Deby Adair's Blog - Posts Tagged "blind-spots"
Our work and us... through other eyes
In my teens I had a brilliant drama teacher who taught her students to act by doing bizarre, interesting and totally curious things that didn't feel like acting, rather experiencing an alternate personal universe and learning about their own bodies, breathing and blind spots.
Recently, I watched an art show on TV where the renowned water-colour painter kept a huge mirror behind his back so that he could always see the reflected image of what he was painting while he was working on it, in order to check that he was maintaining balance, perspective and not missing 'blind spots.' Since I'm an artist as well as a writer, I fell in love with that idea immediately! (In my younger days I would do a piece of art and then turn it upside-down to see if it balanced in all directions or I would trace it (yes, the hard way) to do the same. Even then, self-taught, I figured I had better gain skill and perspective fast.
When I used to coach people in motivational workshops and return-to-work training courses, I would also have a large mirror in the room so that trainees could learn about themselves and who they appeared to be in other people's eyes - this self-knowledge, terrifying for the trainees in the moment, made the difference - some hadn't worked in over 20 years - and my courses had a 96% employment success rate. The students would understand how they looked, were perceived, how they spoke, how they presented to others and it gave them fantastic self-confidence, which many needed.
As a dressage coach, I encouraged pupils to have strategically placed mirrors around dressage arenas to allow riders to view their capabilities and their flaws.
Why am I telling you this? Because all creative people get lost. (Yes, all people get lost in general at times or regularly,):) but creative people are very invested in their work at a deep core level, deeply in love with what they do and usually deeply sensitive, unless they've spent years training themselves to become personal powerhouses. (I recommend doing that part, by the way.)
Everyone is vulnerable and fragile at some level and WE ALL HAVE BLIND SPOTS!
Don't wait to fail - ask anyone you trust, or do your research, read and learn what can make your creative endeavour the best that it can be. Not everyone will charge you massive dollars to EDIT YOUR BOOK, GIVE YOU ADVICE OR HELP IN ANY WAY. If you really have no one for that vital help, (and we've all been there,) read, research and work hard. But NEVER produce a final product for the world market, without a second or third pair of eyes!
Success is determined by many things. It's a world trend to see success in only one way - buckets of money and fame. This couldn't be further from the truth, although earning a living from being creative and artistic is certainly preferred, what most people chasing the creative dream forget regularly is this: If you have worked so hard, often for years or decades, that you make what comes from inside you a tangible reality, and that during your journey your work touches, enlightens, overjoys, heals, brings happiness, thoughtfulness or gathers other people to your 'campfire', then you've achieved something lasting and real. And that's the real success you should be striving for. Anything else is a bonus.
I definitely encourage everyone to try to earn a living from what they create, but if you don't have craftsmanship, a very good understanding of time-honoured rules and don't spend time perfecting technique, who are you kidding? But mostly, if the work isn't seriously coming from a place of unequivocal personal love, I think it might be easier to be something else!
I think the most important gift that our intellect can gain, is the observance of what basis an idea or activity takes in order for something to be workable and to function, and also why, and if it has validity. This is where science meets spirituality, meets art, and meets creative thought and artistic heartfelt success! We have the ability to choose, and it’s never too late to choose to empower yourself or to begin doing what you always felt was 'yours.'
I don’t believe that any one way is ‘the’ way. We each must find our own way. But there are 'ways' that minimize hardship and heartache.
Exchanging ideas is about empowering each other. There are so many gifted and seriously 'creative' and brilliant people on this planet right now!
Unicorn Kisses to all. Deby
Recently, I watched an art show on TV where the renowned water-colour painter kept a huge mirror behind his back so that he could always see the reflected image of what he was painting while he was working on it, in order to check that he was maintaining balance, perspective and not missing 'blind spots.' Since I'm an artist as well as a writer, I fell in love with that idea immediately! (In my younger days I would do a piece of art and then turn it upside-down to see if it balanced in all directions or I would trace it (yes, the hard way) to do the same. Even then, self-taught, I figured I had better gain skill and perspective fast.
When I used to coach people in motivational workshops and return-to-work training courses, I would also have a large mirror in the room so that trainees could learn about themselves and who they appeared to be in other people's eyes - this self-knowledge, terrifying for the trainees in the moment, made the difference - some hadn't worked in over 20 years - and my courses had a 96% employment success rate. The students would understand how they looked, were perceived, how they spoke, how they presented to others and it gave them fantastic self-confidence, which many needed.
As a dressage coach, I encouraged pupils to have strategically placed mirrors around dressage arenas to allow riders to view their capabilities and their flaws.
Why am I telling you this? Because all creative people get lost. (Yes, all people get lost in general at times or regularly,):) but creative people are very invested in their work at a deep core level, deeply in love with what they do and usually deeply sensitive, unless they've spent years training themselves to become personal powerhouses. (I recommend doing that part, by the way.)
Everyone is vulnerable and fragile at some level and WE ALL HAVE BLIND SPOTS!
Don't wait to fail - ask anyone you trust, or do your research, read and learn what can make your creative endeavour the best that it can be. Not everyone will charge you massive dollars to EDIT YOUR BOOK, GIVE YOU ADVICE OR HELP IN ANY WAY. If you really have no one for that vital help, (and we've all been there,) read, research and work hard. But NEVER produce a final product for the world market, without a second or third pair of eyes!
Success is determined by many things. It's a world trend to see success in only one way - buckets of money and fame. This couldn't be further from the truth, although earning a living from being creative and artistic is certainly preferred, what most people chasing the creative dream forget regularly is this: If you have worked so hard, often for years or decades, that you make what comes from inside you a tangible reality, and that during your journey your work touches, enlightens, overjoys, heals, brings happiness, thoughtfulness or gathers other people to your 'campfire', then you've achieved something lasting and real. And that's the real success you should be striving for. Anything else is a bonus.
I definitely encourage everyone to try to earn a living from what they create, but if you don't have craftsmanship, a very good understanding of time-honoured rules and don't spend time perfecting technique, who are you kidding? But mostly, if the work isn't seriously coming from a place of unequivocal personal love, I think it might be easier to be something else!
I think the most important gift that our intellect can gain, is the observance of what basis an idea or activity takes in order for something to be workable and to function, and also why, and if it has validity. This is where science meets spirituality, meets art, and meets creative thought and artistic heartfelt success! We have the ability to choose, and it’s never too late to choose to empower yourself or to begin doing what you always felt was 'yours.'
I don’t believe that any one way is ‘the’ way. We each must find our own way. But there are 'ways' that minimize hardship and heartache.
Exchanging ideas is about empowering each other. There are so many gifted and seriously 'creative' and brilliant people on this planet right now!
Unicorn Kisses to all. Deby
