Secrets of a Creative Warrior E-Book

Seth B. Greenwald

• Herausgeber: LookinGood Publishing
• Kategorie: Ratgeber
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018

Seitenzahl: 108

Beschreibung

Are you ready to…

…break old habits and forge new paths?

…experience the world with a fresh sense of wonder?

…see things in innovative and unconventional ways?

…enjoy new activities without fear or hesitation?

…live your life as a non-stop journey of discovery?

Yes? Then the path of the Creative Warrior is for you!

It’s not necessary to be an artist to reach your full creative potential. In fact, you don’t need to be artistic at all. You can begin with the abilities you already possess. This book will show you how to break the habits which hold you back from experiencing life to its fullest. A variety of fun yet powerful techniques will guide you in developing your confidence to forge ahead on the path of the Creative Warrior!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

To develop your creative confidence and achieve the success you desire, there's one thing you must do...

Explore Before You Bore!!

Life is all about making decisions.

Some are small: what do I want for dinner tonight? What should I wear to the prom? (Actually that last decision is a big one :)

Some are a bit bigger: Where should I go on summer vacation? What classes should I take this year?

And some are huge: What college do I want to go to? What should I major in? Who do I want to work for? What do I really want to do with my life?

Your decisions can lead you to where you want to go in life. It's the cumulative results of the choices you make on your life’s journey that will help you reach the summit of your personal Mt. Everest. You'll need courage, confidence and perseverance to achieve your goals. However, there are many mountains in this wonderful world of ours. And they all seem worthwhile to climb. Which one do you choose? How do you select an option?

The problem is that our minds would prefer not to keep our options open for too long. No one likes feeling confused. We'd rather have a mountain to climb, sooner than later. That's all fine and good. What I'm proposing in this book is that you’ll want to discover the many wonders of this world before you settle on a single path. You’ll want to enjoy what you're doing and then try something different, just for the fun of it. You’ll want to live your life like you did when you were a kid. With a sense of wonder and curiosity. You’ll want to be comfortable with uncertainty because that's where the adventure lies.

It all boils down to experiencing multiple paths before you choose to commit to one. What I'm saying, in a nutshell, is ‘explore before you bore’. Enjoy the journey. And here’s the good news…your inner Creative Warrior is waiting to assist you whenever you are ready to explore!

THIS is the book that can change your life. TRY it out and see for yourself!

Leseprobe

Secrets of a

Creative Warrior

A Practical Guide for Developing

Your Creative Confidence

………….

Seth B. Greenwald

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published by LookinGood Publishing

Pleasantville, NY

www.CreativeWarriorSecrets.com

Printed in the United States of America

First edition: January 2013

Updated: September 2018

ISBN 978-0-9886827-0-2

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012922854

This book is dedicated to the love of my life Gaby. There is no way this book could have been completed without your support, inspiration and all-around goodness.

Much appreciation to my son and buddy Lee. Your playful insights have shown me the way many times.

Foreword

When I was a kid I wanted to fly. So I did. I extended my arms, took a small leap off my bed and soared over my hometown on Long Island. My red cape flapped excitedly behind me like a badge of courage.

At school I wanted to maintain that superhero mindset. So I did. Hard test? No problem! I’d connect with my awesome powers and wham…instant 100%. Of course, I had x-ray vision and didn’t need to crack open any books to study. Yes!

Ahh, those were the days. As school progressed I was taught to rely less on my imagination and more on my all-important intellect. Thinking, they said, is king and the ruler of our destiny.

But what if it isn’t? What if our creative superhero is still within us, just waiting for our call? What if all we need to do to reconnect with it is to become aware of the thoughts which hold us back from trying exciting new things? What if all it takes is a few simple yet powerful activities to re-engage with our incredibly creative mindset?

That’s all it takes. And that’s what this book is all about…a practical guide for developing your creative confidence. I call it your ‘Creative Warrior’. Think of it as part muse, and part motivator. It’s ready to help you achieve your goals and desires. It’s there to help you make the changes to experience your life at its best. And what the Creative Warrior asks of you is simple...try a few fun and easy activities designed to help you break out of your comfort zone, gradually. No need to skydive. Yet.

I need to warn you now that connecting with your Creative Warrior is addictive. You will see ordinary things in ways you never have before. You will experience life as a non-stop journey of discovery.

Are you ready to ride the awesome power of creativity? I believe you are. Enjoy your flight!

Seth B. Greenwald

August 2018

Introduction

There is a definite natural progression to human activities. We learn to walk before we begin to run. We study our ABCs before we’re ready to read. Addition comes before algebra. Mastering a fundamental skill is a prerequisite before moving up to the next level.

The same logic applies to mental activities. If our goal is to discover original ideas then first we must learn to be creative in our thinking. Creativity is about opening your mind to new possibilities. Thinking creatively is a powerful tool that you can use to generate new ideas and see the world in fresh ways. It can also improve areas of your life that, at first glance, you might not connect with creative thinking. For example, you may recapture that sense of wonder and awe you felt as a kid. You may discover deeper emotional connections with your friends and family. Creative thinking can, and will, open doors for you.

What is the best approach to take if we want to be more creative? Well, there are many techniques that I will show you. The key idea behind all of these is simple...keep an open mind. When you find yourself falling back into thoughts like "I have to do it this way" or "I don't know how to do it any other way"' then it's time to relax and practice with one of this book's mind-opening tips and techniques. These activities will help you rediscover a mindset ripe for creative endeavors.

This book consists of two sections. The “Pep Talks” chapters will describe what creativity is all about. These chapters are intended to put you in a proper mood before attempting the creativity-enhancing activities contained in the latter part of the book. These techniques are simple, easy-to-use exercises that can be practiced anytime to develop the creative powers you already possess. Yes, you already have fantastic creative potential. What you need is a push in the right direction to engage your power and put yourself on the path of the Creative Warrior.

When performing these exercises for the first time, give them your best effort. Take them seriously. However, if you find a particular technique is not working for you, move on to the next one. Don't worry if you're not making progress as quickly as you'd like. With a little patience and perseverance you'll see a change. It will happen, just don't give up.

I hope you have as much fun working with these activities as I had fun writing about them. I find that being able to think creatively is its own reward. Life becomes so much richer and more rewarding. Let my creative tools be the catalysts in reaching your goals. Try them out and experience what I'm talking about for yourself. And don’t forget to have fun.

Part One:

1Explore Before You Bore

Life is all about making decisions.

Some are small: what do I want for dinner tonight? What should I wear to the prom? (Actually that last decision is a big one :)

Some are a bit bigger: Where should I go on summer vacation? What classes should I take this year?

And some are huge: What college do I want to go to? What should I major in? Who do I want to work for? What do I really want to do with my life?

Your decisions can lead you to where you want to go in life. It's the cumulative results of the choices you make on your life’s journey that will help you reach the summit of your personal Mt. Everest. You'll need courage, confidence and perseverance to achieve your goals. However, there are many mountains in this wonderful world of ours. And they all seem worthwhile to climb. Which one do you choose? How do you select an option?

The problem is that our minds would prefer not to keep our options open for too long. No one likes feeling confused. We'd rather have a mountain to climb, sooner than later. That's all fine and good. What I'm proposing in this book is that you’ll want to discover the many wonders of this world before you settle on a single path. You’ll want to enjoy what you're doing and then try something different, just for the fun of it. You’ll want to live your life like you did when you were a kid. With a sense of wonder and curiosity. You’ll want to be comfortable with uncertainty because that's where the adventure lies.

It all boils down to experiencing multiple paths before you choose to commit to one. What I'm saying, in a nutshell, is ‘explore before you bore’. Enjoy the journey. And here’s the good news…your inner Creative Warrior is waiting to assist you whenever you are ready to explore!

2The Way of the Creative Warrior

Life moves along quite effortlessly when we act out ingrained habits and routines. We do things because we’re comfortable doing them. It feels good to live thinking we know what the future will bring.

Remember when you were a child and the world was new. Your mind was inquisitive and open to all experiences. Learning how the world worked was your main activity. You developed a mental picture of the world and through it became aware of where you fit in. We carry this conceptual world with us all through our lives. Without it we’d be lost.

Towards the end of our formative years the newness of the world rubs off and we convince ourselves that we know everything we need to know. Our inquisitive mind fades into the background and we ask fewer questions. Our learning process slows down. Soon after we may feel as if we’re living life on auto-pilot.

Creative Warriors do things a bit differently. They keep a constant eye on their auto-pilot switch. They have an arsenal of tools to keep their eyes sharp and their minds supple. Creative Warriors use these tools to rattle their brains into inspired thought. These tools are the pep talks and techniques described in the following chapters. 

Do you aspire to become a Creative Warrior? If the answer is yes, then keep reading. Try each activity and repeat the ones that work for you. Perform the techniques sincerely and you’ll soon find yourself on the rewarding path of the Creative Warrior. 

3Just Have FunA Creative Warrior's first task is to bring ideas into the world. They aren’t concerned with evaluating their value or relevancy. They’re not interested in developing the best one. Nor do they wish to transform an idea into reality. The first step is simply to generate a multitude of ideas. We’re after quantity, not quality. This book gives you the tools to succeed in ideation. You may not agree with me now, but generating ideas is the fun part. No need to analyze or criticize. Why do you think children are so happy? It’s because they're playing and having fun. They're using their imaginations to make up situations. They're taking new ideas out for a trial run. If the imaginary situation doesn't work for them, they drop it and find another one. Do they criticize themselves for choosing the wrong idea? Of course not. Young people are in it to have fun. When you are in ideation mode remember the joy you felt as a kid. Remember how lighthearted you were when at play. It's really not hard to reconnect with the child inside of you. Remind yourself that it's your life and you want to have some fun.

4Stomp on Your Fear

Have you ever heard someone say that they want to learn to draw but don't want to take a class because they don't know the first thing about drawing? Does that logic strike you as a bit strange? This applies to any skill...cooking, woodworking, writing, etc. Many people are afraid to try something new. There are numerous reasons for this unfortunate reaction and the common denominator is fear. Let's examine three fear-based obstacles and how you can overcome them.

Fear of not living up to your own expectations

Your self-image is a powerful motivator. But it may also hold you back from trying new things. Let's perform an exercise to determine if your self-image is holding you back or pushing you forward.

Close your eyes. Imagine yourself as an Olympic athlete. You pick the sport. Now imagine that you've just won the final competition and you're standing on the podium in third place. You receive your bronze medal. The crowd of 50,000 people burst into applause. So how do you feel right now? Are you proud of yourself and what you've accomplished? Or do you feel like a failure because you didn't win the competition? 

If you felt like a failure, you self-image is going to cause you problems in the future. It's going to hold you back from trying something new because you can't imagine yourself not winning. Before you even start you'll be paralyzed by fear of failure. This is not good. What to do? Remind yourself that people are not born as successes. They work hard to get there. For example, think about Elvis Presley. Before he became the king of rock and roll, he was a truck driver. He was told by many record executives to stick with his day job as he'd never make it in the music industry. But he found ways to persevere through adversity and didn't let rejection affect how he saw himself...a success.

Fear of disappointing others