Blog
Seizing 9 Meaning Opportunities
Our mental health depends on us having a good sense of what promotes the experience of meaning in us—that is, a good sense of what sorts of things give us the subjective psychological sense that life is meaningful. This array—or menu of meaning opportunities—is...
Which Life Will You Choose?
I was chatting with a coaching client yesterday about the difference between an “or” life and an “and” life. The people that I know—artist, writers, musicians, coaches, therapists—are confronted on a daily basis with the question, “Should I do this today or this today...
Only Thinking Thoughts That Serve You
Let’s focus on one of the most important self-help strategies you can adopt: strategically deciding to only think thoughts that serve you. This is a different idea from related ideas of cognitive therapy that you may already know. Here the focus isn’t on whether a...
9 Keys to Choosing Your Artist’s Role in Society
Last week I described 12 roles that artists can play in society. This week I’d like to continue that discussion. Most artists never think through how they want to relate to their society or what role they want to adopt as an artist. Rather, they fall rather by...
Artists’ Roles in Society — What’s Yours?
Artists are embedded in society. If we think about how artists have historically viewed themselves as functioning in their society and how they’ve positioned themselves in society, we see many different models. Let’s consider a dozen of these models. As we proceed,...
Working While in Pain
Last week I wrote that artists frequently must deal with chronic illness and chronic pain. Here is a response to that post from one artist, the Australian artist Trudie Moore (www.trudiemoore.com.au): “I read your article with great interest, and was very grateful...
Making Art In Sickness and Pain
I’m regularly surprised by how many of my artist clients (I work as a creativity coach) are suffering from chronic illness or chronic pain. Sometimes it seems as if every client is dealing with a pressing physical issue: back pain, intestinal maladies, arthritis,...
Three Simple Suggestions
Here are three simple suggestions from three creativity coaches to keep you on track with your art-making: “Begin each day with an affirmation. Write your own affirmation or copy one from a piece of literature that inspires you. Make it your practice to read your...
Big Changes Coming?
Among the interesting things I’m learning as I conduct interviews for an upcoming Life Purpose Boot Camp symposium is how long it takes folks to make a life change even after the meaning has drained out of their current enterprise—out of their profession, say, their...
Do You Believe You’re An Artist?
Frances had come to narrative painting late in life after 20 years as a corporate lawyer. Her paintings were large, powerful, and sold well. But she had the hardest time not bad-mouthing them, both for the full four months it took her to paint one and after each was...
