Mastering Creativity: Left, Right, or Whole Brain Thinker! Which Are You?

CREATIVE MONSTER BOOK LEADS TO SPEAKING

Today I thought I would share a little more of my author journey.

You never know where life is going to lead you but it is always good to set your intention. I was so fascinated with the brain and how it worked I had continued to read every book that I could buy or check out at the library (remember no Internet) to learn as much as I could. I knew I wanted to teach about Creativity at some point so I wanted to learn everything I could. I found there was a severe gap between the leading scientific research (remember 13-part series on the brain on PBS) being revealed and the actual application of that knowledge to the real world. So I developed a workshop on Creativity and the Brain. I didn’t know where I was going to teach this I just knew I had a dream to share it with the world.

First point: You don’t have to have all the answers to start down the path. You only need a passion for a topic and for sharing it with the appropriate audience.

While trying to figure out how to sell those other 2,400 books that I had printed. I learned about the Texas Library Association annual conference from then client and Assistant Director of the Dallas Public Library and later Director of the Fort Worth Public Library, Gleneice Robinson. Gleniece was also the President of the Texas Library Association at that time, the first African American Female President of over 10,000 public, school, and specialty librarians from around the State. When I mentioned my desire not only to sell my Creative Monster book but to speak she put me in touch with someone on the Conference Committee and before I knew it I was scheduled to present at the annual conference.

Second point: Networking and sharing your dream with trusted and interested individuals can catapult you to the next level or a new opportunity.

I had made a decision to create a talk. I created that presentation “Mastering Creativity: Left, Right or Whole Brain Thinker! Which Are You?” even though I didn’t know where or how or when, if ever, I would be able to deliver it. I just knew that I would find an avenue or an opportunity and I needed to be prepared when the opportunity showed up. Just like it had 5 years after I gave up my dream of publishing. (If you haven’t read my earlier piece go back and read My First Book.) If you have a DREAM that comes from your heart –– it is there for a reason –– don’t ignore it. Start writing it down and thinking of ways to make it happen, especially think about those who can assist you. Sometimes it comes out of the blue, the right person shows up at the right time when you ask God or the Universe to assist you. Other times you pursue it by brainstorming, creating the list of potential names, getting their contact information, and making the call to see if they will spend 20-30 minutes with you.

Third point: Dream, decide, take action to make it happen.

The reason I was able to take advantage of that opportunity was that I had transferred previously learned skills to a new part of my life. Let me explain. During my attendance at John Know Presbyterian Church (my home church from birth to mid-twenties) and while in high school, I learned how to stand up in front of a crowd and lead a short devotional. This was an opportunity for lay members of the church (youth and adults) to learn leadership skills. These short talks were held before Sunday School and this eventually led to me teaching PreK-3rd Grade Sunday School. So speaking, teaching, and getting up in front of a crowd started early for me, was added to when I double majored in Speech at college and expanded when I decided to speak at the professional level once I started my career.

Fourth point: Skills learned in previous or other activities can transfer over to new positions, opportunities or activities. So always be learning something new.

Now back to my presentation at the Texas Library Association Conference. I presented at the annual conference in Fort Worth to a room of about 100 Librarians and related professionals. At the end of my presentation, a lady came up and introduced herself. She was an editor with Linworth Publishing one of two major national library publishers (the other was Baker & Taylor). She said, “Do you have that material you just taught in book form?” No, I did not. I just had a presentation. She went on to say, “I would like to offer you a contract to turn that material into a book.” A contract with a traditional publisher!!! The Holy Grail then and it still is even now in many people’s minds (a subject for a future article). Of course, I said, “Yes. That would be fabulous. What is our next step.” So a dream to speak somewhere, to speaking at a large conference if only to a few (I also had a booth in the Expo area and sold books there and at the back of the room), to being offered a publishing contract for a second book about Creativity “Firing Up Both Brains: Teaching Youth Left & Right Brain Thinking” for middle school librarians and teachers.

Fifth point: When you dream, set your intention, take action and put yourself out there … amazing things happen.

That connection also led to a future speaking opportunity at the Colorado Library Association annual conference held in Colorado Springs at the famous “Broadmoor Hotel,” a wonderful experience I never could have imagined for myself but now is a part of my story. I also took that presentation and developed it into a 12 Week Course that I taught at the local junior college.

So … keep dreaming, keep writing, keep taking action on your writing and publishing project and be open to where the journey will lead. Being a published author is an awesome adventure and you never know where it will take you. Creatively, Liz