Willingness is the topic for this week. I started writing about willingness the latest Coaching Creatively newsletter and would like to continue the discussion.

Where does willingness show up in your creative work?
**Do you work consistently to create products in your discipline?
**Do you spend time with other artists for support and networking?
**Do you set and meet reasonable goals in your creative work?
**Do you keep track of your income and expenses, not only for tax purposes, but so that you can assess the direction of your business on a daily or weekly basis?

I will address each question separately.
**Do you work consistently to create products in your discipline?
Unwillingness, for whatever reason, to pursue your creative practice, moving from raw materials to a final product, is a basic red alert that you need to pay attention too. In my experience, when I begin to see this in my practice, I need to first: take note of any strong feelings that I’ve been experiencing around my creativity. I need to look at my self-care, have I been eating, sleeping and exercising consistently? Finally, have I chosen products that motivate me to create them?
–Strong feelings can be expressed in a journal or talked out with a friend. Look for the causes of the feelings as you express them. Very often there will be a foundation of misinformation that partially fuels the strong feelings. It may take a few entries to discover this information, but be persistent and you will discover clear connections. Once you become aware of this information, then you can start to change it.
–Taking care of yourself is so basic, that I think people forget how important it is. In order to create, I need to be physically feeling energetic. I don’t mean that I need to create a perfectly healthy atmosphere, but I do need to be working toward establishing a consistent and practical schedule of self-care. When your energy level is down, are you going to be motivated to create? When you’ve forgotten to exercise, (any type that helps you move and breathe more)are you going to think clearly and be able to problem-solve?
–Finally, how is your motivation for creating your products? Are you feeling bored with your work? Are you impatient with fulfilling just long-term goals? Do you need to start with some new ideas?
**Do you spend time with other artists for support and networking?
While it’s important to work on your creative products alone, it is also important to spend time with other artists. You can spend time with those in your discipline, in other disciplines or in a mixed group. It will depend on what your needs are. Do you have a mentor? An art buddy or or an interested friend that you can talk to during the day? A mentor can help you grow and learn your artistic skills. You can check in with an art buddy at the beginning and the end of your day to compare notes. An interested friend can take you away from your work for awhile and buy you lunch. Each person has a place in your creative schedule.
**Do you set and meet reasonable goals in your creative work?
There are many situations where an artist can set goals:
–creating inventory schedule
–determining your monthly net income
–determining your sales goals (per promotion, per event, per year)
You may discover additional areas as you explore goal-setting in more detail.
*Do you keep accurate records of your expenses and income? It’s important to do this:
–For your own understanding, peace of mind and health of your business: You are responsible for all aspects of your business. You do need to develop the ability to switch back and forth between being a business owner and an artist.
–For federal, state and local taxing authorities: Paying taxes is part of your responsibility as a business owner. If you are tagged for an audit or any other tax issues, having your records ready to go, will go along way to making the whole appointment process easier for everyone involved.

All site information can be found at this link:
Site Map

You may find all of these articles through this link:
Creativity Coaching Articles

Here are some additional titles:
Telling Yourself the Truth
Taking Care of Yourself
Five Ways to Express Your Anger
Distraction Quiz
Eight Major Distractions
Procrastination Quiz
Procrastination Solutions
Create Your Own Affirmations
Timesavers
…

See you next week.

Lael Johnson
Creativity Coach

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