Top Five Journal Exercises

Keeping a journal is a form of creative expression that enhances the creativity coaching process. Keeping a journal develops emotional awareness, reinforces self-esteem and aids in problem-solving. Keeping a journal also provides a written record of artistic growth, struggle and change. Here are some basic exercises that I use throughout the creativity coaching process.

DIALOGUE: Writing a dialogue between one or more subjects helps to identify and separate emotions, ideas, issues and influences in a given creative situation. The primary result of writing dialogue is to clarify the creative situation, to give voice to all aspects of the situation and to restore the situation to it's proper perspective.

GRATITUDE LIST: Thank you lists are very easy to write. It takes no more than a few seconds, some paper and a pen to create a list. Thank you lists, no matter what the length, powerfully challenge negative thoughts, disappointment and disouragement. Lists also help restore the situaition to it's rightful place in the clients creative pocess. Thank you lists are especially useful when pursuing long-term goals and facing crises.

COMPLETED ACTION LIST: What a client thinks can powerfully impact the creative process. Building an artistic career upon past negative artistic experiences blocks creative expression. It also leaves no room for the possiblitiy of current or future positive change. Keeping track of completed actions, no matter how small, provides an accurate record of the client's progress toward her artistic and business goals.

GOAL LIST: Identifying and developing artistic and business goals, provides a clear path for fullfilling the client's dreams. Regular progress through each goal can become a ready source of motivation for the client. The goal list provides a reality check for boh the client and the coach, when difficulties rise or progress is being assessed.

CHARACTER TRAITS LIST: Developing and maintaining a list of the character traits reinforces self-esteem, aids in problem-solving, and increases emotional awareness. The client describes one success using one character trait. The client learns to acknowledge her participation in the creative process which will encrourage future creative learning and growth.

Keeping a journal of creative work and progress can enrich all areas of an artist's life. Start exploring your creativity today.

Copyright 2005 Writer's Eye Advisory Service

Lael Johnson, owner of Writer's Eye Advisory Service, offers creativity coaching services and writing resources. at: http://www.writerseye.com

In The News:

Yoris Sebastian: Taking creativity to a whole new level
Jakarta Post
With his experience working at all levels of employment, coupled with the confidence from winning the awards, he arrived at the moment when he decided to build his own company and be a consultant. So in 2007, he built OMG (Oh My Goodness), a creative ...


Top Research Explores Social Media Effectiveness, Creativity
AdAge.com
How does advertising perform in a social-media world? How can you build a cohesive social strategy? And what are the hidden influences that shape your organization's creativity? These topics are explored in three winning research papers, released by ...


Wall Street Journal
Some Companies Foster Creativity, Others Fake It
Wall Street Journal
Some companies crank out creative ideas one after the other and reap the benefits. Others struggle, always one step behind. Trying to copy what they think is the competition's formula for success, they add flexible work hours, new technology ...

and more »

Oklahoma's lessons for teaching creativity. Hint: don't kill the arts
Globe and Mail
Working in philanthropy in Oklahoma, she heard from concerned business and university leaders about the lack of creativity among graduates. She hypothesized that it could be related to a lack of arts training, and campaigned to support arts in schools.


Philly.com
Yahoo, Tumblr and the creativity-failure nexus
Washington Post (blog)
But failure and creativity are long-time bedfellows. So it's a bit hard to see how Yahoo and Tumblr will be creative in leveraging their newly-established relationship to develop and improve on opportunities for users to be creative while not failing ...
A Flashy Bet for Yahoo on a Shift in Social MediaNew York Times
Yahoo looks at regaining cool with Tumblr dealYoungstown Vindicator

all 1,452 news articles »

Wenatchee man creates forum to showcase students' creativity
KREM.com (registration)
WENATCHEE, Wash. -- Schools across the country have a new way to showcase creativity and positivity, thanks to the idea of a Wenatchee man. It is called Change My School. It is a website where students and teachers can share what inspires them.


How to Assess an Ad's Creativity
blogs.hbr.org (blog)
Most measures of creativity are based on the work of psychologist Joy Paul Guilford (1897-1987), who defined creativity as the ability to think differently along a number of clearly defined dimensions. Building on Guilford's work, psychologist Ellis ...


Make room for creativity
Washington Post
Designer Jennifer Snowden added a new desk and dual-purpose seating to maximize space, while a mix of textures, media and patterns in the furniture and art set a creative mood. Pouf ottomans allow for additional seating and can be put under the coffee ...


Freshness, creativity are tops at Bistro 150
Greensboro News & Record
Beautifully plated and carefully made with fresh, creative ingredients, these dishes rival those from many of the area's best restaurants. The grilled pork loin features two thick, juicy pieces of pork, seasoned and topped with a cranberry and red wine ...


Andrea Kay: Writing satisfies desire for creativity, catharsis
Shreveport Times
Air Force veteran Bill Sprague, 53, says he fills “every possible moment with creative pursuits” as a writer and artist of surreal digital artwork. When he works “physical aches, financial worries and emotional stresses fade.” He keeps a daily journal ...

and more »
Google News



Every Baby Deserves a Moses Basket from SAHM Baby Baskets! (Wholesale Welcome)




Work From Home?
Learn to Earn Online?
Click Here Now!

What is Creativity?

Here in England September represents the end of Summer and... Read More

True Power Series Part I. Visualization: Image Production and Verbal Thought

(5 minutes a day) There is no limit to what... Read More

Mind Mapping

Ever been on a project where you had trouble keeping... Read More

Get Creativity?

Creativity is central to the management of our individual lives,... Read More

Get your Creative Juices Flowing

Copyright 2005 Cherry Communications/Be Heard SolutionsThe creative arts enhance our... Read More

Magic In Your Spice Rack

Variety is the spice of life, but spices, historically are... Read More

Courage and Creating

Doing anything creative often brings up fears, anxieties, insecurities. Courage... Read More

Creativity: Getting Out of the Box

Leadership, especially in times of change, depends increasingly on the... Read More

Creativity Management ? Collaboration NOT Competition

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Becoming More Creative -- What We Can Learn From Disney

When you think about the legacies Walt Disney left us,... Read More

Dancing On Your Brain: The Cha-Cha Effect

My grandmother used to say that the secret to living... Read More

Shyness - Another View

We are all born shy, aren't we? When we see... Read More

Lucid Dreaming: Discover a Whole New World

Did you know that all of your most cherished dreams... Read More

Find the Artist Within

Can anyone be an artist? People admiring my work... Read More

Mind Power Games

Want a fun way to tune up your brain? Why... Read More

Think Orange! Creativity and the Sacral Chakra

Wouldn't it be wonderful if you could just flick a... Read More

3 Simple Steps To Solving Problems

You can move beyond your stuck states by contemplating all... Read More

Breathing Out Stage Fright

You're stepping onto the stage, amidst opening night flurry and... Read More

Sleep and Creativity

In my life, sleep is the number one way that... Read More

What Every Manager Should Know About How to Think Creatively

You may have heard of Roger von Oech's book, A... Read More

Creating Reality ? Discovering the Magician Within

We all create our own reality each and every day,... Read More

Push The Right Button

You can live a much more successful life than you... Read More

Creativity: The Key To Getting More Done In Less Time

If your to-do list seems as long at the end... Read More

Are You Creative?

Have you ever heard the saying, "The harder I work,... Read More

Riches Through Creative Thinking!

When solving problems after you have exhausted the normal means... Read More