JazzCreativityAndBeyond

The Leader as Artist, Part I: Thoughts on Creative Leadership

2011-08-30T18:12:00.000-07:00

The Leader as Artist, Part I:
Thoughts on Creative Leadership

I have the opportunity to speak to various leadership groups several times a year and one of the presentations I offer is called The Leader as Artist which uses three symbols to illustrate how leaders can tap into the skills that artists use to create great work. Each of these symbols work together and when they are balanced, a leader is effective. Here is a rough draft of Part I.

The Tibetan Bell

About ten years ago, a group of Tibetan monks from a monastery in Georgia visited our city Annapolis, Maryland. During their stay, they constructed an elaborate sand mandala in at a local conference room where the general public could observe the monks in the highly-focused team effort. Shortly after the minks finish the mandala they completely destroy it thus illustrating the simultaneous and detachment to the absolute commitment to the creative process. Of course this absolutely fascinating and I become interested in some of the other rituals and activities they engaged in.

One of the items that interested me were the tingsha (weighed hand cymbals attached by leather chord) used for ceremonial purposes. There sound was rich, precise and long-lasting. After I purchased them I took them to the schools and businesses. I was, and still am, amazed at how fascinating people find these bells! They want to ring them over and over and time how long they take to become silent. I got to thinking, “how do these bells relate to good leadership?”

Excellent leaders capture attention without demanding it.

If the bell is struck too loudly, it pierces the ear. It captures the attention of all those in its presence but in a rude and disturbing way. However, with a little amount of practice, it can be struck with minimal force and produce a rich ring that mellifluously captures everyone’s attention – not by aggression but with eagerness and enthusiasm.

I saw this in action when performing for an assembly of feisty elementary school students. As we were preparing to perform the principal entered the auditorium and without using a microphone grabbed the attention of hundreds of students. She did so in such a way that was neither timid nor too aggressive. It was obvious she had prepared the students many times on how to act when she appeared and that she had also honed her communication style to a fine art. Her calm presence served as both a model and cue for the students’ behavior.

As a leader:

• How do you capture the attention of others? Are you too boisterous and acerbic, too soft and timid or just right?
• Have you set expectations on what how you would like your audience to treat you? How can you communicate these expectations in a respectful way?
• What would you notice about your communication style if you were in the audience listening to yourself?
• What do you notice about your favorite works of art and music? How do they draw you in and keep your attention?

Excellent leaders listen deeply and reserve judgment until the last voice has been heard.

Although the tingsha has great potential to be very loud it’s most distinct quality is how long the sound takes to decay and become totally silent. I have timed it for close to a minute! While initially it is very audible it rapidly becomes quiet until it fades to a mere hum. It is common for a group of adults and children to gather around the bell to listen to its entire cycle.

A leader must first and foremost listen deeply to his/her inner voice. The inner voice of a leader is his/her principles, moral code and intuition. When all the reports, charts and PowerPoint’s have been presented there comes a time when a leader may have to make the ultimate decision in the private and sometimes lonely corridors of the mind. Listening all the way through the cycle of the bell means not rushing to judgment and indeed, becoming still enough to hear solutions, alternatives and ideas that may not have been presented or considered by co-workers.

When working with other people, listening to the bell all the way through its cycle teaches the leader to consider that the first voice or the loudest voice he /she hears is not necessarily the voice of truth or reason. Leaders have to be careful that quiet voices or those that are often overlooked completely or left out of the conversation are considered.

It is said that “the squeaky wheel gets the grease” and though that might often be true for self-advocacy it is not necessarily the best path for an organization. The Tibetan Bell rings for a long time and its last almost inaudible strains are very beautiful!

• After all the facts have been presented, do you become silent and listen deeply for any additional insights or ideas that may have been overlooked?
• What does it mean to be a good listener?
• Are you a good listener – to yourself and others?
• What is the difference between listening to yourself and others?
• While others are speaking are you planning a response or are you listening or thinking about something else altogether?

On being an artist

2010-08-02T12:59:00.000-07:00

Painting: Vincent Van Gogh

On being an artist

For me, the most important element in life is the element of surprise. When I sit and finally still myself at the end of a long harried day, it often feels as if I have lived a lifetime in that single span – from sun up to sun down. The unifying substance of the day is the fact that few if any of the events I experienced were in my control. Sure, I may have planned my schedule and accomplished what I wanted to but that different from what actually occurred and thank God for that! It is in the supreme unpredictability of life that Art is created.

Being an artist is the life profession that provides the skills to weather the joys, storms, pitfalls, triumphs, and snafus of daily existence. The dual skills of improvisation and humor are the benchmarks by which I measure myself. Improvisation is being flexible and adaptable in the moment while staying true to the authentic principles that define me. Did I fold under stress today? Did I lose my cool? Did I learn to stretch in ways that surprised and even defied me? And above all, did I appreciate the humor in my futile attempts to be dominate a situation? If I can’t laugh occasionally at the frivolity of my thought and at the craziness within me and in the world surrounding me, then I have failed.

Our society is falling far short of recognizing that Art is not a luxury. It is the very essence of life. Art is not stuff; it is the essence of stuff. It is the life force in stuff. Art is a verb! It is something we do, as natural as breathing, yet the conspiracy by massive commercial enterprises quash individual expression by marketing sameness, blandness and consensus persists. Crap masquerades as fierce individuality. Artists that purposefully sell themselves as “rebels” and the “new thing” are willing money pawns and underlings in a game controlled by unknowable and unreachable faces hiding behind closed doors. There are too many brilliant artists engaged in the creative process, education and community that we will never hear of because we do not seek them out. Why don't we?

Seek out those that authentically give and create rather than wait for something to be marketed to you! If an Ipad excites you more than a beautiful song, poem or painting then something is drastically wrong. The death of intellectual curiosity is close at hand: we do not seek the beautiful, we wait for the inane and meaningless and lap it up without ever questioning the why of it and the where it came from. Seek an artist, seek a creator. Seek Nature and explore its her meaning. These resources are still out there and they will share with you their discoveries if you ask! The beautiful ultimately cannot be defeated.

The artist must not be afraid to speak his or her mind on the depth and meaning of authentic principles: Love, compassion, hope, faith, sharing. We must create Art that cherishes and honors these things and speak against art that does not: art that targets youth with sex, violence and hatred. Art that does that is cynical, cashing in and of the same ilk as companies that destroy and pillage the environment. The artist must be present in his/her community: live there, dwell there, create there, and share there AND we must honor them, support them.

The artist must lead by example and be a visionary for the ages. The artist can no longer afford to be eccentric, lack business skills, hide away in a hovel and serve their own needs exclusively. The artist must be leader not merely a side person in life. If he/she is not, then they have no right to complain about the perennial angst over budget cuts, being underpaid, massive lack of appreciation and missed opportunities.

In an age of phenomenal uncertainty, it is those that give and do that will thrive.

“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7

Emulate Rather Than Imitate

2010-07-30T08:51:00.000-07:00

Emulation

Emulate rather than imitate. Look deeply into an idea or technique then leap and make it your own. Imitation beyond the point of initial mastery means we lack of trust in our own creative voice. We often believe that it is easier to copy pre-existing work and styles and receive praise for it than to express our own voice and fail. Why?

It’s the ego hard at work convincing us that somehow we are unworthy of the legacy of the creative masters: brilliant self-expression that speaks to the universal. It’s a good thing that not everybody has that attitude. Then, we’d live in a world of homogeneity. What would happen if you thought you had as much to offer the world as Leonardo, Michelangelo, Einstein, or Gandhi? Is it presumptuous to think we are capable of such great accomplishments or are we letting ourselves off the hook by placing the seeds of deep creativity away from our inner resources and intuition?

Accepting the mantle of creative artists might make life rather difficult for us so we choose “The Greatest Hits” method taking only what we need to get a basic result - one that superficially satisfies us. We have someone else make our food rather than learn to make our own.

If we made our own “Greatest Hits” collection we might stand out from the crowd too much or worse, become isolated. That is a risk too few of us take and yet how eager we are to seek and accept praise when our work fits nicely into a pre-existing school or methodology.

The best way to avoid imitation of another artist’s creative work is by understanding the concepts behind their technique rather than the technique alone. Is it the brushstroke that made Rembrandt great? Is it the way Jimi Hendrix strung his guitar that made his solos sing? What do we like about our favorite artists and creators? Make a list of all their positive qualities. Try to understand why they made creative choices rather than how they did it. When we ask why it sets our imagination in motion while keeping a connection the how. What opportunities do we have to express our own artistry while still honoring the work of the masters? The work of Stravinsky is undeniably his own yet strains of Russian folk songs, jazz and traditional classical music run throughout his work. The creative artist fashions and integrates pre-existing material in a way that provides references to what we recognize yet moves beyond it, boldly putting their own stamp on it.

One of the greatest ways to learn is by observing beginners and teachers working together. Can the teacher communicate the fundamentals while tolerating deviation from his/her established practice? Is the student encouraged to try something else – to compose a melody from an exercise rather than merely perfecting it by rote? Why should a teacher be embarrassed when a student surpasses his or her technique or morphs it into something else, something unplanned for? We, as teachers, must be flexible and open to the innocent methodology of the sincere student. Give the student room to find their own voice: teach fundamentals but do not control the creative process and seeking of the student. That is the mark of a great teacher.

Imitation alone guarantees that we can never get close enough to the perfection we artificially seek. We will always compare our work to something more perfect than what we came up with and we will always come up short – because it is not ours. Imitation is a tool for learning but seductive in its way of absolving us from the deeper challenges of moving beyond the source material. Imitation alone means that we have given up. It means that we do not believe that we have what it takes to be creative in our own right. Imitation ends up being the path of least resistance. Yet, creativity isn’t about being comfortable. It can be joyful, it can be flowing but it isn’t about being comfortable.

Imitation is not the highest form of flattery. It is actually an insult once we have acquired the technique to know better. When we imitate another person’s work in the extreme we are stealing from them (and denying our own worth). It’s OK to learn by copying, but when you have learned the lesson move on. When we emulate another’s creative work, you are praising them. When we emulate, it means that we have looked beyond the product of creation and deeply into the process. It is in the process -- that which produced the work -- that an artist's soul is truly revealed.

Emulation means that we have given the artist we admire a gift. We have given them true consideration, and that is all anyone can ask for. Very few beings get the consideration they deserve, yet it is well within our power to deliver that loving gift. Emulation means that we have analyzed their approach, concepts, essence, and philosophy -- but that takes work and a commitment to deeper dialogue. Emulation means that we have taken the time to look behind the obvious. Approach an artist sometime. Let them know that you have considered his/her work in a spirit of fellowship. The results will astound you. Sometimes in an instant you can learn more than in a lifetime of imitation.

How an artist’s work is manifested in the world is just the tip of the iceberg. The genesis, inspiration, and process of a master’s work unlocks the door to what we desire – an authentic voice. Yet, we already have that voice. We were born with it. If anything, the great creators offer us the keys to mastery over and over again: how often we turn them down!

Each individual desires the expression of their own voice. Yet, it is frightening to realize that what we have to say is important and that many are listening. It is even scarier to think that what we have to say is important and that nobody is listening. That does not make it OK to retreat though. Our authentic voices are needed. The world we live in requires that the voice of creativity be articulated with clarity and beauty. Would we deprive the world of our beautiful voices? At what cost?

So, learn from the masters by digging deep into their legacy.Technique, yes. But please, dig much deeper than that! Their work is much more than what is heard, seen, tasted, or touched. There is much more available to us than the end product of creation. What makes their work so great? When we begin to answer tough questions and apply the responses, whether the results satisfy us or not, then we are on the path expressing our own voice.

Symbol System - Tools for Creativity

2010-07-29T08:05:00.000-07:00

Symbol System

I love symbols. Paul Klee’s book The Thinking Eye is full of them – little geometric drawings, color schemes, stick people, eyes, graphs, music, etc. Every time I look at the book, I get inspired. There is something so familiar about Klee’s symbols yet enigmatic. I could spend a day contemplating the symbols and what they could mean. Symbols are the language and currency of creativity. Symbols spawn new symbols and illuminate the hidden. They are pithy little nuts of information. Symbols are loaded questions, pregnant possibilities. Meditating on a symbol can free embedded emotions and ideas that lay dormant.

At home, I have a bell that I ring every morning. It is a symbol that I will spend the day listening – to my inner voices and the voices of others. I think of all the beautiful people I know when I ring that bell. It is a symbol for them. My friend Lynn gave me a prayer cloth. I think of her every time I pray. Its elaborate colors remind me of the colors of nature, the color of my paintings, the diversity of emotions I will experience and the diversity of people in the world. A symbol is a place holder for some of our deepest thoughts and memories. Symbols are the signposts that point to new avenues of awareness.

In my studio, I have three puppets – Wendy from Bob the Builder, Merlin, and a Dragon. Wendy wears a tool belt. She is a symbol of practicality, getting the job done and hard work. Merlin is a symbol of the creative process itself – mystical, intangible and magical. The dragon sits between the two other puppets. He is the symbol of my greatest fears and at the same time my greatest strengths. His fiery power will either destroy me or be harnessed to serve a purpose greater than me. The practicality of Wendy and the magic of Merlin keep the Dragon in check. The puppets form my Creative Triad. I look at them while I practice and they look at me. They are reminders of how and why I create. When I am lost and confused on the creative path I use the symbols to remind me of which direction I should take: Should I dig deeper for inspiration, mine the fundamentals and basic tools for more information or relax and let go to whatever is causing fear/anxiety?

Symbols turn my gaze outward into the world where I can make a difference and internally to where spirit lives. Symbols help me explain the world within me and the world around me. Symbols are spiritual short-hand and encapsulations of creative thought and inspiration.

What are symbols are important to you? What memories, ideas and inspirations do they unlock and illuminate?

Deep Planning

2010-07-27T08:56:00.000-07:00

Deep Planning

Rigorous planning is an essential part of the creative process. We don’t make rigorous plans to control creative outcomes; we make rigorous plans to visualize possibilities. By visualizing and planning for possibilities we are flexible and adaptable to the unexpected. The creative process is all about embracing the unexpected and if we aren’t ready for the inevitability of the unexpected we will turn and run in fear or collapse in front of our own failure.

Very often, we say how uncreative we are, gravely mistaking it for our lack of planning and attention to potential obstacles and areas of opportunity. We cannot decide that we aren’t creative or capable of success on the basis of what we perceive as a poor outcome be it a shoddy painting or poor job interview. We have to look deeply into ourselves and ask: Why do we succeed at some things and fail at others? Asking questions like this during the pre-action part of the creative process generates insights that will be enormously useful in the action stage. We only fail when we give up once and for all on planning, modifying and overemphasizing the outcome of our creativity. If the creative process is purely dependent on final results then the richness and deeper outcomes of the process are marginalized.

Plans give us choices for action. At some junctures, when we are confused in the creative process we have a plan that will enable us to get us back on track. At other times, the plan can serve as a springboard or reminder to take another route. We may realize that at some junctures the plan no longer makes sense, that we need adjustments or a completely new plan. A plan is a living document not a static one. For a plan to work well it must be discussed, amended and wrestled with. The fundamental principles and objective of the plan will never change but the choices and actions for executing the plan may. We may find that the actions needed to execute the plan are not robust enough to accomplish the objective. A plan creates an honest assessment of our aspirations, resources, limitations, strengths and direction.

A plan is like a map. It gives us a lot of information – routes, orientation, mileage, topology, geography and more. Yet, until we follow the route based on the map – our actual experience – then we cannot know how accurate it really is. That is why planning is so important – because one of these days we have to take the creative path. A plan, like a map, psychologically and spiritually prepares us for the moment that we have to step away and enter uncharted territory. At least we will have a reference point, a compass.

On our creative journey what should we plan for? What will be our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual topology? How long will it take? What materials will be needed? Do we have the resources to accomplish the task? Is the outcome what we really want and are we prepared to deal with the consequences – expected and unexpected? Who does the plan serve? Where do we rest? Where do we press on? When does the particular journey end?

Think about the Apollo 13 journey. The deep creativity and vision required to send men to the moon was rigorously planned. On the way home, life-threatening technical issues that were not planned for appeared. Were it not for the rigorous technical and physical training of the astronauts (aka planning) to be resourceful in the moment (aka creativity) then the mission would have ended in tragedy. That is the power of planning when fused with creativity. Planning creates awareness of possibilities. Awareness of possibilities creates resources for action. When we are aware of what’s possible through deep planning then we are empowered when we veer off course. It may be difficult to understand what is happening but it won’t be a catastrophic surprise. A plan is a rehearsal for the unexpected.

So, on the creative journey and through the creative process we are both mapmakers and trip takers. As we move forward on the path we amend our journey where we need to, we chronicle it so we can learn for the next journey and most importantly, we share our findings with those on a similar path to us.

Authenticity

2010-06-15T06:23:00.000-07:00

Authenticity is the result of deep creativity, creativity that moves beyond making things and feeling good about doing stuff. Deep creativity is more than enjoyment of the creative process or producing a product – it’s the very rediscovery of who we are and why we are here. This can be a joyful process, a painful process, a confusing process or a process that we never engage in. Yet one way or another, we know in our deepest interior conversations whether we are being authentic or not in how we live out each day. Creative expression, or that which feeds our highest aspirations, offers healthy voice to the challenging conversation of our authenticity.

We need to regularly engage our spirit in the conversation of our authenticity. It’s not a checklist conversation, it’s a resonating conversation. It's a relational conversation with spirit. We know when we are resonating with spirit, that which we should be doing, that which we should be giving. We also know when we are withholding. We also know the consequences of withholding.

Authenticity is what occurs when we confront face to face all that blocks us from being who we are – social conditioning, perceived physical and mental limitations and fears. When we are born, we are pure and authentic because we are not aware of our limitations and hopefully, our authenticity has not sabotaged by the insidious social and media messages,abuse, drugs and/or poverty that many newborns have to confront. Yet, even if it has – our core, our connection to spirit, can never be compromised. Out of urgent survival we learn to protect the core through unhealthy means – through isolation, substance abuse, putting a mask on to shield us from the pain inflicted by others or the pain (self-hatred and unforgiveness) we inflict on ourselves. When we kick into survival mode, we temporarily forget our authentic core or forget it for a lifetime. But at anytime, we can choose to engage in restoration practices – service to others, creating beauty and other beneficial practices. Sometimes we find the core through a mentor or through inner listening and reflection.

How do we reconnect? How do we rediscover our authenticity?

We can’t be more than who we already are. We can only peel away layers that have grown like calluses over the years that prevent us from hearing “the still small voice” of our authenticity. We can forgive ourselves for perceived shortcomings and failures while acknowledging room to grow and discover. Very pragmatic. Let’s take a deep look into ourselves at all that is ugly and dark and ask why those things are there. Perhaps at some point it was necessary to have protective mechanisms to shield the core but are they necessary now? Are they serving us or blocking us from our authenticity?

Realize that people respond well to authenticity. In the smallest of interactions we can connect with others by being simple, clear and open in our communication. Grand gestures are not necessary to be authentic. Just showing up and being real for people creates an energy and space for others to take their masks off, even if it’s just for a minute. Connect deeply with other people in the simplest of ways.

Serve. When we serve those that are truly in need – those with mental illness, drug addiction or homelessness they could care less who we are. They just want our love, creativity and positive actions. When we serve we can show up without our resume, story and attitude. Service is the surest, most direct and simple path to authenticity – service calls on us to think away from what we need. The paradox is that by giving so freely to others, it restores us to wholeness.

Engage in creative activity well outside our norm. Read a poem, even if it’s someone else’s at a poetry reading. Take a paper-making class. Take singing lessons if singing is fearful. Where there is resistance to being creative there is an issue of fear. Artificial fear is fear that is not based on actual physical safety. It forces us to wear a mask and hide what we may actually be capable of.

Moving beyond labels and other teaching tips

2010-03-22T09:21:00.000-07:00

Moving beyond labels and other teaching tips

Recently I had the opportunity to spend some class time with two groups of at-risk 10th grade boys at a local college near Annapolis, Maryland. We spent two class periods connecting rap and hip-hop with Shakespeare’s sonnets. Because these class periods were so successful I want to share some of the really crucial teaching philosophies that I practice that are too often missing in many classrooms. The actual Shakespeare lesson was designed as a “Mind Storm”--my term for a “flow chart”--which I will share with you at a later date. For now I want to share with you, through a series of several brief articles, some basic teaching principles that have the power to transform lives!

Move beyond labels

Certainly all the evidence supported the label of “at-risk” – some of the boys were on the verge of fatherhood, all had done very poorly in traditional classroom settings and all had behavioral issues.

I make it a pillar of my educational work however, to know only as many background facts as absolutely necessary. I do not want my interface with students to be unduly informed by some other educator’s experience. Fortunately at this particular school I was with a very experienced educator who was wise in not sharing too much information with me. This allowed me to “start fresh” with each student

This point has rung true for me dozens of times when some educators, on seeing positive behaviors, have said to me, “I never have seen him participate that way!”

We need to be sure that we are giving “difficult” students avenues and opportunities for participation at the level where they feel safe while still issuing a challenge to both perform and exceed their own expectations.

Here are the first things I do in a classroom situation—in this order: set the ground rules, create a sense of excitement and issue a challenge.

1. If you don’t establish the rules of engagement up front you are sending a silent message that it’s “business as usual.” Set strong, clear and firm expectations. Be firm, but not harsh.

2. When you introduce the element of surprise/fun/wildcard, you create a relaxed atmosphere, something to which the students can relate. This may include some sort of music or game or even something goofy!

3. Issue a challenge. For example, sometimes I ask the students to teach me! I ask, “If you were the teacher, how would you teach me this?” This can be a great jumping off point to measure how they perceive a lesson. Example: “By the end of this class period you will be able to do this.” Be sure it is something you know can be accomplished—and then exceed it! I often draw a simple staircase on the board and check off every time we go up a stair. An important key to moving up the ladder is to reward all progress toward the challenge. Rewards can be as simple as check-mark drawn on the stair. Make it visual!

When you are working with the same children every day, it is imperative that you see every day as a new beginning, a chance to “start fresh”! Forget about the mistakes of yesterday. Forget about the specific behavior challenges they may have set for you. The consequences of not letting go of yesterday may include unconsciously “shutting down” to a child—a grave mistake with serious negative results, especially early in the year. Learning will cease. Children are intuitive. Even when you are not aware that you have given up on them, they feel it! When we pull away from our students we re-enforce the silent message of failure to them. When you set up your classroom as a safe haven for them, it should include safety from all sources of negativity! Remember that your classroom may be the only safe place they have.

Some students have never learned how to ask for positive attention. Their experiences have included only negative and destructive attention. Hence they misguidedly rely on it in their quest for recognition from you. The label “at risk” should be your cue that they are teetering between success and failure—and your job is to reinforce positive behavior until they are accustomed to it. An important key is our communication with that student.

1) Practice: Know the history and the background. Why has a child been labeled “at-risk”? Do not let it guide your teaching, however. Know what’s important for safety and planning purposes but quickly move beyond that.

2) Practice: Establish rapport with students on your own terms. Use prior knowledge of the student as a basic guide, not a stigma. You should know every student’s name as well as some of their hobbies, interests and strengths as early in the year as possible. Use this information that you have personally gathered to create opportunities to use their assets as jumping off points for learning.

3) Practice: Never give up on “starting fresh” with your students every day. Remember that their opportunity to learn and grow is at stake! If you pull away from a student—even if you yourself are not aware of it—they can sense it and will pull away in return..

4) Practice: Make it clear that your classroom is a safe haven. They will learn that they don’t need to act up in order to get attention. Have that conversation with every student at the beginning of the year.

5) Practice: Make your own determination about a student; stay open and create rapport with each student. Find out what the student needs in order to succeed. Ask them!

6) Practice: In every new classroom situation do this –

a. Set the ground rules – teach students how to treat you, teach them how to
participate and teach them how to interact with peers. Don’t just say it.
Demonstrate it, practice it!
b. Introduce a surprise/fun/wildcard – Use some music, a piece of art or short video
to show how much fun the lesson is going to be.
c. Issue a challenge – Challenge the students. Ask them to teach you the lesson Let
them know what the end game will be. Say, “By the end of the period we will have
accomplished. . . . .”

Understanding and Recovering from Emotional Upsets

2010-03-18T07:18:00.000-07:00

Emotional upsets: let’s face it, we all have them from time to time, sometimes more frequently than we’d like to admit! Often, we set them up for ourselves because of our own interactions and behaviors and other times they come because we have been ambushed by a person or situation that we thought we had “under control” yet wasn’t.

The question isn’t whether we get emotionally upset but how do we recover from them, learn from them, move on and gain awareness so that we minimize the damage that they can do?

What triggers an emotional upset?

“Know thyself.” Triggers are the outside forces that act on you to generate an emotional upset. Here are a few examples: Phone calls that aren’t returned, getting cut off in traffic, being owed money, rude behavior while standing in line. Get the idea? These are all things that actually happen and by and large “disturb” many of us to a more or lesser degree. Several years back I created a list of these triggers (I also call them derails) and was shocked at how many things cause me to get emotionally upset. Wow, it was quite a list. But in that list were seeds of awareness. If there are that many external forces acting on me then I needed to take actions:

Develop simple strategies and tactics to deal with each derail. What I mean by this is to have simple technique to deal with each and every derail. For example, when cut off in traffic or observing a driver who is text-messaging, I glance away and observe something else or I change the music station. The point here is that to disrupt triggers do anything constructive to counteract the negative trigger. Do it immediately! If you don’t do it immediately, you can end up taking it with you. Ever hear co-workers complaining about traffic when they arrive at work? Another volatile trigger is highly-charged “discussion” on political and religious topics. My simple strategy? Don’t engage in them. It’s easy to tell if it’s a true discussion or a diatribe. Listen for emotional cues, emotionally-charged buzzwords and look for body language.

Ask yourself: What is to be gained by indulging in emotional triggers? By engaging in this conversation or activity will I be uplifted or derailed? How can I disengage quickly from this trigger of my emotional upset? Walk away, read, ignore.

OK, lest you think that I think that outside forces are the true causes of emotional upsets, read on.

Underlying all emotional upsets are generators. Generators are the deep underlying mental model, world view and deep internal conversations that we have with ourselves.(Did you know you are in constant dialogue with yourself whether you know it or not? If not, listen up!). Most parts of our mental models are very healthy but we also have some deep-seated distorted views based on our life experiences that have generated our responses to the environment and interactions with others. Do you know where/when/why/how you distort reality? Here are two of my mine; perhaps you share them or something similar.

1. Money – When I started out as a creative artist, it was pretty common to be labeled a starving artist or be asked “so what’s your day job?” Although in many ways these labels inspired me to become successful and work hard it also planted some rather ugly seeds that generated some negative internal conversations like “I’ll never get paid for this” or “Maybe I oughta get a day job!” or “I don’t have any talent.” Years of artistic and financial struggle before I became “successful” made me constantly challenge how and why I was doing things. Any comment, even made inadvertently, was enough to send me into an emotional upset questioning my entire career and life choice. Talk about a powerful trigger. Making “enough” money then became a symbol of success. Sound familiar? When I made enough money was when I would become successful rather than what I produced and how well I served.

Strategies and tactics to minimize the emotional upset around money:

• While money is necessary, do not ascribe more importance to it than is useful.
• Money is a symbol that only YOU can decide how much power it has.
• Too much dialogue about money over-emphasizes the outcome rather than the process. If money (the outcome) is more important than the process (the joy that you put into your work) then there is an opportunity for an emotional upset.
• We cannot control when/how people compensate us. Sometimes we will receive compensation promptly, other times we will never be compensated. If you don’t love what you do, perhaps it’s time to consider something else.
• Focus on relationships that are profitable not just financially but in terms of building relationships and mutual support. To receive, you must give. The best way to give is without requirements.
• Trust that you will be compensated, just not the way you expect.
• Reward those that pay you promptly. Do wonderful things for them!
• Minimize contact or sever relationships that over time that are consistently emotionally-upsetting. If you are always finding yourself "in that place" yet again, take responsibility.
• Give people a reasonable amount of time to compensate you and follow-up. After that move on and build relationships elsewhere.
• Make a request to be paid or well-compensated. Don’t be afraid to gently educate others on the importance and necessity of the work you do. Don’t wait until the “endgame.” Do it from the beginning.

2. Communication – I love good communication. Nothing like positive feedback, returned phone calls and coming through promptly for people to build relationships. Great! But see how many derails are built-in there? How often do these things actually happen? Again, going back to my early days as a creative artist pounding the streets for gigs, it was disheartening at how I felt (notice emphasis on felt!!) I was treated. Calls never returned, money invested on demos, hours on foot and the subway. It’s no wonder, on the positive side, that I pride myself in being a good communicator. I don’t ever want someone to be treated like I was treated. But small wonder that unless I am very careful I can be “bent out of shape” by what I perceive to be poor communication. Even as I enter mid-career “the poor communication bugaboo” pops up more frequently than I’d like. The more rules and requirements we have around communication the more likely it is we will have an emotional upset. The key is to have your own standards and apply them to others but beware of expecting your exact standards to be applied to you. People aren’t mind readers!

Minimize the emotional upset from poor communication:

• Not everyone communicates in the style and method we would like them to.
• We cannot impose our communication style on others (even though we might like to!). We live in a diverse world with many different styles, temperaments, cultural norms and levels of expressiveness.
• Teach others how to treat you – explain early on in a new personal or business relationship how important good communication is to you.
• There are hidden reasons why people communicate poorly – they are afraid of disappointing you, they aren’t good time managers, they have trouble saying yes or no in a straight forward way.
• Remember, we are all having these deep-seated conversations. If we label someone as a “poor communicator” we fail to hear their back-story. We lower our standard of compassion and communication. By complaining about others’ poor communication we automatically reduce our ability to communicate.
• What are your rules of engagement for communication? Are they serving you or is it possible that you have too many rules.
• Have high standard for communication and live them. Just realize not everyone shares those standards.
• Be a passionate advocate for good communication!

I would like to close out this article with one of my quotes from martial arts instructor George Leonard: “Honor but don’t indulge your dark side.” I have always taken that to mean that human beings are complex and that it’s OK to acknowledge our hurt, anger and fear. Just don’t live there! When an emotional upset occurs be human: allow yourself to experience it. Feel it deeply because it is good information that something must change. How to change it and even transform it? Realize that emotional upsets are often triggered by small events and interactions that always point to a deeper world view or dialogue that may not be advancing your life in the way you’d like. These triggers are actually vital signs that pave the way for you to reflect upon what makes you work at the deepest possible level. Take a look, listen and learn from yourself. You are wise!

What brings you home?

2010-03-12T07:53:00.000-08:00

To come home to center, be in the body, be in the spirit and give something back.

What brings you home? What I mean by that is: What brings you back to center, to who you are at your core? Last night while performing at 49 WEST Café, where the Rob Levit Trio has performed every Thursday for thirteen years, I heard the voice that provided that answer again.

It was a long and harried day and a long and harried week and yet all that melted away as soon as I started performing on the guitar, improvising and interacting with Amy (bass) and Frank (drums). The ability to converse with other musicians, seek and find new sounds and combinations on the guitar all while friends, fans and patrons enjoy our music brings me home. It is time well-spent.

So what brings you home? When, how and where does it melt away for you?

Here are a few ideas that might help bring you home:

Be in the body

Most of the time we live in our heads – sitting at a desk, talking, typing. Playing the guitar is a physical activity that requires attention to being in the body as I sway to the music, move my fingers and pay attention to the inner and external environment required to perform well. How can you “get physical” when you need to where you aren’t normally able to? A recent study detailed the physical danger of sitting to long. Come home to center by getting centered in the body. Move! Asian principles of movement like T'ai Chi are guiding lights of the positive individual and communal effects of conscious movement. But we don't need a class to do that -- we can choose to move consciously throughout our day.

Be in the spirit

I am incredibly grateful to be able to perform each week at 49 WEST Café, work with such excellent musicians and be surrounded by great lovers of music. That sense of gratitude allows me to be in the spirit; to never take for granted the gift of being able to create music for the benefit of others. Before every performance my ritual is to say a short prayer that we connect with the audience and connect with each other in a life-affirming way. That’s why I don’t call my performances “gigs,” they are true performances. As a matter of fact, a friend of mine asked me if I ever get sick of performing every Thursday. The answer is never! How could I be sick of something that is so soul-replenishing? Where are you able to be “in the spirit?” How do you know when you are there?

Give something back

Perhaps the greatest way to find your way home is to give something back. I always enjoy interacting with every audience member, making eye contact with them, asking what type of tune they want to hear. Coming home to center isn’t just about me; it’s also extending that opportunity to others who live a harried, stressful life too. By giving your best energy to others, the return home is all the more sweet.

The interaction of alone time and together time

2010-03-09T12:23:00.000-08:00

"Bring depth and dimensionality to each and every life experience whether alone or together."

There are two basic experiences in life – those we have alone and those we have together. The quality of alone and together time affect each other and can enhance or diminish either one or both. How we are alone influences who we are when we are together. How we are together influences who we are when alone.

Different facets of our personality are expressed when we are alone and when we are together. We need both types of time to reflect the full dimensions of who we are. We cannot hide from the world forever by being alone but we cannot also use the safety in numbers of being together to keep us from ultimately being alone either.

One way or another, we must learn to be alone well and be together well.

There is a difference between being lonely and alone. By alone, I mean in solitude.
Solitude is peaceful. It is different than solitary confinement. It is the spiritual breathing space around you and you can create it. The path of least resistance to alone time is simplicity – choosing simple, spirit-filled activities that do not require speed.

There is a difference in being together as an avoidance practice and being together as communal and relational beings. We discover through each other, in our various roles, what build or destroys communities and healthy relationships. Are we builders or destroyers when together? Both?

Being aware of why we sometimes feel lonely when alone and why we sometimes need other people so we don’t have to spend time in solitude with ourselves unlocks crucial insights into who we are. Why do we feel lonely? Why are we compelled to be around people even when it is to our detriment? How can we wean ourselves from the need to always be together, no matter the cost?

Alone time is essential to recharge the body, mind and spirit. Exercise, reading, prayer, meditation, gardening, walking, looking at art, reading poetry, listening to music, eating a home-cooked meal, quiet reflection and journaling are all excellent alone time activities.

Of course these alone time activities can be done together too. Doing alone time activities “together” creates mindfulness and a silent connection with one another. Monasteries are a good example of this – eating, cooking and praying in silence create a sense of “space between.” Breathing space in work, family, friend and community relationships is healthy and can be created consciously and with frank, open and empathetic discussion. Asking what the needs of our co-workers, family members, friends and community and then respecting them are keys to a peaceable kingdom.

Too much alone time can foster isolation, weaken social relationships and create a lopsided and self-centered view of the world.

Together time is essential because in the crucible of social interactions our relationships are nurtured and grow. Our together time can usually be categorized by work, family, friends and community. Take a good look at the categories and note which category you spend the most time in. What would be a great balance for you between the four categories? Do you have that balance?

Too much time together creates a lack of space in our lives. When we don’t have any down time to just “be” we become can become machine-like on automatic pilot fulfilling roles that are pre-determined and pre-destined for us by some artificial template.

The hallmark of good together time is listening to others. The hallmark of good alone time is listening deeply to one’s self and the spirit.

Questions to ask about alone time and together time

1. What percentage of your time do you like to spend alone?
2. What percentage of your time do you like to spend with others?
3. What are the benefits of the solitary experience?
4. What are the benefits of the experiences we have together? At work? At play? In important relationships?
5. Is the percentage of time you spend with others out of balance? Why? Why not?
6. Is the percentage of time you spend alone out of balance? Why? Why not?
7. What is your ideal way to spend your alone time?
8. What is your ideal way to spend your together time at work, home, with friends, with family?
9. What from your alone time would you like to bring to your together time?
10. What from your together time would you like to bring to your alone time?
11. Is there anything holding you back in your together time? Look at the four categories and make observations about each one.
12. Is there anything in your alone time holding you back? What? Why?
13. If you had to do just one thing to improve or deepen the quality of your alone and together time what would it be?
14. Which activities that you do alone could be more meaningful when done together?
15. Where could you personally grow by doing some together activities alone?
16. How does your alone and together time work together to create a deeper, more meaningful life for you?

Bring depth and dimensionality to each and every life experience whether alone or together.

The Three O's -- A Pathway to Creativity

2010-02-18T11:46:00.000-08:00

The Three O’s

The creative process can be framed in terms of The Three O’s – Openness, Observation and Ordering. For individuals and organizations to be creative and more importantly be able to act on creative insights then these three O’s must be in place.

Openness means being able to see and experience the environment, both internal and external, without the many filters and prejudices we have in place. Being open means suspending judgment, at least temporarily, while allowing new possibilities to emerge. Individuals and organizations that don’t remain open to the ever-shifting context of their environment may miss crucial signals for new opportunities and signs of impending disaster. This can be difficult for organizations that are entrenched in traditions that may no longer be serving the vision.

Observation means that once the filters/barriers to being open are removed, it is possible to then make key observations about the environment. For observations to be useful they must be captured and recorded for future reference. The more observations the better and that means being adventurous in the use of descriptive and multi-sensory language. Journals and on the fly video are just two ways observations can be logged. The key here is to be an observation hog – capture and store any and all observations without editing them.

Ordering means that observations become insights. Innovators have learned to put sometimes seemingly unrelated observations in a new order to create something unique. Don’t be afraid to play with observations, pairing obscure with obvious, big with small, humorous with serious, dark with light.

Harness the power of the Three O’s to jumpstart creativity.

Five Creative Principles of Artists

2010-02-16T16:04:00.000-08:00

I would like to share with you five principles that artists use to generate creative ideas, inspire their teams and produce innovation. Each principle is applicable both at the personal and organizational level.

1. Recycle or Reclaim – In Ghana, the banana bell is a hand-made musical instrument made from scrap metal. Rather than create musical instruments from new materials, craftsmen gather found objects and create beautiful music from what is on hand. Too often, we think that a new technology, method or resource is the answer to a problem. We would be wise to do a thorough inventory of the resources we have available right here and now. It is almost always the case that by digging deeper into ourselves and the resources latent in our organizations, we can find the solutions that we need.

2. Deconstruct or Destroy – In 1937 Picasso painted Weeping Woman, a radically different vision of the human portrait. By deconstructing and in some ways destroying the classic portrait image he opened new possibilities for the viewer to connect to the deeper emotional and social implications in his art. Although Picasso’s innovations were not well-received at first, his art set a new standard for the 20th century. For organizations to thrive, new models must be developed. Organizations that do not deconstruct and in some cases destroy their old models are doomed to become obsolete and organizations that are flexible and adaptable enough to build deconstructive activities into their business model can continue to thrive and provide new visions and value for their customers.

3. Improvise – In 1959, in a single day’s recording session trumpet genius Miles Davis recorded the greatest jazz album of all time, Kind of Blue. His hand-picked team of the finest jazz musicians of the day included saxophonist John Coltrane and pianist Bill Evans. Rather than give his sidemen the sheet music in advance or perform previously agreed on songs, Davis thrust his musicians into the studio with brand new music. By doing this, Davis forced his musicians to be flexible and adaptable in the moment. Far from flying by the seat of their pants, the musicians drew on their entire pool of knowledge and musicality to create some of the finest moments in jazz history. Often we assume that advanced preparation will produce better results. In fact performance is often situational and when the right conditions are set and an organization provides proper structures of support, workers can flourish in a loose and spontaneous environment much as Miles Davis’ sidemen did on Kind of Blue.

4. Collaborate – Cudamani is a virtuosic group of musicians from the island of Bali in Indonesia. I have had the pleasure of working with several artists from Cudamani and watching how their group collaborates. Their collaborations are large, social gatherings. A sense of community pervades their collaborations which involve intense yet relaxed rehearsals. To watch them perform is to see a joyous expression of culture and a celebration of music and dance. They breathe as one unit with each musician is integral to the entire composition. Although Cudamani has a leader, each musician plays an equal role in performance and is given ample opportunity to try different instruments. Investing workers with responsibilities outside of their traditional comfort zone while creating a safe environment to collaborate is essential to the innovation process. In addition, when workers are engaged in the big picture of a project and not left only to manage minute and seemingly unconnected details, they have a stake in the success of the entire collaboration. True collaboration engages all the participants and invests them with a sense of ownership. Cudamani teaches us that collaboration and community can be synonymous.

5. Envision – John Coltrane’s 1965 album A Love Supreme is a living example of a vision statement. The original LP version had Coltrane’s long manifesto on the nature of his music and life philosophy. The intensity and searching nature of the music mirrored perfectly his grand vision statement. Most organizations have mission and vision statements and yet they can easily become static documents unless they are lived not just by the organization but by the individuals that comprise the organization. Coltrane’s searching musical philosophy translated perfectly into music and it galvanized his team – drummer Elvin Jones, pianist McCoy Tyner and bassist Jimmy Garrison. Coltrane didn’t just create a vision – he lived it, shared it and communicated it relentlessly. What would be the point of having a vision otherwise?

The Greatest Natural Law: Actions Speak Louder Than Words

2009-06-02T10:59:00.001-07:00

All of us deal with difficult people, heck, we may be one of those difficult people other folks have to deal with. In all cases, actions speak louder than words when coming to terms with what kind of person we have been in the relationship and what kind of person the "difficult" person has been. I have had a particularly trying relationship with someone for over a year now and when I look back, I don't think either of us have been particularly good at being action-oriented. Action-oriented in this case means clear and honest communication. The words have been many, the silence has been deafening! Coming to terms with how I have been as responsible as the person to whom I wish I could assign all the blame is a difficult process yet it is worth it. Once we realize our responsibility, we have freedom to start fresh and make better, empowering choices. An important part of life is also realizing that there will be some folks that we ultimately won't connect or even stay in touch with anymore, even if all signs at one time looked good.

Here are some thoughts on how to assess whether a difficult relationship is worth seeing all the way home:

1. What has been my role in this relationship -- for better and uh, for worse? It **always takes two**. How am I responsible for what has happened and why is that so hard to admit? Now that I know my responsibility in the situation what choices can I make to resolve, solve or move on?
2. Have I been a clear and honest communicator or have I expected the "difficult" person to be a mind reader?
3. Do I feel good around this person? Do I feel good when I am away from them?
4. Have I invested fully in this person and have they invested in me? Have we invested in our team?

Actions speak louder than words -- communicate clearly from the get go!

Thunderstorm and Cycles/Breakthroughs

2009-05-29T14:27:00.000-07:00

Thunderstorms the door wide open violent wash then cool wind gives way to a calm sky, the birds at last feel safe as distant thunder echoes somewhere many waves away

Today I was the opener for the Neighborhood Leadership Academy retreat of Leadership Anne Arundel. It is said the best way to learn is to teach and that's one of the reasons (but not the main) that I enjoy teaching. Each time I speak on Crossing Thresholds, Breakthroughs and Zones of Satisfaction -- concepts I developed for myself many years ago, I am always stunned at how I still love them! I love sharing and hope you find them useful.

Threshold -- each event in our life, even the smallest, is an opportunity to begin fresh, so as we cross a threshold from one moment to the next we can either build on the positive energy of the previous moment or start fresh. It's kind of like "personal grace." Why don't we offer ourselves and most certainly others a fresh new moment, each and every moment -- as we cross the threshold?

Breakthrough -- a related concept. Each moment, each event large and small offers the opportunity for an epiphany, an understanding, a way to connect people, ideas. When we cross the threshold we can say "As I enter this space (physical/mental) where/how is there an opportunity for a breakthrough? The breakthroughs are always there but we have to look for and expect them. A breakthrough is a tiny miracle

Zones of Satisfaction -- Where do we spend most of our time? I used to spend most of my time pretty miserable, that was my zone of satisfaction. My breakthrough? Lord, allow me to be the person I am when I perform music off the bandstand. The same abandon, joy and focus I have as an artist -- that deep place -- I want to share that feeling, love and energy in relationships not just on the bandstand. We want to be deeply satisfied yet how are we creating the possibility for this to exist? It takes self-reflection and then action: to bring deep satisfaction to many areas of our lives, not just one or two.

An Acronym For Aloha -- 5 Hawaiian Words To Live BY

2009-01-02T11:06:00.001-08:00

From The Washington Post:

But for the BlackBerry
clipped to his left hip, Obama appeared to be channeling the aloha
spirit of his native Hawaii. Far more than a greeting, Hawaiians' aloha
-- which has many meanings -- often connotes a certain laid-back
live-and-let-live attitude. Translated literally, it means the breath
of life. But aloha is also sometimes interpreted as an acronym for five words meaning kindness (akahai), unity (lokahi), agreeability
(olu'olu), humility (ha'aha'a) and patience (ahonui).

Video from December 10, 2008 Rob's Maryland Hall Holiday Show

2008-12-16T09:43:00.000-08:00

Cultivating Creativity, interview with Rob by Sharon Willocks

2008-12-13T05:28:00.001-08:00

Notes on Cultivating Creativity in Your Life

What is improvisation?

Improvisation is a seemingly spontaneous creative reaction to environmental stimuli. However, this form of creativity is much less spontaneous than it may appear. The ability to improvise is rooted in preparation; in the assembly of skills, knowledge, and confidence that allows one to effectively respond creatively to unexpected situations. It is preparedness that breeds the confidence and openness that is necessary to improvise.

Questions to ask yourself:
• What does it mean to be creative every day?
• Do I have the structures in place to make that happen?

Creativity is not something that only certain "artistic" people have. Everyone has ideas, innovations, and the ability to think creatively. The only difference is how aware people are of their own creativity and how to release it.

An idea is only truly creative if it is put into action (obviously; otherwise, nothing is created at all). Bring ideas out of thought and into action. If your creative ideas are not openly shared, not only are you restricting your own growth and expansion, you're not creating new possibilities for other people to be creative; possibilities that might be realized as a result of their reaction to your creativity. Art and creativity are all about expanding thoughts outward, and sharing with people…

Take any idea and test it. Don't be so quick to judge or dismiss. Don't be afraid to "get work out there". Don't wait for the right time. There's always a temptation to procrastinate, to think that we don't yet have the resources or skills we need to be proactive about creativity. We'll say, "when I have this and that I will be able to accomplish my goal." We must recognize that we already have everything we need right here in this very moment; we must see possibilities in the moment. Always trust that you have the tools and resources to make the right decision about a creative project.

Great art can be created using minimal materials. There is no need to wait.

Mental shift: we absolutely must view creativity as a moment by moment part of life, not a force outside of us that we have to wait for or seek out. It is always there, it's just a matter of self-awareness...

Rob's daily morning routine (must consciously make time for self-reflection):

• Create a relaxing environment (candles, music, spiritual writings, etc)

• Take stock and write down thoughts about how you're feeling physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually.

• The idea: put preparation/effort into maintaining self. It's too often ignored and overshadowed by "priorities" outside of yourself (work, bills, errands, etc). How can you live effectively if you aren't self-aware and in tune with your own life and goals?

Self-criticism and Creativity

Do not judge your creativity before it has been realized. Defer judgment - postpone it or remove it completely. Don't intentionally place stumbling blocks in the way of being creative. Instead of judging, self-reflect. Turn off the editor while making art.

When you remove judgment and criticism, you create a space for your best work; you remove self-consciousness as much as possible and allow yourself to be as open as possible. Do not ask if an idea is right or wrong. Ask instead if you are seeing all possible perspectives. Ask where else you can take an idea. Every little impulse or idea has the potential to grow into something huge, it's just a matter of how you react to it...critically or reflectively. Don't dwell on whether or not an idea might be useful to you or someone else. Don't throw anything away, instead keep creating and reusing.

Everything is fodder for creativity

You don't need a specific, immediate end purpose to be creative.

Be aware of the creative spark inside. Listen and be aware of your ideas and reflect on them. Don't just touch on an idea and quickly move on. Take time to work with each idea, examine its potential and build off of it, see where it goes.

Key qualities of creative people

• Observation: creative people make many (and often different) observations about their environment. Pay attention. Look closer. Learn from everything.
• Ordering: put observations in order. Take ordinary things and place them in a unique, interesting order - the act of creating is simply making new and interesting things from existing tools (words, ideas, colors, etc)
• Openness: continuously open to new observations and not closed off to a particular style of observation or ordering. Always look for new ways to express self.

Ask self: what are the few basic operating structures in your life, what do you live for? (Rob: must be creative and dedicate life to creativity and helping people be creative, must communicate with other human beings)

Do not segment life. Life is one big, organic, unified, continuous thing. Do not think of your life in pieces: work, vacation, etc. Life is all inclusive - don't reserve creativity for any one aspect. Apply creativity to every area of life…

You often see in others what you extend or project in a situation. Instead of projecting judgment, fear, competitiveness, and arrogance, extend love, creativity, joy, and a desire to help others. If you don't project negativity toward others, you are less likely to feel negativity from others when expressing yourself. Replace criticism with encouragement, etc.

Rob's daily habit:

"Check in" 4-5 times a day. Ask what are my intentions/motivations and what are my actions offering in support of them? Make every action intentional...driven by your motivation.
How do you describe the world, using as much appropriate imagery as possible? (Rob: a spiritual quest). Language is one of the easiest ways to be creative - pay attention to how you use words - put effort into making communication colorful and interesting. Describe the world in a way that creatively indicates how you view your role in it...

Rob's 21 challenge:

Take a week and try to reach 21 different people creatively - from random people to good friends. Unlock creative experiences, don’t hold them in, extend self and creativity to others.

***

Martha Graham:

"There is a vitality, a life-force, a quickening that is translated through you into action; and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium, and be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is; nor how valuable it is; nor how it compares to other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep open and aware directly to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open... No artist is pleased...There is no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer, divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching - and makes us more alive than the others."

Maya Angelou:

"Because of the routines we follow, we often forget that life is an ongoing adventure. We leave our homes for work, acting and even believing that we will reach our destinations with no unusual event startling us out of our set expectations. The truth is we know nothing, not where our cars will fail or when our buses will stall, whether our places of employment will be there when we arrive, or whether, in fact, we ourselves will arrive whole and alive at the end of our journeys. Life is pure adventure and the sooner we realize that, the quicker we will be able to treat life as art: to bring all our energies to each encounter, to remain flexible enough to notice and admit when we expected to happen did not happen. We need to remember that we are created creative and can invent new scenarios as frequently as they are needed."

Tom Robbins:

"Listen, it's really pretty simple. If there's a thing, a scene, maybe, an image that you want to see real bad, that you need to see but it doesn't exist in the world around you, at least not in the form that you envision, then you create it so that you can look at it and have it around, or show it to other people who wouldn't have imagined it because they perceive reality in a more narrow, predictable way. And that's it. That's all an artist does."

Be an observation hog!

2008-12-13T05:20:00.001-08:00

Be An Observation Hog

Be an observation hog – endeavor to let nothing escape your purview.

Many people keep a journal or diary, and if you think about it, all they are is a collection of observations, from the perspective of the writer. Having a journal is an important step in capturing and corralling your observations. However, it is equally important to make sure that your creative journal is free of judgment of what you observe. For me, my diary and journal has always been about capturing impressions and experiences rather than analysis and judgment of those impressions and experiences. Any time I have use my journal as an analysis tool, I have always been amused at far off reality my perspective was from what actually happened, so in that sense, my old journals serve as great comic relief and a reminder that my reality from that time wasn’t necessarily the truth.

So, simply list as many observations as you can, whenever you write in your creative journal. Don’t try to make connections among them, that will come soon enough. The main thing is just get them down – observations on clothes, nature, food, music, facial expressions, art, conversation, moods, etc. – any topic is a great topic and any observation is a good one!

Creativity Love and Healing -- Some Thoughts

2008-12-13T05:11:00.000-08:00

Creativity, Love, and Healing

The answer to any problem or difficulty is always the extension of love into the world via your creativity. That is, any time you extend the possibility for insight, expression, and/or renewal to another person through your creative work, no matter how small, then you have created love in its highest expression – peace.

You have an inkling but no real idea of the infinite and everlasting ripples of your creative extension of love into the world and after all, why should you? The excitement of pure creation for the sake of love and peace, without any agenda, generates energy in your daily life that can become a driving force to last your lifetime. Not knowing the final destination of your creative work creates anticipation and a craving to do even more –

Where in the world will the effects of our creation be felt and who will feel it?

It can be fun to anticipate it and then be amazed at how far off the mark we were. Creation is always a story with a surprise ending where the ending becomes the beginning or the beginning at first seemed like an ending. If you look back at your life and its best and worst moments, you can see the pattern of how things ended up – never as expected! In fact, the residue or unintended outcomes of your creative work may be the very thing that brings peace and healing to a situation. So, your only responsibility and is to create and share it in the most direct and pure way you can muster. Once you do that, then you are on your way to creating a masterpiece, that on a spiritual level, everyone will experience, whether you realize it or not.

Part of the fun of life includes surprise and not knowing every little detail and outcome. Uncertainty is not on most people’s list of desirable states of being. There is a difference between Not Knowing and Uncertainty. If we are uncertain, we lack trust. Sometimes, we lack trust in the core process of why we create. Not knowing simply means we don’t know the specific answer according to our specific vision and needs. I think that’s good news! Life is a process – paradoxically, when we commit to the process and not the outcome, we get the best results – results that are far bigger and long-lasting then what our perceptions and reasoning will allow. To be creative, create a beautiful process and the outcome will have no choice but to be beautiful as well.

This is evident and obvious in the arts and yet is no different from every action that people engage in. Did Van Gogh know that his paintings would reach every corner of the globe and be studied in every art classroom as masterpieces? Did Mozart anticipate his music being on silver little discs and played for babies and children to foster their intelligence? Perhaps, but I doubt it! Even though the results of creation are obvious, it is usually with 20/20 hindsight. But right now, we have the opportunity to have 20/20 foresight –

Our creativity, down to our most minute actions, will have an infinite impact on everyone that follows us. How must we act now that we know this?

No creation made from love is unnoticed by God. In essence, creating from love means you are speaking God’s language. You are already fluent in this language; it’s just a matter of realizing that it’s already there, already remembered in the core of your being.

How do you extend love through creativity? By sharing your gifts to their fullest expression. If you sing, allow yourself to sing to others. If you paint, let others see it so that they may share your joy, pain, sorrow, or triumph. You don’t have to be an artist to extend love – your work may be done through listening, speaking, eye contact, gesture, or writing. Prayer is essential but then so is action – “pray to God and ply the hammer.” Creativity is the active part of your prayer and meditation. Creativity is the harnessing of your internal spiritual energy and manifesting it in the world and sharing it despite the perceived cost. If you have something to share, you must share it! True solutions based on love do not involve a cost/benefit analysis, leveraging, or positioning oneself.

If a problem or difficulty persists in your life, then you have not extended your love into the world enough. This has nothing to do with faultfinding, placing blame, or trying harder. It means doing less of what you think is best or appropriate, because how well has that worked? It means doing more listening and less talking and thinking. There is a level of knowing above thought – it is easily tapped into by stopping what you are doing and eliminating the electric buzz that surrounds all of your thoughts and activities. For a minute, stop trying to control everything. Relinquishing control is often a frightening proposition but often the key to the healing and resolution of a difficult situation. This means giving the problem over, not trying to rationalize, objectify, or explain it. Only you will know when you reach the point where explanations don’t work anymore. When you arrive at that point, allow your creativity to take over and heal the problem or difficulty of its own accord. This takes trust.

If the trust doesn’t exist for this to happen, then you are blocking the path for creative expression to do its work. How do you get out of your way? There is great power in not asking for an answer. In a world of instant gratification, we expect answers to be immediate and complete. In a world of prayer, creativity, and love those answers are already complete just not always according to our desire. In that regard, part of creativity is absolute trust –

You are on the right path, no mater what you are doing and what your current circumstances are – it’s just up to you to recognize it and be with it.

You have always been on the right path. To live or think any other way implies that you have wasted your time, and of course you haven’t. You can be on the right path and just not know it!

One of the most powerful and creative things you can say to yourself or to another person to create solutions is “I don’t know.” Far from looking like a fool or a liar, you allow a fresh and flowing path to be cleared by these simple words. The other three words that you can add to this statement to enhance the ability for creative solutions to present themselves is “Can you help me?”

Vulnerability and honesty are often mistaken as weakness. In reality, they are the very definitions of strength. By stating, “I don’t know. Can you help me?” you are creating a path for communication both on the personal level and spiritual level. You send a powerful message to the person you are interacting with that you are not going to foist your vision of the world upon them and in turn, you stop blocking your own personal spiritual insight into a situation.

In short, create your work and share it without conditions in each and every moment. When this becomes a habit and a way of life, when you realize that “giving up” is the way of true gain.

Grieving Alone

2008-10-02T08:38:00.001-07:00

I often feel concerned about those that grieve alone. The main reason is that it seems that many folks seem to be missing the "empathy gene" -- they can't see folks right in front of them who could use a lift. That lift really could just be a hug, a hand, a smile. Sometimes the last thing someone needs is advice or commentary. People can feel your empathy and compassion very easily. It's nice when you can feel that "silent support." Recently I knew a friend was suffering, I could just feel it. The last thing I wanted to do was to offer advice. I did my best just to be there. My "empathy gene" told me that there was no way I could experience what they were going through. Sometimes I just want to send the message "I care, I am here . . ."

One of those days when it felt like I could crash . . .

2008-10-01T14:53:00.000-07:00

. . . until I gave the day back to God. I ignored Spirit all day but there was God waiting patiently and lovingly for me to show up, that's grace and I am so thankful for it! We are all loved so very much, despite the insecurities and frailties -- I have them, not afraid to admit it. I can celebrate my humanity because of the spiritual that dwells in us all. Thankful you are reading this.

It's a rough time for us all -- don't give up! Keep going. You are loved. Don't give up, let's make it together, all of us. Lord, clear away the barriers to what I think others are; Lord, clear away the barriers to what others think I am.

ROB

John Wooden Video

2008-09-28T06:16:00.000-07:00

Get this video! John Wooden is amazing, a rarity in humanity. You may have heard these ideas before but he has actually lived them and passed them to generations of people on a profound level that few of us get to experience -- until he made this well-done and inspiring video to share.

Ken Vandermark Video

2008-09-28T06:06:00.000-07:00

There is a cool video about saxophonist and composer Ken Vandermark, I recommend it! One of the most interesting things about this video is that his conversation, working process, life and practicing are far more interesting and compelling then his on stage performances! The performances are a let down -- dull and tedious -- yet his entire milieu surrounding the perfomance is fascinating. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtSYQAtK6RY

Rob Levit at World Festival of Sacred Music, Los Angeles, Sept. 2008

2008-09-27T08:29:00.000-07:00

Rob Levit Trio LIVE at National Gallery Washington DC

2008-09-27T08:14:00.000-07:00