Book Summary: Making Pearls – Living the Creative Life (Jeanne Carbonetti)

Reproduced by kind permission of Seeds Ltd

The Creative Power Within Us

We are all creators: it is the birthright of each and every one of us. In our true nature as humans, we shape our world by the power of imagination. When we are least aware, we are creating the most. There is something larger at work; we are part of a worldwide web of creative force.

The Universal, Eternal Cycle

All our creating is done within this cycle, never outside of it. Every stage is important; each has its gift:

• Waiting
• Opening
• Closing
• Holding
• Releasing
• Emptying
• Sitting

Each of us has our favorite part of the cycle that we find easy to engage with; there are also some stages we like less, where we struggle.

It is God’s life force and us who create, both together. Life comes through us; true creation is always co-creation. Creation is always an act of faith: creativity is not something added to your life, it is your life.

Like Oysters, We Make Pearls

We form pearls out of the stuff of our lives: something beautiful and meaningful, something we love, or something troubling.

• Waiting: We open ourselves to things we never thought of before.
• Opening: We choose and close on what we find most attractive – like the oyster, we get sand in with the food.
• Closing: We close on and hold this under the shell of our protection – this becomes the time for holding; this embryonic pearl becomes ours.
• Holding: We creators hold on when other forms of consciousness let go.
• Releasing: We must release our creation to be what it will be in the world.
• Emptying: It is no longer up to us; we must empty ourselves – it is over now.
• Sitting: This is the time for just sitting – not even waiting – just sitting.

We allow the mystery of the creative cycle to be as it is, accepting this part without judgment until the next call comes and waiting begins again. Most of all, we must love ourselves enough to let it happen.

Link ?? Table: Making pearls – seven stages of the creativity life-cycle: https://seedscreatives.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/180701-aiyor-mp-chart.pdf

Love of Self

This is a choice we must make if we are to fulfill our destiny as creators. Creatorship is hero’s work: we are each born with a hero’s heart, for the quest we are really on is to uncover the divinity within ourselves. Love all of yourself, with agape love.

Chapter 1: Waiting

The Nature of Waiting

This stage is about recognizing our wanting, hunger, and openness – our positioning to receive. It is the first stirring of intuition: a whisper of “It is time for this now”; a shiver that will guide to the next step; it can be a word or phrase, a question. First vibrations: “In the beginning was the Word”; God said, “Let there be light!”

Embrace uncertainty: Our voices can go deep, which takes patience. As you go deeper, you notice more pieces emerge. Our duty is to go to the core of our humanness.

The Practice of Grounding

The oyster cements itself to a rock. It stops floating around and begins to funnel energy into its receptive shell. Being in your body frees your mind to receive, to become alert, and to be attentive to physical senses. Feel your feet as they touch the floor; be aware of your body, feel each part relax. Notice your breathing: allow this to become regular, let its rhythm carry you into relaxation.

Create private space and time: “My territory,” a place of peace and calm where “no trespassers” are allowed. Simply take time: waiting, not doing.

The Gift of Patience

Reflect on your past creative projects: What worked well and delighted you? Begin to notice patterns and new levels of understanding that emerge from different works. Become aware of your own ways of working and the resources that helped.

Allow yourself to dream: One of your ideas may take over you, signaling that the Waiting stage is over. See patience as a gift, fundamental to creating; we wait to be pulled towards something rather than impatiently push through to get something done.

Choose a symbol for the Waiting stage: What personal symbol or story will you choose?

Chapter 2: Opening

The Nature of Opening

This stage explores movement in our creative thinking – like the oyster, we feed on and filter ideas. When taking in and drawing on research, the more extensive and diverse the process, the better. Where do answers from the Waiting stage lead us?

Research and Develop

Start to collect the pieces of the puzzle of your ideas: read; visit art galleries and sculpture parks; explore all live leads and dead ends; go to unexpected places; talk with colleagues and friends, to bat ideas around. Notice that one idea or image has more weight and a deeper beat than the others. Ideas constellate into patterns; remain willing to give up on your most promising idea if a better, more pressing idea comes to mind.

Invite Whimsy

Allow yourself to be carefree, tentative, curious and playful. Indulge in daydreams and fantasies. This stage embraces the full opening of the power of imagination. Many flowers of ideas will fall away, but one or two blooms will remain and trigger a deep resonance of meaning.

The Practice of Connecting

Scan, sense, and read signs to discover which of your range of ideas can be filtered out and which have resonance for you. We are like the oyster, deciding what is food and what is not. Use your senses and intuition: look at source material for inspiration (e.g., magazines, books, websites, galleries).

The Gift of Enthusiasm

We are touched by the gods: we seek to be divinely in love with an idea so wonderful it lifts us off our feet, excites us, and pulls us towards it. “Pull” is very important: the realm of the soul cannot be pushed; “push” is the realm of ego. When we are pulled, we are filled with energy and momentum; we work without stopping or feeling tired.

Choose a symbol for the Opening stage: What symbol or story will you adopt?

Chapter 3: Closing

The Nature of Closing

The oyster closes on the irritant and begins secreting the mother of pearl lining, also known as nacre. The embryonic pearl is free to move around, which gives it a round shape. As an artist, you become one with the irritant of an idea; you engage fully with the piece of life that is going through you; you make meaning of it.

The pain, frustrations, and irritations in your life may have reached a place where they emerge to be chosen as ideas for creative work; in some way, your life’s problems can be transformed by your art.

The Practice of Focus

Allow yourself a regular rhythm of work: start small; the process is a delight, not a chore. Position yourself to be creative: have patience with the process; be at ease with your own boundaries. Take time to be alone, to be receptive to your own thoughts, feelings, and rhythms. When you are in the throes of giving your chosen idea shape, you must work closely with it, keeping the project safe from public display so that you can see the patterns that emerge from the process.

The Gift of Commitment

Commitment is the gift by which our willpower serves and protects the creative value we produce: this stage is the height of productivity and power within the creative cycle. The goals for your dream take shape and demand your attention: your commitment protects your dream as it develops into reality. Like lovers for whom the world is closed out except for each other, creators see only their desire in this stage. The goals for your idea are no longer at issue; the only remaining questions are how and when to get there.

Choose a symbol for the Closing stage: What symbol or story will you adopt?

Chapter 4: Holding

The Nature of Holding

Hold on by faith to nurture the worthiness of our efforts despite facing obstacles. The nourishment of our ideas and creative work is contingent on our perseverance. Can we learn from other creators about developing greater determination to get through tedious and repetitive elements of our work? Holding on means we must keep going forward. This demands faith and self-control in the face of dragons such as boredom and tension. When there is not much tangible progress to show for your efforts, a dragon will tell you that no one else will want to see your creative work anyway. Have faith to be true to yourself.

The Practice of Pulsing

Work to a beat, the music of your soul. Develop a rhythm: recognize the beauty of your natural creative processes. Acknowledge, too, the dragons that prevent us from keeping the beat. We are our own princes and princesses; we are also our own dragons. When we bring these two forces together, we release meaning and power.

The Gift of Compassion

Compassion is the beautiful gift we can give ourselves at this stage of the creative life cycle. This quality helps us appreciate ourselves in relation to the complexities of the creative process; it helps us deal with procrastination and boredom.

Find pearls in other people and their creative work: hold on to all parts of the process in your work and in other creators without judgment; just respond to the next stage. This is at the heart of the creative life cycle.

Choose a symbol for the Holding stage: What symbol or story will you adopt?

Chapter 5: Releasing

The Nature of Releasing

We must let go of our creative work and release it to be what it will be in the world. Letting go of what we’ve made is often the hardest part. Like the oyster releasing the pearl, it’s essential to give our work freedom to live its own life beyond us. By releasing, we can see how others perceive and interact with our creation, enriching it with their interpretations and meanings.

The Practice of Letting Go

Trust that you have given your best and that it is enough. Just as the oyster must trust that the pearl it releases will find its way, we too must have faith that our work will resonate with others. This requires a leap of faith and an acceptance that we can’t control how our creation is received.

The Gift of Generosity

Releasing your work is an act of generosity. It’s about sharing your vision, your hard work, and your creativity with the world. The act of releasing is a gift both to yourself and to others. It allows you to make space for new ideas and projects while offering something valuable to the world.

Choose a symbol for the Releasing stage: What symbol or story will you adopt?

Chapter 6: Emptying

The Nature of Emptying

Emptying is the stage where we must let go of attachment to the outcome of our creative work. It’s a time of reflection and release, allowing ourselves to be free from the pressures and expectations that accompanied our creation. This stage is about cleansing and renewal, preparing us for the next cycle of creativity.

The Practice of Reflection

Take time to reflect on what you have created and the journey you took to bring it to life. Acknowledge the challenges, the triumphs, and the growth you’ve experienced. This reflection helps to internalize the lessons learned and to let go of any residual attachment.

The Gift of Freedom

Emptying gives us the freedom to move forward without being weighed down by the past. It’s a liberating stage that clears the way for new ideas and fresh inspiration. Embrace the freedom that comes from releasing your work and stepping into the unknown.

Choose a symbol for the Emptying stage: What symbol or story will you adopt?

Chapter 7: Sitting

The Nature of Sitting

Sitting is about being present and allowing yourself to simply be. It’s not about waiting for the next idea or project but about being in a state of openness and receptivity. This stage is a time for rest, rejuvenation, and quiet reflection.

The Practice of Being Present

Practice mindfulness and being fully present in the moment. Engage in activities that ground you, such as meditation, nature walks, or simply sitting quietly. This practice helps to cultivate a sense of peace and readiness for the next creative impulse.

The Gift of Stillness

Stillness is a powerful gift that allows us to connect deeply with our inner selves and the world around us. It’s in this stillness that we can hear the whispers of inspiration and feel the gentle nudges towards our next creative endeavor.

Choose a symbol for the Sitting stage: What symbol or story will you adopt?

The Pearl of Wisdom

This is spirit seeking material form, a call from the divine. This is your muse.

Your pearls are unique; they reflect you, and your personal journey, but they can transcend the gap to guide other people on their way in life.

Which of the seven stages of the creativity life-cycle of "making pearls" do you find yourself in at the moment?

Links ?? Jeanne Carbonetti, MAKING PEARLS: LIVING THE CREATIVE LIFE

? Book, Amazon US https://www.amazon.com/Making-Pearls-Living-Creative-Life/dp/0823030458

? Book, Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/Making-Pearls-Living-Creative-Life/dp/0823030458

Calls to Action

1. The Artist in Your Own Residence community at Founders and Mentors is a place to find hang out with other like-minded members in a relaxed, supportive and informal atmosphere, to find sustainable motivation to work on long-held artistic ambitions, to participate in peer-to-peer mentoring partnerships, to make tangible progress with creative projects, and to attend events, both online and IRL. It's a place of encouragement and celebrations: to meet people, network, learn, relax, and be nice to each other. If you would like to join the community for free, please click this link ??https://community.12ronnies.com/share/0chitX5arUVS32Gj
2. The Artist in Your Own Residence community at Founders and Mentors runs an active community at WhatsApp. If you would like to apply to join the conversation and stay in the loop, please click this link ?? https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfg7lUtWbo23cHbLgIGkSz_O_HGE7PhoNRY4KN3lG60cjdOeA/viewform
3. Artist in Your Own Residence is a low-pressure, peer-to-peer mentoring scheme for anyone who thinks of themselves as being creative. If you would like to apply to join the scheme and take part in the program, please click this link ??https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc93v3ZXW9PJ7JLTgmWWNjghkW9N2wPSc0Dc9OZKfRJgRNg7A/viewform
4. Let me know in the comments if you have any suggestions for topics you would like me to cover that would help you in your own artistic journey and creative practice.

Become the artist in your own residence that changes the world!

Christopher Norris