When Our Dreams Take On a Life of Their Own...

"You've got to have a dream for a dream to come true." - Oscar Hammerstein

There is a moment - and it's often subtle and we miss it if we don't pay attention - when our dream comes true.

It is a sublime moment when the outgoing energy shifts to incoming energy and then shifts to evergreen energy.

Here's what I mean.

As an creative, we're the lead domino of our dream.

We think it up. We write it, paint it, compose it, develop it, craft it.

We go back and forth with what we want it to look like, sound like, feel like.

We deliberate what to leave in, what to take out, and what to leave alone.

We fiddle with it until we wouldn't change a thing.

That's when we know it's right. That's when we know it's ready.

But the work isn't done yet.

Now is the commercial part of the creative process.

Now is when we publish it or produce it or partner with a vendor to get it out in the world. And that logistical, administrative part of it can be soul-sapping.

Because once it's out in the world, we've got to market it.

We've got to create a website, post on social media, blog, go on podcasts, ask for endorsements, alliances, affiliates, customers. We switch into sales mode.

But then, thank heaven, we start hearing back from people.

People reach out to say they enjoyed it, found it valuable, thought-provoking, relatable, or inspiring. They like and appreciate what we've created.

And this is nice, but it's not enough.

The next stage is when people start telling us the ACTION they've taken as a result of our work. The changes they've made. The initiatives they've launched.

And that's when our creative work - our dreams - take on a life of their own.

That's when our outgoing energy is eclipsed by the incoming energy and the evergreen energy

Here's an example as I've just been through this evolution.

It took me about two years to go through the outgoing part of the Creative Energy Process - where I wrote Talking on Eggshells, honed the stories and steps, wrote the promotional copy, got endorsements, coordinated with my publisher, etc.

When the book was released last month by New World Library, I was in BOTH the outgoing and incoming stage of the Creative Energy Process.

I was having the time of my life being interviewed on podcasts, speaking on live and online stages, sharing excerpts on LinkedIn - AND people were telling me they found the content intriguing, relevant, timely, useful, and they valued it.

But last week, the magic started happening.

People started telling me how they had taken the techniques and run with them.

A woman said, "I really loved the NAME THE GAME technique in T.O.E. You said that, 'If you don't like what's happening, ask yourself, 'What is making me uncomfortable?' and then SAY IT out loud because it neutralizes it.

For example, we could say to a pushy salesperson, 'You're not trying to rush me into a decision, are you?' Not anymore they're not.

Last night, my husband and I came home from work grumpy and started picking away at each other over the most petty things.

Then, I remembered your technique and said, 'Hey, we've both had bad days. Let's agree not to take it out on each other.'

And just like that, we backed off and gave each other space, and sat down to dinner an hour later and that tension was gone and the sniping was over."

What I loved about that was - she did her own version of my technique.

I didn't teach her to say that. She embraced that proactive option, remembered it in the moment, and was able to transform that situation because of it.

I love the picture with this post.

It was taken at an event last week (thanks, Dr. Neeta Bhushan) where I had a chance to share some T.O.E. best-practices.

But look.... I'm in the background.

In fact, the focus is on the book, not on me. I'm actually a bit out-of-focus.

Which is how it's supposed to be with creativity.

We locomote our projects and do the initial heavy-lifting to get them out the door.

And it's rewarding to hear from people who resonate with what we've created.

And it's even more rewarding when they run with what resonated, make it their own, choose to do things differently, and benefit as a result.

So, the question is, what's your dream?

Where are you in the Evolution of Creative Energy ?

Outgoing? Incoming? Evergreen? Report in.