12 Secrets: Rejection

The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women

Secret 9: Transcending Rejection and Roadblocks

Hello, my pretties! Since I was tied up with midterm projects, papers and study sessions, I didn't have a chance to write on Secret 9. So, here is a breif excerpt from my Creative Gravy workshop with which I use to start the discussion on adversity and critisicm:

"Lastly, you can’t let fear suck you in. Trust yourself. Your guts know where to go! You know what you need to do. Being creative is about risk taking. Our lives are full of risks, we do it daily. How many of you speed while driving or eat fast food? All of us do it! So what does this tell us? It says that we’re willing to risk our LIVES to get to the gas station five seconds faster than Joe Blow or risk heart attacks for the sake of convenience, but we’re afraid to pick up the pens and make because we’re afraid of what people will say about us? This sounds like a bizarre set of priorities.
There is also the fear of criticism. Criticism, the big C. Know that harsh criticism, the kind of criticism that isn’t constructive, attacks your character or isn’t relevant to the work, stems from two sources: ignorance and fear. When people run off their mouths at the void by leaving vicious comments or participating in catty gossip, they do it because they either a) don’t understand what’s being presented to them b) are ineffectively attempting to build up their ivory towers because they feel inadequate and threatened or c) a sad combination of both. We can’t let uninformed angry people squash us. Imagine what the world would be like if Einstein, Madame Curie, Johannes Gutenberg or Joan of Arc curled up under the covers and refused to work because they had been criticized? No Theory of Relativity, no radium, no books, no France. Take comfort in knowing that if Nay Sayers are chastising you-- you’re on to something good! Don’t be afraid. Say no to the nagging fear and incapacitating reservations. Let It Go!"

Secret 10: Living in Abundance with Positive Priorities

This chapter asks us to redefine what prosperity means for us, change our relationship with money and include Self care in our routines to enhance our creative lives.

Prosperity can be difficult to think about—I struggle with it. It’s like a strange cocktail: some days it’s just what I need with a cherry floating in it, and other days it’s a sour concoction that makes my face screw up and I leave it to make a wet ring on the napkin. There’s the constant t e n s i o n between having enough, having what I need, knowing what enough even IS, what to do with it when I have it, knowing the difference between wants and needs and the biggie: feeling guilty about doing well by doing what I love. I have a mental BLOCK.

While I support other people in following their heart’s desires to build a beautiful life for themselves, I don’t prescribe to it in my own life. I feel as though if I’m not suffering while doing the “work” (money making vehicle) that the compensation feels cheap, wrong, undeserved. While my Heart knows that is a false and outdated train of thought, my brain still equates prosperity with enduring some sort of workplace affliction. I once read in a biology book that humans are the only creatures capable of entertaining two contradictory thoughts simultaneously. Go figure…

I'm working on switching up my psychology. It's a work in progress. :)

The book also asks us to listen to what our body has to say about our daily doings. I thought this was particularly interesting. Normally, I wait for a symptom to tell me what’s wrong: a bad cold, a weird ache, or a problem sleeping and then tend to it accordingly. But it never occurred to me to flat out ask myself, “Okay temple, what do we need today?” It’s so simple! Why didn’t I think of that?!

So what is today’s reply?

“Hi Molly, this is Self, just checking in. Oh—what do I wish for today? Hmm, let me see. I wish for water! Buckets of water—Brain loves coffee, but skin and cells are thirsty. Be a peach and gift them some cool, refreshing water. Make it a lake! I also have a request for Green. Whatever it is: leafy, crunchy, plump, savory, energizing green stuff! No more fried chicken from work. You should know more than anyone as the person who prepares it that what they serve at work is as close to food as a shoe. It’s joke food. I’m also placing an order for fruit: glorious sweet juicy fruits from a beautiful bowl on your kitchen table. You are what you eat, lady! Are you unrecognizable mystery meat? Are you cloudy puddles of fryer grease? No and No! You are vibrant and spicy! Get us some succulent little pea pods and royal purple egg plants! Got that down? Okay, that’s it for today. Now that midterms are over, tomorrow we’ll talk about sleeping…”

What is YOUR body saying to you today?

Well, I have my Body homework and packing to do before I take off for Philly this afternoon! I hope all of you had a wonderful week and have weekends full of lounging time and productive hours in the studio ahead of you! I’ll be back next week with pictures and words from the East Coast Rail Adventure!

Until Next Time—
Merry Making, Friends!~*