genius – Emily Brickel Edelson

Articles Tagged with: genius

September 12, 2013

Celebrate your Uniqueness

A unique take on my current illustration style!

So many times we judge ourselves by the standards of society, of our peers or of those who have come before us. We are told by our elders to fit in, to conform and to “keep calm and carry on.”

We live in a society where exceptionality is celebrated by those from afar and resented by those who are close. It is a confusing place to be for those who yarn to express their point of view, their talent or their natural limelight yet feel the need to stifle it for one reason or another.

In the short term, yes it is so much easier to just keep quiet, to not express your opinions, your gifts or your eccentricity. It’s safer. But in the long term – you are doing a huge disservice to the world and you are stifling your soul in the meantime.

We are each given our unique gifts and dreams that match for a reason, for the greater good and to share them with the world. To make the world a slightly better place because you lived in it can only happen when you really LIVE your life – your unique life.

It takes guts, perseverance, and unwavering conviction to repeatedly silence your own doubts and the doubts of those around you alike – but it’s worth it. Take a stand, deliver your point of view, execute your strengths and put to work your talents.

Trust in a divine design for you and your unique abilities, for you to share your thoughts and execute your passions.

It is with great relish that we taste the fruits of our labor.

It is with great savor that share our gifts with the world

It is our divine purpose to use the gifts we were given.

If just one person’s life is better because you lived in it, or because you shared your uniqueness you have done your job.

Hope that inspires you!

Xoxo

Emily

September 5, 2013

How to get what you want and have fun doing it!!

Getting what you want is all about a give and take. Since the term “Getting what you want” has such a negative connotation it can often times seem selfish or mal-intentioned. However, we all desire things in life and why give up our dreams and goals at the risk of being “judged” that we are selfish. The people who are judging you are afraid to ask for and get what they want in life, and if you notice most of the time they are unhappy because they don’t have what they are looking for.

How to:

1. Getting what you want is all about KNOWING what you want. That means setting specific goals and focusing on them.

2. Create a plan to get what you want. Figure out what is it you need to do, what kinds of people, places and events you need to connect with and what you can give in return to get what you want.

3. Get comfortable with the idea of receiving what you want and feeling worthy and deserving of it. This is a really hard thing to do for a lot of people. Sometimes you notice people who literally or figuratively “Hit the Lottery” or gain all of this huge success then all of a sudden loose it all. This is because of a theory described in the book “The Big Leap” by Gay Hendricks (a book on my Must-read-because-it-will-change-your life list.) The theory says that when you don’t feel worthy you will in essence no longer be a magnet for the successes that you desire. My mentor Gabrielle Bernstein says the same thing. It is only when you feel worthy and attract what you want that you will be able to retain it.

An example to illustrate this point is: Have you ever wished for, felt worthy of a promotion or leap of success in some area of your life (relationships, money, or anything) and received that which you desired – and then once you have attained it you start to self-doubt, self-sabotage and question if you really are truly worthy. Then all of a sudden, your new promotion, new relationship or influx of money disappears just as fast as it came in. This is because you turned your attracting magnet in reverse and not in a good way. Another book that touts this theory: The Secret. Moral of the story: don’t doubt your worthiness – trust in it!

4. Create or add to your vision board. Here comes the fun part. Visualize what you want. I’m sure this is not the first time you’ve heard this about a vision board, but as you grow and accomplish things, your vision board should grow with you. Keep it fun by switching things up, adding images that inspire you and give you the feeling of what you desire, also check off the things that have come to fruition! This will give you a visual reminder of the good things that will come your way.

5. Enjoy the journey, not just the destination. Half of the fun and all of the adventure comes from the obstacles you faced to get there. Don’t stress and understand that each mini success, bump in the road and even failures are stepping-stones to your big picture. Trust in the end game and give it up to the Universe. Have fun along the way and know that any tests you are given are so you can grow stronger and more able to accept the big victory at the end. You literally have to rip and tear your muscles apart (when working out) to rebuild them into a strong toned body.

6. Don’t be afraid – just go with it. Enable the auto response “What’s the worst thing that could happen” question when faced with fear. Generally the answer will not be death or serious injury (if it is stay away). The answer to that question will most likely be not nearly as scary what you picture.

So go ahead, take the risk and go get what you want!!!!

Hope that inspires you!
xoxo

Emily

August 22, 2013

Pleasure vs. Success and dealing with Burn out

“If you go for success, pleasure is 50/50. If you go for pleasure, success is guaranteed.” Quoted the founder of Boom, Cindy Joseph.

I recently read this statement and it was quite interesting to hear.

“Pleasure is suspicious in our society but if you are honest with yourself and what you really want your only hope of happiness is going for what gives you immense pleasure” Cindy said.

People are judged pretty heavily based on their successes and their enjoyment of life. If you see a hard working person who is grunting and complaining of the pains in their life, but who appears to have it all, money, cars, a relationship, nice things, great job, etc. this person is most always regarded as successful even if they seem to not be enjoying the process. Sometimes these people even go as far as complaining on purpose to even the playing ground, to make others around more comfortable and downplay their actual happiness and successes.

On the flip side when a person is successful BECAUSE they are enjoying life, having fun and living their desires they are almost always regarded with a negative attitude (or perhaps jealousy) and even deemed to have “stumbled upon success”, to have been “handed it” or worse remarks that are so far from the truth.

Why does pleasure have to be guilty? If I want to have a mid afternoon chocolate break (instead of coffee) and also enjoy working out – what really is the problem? But we as a society really enjoy making pleasure seem guilty. After my chocolate break I am hard wired and programed (by society) to feel bad that I indulged. Why?

I honestly have no idea but it is absurd! What’s the point in living life if you truly can’t enjoy it!!!?!!?

Whoever heard of the saying “You can’t have your cake and eat it too!?” WHY WOULD YOU HAVE CAKE IF YOU CAN’T EAT IT TOO!?!?!? This is perplexing! I understand this proverb is about trade-offs in life but why does pleasure have to be a trade-off?

Why can’t we have it all?

Well. My answer to that is we can, actually, have it all. When following your heart’s desire you are on the path to success – headed towards living a life beyond your wildest dreams. So go for it, and keep on going for it. You will always be successful if you are following your passion.

Now, in terms of burn out: “You run long and hard, you get tired. That’s a fact. Marathoners don’t criticize themselves after a race for being exhausted. They rest.” – Danielle LaPorte.

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

When doing your Passion work, you are highly likely to face burn out at one point or anther. That’s ok. It’s normal. You should.

Danielle goes on to say:

-As the legend goes, when the Phoenix resurrects from the flames, she is even more beautiful than before.

-“Life balance” is an insidious myth. Picasso, Oprah, Steve Jobs, Einstein, Maria Callas – they weren’t aiming for balance, they were aiming to rock their genius, and they’ve all had periods of burn out.

-On the seventh day, even God rested.

-Take stock of all you’ve accomplished. You’ve come far, baby. And you’ve got the road rash and the muscle definition to prove it.

And lastly

Burn out is a natural part of shining. Naturally. I welcome it now.

Thanks Danielle.

And now I invite YOU to go find your biggest desires and make them come true. Do your Passion work, shine bright, burn out, rest, and do it all over again and then repeat. This is how you serve the world with your gift and keep on giving.

Hope that inspires you!
xoxo

Emily

August 1, 2013

Paint your life.

Illustration of Christine Ryan of The Diva Dishes

Every now and again we get short hits of space in our projects, whether it be ending a previous project and starting a new or whether it be a summer vacation, a weekend get away or even just a bath and a night off where we can really clear our minds.

Having this space in our lives is crucial to paint the future. You are your own Monet, with a blank canvas to beautifully paint your life with watercolors.

Now that I have gotten myself in the habit of really liking to plan my schedules and goals months in advance, it always is such a fun time to create where I will be going, or where my clients will be going.

When you don’t plan it out – life gets stagnant and life starts to happen TO you instead of happening FOR you. It is so not fun to wander aimlessly through life when instead you could be the master of your destiny. Just some simple planning really makes a world of difference.

What is it that you really want to accomplish but have put off planning?

Start small – make some goals for the next month to three months. Figure out some really exciting things you want to do.

Get detailed – at the start of each new month, figure out exactly how you will accomplish your goals and write it out.

Check in – go back to your goal sheet and check in with yourself though out the year and on a monthly basis. This will hold you accountable and help you remember what you wanted to complete.

When you are starting out you don’t even have to have specific dates (unless you want to). Sometimes having specific dates sets you up for failure. Instead have more flexible goals like completing a task by the end of every month.

Whatever you plan, have fun with it and don’t get down on yourself if you don’t meet all of your goals. There’s always next month to try it again. Painting your life is a process that takes time, practice and flexibility. Sometimes the universe just has bigger plans for you, and your goals get derailed. Sometimes you meet your goals way earlier than you expected and have no idea what to do next.

Just take it day by day and enjoy the process.

If you need help with any goal setting, figuring out where to start or how to keep going in your business – I’m here to help.

I have been doing Fashion and Business Consulting for new and growing businesses for the last 3 years now with many successes (aside from my other businesses!). All of my clients have been word of mouth thus far but in the Fall I will be launching a new website that focuses on these services so that it is easier to find then stumbling upon it on my current websites www.EmilyBrickel.com and www.EmilyBrickelIllustration.com.

If you are interested in Fashion or Business consulting please email me at Emily@EmilyBrickel.com

Thanks and cheers to the future!!!

Hope that inspires you!

Xoxo

Emily

July 18, 2013

Stop Procrastinating

We all procrastinate from time to time, but is your procrastination actually holding you back from much greater things.

Here is the ultimate procrastination guide for those times when you really can’t get moving and what it says about your project and state of mind.

1) Think about the reason why you are procrastinating?

Are you overwhelmed, scared of the outcome, dreading more responsibility if you succeed, fearful of what others will think of you and, or the project once it is completed? Or does it put more pressure on you? Etc., etc. etc.
2) Determine what’s going on for you in the moment when you put something off and try to pinpoint the exact reason and how you are feeling about it. This will help you identify how to proceed.

Usually when you are procrastinating, what you are putting off is either something:

A) really important to you.

B) really important to someone else.

C) Something you really WANT to do but are afraid to do.

D) Or something you really DON’T want to do because of a deeper reason.

When we procrastinate it usually involves something of a polarizing nature. Generally things that are blasé are easy for us to prioritize and check off our list.

Procrastination is another way of holding us back, a not-so-helpful defense mechanism if you will. Our “fear mind” is telling us that it’s way too scary to proceed since we are going to be out of our comfort zone, however being out of our comfort zone is how we grow. When we surpass the limits we have previously set for ourselves of course it will scare the ISH out of us but hey, would you rather stay stagnant? No.

3) Figure out the worst-case scenario. What if you attempt this supposed “cataclysmic project”? What will actually happen if you succeed: Will your peers or close relationships hate on you? Perhaps, but haters gon’ hate (that’s what they say in those rap vids right?) and most of the time, that means you’re doing something right. Never dim your light just because it’s shining in someone’s eyes!

What will happen if you fail? Will you die? Not likely. Will you be completely ostracized? Probably not. Will you get right back up again? Yes, you will (at least eventually) – and – if you feel like you can’t then take the time you need, lick your wounds and get your strength back. Everyone fails at some point or another. The only people who fail A LOT are the people who are successful (because they never gave up)! And just to bring the point home: the only people that NEVER fail are the people that NEVER tried!!!!!

It took a long time for me to learn this lesson, and I still have to remind myself of it sometimes but it is so incredibly important!

Most of the time the worst-case scenario is not as bad as we originally thought and we really are our own worst enemies.

4) Now figure out what will happen if you DON’T complete (or start) this project you have been putting off?

That right there will probably be enough to light a fire under your tuchus.

Whomever the work is for (you, a boss, friend or peer), they will be mad at you and sometimes that is worse than your figment worst-case scenario.

5) The fastest way to stop procrastinating is to… STOP procrastinating!!!! Get on that desk, put pen to paper (or whatever the situation calls for), say a little prayer and just start.

6) If you are really having trouble, tell yourself you will only start this for 15 minutes. Then stop if you feel called to, or keep going. Whatever feels good to you. Take a short break if you need to but knowing that you already started will make it much easier for you to get back on it after your break.

The worst regrets in life are not the things you accomplished but could have done better; they are the things you NEVER EVEN STARTED to begin with.

Hope that inspires you, now go on and get on it!

Xoxo

Emily

May 16, 2013

Expand Always, in All Ways.

Illustration of Song Of Style

The introduction line of one of my favorite characters from the show Million Dollar Listing New York on Bravo goes something like this: “My motto is to expand always, in all ways.” And every time I hear that, I love it!

It’s totally true that if you get caught in repetitively doing “what works” you will get fixated in the mundane and actually become ‘stuck’ – even if doing “what works” is what originally brought you success.

The formula for success is not necessarily doing the same thing that gave you ONE success over and over, but it’s in taking risks, leaps and in giving it your all that you got there in the first place. And, in retrospect, it’s trying NEW things that will get you there again.

Expanding always, in all ways in your life is what will get you to live the life of your dreams!

In the process

Give yourself “permission to suck” when trying new things and know that

Mastery is a life long process. Each day you will get better and closer along on your path to “mastery” but you will never actually get “there” because each new step is the beginning step to your next phase of learning.

“There” is an illusion. Getting “there” is actually being “here”. Make the most of where you are right now because taking the right action “here” and “now” will become your tomorrow.

One of my allllll time favorite quotes (probably because my amazing, extremely educated, and multi talented grandfather who was a college Professor of Education, Cantor, Rabbi, swimmer, volunteer at multiple soup kitchens, and dedicated family man all at the same time and all while being retired from his previous career told me this one…) “He who knows all, knows that he knows nothing.” – Socrates.

And that my friend, is the truest of the truth. Just think about all the things that go on in our world, in our solar system, in our UNIVERSE that even the most ingenious rocket scientists have yet to figure out. We all obviously have much to learn. We all have room to expand!

My mantra, and my mantra for you is this:

“I expand in abundance, love and success today and every day as I inspire others to do the same.”

This is from my new favorite book “The Big Leap” By Gay Hendricks, which if you have been reading my blogs; you know I like to rave about. This mantra WORKS. It really puts things into perspective about what our main goal is as human beings. Other than that, it also has this calming effect whenever I repeat it to myself. It kinda makes me realize that I am hooked up, I am taken care of and that this is my purpose to expand in these ways. When you realize that, you can revaluate what you have been centering your thoughts or worries on.

Unleash your inner demons.

In what ways are you not expanding? Get it out there. Talk about it, journal about it or just plain vent about it some how. When you do it – go deep. I recently did that last week and let me tell you, I released some more blocks I didn’t even know I had. This lead me to live even more fully, more passionately, more happily and more abundantly.

Do more fun stuff!

The way to expand in love, abundance and success is really to enjoy doing everything you do. When you are having fun, you are immediately expanding in love because you love what you are doing. When you love what you are doing it creates more wealth in your life, in all kinds of ways (financial and not financial), and when you have more wealth or abundance in your life that equals success.

Regroup

Taking time for “Morning meetings” with yourself are key to success. Sometimes there is just so much going on in your day-to-day life and you have tons of things to do. Tunnel vision grasps you by surprise and when that happens, good luck getting the important things done. You will tend to focus on small, detail-oriented tasks that seem super important at the time, but in the long run will not create the life you want to live. Taking your morning meeting seriously, just as seriously or if not more seriously than the one you may have with your boss will refocus you on your life’s big picture and will help you achieve your goals for expansion in your life.

That’s it for now but I hope all of that inspires you to live the life of your dreams!

Thanks to Mastin Kipp and Gabrielle Bernstein for some of these pieces of advice that I picked up along the way.

Xoxo

Emily

January 24, 2013

A Breakthrough on "Love" and "Now"

So sometimes, like today I get a little bit of writer’s block. However, the thing to do is push through it and write anyway. Just like with art, just like with love, just like working out, just like anything you do for fun or for a living – sometimes you get suck – and when you do, push through! Keep going.

Sometimes you’re just not in the mood, or just not inspired. For instance, yesterday I did not want to workout. So, instead of getting dressed and going to the gym I decided to just put some music on and get up and stretch for 5 minutes. This led to dancing for one song, which led to dancing in my apartment for 20 minutes followed by 10 minutes of weights and some workout moves. I didn’t get down on myself for not wanting to work out – of course there will be days when I don’t. The key is to take that one tiny right action and do something to get the momentum going.

Life is filled with hundreds of thousands of little right actions; it’s all about taking the little right action each chance you get.

While doing Gabrielle Bernstein’s NYTimes Best Selling book “May Cause Miracles.” I came across a profound, yet simple realization.

I have been putting my goals and who I really want to be in a “then”, “one day”, “when I grow up”, “when I’m older” etc. type of mentality and I have been doing this since I was little. I am visualizing this as a far away time and a separate person from the one I am now, feeding into my excuses of maybe why I haven’t keep up certain habits and why I haven’t started others. Of course the longer I do this, while days and years continue to go by the less I am actually “being” this person and the more I am not “being” this person when I arrive at the age or time I had envisioned my “one day” to be.

The breakthrough: I am here NOW and that means in this very moment I can to be the person I want to be by acting as though I am. For example, if the person I want to be in my 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, 70’s etc. is really fit and toned, then today I need to work out so that actually happens – not when I’m 40. Do you understand what I’m getting at?

It’s not about who you want to be “then” it’s about being that now.

“The best use of life is love. The best expression of love is time. The best time to love is now.”― Rick Warren

The past has already happened, the future is not even here yet. The ONLY time we have to change our lives is in the present moment. And that moment is fleeting. Do what you desire to do NOW.

Like in Gabby’s book – it takes 40 days to make a habit, but it starts with committing to EACH day of those 40 days.

Show up for your life now. Grab it by the steering wheel, you are in the drivers seat and you control your destiny.

No matter what outside factors exist, no matter what card’s you have been dealt, what excuses you have held on to and what limits you have created – you are the only one who can exercise your free will NOW in the present moment, minute by minute to decide who and what you will be in your lifetime. When looking at other people who have been dealt worse hands then you, maybe having no hands, being born with no arms or legs at all like this guy Nick Vujicic http://www.lifewithoutlimbs.org who I saw on Oprah, you have no excuses – and if you think you do watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwpiZTp0N9k.

Hope that inspires you!
xoxo

Emily

March 2, 2012

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

Dr. Seuss is one of the world’s best-known writers and illustrators of children’s books who writes to children “clearly and honestly as equals”. He stepped away from a successful and lucrative career in writing to challenge perceptions and write books that would go on to inspired children and adults for generations.

He inspires all of us to take changes, write from the heart, teach our internal wisdom and think of all “The Places You’ll Go!“ (read on to revisit the historical and influential aforementioned poem that inspired us all to do great things, and continue on the path of uncertainty, to be reminded that we all will go far.)

Here is a blurb from the man himself in an article from the Los Angeles Times, on November 27th, 1960.

“BY DR. SEUSS

Some 23 years ago I made a move that most of my writer friends acclaimed as the height of stupidity.

I walked out on a fairly successful career as a writer who wrote for great, big grown-up adults and began to write for the Kiddie-Kar and Bubble-Gum set.

This, in the 30s in the writing profession, was not a sign of going forward. This was a step down. At that time, the attitude of most of this country’s top writers was: writing for children is literary slumming….”

“And, to a certain degree, these authors were right. In those days, an appalling percentage of books for children were concocted out of inept, condescending, nature-faking treacle. They insulted the intelligence not only of the child, but also of the people who write them…”

“In these days of tension and confusion, writers are beginning to realize that books for children have a greater potential for good or evil, than any other form of literature on earth.”

And now a little reminder from
Dr. Seuss’ Oh, the Places You’ll Go! (1990)
Congratulations!
Today is your day!
You’re off to great places!
You’re off and away!
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.’
You’re on your own.
And you know what you know.
And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go.
You’ll look up and down streets.
Look them over with care.
About some you’ll say
“I don’t wish to go there.”
With your head full of brains,
And your shoes full of feet,
You’re too smart to go down a not-so-good-street.
And you may not find any you’ll want to go down.
In that case, of course, you’ll head straight out of town.
It’s opener there, in the wide open air.
Out there things happen, and frequently do,
To people as brainy and footsy as you.
And when things start to happen, don’t worry, don’t stew.
Just go right along, you’ll start happening too!
Oh the places you’ll go!
You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers,
Who soar at high heights.
You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed.
You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you’ll be the best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.
Except when you don’t,
Because sometimes you won’t.
I’m sorry to say so
But, sadly it’s true
That bang-ups and hang-ups
Can happen to you.
You can get so confused that you’ll start in to race
Down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
And grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
Headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place… for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come,
Or a plane to go or the mail to come
Or the rain to go or the phone to ring,
Or the snow to snow, or waiting around for a Yes or No
Or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.
Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite
Or waiting around for Friday night
Or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake, or a pot to boil,
or a Better Break or a string of pearls,
Or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or
Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.
No! That’s not for you!
Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying.
You’ll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing.
With banner flip-flapping, once more you’ll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky.
On and on you will hike, And I know you’ll hike far
and face up to your problems whatever they are.
You’ll get mixed up of course, as you already know.
You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
And remember that Life’s a great balancing act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.
Will you succeed?
Yes you will indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)
Kid you’ll move mountains
So… Be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ale Van Allen O’Shea,
You’re off to great places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So… Get on your way.

Hope that inspires you to keep on your way, and to keep marching towards where the bright boom bands play.

xox

Emily

November 1, 2011

Activating your “Red Zone”, the art of inspiration.

So I’m sure you may have noticed that the last two months my blog posts have been less frequent. A lot of mental shifts are occurring for me lately, and major work and career shifts that I am cultivating now have been taking up most of my time. The point of me mentioning this is significant because, like many creatives (and all people for that matter) – we tend to focus our energy on getting things done, knocking off the goal check list and assuming that time spent should primarily center around the tasks at hand. Not completely true. This post is about how to tap into your creativity.

The American culture, and especially our corporate culture denote that to be efficient and productive we must; Go, Go, go (for lack of a better term). As part of my ever-evolving studies on productivity (I am a self proclaimed process junkie always concerned with the how and with really successful individual’s daily routine) and the question I always ask myself “does studying productivity make you less productive?”, I inherently KNOW in my gut that maintaining your craft and analyzing how you do it, will, in effect essentially make you more productive as you get things down to a science.

One method I had been ensuing was the oh-so academic, basic and systematic technique of COLOR-CODING, yes color-coding my tasks. This is such an entertaining process for my creative mind, using different color sharpie pens to determine what is URGENT (any shade of fuchia, red or pink – in order of importance from darkest to lightest), FUTURE (bright green to signify how I can make money in the future), PROJECTS (orange, to alert me and help those stand out among my list), and MAINTANANCE (blue, teal or purple in order of importance and from darkest to lightest again) based tasks. Maintenance has sometimes fallen by the way side. Read on for how that can be detrimental to your success. Color-coding and hand writing not only activate your left and right brain simultaneously, it has also been proven that writing things down help support your short and long term memory – keeping your to do’s always in the back of your mind.) It works for me.

But anyway, I digress.

As equally important as the process is, what The99Percent deems your “Red Zone” is also one of the most effective ways of increasing your productivity and keeping you inspired.

This blog is about inspiration – and I have not been writing so frequently because I have not been so inspired! This is part of my job as a creative (and inspirational blogger of course). So how do I up the anti on this elusive, yet core feeling of being inspired.

This is how: “Activating your Red Zone” an article in The 99percent by Todd Henry (thank you Todd).

These topics fall into my maintenance category. I think we all tend to underestimate the importance of maintenance. In this Go, Go, go mindset – maintenance seems like an after thought. However, by treating maintenance as professional athletes, models, racecar drivers and even the winners of this Halloween’s annual largest pumpkin grow do – you are keeping your biggest asset (your mind, body, spirit and your creativity) in tiptop performance mode.

Just think about what would happen if a racecar driver failed to maintain their vehicle’s parts, if a model failed to maintain their physique and beauty rest, if an athlete failed to practice their game or if the pumpkin grower did not care for their crop. Their output; zilch, zero, find a new profession because your screwed!

Lets just watch this short video to illustrate my point. Continued maintenance will produce amazing results. Watch this fun video then read on to get the productivity-making tips.

You may be smiling from this creative marketing campaign, but let me go further to drive the point home.
Maintenance can be like pedaling that bicycle. Do you see the vibrant energy created from that small action of pedaling?
Just like how exercising your body stimulates energy and produces endorphins, creative maintenance produces GENIUS!

Creatives out there, entrepreneurs; hear my call. Maintain your creativity.

And now the juiciness taken right from the mastermind Todd Henry himself. (Click this link for complete article).

“1. Activities that increase your capacity to generate and make ideas happen, such as study, skill development, or research. When we stoke our curiosity by filling our mind with inspirational or challenging thoughts, or hone our craft by intentionally developing our skills, we gain a sturdy platform to build on. Unfortunately, these are often the first activities to get tossed out when we’re in crunch time, and by eliminating them we are borrowing a little bit of time now against the quality of our future work.

What are you doing to stretch your mind, seek inspiration, and fill your creative well? In other words, what are you doing today to increase your capacity to do great work tomorrow? Make sure that these activities find their way onto your calendar, even in busy seasons.

2. Activities that feed your creative soul, like spending time with friends who inspire you. When we get busy, it’s easy to default to engaging only in relationships of obligation or convenience. This means that we are missing out on a key source of creative inspiration. Setting aside time to connect with others, to discover what they’re working on, and to hear what’s inspiring them can expand our perspective and fuel our motivation to do better work. Who inspires you, and are you protecting time on your calendar for them, even during busy times?

3. Activities that provide creative traction, like clarifying objectives with your manager or client. Sometimes we are so anxious to jump into the work that we fail to clarify what’s really expected of us. Taking a small amount of time now to set objectives can save a lot of pain later as we try backpedal out of a mess. Set aside time on the calendar each day to re-align and ensure that you’re working on the right problems. Creatives and teams that regularly clarify their objectives are more productive and are less likely to experience the relational tensions that can kill workplace creativity.”

These may seem like simple no-brainers – yet I myself am guilty of thinking I must push forth and produce.

I did not say it! He did! My left-brain feels guilty just thinking about doing these things. My right brain is jumping for joy. Balance is KEY! As my spiritual guru and life coach Gabrielle Bernstein preaches, balance is essential to fulfill your dreams and goals. Take this advice. Seriously.

Today I will be lucky enough to visit one of my new clients BeWellWithArielle at her beautiful Manhattan apartment to do creative direction for a photo shoot for her Reiki infused jewelry. This lovely lady lives and breathes balance and she inspires me everyday! Her zest for life and creative soul will help us inspire each other to better both of our work, and then perhaps we will go to yoga! What will you do TODAY that will benefit your passion, service to the world and dreams tomorrow?!

I hope this inspires you!

Xoxo Emily

August 6, 2011

The pulse of New York City

I suggest you watch this with sound and in full screen! Prepare to be inspired.

Mindrelic – Manhattan in motion from Mindrelic on Vimeo.

It’s amazing how fast time goes, how small we are in the grand scheme of things. Traffic flows like blood through our veins pulsing quickly and relentlessly. The sun and shadows dance on concrete foundations in a cyclical fashion. The clouds zoom, or stroll past us. Whether or not we notice, whether or not we are consumed in our own minute dramas, regardless of if we love big, or not at all; time stops for no one. I wonder sometimes if we are being viewed in a giant telescope off on some distant planet or being laughed at by the Gods at how self important we think we are.

One of my long time favourite quotes goes something like this:

“Love is like fine sand, grasp it and it will quickly slip through your fingers. Cup it gently and it will fill the voids of your hands, like it will fill the voids of your soul.”

I hope you cup your life gently and savour all the deliciousness that is love and life. Don’t let it slip away so quickly.

Hope that inspires you!

xoxo

Emily

Celebrate your Uniqueness

How to get what you want and have fun doing it!!

Pleasure vs. Success and dealing with Burn out

Paint your life.

Stop Procrastinating

Expand Always, in All Ways.

A Breakthrough on "Love" and "Now"

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

Activating your “Red Zone”, the art of inspiration.

The pulse of New York City

Newsletter

Archives

Categories