Kim Hermanson's Blog, page 15
June 25, 2022
Deep knowing is accessible when we move beyond the linear mind.
Creative power is Godlike. When we’re on fire, nothing can stop us.
Can a boulder block a stream?
No. The stream is going to go somewhere whether the boulder is there or not. A boulder can’t stop it.
The Deep Creative is the power of that stream and it’s possible for us to harness it. Deep Knowing is the divine wisdom and creative powers that are only accessible when we move beyond the linear mind. Because our culture has been so highly focused on knowing and perceiving through the left hemisphere, we’ve dismissed the extraordinary powers of our right cerebral hemisphere.
The language of the right hemisphere is metaphor and engaging with it in a deep way will shift your state of being, align you with your own deep knowing, and hook you up to an incredible realm of divine wisdom.
Check out my book Deep Knowing: Entering the Realm of Non-Ordinary Knowing on Amazon.
June 24, 2022
6 growth capacities that are central to learning.
Learning is an act of courage. It’s courageous to say, “I don’t know but I’m willing to learn.”Learning requires courage because it can take us into unknown places with unknown outcomes.
Here are the basics of learning:
1. identify what interests you
2. show up and be present
3. practice discernment
4. explore uncharted territory
5. stay true to yourself
6. trust yourself. trust the process.
Learning happens when we connect with something in a way that holds meaning for us.
8 essentials for a creative life.
Eight Essentials for a Creative Life.
1. flexibility
2. the ability to play
3. sensitivity to beauty
4. openness to experience
5. a willingness to be confused
6. an internal locus of evaluation
7. an inclination to let curiosity lead the way
8. the ability to hold opposing ideas in mind at the same time
inspired by Carl Rogers, On Becoming a Person
May 30, 2022
Deep Knowing: Trusting in Something Bigger on Eggshell Transformations with Imi Lo
It was such an honor to be interviewed on Eggshell Transformations with Imi Lo. I loved talking to Imi about deep knowing and why/how metaphor connects us with what is greater than ourselves. Here’s the link to the interview: https://www.buzzsprout.com/415966/10693815 Enjoy!
May 28, 2022
Metaphor is embodied wisdom.
Metaphor is embodied wisdom.
We commonly think of metaphor as something poets use to embellish their language and a tool of the left hemisphere. We also commonly view it as “not real.” We say, “that’s just a metaphor.”
But metaphor is much more than that.
When we engage with a key metaphor, it connects us with a realm of deep wisdom that lies below the surface of our consciousness. Through metaphor, we directly connect with the creative forces of our world.
We can spend lots of time learning techniques for how to make better decisions. We can make action plans, write lists of pros and cons, and study with experts.
Or, we can step into a realm that organically shifts our ‘sense of being’ and facilitates healing and clarity.
Check out my Psychology of Metaphor course here
May 27, 2022
Square energy is helpful if you’re feeling anxious or need to set boundaries.
[image error]In my work with clients, the Square metaphor shows up frequently.
You would think that in our hyper-linear, go-go-go, ‘always on’ world that we live in, most of us would have square energy mastered.
We don’t.
I can’t tell you how many workshop participants have told me they “hate” squares. They prefer circles or spirals. They view the square as rigid, masculine, and “un-spiritual.” When it shows up they try to round the edges or turn it into something else.
While circles and spirals are beautiful, the square is absolutely necessary for creative and visionary people.
Square represents strength, fullness, safety, and the ability to hold clear boundaries without wobbling. The square is masculine, sturdy, strong, and protective. It gives us the ability to not be pushed around by external chaos, our own inner traumas, or the opinions of others. When you push on something that’s square, it won’t tip or wobble.
Square energy is especially helpful if you’re feeling anxious, weak, overwhelmed, having difficulty setting boundaries, or saying no. It’s necessary when we want to create or build something, and it’s the image that shows up for any kind of addictive tendency.
In our current world that offers us daily doses of fear….hunger, extremism, authoritarianism, climate change, and so on….we need sturdy square energy more than ever.
An image that brings square energy could be a building, house, box, table, or doorframe.
TRY THIS…
On a piece of paper, slowly draw an image of a square in a conscious and meditative way. Intuit whether you feel like drawing a small square or a large square (size is also a metaphoric quality that will give you potent information about what your inner self wants right now.)
As you draw this square, do you feel its clarity, definition, and focus? When you work square energy in your life, you get this same clarity and definition.
To strengthen its power, institute things into your day that are clear and defined. You might create a schedule, plan your meals, set a timer for how long you are going to do a particular task, and so on.
And remember… you are not “inside” the square. You ARE the square. There’s a big difference.
P.S. Now I’ll tell you something shocking. Trump doesn’t have ANY square energy—he has no sense of self. Putin, same. That’s why they act out. They don’t have a sturdy sense of themselves. When we have a sturdy sense of ourselves, there is no need to act out.
May 26, 2022
True callings are–by definition–unique.
I see so many of my clients spend tens of thousands of dollars on trainings, certifications, and degrees because they’re afraid to embrace their true gifts.
They feel that what they DO know isn’t “good enough.” They want outside validation.
But true gifts are by definition UNIQUE. Your gift is yours alone to validate and own.
And when you value it, the rest of the world will value it too.
Our thinking minds tell us we need more training. We think we need something outside of ourselves and all we need to do is “get” it.
But your gift is already present within you. You need to own it and share it with the rest of us.
May 11, 2022
Teaching and writing are inquiries
I love inquiries.
My books have always been an inquiry…
an inquiry into art (Sky’s the Limit: The Art of Nancy Dunlop Cawdrey)
an inquiry into teaching (Getting Messy: Taking Risks and Opening the Imagination for Teachers, Trainers, Coaches, and Mentors)
an inquiry into how we know (Deep Knowing: Entering the Realm of Non-Ordinary Intelligence)
I love asking big questions that I don’t know the answer to and then going on a journey to discover what wants to be said about it.
My first teaching job was in the teacher credential program at UC Berkeley. Many of the students in the program had been teaching for years and they simply needed my course to renew their recertification.
My class was titled “Instructional Strategies” and…. I’d never taught a course before in my life.
I didn’t present myself to them as someone who had all the answers. My job was to be a guide, to initiate with my students a conversation about the subject of teaching.
It worked.
I worked with whatever arose and I drew the wisdom out of the room.
Students loved my classes. They weren’t asleep at their desks. They were participating in an inquiry that was ALIVE.
I didn’t need techniques and detailed lesson plans.
For three years, I taught classrooms full of experienced teachers with no real techniques or “strategies” under my belt. The only real method I had was to be a learner, to try things out and learn along with the students whether they worked or not.
Even though I was a novice teacher, I was an expert in inquiry. That made all the difference.
I love inquiries.My books have always been an inquiry…an ...
I love inquiries.
My books have always been an inquiry…
an inquiry into art (Sky’s the Limit: The Art of Nancy Dunlop Cawdrey)
an inquiry into teaching (Getting Messy: Taking Risks and Opening the Imagination for Teachers, Trainers, Coaches, and Mentors)
an inquiry into how we know (Deep Knowing: Entering the Realm of Non-Ordinary Intelligence)
I love asking big questions that I don’t know the answer to and then going on a journey to discover what wants to be said about it.
My first teaching job was in the teacher credential program at UC Berkeley. Many of the students in the program had been teaching for years and they simply needed my course to renew their recertification.
My class was titled “Instructional Strategies” and…. I’d never taught a course before in my life.
I didn’t present myself to them as someone who had all the answers. My job was to be a guide, to initiate with my students a conversation about the subject of teaching.
It worked.
I worked with whatever arose and I drew the wisdom out of the room.
Students loved my classes. They weren’t asleep at their desks. They were participating in an inquiry that was ALIVE.
I didn’t need techniques and detailed lesson plans.
For three years, I taught classrooms full of experienced teachers with no real techniques or “strategies” under my belt. The only real method I had was to be a learner, to try things out and learn along with the students whether they worked or not.
Even though I was a novice teacher, I was an expert in inquiry. That made all the difference.
