Books / SARK > Make Your Creative Dreams Real

A Self-Coaching Journey through SARK's

Make Your Creative Dreams Real

A Plan for Procrastinators, Perfectionists, Busy People, Avoiders, and People Who Would Really Rather Sleep All Day

By Chris Dunmire, CoachingYourCreativity.com

I had the privilege of meeting author/artist SARK (Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy) in 2004 while attending her workshop and book signing event on her Make Your Creative Dreams REAL (Simon & Schuster © 2004) book tour in Chicago.

It was an awesome event. And not just because I was in the company of a luminous author who continues to inspire millions of people to Succulent Wild Womanhood and creative destinies with her work. The workshop was genuinely useful to me. And Susan is so down to earth. Witty. Fun. Imperfect. And successfully creative.

Yes, attending the workshop was a life-shifting event for me and I'd dare say for everyone else present. As a group, we listened to one another, worked through challenging exercises, created personal dream books, and co-created a rich experience that energized each of us to move forward with our own creative dreams, big and small. Was it just the usual workshop high? Not for me. In the three years since the workshop, I'm still moving forward and using what I've learned because the information and tools are timeless. The experience was unforgettable.

Though I can't recreate the workshop experience for you, you can still benefit greatly by experiencing the message through the pages of SARK's book yourself. And to to further encourage you, I've developed this "self-coaching journey guide" for you to use along with the book as you focus on your own creative life.

To get the most out of SARK's "Plan for Procrastinators, Perfectionists, Busy People, Avoiders, and People Who Would Really Rather Sleep All Day" and these reflective questions, I highly suggest that you purchase your own copy of Make Your Creative Dreams REAL (available from Amazon) or check it out from your local library and read every page. It's a great book for your personal self-coaching library.

Introduction

Questions for Reflection:

• SARK writes about creative dreams being “resilient” and society being a “dream-tester.” How can these realities be recognized and embraced without discouraging creative dreaming?

• What are your creative dreams?

Chapter 1: Fantastic First Month

Chapter 1 Questions for Reflection:

• Why is the thought of “needing more time” to nurture a creative dream not necessarily in sync with how “time” naturally flows (or is assigned) to what is visible, active, important, and necessary in life?

• SARK lists seven stages of dream development. Why is it important to determine what stage a creative dream is at? How will naming the stage help in its appropriate ‘feeding and sheltering?’

Chapter 2: Succulent Second Month

Chapter 2 Questions for Reflection:

• Regarding fear, SARK notes that “Our main fear is usually that we’ll fail. Of course, the real failure is in not trying…” Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?

• SARK uses a “reframing” approach to turn negative statements into positive ones. Do you think reframing can really transform thoughts and attitudes? Can you list a few examples of reframing?

Chapter 3: Treasured Third Month

Chapter 3 Questions for Reflection:

• What "starts" you?

• The idea of “radical self-acceptance” is discussed by SARK. Why is it important to practice this in regards to creative dreams? Do you believe that this type of self-acceptance can lead to “expansive change?”

Chapter 4: Feisty Fourth Month

Chapter 4 Questions for Reflection:

• SARK introduces the concept of microMOVEments as “a very tiny action (5 seconds to 5 minutes in length) that anyone can take toward some part of his or her creative dream.” What are some examples of microMOVEments that an artist (or crafter) can take? How about a writer? An inventor? A musician? A performer?

• SARK states that “micromovements are powerfull helpers for our creative dreams because they create a habit of completion.” Do you have a habit of completing projects? Or do you have a lot of uncompleted projects? What might this indicate about you? How can you approach changing this?

Next: Questions for Reflection for Chapters 5-8 »

© 2007 Chris Dunmire, CoachingYourCreativity.com. All rights reserved. (10/17/07). Please do not duplicate this article elsewhere without my permission.

About the Author
Chris Dunmire is a thriving humorist, creativity enthusiast, kid's artshop facilitator, and creative director and publisher of the popular "Writer's Digest Best" Creativity-Portal.com. Chris trained as a creativity coach with Eric Maisel, Ph.D., and is the innovative mind behind the famous 'Cashius monetarius' Dollar Bill Origami Money Plant project. Learn more about Chris's creative printable playbooks at CreativeSlush.com.