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Ah, it's summer time which is my best and favorite time of the year. I just spent a month at my house on the Cape where I started off the month in thermal underwear and ended up in a bathing suit on my beloved Nauset Beach. We are lucky enough to be able to drive out to a private part of the beach and truly enjoy the beauty and the solitude of miles of perfect white sand, dunes, and glorious views. I feel blessed everytime I visit.

I also have some special friends on the Cape that I enjoy catching up with each season. I had hot chocolate--she had iced coffee--with my friend Gillian yesterday and she reminded me of the power of taking risks with our creative interests. Gillian has done numerous ventures on her own, including creating two print magazines, running a publishing company, and renovating a villa in Italy. She is now taking one of the print magazines and putting it online, this time with a partner. Nothing seems impossible for her--she just does it.

Are you ready to take some creative risks yourself? Here are some guidelines for you to follow as you traverse the potentially treacherous trail.
1) Make certain that you are passionate about what you are doing. If you don't have the zest, you won't have the stamina to stick it out.
2) Know what talents you have and what you will need help and support with. While some people like Gillian can manage to do most things themselves, many of us aren't quite that daring and adaptable, so we may need to enlist other resources.
3) Give yourself the time and space to focus on your learning curve. It takes time to learn something new. I just started painting peonies which I adore but my 100th painting will be far better than my first.
4) Realize that as a risk-taker in the marketplace, you are going to have to sell your idea, product, or service to someone in order to get it out into the world. Brush up those self-marketing skills we have talked about before and put together a plan that you can enjoy and stay committed to.
5) Lastly, know when it's time to move on. Some risks don't pan out and we need to cut our losses and let go. Other risks nourish us for a period of time and then we are "done" and are ready to tackle a new challenge. These transitions can be daunting but are totally normal and to be expected.

So this summer, decide what risk you would like to take and get started. As we free ourselves up from layers of clothing, release your fears and inhibitions and take the plunge into the land of creative abundance and enjoy!

Special Coaching Offer I have space for a few new coaching clients and have a discount offer of 3 sessions for $550.00--a $50.00 savings. So if you are ready to activiate your creativity, discover fulfilling work, restore inner balance, and/or grow your business, email me with your agenda at Gail@creativesuccess.com and we will help you to figure out What's Next for You!

Art Resource I just got contacted by Fractured Atlas which is a non- profit organization that serves a national community of over 5, 000 artists and arts organizations across the country. They help artists and arts organizations function more effectively as businesses by providing access to funding, healthcare, education, and more, all in a context that honors their individuality and independent spirit. Check them out at http://www.fracture datlas.org .

Creatively yours,
Gail McMeekin
http://www.creativesuccess.com Copyright, 2008. CreativeSuccess, LLC.