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shanna germain

inspiration & influence

Seeing stars

February 3, 2013
Orion Nebula

Orion Nebula – by the Smithsonian Institute via flickr

These words are running around my head…

Look at the stars,

Look how they shine for you,

And all the things that you do.

Yes, they are from a song from a while ago, “Yellow” by Coldplay but it’s suddenly on high rotation in my head and I woke up to these words running through me in the middle of last night. They are beautiful, speak of possibility, potential, opportunity. They are sad and make me think of my brother and what I didn’t get to say to him when he couldn’t see the light shining any more. They are words of encouragement to continue to see the light and positives ahead.

These words sit by my desk…

Perhaps they are not the stars but rather openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy

This is an Eskimo proverb apparently. Even before I came across this quote, it was how I liked to think of the stars. I found myself in my deepest moments of grief looking up into the stars with some sense of connection and comfort. It’s something I still do.

These stars shine for me…

I wrote about my seven stars a few years ago when I was just starting out here. These stars still shine for me. Weekly, daily, their words and projects influence and guide me. Here are some recent thoughts on their influence:

Shanna Germain wrote a brilliant post ‘Do the Words: On (Writing) Productivity‘ based on sitting and writing in a cafe while overhearing a conversation about all the barriers the speakers faced to writing. She tweeted:

People at next table spent 2 hrs kvetching about writer’s block. In that time, I wrote 827 words, edited 2 stories. Shut up. Do the words.

Shanna cuts through, does the words, gets on with it and through the resistance and is such a great example of writing productively. This is a message I will be remembering this year: stop talking (or blogging) about it and just get on with it!

Susannah Conway. What can I say, I am a huge fan and cannot capture just how influential Susannah has been to me. This recent post, ‘From the Heart‘ just floored me as Susannah reflected so openly on both the personal toll of her work effort and her sense of being alone; my heart and many others went out to her in return. This post demonstrated, in the deepest way, the sheer vulnerability and honesty that is ‘Blogging from the Heart’, why it is so valuable and how the online community of the heart can provide so much support to each other.

Danielle LaPorte’s ‘Desire Map‘ project and current posts continue to cut through to new thinking. Elsewhere, I was reading about email overload this morning and rules about managing this in the workplace in terms of redefining when people can/can’t email and should/shouldn’t read emails. Part of me is thinking, ‘good idea, we need to manage this better in my workplace‘ and another part of me is thinking, ‘well, what about personal choice and the customer, who might want an answer now?’ Shortly after, I read this post from Danielle, Bag your Boundaries. Wham! Love that fresh, pure, direct thinking.’ You can have both, Danielle says:

You can protect yourself and be open-hearted.

Cool! So I am now thinking about how I can do this in my workplace from a different perspective altogether.

And then there’s Chris Guillebeau who probably started all this; through him I linked up with Danielle and then through to Susannah. He has helped me make so many connections – people, thoughts, plans – and is still out there building empires, fostering world domination and writing posts that, like Danielle, make me look at things from a non-conformist standpoint. Take for example, ‘Changing the System’:

If you want something to change, therefore, show us an alternative. Show us a new way of life.

You are the role model. Not the politician, not the celebrity, not the evangelist. Don’t throw up your hands in resignation, and don’t look for another leader.

It’s all on you, in other words. No pressure.

Whew! No pressure indeed! But it’s so true. It’s easy to complain; it’s easy to give up or to look for someone else to lead but the solutions come from taking responsibility and working through to find another way. My work role as a leader is about making a difference. This is the exactly the way I need to lead: finding the alternatives and being the role model, helping us to work through them.

So, I am seeing stars all around me, a constellation of words, thoughts and song that gather and cluster to propel me to also shine.

What stars are you seeing? What’s making you shine?

blogging creativity planning & productivity writing

Planning to be fluid

June 14, 2010

I have a plan for this blog and where it’s going, and part of the plan is to be fluid but focussed. It’s open; open to intuition, influence and the flow of other thoughts. I have a sense of structure, of where it might lead. You can see this in my category headings  on the right and also in the first post explaining its raison d’etre. All this I will explain and probably understand further in time as it evolves.

The planning underpinning this involved many months of reading, writing, brainstorming, mind-mapping, researching, learning about the blogging process itself and also engaging in the experience of reading blogs and and connecting through social media. I’m still learning so much but it was all about reflecting on my key message, what I felt I had to tell and contribute and learning how to do that in practice, at least enough to begin. Then, getting the courage to start.

But it all needs to remain fluid, to be able to evolve and to take in the constantly new perspectives and thoughts from reading including those from online sources. It is an infinitely fascinating space, the online space, especially influential in how it can shape your thoughts in a positive way.

The other day, I caught up with Chris Guillebeau’s recent post, ‘Transitions‘, a very powerful and beautiful thought piece about holding onto the space of transition before moving on. He encourages focusing on the moment of transition rather than rushing to move on, be it in the sphere of work, travel, relationships or anything else…‘hold on to the moment as long as you can…’, the sheer poignancy of it and what it means.

Somehow from this, I started thinking about the space between planning and intuition. How you need to plan, schedule, have a strategy, know what success looks like, set objectives and set the measures for how you know you have arrived, but that you also need to remain open to intuition, what the stream of consciousness delivers, the post that asks to be written despite your original plan for the day, the work project that needs to be messy and possibly get worse before things can be resolved and moved on.

Allowing a space for openness and  intuition within a plan can only enrich it in the long run, as long as you know where you are heading. The plan is important to keep your overall direction intact but it’s also critical to avoid being rigid and immune to influence once you have a plan and are on your way.

For setting goals in the first place, I have found the following posts and processes useful:

Chris Guillebeau’s annual review process

Chris again and the importance of strategy vs tactics and the need for clear strategy – love the quote in this one.

Paul Myers’ ‘A simple system to achieve your goals’ – great for identifying your contacts and resources amongst other things

Carrie McCarthy and Danielle LaPorte’s book, ‘Style Statement’, I absolutely recommend for understanding your authentic self as a tool for life choices

Shanna Germain’s  musing on goal-setting as a writer – she sets high goals for output and achieves much in the process

The communicatrix’s take on her experience with the goal setting process and what it brings up in its wake

It’s fascinating to see how all the stars who have influenced me are working on goals and strategy. It seems once the direction is set, it’s easier to engage with and reflect on the journey wherever it takes you; easier not to get lost in the important sidetracks or paths that might come up; and easier to assess if a new direction is required.

What’s your take on planning vs intuition?

Image: Fluids’s reflection, by Sergio Tudela via Flickr, used under a Creative Commons license

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blogging creativity inspiration & influence

My seven stars

May 19, 2010
I would like to acknowledge seven key people I have been reading online, whose journeys I have been following and who have been an inspiration to me. They have been like stars in a constellation guiding me to being able to express myself here in this way at this time. They are all people who transcend in their own ways, cutting through and conveying a clear message to get out there and just do it. I have heard echoes from the seven stars, “Just start…” “Start where you are…” “Begin…” They are wonderful role models who have done just that and are now a long way down the road with their own special message for the world through their hard work, clear vision and commitment.

I will introduce them in this post, then spend some time on each one over the next weeks to really give them justice and to acknowledge what they have given to me and I’m sure many others. Hopefully this also leads more people to them and their great work.

Okay – so my seven stars I celebrate are (drumroll in background…):

The famous “Seven Sisters” of the Pleiades. Image by jimkster, via Flickr, used under a Creative Commons license.

Danielle LaPorte

I came across Danielle LaPorte through her book, ‘Style Statement’, co-authored with Carrie McCarthy. I worked through the book assiduously and searched for Danielle online to find her at White Hot Truth. Through this work, I better understand my key style drivers, what makes me tick, why I like what I like, why it’s important and especially through White Hot Truth, how to cut through the restrictive perceptions that hold you back. Her business is about entrepreneurship and her current product is ‘The Firestarter Sessions: a digital experience for entrepreneurs.  A great source of style, truth and connection to others. Truly white hot.

Chris Guillebeau

Danielle profiles and interviews other people on her site which led me to Chris Guillebeau and The Art of Non-Conformity. Chris is an absolute online inspiration. I spoke of him in my previous post, ‘Why transcending?’ His journey, his thought pieces and his publications are powerful enablers to setting and achieving your goals. His posts are a rich mix of travel experiences, reflections and challenges. Chris’s writing often seems to be timely for me, chiming in with my own thoughts, indecision or addressing a current paralysis. I am not the only one as the long list of comments to his blog posts attests. The Unconventional Guides, Art and Money, Travel Ninja, A Brief Guide to World Domination, Social Media as a Force for Good – are all brilliant pieces.

Susannah Conway

I also found Susannah Conway’s beautiful site and  photography through Danielle. Writing from Bath in the UK, Susannah’s themes especially align with my own: creativity, getting through pain, writing and images as vehicles for expression and moving on. Her e-course ‘Unravelling’ is wildly popular – I still haven’t managed to get into it! The course uses photography and journaling – two of my favourite things – to work through healing and acceptance. Susannah’s site is pure beauty and I am always touched. Sometimes it’s a laugh of connection, sometimes a cry of pain  –  but always a warm, encouraging and open place like sitting beside a warm fire full of heart.

Sage Cohen

I found Sage through her wonderful book, ‘Writing the Life Poetic: An Invitation to Read and Write Poetry’.  Anyone who writes and reads poetry knows they live a rarefied life that struggles sometimes to find a place. It’s easy to lose your way and not many people understand it. As it says on the back cover, WTLP is ‘the inspirational companion you’ve been looking for to help you  build confidence in your poetic voice…’ Hallelujah! It is so true. Sage has a number of sites including Writing the Life Poetic and also conducts the best poetry writing course by email and workbook: Poetry for the People. I have been privileged to work through two levels of Poetry for the People and I am in awe of Sage’s poetic wisdom – she is very aptly named! Poet, teacher, blogger, mother, writer…

Shanna Germain

Shanna is fantastically without boundaries and goes everywhere and anywhere in writing and in life. A writer of  poetry, novels, short stories, erotica – she is amazingly prolific and documents her writing life intimately. I first joined up with her when she was on a remote Scottish island last year living a writing life. Fantastic, I thought, living my dream – and then you experience the actual day to day of Shanna’s writing life and realise what hard and solitary work it is. I laugh out loud often and love the way she structures her writing story, different blogs, morphing in and out and setting herself projects that she absolutely commits to – writing a poem or significant part of a novel every day. This year – a learning project every week in Chapter 38: ‘A girl. A brain. 52 ways to fill it’.

Joanna Penn

Joanna lives in Australia and has set up an incredibly consistent blog, ‘The Creative Penn’ about ‘Writing, Publishing Options, Sales and Promotion for your book. I came across Joanna on a list of the top 30 bloggers to watch. I have learnt so much from reading the blog and especially from her podcast interviews available online and free from itunes. I listen to them in my car on the way to work and have learnt about ebooks, using video, podcasting, itunes, authentic voice, beating procrastination, romance writing, crime writing and more. The whole publishing game has changed and Joanna has captured perfectly how social media can work for writers. And she has a full-time job and she is writing a novel. A real role model for moi.

Colleen Wainwright

And the communicatrix, Colleen Wainwright. Colleen and I were born a week apart so communicatrix: A Virgo’s Guide to the Universe rings incredibly true for me. Obviously we have had different experiences and backgrounds, but the essence is eerily familiar. Fantastically clear and self-deprecating at the same time, it is about being a better communicator and the skills and search for same. Hilarious, incisive and full of great links and reads, I just love it. Friday round-up is especially insightful – always something to take away. This week’s link to an article by Jeffrey Zeldman on the beauty of life  was a gift that bought tears to my eyes. Colleen’s writing is full of such gifts.

My seven stars are truly a constellation – they interconnect, flow and bounce ideas back and forth and create such a cosmic storm here, I can only respond.  And I think, what if they had not ‘just started…..’  where would I be today without their influence? I hope to shine also to illuminate myself likewise and light the way to others.

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