writers Archives - Empowered Cardology

Nov 23 2015

How To Get Started With A Creative Routine – Invest In Your Creativity

This is Step 4 in my How To Get Started With A Creative Routine Series

Invest in your creativity

What can you invest in that will give you the highest return for your creative work?

Investing doesn’t always mean money. It can be time, energy or focus.

When you commit to stepping from hobbyist to professional, you will increase that leap tremendously if you invest in your creative work.

That could mean hiring a babysitter so you have several uninterrupted hours to work.

You might take a course to hone your craft, find a mentor, a group to join, or books on your craft.

I experienced years of trying to do it alone and I’ve watched other creatives do the same. We think if we can just sneak off and get a bit done, then someday…someday…when we’re good enough…we’ll get it done and show others.

That is great when you’re enjoying it as a hobby.

It won’t work if you want to take it seriously.

Someday doesn’t exist and there is nothing for your mind to focus on. It is the perpetual carrot in front of the donkey – it can never be grasped and eaten.

Every artist is a beginner and every artist has an area where they need some help and support.

Seek the counsel of those who’ve been where you are and have gone beyond.

I started by buying the Artists Way by Julia Cameron. I had no clue how to evoke my muse or build my confidence or even what the life of an artist looked or felt like. My next step was to find a group of other writers so I wouldn’t feel so alone.

Surround yourself with others who are creatives and who understand the stuff that creatives go through.

Invest in the knowledge and support that will help you expand and build your confidence and skills.

The longer you wait to do this, the more that ‘someday’ will rule your path.

Stop feeling overwhelmed at everything you need to do to have a prosperous career with your art/writing.
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Here is Step 3

Here is Step 2

Here is Step 1

Sep 25 2015

What Is It Like To Have A Writing Deadline?

Have you wondered what it’s like to be all in and working towards a deadline with your creative work?

I’m interrupting my series of Getting Started With a Creative Routine to interview Randi Janelle.

I think its better to talk to someone who is in the middle of it, than for me to yak on about what it takes to set boundaries and commit your time.

Randi’s goal is to finish her novel and release it on Halloween, 2015. That’s less than 5 months away.

For anyone who has spent years working on a novel, you know how scary a deadline for it being DONE can be.

For many creatives, getting started and building momentum can be easy, but getting to the finish successfully can be very hard…and scary.

I want to start off by saying thank you to Randi, because she took the time to answer my questions during her very committed time!

To Randi: You’re in the middle of a manic write to a deadline now–what has been the hardest change in your routine?

Sitting, eyes glued to the computer! Because I teach yoga twice a week, I’m getting out of the house and working at a coffee shop and the studio on those days, so at least I get out of the house a bit. Though I do like having my space, and there’s a little bit of making notes and transferring them at home once I have the whole of the novels laid out in front of me as usual.

How many hours a day are you writing?

12-14 hours

What have you done that has helped you?

Writing! I knew this would be the case, because it’s happened before. Truly, the hardest part is simply starting! Once I’ve dove into the story, the rest is easy. It comes and I’m thinking about it constantly and I want to get quickly into that desk chair when I wake up in the morning. Having the deadline and taking it seriously helps, because people understand that’s where I’m at and they rally along with me.

What helps you stay on track and motivated?

Cutting out other parts of my routine to clear space to write. The only reason I’m doing this interview is because my day started a little earlier than usual, so I’m taking that time to do this! Otherwise, my energy is generally LEAVE ME ALONE!! Haha. I do have this spacey quality to me now, nutty-professor-esque, and people are getting the vibe that I’m more into my book than listening to them. After some time, they give up.

I just keep thinking of the big, cold, bubbletastic bottle of champagne we will be drinking once this draft is done. It will be the first COMPLETED draft of a novel that I’ve ever had. I’ve written for many years, but with this project in particular, it keeps growing so the finish line has always extended out further. It will be a serious milestone for me, and the thought of completing a big first keeps me moving!

How do you stay out of becoming overwhelmed and stressing over the looming deadline?

It’s certainly happened. I’ve had days where I wake up and I prepare these monolgues…I’m sorry, but I just can’t make dinner at all this week, please forgive me, I can’t do chores neither…cue desperate hair-pulling whines. But then I get to work and the joy of the creative process relaxes me. By the simple act of it raising my energy, all the stress and worries about what others expect of me fall away. And then the writing is down and I get ever closer to finishing.

Again, the trick is simply to do what we’re so good at–creating!

How are those around you–family, roomies, friends–reacting to your schedule changes?

Instead of the dramatic monologue, I simply offered to have pizza delivered. My credit card company’s treat! Haha. At this point, time for me is the most precious.

I’m working to finish the first novel in a series of three. I’ll be releasing it on Halloween, so I am taking note that the release dates of the other novels will be early spring. So I can play in summer! I’ve had invites to go float on a river on an inflatable recliner, camping, free concerts downtown, general playing with my friends–all declined so I can finish this. It hasn’t been easy. Every time I hope that I’ll get to a certain point so I can play. But what do they say, genius takes time? Maybe that’s just what I tell myself.

So yes, I’ve had to combat peer pressure in a way I haven’t experienced since high school. But it helps me stay resolute: this is important to me; this is my purpose; this is worthwhile. I would not be enjoying the play, having the deadline poking me with a disapproving frown, anyway.

And, being a dramatic writer, I think… This book, the work that I’m doing right now will last for years, centuries! I can always float down the river later when the book is in the hands of my editor. 🙂

Thank you Randi!

Besides being a writer with a deadline looming, she is also a performance poet, a photographer

and a yoga instructor at Weaverville Yoga. Check out her website and sign up to get in on all the exciting (and non-traditional) goodies she has for her followers as we all wait in anticipatory glee for the release of her first book, The Story on October 31, 2015.

Sep 03 2015

How To Get Started With A Creative Routine – Step 3

Welcome back to my series on how to get started with a creative routine.

In step 1, I mentioned the illusion of time.

I’m going to expand on that because it is SO very important when you’re getting started.

Think back on a time when you met someone new and had a crush, or started dating.

If you were really interested, it began taking up a lot of your time and thought, right?

Because you met them, did it give you more time? No, but somehow you made time for them, even if you were already super busy.

You probably had to give up something else in your life in order to make room for them.

Less time with your besties, or less time watching TV, or less time getting your work done.

We always make time for what we love, want and are excited about!

At some point, when you make the decision to get serious about your art, you will need to place your creative time in a high priority slot.

It will need to go from playing with the paints when the mood strikes you, to spending time each day painting.

There is something in your life that you’ll need to give less attention to in order to give more attention to your creativity.

What will it be?

This is your first phase of discipline and responsibility to your work. When you commit to this, things have to change.

It’s like starting a new job. You have to be there at 8 a.m. You can’t stay up until 3 a.m. anymore. You have to rearrange your schedule.

Just as you need to put in the effort to keep a relationship going, you will need to put in the effort to stay focused on your creative work.

Because it is ‘creative’ work and it seems to bubble up whenever it wants to, doesn’t mean that you only wait to be inspired to work.

This is why training your brain to be productive at the very beginning is so important. When you sit at your desk to write, or get out your paints or sit in your favorite chair with special music on to write a poem, you set the intention to be productive – even if you don’t feel inspired beforehand. You’re telling your creative muse that you’re ready.

One of the difficult things you might experience once you begin a routine is in setting boundaries with those you live with and are close to.

Unless you go somewhere to work, you’re probably going to be working from home.

Those you live with are going to need to know that your time “working” is just the same as if you were in an office or workplace somewhere else. It can be hard for them to take your time seriously, when you’re sitting on the couch, or in your bedroom or at the kitchen table. Interruptions and expectations for your time might be frequent because others don’t realize that this is serious work for you – especially if you work in the evenings, or on the weekends.

This means you’ll need to clearly communicate to others that when you are working, you need that time to be respected and not interrupted unless… (and you need to set the parameter for what interruptions are OK).

As with any commitment to a new dream, if others don’t know about it or understand it, they won’t see it as having the importance that you know it has.

You might need help from a spouse or kids in order to carve out some extra time in your day.

I’ve experienced and seen this part of setting up a routine hi-jack a commitment to serious creative work.

Why?

Because we’re afraid to tell those we love that we’ve decided to go for it. We don’t want to rock the boat or seem as if we’re being rude when we can’t go out with friends or we ask a spouse to cook dinner or we tell our kids to leave us alone. Sadly, it can turn into battles we’d rather not deal with, so we put it off.

Don’t wait until you have time to get serious, because trust me, it will never show up.

You have to make the time, and clearly communicate to those around you what you are doing, what you need and to honor the time you will be spending.

If YOU aren’t serious and respecting the time, no one else will either.

This doesn’t mean you become a hermit!

As a creative, you need time to relax, to have fun, to be inspired and to refill your creative juices.

What needs to change in your schedule?
What do you need to let those around you know?
What boundaries do you need to set in order to not be interrupted when you are working?
What do you need to let go of in order to create a ‘space’ energetically, time-wise and physically, so you can get serious about your work?

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Aug 30 2015

8 Ways to Fail Effectively and Never Feel Like a Loser Again

8 Ways to Fail Effectively and Never Feel Like a Loser Again

Are you feeling a sense of failure because your book isn’t finished, or your art work is still just sitting in your studio?

Failure is a Creative’s worst nightmare.

We live with an abundance of ideas, visions and the urge to try new things. It is what allows us to create new worlds in our stories, new images in our art and new ways of expressing what is in our souls.

But what if our idea, or new vision flops big time?

What if we can’t seem to get anywhere with what we originally thought was a great novel idea?

Should we just call it a failure and quit?

Failure is actually our best friend. It is an important part of any endeavor.

If you’re not failing, you’re not trying.

Failure can affect your state of mind or you can chose to take advantage of it.

The most successful people take advantage of it. That is why they are successful!

Use failure to your benefit.

You don’t need to avoid failure. It is a wonderful way to learn and stretch yourself.

All creative acts require failure in the development process. Failing regularly gives you the best chance of long-term success.

Here are 8 Ways to Fail Effectively and Never Feel Like a Loser Again:

Fail quickly. If an idea isn’t going to work out, realize it sooner rather than later. Avoid spending too much time on a faulty premise. It doesn’t make sense to invest your mental thought and energy for months only to realize that an idea won’t work.

At the same time, don’t give up too quickly. Give an idea a fair chance to be successful. Some things take more time than others do.
A story idea might not be going well, but it might not be the idea. The structure, perspective or angle might be the problem. Switch it up instead of feeling like it’s a failed idea.
Switch medias for a bit to free your mind and allow your creativity to resolve whatever mistake you made.

Make sure you’re failing for the right reason. Did you put in the necessary time and resources? If something has gone wrong, determine carefully if it was the idea or the execution.

Have you considered every possible need of your project?
Is there something you need to learn how to do for a particular project?
Can your idea work if you change your approach?

When I was in art class in high school, several of my best pieces were created because I corrected something that wasn’t going as I wanted. What I saw in my mind’s eye wasn’t how it was turning out, but I let what was being created continue.

Fail differently each time. Many people keep making the same mistakes over…and over. Failing loses all of its value if you fail to learn from it. Each time you fail in a new way, you have the opportunity to improve your work.
Keep a Failure Journal. While I don’t believe in keeping my attention on what went wrong or feeling bad after a failure, when we keep notes on what came out of what we tired, we can learn from it. How can you apply that information in the future? Sometimes a failure shows us something new about ourselves that we had not noticed before. Was the failure about technique? Or your lack of confidence? Sometimes a failure can be the best fodder for our art! Did the new medium or method go awry? Did something else come out of it?

Can you use the new information for a future piece of work? Did the mistake give you a new idea for a different style to try out?

Keep an accurate perspective. What is failure? It is simply an undesired result. That is all. It’s not about your intelligence, worth, or future. There is absolutely NO reason to take it personally. It was an idea that didn’t work out as you thought it would. Stay detached from your results and keep moving forward.

The great coach, John Wooden, stated that he hoped no one would be able to tell if his team had won or lost based on the team’s demeanor after a game. That’s detachment.

Be resilient. Your feelings of self-worth aren’t dependent on your results. You can feel good about yourself even when you don’t achieve your desired outcome. Be proud that you were brave enough to fail and continue.

If you find yourself constantly beating yourself up over mistakes, then work on “acting successful.” As you work, imagine friends and fans telling you how much it moves them. Imagine the people who will want to buy it. Pretend and the feelings will follow. Those feelings will then help you successfully accomplish your goals.

Keep failure and fault separate. We learned in childhood that admitting to mistakes resulted in taking the blame. Whether you’re working on your own project or one with others, keep blame out of it. A group mistake can be a gold mine opportunity for a brainstorming session that leads to something even better than the original idea!

Failure should bring you closer to an optimal solution. The more challenging the goal, the more times you can expect to fail before achieving success. Write that down. Post it where you work. Make yourself feel PROUD for taking on a big project! Know up front that the bigger the project, the more possible failures!

Effective failing creates new opportunities. Many of the most important inventions resulted from mistakes. For example, the glue used in post-it notes resulted from an attempt to create a super-strong adhesive.

Avoid feeling down about failing. View each failure as a step in the right direction. There is much to take advantage of through failure. Embrace failure. Just be certain to fail effectively. You will never lose if you fail effectively!

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Aug 15 2015

An Interview With Author Randi Janelle On Releasing Her Book!

The journey for a writer is a long, laborious one. From idea, to the courage to start a novel, to refining the craft of writing, to finishing the book, learning to market, and being brave enough to put it out in the world.

Damn. It is hard soul-wrenching work!

I interviewed Randi when she was in the throes of getting her book finished. You can read that here.

Now, that her book is finished and she is planning her release party, I wanted to ask her a few more questions about her journey.

Me: Last time we talked, you were in the throes of just writing! Secluded, all-in and typing away.

What are you in the midst of now?

Randi: Party preparations! The release is a little more than two weeks away. I’m working on getting some publicity for it, as well as finishing up some more publishing-related tasks, such as formatting for ebook release, setting up an order page, etc.

Me: How do you feel now compared to the all-in writing?

Randi: I feel wonderful. Bouyant and satisfied, achieving a life-long dream! I’m happy I’m meeting my deadline. Reading the printed book proof was surreal, as if it wasn’t me who wrote it, as if the book exists on its own now, as it always wanted to be.

Me: One of the things that I work on with my clients is to help them get their inner stuff aligned so they can actually manifest the ways and means for getting their work exposed and to create a platform.

Did this happen for you?

Randi: Yes!

Me: In what way?

Randi: I met a guy in a very random way and started working for him. He knows many locally and he has supported this journey. He’s read the book and is determined to help me sell it. We’re opening an escape game business together, and we want to design a game to include parts of my book.

Me: What happened that you would’ve never been able to plan out?

Randi: I would’ve never guessed I would meet someone like that, and that he would think so highly of my work that he would want to help get the word out!

Me: You have a big release party coming up in several weeks, what are your desires for that?

Randi: Basically, I want it to be a celebration. Of course I want to sell the book, and I’m hoping that those who have told me they’d like to read my book over the years will now cash in on their promise (no pun intended!). I want it to be an attraction for those who don’t already follow me, and to get a few more people interested in the book (and my Story Creates business), and for those that come, they have an event/story to share with their friends so the book travels via word of mouth.

Me: Is there anything in this process that you had to learn from scratch and/or surprised you?

Randi: Because I self-published, I had to learn copyediting and publishing techniques. I know what a gutter is now and how to wrangle page numbers on odd/even pages, and not on chapter headings. I’ve learned a bit about proofing, and how important it is to have the printed book in my hands (more than once it turned out!) in order to see how a digital file translates to the page. Earlier on, I had to learn how to design emails and newsletters and how to use Mailchimp (I’m still learning some more complicated features, like how to update an email address when someone changes theirs!) I had to have tutorials on Pinterest and Twitter, because I don’t use them, and the fine line of becoming noticed, but not sounding too “salesy” was a perhaps obvious conversation, but I found it difficult. Because of the escape game business opening, I was prompted to write a press release and contact the papers sooner than I was perhaps ready to, but I jumped in the deep end and so far so good.

Energetically, though, I suppose I haven’t had too many surprises. I always expected success, which is why I’ve gotten it! 🙂

Me: What will you do differently with your next book?

Randi: Give myself more time! I’m looking forward to maintaining a better work/life balance. I’m sure the next book will expand just as the first one did, so I hold no illusions about the dedication and energy it will require. I’m manifesting a writing retreat so that I can focus on drafting for one chunk of time, rather than trying to juggle several things at once.

Me: What did you learn in writing/publishing this first book that you will use for the next one?

Randi: Staying in touch with my readers. It’s been fun, it keeps me on track, and it documents my journey. The support has helped me get through some long, lonely hours of writing! And again the time frame. I’ll allow myself more time to sit back and take breaks, which is crucial for editing and sanity.

Me: Did you discover what type of platform suits you best? Are you using it and what is it?

Randi: Yes. My platform is a combination of emails for a list, local readings, and Facebook. I enjoy the face to face connection of the local readings, and the emails allow me to share a lot more than other types of social media. It feels more like a letter than “selling.” I tend to use Facebook to share events, and give the breaking news bits to those on my list as a type of reward. I like knowing I have that fan base who are dedicated to following my project, rather than just generally supportive on Facebook (though I appreciate ALL support!). I’m learning to do more in Pinterest and Twitter. I’m enjoying the former, because I can play with images, which is another treasured art form of mine.

Me: Thinking of the entirety of the project, what have been the greatest challenges and greatest rewards?

Randi: The biggest challenge was time, and sacrifice of social life, and the dedication required. Another was learning new promotional techniques and getting the knack of sharing without sounding/feeling like a spammer. (Pinterest & Twitter were foreign to me). The rewards are feeling like this is my destiny, that the book is well and truly alive, and I’m able to share ideas and start discussions on a larger scope. Another reward is simply seeing a castle of book boxes, knowing that I’ve done it! Those times I thought to take a break or extend my deadline to level my head were mitigated by the support and confidence in myself and those providing it around me, to remind me it’s worth it. Now, my dream is realized! Woohoo!

Randi Janelle is releasing her first novel on Halloween with a big release party in her town of Asheville, North Carolina. The book will also be available from her at http://randijanelle.com/story-creates.

The book is titled The Story: Deviation and is the first in a series titled The Story.

When Dan encounters The Anger, he supplements his day job as a high school math teacher with writing a novel. The Anger, a product of feeling enslaved to his job, recedes as the inspiration for his story emerges, but little does he know.

He’s not in control.

Neither are his characters.

This rich and complex novel, populated with intriguing characters of differing nationalities and beliefs and orientations, takes the reader deep into the world of “What if?”

What if you were transported to a time and space to learn the story of a person outside his or her stereotypes?

If you had to relive a series of moments, would you continue in habitual patterns, or would you deviate from them?

Who’s is in control?

Are you?

About Randi Janelle

Randi Janelle is a “Jackie of Many Trades” as a performance poet, photographer, yoga instructor, to name a few; publishing her novel has been a life long goal. She’s a UNCA alumna, and after living overseas for a few years, she returned to Asheville to finish her book, open a business, and enjoy the beer. She performs regular readings at Battery Park Book Exchange on Wednesday evenings from 6-7pm. Her work can be found at randijanelle.com, and her story can be followed by signing up at randijanelle.com/story-creates.

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Ready to build a platform YOUR way? Join Randi other fun and passionate creatives to discover new ideas each day to build a business with your creative work. It’s FREE!