I occasionally lay awake at night and wonder “what’s the point of a Grady?” and last night was one of those nights. It’s January. It’s a week after the high energy and amazing creative ideas of Devoted and Disgruntled in Birmingham, and there’s a pile of emails and loads of facebook posts showing the amazing things everyone else is doing.
As a Coach I often hear this from clients – and so “healer heal thyself”. The first thing to do is just remind myself what I am achieving at the moment. I won’t share the whole list, but I did reflect on the fact that, this weekend, I have been editing the text for a new short book on Creativity in Business which goes to the publisher in February. I continue to be inspired by the MA Creative Producing course which I am leading – fascinating discussions between the producers, and their fellow MA directors and writers give me hope for the future. Word of mouth continues to bring me Coaching clients and people wanting Surgeries. [Note to self – help word of mouth by telling people the next date for Surgery is Fri 19th February]. And the year offers some extraordinary opportunities to support members of the Authentic Artist Collective as they variously create and present work – a joyous time.
One of the strange things about being 57 and around on the fringes of theatre inventing and doing stuff for 40 years, is that most of my contemporaries are now running things (very important things) or celebrating at the Stage Party or the Oliviers or other things involving sparkles and networking. My world is much smaller. It is working with an individual start-up artist, or a stuck person, or a small group of people seeking to create something unheard of. It is one-to-one work which will go unacknowledged in the big scheme of things, but it is the choice I have made. And at the time it can often be a lifeline for the individual creative who doesn’t know the next step.
And when the sun begins to shine, and it gets a bit warmer, and my glass moves back to half full, I wouldn’t have it any other way. But once in a while I do ask “What’s the point of a Grady” – and then realise that the same question occurs to most crazy fringe inventors and creatives.
So having made my positive lists, the Coach in me says “Start with the End in Mind” (Stephen Covey) and see what is my Goal for the next few months – that could be a thing, or a change in personal patterns or activities. And then look at the steps which I can (and will) take now which take me on the path to the change or event I want to have achieved.
And then play some glorious Verdi to other choral sumptuousness, very loud, in the background, and feel amazingly privileged to have goals which I can and will achieve, and a wonderful array of creative with whom to work.
Ahhh feeling better now.
Try it. Or ask me for loads of other tips
