AnnA Rushton Catalyst Online

FEBRUARY 2008

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Catalyst News and Views from AnnA
9th February, 2008

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I don't often start with a quote, but this poem by American
Carl Sandburg really made me think. That is also the theme of
the main piece which is about the four questions posed by
Byron Katie - if you are not familiar with her work I think
this will be an eye-opener as it certainly was for me. Then if
you fancy going on a cruise, or discovering what are the most
inspiring creativity books around, then keep reading! To your
continued love of life, creativity, and all that is around you.
Best wishes from AnnA

IN THIS ISSUE:
- CHOOSE
- THE FOUR QUESTIONS
- CREATIVITY BOOK LIST
- WANT TO BE A CRUISE SHIP SPEAKER?

CHOOSE
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This would be an excellent creative exercise to use this poem
as the basis for a real decision or choice point in someone's
life. Or simply to allow yourself to see where you choose the
fist, or the open hand.

Choose
The single clenched fist lifted and ready,
Or the open hand held out and waiting.

Choose: For we meet by one or the other.

(Carl Sandberg)

THE FOUR QUESTIONS
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I often feel I have read every single personal development book
in the world, or maybe it just feels like it! However, there are
gaps and Byron Katie is one of them. For some reason I got her
confused with Brandon Bays, and they are certainly nothing alike,
so thank you to the best masseuse in the world - yes that's you
Sue in Newhaven - for introducing me to a profound body of work.

I love simplicity and often return to a principle from my days
as a Rebirther which was that 'love is never complicated' and
although you may argue with that - and in terms of how we set
up love in our lives you certainly can - but the reality of
loving oneself and others is at the heart of all personal
development work.

In her book 'Loving What Is' Byron Katie offers you a not
particularly original thought, which is that everyone is a
mirror image of yourself, and that what upsets you in other
people's behaviour is what you need to address in yourself.
In effect when you are hurt or angry with someone then that
is your own thinking coming back at you and she articulates
what is the Buddhist philosophy of non-attachment so that in
reality no one can hurt you it is your attachment to the pain
that is the problem. We have to take full responsibility for
our own actions and not lay them off on someone else. Or as
Katie succinctly puts it 'you can't hurt me - that's my job.'

The heart of the book is to address the key issue of The Four
questions you can use to turn any thought, feeling or situation
around. I am not saying this work is easy, simple work is often
harder and more profound than something that appears to be
difficult. You really need to read the book to get the essence
of this, but to whet your appetitive here are the four questions
you would ask yourself of some situation, thought or feeling that
is upsetting you:

1 Is it true? (Really true and not just a projection or old belief
you are holding on to?)

2 Can you absolutely know it's true (What is your proof?)

3 How do you react when you think that thought? (Your physical
feelings and emotions)

4 Who would you be without the thought? (What would change in
your life?)

Writing down the answers is recommended and you can then begin
tostart turning those thoughts around, but first you really do
need to know the truth about the situation and that only gets
revealed when you are prepared to sit quietly and be open and
honest with it.

If you want to know more, then have a look at her book at
http://snipurl.com/1zc03

CREATIVITY BOOK LIST
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Often when I talk about creativity I am asked to recommend
books that people might find helpful or interesting. So finally
I have compiled a list of those books that have inspired me,
given me practical help, and encouraged me to continue in my
creative process as well as links to places and people that
have done exactly the same.

If you are curious to see what I have chosen then go to the
website and click on the Read This! Icon on the left hand side,
or follow this link http://www.catalystonline.co.uk/links.htm

Let me know if you have any others you would add that have
been helpful to you, and as I am still compiling my personal development book list tell me abouit the book that has
inspired you and maybe it will make it onto my list.

WANT TO BE A CRUISE SHIP SPEAKER?
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As some of you know, I have been lucky enough to be a speaker
on P & O Cruises for the past three years and am now expanding
my horizons - and destinations - by going on other cruise lines. Whenever anyone finds out that is what I do they immediately
either want to come with me and carry my bags or find out how
I managed it. Rather than keep repeating myself, I found the information you need and arranged a FREE seminar to share it
with you.

WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO?
Over the last couple of years I have visited the USA. The
Caribbean, the Mediterranean, the Baltic States, Russia,
Norway, Sweden, Finland and met some amazing people. I now go
on three to four cruises a year and am a regular speaker on
personal development, health and creativity on cruise lines.

If it sounds like something you would like to do then you may interested to hear about a man called Daniel Hall that I was
put in touch with recently. I discovered he has written an
ecourse with the promising title of "Speak on Cruise Ships:
8 Easy Steps to a Lifetime of FREE Luxury Cruises." I had a
look and it has some good advice and tips on how to approach
cruise lines and what they are looking for.

If you are interested in hearing more about it I have arranged
to interview him on a teleconference towards the end of February
which is entirely free, so I am just waiting for him to confirm
the date and then I will give you full details in the next newsletter.

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Any creative questions, comments or criticisms? Please do
contact me either via my website:
http://www.catalystonline.co.uk/ or email to anna@creativecatalyst.co.uk

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Catalyst News and Views from AnnA
22 February, 2008

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What's the upside? Do you make lemonade with your lemons or
pull a face and bemoan the fact you never get life's bowl of
cherries? Being positive is not just cosmetic; it will attract
better things to you and certainly make you more attractive to
those around you - which is a good thing as it is that positive attitude that can add years to your life. I hope I have given
you some 'plums to pluck' in this issue - and I promise there
will be no more references to fruit!

To your continued love of life, creativity, and all that is
around you. Best wishes from AnnA

IN THIS ISSUE:
- WHEN BACKSLIDING IS A GOOD THING
- STRICTLY COME WRITING?
- CREATIVITY AND DEPRESSION
- BEING A CRUISE SHIP SPEAKER - FREE REPORT

WHEN BACKSLIDING IS A GOOD THING
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I had a very interesting conversation with a client this week.
She was very concerned that the high hopes and optimism she
had been feeling a few weeks ago had almost drained away and
she was not sure what she was doing. If any of you are in the
same boat then take heart: I believe this is not a 'fault' in
you, but a necessary part of adjusting to any major change.

One of the things I talk about in my Procrastination book is
our attitude to success and we are often as afraid, if not more
so, of being a great success than we are of failing. Why would
this be? Well, most of us are neither a great success nor a
terrible failure, but we inhabit the middle ground with
occasional forays over the line to each extreme and frankly
we are comfortable there. All change requires us to go out of
our comfort zone and the biggest challenge can be facing the
fact that we are afraid not of how we would cope with success,
but how our partners, friends, colleagues and family will react.

A consistent theme among those who achieve sudden fame or
wealth is that they are cut off from their old life and haven't
yet forged the new one. The sadness, or questioning of ourselves that goes on then is a necessary part of the adjustment. We need to be asking what I call the three essential coaching questions:

1 What do you want to keep in your life?
2 What do you want to change?
3 What do you want more of?

By asking those questions you will be able to move forward with
more confidence, and certainly more self-knowledge.

STRICTLY COME WRITING?
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If you can't get enough of 'celebrity reality' there is one
coming up that is right up your street - particularly if you
are a writer, or want to be. In the run-up to world book day
on 1st March - and do check out local events in your library,
arts centre and community venues - six celebrities will attempt
to become crime writers in a new reality tv show from the BBC.

Every day 'Murder Most Famous' will spend 45 minutes at teatime following the progress of dancer Brendan Cole, actresses
Sherrie Hewson and Angela Griffin, former tabloid editor
Kelvin Mackenzie, television presenter Matt Allwright and
gardener Diarmud Gavin - perhaps hoping to emulate his highly
successful friend and gardening guru Alan Tichmarsh. The lucky
six are mentored by award-winning crime author Minette Walters,
and in true reality style one celebrity is eliminated each
episode and the prize for the winner is having their novel
published by PanMacmillan.

The writers are set challenges to inspire their creativity,
hopefully not of the 'bush tucker' variety. Perhaps forcing
them to read and digest an author unfamiliar, and unpalatable
to them? My creative task for you this week is to let me know
which author you would most hate to have to read - if any.

They even get some specialist training in dog tracking,
resisting a violent attack, going to an autopsy and observing
a crime scene investigation. They also are involved in the
pursuit and interrogation of a subject - wish I was famous
enough to be asked to join them!

Murder Most Famous starts on Monday 3 March on BBC2 and check
listings for the start time.

CREATIVITY AND DEPRESSION
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When I mentioned I had put my favourite creative and self
development books up on my website for you to have a look at,
the one that has aroused most interest is the Van Gogh Blues by
Eric Maisel. I trained with him to be a creativity coach for
artists and writers and it was that book that led me to his work.

As a lifelong depressive, I had found many ways to live with it, but his insight into the link between creativity and depression was a profound one for me.

As so many of you have commented on it, I thought you would
like to hear from the man himself in his own words and so I am
quoting him here on his own book, and I hope you find it as
interesting and stimulating as I have:

"In The Van Gogh Blues I try to make some sense of the
relationship between creativity and depression. The clich� is
that creativity and depression go hand-in-hand. Like many
clich�s, this one is absolutely true. But creators aren't
necessarily afflicted with some biological disease or
psychological disorder that causes them to experience depression at the alarming rates that we see. They experience depression simply because they are caught up in a struggle to make life seem meaningful to them. People for whom meaning is no problem are less likely to experience depression. But for creators, losses of meaning and doubts about life's meaningfulness are persistent problems and root causes--even the root causes--of their depression.

The psychiatrist Arnold Ludwig studied a thousand eminent
twentieth-century figures. In The Price of Greatness:
Resolving the Creativity and Madness Controversy he concluded
that 77% of the poets in his sample, 54% of the fiction writers, 50% of the visual artists, and 46% of the composers had suffered from at least one significant depressive episode. By contrast, the rate for sports figures in his survey was 16%, military figures 5%, and explorers 0%. As high as these numbers are for creators, they are still low: I am certain that 100% of creative people will suffer from episodes of depression.

Why 100%? Because every creative person came out of the womb
ready to interrogate life and determine for herself what life
would mean, could mean, and should mean. Her gift or curse was
that she was born ready to stubbornly doubt received wisdom and
disbelieve that anyone but she was entitled to provide answers to her own meaning questions. Was she the only baby born on that day that way, with that gift or curse? No one can say. Nature versus nurture questions are unanswerable, except in superficial ways. What is clear is that some people grow up doubting and questioning while the majority don't. These meaning investigators are our creators and they are prone to meaning crises and consequent depression by virtue of the fact that they find meaning a problem and not a given.

The depression they experience may be entirely existential or
it may be an add-on existential depression, added on to some
already-existing biological or psychological depression. Again,
we don't know and can't know what exactly is going on. We don't
even know what we mean by "biological depression" or "psychological depression." Since there is so much that we do not know, you must take the following advice to heart: even if your depression is primarily rooted in meaning problems, that should not stop you from seeking medical treatment.

I am arguing that existential depression is the primary
depression that creative people experience, but that isn't to
say that you shouldn't watch out for other culprits and causes.
Antidepressant drugs work for many people, creators included,
to reduce their experience of depression. Therefore it is
important that you think about including them in your personal
treatment plan for healing your depression.

But drugs are not the only answer and they are certainly not
the complete answer. I have seen even serious depression lift
after only one creativity coaching session. Over the course of
twenty years of counselling and coaching creative clients, I
have witnessed this recovery happen time and time again. It
happens because a client recognizes that she has meaning
problems to tackle. Simply by glimpsing the territory she
must traverse, she regains hope, a renewed sense of purpose,
and a clearer picture of what steps she must take in her
creative life. Nor do these gains last for only a day or a
week. I have heard from clients a year or two after a single
session that something important happened that had not faded
away.

The headline is that creators have trouble maintaining meaning.

Creating is one of the ways they endeavour to maintain that
meaning. In the act of creation they lay a veneer of meaning
over meaninglessness and, sometimes, produce work that helps
others maintain meaning too. This is why creating is such a
crucial activity in the life of a creator: it is one of the ways, and often the most important way, that she manages to make life feel meaningful. Not creating is depressing, because she is not making meaning when she is not creating. Creating but falling short in her efforts is also depressing, because only insufficient meaning is produced if her products strike her as weak or shallow. Even creating well can be depressing, because of the lingering sense that what she is doing is only veneering meaninglessness. These are the issues that I examine in the Van Gogh Blues. If they ring a bell, then by all means take a peek."

If you would like to take a peek then click on the 'Read This'
button on my website at www.catalystonline.co.uk and it is on the second page of my recommended books, the bottom item - just click on the title to find out more from his page on Amazon books.

BEING A CRUISE SHIP SPEAKER - FREE REPORT
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Following my mention in the last newsletter about the
teleconference I have arranged with Daniel Hall on "Speak on
Cruise Ships: 8 Easy Steps to a Lifetime of FREE Luxury Cruises", you will have received a separate email giving further details.

If you haven't received it, then drop me a line but just to
confirm it will be held on Thursday 28 Feb at 8pm via a
telephone bridge link to the USA.

If you do not have a telephone provider that gives you cheap
overseas calls there are several option you can just dial direct via a pin number for as little as 1-2p a minute from your ordinary telephone. I have listed some of them below, and a Google search on 'cheap overseas calls' will bring you even more:

1] Telediscount 08444 620 620 2p/min
2] Telestunt 08444 62 20 20 2p/min
3] http:/www.1899.com 1p/min [you need to register online first - but it's very simple
4) Dial around 0844 861 7474 1p a minute to US no need to pre -register

In most cases you dial the number above and then the bridge number using the country code for the US of 001 and dropping the initial zero for international calls. If you want to sign up for the talk, or the free report, then please copy and paste this in your browser: http://www.speakerscruisefree.com/AnnA

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Any creative questions, comments or criticisms? Please do
contact me either via my website:
http://www.catalystonline.co.uk/ or email to anna@creativecatalyst.co.uk

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