Flashback Friday: Living the Creative Life: A Blogshop with Mary Beth Maziarz, author of Kick Ass Creativity

I've decided to add a new element to TLCG - Flashback Friday! So now, every Friday you'll received a blast from blogshop past to help kick start your process or introduce you to a new fabulous author. I'm kicking off FF with a post from last year with author, critically acclaimed musician and "kick ass" creativity muse, Mary Beth Maziarz.

The following post is from July 5, 2010

July is all about Creativity – how to prepare yourself for the best creative experience; how to identify and foster good energy, letting it flow into your creative work; how to distinguish and market your own unique voice amongst other commercial fiction authors; and how to get crafty with your platform.

So let’s get into it. We’re kicking off the month with a major two-part blogshop on preparing yourself: mind, body, soul and space for the most productive, pleasurable creative time possible. Our special guest expert for the next two weeks is critically acclaimed musician and author of one of my favorite books, Kick Ass Creativity: An Energy Makeover for Artists, Explorers and Creative Professionals, Mary Beth Maziarz. Mary Beth’s music has appeared on the hit WB shows, Dawson’s Creek, Party of Five, Everwood and Joan of Arcadia and in the films, Broken Hearts Club and The Real Thing. She’s also a sought-after presenter whose popular creativity workshops inspire artists, writers and creative professionals in all stages of their career.

MB and I connected as I was mid-way through her book. I was totally thrilled to find an inspiring text that seemed to reach beyond the “how to succeed” template with more perspective than the “reveling in the artist’s life” tomes and meatier than the sea of “law of attraction” books floating around. I wrote a favorable blip on one of my social media sites, she became aware of it and voila! We have a juicy two weeks planned for your creative inspiration! These blogshops will be longer than usual so plan to read when you’ve got a good chunk of time to digest, reflect and make plans for action.

Creativity is Life!

I’m happiest when I’m elbows deep in whatever I’m creating. Whether it’s writing, baking, chopping veggies for a fabulous marinara, painting with my kids – anything creative – I’m totally into it, getting messy and feeling nothing but pure joy. Life is great! Isn’t that what it’s all about? It took me some time to realize, though, creativity isn’t about plunking down in front of your laptop and banging away at the keys until something brilliant happens. Creativity isn’t solely about finding the perfect words for a stunning piece of work. Creativity is life unedited happening all around us! Look around!

Now that you’ve got our eyes open, take a closer look. This idea of living the creative life is ideal, right? What artist, writer, musician, creative person wouldn’t love to be plugged into this constant flow of creative inspiration? But ultimately, life gets in the way. We’ve got stuff to “deal with.”

· The Mind Stuff: Keeping our thoughts positive and making choices that benefit our lives and the lives of those we support.
· The Body Stuff: Eating healthfully regularly; drinking the right amount of water; getting adequate exercise and rest.
· The Soul Stuff: Securing our connectivity with the creative universe.
· The Space Stuff: Clearing our creative workspace of distraction and negativity.

R.I.P. Tortured Artist

All too frequently, I witness writers falling down the rabbit hole of neglect when they’re elbows deep in their masterpieces. The portrait of an artist as a mal-nourished, overly caffeinated, hung over, emotionally tortured writer with tunnel vision, glued to his computer writing away as piles of mail overtake the desk is outdated. People, this is not the writer’s life. Not anymore, at least. No matter how the movies depict the lives of our favorite authors from the past, there is nothing romantic about neglect.

What Today’s Successful Author IS

Today’s career writer is mindful of what they need mentally, physically, spiritually and spatially. Without a clear mind, you can’t create to the best of your potential. Without feeling good physically, creating confidently is a struggle. Without feeling connected spiritually to this universe, it’s difficult to create beyond yourself. Without a creative working space free and clear of big distractions and clutter, you’re facing major disorganization fallout. The most successful writers, those making a living from their writing, know this and live this the best they can.

Musician, author and creativity coach, Mary Beth Maziarz is a great example of this. I asked her, "How important has clearing away the toxic clutter in your life been in your career as a musician and now author?"

MB: I’ll be honest: I’m not sure traditional clutter has been cleared from my life at all. If you were to look around my house on any given day, you might be inspired to call Oprah’s organizing team and suggest they head on over. But toxic stuff is another matter. I am vigilant about dealing with anything that gets in the way of my creative life. I have to be; otherwise I get sucked into energy drains all over the place and there’s nothing left for my writing or music.

TLC: Sure, there’s a difference between “happy little messes” that let others know life is happening and toxic clutter…the stuff that totally gunks up the works.

MB: For me, relationship stuff can be very distracting. If I feel that something is ‘off’ with my husband, another family member, or a close friend, I find I need to sort it out (either with the person or in my own mind) before I can get quality work done. If I sense that the issue is something I need to work through on my own, I’ll journal or write an imaginary dialogue about it. I’ll also take a moment to figure out what I really want as an outcome, which can be surprising. A few years ago, I was really torn up about a long-term friendship that had become very difficult. When I put some deep thought into what I really wanted as a resolution, I realized I didn’t want things to go back to “normal” – in fact, I was finally ready to see that it was time to move on.

TLC: It’s especially important to recognize toxic friendships and relationships that drain you emotionally. Choose to recognize and resolve the issue and move to a higher place with that someone or choose to move on. Either choice is better for your overall well being.

MB: Environment matters, too, but not always in the ways that you might think. In terms of home and studio, I find there’s a real sweet spot between huge distracting mess and so-perfect-you-don’t-want-to-disturb-anything where the good work gets done. When my environment starts bugging me, I’ll address it. Other than that, I have a gift (or curse) that leads me to let go of all but the critical things when there’s a project at hand.

TLC: Again, “happy little messes” are just fine. I like pictures of my children and family around. I like books handy for me to grab for reference. I love to light my J.Bella Soy Candles to arouse the senses. This makes my office my office. This is different from obligations piling high in the corner and choosing not to address them. Always, always take care of the stuff that needs your attention before you sit down to write. It’s tough to be your most confidently creative self when there’s a dark, scary cloud of neglect looming overhead.

MB: I’m also sensitive to isolation. I used to do weird things like write (even music) with the TV on in the background. Now I find that if I go to a coffeehouse where there’s a nice amount of ambient noise and “life” happening around me, I feel like I’m in the flow of things while still getting work done. I frequently find that helpful conversations and synergistic meetings take place when I work in public too, which reinforces the sense that I’m where I’m supposed to be as I work in public places.

TLC: Absolutely! Connecting to the universe around you breeds all good things. You never know who you’re going to meet, where you’ll pull inspiration from, what brilliant ideas will come to you or what great info someone might share that connects you to something awesome. Be open.

MB: I think the biggest form of toxic clutter that people face today is media. Media is amazing – and many of us are hustling content for it – but it’s also become omnipresent. Learning to take breaks from sonic static has become critical for me as far as keeping an open connection to inspiration and ideas. One of my favorite things to do is to roll the window down and turn the radio off (oh, sweet NPR – I’ll listen tomorrow!), on my way home from a rich work session and just let my thoughts spread out a little. It helps re-center me, so when I walk in the house I’m present for my family in a much more satisfying way for all of us.

TLC: Right. One thing I coach writers on is the value is scheduling social media time and knowing when to put it to bed for the day. This outlet has become a fabulous resource for writers but you gotta know when to step away from your online communities. Now it’s easy for agents and editors to check up on their writers when they’ve missed a deadline; all they have to do is look at their author’s status bar and home page to know their author has been spending more time chatting than honoring their commitments.

MB: If I were going to get instructive, I’d say that creative clarity for me is about BEING three things:


1) being present and available for inspiration

2) being willing to do something with it when it comes

3) being brave and clever enough not to get in my own way

Get Present & Available
Our lives are loud. We’re surrounded by news, music, TV shows, and a dozen other ways to keep our ears and neural pathways occupied all day long. Our minds are loud; even when there’s no media distracting us, many of us have to-do lists, errands, concerns, and other thoughts bouncing actively around our brains. Get present by creating a non-negotiable window of quiet in your day. Fifteen minutes is a good start. Sit quietly somewhere and use a basic breathing meditation; just notice your breath going in, and note it going back out. Keep a notepad nearby in case you get an incredible idea (or remember something so important that it will distract you throughout the rest of the quiet time if you don’t jot it down). Hint: the more you need this kind of quiet time, the more you will avoid it. It will prove to be exceptionally valuable to creative projects. Being quiet opens you up to all those wonderful, rich ideas that get lost in the chaos of our full days.

Get Willing
Once you have inspiration on your side, give it some love and attention by giving your ideas a chance to develop in a low-pressure environment. Grab a notepad and do some “story play” – sketch, doodle, or write out possible scenarios of how your idea/product/project might come to fruition. Find the part of the story that sounds fun and great (stay clear of anything that makes you nervous or causes you to cringe) and imagine how it would feel. For instance, if you’re playing with a book idea, imagine yourself holding your finished book in your hands or signing books at your release party. If your sparkle of inspiration feels half-baked, honor the partial idea by jotting it down in a dream notebook or idea box. Just taking the time to save your idea bits in one place will help cement them into your memory for when the rest of the puzzle begins to come together.

Get Brave and Clever
Some people are probably naturally courageous when it comes to putting themselves and their art out there. The rest of us need an occasional nudge in the right direction. A safe, ritualized creative space and process can help you get into the flow of work without entertaining too much resistance. Knowing yourself and your unique tendencies can help, too. Maybe you can trick yourself into a helpful energetic surge with a vitamin packet, or some caffeine or sugar. Perhaps you have a creative cheerleader in your life who always makes you feel competent and confident – a quick call or text might help you channel their certainty.

Use whatever works! Happy creating!

TLC: Great advice, Mary Beth! Thank you!


Ok, writers, if you’re already on this positive, balanced path, fantastic job! You are so on track. Sure, stuff happens and maybe we fall off track for a day. That’s ok. The important thing is to not beat yourself up over it and recognize what lead you off track. Address the issue honestly, promptly and resume work as usual.

For writers who have a little work to do in this area, your tools are right here, but you may want to take it one step at a time. As you make the changes necessary to create more freely and brilliantly, you’ll see and feel the difference. Start slow…either choose one area to concentrate improvement or take one step in each area: mind, body, spirit and space. Next month, work on two areas or two things in each category in which you want to see improvement.

Your Exercise This Week: Check out Mary Beth’s book, Kick Ass Creativity: An Energy Makeover for Artists, Explorers and Creative Professionals. And check out her blog, too, for creative inspiration and opportunities to attend some of MB’s creativity workshops.

Questions, concerns, success stories? Let me know! Need one-on-one coaching to begin creating confidently? Email me at erin.reel@gmail.com.

Here’s to a beautifully creative life, writers!

TLC

Creative Offroading - Keep Moving Forward with author Jessica Anya Blau

Every writer gets off track at some point in their creative journey. For some, this is a daily diversion and others, a once in a while loss of direction. Whether you're headed on a long literary road trip or a few day adventures, there are two things you must remember - bring a map but be flexible to changes in the terrain (this plot isn't working!), blocked roads (my emails to my interview subject keep bouncing back/go unanswered), and stormy weather (I'm just not cut out for this). And two, if you get lost, if you experience major changes to your travel itinerary, if the luggage you packed all your mojo in gets lost, DON'T PANIC!

Author Jessica Blau (Drinking Closer to Home, Harper Perennial, 2011) has more to share on how a little creative offroading may just lead you to your final destination.

Everyone starts out writing with the same hopeful, optimistic energy. You have a great idea that would make a good story, and so you sit down and write. Eventually, however, something slows you down (unless you’re Steven King who apparently writes entire novels in his head and then just transcribes them) and you find you’re lost. You know where you want to end up, but you have no idea how to get there. To me, this is the equivalent of being at the Colosseum in Rome and trying to find your way to the Spanish Steps. You understand exactly where you are, but navigating to the Spanish Steps with a Roman map is like trying to follow the varicose veins on your grandmother’s thigh: downright impossible. You loop, you curl, and if you hold the map upside down maybe you can find your way...but no. There are no straight lines in Rome and there are no straight lines in writing. You are stuck.

At this point in writing, many people abandon the project and decide that their great idea is really a shitty idea. Others sit at their computer, eyes fixed on the screen and wait for something to show up. They’ll wait hours, days, months even (with a lot of email and facebook in between)! What both the quitter and the sitter don’t realize is that it’s not important what you write, all that is important is that you do write.

Let’s go back to Rome. Even if you abandon plans for the Spanish Steps you have to leave the Colosseum at some point. You fully understand that neither your hotel, nor the Spanish Steps are ever going to be coming to you, so you get up and start moving. You might wander, you might catch a cab, you might hop on the next bus (wonderfully crowded with nuns!). No matter. You’re getting away from the Colosseum and moving toward something new. At some point you’ll hop off the bus at the sight of a beautiful crumbling ruin growing out of the ground like a stalagmite. Or maybe you’ll have the cab pull over when you see the Pantheon out your window. Or perhaps, if you’re walking, you’ll stumble into a crowd and realize that, indeed, you have landed at the Spanish Steps! The point is, you aren’t where you were earlier (the Colosseum) and you may or may not be at the Spanish Steps, but you are somewhere new. Somewhere different. Somewhere interesting. And, most likely, somewhere closer to where you really want to be.

The thing that’s vital to successful writing and successful travel isn’t that you follow the exact route you originally thought you had to take. What’s important is that you keep your mind and heart open to the unknown and undiscovered. And when you’re stuck, just keep moving forward. I guarantee, it will get you somewhere.

TLC: I have a client who is pressed for time due to her very full day job and feels an overwhelming pressure that she's not moving forward with her writing unless she's sitting down at her laptop pounding away until 4 am which leaves her utterly exhausted. My tip to her which is also your ACTION this week: when not able to write, take a camera (most cell phones have them now) and shoot images that inspire story or characters (use them in your blog, if applicable, to underscore the message). Use the voice record feature on your smart phone to capture thoughts or go old school and use a good old journal and pen. The biggest part of writing is observing. Be open.

About the Contributor:

Jessica Anya Blau is the author of newly released DRINKING CLOSER TO HOME, which has been called "a raging success" and "unrelentingly sidesplittingly funny." Her first novel, THE SUMMER OF NAKED SWIM PARTIES, was picked as a Best Summer Book by the Today Show, the New York Post and New York Magazine. The San Francisco Chronicle and other newspapers chose it as one of the Best Books of the Year. Jessica lives in Baltimore and teaches at Goucher College.

Introducing, Blogs That Work!

Blogs That Work is a new monthly segment on The Lit Coach's Guide that will feature one must-read blog from an unpublished writer. The goal of this segment is to spotlight compelling, thoughtful content with a clear direction from writers who are seeking publication (regardless of format or routes to get there).

Here's what I'm looking for:

COMPELLING writing!
CONSISTENCY of voice and posting
VISUAL elements that enhance the material


Here's a list of elements that are great blog features but don't factor into my decision of what blogs are worth reading:

HUGE following
ZILLIONS of links
INTERACTIVE features
AWARDS bestowed

Again, having an interactive blog with a big following is great and important to your platform building, but this is an effort to focus on clarity and consistency of content and the blog's overall value to the writing community. It's about a writer's creative discipline and focus.

I welcome all suggestions through email as long as the content is clean (I'll allow a few naughty words); and your attempt to promote your blog is in earnest (not spammy). I can't guarantee I'll showcase every blog that's suggested to me, but I'll consider it. And of course, every blog highlighted will have the author's permission.

Look for the new Blogs That Work post this weekend! I've got a few great ones lined up.

Have a great weekend, writers!

TLC