CoachCreativeSpace

Welcome To CoachCreativeSpace

An interactive creative community space to help you be as creative as you've always known you can be.

Forum Discussions

Click on the title of one of the Forum Discussions on different creativity topics listed below to visit that discussion.

For a more general chat, visit:

Forum

CCS Member Becca Having Heart Surgery July 22nd 46 Replies

Heart: http://www.annerpino.com/2003/heart.jpg CCS Member Becca Allison is having open heart surgery at 7:30 AM Central US time on Tuesday July 22nd. They will be replacing her aortic valve and m...

Tagged: surgery, heart, Becca, wishes, well

Started by Lin Neiswender. Last reply by Lin Neiswender 16 hours ago.

Scary legislation for artists/writers/musicians/anyone creative 78 Replies

I just got this in an email this morning and haven't had time to investigate it yet, but it is very scary if true to anyone who creates. Here is what I received: The US government, as well as a fe...

Started by Lin Neiswender. Last reply by Anne Westlund Jul 22.

SKETCH BOOK PAGES 138 Replies

DJ and Beth mentioned how much they enjoy seeing other artists idea books and sketch books. It inspires me enormously to see how other artists tick. Whether it's a writers jottings in a notebook, o...

Tagged: artists, ideas, sketch, books, Idea

Started by RobynG. Last reply by WildCherry Jul 21.

My Creative Life: One Year Ago... 82 Replies

CCS launched just under a year ago, so where were you a year ago compared to where you are now? It's easy to overlook our progress and just how much we create, because we live with ourselves day i...

Started by Dan Goodwin. Last reply by June Walker Jul 21.

Reality and the fine line between inspiration and insanity. 2 Replies

This is something rather nebulous. I've been finding it hard to put into words, and so I hope you'll forgive me if it's a little troublesome to interpret. About a year ago - almost to the day actu...

Started by Starla. Last reply by Barbara Ann Storrier Jul 21.

Creative apathy? Stuck in ditch? Tell me about it... 17 Replies

Hello, I work as a music teacher from home, and though my house is filled with lovely talented people, many vibrant children, at the moment I feel a bit lost with it all. I want to say I feel lone...

Started by Starla. Last reply by Dan Goodwin Jul 21.

Artists, Alternative Personas and Living In Character... 48 Replies

I wrote in another discussion: I think it's one of the privileges of the artist to create alternative personas and characters through their work. What experiences of this do you have in your work...

Tagged: persona

Started by Dan Goodwin. Last reply by Nick Jul 21.

Imagination is... 51 Replies

What does imagination mean to you? What's the difference between imagination and creativity? Can we be imaginative but not creative, or vice versa? Share your thoughts below...

Tagged: imagination

Started by Dan Goodwin. Last reply by Barbara Ann Storrier Jul 20.

How Can I Beat Procrastination And The Fear Of Creating? 42 Replies

What are your tips for overcoming procrastination? What do you fear most about creating?

Tagged: creative fears, fear, procrastination

Started by Dan Goodwin. Last reply by Barbara Ann Storrier Jul 15.

joy 47 Replies

Did you find joy? "The future, higher evolution will belong to those who live in joy, who share joy, and who spread joy." -- Torkom Saraydarian Joy, as the energy of love, is the highest vibra...

Started by Barbara Ann Storrier. Last reply by Mary Hicks Jul 13.

CCS's 1st Birthday - Your Highlights So Far... 61 Replies

What are your personal highlights in the time you've been on CCS? What have you enjoyed most, been most moved or affected by, been most inspired by, found most entertaining? Which discussions and...

Started by Dan Goodwin. Last reply by Jules Jul 13.

Creativity, Chemistry, Instinct & Telepathy... 72 Replies

I was talking to a good friend of mine about when you're in some creative zone with another person, and you're both in tune with one another without having to think about it. I've recently experien...

Started by Dan Goodwin. Last reply by Jules Jul 11.

CCS's 1st Birthday - How Will You Celebrate? 142 Replies

June 24th is the 1st birthday of CoachCreativeSpace and here are some astonishing stats about what's happened in the last year: There are now: 42 Groups 252 Members 981 Blog Posts 1014 Forum Dis...

Started by Dan Goodwin. Last reply by Lin Neiswender Jun 28.

My Creative Life: One Year From Now... 5 Replies

CCS launched just under a year ago, and it's amazing how much can happen in just a year. So, take yourself forward to a year from now, June 2009. Where would you like to be in your creative life? ...

Started by Dan Goodwin. Last reply by Dan Goodwin Jun 27.

CCS's Big 1st Birthday Cake Bash... 140 Replies

On June 24th 2007 CCS went live with one member (me!) and about 3 pages! This means we're rapidly approaching our first birthday... (As you will have noticed we've added a few more members and page...

Started by Dan Goodwin. Last reply by Jules Jun 26.

Too Cool Not to Share- Make Your Own Watercolor Paint 11 Replies

Make your own non toxic watercolor paint: http://www.magicalchildhood.com/crafts/w

Tagged: paint, watercolor

Started by Lin Neiswender. Last reply by June Walker Jun 18.

Do you back up your creative projects? How? 17 Replies

A friend of mine had an external hard drive that just quit on her. Our computer fix-it guy got most of her writing back on her laptop, but she thinks she lost her revised novel, the only other copy...

Started by Anne Westlund. Last reply by Alfredo Jun 15.

Creative Retreats - in the spirit of The Artist's Way - 2008 & 2009 4 Replies

I'm facilitating a couple Creative retreats for women - one this September (19, 20 & 21) 2008, in Lakeside, Ohio. The other next spring (May 29, 30 & 31, 2009) at Lake Logan, north Carolin...

Tagged: retreat, women's, creative, way, artist's

Started by Wendy Fedan. Last reply by Mary Hicks Jun 15.

A LITTLE INSPIRATION 28 Replies

I ran across this video and thought the CCS tribe might enjoy it. I have never tried to start a discussion or post a link or video . :( SO....here goes....fingers crossed.....holding my breath......

Tagged: inspiration

Started by artistikitty. Last reply by WildCherry Jun 14.

The Vital Importance Of Creating Like Only YOU Can... 45 Replies

Many people who come to CCS are on the brink of a kind of creative rebirth, rediscovering their creativity and the enjoyment they get from it in a way they haven't done in years, maybe even decades...

Started by Dan Goodwin. Last reply by WildCherry Jun 10.

 

New to CCS? Read This First...

How To Get The Most From CCS WITHOUT Getting Completely Overwhelmed...

When CCS began, for maybe the first month it was possible to follow every discussion and be a member of every group.

These days, because of the amount of stuff going on, it’s simply impossible. But still sometimes we may feel we have to join every new group or keep up with every discussion. Then what happens? We get completely overwhelmed and stressed, and inevitably give up on the whole thing. Which is exactly the OPPOSITE of what I want members to feel!

So here are 5 top tips for getting the most from CCS, WITHOUT being totally overloaded:

1. Always visit the Main Page first. Here you’ll find the key to following the activity on CCS in the “Latest Activity” box. You can see who’s replied to what and click on the links underlined blue to take you to that page to read more, for those parts you’re interested in. If you only visit your own Profile Page, you’ll not see what else is happening on CCS. Wherever you are on CCS, return to the main page by clicking on the main CCS header at the top of every page.

2. Pick two or three groups and focus only on those. Currently there are 35+ groups on CCS, some are ongoing, others are one off projects that have now ended. New groups appear each week, started by myself and other members. Click on the “Groups” tab (just below the main CCS header on any page) to go to the Groups main page. You can click the little drop down “Sort By” menu to choose how to display the list of groups. Browse through, see what takes your interest, join a group or two and enjoy the activities and discussions. Better to thoroughly enjoy two to three than dip your toe in 15 and never really get into any of them!

3. Use the Forum main page.
The Discussion Forum is the central interactive part of CCS where all manner of creative discussions take place. Go the main Forum page by clicking on the “Forum” tab just below the main header on any page of CCS. Like on the Groups page, click on the “Sort By” drop down menu to choose how to display the list of discussions. Browse through, see what takes your interest, click on the heading and you’ll go to that discussion. Click on one of the “Reply To This” links where you want to leave your thoughts and comments. Or click “+ Start a Discussion” link at the top of the main Forum page to start a new one.

4. Get to know other CCS members. CCS is nothing without its community of members. You can click on someone’s photo/avatar wherever you see it to go to their Profile Page, or click on the “Members” tab just below the main CCS header to go to the main members page, then click on someone’s photo to go to their page from there. Read their profile, leave a comment on their page in the “Comment Wall” section, or send them a message by clicking on the “Send a message” link just below their photo/avatar on their page. We’re a friendly, creative and supportive group, so don’t be shy.

5. Use RSS Feeds. RSS Feeds are simply like having reporters out in the field to bring you updates about your favourite websites. Say you have 10 favourite websites/blogs you like to keep up with. Rather than visit each one yourself every day just in case there’s new content, use an RSS Reader (Google Reader is free and easy to use) to gather all the RSS Feeds in one place. Then you become like the editor of a news network, sitting in your office while all your roving reporters bring back info to you when they have it, rather than you running around the internet trying to check everything yourself. Different parts of CCS have RSS Feeds, including the Latest Activity box, Photos, Forum Discussions, Blog posts etc, anywhere you see the orange and white RSS symbol, so you can automatically keep updated on your favourite sections.

Bonus Tip: How to manage your email notifications. Go to your Profile page (click the “My Page” tab just below the main CCS header), then in the right column click on “My Settings”. Then, in the left column , click on “Email”. You’ll see the question “What network activity do you want to receive an email notification for?” and the various boxes ticked below. This can be useful to receive messages sent out to members in groups you belong to, and to see when someone’s replied to a discussion you’ve replied to for example. If none are ticked, you won’t receive any messages from CCS to your external email, you’ll have to then manually visit CCS to find out what’s happening. Tick as many or as few as you wish, whatever works for you.

These tips will help you follow CCS more easily without feeling overwhelmed. The key is to pick a few things you’re interested in and get involved.


Imagine CCS as a large town full of wonderful restaurants. When you want a meal, don’t go racing around grabbing a handful of food from one before dashing off to another and another. You just feel dizzy, sick and exhausted! Instead choose one restaurant you like the look of, then go inside, take in the ambience, enjoy the company and savour a relaxing and delicious meal. Maybe once in a while you can try a new restaurant, but remember to return to your favourites.

If you need help with any part of CCS, don’t hesitate to drop me an email:

dangoodwin@coachcreative.com

Don’t worry that your question is too “basic”, we all were new on CCS once and had exactly the same questions…

Enjoy the community!

Dan

Creativity Resources

CoachCreative.com - The main CoachCreative website.

Explode Your Creativity! - Practical Action Workbook to get your creativity kick-started, FREE when you subscribe to the FREE Create Create! ezine.

Creativity Action Series - Action-based exercises designed to help you overcome some of the common issues holding back your creativity. FREE samples available.

Stop Doubting Start Creating! - The practical step-by-step guide to overcoming your resistance and getting started on the creative projects that matter to you.

You Are A Creative Writer! - For writers (and those who doubt they CAN write!). Learn how to unlock your creative writing potential today. FREE 5 part taster ecourse now available.

7 Steps To Freedom - How To Beat Procrastination And Set Your Creativity Free - Learn 7 Steps to escape the silent assassin of procrastination that's ALREADY destroyed more of your time, creative energy, opportunities, talent and money than you dare to count up with this dynamic ecourse.

Latest Activity

Lin Neiswender Lin Neiswender replied to the discussion Wonkadalas! : ) 4 minutes ago
Donelle Donelle left a comment for Susan Hosken 1 hour ago
Barbara Ann Storrier Barbara Ann Storrier commented on the photo geometric 1 hour ago
Barbara Ann Storrier Barbara Ann Storrier replied to the discussion Wonkadalas! : ) 1 hour ago
Barbara Ann Storrier Barbara Ann Storrier replied to the discussion Summertime Eats 1 hour ago
meewah meewah added a photo: geometric
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2 hours ago
Lin Neiswender Lin Neiswender replied to the discussion My progression of doodles 2 hours ago
Jules Jules replied to the discussion My progression of doodles 3 hours ago
Jules Jules replied to the discussion Wonkadalas! : ) 3 hours ago
Jules Jules replied to the discussion Wonkadalas! : ) 3 hours ago
Jules Jules replied to the discussion Wonkadalas! : ) 3 hours ago
Jules Jules replied to the discussion Camera Doodles! : ) 3 hours ago
Jules Jules replied to the discussion Camera Doodles! : ) 3 hours ago
Hannah Hannah left a comment for Barbara Ann Storrier 3 hours ago
Hannah Hannah left a comment for Barbara Ann Storrier 4 hours ago
Susan Hosken Susan Hosken commented on the blog post Life long courage....... 5 hours ago
Susan Hosken Susan Hosken left a comment for Julia 6 hours ago

Blog Posts

Peculiar Continuities

A Peculiar Continuity Life is a minefield In a meadow of peace People come and they go The lately deceased Will never know After the heart stops All that is left Is the rest of us, bereft Precise causes change In peace, in war So very strange It’s the last closed door A sniper’s shell Or cancer cells Both lead to A cathedral bell And many tears Life…for the living Gestures. Giving As time passes We need canes And glasses And one day More have passed Fewer stayed We realize We’re… Continue

Posted by Nick on July 24th, 2008 at 10:43pm — No Comments (Add)

Under certain circumstances music might make a difference

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/04/11/60minutes/main4009335.shtml

Posted by Hannah on July 24th, 2008 at 7:47pm — No Comments (Add)

Commitment thinking.......

Hi everyone: This has been my time to push self along or be stuck in a rut as I have done before. The only problem with being "in a rut" is that I usually dig fairly deep ones! I am not sure if that is a sign of the aging process or I just enjoy seeing how far ove the edge I can lean without flying off into space. I have been involved in an on-line course about challenge and commitment to self. Making myself a promise and keeping it are two different shades of color unfortunately. I am able to f… Continue

Posted by Barbara Burtchett on July 24th, 2008 at 10:10am — 4 Comments (Add)

Creative Beliefs: How Are Your Beliefs Affecting Your Ability To Create?

What you believe about your creativity will define how easy you find it to create, and how much you achieve in your creative life. That’s “achieve” not just in the sense of awards, fame and commercial success, but more importantly in achieving a sense of personal reward, fulfilment and happiness in your creativity. We all want to feel secure in some way, so whatever beliefs we do have, we find ways – often subconsciously – of gathering evidence that supports those beliefs, so we feel comfortabl… Continue

Posted by Dan Goodwin on July 23rd, 2008 at 5:30pm — No Comments (Add)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to all the lovely LEOS

Here's to all the Lions and Lionesses!

Posted by Barbara Ann Storrier on July 23rd, 2008 at 3:19pm — 4 Comments (Add)

Cool Daddy Grasshopper.......witten in the spring of 05' by mE

Lets see what I can do with the word, "cool" as a one word prompt. We have all heard of "cool as a cucumber." Here in the deep south, cool can mean comfort, relief from the heat or be a greeting on the street. Maybe something really liked alot, "that is so cool." Jazz musicians are cool, so is a tall glass of ice tea with extra ice. The glass is all frosty, dripping with trickles of moisture running down like rain on a window pane. Dark and tempting with a big slice of bright yellow lemon for ad… Continue

Posted by Barbara Burtchett on July 23rd, 2008 at 8:07am — 2 Comments (Add)

CCS Meetup--Northern California--September 2008

Barb and I are meeting up in Redding, CA the first weekend in September. Barb contacted Lotus and she may be able to make it. If there are any other CCSers who live in/traveling to Northern California in early September, please contact either Barb or me and maybe we can meet up. I'm so excited!

Posted by Anne Westlund on July 22nd, 2008 at 2:26am — 6 Comments (Add)

Oils are my new favourite paint!

Oils are enjoyable for me to use recently. Mostly I am messing around with slapping paint on and seeing if an image appears. I think all this bravado with the brush/knife marks will transfer to my realistic painting when I get around to doing that again... kind of loosening it up. On the other hand, I may just like all this abstract work so much I may never go back to 'realism'. I laugh out loud and smile and generally enjoy the abstract-whimsy style so much when I am in the midst of it. For rea… Continue

Posted by June Walker on July 21st, 2008 at 2:13pm — 10 Comments (Add)

Handless Maiden 3 & 4 finally finished

I got my latest two paintings finished before I… Continue

Posted by WildCherry on July 21st, 2008 at 11:12am — 19 Comments (Add)

The written word.......

"Memory is a frail thing. The written word stands forever" Ghandi I could not agree more with Ghandi. I find the written word more detailed than most of my memories for one thing. Whenever I write about growing up it brings to mind so many of the finer details than just thinking about it. Patterns, sights, sounds, smells all reappear to my own amazement in detail my memory alone does not recall. The same applies to Lady Atlantic. Just spelling her name brings a sea salty scent with rushing w… Continue

Posted by Barbara Burtchett on July 21st, 2008 at 9:34am — 3 Comments (Add)

Update on my Mama Drama

Well, Mom was home for 2 days and then had to be hospitalized again. She came out of the first hospital with 5 different infections, so we fought to keep her in another one closer to home. That worked for about a month then she needed dialysis so she had to go back to the other hospital. We're now approaching 4 months of this. She just came out of a 12 day spell of unconsciousness. We don't know if she's dying, or getting better. My poor Dad is exhausted. He has only missed 3 days in all this ti… Continue

Posted by Morgaine Swann on July 21st, 2008 at 4:27am — 3 Comments (Add)

A new beginning

Continue

Posted by Doreen on July 20th, 2008 at 11:00pm — 14 Comments (Add)

Posted by Hannah on July 20th, 2008 at 3:07am — 1 Comment (Add)

Life long courage.......

"Life is not the way it's supposed to be, it's the way it is. The way you cope with it is what makes the difference." Virginia Satir Having been around a long time, can feel like forever now and again. When it's good, naturally we do not want those times to go away. "Please stay awhile longer. I want this feeling to last I almost beg." All the while I am pleading, life is packing a bag, ready to leave mE to figure it out for myself one more time. It may be the way it is plus always will be… Continue

Posted by Barbara Burtchett on July 20th, 2008 at 1:10am — 25 Comments (Add)

Melodious Ramblings

The in between notes Implied by chords Make me float Like soft words Suspending Augmenting And finally diminishing Like words unsaid Tacit, in the throat But instead We stay remote. Yet on pages adjacent The staves and phrases Rise then fall Whisper praise Then nothing at all Or have I become too complacent? Thunder roars From timpani skins Your melody soars From deep within A symphony unfinished July 2008

Posted by Nick on July 19th, 2008 at 2:08pm — 3 Comments (Add)

Mandala-Lin

Mary sent me a luscious link about mandalas, which have fascinated me from my earliest days. Not only do they speak to me spiritually, they are beautiful works of art as well. Here's the link: http://sacred-circle-mandalas.blogspot.com/ and there is a related link from the page here about which I'll speak later. And Barb created a lovely mandala for Becca to take with her to the hospital. I've written about mandala… Continue

Posted by Lin Neiswender on July 19th, 2008 at 1:30am — 35 Comments (Add)

Going for a job interview

Well I've bitten the bullet - taken a leaf out of my own book and am going for my first job interview in over 25 years - ouch! In order to support my small meagre existence money wise, I am going for a part time job at Centre Parc's as a babysitter. No big deal you may say....oh my gosh it is for me. She who is terrified of any kind of authority (yes interviewers are on my list!) I am quaking in my boots - I am pretty sure I will get the job, I will be delighted, relieved and happy if I do and… Continue

Posted by Detta on July 18th, 2008 at 8:22am — 5 Comments (Add)

Creative Flow: The Secret To A Happy Creative Life

Whatever your preferred forms of creating, there’s one thing that we all need in place to enjoy creating at its fullest, and to be able to reach close to our full creative potential time and time again. It’s not about talent or ability. It’s not about materials or equipment. It’s simply about finding your unique creative flow. What does this mean, this creative flow? It means finding, and making the most of, the natural patterns and rhythms of creating that work best for you. There’s… Continue

Posted by Dan Goodwin on July 18th, 2008 at 7:16am — 10 Comments (Add)

Pursuit of happiness.......

My "pursuit of happiness" is an ongoing adventure. Many times it feels like playing tag with the wind. I do not believe it was meant to be any other way. We "pursue," possibly without realizing it, all of our life. Currently, my grandson Sylas, is pursuing the art of walking independantly. Free from being held, on his own, smiling all the way! If this is not a form of happiness I have no idea what is. Children innocently are in constant pursuit of laughter, joy, love, while learning and growin… Continue

Posted by Barbara Burtchett on July 17th, 2008 at 1:35am — 4 Comments (Add)

Art Is Therapy!!

Last night I was (again) frustrated and quite angry with my out-of-state family. While you don't need to know those details, I wanted to share the outcome. Instead of sitting on the front porch making faces at people passing by, I decided to go up to my playroom and see what happened. My initial thought was that I'd just take a soft pastel and mash it into a piece of paper. For several minutes I thought about how that would feel. But I just couldn't do it. Instead, I took a gentler approach. Th… Continue

Posted by Mary Hicks on July 16th, 2008 at 8:43pm — 23 Comments (Add)

 
 

About CoachCreativeSpace

Dan Goodwin Dan Goodwin created this social network on Ning.

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Check out the Quick Start Guide for help in getting up and running with CoachCreativeSpace.

Any questions, just ask me, at: dangoodwin@CoachCreative.com

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Here's 3 steps to having all the creative ideas you'll ever need...

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How To Be Creative: 7 Sure Ways to Greater Creativity

If you’ve found creating about as easy as tap dancing knee deep in molasses lately, here are 7 ways to help you get your creativity flowing again:

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How To Be Creative: 7 Secrets of Creative Flow

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Here then are 7 secrets of creative flow you can start putting into action today:

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How To Organise Your Creative Space To Be More Creative

How you organise your creative space has a major impact on how freely you create. If you’re struck with an idea you just have to start work on, but then rush to your work space only to find a sea of materials, papers and miscellaneous ephemera piled a foot high, and your tools and equipment partially buried underneath and scattered around various other parts of the room, you’re not giving yourself much of a chance to create at your most freely.

Imagine an Olympic sprinter preparing for the final of the 100m. He’s going to want to be fully prepared, clothed, and warmed up physically and mentally so he can be at that starting line in the best possible position to perform at his best for the race.