I am delighted to have my friend Joel Boggess provide a guest blog post today... enjoy.
He is a life coach and the author of “Finding Your Voice (http://www.fyvbook.com)”. You can follow his
shows and updates on Facebook. www.fyvradio.com/facebookfanpage
Experimentation – The key to self-discovery
Have you ever watched a
creative cook in the kitchen? A dash of this, a dollop of that, a pinch of
something else...and the next thing you know, you’re biting into a delicious
concoction for which no recipe exists. Occasionally this kind of cook misses
the mark: a cake flops or the sweet and sour sauce turns out a little too sour.
In general though, experimental cooking works out just fine - and sometimes the
combination of flavors blows your mind.
The same approach that
can work wonders in the kitchen can also work wonders in your writing.
Unfortunately, rather than experimenting and “taste testing” along the way many
people approach every decision as if life and death hang in the balance. One
wrong choice, and BAM! It’s over. The pressure to make the right decision
becomes so intense, the tendency can be to do nothing rather than make a wrong
decision.
Experimentation =
Liberation
But what if you
approached life differently and assumed that by and large, most things work out
OK and the things that don’t generally aren’t major catastrophes? What if you
chose to see each situation for what it really is? A chance to learn, grow, and
develop your own writer’s voice.
By giving yourself
permission to experiment and try-on new writing styles - from a different
angle, viewpoint, or frame of reference, you free yourself from the fear of failure
and the expectation of measuring-up. It’s OK if your experiment doesn’t work
out the way you originally thought or follow a nice, neat, sequential order.
Original ideas never do. Testing an idea’s merit alongside your own values and
principles, and outside of any box, is far more valuable.
Circumstances can
bring new ideas and opportunities
For my friend Deby, she
had no choice but to try new things.
Two years ago, Deby’s
voice began to tremble. As doctors searched for the cause and a cure, her voice
weakened until it one day it was completely gone. Deby had been a singer and
songwriter all her life and was just beginning a speaking and coaching career.
She needed her voice to survive financially.
Through her pain and
frustration, Deby heard a voice within that told her to paint.
‘This is play. This is
a discovery.’” Her art teacher Dorsey’s instruction to the class was to remain
unattached from the work – to be ready to rip it up and use it in another way.
Dorsey removed all the stress from the learning process -something Deby
desperately needed. During a time when she couldn’t speak, her art served as
both a way to express herself and a source of healing. Over the next few months
her voice slowly returned, but she knows that what she’s learned about her
artistic expression will add value to the lives of those who read, listen to,
and experience her work.
Ditch the grading
system
Are you willing to give
yourself permission to “rip up your work”? In other words, can you experiment
without demanding perfection from yourself?
If no one were around
to tell you not to, what other topics, events, and ideas would you write about?
What is your voice
trying to tell you that you haven’t tuned into and started writing about?
Your best ideas will
most likely come only after you learn to push your own creative envelope.
Experiment - the world
is still a playground.
Practical takeaways
Experimentation without
expectation opens doors of creativity.
God’s blessings are
often dressed-up as challenges.
There is no report card
attached to artistic expression.
Joel
Boggess is a personal friend, life coach, and a syndicated radio host. He is
also the author of “Finding Your Voice (http://www.amazon.com/Finding-Your-Voice-Confidence-Direction/dp/1937879305)
– sort through the clutter and discover clarity, confidence and direction”. The
eBook edition is available for only $1.99 from Feb 5 – Feb 9.
Did this post resonate with you? Check out
Joel’s new book, Finding your Voice (http://www.amazon.com/Finding-Your-Voice-Confidence-Direction/dp/1937879305)
– sort through the clutter and discover clarity, confidence and direction. The
eBook is on sale for only $1.99
through Feb 9.
Author
bio: Joel Boggess and his wife Pei live in DFW area
in Texas. With Master’s degrees in counseling and business, plus seven years of
experience as a life and career coach, Boggess has the education, life
experience and wisdom to help you tune into and fully express your unique
voice.
Links
Amazon book page:
Amazon Kindle page: http://amzn.com/B00HP5D6PO
Webpage: http://www.fyvbook.com
Facebook: www.fyvradio.com/facebookfanpage
