In my last post, I described how creatives pick and frame their productive obsessions. In this post, I’d like continue sharing some stories from my coaching clients:
Jennifer wrote: “I’ve been writing fiction for eight years and during that time I’ve attended workshops, conferences, completed six manuscripts, honed my craft, studied the markets and collected lots of rejections. I know the ropes. Currently, I’m finishing up revisions on my latest manuscript. Feedback from my critique partners is that this could be the one that makes a publisher say yes. But lately I’ve been feeling that I’ve played this book too safe. So, my productive obsession (which totally excites me) is to learn everything I can about how to give this book what it needs in terms of ‘bigger’ and ‘bolder.’ Although I think the process of obsessing about letting it all hang out on the page will be scary, I have this gut feeling that it’s the right thing for this book and the right thing for my growth as an author. My productive obsession: to learn how to make my latest manuscript big, bold and fresh and to make those changes before sending it out to agents and editors.”
Amber explained, “Using the hints you provided for choosing productive obsessions, I found that certain of my current ideas met some of the criteria but no idea met all of them. Suddenly I realized that the idea of creating large-scale sculpture seemed to resonate with all the ‘g’s, although one sticking point was whether or not this choice would be congruent with my current self, since I haven’t done any sculpture for nearly ten years. When I examined whether that desire was still a valid one, I became engaged and started obsessing about what mediums and materials to use. My heart began racing. I frequently experience these feelings when I get ideas for new paintings but I could tell that sculpture on a larger scale was grander than doing another painting. It is also a gamble, since I am definitely not sure of the outcome. My productive obsession: to create large-scale sculpture.”
Lilith wrote, “I knew right away what my obsession would be, but gave myself overnight to test it. This morning it still rings true. Over the past year I’ve worked hard to build a body of paintings and I was recently accepted into a gallery. I love my work and each piece is a challenge, often scaring me by what it represents emotionally and symbolically. And I’ve been happy with that. However, I recently began to wonder if I needed to put more bite into my serene pieces. I remember years ago in art class a fellow student challenging me to use red. I was afraid of red then, but slowly started using it—and I still use it only sparingly. Red has bite. Today I added a slight dash of coral to a painting I thought was finished and it is so much better! I also drew some images of blood and knives, things that I never put into my paintings. In daily life, my public persona is one of calmness and patience and no one sees the edgy me except maybe the house spiders and the cats. My productive obsession: to put more bite into my art and really let loose!”
Celia wrote, “How did I arrive at my productive obsession, to create a series of sculptural fiber vessels? By going around and around on five options. I wrote them all down on separate pieces of paper, chose one at random, and then listened carefully to my internal dialog as I read ‘the answer.’ Was I excited, disappointed, did I want to choose again? When no decision came easily, I coached myself. First, I wrote out a description of each option, including my fears and desires and any obstacles and problems. Then my internal coach asked for further clarification: what do I want to gain, what am I hoping will happen, and so on. Two options dropped away and three remained strong. Then I noticed something. Friday, I found myself gathering materials to start the vessel project. While my mind was still deciding, my body was preparing! And now I can’t stop obsessing as the excitement builds.”
Use the tips I’ve been providing to orient yourself in the direction of your next productive obsession. There is no formula for arriving at that obsession, there is only the honest work of thinking through which project will serve you at this precise moment. Take all the time you need. Who knows, you may find yourself beginning to obsess even before you consciously realize that you have chosen.
[This post is part of an ongoing series of Redesign Your Mind posts on the art of productive obsessions. Please enjoy the whole series for a complete picture of how to use “redesign your mind” techniques to create and cultivate productive obsessions.]
To learn more about the ideas presented in this blog post, please see two of Dr. Maisel’s titles, Redesign Your Mind: The Breakthrough Program for Real Cognitive Change and Brainstorm: Harnessing the Power of Productive Obsessions
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This post is republished on Medium.
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Photo credit: Shutterstock
