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Creative Alchemy
Find your inspiration in 2006
Claudie,
Welcome to the November Creative Alchemy Newsletter.
Please get in touch if you have any thoughts or
responses to the subjects I write about, or about our
events. I'd love to hear what's been useful or
interesting, or downright annoying...
Please feel free to forward this newsletter to your
network.
Reality Bites
I saw Casino Royale this week. Apparently it’s the best
Bond ever, not because of the amazing stunts, or the
number of Aston Martins destroyed as accessories to the
plot (three apparently), but because 007 has discovered
his vulnerability. For Bond to be displaying a level of
psychological realism may seem to detract somewhat from
the comic book invincibility we know and love but I was
spellbound. When he’s kicked or thrown down a flight of
stairs he bleeds, the red-rimmed eyes tell of endless
sleepless nights, and finally we watch, fascinated, as
his heart is well and truly broken.
Which led me to thinking about authenticity, what
connects us to each other and focuses our attention. If,
instead of exhibiting weakness by allowing other people
to perceive our vulnerability we in fact begin to appear
more real in their eyes, and our communication takes on
a deeper meaning as a result? As the new 007
illustrates, it takes a certain type of strength to be
vulnerable, to relinquish the fragile shell we call
confidence and just be ourselves.
For a long time I believed that if I asked for help,
admitted to not knowing something, that I would be seen
as weak, unable to cope on my own. I was convinced that
my own house of cards confidence could be blown down
through the merest chink of vulnerability, and as a
result I restricted my own capacity to learn and to grow
and to express myself honestly and powerfully.
Refusing to express my own insecurities had a direct
impact on my creativity too, as playing safe produced
work which was ill-considered, superficially attractive
but lacking meaning and depth. It meant I missed out on
the essential learning process which informs creativity
when you play and experiment and try things out, which
depends on a willingness to be vulnerable, imperfect and
questioning. It also meant I often missed out on the
incredible wisdom of others, because it’s difficult to
ask the right questions whilst pretending you already
know everything!
I have to say I’m not advocating random emotional
unburdening (read: dumping) to casual acquaintances or
total strangers. Nor am I suggesting that it is always
appropriate to be totally honest about what you are
experiencing at any particular time. What I am
suggesting is that we raise our awareness of our
emotional reality and allow it to inform and influence
our creativity and the way we communicate. When we do
this we step into our power in a completely different
way. By being brave enough to maintain that transparency
in our work it becomes more believable, more authentic
and compelling and so do we.
Creative Alchemy Christmas Party 5th December
Nordic, 25 Newman Street, London W1T 1PN
Creative Alchemy brings together creative businesses and
freelancers from across the different creative sectors
for networking, discussion and socialising in a chilled
out smiley environment designed to encourage
collaboration and inspiration. Join us for a FREE
Christmas drink (while they last, so get there early)
and see what develops!
Register here to attend this event:
Coaching for Creative Businesses
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Employee Engagement is essential if you want
to retain top quality staff, whilst
maintaining peak performance, creativity and
motivation. Providing coaching to your staff
as an employee benefit will enable your
business to perform at the highest level,
increasing focus, performance and
creativity, whilst providing support and
stress management for your most valuable
resource - talented people. Get in touch to
find out how coaching could work for your
business, or forward this link to your HR
department.
Learn More |
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