you. I'd love to hear your |
| collaboration and friendship deepened in a lasting way. | | | | stories of writing with intention. |
| In addition, I'm convinced that this lively dolphin energy | | | | |