Answering the Creative Call
By Kim Antieau
()
About this ebook
Most of us hear the call to create. We write, cook, paint, make music, garden, or pursue some other creative endeavor. But sometimes our will falters. We lose motivation or become overly critical of our efforts. We abandon our projects or never start them in the first place. Kim Antieau understands the will to create. She writes books, curates art shows, takes photographs, sculpts clay, and produces public art. In these pages she distills the wisdom of her years spent in creative pursuits. This inspiring book shows you how to set the stage for your creativity and get your mind right. Kim reveals the secrets of perseverance and cultivating a can-do attitude. With practical advice on how to get started and how to keep going, this luminous book will enhance all aspects of your creative life. Includes a chapter by acclaimed poet Mario Milosevic.
Kim Antieau
Kim Antieau is the author of Mercy, Unbound. She lives with her husband in the Pacific Northwest.
Read more from Kim Antieau
Broken Moon Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Jigsaw Woman Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Old Mermaids Wisdom Cards Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Old Mermaids Mystery School Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe First Book of Old Mermaids Tales Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mercy, Unbound Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Dystopia Utopia Short Stories Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Old Mermaids Oracle Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTrudging to Eden Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRuby's Imagine Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Coyote Cowgirl Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Blossoms Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5MommaEarth Goddess Runes Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mourning Period Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTales Fabulous and Fairy, Volume 1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsChurch of the Old Mermaids Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Salmon Mysteries: A Guidebook to a Reimagining of the Eleusinian Mysteries Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMagic, Myth, and Merrymaking: 13 Days of Yuletide the Old Mermaids Way Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Old Mermaids Book of Days and Nights: A Daily Guide to the Magic and Inspiration of the Old Sea, the New Desert, and Beyond Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAnother Country Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHer Frozen Wild Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Fish Wife: an Old Mermaids Novel Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsButch Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHaunted Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEntangled Realities Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWindows Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Black Wallpaper Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Seeing Pink Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFractures Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to Answering the Creative Call
Related ebooks
Wild Women, Wild Voices: Writing from Your Authentic Wildness Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Women, Writing, and Soul-Making: Creativity and the Sacred Feminine Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Creatrix: she who makes Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Bone Woman's Journal Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsConfessions of a Bone Woman Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Old Mermaids Oracle Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Rainbow Way: Cultivating Creativity in the Midst of Motherhood Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPagan, Goddess, Mother Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5She of the Sea Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsVoices of the Sacred Feminine: Conversations to Re-Shape Our World Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsI Sit Listening to the Wind: Woman's Encounter Within Herself Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Moonrise: The Power of Women Leading from the Heart Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Burning Woman Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Seasons of Moon and Flame: The Wild Dreamer’s Epic Journey of Becoming Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Woman's Book of Rituals and Celebrations Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Goddesses in Your Daily Life Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Wild Woman: Nourishing the Feminine Soul Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Wild and Wise Women Around the World: Ten Inspiring Women Share Their Feminine Fire Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPermission: Personal liberation for switched on women Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEarth Blessings: Prayers, Poems and Meditations Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDescent & Rising: Women's Stories & the Embodiment of the Inanna Myth Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I, the Woman, Planted the Tree: A Journey Through Dreams to the Feminine Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Heart of the Great Mother: Spiritual Initiation, Creativity, and Rebirth Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Other Side of the River: Stories of Women, Water and the World Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWoman Most Wild: Three Keys to Liberating the Witch Within Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Circle of Stones: Woman's Journey to Herself Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Magdalene Path: Awaken the Power of Your Feminine Soul Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Women's Intuition: Unlocking the Wisdom of the Body Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsUrgent Message from Mother: Gather the Women, Save the World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Creativity For You
Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Carol Dweck's Mindset The New Psychology of Success: Summary and Analysis Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Banish Your Inner Critic: Silence the Voice of Self-Doubt to Unleash Your Creativity and Do Your Best Work Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Put Your Ass Where Your Heart Wants to Be Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Big Book of 30-Day Challenges: 60 Habit-Forming Programs to Live an Infinitely Better Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Zen in the Art of Writing Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5King, Warrior, Magician, Lover: Rediscovering the Archetypes of the Mature Masculine Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Year of You: 365 Journal Writing Prompts for Creative Self-Discovery Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Shape of Ideas: An Illustrated Exploration of Creativity Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles Summary Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The PARA Method: Simplify, Organize, and Master Your Digital Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Building a Second Brain: A Proven Method to Organize Your Digital Life and Unlock Your Creative Potential Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Inner Bonding: Becoming a Loving Adult to Your Inner Child Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Book of Beautiful Questions: The Powerful Questions That Will Help You Decide, Create, Connect, and Lead Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Take Smart Notes. One Simple Technique to Boost Writing, Learning and Thinking Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Embrace Your Weird: Face Your Fears and Unleash Creativity Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Summary of The War of Art: by Steven Pressfield | Includes Analysis Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Real Artists Don't Starve: Timeless Strategies for Thriving in the New Creative Age Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Art of Thinking Clearly Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Daily Creativity Journal Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Make Your Art No Matter What: Moving Beyond Creative Hurdles Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Year of Miracles: Daily Devotions and Reflections Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Susan Cain's Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking Summary Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wonderbook: The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Journal Planning Magic: Dot Journaling for Calm, Creativity, and Conquering Your Goals Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Story: Style, Structure, Substance, and the Principles of Screenwriting Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Answering the Creative Call
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Answering the Creative Call - Kim Antieau
All writing advice is memoir.
Mario Milosevic
A FEW WORDS first. . . .
We are born creative. You will hear me say this again and again. Within these pages you will find ideas on how to jump-start your natural creativity. But the best advice I’ve ever heard or given about writing is, Just do it.
Just sit down and do it.
See. There you have it. You don’t need to buy the book after all.
Maybe you need a bit of inspiration before you just do it? Or maybe you want some exercises to get yourself into shape before you jump into the imaginal realms. You’ll find all of that here. At least that is my hope.
Don’t let this book or anything I say in it stop you from writing, painting, composing, or creating any other kind of art. My purpose is to get you started and to keep you going.
I am primarily a novel writer. That is what I do and know best, but I also take photos, work with clay, and draw a bit. For those of you who are visual or musical artists, please adapt my creativity tips to fit your medium. Or try them first as writing exercises and see what happens. Each of you is the artist, the creator, the storyteller. You get to decide what works for you.
As I said, the best writing advice, the best art advice, the best creative advice is this: Just do it. Don’t worry about being perfect. Don’t worry about being the best or the most original. And certainly don’t worry about being the most famous or the richest. Creativity is a natural part of your being that you’ve possessed since you were born. This book is about helping you get out of your way and letting those creations flow easily from you.
Mostly, my hope is that this book gives you permission to be creative in your own way.
CREATIVITY TIP
This first tip is one of the most important.
All criticism is opinion, no matter how right the person thinks he/she is. Although we all need to learn our craft, whatever it is, after a while, we have to make our work our own. Novel writing isn’t done by committee. Quit asking for other people’s opinion because that’s all you’ll get: opinion. And that really doesn’t mean much.
Begin to Begin
Begin with the stirring,
begin with the stirring
in your own dark center,
begin. . . .
Gwendolyn Endicott
AH, HERE WE are on this journey together. Some might call it a pilgrimage. We’re wandering, sauntering, on a walkabout to discover or reinvigorate our creativity.
It’s important to begin this journey with a beginner’s mind, especially when we think we know all there is to know.
Zen Buddhist teacher Shunryu Suzuki said, In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, in the expert’s mind there are few.
For now, while reading and doing the exercises in this book, think of yourself as a beginner: a beginner with enthusiasm, eagerness, and openness. Even if you don’t feel any of this yet, I encourage you to pretend you do: Fake it until you make it.
The word enthusiasm comes from the Greek word enthous
which means to be possessed by a god, inspired.
Although you may not feel particularly inspired by anything yet, I’m betting you will feel enthusiasm by the end of this book. And it can be your kind of enthusiasm. That’s the important thing to remember about all of this. Your creativity is your creativity. If you are a bubbly kind of person, be a bubbly kind of person with your creations. Or not. If you’re more introverted, be introverted. Or not. Your possession by a god
will look different from anyone else’s. That leads us back to the next thing. Begin with a beginner’s mind, even if you feel like you’re an expert about creativity, even if you feel like you’re an expert on yourself and you swear you’re not creative.
I will say this again and again: Let go of your notions of perfection.
Yep. This will help you achieve a beginner’s mind, and it will also help your stress level while being creative. Being creative is not about you writing the great American novel, although you may do that. This is not about you painting the greatest picture since Vincent Van Gogh created The Starry Night, although you may do that. It’s about tapping into that glorious creative part of your being. Ideas of perfection don’t belong.
So let go of your notions of perfection unless you have in mind the original Old French definition of perfection which means to complete.
Then yes, by all means, achieve perfection by finishing whatever you are creating: a novel, poem, photograph, quilt, painting, musical composition.
Recently a friend of ours returned a book to the library where my husband Mario works. It doesn’t matter which book. It was a popular book, and millions of people had bought copies of it and read it. This friend—an artist who has been unable to finish anything for several years now—said to Mario, I don’t understand why people liked this book. It really needed some editing. She repeated herself. It is a deeply flawed book.
Mario said, Did it occur to you that maybe it was popular for exactly those reasons? Good stories are organic. They’re not about having every word in place, every punctuation mark perfect, and all the gnarly bits smoothed out.
This artist had not been able to work successfully for years because he saw each of his creations as imperfect, and he couldn’t figure out how to make them perfect. So all of his works remained unfinished.
Yikes!
I know people who have been working on the same novel for years. They’re trying to perfect it, get every word right. There may be a place for novels like that, but they are not novels I want to read. Fiction is about storytelling. A good oral storyteller does not necessarily have every word right.
She tells the story as though she is talking to a friend, even if that friend is a large audience. Yes, she has skills; she has practiced and probably rehearsed, but she also understands that the flavor, the rhythm, even the words will change depending upon the audience and the characters in the story.
Writing down a story requires the same skills and the same ability to let go. You don’t want people thinking about your great sentence construction or your stunning imagery. You want to create a world that your reader can easily step into. You are the guide; you are not the star. Novel writing isn’t about you: It’s about the reader; it’s about the story.
Remember the last time you listened to someone tell a good story. At the end of it, you probably thought, What a great story!
You were not thinking, What a great sentence.
That’s the best reaction a novel writer can get, too. Your words become an incantation, drawing the reader into the story so that it becomes her story. You as the writer don’t want to do anything to break that spell. Those nondescript guides on fantastical journeys are often actually great sorcerers, witches, and magicians in disguise. They are able to do their magic without bringing undue attention to themselves.
So let notions of perfection fly out the window. Tell a good story. Don’t worry about getting every word right. Get the entire story right. It’s not piecemeal. It’s the whole meal.
I’m not telling you to do shoddy work. I’m suggesting that you not obsess. I’m suggesting you let go and let the story flow.
You’ll soon see that the heart of good storytelling is not perfection or the quest for it. The heart of good storytelling is magic.
And the other thing: Just do it. Finish it. Move on. And if you can’t finish it, put it away and move on. Start, finish, move on. That is the best thing you can do for your creative