Michele Tracy Berger's Blog, page 45

Symbolic Acts of Power for Your Creative Life & Affirmations-366Days#149

Affirmations-366Days#149: I engage of symbolic acts of power that support my creative life (e.g making vision boards, etc.)

For new readers, here’s why I’m committing to writing affirmations, about the creative process, during the next 366 days.

 

As creative people, we have to take physical action in the world to pursue our dreams. I, however, also believe in utilizing symbolic acts of power. Symbolic acts of power are those that connect us to mystery, the unknown, serendipitous help and support, luck, and universal good. Symbolic acts of power can also free us from a constant focus on the mundane aspects of the creative life. Using symbolic acts of power can help boost our confidence, remain playful in the face of adversity, and develop trust in ourselves and the power of the universe. Below are the kinds of symbolic acts that I have used and also used with my coaching clients.

 

Gratitude Jar

The powerful benefits that stem from a gratitude practice are ones that science now validates and that spiritual traditions have always claimed.

The idea is simple…get a big jar, write one thing you are grateful for at the end of the day (or each week) and put it in the jar.  You can use it to document every big or small good thing that relates to your creative life. The jar offers a visual touchstone of joy as you see it filling up with entries during the year. I do this at the beginning of the year and it fills me with so much joy to look back at the end of the year and remember all the special moments in my life. I am always grateful that I documented days when I had a submission accepted, or someone offered kind words on a reading I gave, or I had a day where good ideas seemed to flow endlessly.

With this approach you’re noticing all the good in your creative life (and life in general) and recording it. You can start a gratitude jar at any time.

Vision Board

Shakti Gawain, in the book, Creative Visualization (1988), coined the term ‘treasure maps’ – a way of visually representing your wishes and dreams using collage techniques. People now call them ‘vision boards’, ‘image collectors’, ‘dream maps’, ‘alchemy maps’, ‘maps for your heart’s desires’  ‘transformation collages’, etc. It really doesn’t matter what you call them. They act as a subconscious reminder (psst…, I really want to experience ‘x’ and I need your support!), energy boost, and place to focus your intention.

Here are some steps:

What is your creative vision? A dream vacation? A new job? A better relationship with your loved one? Getting published in a magazine?

Achieving your heart’s desire first starts with identifying what it is and then aligning your inner vision with the outer world.

First get clear about what you really want. You can journal and doodle ideas. Choose 2-3 ideas that come up repeatedly.

Gather any of the following: calendars, handmade specialty papers, magazines, catalogs, photographs, art supplies, beads, feathers, magic markers, fabric, glue sticks, and poster board.

Set aside time to look through your supplies: You want to gather (or draw) images that relate to your top 3 ideas. Even if you think an image doesn’t logically relate to your ideas, if it moves you—include it.

Organize your pile: There is no one way to make a ‘vision board’. Once you gather everything, it’s about inviting your Creative Self to enjoy patterns, shapes, and colors. Arrange the materials in a way that makes you happy and gets at the essence of what your categories represent to you.

Create a 40 Day Practice: To seal the deal, I recommend that you create a 40 day practice connected to your vision board. It can mean that you look at it daily and imagine how you will feel if you received what you wanted. It can mean that you write daily affirmations or positive statements about your desires. It can mean that you take daily action for 40 days related to one of your goals. Forty days is considered a powerful number for breaking habits and is a sacred number in many spiritual traditions.

Possibilities Box

I like to think of a possibilities box as a place to hold sacred dreams and intentions for one’s creative life. They are sometimes called miracle or alchemy boxes. You would usually make one of these containers at the end of a long creative stretch where you’ve done all that you can do. Maybe you’ve written that book and are stressed about how you will go about finding an agent.  The idea is that you turn your dream over to the larger universal forces and trust that that all the pieces will come together in ways that you currently can’t imagine.

Gather supplies: Just like making a vision board, you’ll need to gather some supplies.

Pick out a box: A shoe box is great, but any kind of small box will do. You can buy a box from a crafts store, if you can’t find a suitable one in your house.

You’ll want to decorate the box on the inside and out. The great thing about a possibilities box is that you get to put whatever you want inside. Think about your creative dream. What kinds of physical things that represent that dream could go into the possibilities box?

Here’s a list of what others have used to put inside the possibilities box: colorful stickers, copies of inspiring poems/writing, meaningful items from the natural world (e.g. feathers, stones, leaves, etc.), Monopoly money, coins, small toys, a special pen.

The choices of what to put inside are boundless and should spark a sense of deep play.

I hope you try one of these symbolic acts of power!

Affirmations-366Days#148

Affirmations-366Days#148: When I receive an acceptance for publication, I savor it. I celebrate every writing success, big and small. They are encouragement to continue the work.

For new readers, here’s why I’m committing to writing affirmations, about the creative process, during the next 366 days.

Affirmations-366Days#147

Affirmations-366Days#147: I bring my best self to writing conferences. I open myself to learning and expanding my community.

For new readers, here’s why I’m committing to writing affirmations, about the creative process, during the next 366 days.

Affirmations-366Days#146

Affirmations-366Days#146: Percolation is part of the creative process. Today, I allow ideas to gather and ripen before acting on them.

For new readers, here’s why I’m committing to writing affirmations, about the creative process, during the next 366 days.

Affirmations-366Days#145

Affirmations-366Days#145: It’s easy to start a project, harder to finish one. I summon the focus to complete my writing projects that matter the most.

For new readers, here’s why I’m committing to writing affirmations, about the creative process, during the next 366 days.

Affirmations-366Days#144

Affirmations-366Days#144: I have everything I need to create within me. I bring forth my gifts daily, without fear.

For new readers, here’s why I’m committing to writing affirmations, about the creative process, during the next 366 days.

Affirmations-366Days#143

Affirmations-366Days#143: My passion for living a creative life inspires and serves others.

For new readers, here’s why I’m committing to writing affirmations, about the creative process, during the next 366 days.

Affirmations-366Days#142

Affirmations-366Days#142: Humans are wired to love stories. I study story structures and discover what kinds of stories move others. I am a powerful storyteller.

For new readers, here’s why I’m committing to writing affirmations, about the creative process, during the next 366 days.

Affirmations-366Days#141

Affirmations-366Days#141: Perfectionism blocks our desire to take risks, so we don’t look foolish.  I affirm that nothing holds me back from learning and creating.

For new readers, here’s why I’m committing to writing affirmations, about the creative process, during the next 366 days.

COVER REVEAL: UnCommon Origins–New anthology that I have a story in!

I am so excited to share with you a COVER REVEAL for a new anthology that will be out in June that I have a story in! I am thrilled to be included in this collection with such wonderful writers.

UnCommon Origins: A Collection of Gods, Monsters, Nature, and Science

UnCommon Origins presents 22 depictions of moments on the precipice, beginnings both beautiful and tragic. Fantastical stories of Creation, Feral Children, Gods and Goddesses (both holy and horrific), and possibilities you never dared imagine come to life.

Including stories from some of the most talented Speculative Fiction and Magical Realism authors around, UnCommon Origins will revisit the oldest questions in the universe:

Where did we come from?

and

What comes next?

Featuring:

The Hanging Gardens of Brooklyn by Rhoads Brazos

Aplanetary by Holly Heisey, Author

Glass Heart by Sacha Hope

Cultural Gleanings by Deanne Charlton

Fringling by J.D. Harpley – Astral Scribe

Poseidon’s Tears by E.L. Johnson

The Curl of Emma Jean by Michele Tracy Berger

The Price by Samuel Peralta

Growing Simon by Jo West

The Terrible Discovery of Professor Charles Cooper by Jonathan Cromack

The Last Star by DL Orton

My Darlings by P.K. Tyler

The Tombstone Man and the Coming of the Tigress by Nillu Nasser Stelter

In The Periphery by Erica Ruhe

Exhale by Laxmi Hariharan

Ifrit by Brent Meske

Swim With The Beavers by Robert Allen Lupton

The Least Child by Daniel Arthur Smith

Consciousness by Zig Zag Claybourne

Her by Rebecca Poole

The Apple by Shebat Legion

Becoming Mage by Melanie Lamaga

This anthology is being edited by the amazing writer, editor and publisher P.K. Tyler of Fighting Monkey Press. I had a really good feeling about the call for submissions that I saw for this collection a few months ago. I thought my story, ‘The Curl of Emma Jean’ would be a perfect fit for this anthology and it was! I’ll have more to say about the story, it’s origins, and lessons learned along the way to this publication experience. And, of course, I’ll share a pre-order link soon! For now, I’m just excited to share a first look at the cover.

What do you think?