Now offering the Creativity Shot below, and the free Creative Opening 7 day cycle (right) 

​Creativity Shot - $80

The "Creativity Shot" is a 45-60 minute stand-alone session to give an extra boost to your creative life. It begins with questions that get quickly to the heart of the situation. We soon move to practical solutions, and end with an agreement that you will honor in the next period of time, such as a week or month. I will follow up with an email containing your agreement, which you will sign and post in a visible place in your home, studio, or office. After the agreed period of time is over, you will call or email me with your assessment of success or progress in fulfilling your agreement. With my help, you can hold yourself accountable to your own creative desires and goals. 

Sample agreement:

I, _____________________, agree to honor my creative self by: contacting publishers every Friday // spending (x amount of time) each day on my creative work (writing, dancing, art, music, etc.) // attending a meet-up, open mike, etc. // for the time period to include March 3 - March 30, 2016.  
I agree to contact my coach, Lisa, at the end of this period (or weekly) to report on my progress. I further agree to ________________________.
Signed: ______________________________
Date: ___________________

Creative Opening 7 Day Cycle - Free!

The Creative Opening Cycle is designed to keep you alive to your creativity within a busy schedule. By spending only 10 - 30 minutes a day, and repeating the cycle weekly, you can come up with ideas, develop them and move toward your creative goals. Feel free to change or tweak these activities to suit you the best. 

Sunday: Rough Art
Examples:
  • do a rough sketch, sculpture or collage
  • hum a tune and record it
  • make a meaningful series of movements and repeat it 8 times
  • free-write  (write freely, without taking the pen off the paper, editing your words, or worrying about spelling, grammar, or content)  
  • improvise for 10 minutes

Monday: Bad Art (with heartfelt expression)
Examples:
  • Draw with crayons using your non-dominant hand
  • Sing or play your instrument badly and loudly - expressing your feelings in the moment
  • Dance with abandon to your favorite rhythmic music
  • Write a bad poem that expresses your "bad" or negative thoughts

Tuesday: Develop an idea 
Take something that you made on Sunday or Monday and develop it in some way. You might add to it, work with it, adjust it, repeat parts of it, or change it in any other way.    Or...Free day - create in any way you want, perhaps in a different medium than usual.
Examples: spend 15 minutes sketching your hand or a boot; sing an opera of the moment about whatever you feel, think or is happening around you; take photos of people or buildings on your street; tell a made up story to a child at bedtime; etc.

Wednesday: Free-write about your blocks
1. Write for 3 minutes starting with "I can't do ___ because..."
Examples:      
  • “I can’t paint because it has to be perfect to be worthwhile.” 
  • “I can’t sing because my teacher told me I sang off key.”  
  • “I can’t act because I’ve never done it before. They’ll probably laugh at me.”
  • “I can’t create because I’m too busy.”

2. Write for 3 minutes starting with "I can...," directly challenging the "I can't" thoughts.
Examples:
  • “I can paint because it does not have to be perfect. I can tolerate making beginner art and slowly improving my skills.”
  • “I can sing because I understand that a teacher can help me with my voice, including pitch.”
  • “I can take acting classes or begin trying out for community theatre.” 
  • “I can find 15 minutes in the morning to write before I have to get the kids up.” 

3. Write for 3 minutes starting with "I will..."
 Examples:
  •  “I will take an acting/dancing/painting/singing class in the fall.”
  •  “I will clear space in my house for an easel and paints.”
  •  “I will do stream-of-consciousness writing for 5 minutes every day”
  •  “I will write a ‘bad’ song’ once a week so I can get over my perfectionism”
  •  “I will spend Saturday afternoons going to museums and galleries to get inspiration for my art.”

Thursday: Do one small thing 
Choose something manageable from your "I can" or "I will" writing and do that today.

Friday: Take one step
Do one task that is a step or micro-step toward your long term creative goals.
Examples: Find out what classes are available at your local adult education center and choose one. Spend 15 minutes clearing space for your art. Buy a book about publishing or do research on the internet. Ask a friend to be a creative buddy for mutual support, ideas and accountability. Go to meetup.com and join one or two groups in your interest areas. Go to an open mike and listen. Call a creativity coach and talk about working with her.

Saturday: Fill the well
Renew yourself and receive inspiration from others by going to a museum, going out to hear music or dance, or walking in a beautiful place, taking photos. You can choose something that is an entirely different form of creative expression than your own.

For best results, start the cycle over again at the beginning of each week.