Using the Creative Process - One Model

(Original Post Date: Early April 2010)

A few weeks ago, my coach Louise Kaelin (http://www.touchpointcoaching.com/) asked me to consider being open to the idea that I have "earned a full share of the harvest."  Louise uses a process of crafting statements that help her clients sort out what's true and not true for them and this was the statement we were working on when I needed to slow down and explore what it meant.

Like most of my fellow humans, I have lots of limiting beliefs so I developed a creative, intuitive process to bypass them.  Remember when we used to make collages to help us visualize our dreams?  Well, being an internet aficionada I don't have lots of magazines around to cut up anymore; but I could copy pictures from the web. I Googled images for phrases like,
  • full measure of the harvest
  • receiving one's full share
  • earning your share
  • workers in the vineyard
and more.  When a photo appealed to me, I copied it into a Word doc.  I had 23 pictures and no idea what to do with them. 

So I just sat down into myself and listened to my gut.  It occurred to me to number the pictures. Then I tore up little pieces of paper with the numbers 1-23 on them and then I had a hunch to add a blank, #24.  I put them all in a vase and asked my intuition what I needed to learn in that moment.  I was going to pick out the numbers and line up the pictures in the order the numbers came up.

I meant to pick up one number, but I got two.  Then I reached in again for a piece, and this time I got 5 pieces!  I put the numbers on the table in the order that seemed right and then looked at the corresponding pictures to see which ones were chosen and if there'd be a discernable story.

First the two pieces: a sack of grain and a beautiful landscape with a peaceful lake and trees.  The picture of the lake was called Full Measure Lane and is almost identical to the view outside my home.  I have lots of dissatisfaction about where I'm living right now, so these "current state" pictures caught me by surprise.

As for the five pieces: Well!  You could have knocked me over with a feather.  The work felt done.  Check out the pictures to see the results! 



(the blank)






These photos are from Flickr Creative Commons.

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